Question 1 of 12
In the story, the bus is described as plunging into green tunnels. What technique is the author using here?
A) A simile — comparing the bus to a diving bird
B) A metaphor — the overgrown hedges form tunnel shapes that the bus drives through
C) Personification — giving the bus human feelings
D) Onomatopoeia — a word that sounds like what it describes
Question 2 of 12
The beach is compared to a vast cobbled street. What does this simile help us understand?
A) The beach is in a town centre near shops
B) The stones have been placed there deliberately by builders
C) The smooth, rounded pebbles cover the beach like cobblestones, making it hard to walk on
D) The beach is flat and easy to walk across
Question 3 of 12
Lucy says she felt as if I'd waved to someone in the street and they'd turned their back on me. What technique is this and what does it show?
A) A simile showing the sharp pain of being publicly ignored and rejected
B) A metaphor showing that Lucy is angry with Kester
C) Hyperbole exaggerating how upset Lucy was
D) Personification giving human feelings to the street
Question 4 of 12
The countryside is described as drowning in growth. This is an example of:
A) A simile comparing the countryside to a swimming pool
B) A fact about flooding in the area
C) Alliteration — repeating the same starting sound
D) Personification — giving the countryside the human experience of drowning
Question 5 of 12
A pink cottage is described as looking like a Noah's Ark. Why does the author choose this comparison?
A) Because the cottage is full of animals
B) Because the cottage appears to float above the 'sea' of green hedges, just as the Ark floated on the flood
C) Because the cottage is very old and made of wood
D) Because it is raining and the cottage roof keeps the rain off
Question 6 of 12
Kester and Lucy are described as moving like sleepwalkers while fossil hunting. What does this simile suggest?
A) They are very tired and need to rest
B) It is getting dark and they can barely see
C) They are so absorbed in hunting that they move automatically, as if in a trance
D) They are deliberately moving slowly to avoid stepping on fossils
Question 7 of 12
What does Kester's phrase We're kind of all shut up inside ourselves reveal about his character?
A) He is surprisingly thoughtful and self-aware about his own loneliness
B) He is complaining about being kept indoors too much
C) He wants Lucy to leave him alone
D) He is repeating something a teacher told him
Question 8 of 12
Why does Kester give Lucy his one perfect ammonite at the very end of the story?
A) He doesn't like ammonites and prefers the alabaster
B) He wants Lucy to do his homework for him in return
C) He accidentally drops it and Lucy catches it
D) It is his way of showing sympathy and friendship because he struggles to express feelings in words
Question 9 of 12
The phrase greedily gathering is an example of which technique?
A) A simile
B) Alliteration — repeating the 'g' sound to emphasise their eager, hungry collecting
C) Onomatopoeia — the words sound like the action
D) Personification — giving the fossils human qualities
Question 10 of 12
How does the author develop the theme of friendship throughout this passage?
A) Kester and Lucy are best friends from the start and get along perfectly
B) They become friends only because they both like fossils
C) Their friendship grows from awkward coldness, through shared adventure, to genuine emotional connection and trust
D) Lucy forces Kester to be her friend by threatening to tell the other boys
Question 11 of 12
Which word best describes the overall atmosphere of the beach scene before the conversation begins?
A) Remote, wild, and slightly magical — far from the ordinary world
B) Busy, noisy, and crowded with other visitors
C) Warm, sunny, and relaxing like a holiday
D) Frightening and dangerous, making them want to leave
Question 12 of 12
The author describes the ammonite as like a little grey wheel, ridged, winding into itself. Why is this description effective?
A) It tells us the exact scientific name for the fossil
B) It uses a simile and precise detail to help us see the fossil through Lucy's amazed eyes
C) It shows that Lucy already knows a lot about fossils
D) It proves that the fossils are not real and are just ordinary stones