Week 9 · English Practice Paper

Reading Passage

The story below describes something that happened over a hundred years ago, not long after aeroplanes were first invented. Nora is watching a horse race, along with riders James and Beatrice, when the race is interrupted by an out-of-control aeroplane, flown by Edward.

Sparrow Two

Paragraph 1: Nora knew straightaway that something was wrong, and that Edward was clearly in serious difficulty. Sparrow Two was heading directly across the meadow towards the ridge the crowd had gathered on for its view; she was flying almost at stalling speed, and plainly, unless Edward managed something remarkable, she wasn't going to clear the top. Her engine was making irregular, spluttering noises, roaring in short bursts as Edward fought to gain height, then dying away in a series of coughs and splutters. Nora could make out Edward in his leather cap and goggles, leaning anxiously over the side; for a moment, the thought struck her that he had timed his arrival at the finish line on purpose, for some ridiculous reason of his own, but then she realised he was far past caring about anything except keeping himself alive.

Paragraph 2: His arrival threw everything into immediate disorder. The crowd's cheering had turned into a startled, disbelieving babble. Nora watched, her eyes widening with dreadful anticipation, as the harmless afternoon's entertainment suddenly took on an almost comic inevitability.

Paragraph 3: The crowd started to scatter. They ran in every direction, some aimlessly, still watching the stricken Sparrow Two, pointing and gesturing, some in genuine, shrieking panic. The aeroplane dropped low over the meadow, her wings rolling alarmingly, engine screaming. All the ponies tethered to the farm carts began to rear and whinny wildly, some breaking loose. Nora saw one bolt full speed into the refreshment tent through one flap, and out the other with a terrific crashing noise trailing behind it. One pony, still harnessed between the shafts of a smart trap, careered down the slope and got stuck in the brook. Ember and Blaze, one moment cantering towards this monstrous, shrieking apparition, were now galloping headlong back down the meadow. Ember ran herself to a standstill, and James managed to fling himself off and hold her head, but Blaze, wild with fright, wouldn't stop for the fence and stream at the bottom and went straight through the obstacle as if it wasn't there. Beatrice was thrown violently from the saddle by a blow from a low branch, and fell heavily down the bank below, leaving strips of blue silk snagged on the thorn hedge like torn petals. Nora watched the whole thing unfold from Robin's back with a sense of dread, perfectly still because there was nothing she could do. She winced for Beatrice, and turned to watch Edward make his forced landing so close to her now that she could see the strained look on his face, and the stiff leg braced awkwardly out in front of him.

Option 1: 'There was something eerie about the deserted stable block...' Continue this story.

• Build tension gradually rather than revealing everything at once.
• Use sensory description (sound, smell, light) to create atmosphere.

Option 2: Write a story about an invention which caused havoc.

• Plan your story before you begin writing.
• Make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle and end.