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11+ · English - Reading (Playscript / Drama)

EP.E57 Comprehension: Playscript Extract Set 1

GL ASSESSMENT / CSSE 11+ Entrance English (GL Assessment / CSSE style) · Calculators not allowed · about 55 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

The Attic Key

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Fictional playscript extract created for 11+ comprehension practice.

CHARACTERS

NASREEN - aged 11, quick-witted and impulsive

TOBIAS - aged 13, her elder brother, more cautious

GRANDMA ELSIE - their grandmother; heard from offstage until the final line

SETTING

The attic of Elsie's farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales. A single round window lets in a shaft of late-afternoon sunlight, and dust hangs in the air. Old furniture stands beneath dust sheets: a rocking horse with a cracked ear, an empty birdcage, and a dressmaker's dummy draped in a moth-eaten shawl.

[The attic. NASREEN kneels beside an open trunk, pulling out a folded blanket. TOBIAS stands near the hatch, glancing nervously at the ladder below.]

TOBIAS: We shouldn't be up here, Nas. Grandma said the floor's not safe.

NASREEN: [not looking up] Grandma says that about everywhere in this house. Come and look at this.

TOBIAS: [not moving] Look at what?

NASREEN: [holding up a small wooden box] This. It was under the blanket.

[TOBIAS crosses the attic slowly, ducking under a low beam. He crouches beside her.]

TOBIAS: It's got initials on it. E.H. That's not Grandma's box, is it? Her initials are E.W.

NASREEN: Maybe it was hers before she got married. E.H. could stand for anything. Elsie... Hartley? Elsie Hughes?

TOBIAS: [frowning] There's a keyhole. It's locked.

NASREEN: [grinning] Then we need a key.

[NASREEN begins searching through the trunk, tossing aside a moth-eaten scarf and a pair of leather gloves. TOBIAS watches, arms folded.]

TOBIAS: Put it back, Nasreen. If it's locked, it's locked for a reason.

NASREEN: Or it's just an old box nobody's opened in fifty years. [She pulls out a single boot, worn at the heel.] Wait.

[She turns the boot upside down. A small brass key drops into her palm.]

NASREEN: [triumphant] Ha!

TOBIAS: [warily] Nasreen...

NASREEN: [already fitting the key into the lock] It fits.

[The lock clicks. TOBIAS steps closer despite himself. NASREEN lifts the lid.]

TOBIAS: [peering in] What's in there?

NASREEN: [carefully lifting out a bundle of envelopes tied with a faded ribbon] Letters. Loads of them.

TOBIAS: Don't read them. They're not ours.

NASREEN: [not listening, setting the letters aside] There's a photograph.

[She holds up a small, curling, black-and-white photograph. TOBIAS leans in to see it properly, his caution forgotten for a moment.]

TOBIAS: [softly] Is that... Grandma?

NASREEN: She looks about our age.

[Beneath the photograph, NASREEN finds a small brass medal on a length of ribbon. She turns it over in her hands.]

NASREEN: [reading] "Yorkshire County Swimming Champion, 1962."

TOBIAS: [taking the medal carefully] Grandma never told us she swam.

NASREEN: [staring at the photograph again] There's loads Grandma's never told us.

[A floorboard creaks below them. Both children freeze. Footsteps begin climbing the attic stairs, slow and steady.]

TOBIAS: [urgently, gathering the letters] Put it back! Quick!

NASREEN: [fumbling with the lid] I'm trying!

[The footsteps stop just outside the door. A hand rests on the handle.]

GRANDMA ELSIE: [from offstage, calling through the door] Are you two hiding up there, or is my attic finally collapsing?

[NASREEN and TOBIAS exchange a wide-eyed look. The lights fade before the door opens.]

[END OF EXTRACT]

Are the following statements about the opening of the extract True or False? Write True or False for each.

(a)Nasreen and Tobias are exploring the attic of their grandmother's farmhouse.(1)

True
False

(b)Tobias is keen to open the box as soon as they find it.(1)

True
False

(c)Nasreen finds the key hidden inside an old boot.(1)

True
False

(Total for Question 1 is 3 marks)

Look closely at the wording of the setting note at the start of the extract.

(a)Find and copy one phrase from the setting note that describes how light enters the attic.(1)

(b)Find and copy one phrase from the setting note that describes the dressmaker's dummy.(1)

(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)

Number the following events 1 to 4 to show the order in which they happen in the extract: 'Nasreen lifts a small brass medal out of the box', 'Nasreen finds a small wooden box under the blanket', 'Nasreen finds a brass key hidden inside an old boot', 'Footsteps begin climbing the attic stairs'.

(Total for Question 3 is 4 marks)

'NASREEN: [triumphant] Ha!' - the stage direction 'triumphant' shows that Nasreen is feeling:

A) confused
B) frightened
C) pleased and successful
D) embarrassed
E) sleepy

(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)

'TOBIAS: [warily] Nasreen...' - the stage direction 'warily' shows that Tobias is speaking:

A) cautiously and with concern
B) joyfully
C) angrily
D) sleepily
E) confidently

(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)

'A floorboard creaks below them.' - in this stage direction, 'creaks' means the floorboard:

A) makes a harsh, slow squeaking sound
B) breaks completely
C) shines brightly
D) moves very quickly
E) becomes completely silent

(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)

'TOBIAS: [softly] Is that... Grandma?' - the stage direction 'softly' shows that Tobias speaks:

A) in a gentle, quiet voice
B) in a loud, angry shout
C) while laughing
D) while running away
E) in a bored, uninterested tone

(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)

Which three items do Nasreen and Tobias find inside the box?

A) a diary, a ring and a map
B) a bundle of letters, a photograph and a medal
C) a paintbrush, a comb and a mirror
D) a set of keys, a watch and a compass
E) a doll, a puzzle and a coin

(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)

Which adjective best describes Nasreen's character in this extract, based on the evidence given?

A) impulsive
B) timid
C) forgetful
D) bad-tempered
E) bored

(Total for Question 9 is 1 mark)

Which adjective best describes Tobias's character in this extract, based on the evidence given?

A) cautious
B) reckless
C) rude
D) forgetful
E) cheerful

(Total for Question 10 is 1 mark)

Explain why Tobias hesitates before Nasreen opens the box. Give two reasons, using evidence from the extract.

(Total for Question 11 is 2 marks)

What is the main purpose of the words written in square brackets, such as [not looking up] or [grinning], in this playscript?

A) To tell the actors and readers how a character moves, speaks or feels
B) To show which character is speaking
C) To describe the set in full detail every time a character enters
D) To list the props needed for the scene
E) To translate difficult words into simpler ones

(Total for Question 12 is 1 mark)

Why are character names such as NASREEN and TOBIAS written in capital letters at the start of each line of dialogue?

A) So it is immediately clear who is speaking each line
B) Because the characters are shouting
C) To show that the character is more important to the plot
D) Because playscripts must use capital letters for every word
E) To warn the reader that a stage direction is about to follow

(Total for Question 13 is 1 mark)

Tobias says the box's initials are 'E.H.', but that Grandma Elsie's own initials are 'E.W.' What might this suggest about the box? Give two ideas.

(Total for Question 14 is 2 marks)

Name two pieces of old furniture described in the setting note, other than the trunk.

(Total for Question 15 is 2 marks)

Explain how Nasreen's reaction to finding the photograph differs from her reaction to finding the medal.

(Total for Question 16 is 2 marks)

Look at the stage directions used while Nasreen searches the trunk.

(a)Which of the following is a stage direction that shows a character's physical movement?(1)

A) [She turns the boot upside down.]
B) [triumphant]
C) [softly]
D) [warily]
E) [reading]

(b)Explain what this stage direction adds to the scene at this point.(1)

(Total for Question 17 is 2 marks)

Suggest two reasons why the playwright might have chosen an attic as the setting for this scene.

(Total for Question 18 is 2 marks)

What impression do we get of Grandma Elsie's personality from the evidence in this extract? Give two ideas.

(Total for Question 19 is 2 marks)

Explain how the writer shows that Tobias is more cautious than Nasreen. Refer to two examples from the extract.

(Total for Question 20 is 4 marks)

Why might the writer choose to end the extract before Grandma Elsie opens the door, rather than showing what she says or does next? Explain the effect this has.

(Total for Question 21 is 3 marks)

Explain one way that a playscript conveys a character's emotions differently from how a novel would. Use evidence from this extract to support your answer.

(Total for Question 22 is 3 marks)

Based on the evidence in the extract, predict how Grandma Elsie will react when she opens the door. Justify your prediction using evidence from the text.

(Total for Question 23 is 3 marks)

In no more than 20 words, summarise what happens in this extract.

(Total for Question 24 is 2 marks)

Mark scheme · EP.E57 Comprehension: Playscript Extract Set 1

Question 1

(a) B1 True
(a) Answer: True
(b) B1 False
(b) Answer: False
(c) B1 True
(c) Answer: True

Question 2

(a) B1 accept: 'a shaft of late-afternoon sunlight'
(a) Answer: a shaft of late-afternoon sunlight
(b) B1 accept: 'draped in a moth-eaten shawl'
(b) Answer: draped in a moth-eaten shawl

Question 3

B1 correctly places 'Nasreen finds a small wooden box under the blanket' as event 1
B1 correctly places 'Nasreen finds a brass key hidden inside an old boot' as event 2
B1 correctly places 'Nasreen lifts a small brass medal out of the box' as event 3
B1 correctly places 'Footsteps begin climbing the attic stairs' as event 4
Answer: 1: Nasreen finds the wooden box under the blanket; 2: Nasreen finds the key inside the boot; 3: Nasreen lifts the medal out of the box; 4: footsteps begin climbing the attic stairs.

Question 4

B1 C
Answer: C) pleased and successful

Question 5

B1 A
Answer: A) cautiously and with concern

Question 6

B1 A
Answer: A) makes a harsh, slow squeaking sound

Question 7

B1 A
Answer: A) in a gentle, quiet voice

Question 8

B1 B
Answer: B) a bundle of letters, a photograph and a medal

Question 9

B1 A
Answer: A) impulsive

Question 10

B1 A
Answer: A) cautious

Question 11

B1 idea that he is worried they will get into trouble or that it is not safe/allowed, evidenced by 'We shouldn't be up here' and 'If it's locked, it's locked for a reason'
B1 idea that he feels it is wrong to look through something private that is not theirs, evidenced by 'Don't read them. They're not ours.'
Answer: Tobias is worried they will get into trouble or that it is unsafe, and he feels it is wrong to go through something private that does not belong to them.

Question 12

B1 A
Answer: A) To tell the actors and readers how a character moves, speaks or feels

Question 13

B1 A
Answer: A) So it is immediately clear who is speaking each line

Question 14

B1 idea that the box may not belong to Grandma Elsie as she is now, and may date from before she was married, when her surname (and initials) could have been different
B1 idea that it could belong to another relative, or that the extract deliberately leaves this uncertain, shown by Nasreen's guesses ('Elsie... Hartley? Elsie Hughes?')
Answer: It suggests the box may date from before Grandma Elsie married, when her surname may have been different, or that it belonged to another relative; the extract leaves the exact answer open.

Question 15

B1 first correct item: the rocking horse (with a cracked ear)
B1 second correct item: the birdcage OR the dressmaker's dummy
Answer: Any two of: the rocking horse, the birdcage, the dressmaker's dummy.

Question 16

B1 with the photograph, she focuses on Grandma's identity/age, shown by 'She looks about our age'
B1 with the medal, she is struck by what Grandma achieved and never mentioned, shown by 'There's loads Grandma's never told us'
Answer: With the photograph she wonders who Grandma was as a girl; with the medal she is struck by what Grandma achieved and kept secret.

Question 17

(a) B1 A
(a) Answer: A) [She turns the boot upside down.]
(b) B1 accept: builds anticipation/suspense just before the key is discovered, or shows Nasreen's determination/thoroughness in searching
(b) Answer: It builds anticipation just before the key is discovered, and shows how thoroughly Nasreen is searching.

Question 18

B1 idea that attics are associated with old, forgotten or hidden things, fitting a story about uncovering the past
B1 idea that the enclosed, slightly risky space (unsafe floor, low beams) adds tension and a sense of secrecy
Answer: An attic suits a story about uncovering the past because it is where old, forgotten things are kept, and its enclosed, slightly risky setting adds tension and secrecy.

Question 19

B1 idea that she is protective or careful, shown by Tobias repeating her warning that the floor is not safe
B1 idea that she also has a warm or light-hearted side, shown by her teasing final question rather than an angry reaction
Answer: She seems protective and careful, since the children repeat her warnings, but also warm and light-hearted, shown by her teasing final line rather than an angry one.

Question 20

Level 1 (1-2): Identifies one relevant example with limited explanation, or two examples with little or no explanation of how they show caution.
Level 2 (3-4): Identifies two clear, well-chosen examples (from dialogue and/or stage directions) and explains, with developed reference to the text, how each shows Tobias is more cautious than Nasreen.
Indicative content:
- Tobias's dialogue repeatedly urges caution or stopping, e.g. 'Put it back, Nasreen' and 'Don't read them. They're not ours.'
- Stage directions show his reluctance and nervousness, e.g. glancing nervously at the ladder, crossing the attic slowly, arms folded
- He questions the wisdom of continuing rather than acting straight away, e.g. 'If it's locked, it's locked for a reason'
- Contrast with Nasreen, whose short, decisive stage directions and dialogue (grinning, triumphant, already fitting the key) show she acts first and worries later

Question 21

Level 1 (1): A simple statement, e.g. it makes the reader want to know what happens next, with little or no development.
Level 2 (2): Some explanation of how the ending builds tension or suspense, with reference to the extract.
Level 3 (3): A developed explanation of the cliffhanger technique, clearly linking specific details (e.g. the lights fading, the unanswered question, the children's expressions) to the effect created on the reader or audience.
Indicative content:
- Ending on a cliffhanger leaves Grandma's reaction unknown, creating suspense
- Withholding whether she is angry, amused, or something else keeps the audience guessing and keen to find out more
- The children's 'wide-eyed look' mirrors the audience's own uncertainty at this moment
- It is a typical technique in playscripts and drama to end a scene at a moment of tension, holding the audience's attention

Question 22

Level 1 (1): Identifies a basic difference (e.g. playscripts use stage directions, novels do not) with no supporting example.
Level 2 (2): Explains the difference with some reference to the extract.
Level 3 (3): A developed explanation clearly comparing how a playscript, with no narrator, relies on dialogue and bracketed stage directions to show emotion, while a novel can describe a character's thoughts and feelings directly, well supported with a specific example from the extract.
Indicative content:
- A playscript has no narrator, so emotion has to be shown through what characters say and do, and through stage directions
- A novel can describe a character's internal thoughts and feelings directly, for example 'she felt triumphant'
- In this extract, bracketed directions such as [triumphant] and [warily] do the job a novel's narration would normally do
- Playscripts rely more heavily on dialogue, tone and stage directions than on being told directly how a character feels

Question 23

Level 1 (1): A simple prediction with little or no supporting evidence.
Level 2 (2): A plausible prediction with some relevant evidence from the extract.
Level 3 (3): A well-justified prediction, clearly supported with specific, relevant evidence and a considered explanation of why this reaction is likely.
Indicative content:
- Grandma may react with amusement rather than anger, since her final line is light-hearted and teasing ('is my attic finally collapsing?')
- Grandma may be surprised or emotional, given the personal significance of the box's contents (the photograph and medal from her youth)
- Grandma may explain the story behind the box, since the children have now seen so much of it
- Grandma may be cross that they went through her private belongings, since Tobias warned that 'they're not ours'
- Credit any prediction that is logically supported by evidence from the extract

Question 24

B1 covers the discovery and opening of the locked box (siblings exploring the attic, finding the key, opening the box)
B1 covers the contents found (letters/photograph/medal) AND the interruption by Grandma's approach; award only if the summary is within 20 words - if over the limit, cap the total question mark at 1
Answer: Nasreen and Tobias find a locked box, discover letters, a photo and a medal, then hide it.

Comprehension: Playscript Extract Set 1 - Worksheets, Questions and Revision