🎯 Grade 11 — Mock Paper

(1) sold
(2) had swept (or had been sweeping)
(3) had been waiting
(4) rang
(5) had built

5 marks.

(1) criminal
(2) discipline (use the verb form)
(3) punishable
(4) kindness
(5) responsibility

5 marks.

(2) Be prepared to stay after school.
(3) Parents' letters of permission are needed.
(4) Lunch is provided at the hostel.
(5) Meet in the main hall at 2.00 p.m.
(6) The principal will address the students.

5 marks.

(1) An offence caused when a person deliberately destroys, alters or defaces someone else's property without permission.
(2) Any three: lack of meaningful activities, disciplinary problems, revenge, boredom, anger, frustration, peer-group pressure, playfulness, curiosity, pleasure.
(3) "It is a punishable crime with imprisonment, monetary fines, or both as laws exist in a country to prevent vandalism."
(4) boredom.
(5) (c) do it without a clear motive, often as fun or art.

5 marks.

CIVIC AWARENESS CLUB — POSTER COMPETITION

Grade 9 to 11 students are invited to enter a poster competition titled
'Respecting Public Property'. Posters must be on A3-size art paper, in any
medium. Hand entries to Mr. Perera by Friday, 11th March 2027. Winning
poster receives a Rs. 5,000 book token.

— Secretary.

50 words. 5 marks.

MODEL — Why I respect public property (60 words)

Public property belongs to all of us. The bench at the bus stop, the wall at
the park and the desk at school were paid for by my parents' taxes — and
mine, one day. Scratching my name on them is scratching my own future. So I
carry my litter, hold my voice down in the library, and ask politely before
I touch anything that is shared.

5 marks.

12, Lake Road,
Maharagama.
6th March 2027.

Dear Sajini,

Last Saturday morning our Youth Society organised a community clean-up day
in our lane. Forty households turned out, armed with brooms, sacks and a
shared determination. By noon we had cleared two truckloads of polythene
and cut back the overgrown drains.

More than the rubbish, I came away with two new lessons. First, work goes
faster when everybody pitches in. Second, the neighbours I had never spoken
to now wave hello.

Why don't you start something similar on your lane?

Love,
Tharindu.

108 words. 10 marks — full layout, three short paragraphs, two clear
lessons, closing question.

(a) MODEL — Public property belongs to all of us (216 words)

If you walked through the bus stand at Maharagama yesterday, you would have
noticed three things: a half-broken signboard, a fresh marker scrawl across
the shelter wall, and a child's school bag left behind on a bench. The first
two are vandalism. The third is the simple fact that all of us — even the
youngest — depend on what is public.

Public property is everything that does not belong to one person but to all
of us together: schools, hospitals, buses, parks, streetlights, water taps,
post-boxes. We use them daily. They were built with our parents' tax money
and ours too, one day. When someone scratches a name on a wall, breaks a
bus seat or smashes a streetlight, they damage what we have already paid for.

There are three steps every student can take. First, awareness — teach a
younger student why it matters. Second, example — pick up litter even when
no one is watching. Third, courage — politely ask a vandal to stop, or
report the act to a prefect or the police.

Public property belongs to all of us. To respect it is to respect ourselves
and the country we want to live in.

Thank you.

15 marks — opening hook, clear definition, three-step action plan, warm
close.

(1) should
(2) shouldn't
(3) mustn't
(4) shouldn't / mustn't
(5) should / must

5 marks.

(1) You should keep this side dry.
(2) You should handle this with care.
(3) You should keep this side up.
(4) You should put litter in the bin.
(5) You should handle this gently because it is fragile.
(6) You should not drop this.

5 marks.

(1) vandalism
(2) personal attitudes and basic social problems
(3) the fact that vandalism may occur due to a lack of meaningful activities
(4) people who vandalize property
(5) the vandal's (a vandal)

5 marks.

(1) Although the path was steep, we climbed it.
(2) She won the gold medal because she practised every day.
(3) In spite of the heavy rain, we continued the match.
(4) Even though he was tired, he kept running.
(5) I save money so that I can study abroad.

5 marks.

(1) The man who can find a purpose to fill his days and goals to fill his mind.
(2) "Content with here they are".
(3) Great purpose and self-belief.
(4) dare / dares.
(5) (b) Rise to the Challenge.

5 marks.

MODEL — A challenge that changed me (60 words)

Last March I joined the inter-house debate team without knowing one good
sentence in English. I went home in tears after the first practice. But Mrs.
Perera asked me to read one full article aloud every night. By August our
house won. The trophy now sits on my desk — not as proof of victory, but of
persistence.

5 marks.

(b) MODEL — Bar chart description (104 words)

The bar chart shows the kinds of challenges that Grade 11 students of a
school find most difficult. Public speaking is by far the most feared
challenge, named by 65 students out of 200. The maths exam comes second at
50, well above the 30 who fear sports try-outs. Asking for help and saying
no to peer pressure attract a similar score — 25 and 20 students respectively.

In summary, fear of being judged in public (speaking + sports + asking for
help) accounts for the majority of student stress. Schools should target
these visible-pressure moments rather than only the academic ones.

10 marks.

(a) MODEL — Why we should welcome challenges (218 words)

Good morning everyone.

There is a comfortable lie that some Sri Lankan students tell themselves
every day: 'I am not the type for public speaking.' / 'Maths just isn't my
thing.' / 'I'll never speak English well.' We dress fear up as personality
and call the case closed.

Dr. Heartsill Wilson, the poet, would shake his head. 'Blessed is the man
indeed, who in this life can find / a purpose that can fill his days / and
goals to fill his mind!'

Firstly, challenges are the only place that growth lives. The first
sentence of English you struggle to say is the one that earns you the second
one easily. Comfort, by contrast, hands you nothing new.

Secondly, the discomfort itself is short. The longest possible debate speech
is seven minutes; an A-level paper is three hours. Three hours of brave
study can change a whole decade.

Thirdly, the world rewards those who try. Universities, employers, even the
prefects' panel — every door we want is opened only by the courage to knock.

So welcome the next challenge that arrives. Don't run from it. Don't avoid
it. Stand up, sweaty palms and all, and meet it. Your future self is
watching.

Thank you.

15 marks — opening provocation, quote from the unit's poem, three numbered
reasons, warm call to action.

(1) — , the
(2) an
(3) a
(4) The , the
(5) the

5 marks.

(1) older
(2) the most sacred
(3) more delicious
(4) the most beautiful
(5) cheaper

5 marks.

(1) South-west of Sri Lanka
(2) 1988
(3) 11,187 hectares
(4) January–April and August–September
(5) Kudawa

5 marks.

(1) ancient
(2) located
(3) prevails
(4) destinations (or attractions)
(5) tourists

5 marks.

(1) 200 metres.
(2) Matale District.
(3) King Kashyapa, in the 5th century AD.
(4) Its 1,500-year-old graffiti.
(5) (b) Sigiriya — the Lion Rock that holds 1,500-year-old graffiti.

5 marks.

HISTORY SOCIETY — 'GREAT LANKA' PHOTO EXHIBITION

All Grade 9 to 11 students are warmly invited to a photo exhibition titled
'Great Lanka — Eight UNESCO Treasures' on Wednesday, 5th May 2027 from
9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. in the school auditorium. Entry is free. Each visitor
receives a heritage bookmark.

— Secretary.

47 words. 5 marks.

MODEL — The most beautiful place I have visited (60 words)

The most beautiful place I have ever visited is the Galle Fort. The Dutch
built the ramparts in the 17th century, and four hundred years later, you
can still walk along them at sunset. The waves crash thirty metres below,
the air smells of frangipani, and a hundred lanterns slowly come on in the
old cobblestone streets behind you.

5 marks.

(b) MODEL — Polonnaruwa (110 words)

Polonnaruwa, the second ancient capital of Sri Lanka, lies 216 km north-east
of Colombo in the North Central Province. King Vijayabahu I made it the new
capital in the 11th century AD after the fall of Anuradhapura. The city
reached its glory under King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century. Two
attractions stand out for any visitor. First, the Gal Vihara — four colossal
Buddha statues carved into a single granite face. Second, the Parakrama
Samudra, a vast man-made reservoir that still irrigates the surrounding
paddy fields. Polonnaruwa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the heartland
of medieval Sri Lankan engineering.

10 marks.

(c) MODEL — Sri Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean (212 words)

Named by Marco Polo 'the finest island of its size in the world', Sri Lanka
has worn the title 'pearl of the Indian Ocean' for seven centuries — and
the truth is hidden behind that pretty phrase.

Firstly, we are unusually rich in nature. Five climate zones, two monsoons
and 65,610 square kilometres of land sustain elephants, leopards, blue
whales, more than 400 bird species and the world's only known living
descendant of the Buddha tree. No island the size of Ireland matches that.

Secondly, we are rich in culture. Eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites — from
the 5th-century Sigiriya frescoes to the 16th-century Galle Fort — sit on a
single bus map. Three of the world's great religions live next door to one
another on Galle Road.

Thirdly, we are rich in people. Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers
speak two official languages plus a friendly English. The 'smile' that
tourists notice first is not a slogan; it is a real national habit.

But a pearl needs an oyster to keep it polished. We are losing forests,
defacing temples, throwing plastic into the ocean. If we do not protect
our pearl, no future generation will see it shine.

15 marks.

(1) ... recycled ... would shrink.
(2) ... used fewer polythene bags, our canals would not be blocked.
(3) ... banned single-use plastics, the problem would be solved.
(4) ... did not burn rubber, the air would not be polluted.
(5) ... planted trees, the climate would cool.

5 marks.

(1) Scientists have not yet found out if Mars holds favourable climatic conditions to support life on it.
(2) The Municipal Council takes our garbage to recycling centres every Saturday.
(3) The River Nile originates in East Africa, flows through many countries including Ethiopia and Egypt, and empties its water into the Mediterranean Sea.
(4) Every year in July and in August my friends Udaya, Rishan and I go to Panadura beach to fly kites.
(5) The Chinese believe that looking up at a kite improves your eyesight.

5 marks.

(1) considerable
(2) accumulate
(3) perishable
(4) mistaken
(5) chokes

5 marks.

(1) For a Better Tomorrow.
(2) Polythene and the Environment.
(3) One of the eminent environmentalists in the country.
(4) "The biggest problem is that most types of polythene don't decay."
(5) (b) do not decay at all.

5 marks.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board wishes to inform residents of
Maharagama that the water supply to Maharagama South and Borella Road will
be interrupted on Saturday, 12th March 2027 from 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. The
interruption is necessary for urgent pipe repairs. The Board apologises for
the inconvenience.

— Area Engineer, NWSDB.

58 words. 5 marks.

MODEL — Three small steps for a better tomorrow (60 words)

Firstly, I carry a cloth bag to the shop and refuse the polythene one even
when it is offered for free. Secondly, our family washes and reuses every
glass bottle for water. Thirdly, on Sundays we sort the week's rubbish into
three bins — paper, plastic, kitchen — and the municipal van takes them
separately. Small steps. Real change.

5 marks.

(b) MODEL — Pie-chart description (105 words)

The pie chart shows the composition of household garbage in a typical Sri
Lankan home. Food waste takes the largest share at 45% — nearly half of
all household rubbish. Plastic comes a distant second at 25%, well above
the 15% taken up by paper. Glass accounts for 10%, while metal — the
smallest portion — makes up just 5%.

In summary, almost half of household garbage is compostable. If every house
started composting tomorrow, the volume going to landfill would shrink by
nearly half overnight. Recycling efforts must now target food waste as much
as plastic.

10 marks.

(b) MODEL — Speech on the Effects of Using Polythene (210 words)

Good morning, teachers and friends.

If you walk down any Sri Lankan town today, you will see polythene almost
everywhere — wrapping the chicken in the butcher's, carrying mother's
vegetables, even floating in the Kelani river. We use it because it is
cheap, light and waterproof. But that same cheapness is destroying our
island.

A single polythene bag takes between 500 and 1000 years to break down. In
that time, it does not disappear — it splits into tiny plastic pieces that
fish swallow, that block our drains and cause floods, and that release
poisonous gases when burnt. Last year a wild elephant in Habarana died with
eight kilograms of polythene in its stomach. That is one statistic; there
are thousands more.

What can we do? Three simple steps. First, refuse a polythene bag at every
shop — carry a cloth bag in your school bag. Second, refuse 'lunch sheets'
in tuition; ask the shop to wrap food in banana leaf or paper. Third, talk
about it: at home, at the temple, at the cricket match. Change spreads
faster than we think.

Our grandparents lived perfectly well without polythene. So can we.

Thank you.

15 marks.

(1) will call · reach
(2) arrive · will be
(3) wait
(4) watch
(5) rings · leave

5 marks.

(1) b
(2) d
(3) a
(4) e
(5) c

5 marks.

sorry / apologetic
(1) train
(2) a signal failure (any honest reason)
(3) promise
(4) punishment
(5) half an hour / 30 minutes

5 marks.

(1) The highest percentage
(2) The lowest percentage
(3) equal amount
(4) More time
(5) Less time

5 marks.

(1) Sit her O/L English paper after practising on two past papers.
(2) A notification from her best friend on her phone.
(3) "Three hours later, she looked up. The tea had gone cold; the papers had not been touched."
(4) So her mother would not see her cry.
(5) (c) Best Use of Time (also acceptable: (a) The Tea That Cost Her Hours).

5 marks.

CAREER GUIDANCE SOCIETY — TIME-MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP

Grade 11 students are warmly invited to a workshop titled '24 Hours, Smart
Use' on Friday, 18th March 2027 at 1.30 p.m. in the school library.
Resource Person: Mr. Janaka Rajapakse, Career Counsellor. Register with
Nimali Perera by 16th March.

— Secretary.

47 words. 5 marks.

MODEL — How I plan to study for the O/Ls (60 words)

From January, I will follow a quiet four-hour daily plan: one hour of past
papers before school, two hours of revision after dinner, and one hour of
reading a non-textbook English book before bed. Sunday afternoons are
strictly free. No phone after 9 p.m. Eight months and three weeks of this,
and the trophy is mine.

5 marks.

(b) MODEL — Pie chart description (108 words)

The pie chart shows how a Grade 11 student spends 24 hours on a school day.
The highest percentage of time — 34% — is spent on studying, closely
followed by 29% on sleeping. Travelling to and from school accounts for
17% of the day, more than three times the amount given to relaxing.
Classes and eating share an equal amount of time at 8% each. The lowest
percentage — just 4% — goes to relaxing.

In summary, the student spends almost two-thirds of the day either studying
or sleeping. There is worryingly little time for the personal relaxation a
teenager needs.

10 marks.

(a) MODEL — Best use of time (218 words)

'Time,' wrote William Penn, 'is what we want most, but what we use worst.'
Look around any Grade 11 classroom in Sri Lanka and the quote needs no
proof. Half of us have phones still warm from this morning's scrolling; the
other half have past papers still untouched in our bags.

The secret of every successful O/L student is not extra hours — we all get
the same 24 — but the careful use of them. Three habits separate the top
student from the average.

Firstly, they plan. Sunday evening, twenty minutes, pencil and notebook.
What is the goal this week? Which subject needs the most attention? They
write it down.

Secondly, they protect the morning. The first 90 minutes after waking are
golden for memory work. They do their hardest subject then, before any
phone has woken up beside them.

Thirdly, they rest deliberately. A 90-minute walk on Sunday afternoon is not
lost time; it is what makes Monday morning clear. Top students treat sleep
like a subject.

The student who masters time at sixteen will master her career at twenty-six.
The one who masters her phone at sixteen will be mastered by it forever.
Choose now.

15 marks.

(1) have not been · does it usually take
(2) have been studying
(3) have known
(4) am going
(5) brings
(6) is studying

5 marks.

-sion: television, decision, illusion, occasion
-ssion: expression, passion, discussion, admission, commission, session, permission
-tion: nation, election, addition, profession, condition, mention, accommodation, promotion, description
-cian: electrician, beautician, politician, magician, optician, technician, mathematician

5 marks (½ × 10 selected words, accept reasonable variants).

(1) May I
(2) book / reserve
(3) May I know
(4) booking
(5) credit card
(6) collect

5 marks.

(1) ... people would love it.
(2) The Daily Mirror said that it was a fantastic show.
(3) The Island said that it would be a great success.
(4) An actor said that it was the funniest play he had ever seen.
(5) A singer said that he couldn't remember a better show.

5 marks.

(1) She is taking some costumes to the drama practice.
(2) Rizna is in Blue House (her own house); she is playing Grusha.
(3) "The others have been practising since 8 o'clock."
(4) Bertolt Brecht (German).
(5) (c) come to watch.

5 marks.

ENGLISH LITERARY ASSOCIATION — STAND-UP COMEDY NIGHT

Grade 9 to 11 students are invited to our first-ever Stand-up Comedy Night
on Saturday, 26th March 2027 from 7.00 to 9.00 p.m. in the school auditorium.
Five student comedians will perform a five-minute set each. Tickets Rs. 100.
Register with Nimali Perera by 22nd March.

— Secretary.

50 words. 5 marks.

MODEL — Why we need laughter (60 words)

Doctors say one minute of laughter strengthens the heart more than ten
minutes of jogging. I believe them. After a long week of past papers, the
ten minutes my best friend and I spend re-watching old Pissu Pusa videos do
more for my mind than any cup of tea. Laughter, perhaps, is just very fast
medicine.

5 marks.

(b) MODEL — Drama review (105 words)

Last Friday night the school auditorium was packed for the annual Inter-
House Drama Competition. Four houses, four plays, one cup. Blue House staged
Bertolt Brecht's 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle' with Rizna of 11C as Grusha;
her single tearful monologue in Act 3 brought silence to seven hundred
students. Green House gave us a snappy 'Christmas Carol', while Red and
Yellow attempted 'Everyman' and 'The Merchant of Venice'. Blue House lifted
the cup for the third year running, but every house left the stage richer
for having tried. A magical evening of fun, friendship and English.

10 marks.

(c) MODEL — Dialogue completion (212 words)

Ruwini: I know you like ancient stones, but doesn't an elephant herd
crossing your path make your day too?
Migara: It does, of course! What I meant is that ruins make me think slower.
Yala is unforgettable, but Polonnaruwa is unforgettable AND
thoughtful.
Ruwini: Hmm. So is it a moment of fun or a moment of learning you want when
you travel?
Migara: Both. The Galle Fort gives me both. We climb the ramparts, eat
seafood at sunset, and I learn three new dates from the colonial
plaque without even trying.
Ruwini: Galle Fort is brilliant. What about a wild card — Hikkaduwa for
snorkelling?
Migara: I have always wanted to go. I have been saving for a mask for
three months now.
Ruwini: Three months! We have been waiting for the same monsoon to end.
Migara: (laughs) Speaking of waiting, when does the new aquarium open at
Mount Lavinia?
Ruwini: My uncle told me it has been delayed again.
Migara: So next Saturday — Polonnaruwa? Then Galle Fort the Saturday after?
Ruwini: Done. And the Saturday after that, you owe me Yala.
Migara: I owe you Yala.

15 marks — natural turn-taking, all three present tenses (have always
wanted / have been saving / has been delayed), warm humour, clear plan close.

(1) had begun
(2) had already finished
(3) had forgotten
(4) had never seen
(5) had swept

5 marks.

(1) ... are diced.
(2) ... are boiled.
(3) ... are added.
(4) ... is stirred for ten minutes.
(5) ... is served with rice or hoppers.

5 marks.

(a) Don't eat junk food.
(b) Switch off the fan when you leave the room.
(c) Don't waste water — close the tap when not in use.
(d) Grow your own vegetables at home.
(e) Use energy-saving (CFL or LED) bulbs.

5 marks.

(1) wealthy
(2) collected
(3) gain
(4) complex
(5) maximise (i.e. opposite of "give away")

5 marks.

(1) Reusing, recycling and giving things away.
(2) A person who can manage his own work — painting, gardening, mending shoes.
(3) "In addition if one is in the habit of growing fruits and vegetables for one's own consumption, that person saves a lot of money for a worthy cause."
(4) stress free.
(5) (b) The advantages of a simple life.

5 marks.

ENVIRONMENT CLUB — SCHOOL KITCHEN GARDEN LAUNCH

All students are invited to help plant the new school kitchen garden on
Saturday, 9th April 2027 at 7.30 a.m. Bring a small spade and a water
bottle. Free king coconut for every participant. Sign up with Mr. Perera by
7th April.

— Secretary.

47 words. 5 marks.

MODEL — My grandmother's simple kitchen (60 words)

My grandmother's kitchen is a sunny room with one earthen stove, three
clay pots, and a window opening onto a curry-leaf bush. She doesn't own a
microwave or a blender. Everything she cooks is grated, ground or chopped
with her own hands. Yet the simplest parippu from her hearth tastes
better than anything I have ever ordered in a hotel.

5 marks.

(b) MODEL — Kiri bath (108 words)

First, two cups of unwashed rice are placed in a heavy-bottomed pan with
three cups of water. The pan is brought to the boil and then simmered on
low heat until almost all the water has been absorbed. Next, one and a half
cups of thick coconut milk and a generous pinch of salt are added. The
mixture is stirred gently with a wooden spoon to prevent burning.

When the rice has thickened into a creamy mass, it is spread evenly on a
flat tray and pressed with a banana leaf. Once cool, the kiri bath is cut
into diamond shapes and served with lunu miris.

10 marks.

(a) MODEL — Simple living is not poor living (215 words)

When my classmate brings a new gadget every term, we whisper that her family
must be very rich. When my cousin's family eats lunch every day from a
four-tier carrier instead of a hotel takeaway, we whisper that they must be
very poor. We are wrong both times. Simple living is not poor living. It
is a quiet kind of wealth that money cannot quickly buy.

Firstly, a simple life is a calmer life. The fewer things we own, the
fewer things own us. My cousin's family has only one TV and no second car;
they also have time on Friday evenings to play carrom together — a quality
many 'rich' families cannot afford.

Secondly, simple living protects what little we have. A kitchen garden
turns kitchen waste into next week's curry. A repaired kettle survives ten
years of bed tea. A patched school shoe sees a whole term out.

Thirdly, simple living is kinder to the country. The polythene bag we did
not use, the rice we did not throw, the saree blouse we wore for a third
year — each is a small gift to Sri Lanka.

Simple, in short, is the smarter rich. We should learn it early.

15 marks.

(1) — / new
(2) An
(3) — (or the if specific)
(4) a
(5) — (uncountable general)
(6) The
(7) A
(8) — (title; no article)

5 marks.

(1) a lovely old round Japanese wooden table
(2) a small red brick house
(3) a long cold winter night
(4) a soft brown Italian leather sofa
(5) an ancient grey square stone tower

5 marks.

Sample answer (acceptable when fields are complete and consistent):

Name : Tharindu Silva
Age : 16
Hometown : Maharagama
Hobbies : Reading, cricket
Likes reading : Yes
Favourite book : 'The Old Man and the Sea'
Favourite author : Ernest Hemingway

5 marks.

(1) Daniel Defoe.
(2) Born 1660 · died 1731.
(3) Merchant (and political pamphleteer).
(4) It is thought to be one of the first English novels and remains a timeless story of survival and adventure.
(5) (b) a merchant's troubled voyages and adventures at sea.

5 marks.

(1) A terrible scream — a prolonged yell of horror and anguish.
(2) "turned the blood to ice in my veins".
(3) "I saw his dark, athletic outline at the door of the hut, his shoulders stooping, his head thrust forward, his face peering into the darkness."
(4) Nearer, louder, more urgent than before.
(5) (b) shaken to the soul despite his strength.

5 marks.

LIBRARY UNIT — ANNUAL BOOK EXHIBITION

Grade 9 to 11 students are warmly invited to the annual book exhibition
'A Thousand Worlds in One Hall' on Friday, 22nd April 2027 from 9.00 a.m.
to 4.00 p.m. in the school auditorium. Free entry, ten free bookmarks for
the first 100 visitors. Register with Mrs. Anuradha by 20th April.

— Librarian.

50 words. 5 marks.

MODEL — Why I love reading (60 words)

Reading is the cheapest holiday I will ever take. For 50 rupees and an old
library card I can dive a coral reef, climb the Himalayas, listen to a
murder mystery on the foggy English moor. It teaches me languages, history
and strangers' kindness. Best of all, no one can tell me to put it down.

5 marks.

(b) MODEL — Book review (108 words)

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA — A SMALL BOOK, A BIG OCEAN

Ernest Hemingway's slim novella tells of Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman
who has not caught a fish in 84 days. On day 85 he hooks the biggest
marlin of his life — and the real battle begins.

My favourite scene is the second night at sea, when the old man speaks to
his own hand as if it were a stranger. Hemingway's short sentences carry
more weight than any thick novel I have read this year.

Any student tired of long, flowery English should start here.

10 marks.

(a) MODEL — Value of Reading (215 words)

'A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,' wrote George R. R. Martin.
'The man who never reads lives only one.' For a Sri Lankan teenager today,
this is no longer a poetic line — it is a survival instruction.

Firstly, reading widens our vocabulary in a way no app can. A student who
reads 20 minutes a day picks up close to a million new words a year — far
beyond what a tuition class can deliver.

Secondly, reading slows us down. After three hours of swiping, the brain
is exhausted by 200 micro-decisions. Twenty minutes with a novel rests the
mind in a way sleep cannot.

Thirdly, reading teaches empathy. When I read Jane Eyre, I lived inside
the head of an orphan in 19th-century England. I came out of the book a
slightly kinder boy. That kind of education is not measured in any A or
B on an O/L paper.

Finally, reading is portable. A book costs less than a bowl of kottu and
lasts a hundred journeys longer.

Let us put the phone down tonight and pick up the book the postman left
three months ago. Our future selves will thank us.

15 marks.

(1) leaves
(2) children
(3) geese
(4) loaves
(5) shelves
(6) roofs
(7) mice
(8) sheep
(9) fathers-in-law
(10) phenomena

5 marks (½ × 10).

(1) They're
(2) whether
(3) principal
(4) stationery
(5) too

5 marks.

(1) 2.10 p.m. (typical answer)
(2) 5 December 1945
(3) over the Atlantic Ocean / within the Bermuda Triangle
(4) Lieutenant Charles Taylor
(5) compasses had stopped working; the flight was lost; radio contact lost

5 marks — accept any details consistent with the famous Flight 19 incident.

(1) anyone
(2) someone
(3) no one
(4) everyone
(5) sorry

5 marks.

(1) Just before sunset.
(2) Boarded-up shops · full wells · no dogs · three goats in the middle of the road.
(3) "a kettle stood on the dead ashes of a fire, still warm to the touch."
(4) A single broken kite.
(5) (b) curious / uneasy.

5 marks.

ENGLISH LITERARY ASSOCIATION — MYSTERY-WRITING COMPETITION

Grade 9 to 11 students are invited to write a 500-word mystery story for
our annual competition. Stories must be hand-written and submitted to the
Class Teacher by Friday, 1st May 2027. The winning entry will be published
in the school magazine.

— Secretary.

47 words. 5 marks.

MODEL — The mystery I want solved (60 words)

The mystery I most want solved is what really happened to Flight 19 in
1945. Five US Navy bombers vanished over the Bermuda Triangle on a clear
December afternoon. Their radios kept working for two hours and then went
silent — and not one wing was ever found. Until someone proves otherwise,
I will keep wondering.

5 marks.

(b) MODEL — The Bermuda Triangle (108 words)

The Bermuda Triangle is a roughly triangular stretch of the Atlantic Ocean
bordered by the islands of Bermuda, Puerto Rico and the southern tip of
Florida — an area of around half a million square miles. Over the past
century, several aeroplanes and ships have disappeared inside its
boundaries, the most famous being the 1945 disappearance of Flight 19.
Scientists offer explanations ranging from magnetic anomalies to methane
gas eruptions, but no single theory has been proven. Recent statistics
show the area is no more dangerous than any other busy shipping route.
Still, it remains one of the world's favourite enigmas.

10 marks.

(a) MODEL — Story (218 words)

As I approached the deserted house at the end of the road I saw a curtain
move on the upstairs window. There was no wind that night. I told myself
it was a stray cat, and I almost believed me.

The gate hung open. Tall, wet grass slapped my legs as I walked up the
path. The brass knocker was still warm under my fingertips, as though
someone had recently used it. I knocked. Nobody answered. I knocked again,
harder. The door swung inwards by itself.

A hall ran the length of the house, and at the far end a single oil lamp
stood on a dust-free table. Beside the lamp lay a child's drawing — a
family of stick figures under a kite, signed at the bottom in a careful
adult hand: 'For my son, on his sixth birthday, 13.04.1965.' Today's date.
The sixtieth anniversary, to the day.

I looked up. The curtain on the upstairs window was moving again, and now
I could hear something — soft, distant, unmistakably a child laughing.

I took a step back. I would tell my friends in the morning what I had
seen. But I knew, even then, that nobody who has heard that laugh ever
tells.

15 marks — strong hook, sensory detail, fresh clue (drawing dated to the
day), classic mystery close that hands the puzzle to the reader.

(1) will stay
(2) will reduce
(3) are not taken (passive — better fit)
(4) leave
(5) will develop

5 marks.

(1) ... you will achieve good results. (Type 1)
(2) ... I would serve my motherland. (Type 2)
(3) ... she would have won the race. (Type 3)
(4) ... he would not have to walk five miles to school. (Type 2)
(5) ... I would scream and run away. (Type 2)

5 marks.

(1) will reopen
(2) will be answering
(3) will have graduated (future perfect; acceptable simple future: will graduate)
(4) will be having
(5) promise / will promise

5 marks.

(1) The emigration of well-educated and skilled professionals from their home country to another.
(2) Any TWO: better job opportunities, war / conflict, health risks, political instability, better salaries, more research opportunities.
(3) "The loss that occurs in more developed countries is not felt much because these countries generally see an emigration of those educated professionals with an immigration of other educated professionals."
(4) Increase job-advertisement and research opportunities at home; encourage highly-skilled workers to serve their own country.
(5) (b) Brain drain — its causes, effects and remedies.

5 marks.

(1) B — Software engineer
(2) A — Doctor
(3) E — Accountant
(4) D — Musician
(5) F — Architect
(6) C — Lawyer

5 marks.

CAREER GUIDANCE SOCIETY — A-LEVEL CAREER FAIR

All Grade 11 students are invited to the annual A-Level career fair on
Saturday, 18th December 2026 from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. in the school
auditorium. Representatives from 14 universities and 6 private institutes
will answer your questions. Register with Mr. Perera by 16th December.

— Secretary.

50 words. 5 marks.

MODEL — My A-Level stream (60 words)

After my O/Ls I will follow the Bio-Science stream. I love Biology and I
want to be a paediatrician. Chemistry will be difficult but my new tuition
class starts in January. The hardest part will be Physics: it is not my
favourite subject but it is compulsory. Three years of hard work — and a
lifetime of meaningful service.

5 marks.

(b) MODEL — Speech in support (105 words)

Good afternoon. We stand in support of the motion that 'Sri Lankan
graduates should serve their motherland first'. Three reasons drive our
argument.

Firstly, our universities are funded by Sri Lankan taxes. Every student who
leaves immediately is a taxpayer-funded gift to a foreign country.

Secondly, Sri Lanka faces a doctor-to-patient ratio of one to four thousand
in rural areas. We are needed here far more than in any developed country.

Thirdly, opportunities do exist — they need our hands to be created. We
thank you.

10 marks — three numbered reasons, statistics, formal close.

(b) MODEL — Studying in a foreign country (212 words)

More Sri Lankan students cross oceans for higher studies every year than
ever before. Going abroad to study sounds glamorous, but it comes with real
costs. Both sides deserve a fair look.

The advantages are real. Foreign universities often have better laboratories,
larger libraries and lecturers who are leaders in their field. Sitting in a
class with students from Korea, Kenya and Canada teaches you more about the
world than any geography textbook can. Living away from parents builds
independence — you learn to cook your own dinner, manage your own bills
and solve your own problems. Most degrees from reputable foreign
universities also open doors in the global job market.

The disadvantages, however, are also serious. The biggest is missing
family. A grandfather's seventy-fifth birthday or a younger sister's
wedding from 8,000 kilometres away leaves a wound that no scholarship can
heal. The climate can be cruel — Sri Lankan students in Canada speak of
suffering through their first –20°C winter. Costs are high, and a
part-time job often eats into study time. Finally, many bright graduates
never return, draining the country of the very talent it had invested in.

The best path, I believe, is to study abroad, gather knowledge — and bring
it home.

15 marks.