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11+ · CSSE

EP.T9 CSSE-Style English Mock 2 (Essex)

Calculators not allowed · about 60 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Time: 60 minutes. This paper has four sections: Section 1 Reading Comprehension (25 minutes), Section 2 Vocabulary (10 minutes), Section 3 Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (10 minutes), and Section 4 Continuous Writing (15 minutes). Write your answers in full sentences unless a question tells you otherwise. Try to keep to the timing given for each section. If you finish a section early you may check your work within that section, but do not turn back to an earlier section once you have moved on. Read every question carefully before you begin to write.

Wings Over Abberton: The Ospreys' Return

Original non-fiction feature article written for Revision Library.

1 For more than a century, no osprey built a nest in Essex. These

2 fish-eating birds of prey, sometimes called "sea hawks", vanished from most of lowland

3 Britain during the nineteenth century, driven away by hunters who prized their feathers

4 and by farmers who saw them as a threat to fish stocks. By

5 the 1840s the last pairs had gone from the county's rivers and marshes,

6 and for generations Essex families grew up never having seen one soar above

7 the water.

8 That changed on a windy morning in April, when a warden at Abberton

9 Reservoir noticed a large, pale-bellied bird circling above the western basin. Priya Chatterjee,

10 who has worked at the reserve for eleven years, described the moment she

11 raised her binoculars. "I honestly thought I was imagining it," she said. "Ospreys

12 pass through Essex on migration most springs, but they never usually stay. This

13 one circled three times, then dropped feet first into the water and came

14 up with a rainbow trout in its talons. I knew straight away this

15 bird meant business."

16 Over the following fortnight, the osprey was joined by a second bird, and

17 the pair began carrying sticks to the top of a specially built platform

18 that conservationists had raised on a dead oak two years earlier, more in

19 hope than expectation. By the middle of May, a scruffy nest of branches

20 and reeds had appeared, lined with soft grass and sheep's wool gathered from

21 the surrounding fields. Visitors travelled from across the country to watch the pair

22 through telescopes set up along the reservoir path, and a live camera trained

23 on the nest was watched online by thousands of people every week.

24 Ospreys are unusual among British birds of prey because almost their entire diet

25 is fish. Unlike a kestrel or a buzzard, which will happily eat small

26 mammals, insects or carrion, an osprey hunts almost exclusively by plunging feet first

27 into open water, sometimes from a height of thirty metres or more. Its

28 outer toe can rotate backwards, so that two talons grip the front of

29 a slippery fish and two grip the back, an adaptation found in no

30 other bird of prey native to Britain. Once airborne again, the osprey turns

31 its catch to face forwards, reducing drag as it flies back towards the

32 nest.

33 The return of a breeding pair to Abberton matters for reasons beyond one

34 nest. Conservationists use the presence of ospreys as a rough measure of a

35 wetland's overall health, since the birds will only settle where fish stocks are

36 plentiful and the water is clean enough to hunt in. Naomi Reyes, an

37 ecologist with the Essex Wildlife Trust, explained that Abberton's transformation had taken decades.

38 "This reservoir was built in the 1930s mainly to supply drinking water," she

39 said. "Nobody was thinking about wildlife back then. But over the last thirty

40 years we have planted reedbeds, restricted certain areas during the breeding season and

41 worked hard to keep pollution out of the feeder streams. An osprey nest

42 is proof that all of that effort has paid off."

43 Not everyone was pleased when news of the nest spread. Wildlife crime remains

44 a serious problem in parts of rural Britain, and rare birds of prey

45 are sometimes targeted by egg collectors or persecuted by people who wrongly believe

46 they threaten farming or fishing interests. For this reason, the exact location of

47 the nest was kept out of local newspapers for several weeks, and volunteers

48 took turns watching the platform from a hide overnight until the first chick

49 had safely hatched.

50 By early July, three chicks could be seen in the nest, their heads

51 already tipped with the pale feathers that would eventually spread across their whole

52 bodies. If they survive to fledge, they will make the eight-thousand-kilometre journey to

53 West Africa along the same route their parents took, without a single adult

54 to guide them, relying on an instinct that scientists still do not fully

55 understand. Naomi Reyes is cautiously hopeful about what comes next. "One nest does

56 not mean the ospreys are back in Essex for good," she said. "But

57 it means the door is open. If these chicks return in a few

58 years and find a mate, we could be looking at the first proper

59 Essex osprey population in over a hundred and fifty years."

SECTION 1: READING COMPREHENSION (25 minutes)
Read "Wings Over Abberton: The Ospreys' Return" printed opposite, then answer Questions 1 to 7. Write your answers in full sentences unless the question tells you otherwise.
According to lines 1 to 2, what were ospreys 'sometimes called'?

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Give two reasons stated in lines 3 to 4 for why ospreys disappeared from Essex during the nineteenth century.

(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)

What does the phrase 'meant business' (line 15) suggest about the osprey's behaviour? Explain your answer.

(Total for Question 3 is 2 marks)

Find and copy one phrase from lines 37 to 39 that shows Abberton Reservoir was not originally built with wildlife in mind. Then explain what this phrase suggests about how the site has changed.

(a)Copy the phrase.(1)

(b)Explain what this phrase suggests about how the site has changed.(2)

(Total for Question 4 is 3 marks)

Explain how the writer creates a sense of risk or threat in lines 43 to 49. Support your answer with reference to the text.

(Total for Question 5 is 3 marks)

Why do you think Naomi Reyes describes herself as only 'cautiously hopeful' (line 55) about the ospreys' future in Essex, rather than certain they will stay? Use evidence from the whole extract to support your ideas.

(Total for Question 6 is 4 marks)

'This extract shows that protecting wildlife is mostly about patience and long-term effort, not quick fixes.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Refer to the whole extract in your answer.

(Total for Question 7 is 5 marks)

SECTION 2: VOCABULARY (10 minutes)
Answer Questions 8 to 10 using "Wings Over Abberton: The Ospreys' Return". For each word below, write a definition in your own words that matches how it is used in the passage.

(a)'carrion' (line 26)(1)

(b)'reedbeds' (line 40)(1)

(c)'fledge' (line 52)(1)

(d)'persecuted' (line 45)(1)

(Total for Question 8 is 4 marks)

For each word below, write one synonym (a different word with a similar meaning) that would fit correctly in place of it in the sentence from the extract.

(a)'plentiful' (line 36)(1)

(b)'cautiously' (line 55)(1)

(c)'transformation' (line 37)(1)

(Total for Question 9 is 3 marks)

Each word below appears in the extract. For each one, write a different word from the same word family, formed by adding or removing a prefix or suffix, and explain how the meaning changes.

(a)'unusual' (line 24)(1)

(b)'threat' (line 4)(1)

(c)'hunts' (line 26)(1)

(Total for Question 10 is 3 marks)

SECTION 3: SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR (10 minutes)
Answer Questions 11 to 14. Rewrite each sentence below, correcting the punctuation error it contains.

(a)Priyas binoculars were old but reliable.(1)

(b)Wasnt that osprey enormous(1)

(c)The hide contained telescopes notebooks pencils and a flask of tea.(1)

(Total for Question 11 is 3 marks)

In the sentence below, identify the word class (noun, verb, adjective or adverb) of each word in square brackets: The [excited] volunteers [carefully] [watched] the circling [osprey] from the hide.

(Total for Question 12 is 4 marks)

Combine each pair of sentences into a single sentence, using the connective or punctuation given in brackets, without changing the meaning.

(a)The nest was hidden from view. Hundreds of people still tried to find it. (although)(1)

(b)The chicks grew quickly. Their feathers changed colour. (semicolon)(1)

(c)Naomi gave a warning about egg collectors. Some visitors ignored it. (despite)(1)

(Total for Question 13 is 3 marks)

Read the paragraph below. It contains five errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Rewrite the paragraph correctly.
"Last month, me and my brother Tobias cycled out to Abberton Reservoir. We seen the male osprey circle twice above the water, it's wings barely moving in the wind, while a group of school children stood to quiet to make a sound, the warden told us it was the best view she had had all summer."

(Total for Question 14 is 5 marks)

SECTION 4: CONTINUOUS WRITING (15 minutes)
Write a continuous piece of about 300 to 400 words in response to the following:
'Write about a time when waiting patiently for something was worth it in the end.'
You do not have to write about wildlife or the coast, and you may write in any form you choose, such as a story, a diary entry or a description. You will be marked on your ideas and organisation, and on your sentence structure, vocabulary and technical accuracy.

(Total for Question 15 is 10 marks)

Mark scheme · EP.T9 CSSE-Style English Mock 2 (Essex)

Question 1

B1 Identifies that ospreys were sometimes called 'sea hawks'.
Answer: Ospreys were sometimes called 'sea hawks'.

Question 2

B1 Reason 1: hunters prized (wanted) their feathers.
B1 Reason 2: farmers saw them as a threat to fish stocks.
Answer: Any two of: hunters prized their feathers; farmers saw ospreys as a threat to fish stocks.

Question 3

B1 Identifies a quality such as seriousness, determination or purposefulness.
B1 Explains the effect, e.g. it suggests the bird was not simply passing through but intended to stay and hunt there seriously.
Answer: 'Meant business' suggests the osprey was behaving with serious purpose and determination, showing it intended to stay and hunt rather than just pass through.

Question 4

(a) B1 Any accurate quotation showing the original purpose was not wildlife, e.g. 'built in the 1930s mainly to supply drinking water' or 'Nobody was thinking about wildlife back then'.
(a) Answer: 'This reservoir was built in the 1930s mainly to supply drinking water' (or an equally valid quotation from lines 37 to 39).
(b) B1 Explains that the reservoir's wildlife value was not planned from the start.
(b) B1 Develops this, e.g. it suggests the site's transformation into a home for rare birds is the result of deliberate, long-term conservation effort rather than accident.
(b) Answer: It suggests the reservoir's value for wildlife was not part of the original plan, so its transformation into a place where ospreys can nest is the result of deliberate, long-term conservation work rather than luck.

Question 5

B1 Identifies a relevant word or phrase, e.g. 'Wildlife crime' or 'targeted by egg collectors'.
B1 Identifies a second relevant word or phrase, e.g. 'kept out of local newspapers' or 'watching the platform from a hide overnight'.
B1 Explains the effect on the reader, e.g. these details show the danger to the ospreys is real and ongoing, not just background information, which builds concern for the birds' safety.
Answer: The writer builds a sense of risk through direct references to 'Wildlife crime' and birds being 'targeted by egg collectors', and through the precautions taken, such as the nest's location being 'kept out of local newspapers' and volunteers 'watching the platform from a hide overnight', which show the threat was real enough to require active protection.

Question 6

B1 Point: one nest does not guarantee a lasting population, evidenced by 'One nest does not mean the ospreys are back in Essex for good' (lines 55 to 56).
B1 Point: the young ospreys face a genuinely dangerous, uncertain journey, evidenced by the 'eight-thousand-kilometre journey... without a single adult to guide them' (lines 52 to 54).
B1 Point: rare birds of prey face ongoing danger from people, evidenced by concerns about 'egg collectors' and birds being 'persecuted' (lines 44 to 45).
B1 Point: recovery of this kind is slow and fragile, evidenced by 'over a hundred and fifty years' (line 59), showing how long it has taken to reach even this one nest.
Answer: Naomi Reyes is only cautiously hopeful because one nest does not guarantee a lasting population, the chicks face a long and dangerous migration with no adults to guide them, rare birds of prey remain at risk from people, and the whole recovery has already taken well over a century, so the future still depends on many uncertain steps.

Question 7

Level 1 (1-2): A simple opinion is given with little or no reference to the text.
Level 2 (3-4): A clear opinion is supported with relevant evidence from at least two points in the extract.
Level 3 (5): A well-developed, balanced argument is supported with precise textual evidence from across the extract, showing perceptive understanding of both the long-term and immediate sides of conservation work.
Indicative content:

Question 8

(a) B1 Definition matching context, e.g. the dead and decaying flesh of an animal, eaten by some other animals as food.
(a) Answer: The dead, decaying flesh of an animal that some creatures eat as food.
(b) B1 Definition matching context, e.g. areas of tall reed plants growing in wet or marshy ground, often planted to create wildlife habitat.
(b) Answer: Areas of tall reed plants grown in wet, marshy ground, often to provide a habitat for wildlife.
(c) B1 Definition matching context, e.g. to grow the feathers needed to fly and become able to leave the nest.
(c) Answer: To grow the feathers needed to fly and be able to leave the nest.
(d) B1 Definition matching context, e.g. treated cruelly or unfairly over time, often being hunted, harmed or harassed.
(d) Answer: Treated cruelly or unfairly over time, often being hunted or harassed.

Question 9

(a) B1 Valid synonym, e.g. abundant / ample / plenty.
(a) Answer: abundant (or ample)
(b) B1 Valid synonym, e.g. guardedly / warily / carefully.
(b) Answer: guardedly (or warily)
(c) B1 Valid synonym, e.g. change / conversion / makeover.
(c) Answer: change (or conversion)

Question 10

(a) B1 Valid word-family word with correct explanation, e.g. 'usual' - removing the prefix 'un-' reverses the meaning, changing it from 'not typical' to 'typical or expected'.
(a) Answer: usual - removing the prefix 'un-' reverses the meaning to 'typical or expected' rather than 'not typical'.
(b) B1 Valid word-family word with correct explanation, e.g. 'threaten' - the suffix '-en' changes the noun into a verb meaning to make something feel endangered.
(b) Answer: threaten - adding the suffix '-en' changes the noun 'threat' into a verb meaning to make something or someone feel endangered.
(c) B1 Valid word-family word with correct explanation, e.g. 'hunter' - the suffix '-er' changes the verb into a noun naming a person or animal that hunts.
(c) Answer: hunter - adding the suffix '-er' changes the verb 'hunt' into a noun naming a person or animal that carries out the action.

Question 11

(a) B1 Correctly inserts the possessive apostrophe: 'Priya's binoculars were old but reliable.'
(a) Answer: Priya's binoculars were old but reliable.
(b) B1 Correctly inserts the contraction apostrophe and the question mark: 'Wasn't that osprey enormous?'
(b) Answer: Wasn't that osprey enormous?
(c) B1 Correctly inserts commas to separate the list items: 'The hide contained telescopes, notebooks, pencils and a flask of tea.'
(c) Answer: The hide contained telescopes, notebooks, pencils and a flask of tea.

Question 12

B1 excited = adjective
B1 carefully = adverb
B1 watched = verb
B1 osprey = noun
Answer: excited - adjective; carefully - adverb; watched - verb; osprey - noun.

Question 13

(a) B1 Correct subordination, e.g. 'Although the nest was hidden from view, hundreds of people still tried to find it.'
(a) Answer: Although the nest was hidden from view, hundreds of people still tried to find it.
(b) B1 Correct use of a semicolon to join two related, complete sentences, e.g. 'The chicks grew quickly; their feathers changed colour.'
(b) Answer: The chicks grew quickly; their feathers changed colour.
(c) B1 Correct subordination using 'despite' plus a noun phrase, e.g. 'Despite Naomi's warning about egg collectors, some visitors ignored it.'
(c) Answer: Despite Naomi's warning about egg collectors, some visitors ignored it.

Question 14

B1 Corrects 'me and my brother Tobias' to a grammatically correct subject form, e.g. 'my brother Tobias and I'.
B1 Corrects the verb tense 'We seen' to 'We saw'.
B1 Corrects the apostrophe error 'it's wings' to the possessive 'its wings'.
B1 Corrects the homophone error 'to quiet' to 'too quiet'.
B1 Corrects the comma splice at the end, e.g. by replacing the final comma with a full stop: '...to make a sound. The warden told us...'.
Answer: Last month, my brother Tobias and I cycled out to Abberton Reservoir. We saw the male osprey circle twice above the water, its wings barely moving in the wind, while a group of school children stood too quiet to make a sound. The warden told us it was the best view she had had all summer.

Question 15

Content and Organisation (Ideas, structure and engagement)
- Level 1 (1-2): Simple ideas with little development; limited sense of structure.
- Level 2 (3-4): Relevant ideas with some development; a clear beginning, middle and end.
- Level 3 (5-6): Well-developed, engaging ideas; confidently structured and paced for effect.
Style, Sentence Structure and Accuracy (Vocabulary, sentence variety and technical accuracy)
- Level 1 (1): Basic vocabulary and simple sentences; frequent errors in spelling and punctuation.
- Level 2 (2-3): Some varied vocabulary and sentence structures; mostly accurate spelling and punctuation.
- Level 3 (4): Ambitious vocabulary and a range of sentence structures used for effect; consistently accurate spelling and punctuation.

CSSE-Style English Mock 2 (Essex) - Worksheets, Questions and Revision