Today we’re going to learn about ‘Summarising Questions’. These are questions that ask you to find the main idea or most important points in a piece of text. They are a key part of the English section in your 11+ exam.

Understanding Summarising Questions

Imagine you’ve just finished reading a really interesting book and you want to tell your best friend about it. But, your friend only has a minute to spare. So, you need to describe the entire book in just a few sentences. That’s summarising!

In the 11+ exam, you will be given a passage or a text, and you will be asked questions that require you to summarise. This means you need to understand the text, identify the key points, and express them in a concise way.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Tip 1: Read the entire text carefully. Understand what it is about.

Tip 2: Identify the main idea. What is the text mainly about? What is the author trying to tell you?

Tip 3: Look for the key points that support the main idea. These can be facts, details or events.

Tip 4: Write your summary in a concise manner. It should be short and to the point, but it should also cover the main idea and key points.

Examples

Let’s look at an example:

Text: “Jack loves to play football. He plays every day after school with his friends. He even joined a local football club. His dream is to become a professional footballer.”

Question: Summarise the text.

Summary: Jack is a football enthusiast who plays daily and aspires to be a professional footballer.

Now, let’s test your understanding with some practice questions. Remember to use the tips we discussed!

Easy Level Questions

  1. Summarise the following text: “Lucy has a pet cat named Whiskers. Whiskers is white with black spots. Lucy takes care of Whiskers by feeding her, playing with her and taking her to the vet.”
  2. Summarise the following text: “James goes to Parkside School. He loves his teachers and his favourite subject is maths. He also enjoys playing chess during break time.”
  3. Summarise the following text: “At the zoo, we saw lions, tigers, monkeys, and penguins. We also watched a bird show and fed the ducks.”
  4. Summarise the following text: “My family went on a holiday to Spain. We visited many places including Barcelona and Madrid. We also enjoyed Spanish food.”
  5. Summarise the following text: “Anna enjoys painting. She uses watercolours to create beautiful landscapes. Her paintings have won several awards.”

Medium Level Questions

  1. Summarise the following text: “The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. It is home to millions of species of plants, animals, and insects. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the world’s climate.”
  2. Summarise the following text: “Winston Churchill was a British politician and writer. He served as the Prime Minister during World War II. He is known for his leadership and his speeches.”
  3. Summarise the following text: “The solar system consists of the sun and all the objects that orbit around it. This includes eight planets, their moons, and various comets and asteroids.”
  4. Summarise the following text: “Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet. He wrote many famous plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. His works are studied and performed around the world.”
  5. Summarise the following text: “The Great Wall of China is an ancient fortification. It was built to protect China from invasions. It is one of the most famous landmarks in the world.”

Hard Level Questions

  1. Summarise the following text: “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing our planet. It is caused by human activities that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to global warming. This is resulting in rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and loss of biodiversity.”
  2. Summarise the following text: “The Industrial Revolution was a period of major industrialization that took place during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It began in Great Britain and later spread to other parts of the world. It brought significant changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport.”
  3. Summarise the following text: “World War II was a global conflict that took place from 1939 to 1945. It involved many of the world’s nations, including the Allies and the Axis. It was the deadliest conflict in human history.”
  4. Summarise the following text: “The theory of evolution, proposed by Charles Darwin, states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual’s ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.”
  5. Summarise the following text: “The Internet is a global network of computers that communicate with each other. It allows people to access information, communicate with each other, and perform various tasks. It has transformed society in many ways, including how we work, learn, and interact with each other.”

Answers

Easy Level

  1. Lucy cares for her pet cat, Whiskers.
  2. James, a student at Parkside School, enjoys maths and playing chess.
  3. We saw various animals at the zoo, watched a bird show and fed ducks.
  4. My family visited Barcelona and Madrid on our Spanish holiday and enjoyed the local cuisine.
  5. Anna, an award-winning artist, uses watercolours to paint landscapes.

Medium Level

  1. The Amazon Rainforest, the world’s largest tropical rainforest, houses millions of species and is crucial for climate regulation.
  2. Winston Churchill, a British politician and writer, was the Prime Minister during World War II, known for his leadership and speeches.
  3. The solar system, consisting of the sun, eight planets, their moons, and other objects, includes comets and asteroids.
  4. Shakespeare, an English playwright and poet, wrote famous plays like Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth that are still studied and performed globally.
  5. The Great Wall of China, an ancient fortification built to prevent invasions, is a globally recognised landmark.

Hard Level

  1. Climate change, caused by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, is leading to global warming, sea-level rise, extreme weather, and biodiversity loss.
  2. The Industrial Revolution, a period of major industrialisation in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, started in Britain and brought significant changes in various sectors.
  3. World War II, a global conflict from 1939 to 1945 involving many nations, was the deadliest conflict in human history.
  4. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution posits that species development is driven by natural selection of small, hereditary variations that enhance survival and reproduction.
  5. The Internet, a global computer network, enables access to information and communication, transforming how we work, learn, and interact.

Keep practising, and don’t forget to summarise in your own words! Good luck with your exam preparation!