EBOOK CODE: REAU1138 Title: Read and Succeed Book 1 Acknowledgements © 2012 Ready-Ed Publications i. Clip art images have been obtained from Printed in Australia Microsoft Design Gallery Live and are used Author: Margaret Warner under the terms of the End User License Illustrator: Alison Mutton Agreement for Microsoft Word 2000. Please refer to www.microsoft.com/permission. ii. Front cover: Photographer: Kaye Howard Student model: Tian Howard
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Published by: Ready-Ed Publications PO Box 276 Greenwood WA 6024 www.readyed.net [email protected]
ISBN: 978 186 397 842 2
2 Contents
Teachers’ Notes 4 Language Features 2 34 Australian Curriculum Links 4 Scanning For Meaning 35 A Cloze Activity 36 Solo Sailor Comprehending Texts 6 Language Features 7 UFO Sightings Scanning For Meaning 8 Comprehending Texts 38 Apostrophes And Making Meaning 9 Language Features 39 A Cloze Activity 10 Scanning For Meaning 40 Your Point Of View 11 A Cloze Activity 41 Are UFOs Real? 42
Curse Or Coincidence? Freerunning Comprehending Texts 13 Comprehending Texts 44 Language Features 14 Language Features 1 45 Scanning For Meaning 15 Language Features 2 46 Making Meaning 16 Scanning For Meaning 47 A Cloze Activity 17 Matching For Meaning 48 Your Point Of View 18 A Cloze Activity 49
Go SK8 Comprehending Texts 20 Go Casey Language Features 21 Comprehending Texts 1 51 Scanning For Meaning 22 Comprehending Texts 2 52 Matching For Meaning 23 Scanning For Meaning 53 A Cloze Activity 24 A Cloze Activity 54 Autobiography 55
Bigfoot or Big Fake? Tsunami Survivor Comprehending Texts 26 Comprehending Texts 57 Language Features 27 Language Features 1 58 Scanning For Meaning 28 Language Features 2 59 A Cloze Activity 29 Scanning For Meaning 60 Exploring Bigfoot Further 30 A Cloze Activity 61
Answers 62-64 Gondwanaland Comprehending Texts 32 Language Features 1 33
3 Teachers’ Notes
Read and Succeed Book 1 is written for lower secondary students who are struggling to keep up with their peers, and is therefore linked to the Year 5 English Curriculum. Researchers and teachers know that a student’s fl uency in reading increases as the student reads more often, and experiences success and enjoyment as their skills develop. It is important to remember that secondary students experiencing diffi culty with reading must be retaught basic literacy skills and concepts that they may have had diffi cultly processing in earlier years for whatever reason. When they acquire these skills, they will begin to gain confi dence putting them into practice. Students at lower secondary level who are not reading at their expected level of competency are more likely to engage with texts about fascinating subjects. In Read and Succeed Book 1, students will read a range of texts that are likely to be of interest to them and complete language activities that focus on the student succeeding with reading. The book uses short paragraphs to develop key ideas. Ideas on how to use the book: • Model eff ective reading strategies by reading to the student or group. Ask questions before, during and after reading. • Discuss the topic of each unit and encourage students to contribute their prior knowledge of the topic. Prior knowledge helps with understanding. • Actively teach comprehension skills. Discuss how to work out the meanings of unfamiliar words, make predictions, summarise main ideas, identify literal information and make inferences. • Encourage students to work in cooperative groups so that they experience success. • Develop students’ confi dence in reading so that when they read they will succeed. When they succeed they will read more and develop their skills and enjoyment of reading. Australian Curriculum Links Year 5 Language Literacy ACELA1797 ACELY1701 ACELA1500 ACELY1702 ACELA1502 ACELA1504 Literature ACELA1505 ACELT 1608 ACELA1506 ACELT1609 ACELA1508 ACELA1512 ACELA1513
4 • Solo Sailor •
Th is section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links:
Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA 1505 ACELA1506 ACELA1797 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702 Literature ACELT 1608 ACELT1609
5 • Solo Sailor • Comprehending Texts
Before reading Solo Sailor below, answer the questions.
Have you ever been sailing? ______
What do you know about boats? ______
______
Read Solo Sailor. If you come across an unfamiliar word when you are reading, try to work out its meaning from the rest of the sentence.
• Solo Sailor • In May 2009, 16 year old Jessica Watson set out from Sydney Harbour in a sailing boat. Her aim was to sail solo and unassisted around the world. Jessica Watson grew up learning about boats and the art of sailing. She and her brother and sisters all had sailing lessons as children. When she was 11 years old, her family was living on a 16 metre cabin cruiser so she knew about life on board a boat from a young age. At the age of 12, Watson decided that she wanted to sail solo around the world and a few years later she began to plan her solo circumnavigation of the globe. Watson’s plan to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world was announced in May 2009. She expected the voyage to take around eight months and she aimed to cover around 23,000 nautical miles. During the trip no other person would be allowed to give her anything. She would not be allowed at any time to moor to any other boat or in any port. However, she would be allowed to get advice over her radio. A month before the planned leaving date, Watson was sailing from Brisbane to Sydney when her boat collided with a large bulk tanker and lost its mast. Many people then said publicly that she was too young to go on such a dangerous voyage alone. However, she went ahead as planned. On 18th October 2009, Watson left Sydney in her 10.23 metre boat - Ella’s Pink Lady - and headed eastward into the Pacifi c Ocean. During her voyage she experienced both good and bad weather which brought both calm and rough seas as she crossed the Pacifi c, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. She had to do everything by herself including repairs. Watson arrived back in Sydney Harbour on 15th May 2010 after being at sea alone for 210 days. A crowd of 75,000 people, including the Prime Minister, welcomed her. Three days after her arrival she had her 17th birthday. Jessica Watson was named Young Australian of the Year on Australia Day 2011.
6 • Solo Sailor • Language Features
Solo Sailor is a non-fi ction text. It is an information report about an important event. An information report often contains statistics and dates.
1. Identify and write down fi ve dates or statistics in the text. ______
The report is divided into paragraphs. The fi rst sentence in each paragraph tells you what the paragraph will be about.
2. Write a short summary in your own words of paragraph three. ______3. Write a short summary in your own words of paragraph fi ve. ______
Read the information report again and look at the topic sentence of each paragraph. Then fi nd and explain what happened on these important dates.
In 2005 at age 12 ______In May 2009 ______On 18th October 2009 ______On 15th May 2010 ______On 26th January 2011 ______
7 • Solo Sailor • Scanning For Meaning
Read Solo Sailor on page 6 again, then answer the questions below. Scan the text to locate the information.
1. What was Jessica Watson’s dream when she was 12 years old? ______2. What does ‘circumnavigate the globe’ mean? ______3. When did Jessica Watson tell everyone about her plan? ______4. How long did she expect her voyage to take? ______5. What does ‘non-stop and unassisted’ mean? ______6. What happened to Jessica’s boat when she was sailing from Brisbane to Sydney? ______7. What kind of conditions did Jessica face at sea? ______8. What do you think would have been the most diffi cult task for Jessica at sea? ______9. Do you think that Jessica was too young to sail solo round the world at 16? Give reasons for your answer. ______10. Why do you think that Jessica Watson decided to do the solo voyage? ______
8 • Solo Sailor • Apostrophes And Making Meaning
An apostrophe is used with common nouns and proper nouns to show possession. Examples: Jessica Watson’s plan. (The plan belongs to Jessica.) Ella’s Pink Lady. (The Pink Lady belongs to Ella.)
Add apostrophes to show possession.
a. The boats mast. f. The sailors plans.
b. Jessica Watsons boat. g. Australias oceans.
c. The boats owner. h. The cabin cruisers deck.
d. Brisbanes streets. i. The Prime Ministers cheer.
e. Jessicas sisters. j. The boats cabin.
Work out the meaning of each underlined word by reading the whole sentence.
1. She sailed solo round the world.
solo: ______
2. She circumnavigated the globe.
globe: ______
3. She was not allowed to moor in any port.
moor: ______
4. She sailed more than 20,000 nautical miles.
nautical: ______
5. She completed the dangerous voyage.
voyage: ______
9 • Solo Sailor • A Cloze Activity
Read this short summary about Jessica Watson entitled Solo Sailor Arrives Home. As you read the summary, think about the words that you would use to fi ll in the spaces.
• Solo Sailor arrives home •
On 15th May, Jessica Watson arrived in Sydney (1)______. She had been at (2)______for 210 days on her amazing round the world solo (3)______. At 16 she was the youngest person to sail non-stop and unassisted around the (4)______.
Jessica’s (5)______at age 12 was to do this trip. She took sailing
(6)______with her brother and sisters. At the time her family was living on a 16 metre (7)______.
Many (8)______said that Jessica was too young to sail alone. They said she didn’t understand the (9)______. That didn’t stop her.
A crowd of 75,000 people welcomed her home and called her a hero.
Three days after her arrival she had her 17th (10)______party.
Read the summary again and use the words in the speech bubble to fi ll in the gaps.
sea lessons people voyage world birthday Harbour boat risks dream
After you have fi nished adding the words, read the summary again and check that the words that you have added make sense in each sentence.
10 • Solo Sailor • Your Point Of View
After reading about Jessica Watson’s solo voyage, which words would you use to describe her? Circle them.
young old quiet silly famous skilled brave friendly popular rich independent confi dent clever sensible afraid shy lonely stubborn calm scared ambitious
Write the words that you have circled and any other words that you can think of to tell your friend about Jessica Watson.
Your opinion
Do you think that Jessica Watson was too young to attempt to sail around the world solo at 16? Give reasons for your answer.
______
______
______
11 • Curse or Coincidence? •
Th is section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA 1502 ACELA1504 ACELA1506 ACELA 1513 ACELA1797 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702 Literature ACELT 1608 ACELT1609
12 • curse or coincidence? • Comprehending Texts
Before reading Curse Or Coincidence? answer the questions. List three facts that you know about Egypt. ______Have you heard of King Tutankhamun? If you have, what do you know about him? ______
Read Curse Or Coincidence? below. If you come across an unfamilar word, try to work out its meaning by reading the rest of the sentence.
• Curse or Coincidence? • For 3,000 years no-one had entered the burial chamber of the Egyptian boy king, Tutankhamun in Luxor, Egypt. That changed in 1922 when a team of archaeologists led by Howard Carter entered the chamber. Of the team that entered that day, only one lived to old age. Was this a coincidence or was it because of the curse of Tutankhamun? When archaeologist Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon and others entered the burial chamber they ignored an important warning. Written in hieroglyphics above the entrance was the message: Death will come to those who disturb the sleep of the Pharaoh. Only 47 days later, Carnarvon died in Cairo. It was thought that he had died from an infected mosquito bite. The night that he died all the lights in the city of Cairo went out without warning. Thousands of kilometres away in England his dog started howling and then died. For several years after Carnarvon’s death, more people who had been on the expedition also died, often unexpectedly. People started to believe that they had died because of the curse of Tutankhamun. Other people argued that there was no curse. They felt that the message in the tomb was there only to scare away anyone who wanted to steal the treasures in the Pharaoh’s burial chamber. If that was the case then the message worked for 3,000 years. Scientist, Louis Bulgarini had another theory about the curse. In 1949 he said that perhaps the ancient Egyptians had used radioactive rock in the burial chamber. He thought that the radiation could still kill a person thousands of years later. After nearly 90 years, the legend of the curse of the boy king continues. Was there really a curse or was it just a coincidence that so many people died? In 1972 the director of antiquities in Cairo said he didn’t believe in the curse and that all the deaths were just a coincidence. However, the night after he supervised the packing of relics for an exhibition in England he died. Was it the curse or simply a coincidence?
13 • curse or coincidence? • Language Features
Curse Or Coincidence? is a non-fi ction text. It is a discussion about an important event. This type of text introduces a topic then presents arguments for and against a point of view and then provides a summary. A discursive text contains some facts and uses words to persuade a reader to adopt a particular point of view.
1. Find fi ve facts in the text.
a. ______
b. ______
c. ______
d. ______
e. ______
2. Find fi ve words or phrases that are trying to persuade the reader.
a. ______
b. ______
c. ______
d. ______
e. ______
3. List two main points that support the point of view that the curse exists.
a. ______
b. ______
4. List two main points that support the point of view that the curse doesn’t exist.
a. ______
b. ______
14 • curse or coincidence? • Scanning For Meaning
Read the text again then answer the questions. Scan the text to locate the information.
1. How long ago did King Tutankhamun die and where was he buried?
______
2. What does an archaeologist do?
______
3. What was Howard Carter’s famous discovery in 1922?
______
4. What are hieroglyphics?
______
5. What is another word for Egyptian king?
______
6. How did the story of the curse of Tutankhamun start?
______
______
7. What do you think was the purpose of the message at the entry to the burial chamber?
______
8. Why do you think that some people believed in the curse?
______
9. What reasons did other people give for not believing in the curse?
______
______
10. Do you think that there is evidence that the curse of Tutankhamun is true? Give reasons for your answer.
______
______
______
15 • curse or coincidence?• Making Meaning
Ology is a suffi x referring to the study of something, usually in the area of science, e.g. biology, technology, radiology. The suffi x ‘ologist’ refers to the person working in a particular area of science, e.g. a radiologist is a medical person who is trained to read x-rays and other images such as scans and ultrasounds.
What do you think an Egyptologist studies? ______
1. Use your dictionary to fi nd out what these people do.
a. archaeologist ______b. palaeontologist ______c. biologist ______d. meteorologist ______e. geologist ______f. ecologist ______g. psychologist ______h. pathologist ______i. zoologist ______
2. Explain what the words in bold mean in the sentences below. Use a dictionary if necessary.
a. No one had entered the burial chamber. ______b. Was this a coincidence? ______c. Written in hieroglyphics. ______d. He thought that radiation could still kill a person. ______e. The director of antiquities in Cairo. ______
16 • curse or coincidence?• A Cloze Activity
Read the short summary about Tutankhamun. As you read the summary, think about the words that you would use to fi ll in the spaces.
• curse or coincidence? •
The archaeologist Howard Carter had worked in (1)______for many years. In 1922 he made a remarkable (2)______in the Valley of the Kings. After much searching he had found the burial (3)______of the young king Tutankhamun.
The discovery of King Tut’s burial place created instant (4)______across the world. Hundreds of (5)______waited each day at the site for the latest news of what he had found.
When Lord Carnarvon became ill and died from an infected (6)______bite, rumours started about the (7)‘______of King Tut’. Soon other (8)______followed and the story of the curse became even stronger. Not everyone believed in the curse. Some said that the deaths were just a (9)______or that there was a reasonable explanation for what happened.
To this day, many people are still not sure if the curse of (10)______really does exist.
Read the summary again and use the words in the speech bubble to fi ll in the spaces.
Egypt news place mosquito curse coincidence Tutankhamun tourists discovery deaths
After you have fi nished adding the words, read the summary again and check that the words that you have added make sense in each sentence.
17 • curse or coincidence? • Your Point Of View
Your opinion
Write a statement making it clear whether you think that the curse of Tutankhamun really exists or is not true.
______
______
______
______
Explain your reasons for taking this point of view.
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
Write a closing summary statement.
______
______
______
______
18 • go sk8 •
Th is section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA 1500 ACELA1504 ACELA1506 ACELA 1512 ACELA1797 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702 Literature ACELT1609
19 • go sk8 • Comprehending Texts
Before reading GO SK8 answer the questions.
Are you a skater? ______List three things that you know about skateboarding. ______ Read Go SK8 below. If you come across an unfamiliar word when you are reading, try to work out its meaning from the rest of the sentence. • GO SK8 • Skateboarding is a sport that has infl uenced fashion and music and has its own language. How and where did this sport start? In the 1950s, surfers in California took surfi ng to the streets. Skateboarding became a fun activity enjoyed after surfi ng. The fi rst basic skateboards were made from boxes or boards with roller wheels attached. Injuries happened often when skaters crashed and hit the road. No one really knows for sure who invented the fi rst skateboard, but gradually basic boards were improved. Sometime later companies started producing skateboard decks made of pressed layers of wood. By the early 1960s, skateboarding had become a popular sport with skaters demonstrating their skills in competitions. However, by the mid-1960s skating had become less popular and people thought of it as just another fad like the hula hoop which would soon disappear. Companies that were building skateboards began to close which forced keen skaters to make their own boards. Sourcing parts for skateboards became diffi cult for skaters and clay wheels made the boards hard to steer. In 1972 Frank Nasworthy invented urethane (a type of plastic) wheels, which created new interest in the sport and attracted non-surfers who wanted to try to skate. By 1975 skaters were showing off diff erent skills. They rode their boards low to the ground, amazing spectators. A few years later, skater Alan ‘Ollie’ Gelfand, invented a jump now called the ollie. By slamming his back foot down on the tail of the board he was able to propel himself and his board into the air. The ollie quickly became a popular move. By the 1990s skateboarding grew in popularity and skaters began to invent many amazing tricks. Professional skaters now share their skills on YouTube and there are international competitions and skills exhibitions. Companies now produce skateboards for young beginners as well as professionals. Skateboarding is even being considered as an Olympic sport, but many skaters feel that if this happens, skateboarding will lose its appeal as a sport where skaters show individual style, and will be in danger of becoming mainstream.
20 • go sk8 • Language Features
Organising information in chronological order can help the reader to predict what will happen next and also locate information easily. 1. Find these dates in the text and complete each sentence.
a. In the 1950s ______b. By the early 1960s ______c. By the mid-1960s ______d. In 1972 ______e. By 1975 ______f. By the 1990s ______g. At the present time ______h. Maybe in the Olympics ______i. The future of skateboarding is ______
Language and spelling changes over time. 2. Translate the text messages below.
a. M8 ______f. BCNU ______
b. EZ ______g. GOSK8 ______
c. SK8 ______h. CUL8R ______
d. OIC ______i. SK8RBOI ______
e. SK8R ______j. UR 1DRFL ______
21 • go sk8 • Scanning For Meaning
Read GO SK8 on page 20 again then answer the questions below. Scan the text to locate the information.
1. How did the sport of skateboarding start?
______
______
2. Which country did it start in?
______
3. What materials were used to make the fi rst skateboards?
______
4. Who invented the skateboard?
______
5. Why did skateboarding become less popular in the 1960s?
______
______
6. What was invented in 1972 that made skateboarding more popular?
______
7. Explain what an ‘ollie’ is and where the name came from.
______
______
8. Which age group mostly uses skateboards?
______
9. Do you think that skateboarding is a mainstream sport? Give reasons for your answer.
______
10. Do you think that skateboarding will ever be an Olympic sport? Give reasons for your answer.
______
22 • go sk8 • Matching For Meaning
Study the diagram of the skateboard below, then match each word with its meaning.
Front of the skateboard. KICKTAIL Back of the skateboard - slightly upturned. BOARD (or DECK)
Main part of the skateboard for standing on. WHEELS
NOSE For traction, usually made of polyurethane.
TRUCK Front and rear axle assemblies that connect the wheels to the deck.
DECK NOSE skaters stand front of the on this part of board - slightly the skateboard upturned
WHEELS usually made from polyurethane
KICKTAIL TRUCK upturned for connects the leverage wheels to the deck
Match the tricks with the descriptions.
___ = air ___ = regular foot ___ = nollie ___ = 360 fl ip
___ = ollie ___ = goofy foot ___ = pop
a. Striking the tail of the board against the ground to propel it upwards.
b. Riding with all wheels in the air.
c. A skater who rides with the left foot forward.
d. Turning the board a full 360 degrees.
e. A jump named after Alan ‘Ollie’ Gelfand.
f. An ollie performed with the front foot.
g. A skater who rides with the right foot forward.
23 • go sk8 • A Cloze Activity
Read this short summary about skateboarding. As you read, think about the words that you would use to fi ll in the spaces.
• skateboarding •
Skateboarding started in the 1950s in California, when surfers began to use their surfi ng (1) ______on land. They thought that it would be fun to take surfi ng to the streets.
No one knows who invented the fi rst (2) ______. The early skateboards were made from (3) ______. Skaters often fell off and (4) ______themselves. It didn’t take long before companies were making skateboard (5) ______and skateboarding became a popular (6) ______.
After a few years skateboarding became less popular and people thought it would soon (7) ______. Companies closed down and skaters had to make their own boards and fi nd parts. In 1972 Frank Nasworthy invented a new type of (8) ______. Skateboarding took off again and skaters started doing amazing (9) ______.
Skateboarding is still a very popular sport. Companies now produce skateboards for young children as well as professional (10) ______. Skateboarding is even being considered as a future Olympic event.
Read the summary again and use the words in the speech bubble to fi ll in the gaps.
skills boxes decks skaters injured wheel disappear activity tricks skateboard
24 • bigfoot or big fake?•
Th is section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA1506 ACELA 1508 ACELA 1513 ACELA1797 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702 Literature ACELT1609
25 •• Solobigfoot Sailor or big • fake? • Comprehending Texts
Before reading Bigfoot Or Big Fake? answer the question. What do you know about the stories of Bigfoot? ______
Read Bigfoot Or Big Fake? If you come across a diffi cult word when you are reading, try to work out its meaning from the rest of the sentence. • Bigfoot or Big Fake? • The name of the large, hairy creature known as Bigfoot in North America changes from one country to another. It’s called Sasquatch in Canada, the Yeti or Abominable Snowman in the Himalayan Mountains and the Yowie in Australia. For hundreds of years there have been alleged sightings of this giant, hairy creature that lives in forests. In all countries, the stories and sightings by people who have claimed to have seen the creature, have common features. Bigfoot is reported as being nocturnal, as it has rarely been seen in the daytime. Reports claim that it is two to three metres when standing, much taller than the average human, and weighs around 230 kilograms. It is believed to be covered in long dark brown or dark red hair, have large eyes and a large low-set forehead with a distinct solid brow ridge. Witnesses have described the top of its head as rounded, similar to a big male gorilla. Bigfoot has also been described as having a strong, unpleasant odour. The name ‘Bigfoot’ comes from the giant footprints that have been described as belonging to it. Footsteps that have been photographed measure as large as 60 centimetres long and 20 centimetres wide. That’s a very big foot! Most footprints have fi ve toes but some have two toes and some others have six toes. Some prints show long claw marks, some have none. Is Bigfoot real or fake? Scientists say that reported Bigfoot sightings are often sightings of other animals that are not identifi ed correctly such as bears or apes or are simply hoaxes. There have been some very clever and very believable reports of Bigfoot which include photographs and footprints, which have later been proven to be clever fakes. In 1958 Ray Wallace reported huge footprints in an area where he was using a bulldozer. He also recorded sounds and showed photographs of a large hairy creature. However, more than forty years later Wallace’s family revealed how the Bigfoot footprints were created using large wooden foot shapes and the photographs were people in costume. Biologists, anthropologists and palaeontologists agree that there is no real evidence that Bigfoot exists as no remains have ever been found. However, as long as the legend of Bigfoot survives, there will always be people who believe in it and others who are sceptical.
26 •• Solobigfoot Sailor or big • fake? • Language Features
Bigfoot Or Big Fake? includes detailed descriptions. In the text there are a number of noun and adjective groups that describe Bigfoot, e.g. huge footprints.
1. Find fi ve examples of noun and adjective groups in the text.
a. ______
b. ______
c. ______
d. ______
e. ______
2. Work out the meaning of these words by checking the text or using a dictionary.
a. alleged ______
b. distinct ______
c. evidence ______
d. remains ______
e. sceptical ______
Read this sentence from the text and explain why it is necessary to use the word ‘alleged’. ‘For hundreds of years there have been alleged sightings of this giant, hairy creature that lives in the forest.’
______
______
27 •• Solobigfoot Sailor or big • fake? • Scanning For Meaning
Read the text again then answer the questions. Scan the text to locate the information.
1. Bigfoot is also known by other names such as ______and ______and
______and ______. 2. In what habitat has Bigfoot usually been sighted? ______3. At which time of the day have most sightings been recorded? ______4. How does the fact that Bigfoot has only been seen at night and in forest areas help to keep up the mystery? ______5. Describe what witnesses say Bigfoot looks like. ______6. What animals does Bigfoot resemble? ______7. Why do you think Bigfoot’s footprints have been found but there is no other evidence to support the claims of its existence? ______8. How have people faked Bigfoot sightings? ______9. What do most scientists think about the existence of Bigfoot? ______10. Do you think that Bigfoot is fact or fi ction? Give reasons for your response. ______
28 •• Solobigfoot Sailor or big • fake? • A Cloze Activity
Read the story below entitled Bigfoot. Use your own descriptive words to fi ll in the blanks so that the story makes sense.
• Bigfoot •
No one has reported seeing Bigfoot in the daytime so people think that
Bigfoot is a (1) ______creature. People who say that they have
seen Bigfoot describe it as a (2) ______creature, taller than a
human and weighing around (3) ______kilograms. Its body is
covered in (4) ______, (5)______hair. It has a large (6)
______forehead with a distinct (7) ______brow ridge
and (8) ______eyes. The top of its head is
(9) ______like that of a large male
gorilla.
The name Bigfoot comes from the footprints
that people claim belong to it, measuring (10)
______centimetres long and (11)
______centimetres wide. It is also said to
have an (12) ______odour.
How do you think that someone would fake Bigfoot footprints, photographs and videos to convince someone else that Bigfoot is real?
______
______
______
29 •• Solobigfoot Sailor or big • fake? • Exploring Bigfoot Further
1. Use a dictionary to fi nd out what work these people do and why they would be interested in Bigfoot sightings.
anthropologist: ______
______
biologist: ______
______
palaeontologist: ______
______
2. Do you know any other words that end in ‘ologist’?
______
3. Do you think that Bigfoot really exists?
Write a statement making it clear whether you think that Bigfoot really exists or is a fake.
______
Explain your reasons for taking this point of view.
______
______
______
______
Write a closing summary statement.
______
______
______
30 • Gondwanaland •
Th is section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA1506 ACELA 1512 ACELA1797 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702 Literature ACELT1609
31 •• SoloGondwanaland Sailor • • Comprehending Texts
Before reading Gondwanaland below, answer the question.
Have you ever heard of Gondwanaland? If you have, what do you know about it? ______
Read Gondwanaland. If you come across an unfamiliar word, try to work out its meaning from the rest of the sentence.
• Gondwanaland • For many millions of years all the lands on Earth were joined together forming one large super-continent. This continent was called Pangaea, a Greek word meaning ‘all lands’. How do scientists know that the continents were once joined together so long ago? Since the 1600s, cartographers have noticed that the outlines of continents look like jigsaw pieces that could fi t together. In the 1800s palaeontologists discovered that some fossil plants and animals were similar in diff erent continents. Some rock formations in diff erent continents were also similar. During the late 1800s an Austrian geologist, Edward Suess, put forward the theory that millions of years ago there had been a land bridge connecting the continents now called Antarctica, Australia, India, Africa and South America. He discovered that a fossil plant - Glossopteris - was found in each of these continents. This was proof that these lands must once have been joined together. Suess named this super-continent Gondwanaland. In 1915 the German geologist and meteorologist, Alfred Wegener put forward the theory of continental drift. His theory was that the Earth’s crust was slowly moving. He said that 200 million years ago there was a gigantic super-continent, which he named Pangaea. Scientists now agree that many millions of years ago the super-continent Pangaea gradually separated into two main continents. The continent in the north was called Laurasia. The continent in the south was called Gondwanaland. Gondwanaland consisted of what is now called Australia, Antarctica, India, Africa, parts of South America and the island of Madagascar. Eventually Gondwanaland changed, as the continents that we know today very slowly moved apart. Scientists say that this Laurasia happened because the top layer of the Earth’s crust is made up of sections called tectonic plates. Some of these plates are called oceanic plates. Others are continental plates located under continents. These plates move slowly and sometimes move in diff erent directions. Gondwanaland The plates are still moving and changing. When two oceanic plates move together a volcano may be formed. When two continental plates come together mountain ranges can be formed. The Earth does not change rapidly. Scientists say that the plates move extremely slowly at a rate of 10 centimetres 200 million each year, so there won’t be any major changes any time soon. years ago...
32 •• SoloGondwanaland Sailor • • Language Features 1
Gondwanaland provides an explanation about the Earth and the formation of continents. Many words and phrases that are used in the text indicate time, e.g. ‘for millions of years’.
1. Find examples of words or phrases that indicate time in each paragraph.
• ______• ______
• ______• ______
• ______• ______
• ______• ______
The explanation about Gondwanaland contains a number of scientifi c words or phrases. 2. Locate fi ve examples in the text.
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
The text refers to a number of diff erent place names such as the super-continent Gondwanaland. 3. List ten locations.
• ______• ______
• ______• ______
• ______• ______
• ______• ______
• ______• ______
33 •• SoloGondwanaland Sailor • • Language Features 2
Read the words on the left and match them with their correct meanings on the right.
___ SCIENTIST a. A map maker.
b. The remains of an ancient plant or animal ___ ROCK preserved as rock.
___ CONTINENT c. A person who studies natural or physical science.
___ THEORY d. A mountain that erupts with molten rock, and ash.
___ PROOF e. Something that shows a thing is true.
___ EARTH f. The two plates that move across the Earth’s surface.
___ VOLCANO g. A large mass of stone.
___ TECTONIC PLATE h. One of the seven large land masses.
___ FOSSIL i. The planet that we live on.
j. An explanation based on observation or ___ CARTOGRAPHER reason.
A suffi x is added to the end of a word to create a new word. The suffi x ‘graph’ is Greek in origin and means ‘to scratch or write’.
Find a word in the text that has ‘graph’ in it. ______Write three more words that include the word graph. ______
34 •• SoloGondwanaland Sailor • • Scanning For Meaning
Read the text Gondwanaland on page 32 again, then answer the questions. Scan the text to locate the information.
1. Which areas on the Earth were called Pangaea? ______2. What feature had cartographers in the 1600s noticed about the outlines of the continents? ______3. What discovery did palaeontologists make in the 1800s? ______4. Who put forward the theory that a land bridge existed between the continents? ______5. Explain Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift. ______6. How long ago did the super-continent Pangaea split into two continents? ______7. What were the two continents called? ______8. Explain what ‘tectonic plates’ means. ______9. What can happen when tectonic plates move? ______10. Do you think that in the future the continents will stay the same as they are now? Give reasons for your answer. ______
35 •• SoloGondwanaland Sailor • • A Cloze Activity
Read the short summary entitled Gondwanaland below. As you read the summary, use your own words to fi ll in the spaces.
• Gondwanaland • Millions of years ago all the lands on Earth were (1) ______in one large super-continent called Pangaea. How do scientists (2) ______this? Edward Suess (3) ______that once there had been a land bridge between the continents. He (4) ______the same fossil plant in Australia, Antarctica, India, South America and Africa. He said that (5) ______the continents were once joined.
Over time the super-continent gradually (6) ______into two main continents: Laurasia and Gondwanaland. Eventually Gondwanaland (7) ______as the continents that we know today slowly moved apart. Scientists say this (8) ______because of the movement of the tectonic plates. These plates are still (9)______very slowly. It can take thousands of years for changes to (10)______so there won’t be any change in the near future.
Use a map of the world on the computer or in an atlas to identify the names of each of the continents that were once joined together.
Laurasia
Gondwanaland
200 million years ago... 36 • ufo Sightings •
Th is section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA1506 ACELA 1508 ACELA 1512 ACELA1797 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702 Literature ACELT1609
37 •• Soloufo Sailorsightings • • Comprehending Texts
Before reading UFO Sightings below, answer the questions.
What do you know about UFOs? ______
______
Have you ever seen a UFO? ______
Read UFO Sightings. If you come across an unfamiliar word, try to work out its meaning from the rest of the sentence.
• UFO Sightings • What is a UFO? It’s a visible object fl ying in the sky that cannot be identifi ed by the observer or an investigator. People often think that UFOs are alien spaceships. Observations of unidentifi ed fl ying objects have been reported for centuries. One of the fi rst sightings was written on Egyptian papyrus in 1450 BC. In 329 BC Alexander the Great recorded an unusual sighting before a battle. Over the years there have been many recorded reports in diff erent countries of unusual objects in the sky. Some sightings were probably astronomical such as Halley’s Comet, or meteors or even one of the planets orbiting closer to the Earth. Some sightings could have been strange cloud formations. Since World War II, sightings of UFOs have been investigated more closely. This is mainly because the military observe activities in the sky for safety reasons. One of the fi rst reports that gained wide publicity was the sighting of UFOs by pilot Kenneth Arnold at just before 3pm on 24th June 1947. He claimed that he had observed nine fl ying objects moving at very high speeds in and out of the peaks of the Cascade Mountains that he was fl ying over. The crafts fl ipping on their sides refl ecting the sunlight caught his attention. Arnold described the lead objects as crescent shaped but the others were fl at-shaped like discs. Soon people were referring to UFOs as ‘fl ying saucers’. Over the years there have been many reported sightings of UFOs in many countries. In Australia in June 2007 a UFO was allegedly seen moving through the sky just before sunrise in NSW, the ACT and Queensland. Emails, photographs and videos that described and captured a huge white light that spiralled in the sky, became big news. An astronomer said that it was probably a satellite, space junk or a rocket. Many of the UFO sightings in the past 50 years have been elaborate hoaxes, clever enough to trick newspaper and TV reporters. Many of the sightings can be explained. However, there are still many sightings that remain a mystery.
38 •• Soloufo Sailorsightings • • Language Features
UFO Sightings is an information report. It includes some technical language about UFOs. 1. Find fi ve examples of technical language in the report, e.g. investigator.
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
In the text there are a number of descriptions and explanations (containing adjectives and nouns) of UFO sightings. 2. Find ten examples of adjective and noun descriptions.
• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______
An abbreviation is the shortened form of a word or several words, e.g. SA, NSW. 3. Find four examples of abbreviations in the text.
• ______• ______• ______• ______
4. Skim the text and fi nd the information about the UFO sighted over eastern Australia in 2007. Write a short description of what was seen.
______
39 •• Soloufo Sailorsightings • • Scanning For Meaning
Read the text UFO Sightings on page 38 again, then answer the questions. Scan the text to locate the information.
1. What do the initials UFO mean?
______
2. When and where were the fi rst UFO sightings recorded?
______
______
3. What could the early sightings of UFOs have been?
______
4. Why were reported sightings of UFOs investigated and taken more seriously after the 1940s?
______
5. What did Kenneth Arnold report in 1947?
______
______
6. Where does the term ‘fl ying saucers’ come from?
______
7. Why do some people fake UFO sightings?
______
______
8. What important UFO sighting in Australia was reported by a lot of people in several states?
______
9. What do you think about the explanation for this sighting?
______
10. What sort of things could be mistaken for a UFO?
______
______
40 •• Soloufo Sailorsightings • • A Cloze Activity
Read the short summary about UFOs below. As you read the summary, think about the words that you would use to fi ll in the spaces.
• UFO Sightings •
A UFO is an unidentifi ed fl ying (1) ______that cannot be explained. For centuries there have been reports of UFOs in many countries around the (2) ______. The earliest (3) ______were recorded over 3,000 years ago. Some of the sightings were probably astronomical, such as comets or (4) ______, or perhaps they were just strange cloud formations.
In the 1940s UFO sightings were investigated more closely because of concerns about national (5)______. Kenneth Arnold reported unusual sightings while fl ying over the Cascade Mountains. When he described some of the craft as ‘fl at-shaped like (6) ______’ people started to call UFOs ‘fl ying saucers’. After Arnold’s report, many other people claimed that they had seen fl ying (7) ______. Although most reported UFO sightings are genuine, many are just very clever (8) ______.
In Australia in 2007 many people in the east reported a huge, white (9) ______that spiralled in the sky. Astronomers said it was probably a satellite, space (10) ______or a rocket.
Read the summary again and use the words in the speech bubble to fi ll in the gaps.
meteors junk discs sightings security world light saucers hoaxes object
41 •• Soloufo Sailorsightings • • Are UFOs Real?
Imagine that you are out camping under the stars on a clear, dark night and suddenly you look up and see something in the sky that you’ve never seen before.
1. Describe the unidentifi ed fl ying object.
______
______
______
______
______
2. Now draw the UFO. Your drawing should match your description.
Your opinion
Do you think that UFOs are real? Give reasons for your answer.
______
______
______
42 • freerunning •
Th is section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA1506 ACELA 1508 ACELA 1512 ACELA1797 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702 Literature ACELT1609
43 •• Solofreerunning Sailor • • Comprehending Texts
Before reading Freerunning below, answer the questions.
Do you enjoy running? ______
Have you seen freerunners in a movie or on a video game? ______
Read Freerunning below. If you come across an unfamiliar word, try to work out its meaning from the rest of the sentence. • Freerunning • Have you seen someone in a movie, (especially Jackie Chan movies) music video, TV advertisement or computer game climb up walls, jump across buildings or move very athletically from one point to another? They are people who enjoy freerunning. What is freerunning? It’s a combination of running and acrobatic moves used by very fi t runners to move from one place to another. It’s usually practised in a city environment but can also be done in rural areas or anywhere that gives the runner an opportunity to use their amazing skills. The term ‘freerunning’ was fi rst used in the documentary Jump London in 2003 about the sport of parkour. The runners ran around many of London’s famous landmarks using amazing skills. The French word parkour was translated into freerunning for English speakers. Parkour as a sport focuses on effi cient movement. However, freerunning focuses on total freedom of movement including many acrobatic moves. Freerunners say that it is important to do the moves your own way, to be creative and move in the way that you enjoy. When freerunning, the runners move around locations in their environment that would normally be diffi cult to cross. They scale walls, jump over barriers, roll and spring from one point to another and even jump from one building to another many metres above the ground. Freerunning tests a person mentally and physically. It’s a very athletic sport and suitable only for a person who is very fi t. Some runners train outside with obstacles before they attempt any freerunning. Others train in a large indoor area that has a gigantic obstacle course set up where runners can practise so they don’t hurt themselves. When a runner feels confi dent, they move from place to place choosing moves that get the best results. Some runners would like to see freerunning competitions set up. Other runners say that it’s all about doing what you enjoy rather than having to compete and do the same moves. Freerunning is still a minority sport but it’s becoming more popular in movies, TV shows, books, music videos, advertisements and computer games so more people will defi nitely start doing it.
44 •• Solofreerunning Sailor • • Language Features 1
Freerunning is an explanatory text. It explains information about the sport, what it is, its history, how to train and how and where you can do it. In the text there are a number of prepositional phrases. These phrases contain ‘position’ words such as: in, under, across, over, around. 1. Find fi ve prepositional phrases in the text.
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
In the text there are a number of verb groups that describe what the runners do, e.g. climb up walls. 2. Find fi ve verb groups in the text.
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
In the text there are a number of noun groups that describe the sport and what the runners do, e.g. new sport, city environment. 3. Find fi ve noun groups in the text.
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
• ______
45 •• Solofreerunning Sailor • • Language Features 2
Write the meaning of the word that is underlined. Use a dictionary if needed.
1. Freerunning is running combined with acrobatic moves.
acrobatic: ______
2. It’s a very athletic sport.
athletic: ______
3. Parkour is about effi cient movement.
effi cient: ______
4. The runners ran around London’s famous landmarks.
landmarks: ______
5. Freerunning is still a minority sport.
minority: ______
6. They train using a giant obstacle course.
obstacle: ______
7. You can run in city or rural areas.
rural: ______
8. A freerunner can scale walls and jump over barriers.
scale:______
Circle the words that you think best describe freerunning.
amazing solo dangerous
risky mad incredible
athletic smart tough
silly safe team-sport
acrobatic challenging slow
46 •• Solofreerunning Sailor • • Scanning For Meaning
Read the text Freerunning on page 44 again, then answer the questions. Scan the text to locate the information. 1. What is freerunning?
______
______
2. Have you ever seen a person doing freerunning in a movie or in an advertisement or a computer game? Where did you see it?
______
3. When was the term ‘freerunning’ fi rst used?
______
4. What is the diff erence between parkour and freerunning?
______
5. Do you think that someone would have to train to do freerunning or could a person just try it? Give a reason for your answer.
______
______
6. Where could you train to do this sport?
______
7. What kind of skills does a freerunner use?
______
8. Where can a freerunner show their skills?
______
9. Would you like to try freerunning? Give a reason for your answer.
______
______
10. Do you think that freerunning could be dangerous? Why?
______
______
47 •• Solofreerunning Sailor • • Matching For Meaning
To be able to do freerunning, fi tness and strength training are important.
Match the move with the illustrations.
Jump: jumping from one object to another landing on both feet.
Drop: drop from a height and land on your feet.
Dive roll: land and roll.
Vault: jumping over an obstacle.
Flip: backfl ip off a wall.
Your opinion
Do you think that in the future more people will take up freerunning? Give reasons for your answer.
______
______
______
48 •• Solofreerunning Sailor • • A Cloze Activity
Read the short summary below about freerunning. As you read the summary, think about the words that you would use to fi ll in the spaces.
• Freerunning •
Freerunning is a great activity for people who are very fi t. What exactly is freerunning? It’s a combination of running plus (1) ______moves that a runner uses to get from one place to (2) ______place. Freerunning is mostly done in (3) ______areas but can be done anywhere. Freerunning fi rst gained popularity in the (4) ______Jump London.
Freerunning encourages runners to use total (5)______of movement, to be creative and to move in any way the person wants to move.
To do freerunning, the runner has to be fi t (6) ______and physically. Moving quickly by running, (7) ______, climbing and landing makes it interesting. The (8) ______chooses the moves that get the best (9)______.
Freerunning is getting popular now in movies, computer (10) ______, advertisements and books.
Read the summary again and use the words in the speech bubble to fi ll in the gaps.
games runner another acrobatic documentary results mentally freedom city jumping
49 • go casey •
Covers the following Australian Curriculum Links:
Language ACELA1504 ACELA1506 ACELA 1512 ACELA 1797
Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702
Literature ACELT1609
50 • go casey • Comprehending Texts 1
Read Casey Stoner’s biography below. If you come across an unfamiliar word when you are reading, try to work out its meaning from the rest of the sentence. • Go Casey • 1985 Born on 16th October 1985 at Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia. 1988 By age three, he was taking his fi rst ride on a Peewee 50cc. 1989 At age four, Casey competed in his fi rst race in the under nines category on a dirt racing track. 1991 By age six, he had won his fi rst Australian title. 1997 At age 12, Casey raced in the Australian long track titles in fi ve diff erent categories. He won 32 out of 35 races and won fi ve Australian titles at the meet. 1999 Between ages six and fourteen, Casey had raced all over Australia. During this time, he won 41 Australian dirt and long track titles and over 70 state titles, riding diff erent motorbikes in diff erent categories. 1999 Just after his 14th birthday Casey and his family moved to England where he could legally road race. In Australia, he couldn’t road race until he was 16 years. 2000 At age 15 in his fi rst year of road racing he won the 125cc GP Aprilia Championship. 2001 At age 16, Casey raced in both the English and Spanish championships and came second in both. He also started racing on a 250cc bike. 2003 He achieved four podium fi nishes and his fi rst race win in the 125cc GP series at Valencia. 2004 At age 18, Casey made it to the podium six times. 2005 Casey won fi ve races in the 250cc World Championship Series and was on the podium for top fi nishes ten times. 2006 At age 20, Casey achieved his ambition of racing in the fast 250cc MotoGP class. He was the youngest rider and fi nished eighth overall against experienced riders. 2007 Casey won his fi rst ever 800cc Grand Prix in the MotoGP class. On 23rd September in Japan he won the World Championship and became the second youngest rider to win the world title. 2008 He was named Young Australian of the Year. 2008 He fi nished the series runner-up to the champion. 2009 Casey ended the championship season in fourth position overall after winning the Australian Grand Prix. 2010 A few crashes with mixed results in the races. 2011 Casey is on track for another world championship.
51 • go casey • Comprehending Texts 2
A biography is the story of a person’s life written by another person. It usually contains important information such as places, dates, names, events and technical language. 1. List four dates and achievements that you consider to be important in Casey Stoner’s life.
• ______• ______• ______• ______
In the biography there are some words that are specifi c to the sport of motorbike racing. This is known as technical language. 2. Read the sentences below then explain what the underlined words mean.
1. He competed in his fi rst race in the under nines category.
category: ______
2. He fi nished the series runner-up to the champion.
champion: ______
3. Casey won his fi rst ever 800cc Grand Prix in the MotoGP class.
Grand Prix: ______
4. He won fi ve Australian titles at the meet.
meet: ______
5. He was on the podium for top fi nishers ten times.
podium: ______
6. What do the letters cc tell you about these motorbikes: 50cc, 125cc, 250cc, 800cc?
cc tells me the size of the motorbike’s ______
52 • go casey • Scanning For Meaning
Casey Stoner’s biography refers to a number of dates, ages, motorbike races and achievements. Scan the text Go Casey on page 51 to fi nd the information that you need to answer the questions below.
1. At what age did Casey Stoner fi rst show an interest in a motorbike?
______
2. When did he compete in his fi rst race?
______
3. How old was he when he won his fi rst title?
______
4. At age 12 what did he achieve that was important?
______
______
5. Which championship did Stoner win at age 15?
______
6. What do the letters cc refer to on a motorbike?
______
7. When did Stoner win his fi rst 800cc Grand Prix? How old was he?
______
8. How did Stoner rate in the series in 2010?
______
9. What was Casey Stoner doing when he was the same age as you?
______
______
10. What do you think that Casey Stoner’s future will be on the motorbike racing circuit?
______
______
53 • go casey • A Cloze Activity
Read the short summary below about Casey Stoner. As you read the summary, think about the words that you would use to fi ll in the spaces.
• Go Casey •
Casey Stoner was riding his fi rst junior motorbike when he was (1)______years old. By age (2)______he was competing in his fi rst race. Two (3)______later he won his fi rst Australian title. When he was 12 he won 32 out of 35 races and won (4)______Australian titles at one meet. Just after his 14th birthday, Casey’s family moved to England. Casey was allowed to road race there legally but in Australia he couldn’t road race until he was (5)______.
At age (6)______in his fi rst year of road racing he won the 125cc GP Aprilia Championship. At 18 he successfully made it to the podium (7) ______times. He continued with more successes. Then at age (8)______he won his fi rst 800cc Grand Prix in the MotoGP class. He was the (9) ______youngest rider to win the title.
Since then, Stoner has continued his successful career. In 2008 he was named Young Australian of the (10) ______. In 2009 he won the Australian Grand Prix.
Now read the summary again and use the words in the speech bubble below to fi ll in the gaps.
four fi ve sixteen years twenty-one three Year second six fi fteen
54 • go casey • Autobiography
Write your autobiography. The dates below will help you to write about important steps in your life. Add other dates or events that are important to you.
Birth date: ______
Birth place: ______
Age two: ______
______
______
Age fi ve: ______
______
______
Age twelve: ______
______
______
Age thirteen: ______
______
______
Now: ______
______
______
Other dates: ______
______
______
______
55 •• tsunamiSolo Sailor survivor • •
Th is section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA 1500 ACELA1504 ACELA1506 ACELA1797 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702 Literature ACELT1609
56 •• Solotsunami Sailor •survivor • Comprehending Texts
Before reading Tsunami Survivor below, answer the questions.
What do you know about a tsunami? ______
______
What do you think causes a tsunami? ______
______
Read Tsunami Survivor below. If you come across an unfamiliar word, try to work out its meaning from the rest of the sentence. • Tsunami Survivor • On 11th March 2011 northern Japan was hit by a deadly tsunami caused by a major off shore earthquake. Its huge eight metre waves covered everything in its path – people, animals, cars, boats, homes and buildings. For many days rescue crews worked hard to fi nd survivors in the wreckage. Over 20,000 were found dead or pronounced missing. Three weeks after the tsunami on 1st April, another news item spread across the world. A medium-sized brown dog was spotted during an aerial search for survivors off the coast. It was observed walking around on what was left of a roof. The roof was fl oating a kilometre and a half off Japan’s north coast, with other debris. The crew of the search helicopter who spotted the dog soon reported that they were running low on fuel so they called in the coast guard rescue boat. As the rescue boat approached the fl oating wreckage, the frightened dog hid. It took some time before a rescuer was able to encourage the dog closer so that he could catch it. Later, people all over the world watched as the exhausted dog was safely moved to the coast guard boat. The footage of the dog quickly captured the hearts of viewers as the rescuers hugged the dog and it licked its rescuers’ hands. The dog was wearing a collar but rescuers were not able to identify where the dog had come from or trace its owner as it had no identifi cation tag. Later that day, a Japanese woman watching the news recognised her dog, Ban. “I recognised her immediately after seeing her face,” she said. The reunion of Ban with her owner was emotional. Ban wagged her tail and jumped quickly into her owner’s arms. “I am happy that she seems healthy. I want to cherish her always when I take her back.” A happy reunion marked the end of a wonderful story of survival.
57 •• Solotsunami Sailor •survivor • Language Features 1
The text Tsunami Survivor on page 57 is a report. It relates events in the order that they happened in the past. 1. List ten verbs in the text that are in the past tense, e.g. reported.
• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______• ______
There are a number of words and phrases in the report that indicate time, e.g. ‘later’ and ‘It took some time’. 2. Circle the words that indicate time: after above meanwhile earlier quickly before soon noisily during certainly eventually later 3. List the main events that happened in this report by completing the sentences below. Underline the words or phrases that indicate time.
1. In March 2011 ______
______
2. For many days ______
______
3. On 1st April ______
______
4. It took some time ______
______
5. Later ______
______
58 •• Solotsunami Sailor •survivor • Language Features 2
The word tsunami is a Japanese word that comes from two words: ‘tsu’ meaning harbour and ‘nami’ meaning wave. The word tsunami means a very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption. The word tsunami has a silent ‘t’ at the beginning of the word.
Silent Letters
Can you fi nd another word in the second paragraph of the text on page 57 that has a silent letter at the beginning of the word?
______
The words below all have a silent letter at the beginning of the word. This happens because the way that we say words changes over time. Circle the silent letter in each word then match each word with its meaning below.
a. a small insect ___ gnat
b. a tangle in rope or a chain ___ gnome
___ honest c. to struggle with someone
___ knight d. a small creature in fairy stories
___ knot e. to form letters or words
___ knowledge f. a nobleman who fought for the king or queen
___ knuckle g. an extinct fl ying reptile
___ pneumonia h. a fi nger joint
___ pterodactyl i. an illness caused by an infection in the lungs
___ wrestle j. not correct
___ write k. truthful or fair
___ wrong l. information that is known
59 •• Solotsunami Sailor •survivor • Scanning For Meaning
Read the text Tsunami Survivor again on page 57, then answer the questions below. Scan the text to locate the information.
1. When did the earthquake hit Japan?
______
2. What is a tsunami and how is it caused?
______
______
3. How long after the tsunami hit was the dog spotted?
______
4. Where was the dog when it was found?
______
5. Describe the rescue of the dog.
______
______
______
6. How was the dog’s owner found?
______
7. What emotions do you think the dog’s owner experienced when she fi rst saw her dog?
______
8. How do you think the dog managed to survive for three weeks after the tsunami?
______
9. Why do you think that people all over the world were so interested in this story of survival?
______
______
60 •• Solotsunami Sailor •survivor • A Cloze Activity
Read the short summary about Ban, the tsunami survivor. As you read the summary, think about the words that you would use to fi ll in the spaces.
• Tsunami Survivor •
In March 2011, Japan was hit by a tsunami caused by a major (1) ______. For weeks rescuers worked day and night to fi nd any (2)______. On 1st April, (3) ______raced around the world that a brown (4)______had been spotted on the wreckage of a house fl oating in the sea. The crew of the helicopter reported the sighting but because they were running low in (5) ______they couldn’t rescue the dog. The coast guard came to its (6)______. The dog was taken on board a boat where it gratefully accepted (7)______from its rescuers.
People all over the (8)______were excited by this story of survival. The rescuers weren’t able to identify the (9) ______of the dog. However, the owner recognised her dog, Ban, when she saw the news coverage of the rescue. Soon after, Ban and her owner were reunited. Ban wagged her tail and jumped into the (10)______of her owner. This is a happy tale of survival.
Now read the summary again and use the words below to fi ll in the gaps.
dog owner world arms hugs survivors fuel news rescue earthquake
extras On the back of this sheet or on some lined paper: Make a word bank of words that describe a tsunami. Make a list of the problems that people in Japan faced in the weeks after the tsunami struck. Say whether you think people should be able to take their pets to emergency evacuation shelters, e.g. after a cyclone or a fl ood. Give reasons for your response.
61 Answers
P7 2. An archaeologist studies the people and customs of 1. Possible answers: May 2009, 18th October 2009, 15th ancient times. May 2010, Australia Day 2011, 16 metre cabin cruiser, 3. He discovered the burial chamber of King Tutankhamun. 23,000 nautical miles, 10.23 metre boat, 210 days, crowd of 4. Hieroglyphics is an Egyptian form of writing which uses 75,000. pictures to represent sounds and words. 2. Paragraph three (possible answer): In May 2009 Jessica 5. Pharaoh. Watson announced her plan to sail solo and unassisted 6. The story of the curse started when Lord Carnarvon died round the world, a distance of around 23,000 nautical 47 days after he entered the burial chamber. miles. 7. The purpose of the message was to scare away anyone Paragraph fi ve (possible answer): Jessica Watson left who tried to steal the treasures in the burial chamber. Sydney on 18th October in her 10.23 metre boat and 8. They believed in it because gradually nearly all the started her solo adventure, which included sailing in all people who went into the burial chamber died. conditions. 9. They said that the deaths were just a coincidence and 3. In 2005, at age 12 Jessica decided that she wanted to that the theory that radioactive rocks could have killed sail solo round the world. people was probably true. In May 2009 she announced her plans to sail solo round P16 the world. 1. Defi nitions will vary depending on the dictionaries used. On 18th October 2009 she left Sydney Harbour in her 2. chamber: a private room; coincidence: events that are 10.23 metre boat – Ella’s Pink Lady – and headed eastward accidental but seeem to be planned; hieroglyphics: writing into the Pacifi c Ocean. which uses pictures to represent sounds and words; On 15th May 2010 she arrived back in Sydney Harbour radiation: the spreading of rays, particles or waves by a after being at sea alone for 210 days. radioactive substance; antiquities: objects belonging to On 26th January 2011 she was named Young Australian of ancient times the Year. P17 P8 1. Egypt 2. discovery 3. chamber 4. news 5. tourists 1. To sail solo round the world. 6. mosquito 7. curse 8. deaths 9. coincidence 2. To sail around the world. 10. Tutankhamun 3. May 2009. P21 4. Eight months. 1. a. Surfers in California took surfi ng to the streets. 5. No person was allowed to give her anything and she b. Skateboarding had become a popular sport. c. Skating would not be allowed to moor to any boat or in any port. had become less popular. d. Frank Nasworthy invented 6. Her boat collided with a bulk tanker. urethane wheels and the sport attracted non- surfers. 7. All kinds of conditions: good and bad weather, calm and e. Skaters were showing off diff erent skills. rough seas. f. Skateboarding grew in popularity and skaters invented P9 new tricks. g. Skateboarding is popular and companies a. The boat’s mast b. Jessica Watson’s boat c. The boat’s make skateboards for beginners as well as professionals. owner d. Brisbane’s streets e. Jessica’s sisters f. The sailor’s h. skateboarding may soon be an event. i. … is promising. plans g. Australia’s oceans h. The cabin cruiser’s deck i. It has grown in popularity, although some fear that it will The Prime Minister’s cheer j.The boat’s cabin become too mainstream. 1. solo: alone 2. a. mate b. easy c. skate d. Oh I see e. skater f. be 2. globe: the world seeing you g. go skate h. see you later i. skater boy 3. moor: to stay in the same position with an anchor or j. you are wonderful ropes P22 4. nautical: about ships or sailing 1. Surfers in California took surfi ng to the streets. 5. voyage: a trip by sea or air 2. USA. 3. Boxes or boards with wheels attached. P10 4. No one really knows for sure. 5. People thought it 1. Harbour 2. sea 3. voyage 4. world 5. dream 6. lessons was just a fad and would die out and companies making 7. boat 8. people 9. risks 10. birthday skateboards closed. 6. In 1972 Frank Nasworthy invented P14 the urethane wheel. 7. An ‘ollie’ was invented by Alan ‘Ollie’ 1. a. No one had entered the burial chamber for 3,000 Gelfand and is done by slamming the back foot down on years. b. The team of archaeologists entered the chamber the tail board propelling the board and skater into the air. in 1922. c. Only one of the team lived to old age. d. They 8. Teenagers. ignored the warning. e. Howard Carter died 47 days later. P23 2. a. It was thought b. People started to believe c. Other kicktail = the back of the skateboard – slightly upturned people argued d. They felt that e. If that was the case board (or deck) = main part of the skateboard for standing 3. a. They ignored the warning. b. Only one of the team on lived to old age. wheels = for traction, usually made from polyurethane 4. a. Carnarvon died from a mosquito bite, not the nose = front of skateboard curse. b. The theory that the Egyptians might have used truck = front and rear axle assemblies that connect the radioactive rock. wheels to the deck P15 b =air, e=ollie, c=regular foot, g=goofy foot, f= nollie, 1. He died 3,000 years ago and was buried in Luxor, Egypt. a=pop, d=360 fl ip
62 P24 3. In the 1800s palaeontologists discovered that some 1. skills 2. skateboard 3. boxes 4. injured 5. decks fossil plants and animals were similar in diff erent 6. activity 7. disappear 8. wheel 9. tricks 10. skaters continents. P27 4. Austrian geologist, Edward Suess. 1. Possible answers: large, hairy creature; long dark brown 5. Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift stated that or dark red hair; large eyes; low-set forehead; big male the Earth’s crust was slowly moving so continents were gorilla; strong, unpleasant odour. slowly moving. He said that 200 million years ago there 2. a. alleged: stated without proof had been one super-continent that he called Pangaea. b. distinct: clear or defi nite 6. Pangaea split into two continents many millions of years c. evidence: something that proves information to be true ago. d. remains: dead body 7. Gondwanaland and Laurasia. e. sceptical: not believing what others believe to be true 8. Tectonic plates are large sections of the top layer of the The word ‘alleged’ is used because the sightings have Earth’s crust that move slowly. Some are located under never been proven. continents and some are under oceans. P28 9. When tectonic plates move then a volcano can form or 1. Sasquatch, Yeti, Abominable Snowman, Yowie. a mountain. 2. In forest areas. P36 3. Night-time. 1. joined 2. know 3. said/stated/proved 4. discovered 4. If it is only seen at night-time then fewer people are less 5. proved 6. separated 7. changed 8. happened likely to see it in the dark or be able to take photographs. 9. moving 10. happen 5. It is two to three metres tall, weighing around 230 kg. It is covered in long dark brown or dark red hair and has South Africa large eyes, a large low-set forehead with a distinct brow ridge, and the top of its head is rounded. Madagascar 6. It resembles a bear or an ape. South 7. Perhaps because the footprints are fake. America India 8. They have faked the footprints by making wooden Australia shapes and then dressed people in costumes and Antarctica photographed them. 9. Scientists say there is no real evidence that Bigfoot exists. P29 Own answers similar to: 1. nocturnal 2. tall 3. 230 P39 4. long 5. dark 6. low-set 7. solid 8. large 9. rounded 1. Possible answers: alien, spaceship, astronomical, comet, 10. 60 11. 20 12. unpleasant meteor, planets orbiting, astronomer, satellite. 2. Possible answers: visible object, alien spaceships, P30 unidentifi ed fl ying objects, unusual sighting, recorded anthropologist: a scientist who studies humans and their reports, unusual objects, strange cloud formations, safety cultures reasons, fl ying objects, high speed, lead objects, fl ying biologist: a scientist who studies living things saucers, huge white light, elaborate hoaxes. paleontologist: a scientist who studies fossils of forms of 3. UFO, BC, NSW, ACT, TV life existing in former geologic periods of time 4. It was described as a huge white light that spiralled P33 across the sky just before sunrise. 1. Possible answers: so long ago; since the 1600s; in the 1800s; during the late 1800s; now called; must once have P40 been; in 1915; slowly moving; many millions of years ago; 1. Unidentifi ed Flying Object. eventually; very slowly moved apart; move slowly; still 2. In 1450 BC in Egypt. moving; rapidly; slowly; soon. 3. Comets, meteors or a planet orbiting closer to the Earth. 2. Possible answers: supercontinent, cartographers, 4. Because the military observe activities in the sky for paleontologists, fossil, Glossopteris, geologist, safety reasons. meteorologist, Earth’s crust, tectonic plates, continental 5. He reported seeing nine objects fl ying at high speed. plates. The lead object was crescent shaped but the others were 3. Possible answers: Pangaea, Gondwanaland, Laurasia, shaped like fl at discs. Austria, Germany, Australia, Antarctica, India, Africa, South 6. From Arnold’s description of the objects being ‘fl at- America, Madagascar. shaped like discs’. 7. For publicity; to get attention or for fun to trick people. P34 8. In 2007 people in several states reported a huge white 1. a. cartographer b. fossil c. scientist d. volcano light that spiralled across the sky just before sunrise. e. proof f. tectonic g. rock h. continent i. Earth j. theory 10. Satellite, space junk or a rocket. 2. cartographer Possible answers: graph, photograph, autograph, P41 paragraph, telegraph 1. object 2. world 3. sightings 4. meteors 5. safety 6. discs 7. saucers 8. hoaxes 9. light 10. junk P35 P45 1. All the lands on Earth were joined and called Pangaea. 1. Possible answers: up walls, across buildings, from 2. They had noticed that the outlines of the continents one place to another, around many landmarks, around looked like jigsaw pieces that could fi t together.
63 locations, from one point to another, over barriers their prize 2. Possible answers: climb up walls, jump across buildings, cc: tells me the size of the motorbike’s engine move very athletically, do the moves your own way, move P53 around locations, scale walls, jump over barriers, roll and 1. Age three. spring from one point to another, jump from one building 2. Age four. to another 3. Six years old. 3. Possible answers: music video, computer game, 4. He raced in the Australian long track titles, winning 32 acrobatic moves, city environment, rural areas, amazing out of 35 races and won fi ve Australian titles. skills, famous landmarks, athletic sport, large indoor area, 5. He won the 125cc GP Aprilia Championship. giant obstacle course, freerunning competitions, minority 6. The engine capacity. sport 7. He won his fi rst 800cc title in 2007 at age 21. P46 8. He had mixed results. acrobatic: moves performed by a gymnast P54 athletic: someone who trains for sports 1. three 2. four 3. years 4. fi ve 5. sixteen 6. fi fteen effi cient: able to do something quickly and easily 7. six 8. twenty-one 9. second 10. Year landmarks: something on the land that is easily seen and P58 well known 1. Possible answers: caused, covered, worked, spread, minority: a smaller group of people observed, took, watched, captured, hugged, recognised, obstacle: something that is in the way wagged, jumped, marked (students might also identify rural: country (not city) areas past continuous verbs, e.g. was hit, were found, was scale: climb approached, was spotted etc.) P47 2. often, meanwhile, earlier, before, soon, during, 1. It’s a combination of running and acrobatic moves that eventually, later runners use to get from one place to another place. 3. 1. In March 2011 northern Japan was hit by a deadly 3. The term ‘freerunning’ was fi rst used in the documentary tsunami. Jump London. It is a translation of the French word 2. For many days rescue crews worked hard to fi nd parkour. survivors in the wreckage. 4. Parkour focuses on effi cient movement and freerunning 3. On 1st April another news item spread across the world. focuses on total freedom of movement. 4. It took some time before a rescuer was able to 5. They would have to train because the runner has to be encourage the dog closer so that he could catch it. fi t. If they didn’t train they would injure themselves. 5. Later, people all over the world watched as the 6. A runner can train outside, e.g. in a park or in a special exhausted dog was safely moved to the coast guard boat. indoor area that is set up with obstacles. P59 7. Running, jumping, vaulting, landing, climbing, rolling. 1. wreckage 8. Anywhere that runners can show their skills as long as 2. a. gnat b. knot c. wrestle d. gnome e. write f. knight they don’t crash into other people. g. pterodactyl h. knuckle i. pneumonia j. wrong P48 k. honest l. knowledge P60 1. On 11th March 2011. 2. A tsunami is a very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption. Dive roll Jump: 3. The dog was spotted three weeks after the tsunami, on the 1st of April. 4. It was walking around on the roof of a house that was fl oating about one and a half kilometres off Japan’s Drop northern coast. 5. The helicopter crew that spotted the dog alerted the coast guard. They went out in their boat and encouraged the dog towards them so that they could catch it and rescue it. The dog gratefully licked the rescuers’ hands when they took it on board their boat. Vault 6. The dog’s owner was watching the news on TV and Flip recognised her dog. 7. Possible answers: surprised, happy, relieved, grateful. P49 P61 1. acrobatic 2. another 3. city 4. documentary 1. earthquake 2. survivors 3. news 4. dog 5. fuel 5. freedom 6. mentally 7. jumping 8. runner 9. results 6. rescue 7. hugs 8. world 9. owner 10. arms 10. games P52 2. category: special group champion: a person who comes fi rst in a sport Grand Prix: is a French term, meaning ‘great prize’; races held for World Championships meet: competition podium: a platform where the winner stands to receive
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