Creative writing
Imagine you are the survivor of a boat or ship
WKDW VDQN <RX ÀQG \RXUVHOI RQ D GHVHUWHG LVland. There are some coconut trees, bananas and
berries and also strange animals. When you were
washed up on the beach you still had a pencil in
your pocket and you also found a box of matches
and an empty bottle nearby. You decided to write
a message in a bottle in an attempt to be saved.
Write your letter. Remember that you don’t know
where you are or what the island’s name is. And
\RXGRQ·WNQRZZKRLVJRLQJWRÀQG\RXUOHWWHU
But you take a chance, that is all you can do!
91
Individual reading
Reading for marks
Vocabulary:
upright: to stand straight up
waddle: to move the body from side to side while taking short steps.
suit: a set of matched clothing, e.g. a jacket and trousers.
ÁLSSHUVÁDWEURDG¶DUPV·ZKLFKZDWHUDQLPDOVXVHWRVZLP
DÁRDWWRVWD\RQWRSRIWKHZDWHUÁRDWLQJ
Boulders Beach
I live close to a beach in Cape Town called Boulders Beach. I am lucky because after I get
home from school, I run down to the beach to swim. Although it is very often windy there,
the beach is protected from the wind by high rocks and bushes. The beach is not the only
thing protected there: Boulders Beach is famous for the penguins that live and swim on
the beach. The penguins are protected by the law. This means that no one can tease, hurt,
kill or take a penguin away from the beach.
I like to sit on the beach and watch the penguins go about doing whatever it is that makes
SHQJXLQVKDSS\ZKLFKLVPRVWO\VZLPPLQJRUHDWLQJÀVK
Penguins are unusual birds. They stand upright and waddle along like thoughtful little
people. They have short, thick feathers to keep them warm. Their feathers are black and
ZKLWHDQGWKH\ORRNOLNHWKH\DUHZHDULQJZLQJVFKDQJHGLQWRÁLSSHUVPLOOLRQVRI\HDUV
ago.
One day, as I lay on the beach watching the penguins, I saw that one of them seemed to be
in trouble. It could not swim properly. I sat up to watch more carefully. Yes, I was certain
WKDWWKHSHQJXLQFRXOGQRWSDGGOHZHOOHQRXJKWRVWD\DÁRDW,FOLPEHGXSRQWRDURFN
to get a better view. Even from that distance, I could see what the trouble was. The poor
SHQJXLQKDGDÀVKLQJOLQHFDXJKWDURXQGLWVIRRW
I knew that penguins are very good swimmers, but I also knew that if this penguin did
not get help it would drown. I could not go down to help because the tide was coming in
and I would get myself trapped behind the rocks. Also, penguins have very sharp beaks.
What could I do?
There was no time to think - the penguin was drowning! I ran as fast as I could to the
nearest house. An old sea captain lived there. He loves all sea birds and has his own bird
hospital at his house.
“Help! Help!” I cried as I came to the front gate.
“What’s the matter?” he called out, coming down the steps to meet me.
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“There’s a penguin that’s going to drown. Please come, please!” I shouted against the
wind.
Although he is an old man, the sea captain ran as fast as he could down to the beach with
me. He was soon swimming alongside the struggling penguin. He caught the penguin
and held it tightly under his arm. When he was safely on the beach, he showed me the
SHQJXLQ·VIRRW7KHOHJKDGWXUQHGEOXHZKHUHWKHÀVKLQJOLQHKDGSXOOHGWLJKWO\DURXQG
LW$VWKHROGPDQFXWRIIWKHÀVKLQJOLQHWKHEORRGUXVKHGEDFNLQWRWKHIRRWUHWXUQLQJLW
to its normal colour.
I often go down to visit the penguin at the sea captain’s bird hospital. The penguin is
walking more easily now and will soon be well enough to return to the sea. I just wish I
FRXOGWDONWRWKHWKRXJKWOHVVSHUVRQZKROHIWÀVKLQJOLQHO\LQJDURXQGDQGDVNKLPKRZKH
ZRXOGOLNHÀVKLQJOLQHDURXQGKLVOHJV
Rate your reading:
Yourself
Fluency
Clarity
Tempo
Tone of voice
Phrasing
Punctuation
TOTAL
Friend
Educator
6
4
3
3
2
2
20
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Where are those vowels?
You’re going to have to concentrate for this one. Vowels
are hidden in the picture
below. You will need them to
complete the puzzle.
__ v __ r y l __ v __ n g t h __ n g o n t h __ f a c __ o f t h __
__ a r t h w a s w __ p __ d o u t; m __ n a n d a n __ m a l s a n d
t h __ c r __ a t u r __ s t h a t m o v __ a l o n g t h __ g r o u n d
a n d t h __ b __ r d s o f t h __ a __ r w __ r __ w __ p e d f r o m
t h __ __ a r t h . o n l y N o a h w a s l __ f t , a n d t h o s __
w __ t h h __ m __ n t h __ a r k .
Genesis 7:23
94
Listening comprehension
Listen while your teacher reads to you and then answer the questions
Ask a whaler which he’d rather face - whale or shark - and he would promptly grunt,
“Neither!” But they don’t call sharks “Tigers of the Deep” for nothing. For sea-tigers they
are. Cunning, bloodthirsty, vicious and powerful as any tiger in the jungle.
Sharks have appetites that no power on earth or in the sea can satisfy. They swarm around
whaling ships, and dart in to the attack when a harpooned whale is hauled alongside. If
they are not driven off with shots, they will tear the roped whale to ribbons. Hunter and
hunted - that’s the shark; kill or be killed is its motto.
1RPDWWHUZKDWFRPHVDORQJDVKDUNVZDOORZVLWDQROGVDXFHSDQÁXQJRYHUERDUGIURP
some ship’s galley; a hundred kilogram turtle; a fat porpoise, or even a man. You can catch
this perfectly streamed beast of the deep with a hand-line and spear - if you are strong and
OXFN\%XWVKDUNKXQWHUVGRQ·WGRWKDWQRZ(DV\HQRXJKWRKRRNWKHVDYDJHÀVKEXWWKH
hooked shark has got to be disabled and lugged aboard.
The hunters say a shark isn’t dead until it’s been skinned and cut up. That’s their way of
H[SUHVVLQJGLVWUXVWRIDYLFLRXVÀVKWKDWWRDOODSSHDUDQFHVFRPSOHWHO\GHDGZKHUHLWOLHV
at the bottom of the boat, can snap a loose plank, or an oar, or a leg in two with one click of
its razor-like teeth. So they don’t leave captured sharks just lying about.
To make shark-catching pay you’ve got to do things in double-quick time. The sharkhunters go out with immensely strong nets, hundreds of metres long and six metres deep.
They hang these nets upright in the sea, the tops buoyed up on the surface, the lower ends
weighted with lumps of lead.
No need to trouble about bait. Directly a shark jams its head between the strands of the net,
its fellows rush up to devour it and so more of them get their heads jammed. More sharks
dart to the fun until the seething net is hauled up. Shark-hunting is not done just for fun.
That sort of thing is too close to sudden death.
It is done for a living, like whaling. Shark oil is valuable. So is the skin, for making boots
and shoes, trunks and handbags. It is leather that won’t wear out. They make walking
sticks out of its backbone. And after they’ve tinned all the shark meat they want for human
consumption , they make glue of what is left.
95
Question 1
1.1. Which is more dangerous: a shark or a whale? Why?
1.2. Rewrite this sentence without changing its meaning: But they don’t call sharks
“Tigers of the Deep” for nothing.
1.3. Which four adjectives aptly describe the shark’s nature?
1.4. What sort of appetite is the shark reputed to have?
1.5. Why are sharks very interested in the whaling ship?
1.6. What is supposed to be the shark’s motto?
:K\GRÀVKHUPHQQRWWUXVWDKRRNHGVKDUN"
1.8. What modern method is used in the catching of sharks?
1.9. What type of bait do the shark-hunters use? Why?
1.10. How are the nets held upright in the sea?
Question 2
2.1. What is the approximate size of the shark-hunters’ net?
2.2. How are the sharks caught by such a net?
2.3. “Shark-hunting is not done just for fun.” Why?
2.4. Is it safe to hunt them with a hand-line and a spear? Why?
2.5. Which sentence illustrates the sharpness of the shark’s teeth?
:KHQGRÀVKHUPHQFRQVLGHUDKRRNHGVKDUNWREHVDIH"
2.7. Why must shark-hunters do things in “double-quick time”?
2.8. Explain: “It has got to be disabled and lugged aboard.”
2.9. Why must the nets be immensely strong?
2.10. For what commercial purposes is the shark used?
Question 3
3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.
Which part of the ship is the galley? For what is it used?
(&UXHODQJU\ÀHUFHZLOG) means the same as vicious.
The opposite of valuable is (invaluable, invalid, valueless).
If a plank is (lose, loose, louse) it is not tight.
Language
Verbs express action. They are doing, being, and having words. In the examples the verbs
are printed in bold type. A verb can be just one word or it can be more than one word.
Example:
96
The dog barks.
}
It is raining.
} = action words (doing words)
They are having their breakfast. }
These verbs are almost the same in meaning. Place them in the sentences below.
VWRSSHGHQGHGÀQLVKHGFRQFOXGHGFORVHGFRPSOHWHG
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The concert ___ with the national anthem.
All the shops were ___ on Good Friday.
Jane ___ the crossword puzzle and posted it.
My watch ___ shortly after ten o’clock.
The second term ___ on the 20th of June.
Keith ___ his homework and went off to tennis.
Spelling
Fill in ie or ei where necessary. Remember the rule.
to bel__ve in God
to r__gn over us
to bes__ge a town
to s__ze a gun
A cash rec__pt
A br__f letter
h__r to a throne
a sk__n of wool
For fun
Copy this crossword puzzle. Here are the clues
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Across
Down
1.
3.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1.
2.
4.
Plural of man
An animal that barks.
Cigarette ___ is put in a tray.
You ___ a pen in ink.
It shines by day in the sky.
A tool for chopping wood.
You hurry home all the ___.
Some wear a collar and ___.
Soil and water make ___.
A short sleep.
Used for shooting.
:KHQMHOO\LVÀUPLWKDVBBB
97
Poetry
+HUHLVDIXQQ\SRHPDERXWDQLPDOVDQGÀVK(QMR\
In Praise of Fish
Cats purr
As they lick their fur,
Horses neigh,
Donkeys bray,
Hounds bay
At the muddy ground
- horrible sound
barking hounds Snapping and yapping,
Tails wagging.
Lions roar
If they hurt a paw.
Hawks squawk
If they hurt a claw.
%XWÀVKGRQ·WWDON
Mice squeak,
Sheep bleat So do goats;
A frog croaks.
Most birds cheep,
Some screech,
%XWÀVKFDQ·WVSHDN
Thank Heavens.
8QOLNHÀVK
Snakes hiss,
And like it or lump it,
Elephants trumpet.
Pigs grunt,
Flies hum,
%XWÀVKDUHGXPE
Wolves howl,
Dogs will growl
With a vicious snarl
If you steal their meal.
Piglets squeal
So you know they feel
While their mothers snort
As they’re brought to the slaughterhouse.
Fish don’t buzz,
As a queen bee does.
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Ducklings quack,
And bulldogs snap
At the postman’s boots.
Owls hoot,
%XWDÀVKLVPXWH
Thank goodness.
Questions
1.
2.
4.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What is the theme of the poem?
What sound does a donkey make?
$UHÀVKWDONDWLYH"4XRWHDVHQWHQFHWRSURYH\RXUDQVZHU
Are there any insects in the poem? Name them.
,VDÀVKDPDPPDO"([SODLQ\RXUDQVZHU
Do you think it is appropriate to use the words “Thank heavens”?
Which animal in the poem is your favourite?
What can a bulldog do to a postman?
What is the meaning of the word “mute”?
What is a slaughterhouse?
More poetry to enjoy
Similes
A poet works with words, putting them together so skilfully that they call up pictures in
our minds. Such patterns of picture-giving words are called ÀJXUHVRIVSHHFK. One of the
PRVWLPSRUWDQWÀJXUHVRIVSHHFKLVWKHVLPLOH$VLPLOHDVNVXVWRSLFWXUHRQHWKLQJDVEHLQJ
similar to another, and often uses the word ‘like’ or the words ‘as... as...’ to link the pictures
in the mind. It is even possible, as you will now see, to have a poem made up entirely of
similes.
$VZHWDVDÀVKDVGU\DVDERQH
As live as a bird - as dead as a stone;
As plump as a partridge - as thin as a rake;
As rich as Croesus - as poor as a church
mouse
As strong as a horse - as weak as a cat;
$VKDUGDVÁLQWDVVRIWDVDPROH
As white as a lily - as black as coal;
As plain as a pikestaff - as rough as a bear;
As tight as a drum - as free as the air;
As heavy as lead - as light as a feather;
As steady as time - as uncertain as the
weather;
As hot as a furnace - as cold as ice;
As gay as a lark - as sick as a dog;
As slow as a tortoise - as swift as the wind;
As thin as a herring - as fat as a pig;
As proud as a peacock - as blithe as a grig;
$VÀHUFHDVDWLJHUDVPLOGDVDGRYH
As stiff as a poker - as limp as a glove;
As blind as a bat - as deaf as a doorpost;
As cool as a cucumber - as warm as toast;
$VÁDWDVDÁRXQGHUDVURXQGDVDEDOO
As blunt as a hammer - as sharp as an awl;
As red as a ferret - as safe as the stocks;
As bold as a thief - as sly as a fox;
As straight as an arrow - as bent as a bow;
As yellow as saffron - as black as a sloe;
As brittle as glass - as tough as gristle;
As neat as my nail - as clean as a whistle;
As good as a feast - as bad as a witch;
As light as is day - as dark as is night;
As busy as a bee - as dull as an ass;
As full as a tick - as solid as brass.
Anonymous
99
Complete these similes by adding words of your own.
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
He’s as hungry as a ___.
He’s as slippery as an ___.
She’s as fast as ___.
It’s as light as a ___.
,W·VDVGU\DVDBBB
She was cool as a ___.
7. He went as white as a ___.
8. She’s as slow as a ___.
9. You’re as timid as a ___.
10. It was heavy as ___.
+H·VDVÀWDVDBBB
12. She was sharp as a ___.
Simile Poems
All of the poems that follow contain similes. Read them through and write down the simile
from each.
Spider
legs crouched like a lunar module,
he descends slowly
towards a gentle touchdown.
Kerry Brighton
Vacuum cleaner
What is that weaving about
Like a silver elephant’s snout?
Chery Abbott
Rain
Falling on me
Like moist petals
of a rose.
Darlene Parisien
A Broken Umbrella
A broken umbrella
standing like a spider, in the sleet
on the drifting canal.
Robert Gray
Stream
Trinkling...
like a tear
on some lonely face.
Darlene Parisien
This Melon
Weary, I tear open the shopping.
From the newspaper waddles
on the table
like an irate duck
this melon.
Robert Gray
Language
Alphabetical order
1. The box below contains 26 words for animals, birds and plants. Rewrite the words in
WKHER[LQDOSKDEHWLFDORUGHUQH[WWRWKHQXPEHUVEHORZWKHER[7KHÀUVWDQG last ones have been done for you.
quagga
bear
nightingale
squirrel
100
zebra
whale
insect
llama
aardvark camel
orang-outang
daisy
unicorn
frog
kudu
monkey
penguin
tiger
robin
xerophyte
elephant
vulture
yak
giraffe
jackal
horse
1.
7.
13.
19.
25.
aardvark
_____
_____
_____
_____
2.
8.
14.
20.
26.
_____
_____
_____
_____
zebra
3.
9.
15.
21.
_____
_____
_____
_____
4.
10.
16.
22.
_____
_____
_____
_____
5.
11.
17.
23.
_____
_____
_____
_____
6.
12.
18.
24.
_____
_____
_____
_____
2. Look at these words that all start with the letter s:
silver
sock
seat
sun
sack
If you put these in alphabetical order, sack PXVWFRPHÀUVWEHFDXVHWKHVHFRQGOHWWHULQsack is
a, and a comes before e in the alphabet. Now put the other s words in the correct order.
+HUHLVDPRUHGLIÀFXOWH[DPSOH3XWWKHVHZRUGVLQDOSKDEHWLFDORUGHU
You will need to look at the third or fourth letter to get it right.
sheep
shut
ship
shadow
shop
a b c d e f g h i
j k l m n o p q r
s t u v w x y z
101
Enrichment - for you to enjoy!
Why the sea is full of salt
Use the pictures to make your own story on why the sea is full of salt. You and friends can
also dramatize the story.
102
Revision
1. Use the short form of the words in italics, e.g. I cannot, I can’t:
It does not matter.
I could not do it.
They are ill.
She will be there.
There is your bus.
It is quite right.
We have been away.
You did not pay me.
I am very tired.
They do not worry.
2. Answer each question in the negative. Thus: Have you anything to say? No, I have
nothing to say.
Is there anything wrong?
'LG\RXÀQGanything?
Has Pam lost anything?
Is anything missing?
Can anything happen?
Has it anything to do with you?
Is there anything for tea?
Have you forgotten anything?
Is there anything in it?
Was he doing anything?
3. Use the past tense of the verb in brackets:
Yesterday I (awake) early.
Who (steal) my purse?
Mary (speak) to us.
I (see) the picture.
The boy (run) away.
They (bring) me coffe.
She (forget) his name.
He (do) his work well.
The sun (rise) in the sky.
We (lose) the match.
4. Give the opposite of each adjective:
an old woman
a cooked egg
an open book
a loud voice
a dull day
a beautiful sunrise
a clean sheet
a truthful boy
a useful tool
5. Choose the right word from those in brackets:
(Here, hear) is the boy who cannot (here, hear).
I told the (maid, made) to make the (tee, tea).
We (wood, would) go into the (wood, would) to play.
0L[WKHÁRZHUÁRXUDQGOHDYHLWIRUDQRXUKRXU
Take the pair (of, off) socks (of, off) the line.
6. Use what or which correctly:
___ pen is yours?
___ does she want?
I say ___ I think.
___ is the right time?
___ is the better book?
___ did he say to you?
___ of the two is mine?
I know ___ you did.
___ animal has horns?
___ is the way to town?
103
7. Say in your own words what each of these expressions means:
The two girls fell out.
Tom took a short cut home.
The ship was soon out of sight.
Molly must learn to mind her own business.
Uncle Fred turned up late last night.
Read aloud
Jesus controlled the wind and the sea
The Sea of Galilee is a big lake where Jesus used to teach his disciples more about their
salvation. One day lots of people came to listen to Jesus and he told Peter to shove his boat
into the water, then He could sit in the boat and the people could listen from the shore.
After a whole day of preaching, Jesus grew tired and said to His disciples, “Let us go to the
other side of the lake now.” While crossing the sea, Jesus fell asleep. Suddenly the wind
began to blow hard and big waves splashed into the boat. The disciples tried very hard to
row to shore but they could not get there and they thought they would surely drown.
“We must wake Jesus!” they said. They began to call Him. “Master! Master! Wake up!
Don’t You care at all that we are all going to be drowned?” Jesus opened His eyes, sat up
and saw the wild waves. He felt the wind blowing in His face and He saw that the boat
was almost full of water but He was not afraid.
He stood right up in the boat and began to talk to the wind and to the waves. He said:
“Peace, be still!” At once the wind stopped blowing and the waves stopped splashing.
The disciples were so surprised and said to each other, “What kind of man is this? Even
the wind and the sea obey Him!”
104