Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension (45 minutes, 25 marks)

Read the passage below and answer the questions which follow it.

Crabby

She was a bunched and punitive little body and the school had christened
her Crabby; she had a sour yellow look, lank hair coiled in earphones and
the skin and voice of a turkey. We were all afraid of the gobbling Miss B; she
spied, she pried, she crouched, she crept, she pounced – she was a terror.

Crabby was a angry teacher,   

Each morning was war without declaration; no one knew who would catch
it next. We stood to attention, half-crippled in our desks, till Miss B walked
\ in, whacked the walls with a ruler, and fixed us with her squinting eye.
‘Good a-morning, children!’

‘Good morning, Teacher!’

The greeting was like a rattling of swords. Then she would scowl at the
floor and begin to growl ‘Ar Farther …’; at which we said the Lord’s Prayer.
But scarcely had we bellowed the last Amen than Crabby coiled, uncoiled
and sprang, and knocked some poor boy sideways.

One seldom knew why; one was always off guard, for the punishment
preceded the charge. The charge, however, followed hard upon it, to a
light shower of angry spitting.

‘Shuffling your feet! Playing with the desk! A-smirking at that miserable
Betty! I will not have it.

I’ll not, I say. I repeat – I will not have it!’ So we did not much approve of
Crabby. And indeed there came the inevitable day when rebellion raised its
flag, when the tension was broken and a hero emerged whom we would have
gladly named streets after, though we gave him little support at the time …

Spadge Hopkins it was, and I must say we were surprised. He was one of
those heavy, full-grown boys, designed for the great outdoors. The sight
of him squeezed into his tiny desk was worse than a bullock in ballet-shoes.
He wasn’t much of a scholar; he groaned as he worked, or hacked at his desk
with a jack-knife. Miss B took her pleasure in goading him, in forcing him to
read
out loud; or asking him sudden unintelligible questions which made him flush
and
stumble.

The great day came. Crabby B was at her sourest, and Spadge
Hopkins had had enough. He began to writhe in his desk, and kick
his boots, and mutter, ‘She’d better look out. ’Er, – Crabby B. She’d
better, that’s all.’ Then he threw down his pen, said, ‘Sod it all,’ got
up and walked to the door.

‘And where are you going, young man, may I ask?’ said Crabby with her
awful leer. Spadge paused and looked her straight in the eye. ‘If it’s any
business of yourn.’

We shivered with pleasure at this defiance; Spadge leisurely made for the
door. ‘Sit down this instant!’ Crabby suddenly screamed. ‘I won’t have it!’

‘Ta-ta,’ said Spadge.

Then Crabby sprang like a yellow cat, spitting and clawing with rage.
She caught Spadge in the doorway and fell upon him. Spadge caught
her hands in his great red fists and held her at arm’s length, struggling.

‘Come and help me, someone!’ wailed Crabby. But nobody moved; we just
watched. We saw Spadge lift her up and place her on top of the cupboard,
then walk out of the door and away. There was a moment of silence, then
we all laid down our pens and began to stamp on the floor in unison.

Crabby stayed where she was, on top of the cupboard, drumming her heels
and weeping.

Answer the questions below. Remember to answer in full sentences and use
quotations to support your understanding.

1. Look at the first sentence. Using your own words, write down three details
about Crabby’s appearance. (3)

She was a bunched and punitive little body and the school had christened
her Crabby;

2. (a) Look at lines 3–12.

Write down two short quotations which show why the class dislikes
Crabby. (2)

because she would scowl at the children  

(b) Look at lines 15–16. What do you learn about Crabby from what
she says? (3)

Wall she does not describe herself

3. Look at lines 20–25. What sort of boy is Spadge Hopkins? Describe
him in your own words. (4)

He was a heavy, full-grown boy

4. (a) Look at lines 23–26. Explain why Spadge Hopkins rebels. (3)

He was going to kick his boots, and mutter

(b) Look at lines 28–29. What does Spadge Hopkins do next? (1)

5. Write down three things which make lines 30–48 funny. Use your own
words. (3)

Come and help me, someone,

There was a moment of silence,

on top of the cupboard.

6. Look at the whole passage. Do you feel sorry for Crabby? Give three
reasons, using short quotations from the passage to explain each. (6)

No! Because of the sad things that she had done to the boys

and she pushed one of the boys onto the ground.

Crabby stayed where she was, on top of the cupboard, drumming her heels
and cried.