David Attenborough - Reading Comprehension Answers 1) What happened in between David finishing school and graduating in 1947? He went to Cambridge University to study natural sciences. 2) What happened two years before David began working on a show called ‘Zoo Quest?’ He joined the BBC as a producer. 3) Number these shows from 1-3 in the order that they appear in the text. Planet Earth - 3 Zoo Quest - 1 Life on Earth - 2 4) What happened immediately before David served in the Royal Navy? He graduated in 1947 from Cambridge University. 5) Which of these events took place after David received a knighthood from the Queen? (1985) Use the dates in the text to help you. • A butterfly was named in his honour (2015) • David left the BBC (1972) • His family fostered two little girls (1939) 6) Put these events in chronological order. • David is born (1926) • David receives a knighthood from the Queen (1985) • David produces ‘Life in Cold Blood’ (2008) Challenge Questions: V: Find one verb in the text which means to form a close connection or good relationship with someone. Bonded. I: What impression do you get of the two little girls that the Attenborough family fostered? They must have been kind and caring towards David as he bonded with them very quickly. They may have had some common interests that they bonded over. P: Predict how David would’ve felt when he began working on ‘Zoo Quest’. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. Excited, pleased, happy – we are told that David has loved nature since he was a child and this show allowed him to see animals in their natural environment. E: Has David helped us in the fight against environmental issues? Explain how you know. David is referred to as a ‘leading individual’ in the fight against many environmental issues. He has shared his knowledge on nature and why we need to look after it with many people. The text states he has ‘contributed greatly’. R: What is a Euptychia Attenboroughi? A butterfly named in honour of Sir David. S: In one sentence, summarise the new style of wildlife programme that David created. David would focus on the animals as opposed to himself by narrating over the recordings and not showing himself on screen. .