Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 8
Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 8 is further 11+ practice on a short unseen non-fiction extract, such as an article, report or explanation of a real-world topic, testing retrieval of fact, understanding of structure, vocabulary in context and the writer's viewpoint. It follows the same GL Assessment / CEM / CSSE format as the earlier non-fiction sets but uses an entirely new subject and passage.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Skim the passage first to work out its topic and purpose: is it explaining something, reporting an event, or arguing a point?
- Notice how the passage is organised, for example moving from a problem to a solution, or from past to present, since structure questions ask about this directly.
- For questions asking 'according to the text', find the exact sentence that gives the answer rather than relying on general knowledge of the topic.
- When a question asks for a synonym or 'a word that means the same as', check that your chosen word fits the meaning of the whole sentence, not just the word in isolation.
- For viewpoint questions, look for language that reveals whether the writer is positive, negative, cautious or balanced about the subject.
- Match your answer to the marks on offer, giving one clearly separate point for each mark on a multi-mark question.
Worked example
Extract: 'The town's new cycle lanes have divided opinion. Cyclists report feeling far safer, and use of the routes has grown steadily each month. Some drivers, however, complain that narrower roads have made short journeys slower than before.' Question: What does this extract suggest about the overall effect of the new cycle lanes? (3 marks)
- Identify the positive effect described: cyclists feel safer and use of the routes has grown steadily.
- Identify the negative effect described: some drivers find roads narrower and journeys slower.
- Notice the word 'however', which signals a shift from the positive point to the negative one, showing the writer is presenting two sides.
- Consider the overall balance: the extract does not simply praise or criticise the cycle lanes, but shows mixed results for different groups of road users.
- Final answer: the extract suggests the cycle lanes have had a genuinely mixed effect, improving safety and encouraging more cycling for cyclists, while creating a real inconvenience for some drivers, and the writer presents both outcomes fairly rather than favouring one side.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1According to the extract, what has happened to the use of the new cycle routes over time?Show answer
Answer: It has grown steadily each month.
Q2Give one word from the extract that means roughly the same as 'complain'.Show answer
Answer: 'complain' itself is used, but an acceptable paraphrase from context is that drivers 'object to' or 'are unhappy about' the narrower roads.
Q3True or False: according to the extract, every driver in the town is unhappy about the cycle lanes.Show answer
Answer: False - the extract says 'some drivers', not all drivers.
Q4What effect does the word 'however' have at the start of the sentence about drivers?Show answer
Answer: It signals a contrast, showing that the following point (drivers' complaints) goes against the positive point made just before it.
Q5Explain in your own words the two different reactions to the cycle lanes described in the extract.Show answer
Answer: Cyclists feel safer and are using the new routes more and more, while some drivers find that the roads have become narrower and their short journeys take longer.
Q6Why might a writer choose to present both a positive and a negative view of the same change, rather than only one?Show answer
Answer: Presenting both views makes the writing feel fair and balanced, and is more convincing to readers than a one-sided argument.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Extract: 'Cyclists report feeling far safer, and use of the routes has grown steadily each month.' Find and copy the phrase that shows cycling has become more popular. Then explain what this phrase tells the reader. (2 marks)
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 2 available
Explain how the structure of the extract, moving from the cyclists' view to the drivers' view, affects the reader's overall impression of the cycle lanes. (4 marks)
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the comprehension: non-fiction set 8 worksheet pack - 9 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 22 of 11+ English Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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