Free Year 5 Specialist and technical vocabulary Practice | Skillo

Question 1 — Easy

Read the passage below, then answer the question. The Nullarbor Plain stretches across southern Australia, spanning parts of South Australia and Western Australia. Its name comes from the Latin words meaning 'no trees', which perfectly describes its flat, almost featureless landscape. Despite appearing lifeless, the Nullarbor is home to wombats, wedge-tailed eagles, and the rare southern hairy-nosed wombat. Underground, an enormous cave system hides remarkable limestone formations. The Nullarbor also forms part of one of the world's longest straight stretches of railway — a remarkable feat of engineering completed in the 1970s. What does the name 'Nullarbor' mean?

Answer: The passage directly states that the name Nullarbor comes from Latin words meaning 'no trees'.

Question 2 — Medium

Read the passage below, then answer the question. Kofi had lived in Brisbane his whole life but had never visited the city's botanic gardens. When his class went on an excursion there, he was astonished by what he found. Enormous fig trees formed a canopy so thick that the sunlight barely reached the ground. Kofi paused beside a pond covered in lily pads and watched a family of ducks glide past. His teacher explained that the gardens had been established in the 1800s and contained plants from every continent. Kofi found it hard to believe that such a peaceful, green world existed right in the middle of a busy city. He decided he would bring his little sister back on the weekend. What does the word 'canopy' most likely mean in this passage?

Answer: Option D is correct — The passage describes the fig trees forming a canopy 'so thick that the sunlight barely reached the ground', indicating it is a covering made by the trees' branches and leaves above.

Question 3 — Hard

Which sentence uses direct speech punctuated correctly? The students were recording interviews about their favourite Australian foods.

Answer: In direct speech, a comma is placed inside the closing quotation mark before the reporting clause (said Tom). The reporting verb 'said' begins with a lowercase letter when it follows a comma. The contraction 'They're' requires an apostrophe, making Option A the only fully correct sentence.