INDEPENDENT & PRIVATE SCHOOL 11 PLUS PRACTICE PAPERS

France’s rapid capitulation during World War Two has been a source of much mockery for the past century. Intellectual criticism has been largely focused around the building of the Maginot Line – a line of fortifications built to shield French soil from a potential German invasion. The Maginot Line cost millions of pounds, and – according to some – completely failed in its purpose. But is this really true?

The Maginot Line, in the main, did exactly what it was supposed to – it forced Hitler to take another route entirely. When German forces eventually crossed into France, via neutral

Belgium, the bulk of British and French forces were waiting for them, having anticipated such an attack. Unfortunately, what they had not anticipated was the small, rather dispensary unit they were faced with. While British and French forces were preoccupied in a far corner of Belgium, the bulk of Hitler’s army crossed through the Ardennes Forest, a wooded area that had been deemed by the French as ‘impossible to traverse’. While Hitler’s generals shared this sentiment, Hitler himself, a notorious military gambler, was not so easily swayed.

Ultimately, it took just three days for German troops to advance through the Ardennes, arriving on undermanned French soil, right behind the bulk of the Maginot Line, whose static defences were quickly overwhelmed.

While historical hindsight might look unfavourably upon France, the reality is that their fall was more of a product of an extraordinary German military gamble than French incompetence.

Based on the passage, which of the following do you think most corresponds with the author’s viewpoint?

A. The author believes that France’s fall was a result of them spending millions of pounds on static defences.

B. The author believes that France’s fall was a result of their failure to embrace the requirements of modern warfare.

C. The author believes that France’s fall was a result of Hitler gambling, successfully, on traversing the Ardennes Forest.

D. The author believes that France’s fall was a result of Hitler exploiting the neutrality of Belgium to his own advantage.

Inside the brackets there is a number that has been formed through a function to the two numbers outside the brackets. The function stays the same for the two outside numbers.

What is the missing number?

10(2)5 48(16)3 75(15)?

Which answer option completes the sequence?

Find the word that completes the third set of words in the same way that the first two pairs are related:

glider (lie) grain (ran) orange (?)

Answer = C

Explanation = The author believes that France’s fall was a result of Hitler gambling, successfully, on traversing the Ardennes Forest.

The author states, ‘…the reality is that their fall was more of a product of an extraordinary German military gamble than French incompetence.’

Answer = 5

Explanation = The left-hand number is divided by the right-hand number to give the number in the bracket.

Answer = C

Explanation = The dots move down one line as the sequence progresses. Once it reaches the bottom line, it makes its way back to the top line. The dots do not have to appear in the exact same place, so long as it is on the correct line.

Answer = rag
Explanation = Take the second letter, the third letter, and the fifth letters to create the word.