Vocabulary/Reference for Red

Saiful went to his room and sat on the bed, reflecting on his relationship with mother. Life had been tough for both of them ever since Saiful's father died when Saiful was just two years old. His mother, then only twenty-three, took on the full responsibility of being both his mother and father. They were poor and lived in a one-bedroom flat in a rundown part of town.

'tough' in the paragraph above means...

• sad

• difficult

• scared

• exciting

Sometimes he would already be asleep by the time she came home, exhausted and ready for bed. Saiful missed the mother he used to know, but wasn't quite sure how to get her back.

What does the word 'her' refer to?

• bed

• exhausted

• Saiful's mother

Saiful was sad to leave his playground behind as there wasn't one near the new house. His mother employed a driver to take Saiful to school and back. She also hired a maid to cook his meals. Often, he didn't get to see his mother until late in the day, so he kept himself busy with the laptop, mobile phone and game console she had bought him.

Find another word in this paragraph that is similar in meaning to 'employed'.

• get

• kept

• bought

• hired

Emerging from the bathroom, Nina strolled around the old house one last time, with a heavy heart. It was a traditional Malay house, built on stilts above the ground. The raised floor kept dampness away, which was especially important during the rainy season.

ONE WORD THAT MEANS 'WALKED SLOWLY'

• emerging

• stroll

• heavy

All through secondary school Hakeem dreamed of being a first-team player, yet he remained a substitute. Sometimes he would replace an injured player or a teammate who had run out of steam, but he was never chosen to start.

What does 'YET' in the paragraph above mean?

• and

• but

• then

• until

All through secondary school Hakeem dreamed of being a first-team player, yet he remained a substitute. Sometimes he would replace an injured player or a teammate who had run out of steam, but he was never chosen to start.

What do you think 'run out of steam' means?

• out of breath

• tired

• out of water

• in pain

The wooden floorboards creaked as she stepped into the bare living room. All that remained was a shoebox with her name written on it.

What does 'bare' tell us about the living room?

• it was cold

• it was dark

• it was empty

• it was frightening

 

"This is a beautiful piece of work, Haziq. It would be lovely if you could share it with other people. How about that art competition they were advertising on the radio this morning? We could ask your bother to help you register for it," Hajah Intan suggested.

What does 'it' refer to?

• beautiful piece of work

• art competition

• radio

• advertising

It is important to understand, however, that the actual movement of the ground during an earthquake seldom causes death or injury. The danger comes from what happens next: collapsing buildings, flying glass, falling objects, fires, gas leaks, exposed electrical cables, etc. Luckily for us, earthquakes are rare in Brunei Darussalam because it is far from a tectonic boundary.

What does it in line 47 refer to?

• danger

• earthquake

• Brunei Darussalam

• rare