Free CIE IGCSE English Language
Practice Paper

Read the following extract from a travel article: 'The market square erupted with colour—saffron silks, jade ceramics, ruby-red spices cascading from woven baskets. Vendors called out in a dozen dialects, their voices weaving into a tapestry of commerce and culture.' What is the main effect of the writer's use of colour imagery in this extract?

1. To criticise the commercialisation of traditional culture
2. To suggest the market is disorganised and chaotic
3. To create a vivid sensory impression of the scene's richness
4. To show that the narrator feels overwhelmed by the experience

A student is analysing the following extract from a novel: 'She was ice. She was stone. She was every cold thing he had ever known, wrapped in the warmth of a smile that meant nothing.' Which term best describes the technique used in 'She was ice. She was stone.'?

1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Personification
4. Hyperbole

A candidate receives the following composition task: 'Write a description of a place that holds special memories for you.' Which approach would be most appropriate for this task?

1. Writing an argumentative essay about why the place should be preserved
2. Listing factual information about the place's history and geography
3. Writing a story with a clear beginning, middle and end set in the place
4. Creating a detailed, atmospheric description that evokes the place through sensory details and personal reflection

Read the following extract from a newspaper report about flooding in Bangladesh: 'The river swallowed entire villages. It devoured crops that families had spent months nurturing. It showed no mercy.' The writer personifies the river in order to:

1. explain the geographical causes of the flooding
2. provide scientific information about flood patterns
3. emphasise the destructive and relentless nature of the flood
4. suggest that local people should have prepared better

A passage about ecotourism in Costa Rica is followed by a directed writing task requiring candidates to write a journal entry from the perspective of a tourist visiting the rainforest. A candidate begins: 'Ecotourism is defined as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment.' Why might this opening lose marks?

1. The formal, impersonal tone is inappropriate for a journal entry
2. The sentence is too short for an opening paragraph
3. Definitions should never be included in directed writing
4. The definition is factually incorrect

A directed writing task provides a passage about youth unemployment in South Africa and asks candidates to write a blog post encouraging young people to develop entrepreneurial skills. Which of the following sentences best demonstrates the appropriate register for this task?

1. The undersigned wishes to draw attention to the matter of youth unemployment.
2. It is incumbent upon the youth demographic to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours forthwith.
3. Youth unemployment is bad and people should do something about it.
4. Starting your own business might seem scary, but it could be the best decision you ever make.

An international survey revealed that 67% of young people in Brazil, India and South Africa believe that climate education should be compulsory in schools. A student uses this data in their argumentative essay. Which of the following best demonstrates effective integration of this evidence?

1. 67% of young people think climate education should be compulsory.
2. According to an international survey spanning Brazil, India and South Africa, over two-thirds of young people support mandatory climate education, demonstrating widespread demand for environmental literacy.
3. A survey showed some results about climate education in schools.
4. Young people in different countries have different opinions about climate change.

A passage about renewable energy in Germany provides information about solar panels, wind farms and government subsidies. The directed writing task asks candidates to write an article for a school magazine. One candidate writes: 'Germany has lots of solar panels and wind farms and the government gives money to help people buy them and this is good for the environment.' How could this sentence be improved?

1. By removing all references to the passage to show originality
2. By adding more connectives such as 'and' and 'also'
3. By breaking it into shorter sentences with varied structures and more precise vocabulary
4. By making it longer to include more information from the passage