This way to improving your
literacy
Year 8 Literacy Homework
Booklet 1
Name:…………………………………………………………………………
Form:………………………
Teacher:……………………………………………………………………
Introduction
Why is it
important?
Learning at home is very important; it will help you
become a more confident learner by developing your
key skills within the subject.
In English the purpose of learning at home is to:
•
•
•
Help you to find time and develop your love of reading outside of
the lesson.
Help you to build confidence in your writing skills.
Help you to develop your proof-reading skills, which will be crucial
across all subjects and in preparation for GCSEs.
What do I
have to do?
Every fortnight you will be expected to complete a
section of your literacy booklet.
Tasks will vary depending on the skill you are working
on, however, each week will always contain:
•
1 x Reading comprehension
•
1 x Spelling test
You will have time in the literacy lesson to peer mark one another‟s
work and your teacher will check that you have completed the work to
a good standard.
Section one: Vocabulary
To be completed by:
______________________________
What do I need to complete over the next two weeks?
Spelling list 1
Read notes on Dictionary Detective and Dictionary
and thesaurus skills
New words beginning with A, B and C.
Complete Vocabulary Choices task
Read and complete Root words task
Read the extract The Pet
Answer the questions in full on The Pet
Self Assessment: What do I still need to practise from this section?
Spelling test 1
You will be tested on your spellings every
fortnight.
You are expected to get at least 17/20 right each time. If you do not manage this
you will need to re-take the test at another time.
Read
Connective
Equally
Similarly
Likewise
Compared with
Topic specific words
English subject words
Commonly misspelt
words
Comparing
Acceptable
Accidentally
Accommodate
Acquire
A lot
Novel
Author
Analyse
Emphasise
Language
Write
Cover and write
Dictionary detective
Using a dictionary is important in all
your work – not just English – to help
the reader understand what you mean in
a precise way.
Gaining a bigger understanding of
vocabulary will inevitably help you
improve your overall grades.
The next few pages will help you find
some exciting words to use in your work
across the term, year and different
subjects.
Each week you will be expected to find new words that
you will be able to fit into your work and share with
your class.
We will work our way through the alphabet as the year
goes on. For example, section 1 you will need to find an
ambitious words beginning with A, B and C.
Dictionary and thesaurus skills
When using a dictionary and a thesaurus it is important to know how to
use it properly otherwise your sentences won‟t make any sense!
1.
2.
3.
The word you
are looking
for.
The dictionary is in alphabetical order.
You may need to look for the root word . (See section on root words)
When you find your word it will look like this
Which word
class does
your word fit
into?
There may be several definitions for your
word, each definition starts with a new
number.
abominable ► adjective 1 very unpleasant and causing disgust. 2
informal very bad.
One definition may
signify if it is a
formal or informal
expression.
1.
2.
3.
Once you have checked the definition of your word check
that it fits into your sentence properly, is this what you
want to show your reader? Is it the right word class?
If it is not, use the thesaurus to find one that says exactly
and precisely what you want to.
The thesaurus works the same way as a dictionary, in alphabetical order.
There are two sections synonyms and antonyms
If you are using a combined dictionary and thesaurus the synonyms will
come under the dictionary definition.
SYNONYMS loathsome, detestable,
hateful, obnoxious, despicable,
contemptible, disgusting, revolting,
repellent, repulsive, repugnant, abhorrent.
ANTONYMS good, admirable.
Remember, once you have found your new word
look it up in the dictionary before you put it in
your sentence to check that it really makes
sense and conveys what you want to say.
Synonym – a word
with similar meaning.
Antonym – a word
with the opposite
meaning.
Word
Letter
A
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word
Letter
A
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word
Letter
B
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word
Letter
C
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Vocabulary choices
The words you choose when writing - creatively or in analysis - are vital to what you
are telling the reader. For example, are you telling the reader “Tommo cried because
he was sad” or are you describing, “Tommo‟s face glistened with tears through
sorrow”?
There are different levels of words: relevant, interesting and
ambitious, however this doesn‟t mean you have to fill your work
with exceptionally long words. Often the most interesting work
uses a variety of all these words.
Using your skills from the dictionary and thesaurus pages, fill
in the blanks in the table below.
Relevant
Interesting
Said
Shouted
Ambitious
Sad
Happy
Evil
Nice
Barbaric
Moody
Cascade
Rush
Drab
Brutal
Attack
Conventional
You have a word bank on the back of this booklet
to record any interesting words you find in your
reading and could use in your work!
Root words
A root word is the base word to construct a longer word
with a slightly different meaning.
Understanding how to structure words will help us when
spelling and constructing longer words. It will also help when
we read a text and don‟t understand a word, we can
deconstruct it to help us!
First, we need to understand what a prefix and a suffix is:
Prefix – letters placed before
the root word.
Suffix – letters placed after the
root word.
Un employ ment
Example:
The prefix here is un –
which means not / against
/ opposite
The root word is
employ – give work to
someone.
The suffix here is ment –
which is a condition or
state of being.
When you put your understanding of all these words together then you get the following
meaning. A person who is in a state of not having a job or work.
Task:
Root word
Find as many words as you can from the root word given. Remember that
the root word can go at the beginning, middle or end of the new word.
GOLD TARGET: Can you find two examples of your own?
What other words can be made from this root?
Use
Friend
Faith
Act
Cycle
Be
Fix
Marked by:
Date:
TS:
Read the text carefully and answer the questions below in full
sentences.
As you work your way through the booklet the texts in the comprehension
section will become more challenging, building your vocabulary knowledge and
inference skills throughout the year.
The Pet
Peter Johnson loved pets. He had done so ever since he was a child. He was
always kind to animals. He put out milk for stray cats. He hung up seeds
for birds. He went to the park each day to feed the ducks. But his pride
and joy was his dog Rex. It was a German Shepherd.
Rex was good at tricks. He did what Peter told him to do. He could shake
paws and roll over and play dead. Peter even trained Rex to go to the shop
each day to fetch him his newspaper. Rex sat outside the shop and barked
until Mr Patel came out with the paper. Mr Patel gave it to Rex who trotted
home with it in his mouth. It was always a bit soggy and wet but Peter
didn‟t mind. His dog was smart.
Now Rex liked to fetch things for Peter. He would bring him his slippers.
He would bring him toys and balls and sticks. In fact Rex was always looking
out for things to bring Peter. This was because Peter gave Rex a sweet
when he did. It was his reward.
One day Peter was sitting in his garden when Rex came running up to him.
Rex had a piece of dirty fur in his mouth. He dropped it in Peter‟s lap. Then
sat down and looked at Peter hopefully.
„What‟s this then boy?‟ said Peter. „‟Some old toy you‟ve found?‟
Peter picked up the lump of fur and looked at it. To his horror he saw it
wasn‟t an old toy at all. It was the dead body of the pet rabbit that
belonged to the little girl next door.
„My goodness, Rex,‟ said Peter. „This is Flopsy. You‟ve killed her you bad
dog!‟ Rex hung his head in shame. He was sorry for the rabbit but even
more sorry that Peter didn‟t give him a sweet.
Peter jumped up and ran into the house. He put the rabbit in the sink and
wiped the dirt from its fur. He looked hard to see if Rex had left any tooth
marks on Flopsy‟s skin but he didn‟t find any. „Perhaps Rex scared this poor
little rabbit to death,‟ said Peter to himself. „I feel so bad about this.‟
Then a dreadful thought popped into Peter‟s head. Emma, the girl next door
would be very upset indeed to find out that Rex had killed her pet. She
would cry and weep and tell her Dad. Emma‟s Dad was a very big man indeed.
He would be so angry with Rex. Peter didn‟t know what he could do to save
his dog. But he had to do something. Then he had an idea.
He washed the rabbit with soap and shampoo. He plugged in his hair drier
and dried Flopsy‟s fur. Then he combed it and brushed it until her fur
shone. When Flopsy was quite dry Peter hid her under his coat and crept
out into the garden.
He looked over the fence and made sure nobody was next door. Then Peter
climbed over the fence and ran to Flopsy‟s hutch. He opened the door and
put the rabbit back inside. He tried to make her look as life-like as he
could. Peter even put a carrot in her paws. Then he heard a car door slam
out in the street. Emma and her Dad were coming home. Peter was so
scared he jumped over the fence and dashed back into his own house. Rex
hid under the table. He knew his master was upset with him but he didn‟t
know why.
Peter waited in fear for Emma‟s Dad to come knocking at the door. But he
didn‟t come that day or the next or the day after. In the end Peter could
stand it no more and went out into his garden. He saw Emma‟s Dad.
„Hello,‟ said Emma‟s Dad. „I haven‟t seen you for a few days. Are you all
right?‟
Peter gulped. Then he said,‟ Yes I‟m fine. How about you? Is everything
OK?‟
Emma‟s Dad scratched his head. He looked puzzled. „Well, not really,‟ he
said.
„Oh,‟ said Peter. „What‟s up?
„Well,‟ said Emma‟s Dad. „A strange thing happened a few days ago. Emma
and I came home and we found her pet rabbit Flopsy dead in its hutch.‟
„That‟s awful,‟ gasped Peter.
„That‟s not the strange bit,‟ said Emma‟s Dad. „No, the weird thing is that
the rabbit died that morning and I‟d already buried it in the garden before
we went out!‟
Questions
1.
Find 3 things we learn about Peter in the story: In the story we learn that Peter‟s
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What did Rex do wrong? How did this make him feel?
Why is Peter worried?
What did Peter do? Why?
What do you think Peter should have done? Why?
What was the effect of the twist? How did it make you feel?
surname is Johnson. We know this because in the story it says “Peter Johnson”.
Why was Rex special? Give at least 3 examples from the text.
Extension: Highlight any ambitious words you can find in the
text.
Highlight 8 relevant words in the text and, using a thesaurus,
find more exciting words to replace them.
Answer your questions in detail here:
Section one: How to construct your writing
To be completed by:
______________________________
What do I need to complete?
Spelling test 2
Read the information on metalanguage
Complete the task on metalanguage
Read the page on revising sentence structure and
complete the task
Read the page on sentence effect and complete the
task
Complete the extended writing task
New vocabulary: D, E and F.
Reading comprehension: Harry Potter
Self Assessment: What do I still need to practise from this section?
Spelling test 2
You will be tested on your spellings every
fortnight.
You are expected to get at least 17/20 right each time. If you do not manage this
you will need to re-take the test at another time.
Read
Conscious
Ambitious
Suspicious
Cautious
Commonly misspelt words
Vicious
Pretentious
Gracious
Fictitious
Precious
Fractious
Delicious
Vexatious
Spacious
Anxious
Topic specific words
Tenacious
Write
Cover and write
Metalanguage
Don‟t panic! Look at the root word (language) – we already
know what this means. Now look at the prefix – Meta – this
means „to make aware‟. By putting these together it means
that we are looking at the language (vocabulary) that
describes the way we write and how we construct it.
Why is it important to understand metalanguage?
By understanding the metalanguage you can understand more clearly
how to construct your writing.
For example, if your teacher tells you “You need to add a noun into
your sentence to make sure it makes sense” or “you need to add a
complex sentence to add more description” then it becomes much
easier to begin to tackle the task you have been set.
1.
2.
Find the definition of the word and write it in your own
words.
Write a sentence using the type of metalanguage you
have defined. Circle or underline the metalanguage.
Word: Noun
Definition: A person, place or thing – if it is a proper noun then you need to use a
capital letter. These are always the subject of the sentence.
Sentence: The princess was exceptionally beautiful.
Word: Prefix
Definition:
Sentence:
Word: Hyperbole
Definition:
Sentence:
Word: Verb
Definition:
Sentence:
Word: Pronoun
Definition:
Sentence:
Word: Adverb
Definition:
Sentence:
Word: Superlative
Definition:
Sentence:
Revising sentence structure
It is important to revise and practice the skills you
have already learned or you will forget how to use
them and your success will go in a straight line
rather than upwards!
We are going to look at our sentence structure again
this term.
Read the following information carefully, this is also an
important skill moving towards GCSE.
Simple
sentence
A simple sentence (or main clause) includes four elements:
a capital letter, a noun (the subject), a verb (doing word)
and a full stop.
It will make sense on its own.
Complex
sentence
A complex sentence contains two parts – a main clause and
a subordinate clause. The subordinate clause does not
make sense on its own and needs a comma to separate it
from the main clause. Both parts of the sentence should
be about the same noun (subject).
Compound
sentence
A compound sentence consists of two parts: two main
clauses and a connective. If you remove the connective
both will still make sense on their own.
These are your three basic sentence structures to go
even further you can start to experiment with how to
put two different types of sentence together to make
your writing even more intricate (detailed).
Task: Extend all these sentences – make sure you
read the instructions for each section properly.
Add a subordinate clause to these sentences to create a complex sentence
1. The rain was pouring
2. The unicorn was jubilant
3. The night was a catastrophe
4. The house was bleak
5. The nail varnish was sparkly
Add another main clause and connective to these sentences to create a compound
sentence – Remember, connective doesn‟t only mean and or because.
1. The anchor dropped into the sea
2. The locket opened
3. The squirrel was sprinting
4. The shiny boots were fabulous
5. The campfire was scorching
Add a main clause to these subordinate clauses to create a complex sentence.
1. Shrieking as it went
2. Revolving around and around,
3. Believing the lies
4. Sizzling against my skin
5. Indifferently
What is the
?
Using a variety of sentences is not just about showing off your literacy
skills, it is also used to create an atmosphere or feeling in your writing.
Simple
sentence
Simple sentences can be used for a variety of reasons.
They are most often used to create tension and fear so
you will see them quite frequently in horror or thriller type
stories. It can help the reader to feel immersed in the
story.
Example: We ran quickly. Fear filled the air. Thud. Darkness.
Complex
sentence
Complex sentences are used to add information to
sentence to give the reader a more detailed description of
what is happening in the text. It helps the text flow more
easily and can symbolise a calmer point in a story.
Complex sentences are often used to show a character‟s
inner thoughts or when describing the scene.
Example: Beautifully transcendent, the sun rose up above the
rolling green hills.
Compound
sentence
A compound sentence is also used to give more information
but usually in a less descriptive way.
It can be used to add more information to the original
subject rather than add to the description.
Example: The boy was very tall and he had short brown hair.
Remember – it is not enough to just use these
structures properly, you can show your skill by
including many ambitious adjectives.
Extended writing
Using all your knowledge of sentence structure so far
you are going to create a short, descriptive story.
1.
2.
3.
Choose one idea from each column – all of these must be included in your
piece.
Write a minimum of three paragraphs using the sentence structure we have
looked at. Where do you need to build tension? Where is your in depth
description?
Swap your work with your partner and get them to highlight the most
effective paragraph and to explain why. Avoid phrases like “It makes the
reader want to read on.” and focus on using your metalanguage.
Character 1
Place
Item
Character 2
Feeling
A policeman
Train
Binoculars
Babysitter
Ill
A school girl
Asda
An invitation
A stranger
Fear
A detective
The woods
A watch
A teacher
Anxious
A homeless
man
A library
Smelly
trainers
A lion
Delirious
A polar bear
The Sahara
Fortune
cookie
A clown
Ecstatic
Adjectives bank
Character 1
Place
Item
Character 2
Feeling
Word (Adjective)
Letter
D
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Letter
Word (Adjective)
E
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word (Adjective)
Letter
E
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word (Adjective)
Letter
F
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
Reading comprehension : Read the extract and
answer the questions in as much detail as possible.
Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was
going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the
ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small
and the trains too slow. "I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said
as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.
Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close
behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and
cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an
ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried
miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?
Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up?
If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humour, he might have thought
so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable,
Harry couldn't help trusting him. "This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky
Cauldron. It's a famous place."
For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a
corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man
in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a
toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone
seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a
glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?" "Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid,
clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.
"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this? Can this be?" The Leaky
Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent. "Bless my soul," whispered the old
bartender, "Harry Potter... what an honor." He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed
toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter,
welcome back!" Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old
woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out.
Hagrid was beaming. Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment,
Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron. "Doris
Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last." "So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm
just so proud." "Always wanted to shake your hand, I'm all of a flutter." "Delighted, Mr.
Potter; just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle." "I've seen you before!"
said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me
once in a shop." "He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did
you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again; Doris Crockford
kept coming back for more.
A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.
"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your
teachers at Hogwarts." "P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's
hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p- pleased I am to meet you." "What sort of magic do you
teach, Professor Quirrell." "D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered
Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it,
eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose.
I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the
very thought.
But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten
minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over
the babble. "Must get on -- lots ter buy. Come on, Harry." Doris Crockford shook
Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small,
walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.
Hagrid grinned at Harry. "Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous.”
uestions
1. What did Hagrid complain about on the way to London?
2. Which types of shop did Harry and Hagrid pass on their way
through London?
3. What is the name of the pub they enter before going to Diagon
Alley?
4. How does J. K. Rowling describe the bartender?
5. Who did he meet in the pub?
6. Who has Harry met before? Can you explain why Harry
remembers him?
7. What do we learn about Professor Quirrell in this extract?
8. How is Hagrid portrayed in this extract?
9. How is Harry portrayed in this extract?
Answer your questions in detail here:
Section two: Literally and figuratively
To be completed by:
______________________________
What do I need to complete over the next two weeks?
Spelling test 3
Read and complete the page on literally V
figuratively
Read and complete the page on idioms
Read and complete the pages on creating an
extended metaphor
New Vocabulary: G, H and I
Read the excerpt from Alice in Wonderland
Plan and write a PEARL paragraph
Self Assessment: What do I still need to practise from this section?
Spelling test 3
You will be tested on your spellings every fortnight.
You are expected to get at least 17/20 right each time. If you do not manage this
you will need to re-take the test at another time.
Read
Brief
Chief
Grief
Thief
Commonly misspelt words
Field
Shield
Piece
Priest
Shriek
Achieve
Believe
Belief
Deceive
Receive
Topic specific words
Perceive
Write
Cover and write
Literally V figuratively
The confusion between these two words can create
some infuriating mistakes in everyday life. Let‟s look
at the definitions and then we can make sure that we
are always using this to inform or creative writing and
help us to understand other texts as well.
Literally
Means something actually happens or without
exaggeration.
Figuratively
Means to describe something in a metaphorical way
– it is symbolic, it did not actually happen.
Quick test – are these literal or figurative
sentences. Explain why underneath.
The guitar solo literally blew my head off.
This is the incorrect use of literal as it would mean you now have no head. Remove
literally and you have an excellent metaphor.
The girl was running down the road at a very quick speed.
I have literally been on an emotional roller coaster since I changed job.
She fell over and cracked her head open on the concrete.
Idioms
An idiom is the metalanguage to explain a short
phrase that describes something in a figurative way –
it is infrequently used to describe something literally.
Speaking
figuratively...
You have probably heard them in everyday conversation but now you
know their real name you can wow someone with your new knowledge!
Why do I need to know this?
1. It can help you improve your creative writing by adding in
metaphorical language.
2. It will help you analyse a text – idioms will make you think about
what they are trying to tell us below the surface – not just the
literal meaning.
You are the apple of
my eye.
They are not actually an apple in someone‟s eye. This means
that they are very special to that person and they really
cherish them.
Now it is your turn to explain – in detail – what these idioms mean.
It‟s raining cats and
dogs.
A piece of cake.
I woke up on the
wrong side of the bed.
Don‟t let the cat out
of the bag.
Time flies when you‟re
having fun.
We‟ve got time to kill.
Metaphor
We have looked at this in class but we need to continue to
work on extending our ideas instead of just using our
metaphors in simple sentences.
How do we do this? PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL!
A metaphor is when you compare one thing to
another thing that it can‟t literally be.
Unlike a simile, you do not use as or like in your
sentence.
Step 1: Look at what you need to describe (this is your stimulus and it may
be an image or an idea) and write down as many ideas as you can that you
might be able to compare it to.
Remember – it should not
only be one element (point)
of comparison, there should
be several points.
For example, you wouldn‟t
compare this to a jail, even
though there are crosses on
the window, as it is clearly
an expensive place to be.
Choose one element of the image and write down as many ideas as you
can about what you can compare it to. When you are done highlight your
best idea.
Step 2: Make a plan of all the reasons why you could compare your original
idea to the metaphorical idea.
Elements of your comparison
Step 3: Make a word bank of ambitious words that link to both the original
idea and the comparison you are going to use.
Word bank
Step 4: Draft your first version of the metaphor. I want you to do this as a
complex sentence followed by a compound sentence to ensure that your
extending your idea.
Draft 1 – remember to write it in basic form first and then you can edit
your ideas by adding in adjectives from step 3 and additional ideas fro
step 2.
Completed metaphor: ______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Repeat these four steps again to create another
extended metaphor.
Completed metaphor: ______________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Word
Letter
G
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word
Letter
H
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word
Letter
H
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word
Letter
I
Definition
Sentence (using your word):
Synonyms
Antonyms
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carol
Reading comprehension : Read the extract and
answer the questions in as much detail as possible.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER I - Down the Rabbit-Hole
Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment: she looked up,
but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long passage, and the White Rabbit
was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice
like the wind, and was just in time to hear it say, as it turned a corner, 'Oh my ears and
whiskers, how late it's getting!' She was close behind it when she turned the corner, but
the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit
up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.
There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when Alice had been
all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, she walked sadly down the
middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again.
Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass; there was
nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice's first thought was that it might belong
to one of the doors of the hall; but, alas! either the locks were too large, or the key was
too small, but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second time
round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little
door about fifteen inches high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her
great delight it fitted!
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a
rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever
saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of
bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head through
the doorway; 'and even if my head would go through,' thought poor Alice, 'it would be of
very little use without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I
think I could, if I only know how to begin.' For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things
had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were
really impossible.
There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went back to the table,
half hoping she might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting
people up like telescopes: this time she found a little bottle on it, ('which certainly was
not here before,' said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with
the words 'DRINK ME' beautifully printed on it in large letters.
It was all very well to say 'Drink me,' but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in
a hurry. 'No, I'll look first,' she said, 'and see whether it's marked "poison" or not'; for
she had read several nice little histories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up
by wild beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they would not remember the
simple rules their friends had taught them: such as, that a red-hot poker will burn you if
you hold it too long; and that if you cut your finger very deeply with a knife, it usually
bleeds; and she had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked
'poison,' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
However, this bottle was not marked 'poison,' so Alice ventured to taste it, and finding
it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple,
roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off.
............................
After a while, finding that nothing more happened, she decided on going
into the garden at once; but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the
door, she found she had forgotten the little golden key, and when she
went back to the table for it, she found she could not possibly reach
it: she could see it quite plainly through the glass, and she tried her
best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery;
and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing
sat down and cried.
............................
Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table:
she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words
'EAT ME' were beautifully marked in currants. 'Well, I'll eat it,' said
Alice, 'and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it
makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I'll
get into the garden, and I don't care which happens!'
This weeks question will be slightly different. You are
going to look at how to plan out a PEARL response to
following question and then write a detailed paragraph
about Alice.
How is Alice portrayed in the opening of the novel?
Use the page on Dynamite paragraphs to help you with
varying your sentence starters.
Plan
Quote to show Alice’s
characteristics:
Adjectives to describe Alice
(This will make your point)
What does this tell us?
Alice
Quote to show Alice’s
characteristics:
Quote to show Alice’s
characteristics:
What does this tell us?
What does this tell us?
Answer your question in detail here:
Spelling test time
Test 2
Test 3
Topic specific words
Commonly misspelt words
Test 1
Total:
/20
Total:
/20
Total:
/20
Choose your words wisely!
Relevant
Interesting
Ambitious