Look at paragraph 1. What does the word 'stiff' suggest about Old Tom's fingers?
A) They are very strong
B) They do not move easily
C) They are covered in glue
D) They are cold
2
Find and copy one phrase that tells you where Old Tom's shed is.
(1)
3
How long had Priya been coming to the shed before the day described in the text?
(1)
4
Why did Old Tom laugh so hard that he had to sit down on his stool? Explain, using evidence from the text.
(2)
5
Whose kite is Priya mending at the start of the text?
A) Freya's
B) Old Tom's
C) Ravi Deshmukh's
D) Her own
6
What colour was Ravi's kite before it was torn?
(1)
7
What does Priya's memory of Freya's kite (paragraph 6) show us about how Priya feels about mending kites? Explain, using evidence from the text.
(2)
8
Number these events 1 to 4 to show the order in which they happen in the text.
A) Old Tom passes Priya a second, more frayed kite.
B) Priya finishes mending Ravi's kite with eleven careful stitches.
C) Priya first visits the shed after a school trip.
D) Old Tom gives Priya the torn kite belonging to Ravi.
9
Look at 'her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration' (paragraph 3). What does this phrase suggest about how Priya is working?
A) She is bored
B) She is working carefully and paying close attention
C) She is in a hurry
D) She is unhappy
10
Match each character to the correct fact about them from the text.
Characters: 1 Ravi Deshmukh, 2 Freya, 3 Old Tom
Facts: A) owns a small blue kite, B) has mended kites for forty years, C) flies his kite every evening on the cliff top
11
Based on what happens at the end of the text, what do you think Old Tom might do next Saturday?
A) Stop teaching Priya
B) Give Priya an even harder kite to mend once she has finished the green one
C) Take back all of Priya's kites
D) Ask Priya to stop coming to the shed
12
Explain, using evidence from the text, why Old Tom passing Priya the second, badly frayed kite without saying anything shows that he trusts her abilities.
(3)
13
Find and copy one type of building mentioned in the text where beehives are now kept.
(1)
14
According to the text, how many bees can a single hive hold during the busiest part of summer?
(1)
15
Give two reasons, from the text, why cities can be good places for bees to live.
(2)
16
What does the word 'colonies' mean as it is used in the text?
A) Individual, single bees
B) Groups of bees living together
C) Types of flowers
D) Rooftop hives themselves
17
Look at the section 'Helping other wildlife too'. In your own words, summarise one way that urban beekeeping helps insects other than bees.
(1)
18
Why do you think city councils have planted more wildflower meadows in recent years? Use evidence from the text to explain your answer.
(2)
19
True or false: 'The rooftop of a well-known London department store has held bees since 2008.'
True
False
20
Why has the writer included the final section, 'A word of caution', at the end of the text? Explain how it contributes to the text as a whole.
(2)
21
Match each subheading to the fact it introduces.
Subheadings: 1 Why keep bees in the city?, 2 Rooftop hives, 3 Helping other wildlife too
Facts: A) Pollination helps fruits, vegetables and wildflowers produce seeds. B) Cities offer flowering plants for almost the whole year. C) A hive can hold up to 60,000 bees in summer.
22
Explain, using evidence from the text, why some experts are worried about too many beehives being kept in one city area.
(2)
23
Compare how bees in the countryside usually find food with how bees in cities usually find food, according to the text.
(2)
24
According to the text, how much honey might one hive produce in a good year?
(1)
25
How many years has Grandad Idris kept the light burning, according to the text?
(1)
26
How many steps are there in the spiral staircase?
(1)
27
What does the word 'unshowy' suggest about Grandad's character?
A) He enjoys being the centre of attention
B) He is quiet and does not draw attention to himself
C) He is nervous and easily frightened
D) He dislikes his job
28
What does Grandad's action of resting his hand against the lighthouse (paragraph 2) tell us about his relationship with the building? Explain, using evidence from the text.
(2)
29
Look at 'the waves rearing up like animals that had been kept too long in a cage and had finally found the door open.' Explain what this simile suggests about the waves.
(2)
30
Find and copy one word which shows how Grandad's voice sounded when he used the radio.
(1)
31
Why does Aisha feel 'useless and freezing' while Grandad speaks on the radio? Explain, using evidence from the text.
(2)
32
Based on this diary entry, what do you think Aisha might do differently the next time there is a storm?
A) Refuse to go up the lighthouse again
B) Try to learn how to use the radio and help during an emergency
C) Ask Grandad to retire
D) Stay in bed and ignore the storm
33
Why has the writer chosen to present this text as a diary entry rather than as a story told by a narrator outside the events?
A) To make the events seem distant and unimportant
B) To give the reader a direct, personal, first-hand account of Aisha's thoughts and feelings during the storm
C) To make the text easier to skim quickly
D) To avoid describing Grandad's actions
34
Which sentence best compares how Aisha feels about the storm with how Grandad feels about it?
A) Aisha feels frightened and unsettled, while Grandad remains calm and confident throughout.
B) Aisha and Grandad are both completely calm throughout the storm.
C) Aisha is calm while Grandad is frightened.
D) Neither Aisha nor Grandad reacts to the storm at all.
35
Explain, using evidence from the text, why the writer suggests that someone like Grandad, described as 'unshowy and patient as the stone itself', 'was exactly the sort of person the sea required'.
(3)
36
True or false: 'Grandad Idris came to the lighthouse as an apprentice to his own uncle.'
True
False
Mark scheme · SATS.KS2-R KS2 English Reading (SATs Practice)
Question 1
B1 B - do not move easily ticked - cao
Answer: B) They do not move easily
Question 2
B1 'at the end of Marigold Lane' or 'Marigold Lane' - accept minor variation, cao
Answer: at the end of Marigold Lane
Question 3
B1 three months - cao
Answer: three months
Question 4
B1 identifies that Priya asked, quite suddenly, to learn kite mending / he found her request surprising or amusing (oe)
B1 supports with reference to the text, e.g. quotes 'she had asked, quite suddenly, if she could learn' (oe)
Answer: He found it funny and surprising that Priya suddenly asked to learn kite mending.
Question 5
B1 C - Ravi Deshmukh's ticked - cao
Answer: C) Ravi Deshmukh's
Question 6
B1 red / bright red - cao
Answer: red (bright red)
Question 7
B1 identifies Priya cares about doing a good job / worries about getting it right (oe)
B1 supports with reference, e.g. 'her stomach had twisted with worry' (oe)
Answer: It shows she takes her work seriously and worries about whether she has mended a kite well.
Question 8
B1 C, D, B, A in that order - cao (all four correct for the mark)
Answer: Correct order: C, D, B, A
Question 9
B1 B ticked - cao
Answer: B) She is working carefully and paying close attention
Question 10
B1 1-C, 2-A, 3-B all correct - cao
Answer: Ravi Deshmukh - C; Freya - A; Old Tom - B
Question 11
B1 B ticked - cao
Answer: B) Give Priya an even harder kite to mend once she has finished the green one
Question 12
B1 identifies that saying nothing is described as Old Tom's way of communicating approval or trust (oe)
B1 identifies the second kite is harder or more damaged than the first, showing increased trust in her skill (oe)
B1 supports with direct reference or quotation from the text, e.g. 'which Priya had learned by now was Old Tom's way of saying that she was ready for something harder' (oe)
Answer: By giving her a harder kite without needing to explain, Old Tom is showing, in his usual quiet way, that he believes Priya is skilled enough to take on a bigger challenge.
Question 13
B1 any one of: banks / hotels / hospitals / schools - cao
Answer: e.g. banks (accept hotels, hospitals or schools)
Question 14
B1 60,000 - cao
Answer: 60,000
Question 15
B1 reason 1, e.g. cities offer a huge variety of flowering plants across almost the whole year (oe)
B1 reason 2, e.g. farmland often has only a single crop flowering for a few weeks, so is less reliable (oe)
Answer: Cities offer many different flowering plants for most of the year, whereas farmland sometimes has only one type of crop flowering for a short time.
Question 16
B1 B ticked - cao
Answer: B) Groups of bees living together
Question 17
B1 identifies that wildflower meadows planted because of urban beekeeping give butterflies, moths and other pollinators new habitats (oe, own words)
Answer: Extra wildflowers planted because of urban beekeeping give other pollinating insects, such as butterflies and moths, more places to live.
Question 18
B1 identifies the link to the growth of urban beekeeping and the need for more flowers for bees and other insects (oe)
B1 supports with reference to text, e.g. 'City councils have started planting extra wildflower meadows... partly because of the rise in urban beekeeping' (oe)
Answer: Councils have planted more wildflower meadows because the growth of urban beekeeping has increased the need for flowers, and this also benefits other pollinating insects.
Question 19
B1 True - cao
Answer: True
Question 20
B1 identifies that it balances the earlier, mostly positive view of urban beekeeping with a different or opposing viewpoint (oe)
B1 supports with reference, e.g. explains that it warns readers too many hives can harm wild bees, showing the topic is more complicated than it first appears (oe)
Answer: It gives a balanced view by adding a note of caution after the mostly positive information earlier in the text, showing that urban beekeeping also has some downsides.
Question 21
B1 1-B, 2-C, 3-A all correct - cao
Answer: 1-B, 2-C, 3-A
Question 22
B1 identifies that honeybee colonies can compete with wild bees for the same limited flowers, harming rarer wild species (oe)
B1 supports with reference or quotation, e.g. 'too many honeybee colonies packed into a small area can compete with wild bees... making life harder for rarer wild species' (oe)
Answer: Experts worry that too many honeybee hives in one small area will compete with wild bees for the same flowers, which can make life harder for rarer wild bee species.
Question 23
B1 identifies that countryside bees often rely on a single crop flowering for only a few weeks (oe)
B1 identifies that city bees have access to a wide variety of flowering plants across almost the whole year (oe)
Answer: Countryside bees sometimes only have one type of crop to feed on, which flowers for a short time, while city bees can feed on many different types of flowering plants for nearly the whole year.
Question 24
B1 between 14kg and 30kg - cao (accept 14 to 30kg)
Answer: between 14kg and 30kg
Question 25
B1 thirty-one years / 31 years - cao
Answer: thirty-one years
Question 26
B1 one hundred and thirty-seven / 137 - cao
Answer: 137 (one hundred and thirty-seven)
Question 27
B1 B ticked - cao
Answer: B) He is quiet and does not draw attention to himself
Question 28
B1 identifies that Grandad feels a close, protective or affectionate bond with the lighthouse, treating it almost like a living thing (oe)
B1 supports with reference, e.g. 'as though he were calming a nervous horse' or calling it 'an old lady' (oe)
Answer: It shows he feels very close to the lighthouse, almost as if it were alive, and that he wants to reassure and protect it just as he would a nervous animal.
Question 29
B1 identifies the waves are being compared to trapped or wild animals suddenly freed, suggesting they are powerful, wild or uncontrolled (oe)
B1 develops the idea, e.g. suggesting pent-up energy being released suddenly, adding to the sense of danger and unpredictability of the storm (oe)
Answer: The simile suggests the waves are wild and powerful, as though a great deal of pent-up energy has suddenly been released, making the sea feel dangerous and unpredictable.
Question 30
B1 any one of: low / level / flat / careful - cao
Answer: e.g. low (accept level, flat or careful)
Question 31
B1 identifies that Aisha does not know how to help or has no role in the emergency, unlike Grandad who knows exactly what to do (oe)
B1 supports with reference, e.g. contrasts her standing beside him with his calm, practised handling of the radio (oe)
Answer: She feels useless because, unlike Grandad, she does not know how to help with the emergency and can only stand and watch while he calmly deals with it.
Question 32
B1 B ticked - cao
Answer: B) Try to learn how to use the radio and help during an emergency
Question 33
B1 B ticked - cao
Answer: B) To give the reader a direct, personal, first-hand account of Aisha's thoughts and feelings during the storm
Question 34
B1 A ticked - cao
Answer: A) Aisha feels frightened and unsettled, while Grandad remains calm and confident throughout.
Question 35
B1 identifies that the lighthouse and its dangerous coastline need someone calm, steady and experienced rather than someone excitable or inexperienced (oe)
B1 identifies that Grandad's calm handling of the emergency, such as the radio call, demonstrates exactly these qualities (oe)
B1 supports with direct reference or quotation from the text, e.g. 'he did not shout, or panic' or 'in the flat, careful language of someone who has done this more times than he could ever count' (oe)
Answer: The writer suggests that a dangerous stretch of coast needs someone steady, patient and experienced rather than someone who panics, and Grandad proves this by handling the emergency calmly and confidently, just as the text describes.