GRADE 6 GL ASSESSMENT

Type your name here.

Type your grade and section.

Ajay was just about to tuck into his tea and toast dripping in sour rhubarb jam when there was a loud

clatter from the letterbox as an important-looking brown envelope landed on the mat. ‘Bit early for

the post isn’t it?’ Mum said. ‘Ooh, it says Special Delivery.’ Mum opened it, and unfolded the letter.

Joe knew instantly that something was wrong. He could see it on Mum’s face. ‘What is it, Mum?’

Joe asked. ‘Yeah, Mrs P, what’s happened?’ Ajay asked too. ‘It’s the park… they’ve shut it down.’

For a second no one said a word. Joe and Ajay looked at each other, then back at Joe’s mum. Her

face was pale, her jaw dropped open. She stared at the letter, her eyes watery and ready to spill over

with tears. ‘Shut the park!’ Joe said furiously. ‘They can’t do that, it’s… it’s the park!!’

‘Yeah, everyone loves that place!’ Ajay joined in. ‘You boys best get to school, or you’ll be late,’ said

Mum, her voice all shaky. ‘But what about…?’ Joe started to say. ‘You leave that to me, I don’t want you worrying.’

Mum tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. If she was trying to reassure Joe, it wasn’t working.

He knew his mum needed that job – how else was she supposed to put sweet-and-sour spaghetti

on the table? ‘Don’t worry, Mum, I’ll… I’ll think of something.’ Joe’s mum just nodded, turning away to wipe

her eyes. Joe and Ajay grabbed their bags and reluctantly headed out of the door. Neither of

them said anything for what seemed like ages. ‘You all right, man?’ Ajay asked, breaking the silence.

‘I don’t know… I can’t believe they’ve closed the park. I mean, why?!’ Joe said in disbelief.

‘Dunno,’ Ajay shrugged. ‘But I know a man who might,’ he said, pointing down the road.

As they turned the corner at the top of Joe’s street they saw a man in the distance.

He had a ladder and toolbox and was busy hammering a sign into the park gates. This

made Joe’s blood boil. If Mum had been there she would have given him what for – no

one hammers anything into anything without her say-so first. ‘Oi!’ Ajay yelled, ‘what are you doing?’

Joe read the sign: ‘Under development.’ ‘What’s going on?’ Joe asked. ‘Why have you closed the park?’

The man stopped what he was doing and shrugged. ‘They don’t tell me anything, I’m

just the bloke who hammers things.’ Underneath the notice was a drawing of a posh building, tall and made of glass. It had pictures of smiling people chatting and drinking coffee outside. Joe and Ajay looked

through the park gates and could already see diggers moving in, ready to tear the

playground apart. ‘This can’t be happening,’ Joe muttered, blinking back the tears. This was the place

where he and Ajay hung out. Where they used to plot how they were going to become

mega rich, and plan what to do if the world got taken over by zombies. This was the

place where Joe and Ajay used to play football – or rather where Ajay would kick the

ball and Joe would try to get out of the way of it before it hit him in the face. And now it

was going to be turned into flats! Why wasn’t anyone stopping this?

Look at the paragraph beginning: ‘You boys best get to school...’ to the end

of page 4.

‘But what about...?’ Joe started to say.

Which words would best complete Joe’s question?

• your breakfast

• our games

• your job

• our homework

Ajay was just about to tuck into his tea and toast dripping in sour rhubarb jam when there was a loud

clatter from the letterbox as an important-looking brown envelope landed on the mat. ‘Bit early for

the post isn’t it?’ Mum said. ‘Ooh, it says Special Delivery.’ Mum opened it, and unfolded the letter.

Joe knew instantly that something was wrong. He could see it on Mum’s face. ‘What is it, Mum?’

Joe asked. ‘Yeah, Mrs P, what’s happened?’ Ajay asked too. ‘It’s the park… they’ve shut it down.’

For a second no one said a word. Joe and Ajay looked at each other, then back at Joe’s mum. Her

face was pale, her jaw dropped open. She stared at the letter, her eyes watery and ready to spill over

with tears. ‘Shut the park!’ Joe said furiously. ‘They can’t do that, it’s… it’s the park!!’

‘Yeah, everyone loves that place!’ Ajay joined in. ‘You boys best get to school, or you’ll be late,’ said

Mum, her voice all shaky. ‘But what about…?’ Joe started to say. ‘You leave that to me, I don’t want you worrying.’

Mum tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. If she was trying to reassure Joe, it wasn’t working.

He knew his mum needed that job – how else was she supposed to put sweet-and-sour spaghetti

on the table? ‘Don’t worry, Mum, I’ll… I’ll think of something.’ Joe’s mum just nodded, turning away to wipe

her eyes. Joe and Ajay grabbed their bags and reluctantly headed out of the door. Neither of

them said anything for what seemed like ages. ‘You all right, man?’ Ajay asked, breaking the silence.

‘I don’t know… I can’t believe they’ve closed the park. I mean, why?!’ Joe said in disbelief.

‘Dunno,’ Ajay shrugged. ‘But I know a man who might,’ he said, pointing down the road.

As they turned the corner at the top of Joe’s street they saw a man in the distance.

He had a ladder and toolbox and was busy hammering a sign into the park gates. This

made Joe’s blood boil. If Mum had been there she would have given him what for – no

one hammers anything into anything without her say-so first. ‘Oi!’ Ajay yelled, ‘what are you doing?’

Joe read the sign: ‘Under development.’ ‘What’s going on?’ Joe asked. ‘Why have you closed the park?’

The man stopped what he was doing and shrugged. ‘They don’t tell me anything, I’m

just the bloke who hammers things.’ Underneath the notice was a drawing of a posh building, tall and made of glass. It had pictures of smiling people chatting and drinking coffee outside. Joe and Ajay looked

through the park gates and could already see diggers moving in, ready to tear the

playground apart. ‘This can’t be happening,’ Joe muttered, blinking back the tears. This was the place

where he and Ajay hung out. Where they used to plot how they were going to become

mega rich, and plan what to do if the world got taken over by zombies. This was the

place where Joe and Ajay used to play football – or rather where Ajay would kick the

ball and Joe would try to get out of the way of it before it hit him in the face. And now it

was going to be turned into flats! Why wasn’t anyone stopping this?

What is Joe’s mother thinking after she reads the letter?

Tick one thought.

• I’m happy that the

  boys have finished

  their breakfast.

• I don’t want the

  boys to realise

  how upset I am.

• I’m worried the

  boys will be late

  for school.

• I’ll cook sweet-andsour

  spaghetti for the

  boys later

Oi!’ Ajay yelled, ‘what are you doing?’

Joe read the sign: ‘Under development.’

‘What’s going on?’ Joe asked. ‘Why have you closed the park?’

Joe and Ajay react differently to seeing the man hammering in the sign.

How does Joe react?

• He is calmer.

• He is ruder.

• He is less interested.

• He is less worried.

Using information from the text, identify if the statement is true or false.

The park has been looked after by a

park warden.

• true

• false

Using information from the text, identify if the statement is true or false.

The park is going to be replaced

with a shopping centre.

• true

• false

Ajay was just about to tuck into his tea and toast dripping in sour rhubarb jam when there was a loud

clatter from the letterbox as an important-looking brown envelope landed on the mat. ‘Bit early for

the post isn’t it?’ Mum said. ‘Ooh, it says Special Delivery.’ Mum opened it, and unfolded the letter.

Joe knew instantly that something was wrong. He could see it on Mum’s face. ‘What is it, Mum?’

Joe asked. ‘Yeah, Mrs P, what’s happened?’ Ajay asked too. ‘It’s the park… they’ve shut it down.’

For a second no one said a word. Joe and Ajay looked at each other, then back at Joe’s mum. Her

face was pale, her jaw dropped open. She stared at the letter, her eyes watery and ready to spill over

with tears. ‘Shut the park!’ Joe said furiously. ‘They can’t do that, it’s… it’s the park!!’

‘Yeah, everyone loves that place!’ Ajay joined in. ‘You boys best get to school, or you’ll be late,’ said

Mum, her voice all shaky. ‘But what about…?’ Joe started to say. ‘You leave that to me, I don’t want you worrying.’

Mum tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. If she was trying to reassure Joe, it wasn’t working.

He knew his mum needed that job – how else was she supposed to put sweet-and-sour spaghetti

on the table? ‘Don’t worry, Mum, I’ll… I’ll think of something.’ Joe’s mum just nodded, turning away to wipe

her eyes. Joe and Ajay grabbed their bags and reluctantly headed out of the door. Neither of

them said anything for what seemed like ages. ‘You all right, man?’ Ajay asked, breaking the silence.

‘I don’t know… I can’t believe they’ve closed the park. I mean, why?!’ Joe said in disbelief.

‘Dunno,’ Ajay shrugged. ‘But I know a man who might,’ he said, pointing down the road.

As they turned the corner at the top of Joe’s street they saw a man in the distance.

He had a ladder and toolbox and was busy hammering a sign into the park gates. This

made Joe’s blood boil. If Mum had been there she would have given him what for – no

one hammers anything into anything without her say-so first. ‘Oi!’ Ajay yelled, ‘what are you doing?’

Joe read the sign: ‘Under development.’ ‘What’s going on?’ Joe asked. ‘Why have you closed the park?’

The man stopped what he was doing and shrugged. ‘They don’t tell me anything, I’m

just the bloke who hammers things.’ Underneath the notice was a drawing of a posh building, tall and made of glass. It had pictures of smiling people chatting and drinking coffee outside. Joe and Ajay looked

through the park gates and could already see diggers moving in, ready to tear the

playground apart. ‘This can’t be happening,’ Joe muttered, blinking back the tears. This was the place

where he and Ajay hung out. Where they used to plot how they were going to become

mega rich, and plan what to do if the world got taken over by zombies. This was the

place where Joe and Ajay used to play football – or rather where Ajay would kick the

ball and Joe would try to get out of the way of it before it hit him in the face. And now it

was going to be turned into flats! Why wasn’t anyone stopping this?

Building work in the park will start at

the end of July.

• true

• false

In our modern world of paved gardens and intensive farming, our

bumblebees find themselves hungry and homeless.

This suggests that…

• farming has helped bees.

• paved gardens are attractive.

• bees are good at finding their way.

• bees have only started struggling recently.

Why is it important for bumblebees to leave a smelly scent on some flowers?

• so that others avoid it

• because it smells better than nectar

• so others know it has pollen

• because bees give flowers their scent