Passage 1: A Trip to the Coast / Passage 2: The Night Market

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Two short original passages written specifically for this worksheet; no existing text has been used or adapted.

Amira had been looking forward to the trip for weeks. Every year, her family followed the same routine: an early start, a flask of tea, and the long drive to the coast. This year, though, her older brother Kwame was finally old enough to help load the car before they set off. They reached the seaside village just after nine o'clock, when the tide was still low and the beach stretched out, wide and empty. Amira's father lifted the deckchairs out of the boot while her mother spread a blanket on the sand. A cold breeze was blowing off the sea, but nobody seemed to mind, wrapped up warm in coats and scarves. By midday, the beach had grown crowded with visitors, and the smell of fish and chips drifted from the promenade. Kwame suggested they take a walk along the pier before lunch. Amira agreed at once, although she felt a little nervous about the narrow wooden boards beneath her feet. As the afternoon wore on, dark clouds began to gather over the horizon. Amira's mother decided it was time to pack the picnic things away, and by the time they reached the car, the first heavy drops of rain had begun to fall.

By seven o'clock, the market square had been transformed. Strings of lanterns swayed above the stalls, casting pools of amber light across the cobbles. Priya had never seen so many traders gathered in one place, each one calling out to attract the passing crowds. The scent of roasted chestnuts and spiced dumplings drifted through the evening air, mingling with the sound of a violinist playing somewhere near the fountain. Priya's grandmother gripped her hand tightly, warning her not to wander in the crowd. Near the far corner of the square, a stallholder was arranging bolts of silk with remarkable skill, folding each length so precisely that not a single crease showed. Priya watched, fascinated, as the woman's fingers moved almost too quickly to follow. When at last they found the stall selling honeyed almonds, Priya's grandmother insisted on buying a small bag, despite Priya's protests that she had no room left in her coat pockets. As they turned to leave, the church clock struck eight, and the crowd began, almost at once, to disperse.