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Grade 12 English entrance exam, 2013 E.C. (2021), version 1

Real questions from the Grade 12 university entrance exam in English, as students sat it in 2013 E.C. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation. The 2013 E.C. exam went out in several versions. This page holds version 1; the others are listed further down.

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  • Both streams

    Who sits it

  • 2013 E.C. (2021), version 1

    Exam year

  • 104 questions with answers

    In this set

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Answer each question yourself before opening the answer. The explanations point to the exact place in the textbook, so you know which page to reread when you miss one.

Question 1

Which one of the following lines is most likely taken from an informal letter?

  1. A.We have received a letter of your complaints about the service you ....
  2. B.I am writing this letter to invite you to my birthday party which will be….
  3. C.We had booked a table for six but when we arrived, there was no free
  4. D.In the first place, I requested you to book me a room by the view of the sea....
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B I am writing this letter to invite you to my birthday party which will be….

Why

An invitation to a birthday party uses a personal and informal tone, which is characteristic of an informal letter, whereas the other options are formal complaints or business responses.

Question 2

Which one of the following is a possible closing salutation to an informal letter?

  1. A.Yours truly.
  2. B.Regards.
  3. C.Take care.
  4. D.Sincerely.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Take care.

Why

"Take care" is a warm, friendly closing suitable for an informal letter to friends or family, while "Regards", "Yours truly", and "Sincerely" are semi-formal or formal.

Question 3

In an informal letter, which one of the following comes following the date?

  1. A.Receiver's address
  2. B.Body
  3. C.Receiver's name
  4. D.Opening
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D Opening

Why

In an informal letter, the opening salutation (e.g., "Dear John,") directly follows the date, as the receiver's address is omitted in informal correspondence.

Question 4

Display and movement communications are evident in all kinds of animals. The herring gull is a type of bird that has a yellow coloured beak with a red spot on the end. When it returns to its nest to feed its young, it taps its beak on the ground to indicate that it has food. The young chicks, in return, tap the red spot on the parent's beak and this stimulates the gull to give the food to the chicks. North American rattle snakes make a loud rattling sound before administering their poisonous bite. This is a warning to a potential predator. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?

  1. A.Snakes and other animals have a way of warning their predators.
  2. B.Young chicks communicate with their mothers when hungry.
  3. C.The herring gull is a bird with yellow-colored beak.
  4. D.Animals have their own means of communication.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D Animals have their own means of communication.

Why

The paragraph introduces the idea that display and movement communications are evident in all kinds of animals, and then supports this main idea with examples of herring gulls and rattlesnakes.

Question 6

a. That created a huge resentment in me, b. Rebel soldiers always wanted to kill him. c. In fact, my mom was a very strong woman. d. We lived in a hut in a small village near Buntu e. My father ran away when I was only 12 years old.

  1. A.e d b a c
  2. B.d c e a b
  3. C.d e b a c
  4. D.c e d a b
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C d e b a c

Why

This sequence is highly coherent: (d) establishes the setting, (e) introduces the father leaving, (b) explains why the father ran away using the pronoun 'him', (a) describes the narrator's emotional reaction to this event, and (c) contrasts the father's flight with the mother's strength.

Question 7

a. However, it is extremely energy inefficient. b. That makes the use of desalination very limited. c. Currently, there is world crisis in energy supplies. d. Desalination of sea water can increase water supply. e. That is why it is in use only in energy-rich countries.

  1. A.c e d a b
  2. B.d c e b a
  3. C.c d a b e
  4. D.d a e c b
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D d a e c b

Why

The logical flow starts with the benefit of desalination (d), its main drawback of being energy inefficient (a), the resulting limitation to energy-rich nations (e), the global energy crisis (c), and how this crisis further limits its usage (b).

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The other English papers of 2013 E.C.

2013 E.C. (2021)

English papers from other years

2018 E.C. (2026)2018 E.C. (2026), round 12018 E.C. (2026), social stream2018 E.C. (2026), version 12018 E.C. (2026), version 22017 E.C. (2025)2017 E.C. (2025), booklet 2142017 E.C. (2025), version 12016 E.C. (2024)2016 E.C. (2024), natural stream2016 E.C. (2024), social stream2016 E.C. model exam2015 E.C. (2023)2015 E.C. (2023), natural stream2014 E.C. (2022)2014 E.C. (2022), natural stream2011 E.C. (2019)2010 E.C. (2018)2009 E.C. (2017)2008 E.C. (2016)2007 E.C. (2015)2006 E.C. (2014)2005 E.C. (2013)

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Are these the real 2013 E.C. English entrance exam questions?

Yes. They come from the national university entrance exam in English that students sat in 2013 E.C. (2021). Our set holds 104 of its questions, each with its answer and an explanation that points back to the textbook.

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Can I download the English 2013 E.C. paper as a PDF?

Yes, and it is free. The question paper is one file and the answer key with its worked explanations is another, so you can attempt the paper first. Print them, or keep them on your phone for revision when there is no data.

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