Year 9 ICAS English 5-Question Sample

Question 1 of 5 Structure

After noticing the contrast in the source, the diagram shows the broad movement of "Rank the Teams, Not the Players". Which sequence best matches the text?

Opinion text

Rank the Teams, Not the Players

The player ladder is published every fortnight and it is accurate. Goals, assists and possessions are all counted correctly, and nobody has ever successfully disputed a figure on it. A margin note beside the rank the teams, not the players entry draws attention to the cautious final comment before choosing.

What it cannot count is the pass that was not attempted because a teammate had already moved, or the position held for eleven minutes that meant nobody had to chase. Those actions have no column, so a player who specialises in them appears to have done nothing.

A statistic that is accurate can still be unfair, because fairness depends on what was left uncounted. Publishing a team ladder would cost us nothing and stop rewarding only the contributions that happen to be countable.

A final answer -> unrelated detail -> new topic -> no conclusion B minor detail -> minor detail -> minor detail -> repeated minor detail C simple blame -> evidence ignored -> joke ending -> no purpose D accuracy conceded -> blind spot described -> principle stated -> alternative proposed

Question 2 of 5 Vocabulary

In this text, what does "incomplete" most nearly mean?

Science reflection

The Warm Rock

At first the class thought the lizard chose the flat rock because it matched the colour of its skin. The photograph seemed to support that idea, especially from a distance. Then Asha checked the temperature log and noticed the same rock warmed earlier than the shaded stones. A teacher note beside the warm rock entry draws attention to the cautious final comment before choosing.

The colour idea was not useless, but it was incomplete. A lizard avoiding predators might use colour, while a lizard needing energy might choose warmth. The best explanation had to fit both the photograph and the log, not just the clue that was easiest to see.

By the end of the lesson, the class had changed the question from "What does it look like?" to "What need might the behaviour meet?" That was the real evidence step.

A not complete B not giving the whole explanation C showing less than the full picture D simple and pleasing in design

Question 3 of 5 Vocabulary

In an editing warm-up during revision, what does the suffix mean in the word "careless"?

Language convention

Item	Task
suffix in "careless"	choose the correct English

A full of B most C one who D without

Question 4 of 5 Structure

When separating fact from judgement, which alternative title would best keep the main idea of "Rain on the Scoreboard"?

A A List with No Meaning B Nothing Changes C A Completely Unrelated Story D A Second Look at the Evidence

Question 5 of 5 Comprehension

After noticing the contrast in the source, which description best captures the shift in viewpoint across the text?

Speech extract

The Award Nobody Applied For

Forty-one nominations came in this year and thirty-eight were for students who nominated themselves. That is not a criticism of those thirty-eight. The form asks you to describe your own achievements, and they did what the form asked. A short note beside the award nobody applied for entry draws attention to the cautious final comment before choosing.

It does mean the award is measuring something narrower than we intended. A student who would not write six hundred words about themselves is not less deserving; they are absent from the list, and absence looks identical to not qualifying.

I am proposing that nominations come from someone other than the nominee. This will produce fewer nominations and a longer job for the committee, and I would rather have a shorter list that is not selected by willingness to self-promote.

A The text keeps exactly the same view from start to finish. B The text moves from a simple first view to a more qualified understanding. C The text moves from evidence to a random unrelated ending. D The text rejects all careful judgement.

Year 9 English sample

Answer the sample questions