📄 O/L English Language — 2025 / 2026

Match the following pictures with the instructions given below. Write the letter of the most suitable picture in the box given against each instruction. The first one is done for you.

Pictures: (a) a glass/cup; (b) a washing machine; (c) a heater/cooker; (d) a jar; (e) a door; (f) a jar with liquid.

(1) Fill with water and add washing powder. → d (example)
(2) Keep the door closed. → ...
(3) Set the heat level properly. → ...
(4) Collect your cash, card and receipt. → ...
(5) Shut down the machine after use. → ...
(6) First fill the jar with liquid. → ...

Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box. The first one is done for you.

Word box: (a) crossings · (b) signals · (c) while · (d) clothes · (e) drivers · (f) right

A good pedestrian acts in a responsible manner. Here are some tips:

• Always use the pedestrian (1) ...a (crossings)... when going across busy streets.
• Never think that (2) ........... can see you easily.
• Avoid using your mobile phone (3) ........... walking along the street.
• Wearing bright or reflective (4) ........... at night helps drivers notice you more easily.
• Remember to walk on the (5) ........... side of the road if there is no pavement.
• Follow traffic (6) ........... at all times.

Study the picture and fill in the blanks using the words given in the box. The first one is done for you.

Word box: (a) handbag · (b) trolley · (c) ceiling · (d) cloth · (e) mopping · (f) customers · (g) pole · (h) clothes · (i) salesman · (j) arrows · (k) smile

A textile shop is a lovely place for anybody to visit. It is clean and spacious. We are now at a textile shop buying clothes. There is a girl at the shelf showing (1) ...d (cloth)... to two kids standing before her. A young (2) ........... is looking at them. There is a pleasant (3) ........... on his face. He is standing near a (4) ........... of clothes. A young lady with a (5) ........... is standing at a cloth-stand with her little daughter. A worker is (6) ........... the floor at the far end of the passage. There are two (7) ........... on flash boards to direct customers to the cashier and to the play area. Another salesman standing at a (8) ........... is arranging (9) ........... on a shelf. Lights on the (10) ........... help the (11) ........... to see items clearly.

Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box. The first one is done for you.

Word box: at · during · front · of · for · with

A lot of people think that cats do not sleep at night, and it is true that their sleep schedule is different (1) ...from... that of humans. Cats are most active (2) ........... the beginning and also at the end (3) ........... the day. They sleep both at night and (4) ........... the day. The reason (5) ........... this behaviour of cats has to do (6) ........... their hunting patterns.

Read the text and complete the table. The first one is done for you.

The City of Luminara

Luminara is a beautiful modern city located by the Blue River in the south of the country. It has been a home for about one million people. The main language spoken is Lumish, but many people also speak English and Spanish because the city has visitors from all over the world.

Luminara is warm and sunny most of the year. The city is famous for its clean streets, green parks, and colourful buildings.

The main food of Luminara is rice, which people often eat with vegetables, fish or spicy sauces. The city's special dishes include river fish curry and sweet rice cakes.

Luminara also produces handmade glass lamps, which are exported to many countries. At night, when the lamps shine across the river, the whole city looks magical — just like its name.

(1) Title of the text → The City of Luminara (example)
(2) Population → ...
(3) Languages other than the main language → ...
(4) Weather → ...
(5) The staple diet → ...
(6) A domestic product → ...

The chief librarian of your school wants to put up a notice informing grade eleven students to return the books they have borrowed from the school library. Imagine you are the chief librarian and write the notice. Use about 40–50 words.

Include:
• date of return
• fine for books returned late
• steps to be taken about lost books

Read the text and underline the most suitable answer.

When I first arrived at Glenhaven, it felt like I had walked into a beautiful painting. The air was cool and fresh, with the smell of pine trees and warm bread coming from a nearby café. The narrow stone streets curved between small, colourful houses, each with windows full of bright flowers. I could hear the soft sound of a fountain in the town square, where a few children were playing around a statue of an ancient hero.

Everything in Glenhaven seemed peaceful and calm. People walked slowly, smiling as they passed. An old man sitting under a big tree waved at me, and a woman at a fruit shop greeted me kindly while arranging her apples. It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago I had been in a noisy city full of cars and crowds. Here, even my footsteps seemed loud in the quiet streets.

Outside Glenhaven, green hills stretched far into the distance, with white sheep eating grass in the fields. A small church stood on a hill, its bell tower shining in the sunlight. I felt relaxed, as if the whole area was breathing calmly beside me. For a moment, I thought about staying there — to live among the peaceful streets and the people of Glenhaven.

(1) Glenhaven is a
(a) painting. (b) village. (c) cafe.
(2) People in Glenhaven are
(a) unfriendly. (b) proud. (c) cheerful.
(3) Before visiting Glenhaven, the writer had been in a
(a) busy place. (b) beautiful park. (c) calm village.
(4) After seeing Glenhaven, the writer seems to be
(a) horrified. (b) sad. (c) excited.
(5) This text has been taken from a
(a) fairy tale. (b) travel story. (c) funny story.

Write a paragraph on any one of the following topics. Use about 50 to 60 words.
(a) The food I like most
(b) The sportsmeet we had in our school

Read the dialogue and underline the most suitable word given within each bracket.

Customer Care: Hello, Electricity Customer Care Service. How can I help you, sir?

Dinesh: I'm calling for a (1) ........... ((a) clarification, (b) classification, (c) description) about my electricity bill. I think the bill for the last month is unusually high.

Customer Care: Why do you think we have (2) ........... ((a) paid, (b) charged, (c) priced) you too much?

Dinesh: The bill is 300% higher than last month.

Customer Care: Oh, I see. Thank you for bringing this to our (3) ........... ((a) attention, (b) search, (c) response). How much do you usually pay?

Dinesh: I usually pay around Rs. 850.00 a month.

Customer Care: How much have you got to pay for this month?

Dinesh: Rs. 2550.00. I can't (4) ........... ((a) estimate, (b) calculate, (c) understand) why.

Customer Care: Was your use of electricity for the month different in any way?

Dinesh: No. It was an (5) ........... ((a) expected, (b) exceptional, (c) average) use.

Customer Care: I'll contact a serviceman to come out and check your meter.

Complete the passage using the correct form of the verb given within each bracket.

Telling the truth (1) ........... (be) one of the most important values that we should uphold in our lives. It (2) ........... (make) our relationships stronger. When we are honest, people generally (3) ........... (know) that they can rely on us. One small lie can (4) ........... (lead) a person to tell more and more lies. If someone finds that you have lied, it will take a long time to (5) ........... (earn) their respect back.

Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box. There is one extra word.

Word box: white · Penicillin · way · had · asked · ever · before · but · was · agreed · discovered · he · disease · they · try

In World War I soldiers dying from infected wounds had upset Fleming. He wanted to find a (1) ........... to kill bacteria. And he (2) ........... just found it! He had (3) ........... penicillin. However, many years passed (4) ........... it was used to fight (5) ........... To find out if it (6) ........... toxic, Fleming tested it on (7) ........... mice and rabbits first. When (8) ........... reacted well, he decided to (9) ........... it on a person. He (10) ........... his helper, Stuart Craddoc. The man (11) ........... to take the risk and (12) ........... ate some of the mold (13) ........... found no bad side effects. (14) ........... works because germs are alive.

Underline the correct answer.

(1) The new bridge ........... right now, so the road is closed.
(a) builds (b) is building (c) is being built (d) was built

(2) The road users ........... to use alternative ways to travel.
(a) instructs (b) instructed (c) was instructed (d) were instructed

(3) Some road users, however, ........... about the inconvenience caused by the new construction.
(a) complains (b) complained (c) were complained (d) are complained

(4) The new construction caused a heavy traffic congestion ........... the city.
(a) disturb (b) disturbing (c) disturbed (d) was disturbed

(5) The management never thought that ........... a bridge would cause such a mess.
(a) build (b) built (c) was build (d) building

Read the extracts and match them with the headings. There is one extra heading.

Headings:
A — Exam preparation guide
B — A recipe
C — An advertisement
D — A catalogue
E — Online shopping
F — A notice

(i) Prepare a study plan, revise daily, practise past papers, manage time wisely, stay healthy, sleep well and keep calm. Focus on key areas, clarify doubts early and enter the exam hall confident.

(ii) First visit a trusted shopping website. Use the search bar to find the item you want. Read the product description carefully and check customer reviews. Choose the size, colour or model if needed. Click "Add to Cart".

(iii) Discover comfort and style with the new AeroMax sneakers! Designed with advanced cushioning and lightweight materials. Perfect for work, travel or sport. Visit our website today and enjoy 20% off your first purchase!

(iv) To prepare creamy mushroom risotto, gently fry chopped onions in butter until soft. Add rice and stir until glossy. Gradually pour in hot stock, stirring constantly. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until tender. Mix in grated cheese and herbs.

(v) The community centre will undergo maintenance from 5th to 15th November. All scheduled classes and events will be temporarily suspended. Members are encouraged to check the updated timetable online.

Write on one of the following. Use about 100 words.

(a) You have ordered a book you need for your studies from FASTCARE Bookshop, but you have not received it so far. Write a letter to the manager inquiring about your order.
Include:
• Details of the book you ordered
• Reason why you need it urgently
• How you made the payment

OR

(b) The bar chart shows how children below 5 years in Sri Lanka consume foods containing vitamin A and iron within a day.

Age groups (months):
6–8: Vitamin A = 37%, Iron = 79%
9–11: Vitamin A = 55%, Iron = 94%
12–17: Vitamin A = 65%, Iron = 96%
18–23: Vitamin A = 60%, Iron = 95%
24–59: Vitamin A = 61%, Iron = 89%

Write a description paying attention to different age groups.

Read the text and answer the questions.

Deep inside the Amazon rainforest, there stands a huge tree that everyone in the nearby village calls The Mother Tree. Its roots twist across the ground like sleeping snakes, spreading so far that they disappear into the shadows. Even five people, standing hand in hand, cannot reach around its trunk. Its bark feels rough and warm, as if it hides a quiet heartbeat deep within. Moss and tiny orchids grow on its sides, making it look alive in more ways than one.

When the morning sun breaks through the thick green canopy, the tree glows with a soft golden light. Birds of every colour rest on its branches, singing songs that sound older than time itself. Monkeys sometimes swing from the lower limbs, and tiny animals hide in the cool shade of its roots. The air around it always smells of rain, wet soil and flowers that only bloom at night. The villagers never cut its wood or touch its blossoms. They come only to sit beneath it when they need peace, hope or guidance.

No one remembers when the tree first grew or how it has survived countless storms and floods. Some say it protects the forest; others whisper that it remembers every voice, every story, every tear ever shed beneath its branches. When the evening wind moves through its leaves, the sound is almost human — soft, deep and full of memory.

(1) True or False (½ × 4 = 2 marks):
(a) The trunk of the tree is very large. → ...
(b) The bark seems to be smooth and shiny. → ...
(c) The area around the tree is full of danger. → ...
(d) The tree has been a shelter for birds and other animals. → ...

(2) The tree will remain as it is for years because
(a) it is far away from people (b) it is free from dangerous animals
(c) people treat it with respect (d) weather will always be fine (1 mark)

(3) To be with this tree for a few hours can be
(a) relaxing (b) inconvenient (c) risky (d) tiresome (1 mark)

(4) Underline the sentence that best explains the usefulness of the tree.
(a) useful for animals (b) useful for humans
(c) useful for all forms of living beings (d) useful for moss and tiny orchids (1 mark)

(5) What does 'they' in line 3 refer to? (1 mark)

(6) Underline the phrase closest in meaning to:
(a) 'limbs' — (i) arms (ii) branches (iii) legs (iv) sides (1 mark)
(b) 'survived' — (i) suffered (ii) experienced (iii) lasted (iv) prevented (1 mark)

Write on one of the following topics. Use about 200 words.

(a) An article to your school magazine on 'How traffic congestion creates problems for people'.
Include: problems (air pollution, accidents, health issues, time wastage, fuel cost, noise) · steps to solve (improve public transport, road system, traffic management) · how the public can support

(b) Which do you prefer, living in a village or living in a city? Write an essay.
Village advantages: natural environment, low cost, less noise
Village disadvantages: lack of facilities, employment, transport
City advantages: education, healthcare, transport, technology
City disadvantages: noise, pollution, high cost, traffic

(c) A speech on 'The Importance of Reading'.
Include: expands vocabulary · provides access to information · broadens understanding

(d) Complete the story: "A fire breaks out in a house at night — A quick-thinking dog wakes up the family and leads them to safety — Dog earns praise — Neighbours organise a ceremony to honour the dog."