27.05.25: Level 3; past papers; UK GCSE [1]

I'm going to include extracts from past examination papers (UK GCSE and US NLE) which will give a good indication as to how far you've progressed. This one is the early part of a UK GCSE Latin examination (for 16-year-olds). These two questions are at the easiest level. However, as Level 3 continues, I'll include more challenging tasks. The formatting is reproduced exactly as it appeared on the examination paper except that I have added macrons to the text.

Part [1]

1. rēx Aegyptī duōs līberōs habēbat. hī līberī erant Cleopatra et
2. Ptolemaeus. per multōs annōs līberī vītam laetam cum patre habēbant.
3. deinde post mortem patris Cleopatra erat rēgīna. sed frāter eius rēx esse
4. volēbat. Ptolemaeus, quamquam erat puer, multōs mīlitēs convocāvit et
5. sorōrem ex Aegyptō in Syriam facile expulit. Cleopatra paucōs annōs ibi
6. habitābat, sed in Aegyptum redīre magnopere cupiēbat.
7. Iūlius Caesar erat imperātor Rōmānus. forte Caesar cum multīs
8. legiōnibus in Syriam advēnit. Cleopatra, simulatque eum cōnspexit,
9. auxilium eius rogāvit. eī facile persuāsit, quod pulcherrima erat. Caesar
10. Ptolemaeum necāvit et Cleopatram rēgīnam iterum fēcit. tum Caesar
11. illam in Aegyptō relīquit et Rōmam rediit. mox Cleopatra fīlium eius
12. peperit.

Names

Aegyptus, Aegyptī f: Egypt

Cleopatra, Cleopatrae f: Cleopatra

Ptolemaeus, Ptolemaeī m: Ptolemy

Syria, Syriae f: Syria (a country near Egypt)

Iūlius Caesar, Iūliī Caesaris m: Julius Caesar (a general)

Words

rēgīna, rēgīnae f: queen

expellō, expellere, expulī, expulsus: I drive out

auxilium, auxiliī n: help

pariō, pārēre, peperī, partus: I give birth to

(a) rēx ... Ptolemaeus (lines 1-2): how many children did the king of Egypt have? [1]

(b) per multōs annōs līberī vītam laetam cum patre habēbant (line 2): what are we told here about the life led by Cleopatra and Ptolemy? [2]

(c) deinde post mortem patris Cleopatra erat rēgīna (line 3): when did Cleopatra become queen? [2]

(d) Which is the best translation of frāter eius rēx esse volēbat (lines 3-4)? Tick your chosen answer. [1]

(A) their brother wanted to be king

(B) her brother wanted to be king

(C) she wanted her brother to be king

(D) he wanted his brother to be king

(e) Ptolemaeus ... expulit (lines 4-5): which two of the following statements are true? [2]

A many soldiers called to Ptolemy

B Ptolemy called many soldiers together

C Ptolemy drove out Cleopatra

D Cleopatra drove out Ptolemy

(f) Cleopatra ... cupiēbat (lines 5-6):

(i) where did Cleopatra live? [1]

(ii) how long did she live there? [1]

(iii) what did she want to do? [1]

(g) forte ... advēnit (lines 7-8): who went into Syria with Caesar? [2]

(h) Cleopatra ... rogāvit (lines 8-9):

(i) what did Cleopatra do? [2]

(ii) when did she do this? [1]

(i) eī facile persuāsit, quod pulcherrima erat (line 9): why was Cleopatra successful in persuading Caesar? [1]

(j) Caesar ... fēcit (lines 9-10): what did Caesar do after killing Ptolemy? [1]

(k) tum ... peperit (lines 10-12): how do we know that Caesar and Cleopatra were lovers? [2]