Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint

ENGLISH 0861/02
Paper 2 Fiction October 2023
INSERT 1 hour 10 minutes

INFORMATION


• This insert contains the reading passages.

• You may annotate this insert and use the blank spaces for planning. Do not write your answers on
the insert.

This document has 4 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

10_0861_02/RP
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 half light
clock tower guards
2

Text for Section A, an extract from ‘Twilight Robbery’ (known as ‘Fly Trap’ in the US) by Frances
Hardinge. theft

Clent, Mosca and her pet goose called Saracen have travelled to a town called Toll.

***
a woman who got a lot of money
small house started a journey to follow in danger after her parents death
Afterluckily
finding an inn, Clent, Mosca and
very
Saracen set offonlyto track down the imperiled heiress.
speech
Fortunately, this proved to be relatively easy. The mere mention of ‘the mayor’s daughter’ 5
brought gleaming smiles to the faces of the guards at the Clock Tower.
shining / sparkling / glowing
taken as a n orphan
the ‘Ah, you’ll mean his adopted daughter, Miss Beamabeth Marlebourne!
speaker very beautiful head of townOh, we all know of her,
here is thank you, sir. She’shouse
the Peach of Toll, the Perfectest Peony. Mayor Marlebourne’s family live in
one of the old judge’s lodgings, up in the castle courtyard. Ask anyone as you go, they’ll all know
the
guards where to send you.’ why did the writer start her description with capital 10
the people in town letters?
And indeed they did. because they are not only descriptions, but they are
really / in fact nicknames of her. / She is well-known by those names. best
‘Ah, you’re going to speak with Miss Marlebourne? Then I envy you, sir, for she is the finest
sight within Toll’s walls.’ feel jealous of you
view in the whole city bright / sunny / blooming flowers
human-being
‘Miss Beamabeth Marlebourne? Sweetest creature on ten toes. Smile like a spring day. Yes,
just take this alley to the end…’ 15
long narrow street all the street are going up into the hill
Toll was a hill town, and all
big space in the middle of houses
its streets knew it. By the time Clent
exhausted / very tired
and Mosca reachedbook
not able to be patient
theofcentral
instructions
plaza, Mosca was out of breath, and completely, utterly out of patience with the catalogue of
beauties
Beamabeth Marlebourne’s charms. Every time Beamabeth’s name was mentioned, faces lit up
as though reflecting some distant radiance. faces of people are glowing with
far away light / glow / shining / brightness happiness

By the time they reached the castle grounds, the sun was dipping towards the horizon. The 20
judge’s house was attached to the inside of the castle’s perimeter wall and built of the same
bristling grey flint. the castle was all around the house
short and spiky made up of Oak wood old and work out
[not smooth] stopped suddenly
‘At last.’ Clent halted at the oaken door and pulled down the frayed hem of his waistcoat. ‘Now,
child, let us bring warning to this poor–’ = vest

‘Rich,’ corrected Mosca. frown / to have

25
rich in danger a bad look at things
‘To this affluent but imperiled girl,’ finished Clent. ‘And do try not to scowl as if you have lemon
juice running through your veins, child.’ lemon juice is sour and people are not happy when they drink
it on its own = don't look offended
fixed herself poker face looking angry / disgusted
Mosca settled for stony instead of bitter as Clent rapped the knocker. A few moments later the
door opened to reveal two footmen in mustard-coloured livery.
show / expose servants to add a sensory detail yellow
nicely / politely turned with effect of the shade the name tag on the jacket
Both footmenseriously
subtly craned their necks to read the designs on Clent’s name brooch before 30
deciding how stiffly and respectfully to hold themselves. Mosca and the impatiently champing
Saracen merited only the briefest, most disdainful slither of a glance. quickly eating noisily
got the benefit disrespectful quick arrogant look
named after a big family / has the name of a big family self-confidence
‘I am Eponymous Clent,’ Clent declared most with aplomb, ‘and I need
serious extreme to speak with Miss
importance
Beamabeth Marlebourne on a Matter of the Gravest Urgency and Gravity.’ Mosca ground her
admiration
teeth as both footmen went quite cross-eyed with adoration at the mention of Beamabeth, and 35
then one ofhyperbole
them ran inside with the message. In a few moments he returned, surprise lifting his
eyebrows so high that they were lost in his wig.
fake hair
‘Miss Beamabeth will see you, sir.’
past form of {grind her teeth} which means to press her teeth together in anger a matter of life and death

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cross-eyed
 Mosca is jealous of
3 Ms. Beamabeth
the deep thinking words are written in italics [swayed letters]
not sweet biting like a bee inner thinking
It’s just the name they’re all in love with, said the bitter, stinging voice in Mosca’s head. But it’ll
be all right. You’ll see her, and she’ll have a squint, and a voice like a peeled gull. 40
guided cross eyes sick gull
through
The guard led them along a short hall into a comfortable-looking reception room. A young
woman in a green silk dress rose as they entered.
past of RISE [stand] although / however
Beamabeth Marlebourne was/ not
not guessing about sixteen, Mosca realized. Somehow, despite the mention of
thinking
people who want to marry her Mosca is younger than Ms. Beamabeth
suitors, she had been half expecting to see someone younger, a girl her own age. Beamabeth
had honey-colored hair that had been trained into a shimmering mass of ringlets, but she
annoyed by the hairdo
45
managed to look natural rather than tortured. Her skin was creamy pale, with two pretty little
coffee-coloured freckles just at the corner of one of her dark gold eyebrows. Her blue eyes were
attractively
large and well spaced, her brow small, her nose short, and her chin daintily pointed in a fashion
got higher
that made her look a bit like a kitten. She smiled, and her eyebrows rose as if the pleasure of
seeing them was almost painful. Her expression was as open as a flower. 50
has no mistakes / perfect / amazing she doesn't have a specific reaction [generally nice]
It was hopeless. She was flawless. She was a sunbeam. Mosca gave up and got on with hating
her. there was no hope that figure of speech / figurative technique : metphor
Mosca loves her
she is checking them
‘It is very late for visitors,’ said Beamabeth, as she looked the new arrivals up and down,
people who are her
fancy and rich
tone of speaking
voice soft and carrying more of the local accent than Mosca had
saying sorry
expected
picking
from
a
anyone
mistake
in a silk
dress. Her tone made her words sound more like an apology than a criticism. ‘Usually Father 55
likes to have the house locked up from an hour before dusk till an hour after dawn.’
closed sunset sunrise
‘Rest assured, ma’am, when you understand the urgency–’ [the house is open only during daylight]

‘Would you like to sit down?’ Beamabeth interrupted Clent without apparently realizing she was
doing so. Clent and Mosca obediently sat, Mosca keeping a tight hold on Saracen’s leash in
case anything in this elegant room appeared edible. 60

‘Miss Marlebourne, I must come to the point, and I hope you will forgive me if my tidings distress
you. You are, I fear, the target of an odious and felonious scheme. In short, there is a plan afoot
to kidnap you…’

Dana was happy that she passed her exams with great marks. it's the best day of my
life, said the joyful sound inside her head. "Mum.. I got my exam marks. I got the top
rank in class," yelled Dana once she arrived home.

** blue = writer's words

** red = the sound inside her head

** green = her own speech when she said it

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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read the Text in the insert and then answer Questions 1–9.

1 Look at lines 4–6.

Give one phrase that tells the reader who the imperiled heiress is.

[1]

2 Look at lines 7–15.

(a) Why does the writer use capital letters in the phrases the Peach of Toll and the Perfectest
Peony? Tick () one box.

to show that the words are spoken in a loud voice

to draw the reader’s attention to the alliteration

to show that they are Beamabeth’s official titles

to emphasise the importance the speaker gives them

[1]

(b) Explain what they did (line 11) refers to.

[2]

3 Look at lines 16–19.

(a) What does the first sentence tell the reader about the streets?

[1]

(b) Explain why the writer chooses the word catalogue.

[2]

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4 Look at lines 20–29.

(a) What time of day is it?

[1]

(b) What meaning does Clent intend by using the word poor?

[1]

(c) Mosca corrects Clent.

Give one word in Clent’s reply that shows he acknowledges her correction.

[1]

(d) Explain what the phrase lemon juice running through your veins tells the reader about
Mosca’s feelings.

[2]

5 Look at lines 30–40.

The footmen behave arrogantly towards Clent and Mosca.
Give two pieces of evidence from the text that tell the reader this.
•

[2]

6 Look at lines 41–50.

Explain one way the writer uses sentence structure to add detail to the description of Beamabeth.
Support your explanation with a quotation.

[2]

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7 Look at lines 51–56. Beamabeth’s words explain something that is mentioned earlier in the text.
What is it? Tick () one box.

the tone of the voice that Mosca hears in her head

the footman’s expression when he invites the visitors in

the way Clent speaks to the footmen who open the door

the length of time it takes Clent and Mosca to reach the castle

[1]

8 Look at lines 57–63. Clent respects Beamabeth’s high social status.

Explain two ways that he shows this. Support each explanation with evidence from the text.

First explanation:

Evidence:

Second explanation:

Evidence:
[4]

9 Look at the whole text.

Which of these statements do you agree with more? Tick () one box.

Mosca was jealous of Beamabeth before she met her.

Mosca changed her opinion of Beamabeth after she met her.

Give two reasons for your choice. Support each reason with evidence from the text.

First reason:

Evidence:

Second reason:

Evidence:
[4]

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Section B: Writing

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

10 You have decided to enter a writing competition in an online magazine. Write a story with the title
‘The Message’. Your story should be about one or more characters who must deliver an
important message to someone face to face.

You should think about:

• what the message is and who the characters who deliver it are
• who the message is for and why it is important
• the journey the characters make to deliver their message.

Space for your plan:

Write your story on the next page. [25 marks]

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