Week 41 · English Practice Paper

In paragraph 1, the phrase 'a fixture in most homes' means that writing desks were: a) rare antiques b) found in almost every household c) only used by writers d) kept locked away e) considered old-fashioned

In paragraph 2, we are told that the woman: a) writes quickly without much thought b) is careless about her words c) drafts and redrafts her sentences carefully d) dictates the letter to someone else e) copies a letter she has seen before

Paragraph 2 tells us that: a) the letter is read immediately by its recipient b) the letter takes four days to be written c) the letter exists in a state of suspended privacy while it travels d) the sister has never received a letter before e) the woman regrets sending the letter

In paragraph 2, the writer describes the woman's desk as containing: a) a typewriter and paper b) a fountain pen and discarded drafts c) a computer and printer d) old family photographs e) a telephone directory

The description of the woman's careful choice of words in paragraph 2 tells us that: a) she finds the task boring b) she wants the tone to be exactly right c) she cannot think what to write d) she is annoyed with her sister e) she has never written a letter before

In paragraph 3, the writer refers to a 'golden age'. Does he mean: a) letters written at that time were on golden paper b) letter-writing was especially widespread and valued at that time c) it was an expensive time to send letters d) letters from that time are now valuable antiques e) it was a mythical, imagined time

The phrase 'suspended privacy' in paragraph 2 suggests: a) the letter is lost in the post b) the letter is a private, unread message existing in a state of travelling, not yet delivered c) new privacy laws about letters d) the letter has been opened by someone else e) the writer wants her letter destroyed

In paragraph 3 the writer explains that a handwritten letter asks something of both reader and writer. He means: a) both must own a computer b) both must be willing to wait for it to arrive c) it demands patience and a willingness to commit words to paper without knowing how they will be received d) both must be good at spelling e) both must live far apart

According to paragraph 3, families separated by emigration: a) never wrote to each other b) relied on the telephone instead c) had little choice but to trust letters to carry their relationships d) visited each other frequently instead e) stopped communicating altogether

In paragraph 4, the 'love letter' is described as the ultimate example of the form because: a) it is always successful b) it must risk saying things the writer cannot easily say aloud c) it is always written by famous authors d) it is never redrafted e) it is the shortest kind of letter

The reference to devoted fictional correspondents and real wartime sweethearts in paragraph 4 is used to: a) prove that all letters are romantic b) show how long letter-writing has mattered to people in very different circumstances c) suggest letters are only written in wartime d) criticise modern historians e) explain why paper was once expensive

In paragraph 4, once a letter is 'posted', the writer says it: a) can always be recalled b) cannot be unsaid, recalled, or explained away c) is usually never sent d) is destroyed automatically e) becomes public property

Considering the passage as a whole, the writer: a) believes texting is superior to letter-writing b) is nostalgic for the patience and care that letter-writing demanded c) thinks nobody should use phones d) believes letters are impossible to read today e) dislikes the idea of a golden age

Considering the passage as a whole, the writer suggests that: a) modern communication has made patience unnecessary b) handwritten letters require both patience and the courage to commit words to paper c) letters should be banned from schools d) telephones destroyed all forms of writing e) love letters are dishonest

What is the overall purpose of this passage? a) to give instructions for writing a letter b) to argue that letters should replace phones c) to reflect thoughtfully on a fading tradition and its emotional value d) to complain about the price of stamps e) to describe a historical event

SECTION B: What is the closest definition to 'blotter' as it is used in paragraph 1? a) a stamp b) a pad used to absorb excess ink c) an envelope d) a type of pen e) a postbox

What is the closest definition to 'glib' in paragraph 2? a) sincere b) slow c) superficial and insincere-sounding d) angry e) formal

What is the closest definition to 'unhurried' in paragraph 3? a) careless b) rushed c) taking place without haste d) forgetful e) impatient

What is the closest definition to 'commit' (as in 'commit words to paper') in paragraph 3? a) to erase b) to set down permanently, to fix in place c) to copy d) to whisper e) to translate

What is the closest definition to 'redrafted' in paragraph 4? a) rewritten and revised b) posted twice c) read aloud d) destroyed e) photocopied

SECTION C: Which of these lines includes a metaphor? a) 'a fountain pen uncapped beside her' b) 'she folds the finished page into thirds' c) 'the letter will exist in a kind of suspended privacy' d) 'a woman sits at a kitchen table' e) 'she crosses out a sentence'

Which of these words is an adjective? a) writes (paragraph 2) b) unhurried (paragraph 3) c) letter (paragraph 3) d) carries (paragraph 2) e) patience (paragraph 3)

Which of these words is a verb? a) desk b) drawer c) folds d) envelope e) privacy

What type of words are these: patience (paragraph 3), distance (paragraph 3), privacy (paragraph 2), confession (paragraph 4)? a) Verbs b) Adverbs c) Nouns d) Adjectives e) Pronouns

'A handwritten letter is a private and unhurried thing.' Is: a) a complex sentence b) a phrase c) a clause d) a past participle e) a simple sentence