Week 15 · English Practice Paper

Reading Passage

Read the story below, then answer the questions in sentences.

The Kite Festival

Ivy had been saving her pocket money for weeks. When her family went to the kite festival in the park, she spent every penny on a shiny new kite for her little brother, Sam, because his old one had a big tear in it.

Sam's kite soared high above the field, red and gold against the blue sky. Ivy watched him laugh as it dipped and swooped. She smiled, but a small part of her wished she had bought a kite for herself too.

"Are you not flying anything, Ivy?" asked her dad, noticing she was just standing with her arms crossed.

"I'm fine," said Ivy, but her voice wobbled a little.

Dad crouched down next to her. "You don't look fine to me. Come and sit with me on the picnic blanket for a bit. You can borrow my sunhat if you like — the sun is rather strong today."

Ivy sat down and pulled the big straw hat over her eyes. Through the shade of the brim, the kites looked like tiny specks in the sky. She didn't feel like watching anymore. She wanted to go home.

When Dad came back from queuing for ice creams, he said, "What a lovely festival. I wish I could fly a kite myself, but my knees are far too creaky for all that running!"

"You can use Sam's kite," said Ivy quietly. "I don't mind."

"That's very generous," said Dad, "but I think Sam would miss it. Besides, I'd much rather see you flying one of your own."

Ivy sniffed. "I haven't got a kite of my own, though."

"No kite of your own?" said Dad, smiling. "Well, that simply won't do on a day like this. Let's have a look in my rucksack — I think I packed a little surprise, just in case."

Option 1: The Strange Old Key

• Think about who is in your story.
• Think about where your story takes place.
• Think about what exciting things happen.
• Think of a good ending for your story.