English

Stage 8

Paper 2 Fiction 2024

Cambridge Lower Secondary Progression Test
Insert

3139_02_INS_3RP
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Text for Section A, an extract from Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

While trying to find his way home, a young man called Richard encounters the Marquis1 de
Carabas.

***

De Carabas grinned to himself like a hungry panther sighting a lost peasant child. He knelt
down, and took a small metal object from a pocket, which he pushed into a manhole cover at 5
the edge of the alley and twisted. The manhole cover came up, easily; the Marquis put away the
metal object, and took something out of another pocket that reminded Richard a little of a long
firework or a flare. He held it in one hand, ran his other hand along it, and the far end erupted
into scarlet flame.

‘Can I ask a question?’ said Richard. 10

‘Certainly not,’ said the Marquis. ‘You don’t ask any questions. You don’t get any answers. You
don’t stray from the path. You don’t even think about what’s happening to you right now. Got it?’

‘But–?’

‘Most important of all: no buts. Now, time is of the essence. Move.’ He pointed into the depths
revealed by the open manhole cover. Richard moved, clambering down the metal ladder set 15
into the wall beneath the manhole.

***

Richard wondered where they were. He walked nervously, worried that he’d stumble in the
darkness and break his ankle. De Carabas strode on ahead, nonchalantly, apparently uncaring
of whether Richard was with him or not. The crimson flame cast huge shadows on the tunnel
walls. 20

De Carabas put the flare down on the ground, where it continued to sputter and flame, and he
began to climb up some metal rungs set into the wall. Richard hesitated, and then followed him.
The scarlet light from below was flickering, and then it went out. They climbed in total darkness.

‘So, are we going back?’ he asked.

‘Eventually. And when we get into daylight, don’t look down.’ 25

***

It was daylight (how was it daylight? a voice asked, in the back of his head. It had been almost
night when he entered the alley, what, an hour ago?), and he was holding on to a metal ladder
that ran up the outside of a very high building (but a few seconds ago he was climbing up the
same ladder, and he had been inside, hadn’t he?), and below him he could see…

Tiny cars. Tiny buses and taxis. Tiny buildings. Trees. Miniature lorries. Tiny, tiny people. They 30
swam in and out of focus beneath him.

Richard froze on the ladder. His hands clamped tightly to the rungs. His eyes hurt, somewhere
behind the eyeballs. He started breathing too fast, too deeply. ‘Somebody,’ said an amused
voice above him, ‘wasn’t listening, was he?’

‘I…’ Richard’s throat didn’t work. He swallowed, moistening it. ‘I can’t move.’ 35

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‘Of course you can move. Or, if you don’t you can stay here, hanging on to the side of the wall.’
Richard looked up at the Marquis. He was looking down at Richard, and still smiling; when he
saw that Richard was watching him he let go of the rungs with both his hands, and waggled his
fingers at him.

Richard let go of the rung with his right hand and moved it up eight inches2, until it found the 40
next rung. Then he moved his right leg up one rung. Then he did it again, with his left hand.
After a while he found himself at the edge of a flat roof, and he stepped over it, and collapsed.

Richard pulled himself up into a sitting position. They were on the roof of an old building, built of
brown stone, with a tower above them. From far below he could hear the wail of a police siren,
and the muted roar of traffic. 45

The Marquis prodded Richard gently with his square-toed black boot. ‘Right,’ he said. ‘We better
get a move-on, hadn’t we?’ He strode off across the roof and Richard got to his feet and
followed, keeping well away from the side of the building. The Marquis opened a door in the
side of the tower, and they went down a poorly lit spiral staircase.

It was now completely dark, and Richard stumbled as he reached the last of the steps and 50
found himself looking for a step that wasn’t there. ‘Mind your head,’ said the Marquis, and he
opened a door. Richard banged his forehead into something hard, and said ‘ow’, and then
stepped out, through a low door, shielding his eyes against the light.

Richard rubbed his forehead, then he rubbed his eyes. The door they had just come through
was the door to the broom cupboard in the stairwell of his apartment building. It was filled with 55
brooms, and dusters, and an elderly mop, and a huge variety of cleaning fluids, powders and
waxes. It had no stairs at the back of it, that he could see, just a wall, on which a stained old
calendar hung, quite uselessly, unless 1979 ever came back round.

Glossary
1
Marquis: a nobleman
2
eight inches: about 20 centimetres

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Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced annually and is available to download at
https://lowersecondary.cambridgeinternational.org/

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2024 E/S8/INSERT/02

English
Stage 8

Paper 2 Fiction 2024

1 hour 10 minutes

Additional materials: Insert

INSTRUCTIONS
• Answer all questions.
• Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
• You should pay attention to punctuation, spelling and handwriting.

INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 50.
• The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
• Suggestions for how long to spend on each section are given in the booklet.

3139_02_4RP
© UCLES 2024
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Section A: Reading

Spend 35 minutes on this section.

Read the text in the insert, and answer Questions 1–7.

1 Look at lines 4–9.

(a) The first sentence uses a simile.

What does the simile tell the reader about the Marquis?
Tick () one box.

He has a sense of humour.

He could be dangerous.

He is fond of animals.

He sounds greedy.

[1]

(b) Explain the function and effect of the semi-colon ( ; ) in the first paragraph.

Function:

Effect:
[2]

(c) What does the word erupted tell the reader?

[1]

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2 Look at lines 10–16.

(a) Explain two ways that the Marquis’s way of speaking shows that he is unfriendly towards
Richard. Support each explanation with a quotation.

First explanation:

Quotation:

Second explanation:

Quotation:
[4]

(b) Why does the writer repeat the verb move?

[1]

3 Look at lines 17–25.

(a) Give two words that show the contrast in behaviour between the Marquis and Richard.

The Marquis:

Richard:
[2]

(b) Give two words that show that the flare is gradually weakening.
•

[2]

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4 Look at lines 26–42.

(a) The word tiny is repeated to emphasise how small things appear to Richard. What else does
the repetition of tiny emphasise?

[1]

(b) Which statement below do you agree with most?

Tick () one box.

This part of the text shows how frightened Richard is.

This part of the text shows how unkind the Marquis is.

Give two reasons for your choice. Support each reason with a quotation.

Reason 1:

Quotation 1:

Reason 2:

Quotation 2:
[4]

5 Look at lines 43–53.

Richard has difficulty keeping up with the Marquis. Give two phrases that tell the reader this.
•

[2]

6 Look at lines 54–58. Why does Richard rub his eyes?

Tick () one box.

He is uncertain where he is.

He has been dazzled by the light.

He is astonished by what he sees.

He has just bumped his head.

[1]

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7 Look at the whole text.

Some of the things that happen in the text are unusual. Give two reasons why you think Richard
could be surprised. Support each reason with a quotation.
Complete the table below. One example has been done for you.

Reason for surprise Quotation

The Marquis knows how to get

The manhole cover came up easily…
into the tunnel

[4]

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Section B: Writing

Spend 35 minutes on this section.

8 Write a story about two characters who are very different from each other and who meet
unexpectedly.

You should think about:

• Who are the characters and how are they different?

• Where, when and why do the characters meet each other?
• What do the characters do together, and what happens?

Space for your plan:

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

© UCLES 2024 E/S8/02

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© UCLES 2024 E/S8/02 [Turn over

 8

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced annually and is available to download at
https://lowersecondary.cambridgeinternational.org/

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2024 E/S8/02