English GL Preparation

LO: To consider how we prepare for the upcoming GL assessment

What can you remember from last year's English Preparation Test?

Why do you think we do these tests?

Understanding the structure

You will have two long pieces of writing that you will read, and then answer questions about.

We will practice in this week's lessons. So don't panic!

PTE: XXX

Pt 1: Spelling & Grammar

Highlight or circle all the grammatical and punctuation errors in the text. Correct them with another coloured pen.

Paint oozed across the art room's carpet tiles. "if you ask me," said the class genius, "there's only one solution. quick! Grab that sugar paper and spread it over the stain then get some rulers and pencils. The bell rang and their
teacher stood at the door. The genius spoke up. "Er, were designing a tessellated pavement. You know, the Romans technique of using little bits of stone, shell, glass anything really, to decorate their floors? We're drafting our design today. Next lesson," the genius added helpfully, we can bring all the different stuff to stick on.
"I think not, the art teacher replied, with a smile. "I know how mosaics are made these methods don't quite match the Roman techniques.”

Pt2: Vocabulary

Select the word that would best fit in each slot (options on next slide)

The class watched, __1__ nerves, as the teacher spotted the paint seeping into the sugar paper, __2__ was gradually taking on a deeper shade.

At lunchtime, everyone in 8X was crawling about with hot water and paper towels to remove the stain. The Head __3__ making a mess during wet break was __4__ enough, but trying to hide __5__ under the sugar paper was thoroughly deceitful.

She was unimpressed by the genius's explanation that they were __6__ using their initiative to relieve the boredom of staying indoors during lashing rain. She admitted, __7__ that the mosaic pavement __8__ showed imagination.

Pt2: Vocabulary options

Slot Options
__1__ all most some whole totally
__2__ when what that's whose which
__3__ says say's say said saying
__4__ worse badder worst baddest bad
__5__ them those it theirs hers
__6__ barely only slightly nearly lastly
__7__ thereby although since even however
__8__ excusing excuse's executing excuse excused

Extract: The Creature

The Creature is an extract from 'Knowledge of Angels' by Jill Paton Walsh, and is set in medieval times on a Mediterranean island.
It was warm in the shepherds' cave. The promised lamb was roasting on a spit; the bread the nevados had brought from the valley that morning was not yet rock hard. It felt like a holiday, but the old men were afraid.
'A large wolf,' Galceran insisted. He imagined himself felling it with a titanic blow from his snow spade and being acclaimed as the hero of the hour.

  1. Why is nevados in Italics?
  2. Which adjectives would describe Galceran?

Write a summary of what you think has happened leading up to the men meeting in the cave.

'We can track it to its lair now the snow is lying here, said Old Luis. 'But we don't know what it is. We thought it best to get help.'
'At first light its time has come,' the nevados promised. 'Whatever it is.' They were strong men, and numbered nearly a dozen. In the warmth of the night cave, the mysterious creature could not have been too large for them, or too appalling. The hugest wolf that ever walked would have disappointed them.
In the morning the tracks were clear to see. The thing had taken another lamb in the night, as expected. About every three days it was raiding the flocks; but the night before last, when it had bitten through the net, it had left its prey behind. That it would be hungry was predictable. And though the shepherds had searched for it in vain for nearly the whole of their two weeks in the high pastures, the snowfall had entrapped the creature better than the net - it could be followed easily now.