This set uses one original passage and ten questions, ordered from easier to harder. It mixes the skills from close reading and evidence: locating details, inference, precise evidence, implied attitude and whole-passage links.
Read the passage twice. Write each answer before you open the explanation, and keep answers short. The questions carry no mark labels, so judge yourself on whether the answer is accurate, supported and explained.
The passage
Uncle Faisal’s repair stall sat between a shop selling phone covers and another that sold nothing but keys. He worked with a magnifying lamp clamped to the counter, and his hands, thick and scarred, moved over tiny screws with surprising delicacy. Customers called him “the doctor”, and he pretended not to hear.
On Saturday a schoolgirl named Alia brought in a broken radio. It had belonged to her grandmother, she explained, and she did not mind how long it took. Faisal turned it over twice, sighed through his nose, and said it would be cheaper to buy a new one. Then he slid it under the lamp anyway.
By closing time, the radio gave a hiss, a crackle and finally a thin, clear voice reading the weather. Alia laughed out loud. Faisal, already wiping his tools, told her only to keep it away from the rain. He hummed as he packed up, which she noticed was the first time all day.
Questions
1. Where is Faisal’s stall?
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Between a shop selling phone covers and a shop that sells only keys. This is a stated detail, so a short phrase is enough. You do not need to mention the lamp or the counter.
2. What did Alia bring to the stall, and who did it belong to?
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She brought a broken radio that belonged to her grandmother. Two parts are asked for, so both must appear.
3. What did Faisal say about the cost of repairing it?
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He said it would be cheaper to buy a new one. The reaction “sighed through his nose” is not what was asked, so leave it out.
4. What does “Then he slid it under the lamp anyway” suggest about Faisal?
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It suggests that he is kinder than he sounds. He has just said a new radio would be cheaper, but the word “anyway” shows he agrees to fix it despite his own advice. The inference stays close to the clue: he cares about the radio’s value to Alia, or cannot refuse. It does not say he is wealthy or lonely, which the passage never hints at.
5. Which is an inference and which is speculation? (a) Faisal is skilled at his work. (b) Faisal once repaired a radio for a famous singer.
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(a) is an inference. He is called “the doctor” and his hands move with “surprising delicacy”. (b) is speculation. Nothing in the passage mentions a singer or his past customers.
6. Choose a short quotation that shows Faisal is careful with his hands, and explain it.
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“moved over tiny screws with surprising delicacy”. The word “delicacy” shows gentle, precise movements. “Surprising” adds that this is unexpected from hands described as “thick and scarred”, which makes the skill more striking.
7. A student uses this as evidence that Faisal is reluctant at first. The quotation is: “Faisal turned it over twice, sighed through his nose, and said it would be cheaper to buy a new one.” Trim it to the words that matter.
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“sighed through his nose” shows reluctance or a tired reaction, and “cheaper to buy a new one” shows he advises against repair. Both short phrases are stronger than the full sentence, and the trimmed version lets you explain each separately.
8. What does “he pretended not to hear” suggest about how Faisal feels about being called “the doctor”?
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It suggests he is modest or uncomfortable with praise. The word “pretended” means he does hear, but acts as if he does not. It does not prove he dislikes the nickname, and it may hint that he is secretly pleased. A careful answer names the main reading and leaves room for the second.
9. What is the writer’s attitude towards Faisal? Name it and prove it.
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The writer is affectionate and admiring. “Surprising delicacy” praises his skill, and the final detail that “He hummed as he packed up” gives him a warm, human moment. The gruff manner is presented gently, not mockingly, so the tone is fond.
10. Why does the writer end with Faisal humming, “the first time all day”?
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It shows the repair mattered more to him than he admitted. Earlier he sighs and calls the job not worth it, and he ignores the nickname. The humming at the end contrasts with that gruff surface and shows quiet satisfaction. The link to the opening is what makes this a whole-passage answer, not just a comment on one line.
If you got these wrong
| What went wrong | What to revisit |
|---|---|
| Copied a sentence, or added details the question did not ask for (Q1 to Q3) | Locate an explicit detail without copying a paragraph |
| Added a backstory or reason the passage does not give (Q4, Q5) | Separate inference from speculation |
| Quotation too long or did not prove the point (Q6, Q7) | Select precise evidence for an interpretation |
| Used a vague label such as “negative”, or gave no proof (Q8, Q9) | Explain an implied attitude |
| Explained a line alone, without the rest of the passage (Q10) | Connect a detail with the passage as a whole |
Log each slip in the mistake log and retest queue so you meet the same skill again on a fresh passage. The summary selection and paraphrase studio helps you choose relevant details, and the writing revision compare view lets you compare a first answer with a trimmed one.
How to use this set well
Retry the questions you missed after a few days, with the passage covered as far as you can manage. If the same error returns, work through the matching lesson again and write a fresh answer in your own words. Answers copied from the explanations teach very little.
When you are unsure whether your answer is accurate, supported and explained, it helps to have a teacher read it beside you. Our team does that in online one-to-one English First Language tuition.