Question 1 of 10
When silence 'crept about the room', how is silence being described?
A) As a loud, crashing sound
B) As a living thing that moves slowly and sneakily, like a person
C) As a bright light filling the room
D) As something warm and comforting
Question 2 of 10
Sarah sees 'vague shapes in the gloom'. What does 'vague' mean here?
A) Enormous and towering
B) Brightly coloured and beautiful
C) Unclear and hard to make out properly
D) Moving quickly across the floor
Question 3 of 10
The floorboard 'creaked ominously' over their heads. What does 'ominously' suggest?
A) It sounds like a warning that something bad might happen
B) The floorboard is very old and needs repairing
C) The sound is very quiet and barely noticeable
D) The person upstairs is very heavy
Question 4 of 10
Sarah 'drifted across the landing like a ghost'. What technique is this?
A) A metaphor — she has actually become a ghost
B) Alliteration — repeating the same sound
C) Onomatopoeia — a word that sounds like a noise
D) A simile — comparing Sarah's movement to a ghost using the word 'like'
Question 5 of 10
The writer describes the hallway as 'a dark mouth' with the radiator as 'one giant tooth'. This makes the house feel...
A) Warm and welcoming, like a smile
B) Like a living creature that could swallow Sarah up
C) Very clean and tidy
D) Small and cramped, like inside a real mouth
Question 6 of 10
Sarah picks up 'Cuddles' before going downstairs. Why is this detail important?
A) Cuddles is a guard dog that will protect her
B) She plans to use it as a weapon against the burglar
C) It reminds us that Sarah is still a young child, despite being so brave
D) It shows that Sarah is not taking the situation seriously
Question 7 of 10
The word 'tigering' is used to describe the shadows on the walls. This word is special because...
A) The writer invented it — turning the noun 'tiger' into a verb to describe striped, predatory shadows
B) It is a very common word that everyone knows
C) It means the walls are painted orange
D) It is an example of alliteration
Question 8 of 10
Tom 'should have stirred' but didn't. What does 'stirred' mean?
A) Shouted loudly for help
B) Moved slightly, beginning to wake up
C) Mixed something with a spoon
D) Got out of bed and turned on the light
Question 9 of 10
Sarah's heart 'began to thump'. What feeling does this describe?
A) She is feeling very sleepy and relaxed
B) She has been running and is out of breath
C) She is excited about a birthday surprise
D) She is frightened and her body is reacting to the sudden loud noise
Question 10 of 10
At the end, 'The thump upstairs told her that she must have screamed very loudly indeed'. This is funny because...
A) Tom falls out of bed
B) Sarah trips over something on the stairs
C) Dad — the 'heavy sleeper' who wouldn't wake for blindfolded elephants — has finally been woken up by Sarah's scream
D) The burglar drops something heavy when trying to escape