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English Journey By J B Priestley

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Focus on English 8 Student Book

Motivate your students to engage with the world of texts and develop their skills as effective communicators with our new series, Focus on English. These brand new workbooks cover essential English skills through a carefully sequenced program that enables students to develop and reinforce their literature, language and literacy skills. Based around high-interest topics and relevant literature, the units will inspire discussion and provide meaningful contexts for language and literacy learning.

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<strong>Focus</strong> on

Rex Sadler

Sandra Sadler

Viv Winter

8

a

language,

literature and

literacy

Contents

About this book

vii

1 Contexts 1

LITERATURE Born to Run: My Story 1

Cartoon: ‘Kids today’ 3

Growing up Asian in Australia 3

World War II recruitment poster 4

LANGUAGE What are phrases? 5

Punctuation: Revising punctuation marks 7

LITERACY Word skills: Confusing pairs 8

Creative writing: Writing personally 10

2 Visual literacy 11

LITERATURE Image: Girl on an escalator 11

Image: Three lemurs 12

Image: Fisherman casting his net 12

Spirit of Tasmania advertisement 13

LANGUAGE What are clauses? 15

Punctuation: Identifying sentences 17

LITERACY Word skills: Holiday 18

Creative writing: Interpreting a gaze 20

3 The origins of English 21

LITERATURE ‘Words from other lands’ 21

‘Words named after their creators’ 23

‘Idioms’ 24

LANGUAGE Word origins—Greek and Latin 25

Punctuation: Question marks and exclamation marks 27

LITERACY Word skills: Words and their origins 28

Creative writing: People and events 30

4 Film shots 31

LITERATURE Camera shots: Gladiator 32

Camera angles: Gladiator 34

LANGUAGE Shades of meaning 36

Punctuation: Capital letters for titles 37

LITERACY Word skills: At the movies 38

Creative writing: Describing a scene from Gladiator 40

5 Explanations 41

LITERATURE ‘How were the pyramids of Egypt built?’ 41

‘Why do rattlesnakes rattle?’ 42

‘Why are some people afraid of the number 13?’ 43

‘Why are sharks such formidable predators?’ 44

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

LANGUAGE Personal and possessive pronouns 45

Punctuation: Commas for lists 47

LITERACY Word skills: Explanations 48

Creative writing: Explaining how or why 50

6 Conflict 51

LITERATURE Cannily, Cannily 51

The Outsiders 53

LANGUAGE Adjectival clauses and relative pronouns 55

Punctuation: Quotation marks for direct speech—1 57

LITERACY Word skills: Conflict 58

Creative writing: Using dialogue to create conflict 60

7 Persuasion 61

LITERATURE ‘A plea from the Animal Welfare League’ 61

‘Bring on a longer school day’ 63

World Vision brochure 64

LANGUAGE Nouns 65

Punctuation: Capital letters for proper nouns 67

LITERACY Word skills: Persuasion 68

Creative writing: What’s your opinion? 70

8 Recounting 71

LITERATURE Long Walk to Freedom 71

Twelve Years a Slave 73

LANGUAGE Adjectives 75

Punctuation: Commas to mark pauses 77

LITERACY Word skills: Freedom 78

Creative writing: Writing life stories 80

9 Cultural diversity 81

LITERATURE Parvana 81

Trash 83

LANGUAGE Adverbs 85

Punctuation: Quotation marks for direct speech—2 87

LITERACY Word skills: Society and culture 88

Creative writing: The mysterious key 90

10 Humour 91

LITERATURE Cartoon: ‘Solar bear’ 91

Don’t Call Me Ishmael! 92

Cartoon: ‘Daddy, where does air come from?’ 94

LANGUAGE Prepositions 95

Punctuation: Apostrophes for contractions 97

LITERACY Word skills: Laughing matters 98

Creative writing: A funny situation 100

iv

Contents ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

11 Media texts 101

LITERATURE ‘Listen up, everybody’ 101

Book cover: The Book Thief 103

LANGUAGE Conjunctions 105

Punctuation: Apostrophes for possession 107

LITERACY Word skills: Inventions 108

Creative writing: Reporting on an invention 110

12 The five senses 111

LITERATURE ‘A gigantic beauty of a stallion’ 111

‘Noise’ 112

‘The magic fruit’ 112

‘Chips’ 113

‘Smells’ 114

LANGUAGE Onomatopoeia and alliteration 115

Punctuation: Apostrophes and confusing plurals 117

LITERACY Word skills: The five senses 118

Creative writing: Using sound words 120

13 Heroes and legends 121

LITERATURE The Legend of Ulysses 121

‘William Tell and the apple’ 124

LANGUAGE Verbs 125

Punctuation: Direct and indirect speech 127

LITERACY Word skills: Amazing tales 128

Creative writing: Describing a real-life or fictional hero 130

14 Science fiction 131

LITERATURE The Day of the Triffids 131

War of the Worlds 134

LANGUAGE Present participles 135

Punctuation: Commas, brackets and dashes 137

LITERACY Word skills: Science fiction 138

Creative writing: Describing an alien 140

15 Earth on fire 141

LITERATURE February Dragon 141

Bush Survival Plan brochure 143

LANGUAGE Past participles 145

Punctuation: The colon 147

LITERACY Word skills: Inferno 148

Creative writing: Disaster! 150

16 Short stories 151

LITERATURE Fudge 151

LANGUAGE Prefixes 155

Punctuation: The semicolon 157

LITERACY Word skills: All kinds of people 158

Creative writing: When things go wrong 160

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 Contents v

17 Intertextuality 161

LITERATURE ‘Little Miss Muffet’ 161

Romeo and Juliet 162

Romeo + Juliet film poster 164

LANGUAGE Suffixes 165

Punctuation: Punctuating dialogue—play scripts 167

LITERACY Word skills: Word pairs 168

Creative writing: Changing a text to a graphic novel 170

18 Relationships 171

LITERATURE Hitler’s Daughter 171

LANGUAGE Synonyms 174

Punctuation: Punctuating dialogue—stories 175

LITERACY Word skills: Relating to others 176

Creative writing: A family relationship 178

19 Diaries 179

LITERATURE Diary of a Girl in Changi 179

LANGUAGE Antonyms 182

Punctuation: Revising punctuation marks 183

LITERACY Word skills: War 184

Creative writing: Keeping a diary 186

20 Survival 187

LITERATURE Hatchet 187

LANGUAGE Word forms 190

Punctuation: More revision 191

LITERACY Word skills: Survival 192

Creative writing: Setting the scene for survival 194

Acknowledgements 195

Dictionary 197

vi

<strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 covers essential English skills for students in their second year of

secondary school. It is a carefully sequenced program that enables students to develop

and reinforce their literature, language and literacy skills.

There are twenty cohesive units, each of which focuses on a specific text type,

literary technique, writing skill, genre or theme that is relevant to any Year 8 English

program. The featured texts provide a meaningful context for language and literacy

learning.

For consistency and ease of navigation, each unit is organised into the umbrella

strands of Literature, Language and Literacy. Most Literature sections are four

pages long. The Language and Literacy sections are divided into one- and two-page

segments.

The format of every unit is as follows:

Literature

• Introduction: a brief overview of basic skills, terms or concepts covered in the unit

• Texts: high-interest literary, non-literary and multimodal texts for comprehension

and analysis.

Language

• Language and grammar: sequential explanations of rules and conventions, clear

examples, and exercises for major parts of speech, phrases, sentences and much

more

• Punctuation: sequential explanations of rules and conventions, clear examples,

and exercises to practise correct usage.

Literacy

• Word skills: a spelling and vocabulary word list, exercises on list words and a

word origins task

• Creative writing: imaginative writing tasks that are linked to the ideas and

techniques contained in the Literature section.

Our primary goal in writing this book is to develop essential English skills, but

we also hope that students will feel motivated to engage with the world of texts and

develop confidence in their own ability to make the best possible language choices

and become effective communicators.

Rex Sadler, Sandra Sadler and Viv Winter

1

Contexts

LITERATURE

Every text is created in a context. The context is the surrounding circumstances and

conditions that may have influenced the writer or creator of a text, including their

personal experiences, social attitudes, cultural environment and historical events of the

time. The texts that follow offer examples of these four contexts.

Personal context

Personal context refers to the background and life experiences of the writer or creator of

a text. This includes their personal goals and dreams, things they have seen and done,

places they have been, and relationships they have with family members and other

people they meet.

As a young Aboriginal girl growing up in Mackay, Queensland, Cathy Freeman’s

dream was to win a gold medal at the Olympics. In this extract, she learns a valuable

lesson about how to achieve her goal.

Learning to be a champion

By the time I was twentytwo,

I was ranked Number

Two in the world in the

women’s 400 m. Marie-José

Perec, the winner of the

gold medal at the Barcelona

Olympics, was Number One.

Three years after

Barcelona, Marie-José and I

raced against each other at a

competition in Monte Carlo.

Marie-José hadn’t lost a

400 m race in over five years.

Okay, Freeman, I told

myself as I walked to the

starting blocks, you can do

this.

The gun fired and we were off. Marie-

José’s usual style was to run hard from

the start and set up such a gap that it

was impossible to beat her. This time it

was different—I was right next to her,

matching her stride for stride. With a

hundred and fifty metres to

go, I had a surge of energy. I

ran past her and crossed the

finish line in first place.

I couldn’t believe it!

Marie-José was the world’s

best and I had beaten her!

Now that I had done it once,

I was convinced I could do it

again.

The next time we

competed against each

other was at the 1995 World

Championships in Sweden.

I went into the race full of

confidence. When my coach

Fort tried to talk to me about

my race plan, I didn’t really listen. What’s

the point? I thought. I already know how

to beat Marie-José!

As we walked onto the track I spotted

a friend in the crowd holding up my

Aboriginal flag. Instead of thinking about

the race, I started thinking about how I

would feel once I was the world champion.

The announcement came to take

our positions on the blocks when all of a

sudden it hit me: I was just about to run

one of the biggest races in my career. I

was terrified!

‘On your marks,’ the starter said.

This is it, I thought. The starter gun

went off, and I bolted.

I was flying around the track. I was

going to be the next world champion! As

we ran into the last hundred metres, I was

dead level with Marie-José. Okay, it’s time

to show what you can do. Go girl!

Then with eighty metres left to go,

something happened. I was starting to

slow down. No, I thought. Please, no!

I had ‘hit the wall’. This is what we

call it when athletes run out of energy.

It feels like you’re running in slow motion.

As I ran the last sixty metres, my legs and

arms felt like cement. I could only watch

as Marie-José moved further and further

ahead. Then another two athletes ran past

me. I wasn’t even going to get a medal.

I was so angry with myself. I could

have won, or at least come second, but I’d

stuffed up completely. The race had been a

disaster.

As disappointed as I was, I’d just

learnt a crucial lesson: in racing, you can’t

get ahead of yourself. I’d wanted to win

so badly that I’d lost my focus. Instead of

concentrating on things I could control,

like my breathing and my race plan, I’d

only thought about winning. Now I knew

that if I wanted to do my best, I had to stay

focused.

from Born to Run: My Story by Cathy Freeman

Responding to the text

1 What were the three major athletic achievements of Marie-José Perec?

2 How did Cathy feel after she won against Marie-José at Monte Carlo?

3 Why didn’t Cathy listen to her coach when he tried to talk about her next race plan?

4 What effect did seeing her Aboriginal flag have on Cathy?

5 What happened when Cathy ‘hit the wall’ near the end of the race?

6 From this experience, what change did Cathy realise she had to make if she wanted

to succeed?

Social context

Social context refers to the many social groups that make up our society, such as families,

clubs, neighbourhoods, workplaces and various age groups. We all belong to many

different groups and share interests, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour within these groups.

2

<strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

This light-hearted cartoon by Mark

Lynch comments on fashion-conscious

teenagers.

Responding to the cartoon

1 What is distinctive about the two fish

‘kids’ in the foreground?

2 What do the fish hooks represent in

the human world of teenage behaviour?

3 ‘Kids today!’ What is the reaction of the adult fish in the background?

4 What comment is the cartoonist making about human society?

Cultural context

Cultural context refers to the beliefs and customs shared by a group of people or a

nation. It can be identified by such things as food, clothing, music, family values,

religion and traditional stories.

Simone Lazaroo’s family migrated to Australia from Singapore in 1965, before the

end of the ‘White Australia Policy’ that restricted the entry of non-Europeans. She

describes the cultural context of being Asian in Australia at that time.

From Singapore to Australia

Around the time the White Australia

Policy was officially abolished by Gough

Whitlam in the 1970s, we met newer

immigrants with faces a bit like ours,

mowing lawns and learning how to

barbecue sausages in streets near ours.

‘We come to Australia, we must learn

to be Australian,’ I heard a group of recent

immigrants from Singapore agree at one of

these barbecues.

But they weren’t as adrift from their

pasts as we’d been from ours when we’d

arrived in Perth in 1965. By the early

seventies, Asian grocers and restaurants

began appearing in shopping centres. At

last! Nasi lemak and salted plums! Ginger

tea and kuey teow! Although we were still

sometimes insulted in the streets of our

suburb, even spat upon, young Australian

men and old ladies stopped my sister and

me in the shopping centre and told us

that we were beautiful. My schoolteacher,

captain of a Western Australian Football

league team, declared me prefect with

a rosette-shaped badge, and a man in

a suit at a bus stop declared mine the

face of the future in the same week that

our local Chinese restaurant won a Gold

Plate Award. At last! Rewarded for being

Asian!’

from ‘The Asian disease’ by Simone Lazaroo

in Growing up Asian in Australia, edited by

Alice Pung

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 1 Contexts 3

1 What typically Australian activities did new immigrants have to learn to do?

2 How did the recently arrived group from Singapore feel about their place in Australian

society?

3 Why were recent immigrants able to connect more easily with their own culture?

4 What examples of prejudice from some Australians are given in the extract?

5 ‘At last! Rewarded for being Asian!’ What positive change took place in Australian

attitudes?

Historical context

The historical context of a text is the

time and place in which it was created.

This poster is an American World War II

recruitment poster for women ordnance

workers (WOWs) who were employed

during the war to produce military

weapons, ammunition and combat

vehicles. (The word ‘ordnance’ means

‘weaponry and ammunition’.)

Responding to the poster

1 What is the purpose of this poster?

2 Who does the soldier in the

background represent?

3 What emotions does the poster aim to arouse in the audience?

4 ‘“The girl he left behind” is still behind him—She’s a WOW’. What do these words

suggest about the role of women during World War II?

4

LANGUAGE

What are phrases?

A phrase is a group of words that does not have a subject or a finite verb. It is incomplete

by itself and needs to be part of a sentence to make sense. A phrase usually does the

work of an adjective, an adverb or a noun. Here is a variety of phrases, all of which need

to be attached to a sentence to convey meaning.

over the mountains watching movies

at midday

with blond hair

reading aloud

damaged severely

a kind, old man

the girl next door

Distinguishing between phrases and sentences

Indicate whether each group of words is a phrase or a sentence.

1 The phone was ringing

2 Turbulent waves damaged the luxury yacht

3 In a galaxy far, far away

4 Under the spreading chestnut tree

5 Lost in space

6 The valley was a molten sea of fire

7 What a beautiful morning!

8 Who wants to be a millionaire?

9 After the tennis match

Phrases in action

Some phrases add meaning to verbs. They tell time, place or manner. They are called

adverbial phrases.

The bear hibernated during the winter. (time)

The car crashed near the bridge. (place)

The teacher spoke with great enthusiasm. (manner)

Some phrases add meaning to nouns. They are called adjectival phrases and are used to

describe a noun.

The girl with the pearl earring admired the painting.

The adjectival phrase describes the noun, ‘girl’.

Wagging its tail, the dog showed its happiness.

The adjectival phrase describes the noun, ‘dog’.

The book on the table was valuable.

The adjectival phrase describes the noun, ‘book’.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 1 Contexts 5

Identifying adverbial phrases

In each of the following sentences, identify the adverbial phrase. Then identify the verb

it is adding meaning to.

1 The politician was protected by a police escort.

Adverbial phrase:

Verb:

2 Over the horizon, the sun rose.

3 The lifesavers launched the surfboat in extreme haste.

4 The swimmer dived into the ocean.

5 The explorers pitched their tent at nightfall.

6 The travellers were surprised at the beautiful views.

Identifying adjectival phrases

In each sentence, identify the adjectival phrase and the noun it describes.

1 Make sure you catch the bus departing from the station.

Adjectival phrase:

Noun:

2 It is a story about ghosts.

3 The comedian, encouraged by the audience, told another joke.

4 The house overlooking the lake is dilapidated.

5 Environmentalists from overseas addressed the meeting.

6 The cold cherries in the refrigerator are delicious.

6

Punctuation

Revising punctuation marks

The purpose of punctuation marks is to divide a written text into manageable sections.

Punctuation marks indicate where to pause or stop, and also how the text should be

read or spoken. Read this overview of the main punctuation marks and test yourself by

completing the exercise.

• A capital letter is linked to punctuation because it is used to begin a new sentence.

Athletics events are popular.

• A full stop (.) indicates the end of a statement or a mild command.

Cathy Freeman was confident that she could win the race. (statement)

Go to the starting line now. (command)

• A comma (,) is used within a sentence to indicate a pause or to separate items in a list.

While we waited for the race to start, my friend went to buy some food. (pause)

He bought hot pies, chips, apples and soft drinks. (list)

• A question mark (?) is used when a direct question is being asked.

Did Cathy Freeman win the race?

• An exclamation mark (!) is used for emphasis, especially in speech, to indicate a

strong emotion or declaration.

I can’t believe it! (emotion of shock) She won! (declaration)

• An apostrophe (’) shows ownership or indicates that one or more letters have been

left out.

The runner’s shoes are new. (ownership)

He hasn't returned my call. (the letter ‘o’ is left out of ‘has not’)

Using punctuation marks

Rewrite the following passage about the novel The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths,

inserting capital letters and punctuation marks where necessary.

The 13-Storey Treehouse

andy and terrys 13-storey treehouse is the most amazing treehouse in the world its

got a bowling alley a see-through swimming pool a tank full of man-eating sharks a giant

catapult and a secret underground laboratory and thats not all theres a marshmallow

machine that follows you around and shoots marshmallows into your mouth whenever

youre hungry

well what are you waiting for come on up

adapted from www.panmacmillan.com.au

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 1 Contexts 7

LITERACY

Word skills

Confusing pairs

miner story flower mayor stare sore feet profi t

minor storey flour mare stair soar feat prophet

peel medal fare main sole pier sight morning

peal meddle fair mane soul peer site mourning

Missing words

1 Complete the pairs of sentences by adding list words beginning with m. The first

example has been done for you.

The mayor of the city welcomed the royal visitors.

The farmer’s mare was a superb racehorse.

b In the

It was a time of

we will be fl ying overseas.

for the disaster victims.

c The winner of the race received a .

Please do not

in our problems.

d The horse had a beautiful .

The

highway was blocked by a fallen tree.

2 Complete the pairs of sentences by inserting list words beginning with s.

a The new kite was able to

to a great height.

The athlete had a

ankle.

b The survivor climbed onto the raft.

I called for help, but not a

came to my assistance.

c She slipped on the broken .

The witch gave the dwarf an icy .

d They lived in a two-

house.

The prisoner told the judge his life .

3 Complete the pairs of sentences by inserting list words beginning with f.

a The baker wiped

from his hands.

The orchid is an amazing .

After the long march, the soldiers had sore .

Climbing Mt Everest was a great .

c The plane to England was expensive.

The actor has

hair.

4 Complete the pairs of sentences by inserting list words beginning with p.

a The company made a record .

The words of the

were written in the Bible.

b The of the bells announced the start of the ceremony.

The caretaker slipped on a banana .

c The old lady liked to through the curtains.

in the harbour was swept away in the storm.

Choosing correct words

Choose the correct word from the pair in brackets to complete the passage below.

The school fair

Our school (fare, fair) was held last Saturday (morning,

mourning) and was officially opened by the

(mayor, mare). It is one of

our

(main, mane) fundraising events and produced a pleasing

(profit, prophet). The parents in charge of the

(flour,

flower) stall received the principal’s

attractive presentation. At the end of the day, the

(medal, meddle) for the most

(peel, peal) of the

town clock indicated that it was time to pack up. We all trudged home with

(soar, sore)

(feet, feat).

Word origins

The word ‘sole’ comes from the Latin word solus, which means ‘alone’ or ‘one only’.

Here are some of the words derived from solus. Use the dictionary at the back of

the book to write their meanings.

solitude:

desolate:

solo:

soliloquy:

solitary:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 1 Contexts 9

Creative writing

Writing personally

Reading about other people’s thoughts and

experiences in diaries and autobiographies

can help us to see the world differently

through their eyes. Personal writing

might focus on your early memories,

experiences in your life, people who have

influenced you, places you have been, the

culture of the country you were born in,

or your achievements. Write a 200-word

account of a memory that is important to

you. Choose one of the following topics or

write about any event that had a lasting

impact on you.

• An important member of my family

• A difficult choice

• Friends no more

• First day at high school

• So embarrassing!

• An amazing journey

• My life was changed forever

• A frightening experience

10

Visual literacy

A visual text can be entirely visual, such as a photograph or painting, or it can be a text

in which visual images are integrated with written words, sound or movement. Books,

magazines, advertisements, comics, dramatic performances, interactive web pages, films

and television shows are all visual texts.

Visual literacy is the ability to analyse and interpret the purpose and meaning

of images, and how they relate to written or spoken text. It has its own terms—or

metalanguage—that can be used to explain how the image has been shaped and

constructed. Some of these terms are listed here.

• Subject: the person or object that is the centre of interest

• Foreground: the part of the image that is closest to the viewer

• Background: the part of the image that is behind the subject and appears further

away from the viewer

• Close-up: a camera shot that is very close to the subject and shows only a small part

of it, such as a person’s face or a single flower on a plant

• High-angle shot: a camera angle in which the camera is above the subject and looking

down on it

• Frame: something within an image that

provides a border to frame the subject,

making it stand out or separating it from

other parts of the image

Image A

• Salience: the way in which some

elements stand out more than others

• Gaze: the direction in which someone is

looking, such as directly at the camera,

at something else in the image, or at

something outside the image

• Vector lines: visible or invisible lines

that lead the viewer’s eye to a different

element of the image; for example, a

person gazing at a sunset or reaching their

arms out to pick up a cat

• Patterns: the repetition of shapes, lines,

colours or objects

Look at the three photographs and

complete the exercise for each one.

Image B

Image C

Identifying visual techniques

For each photograph, fill the gaps with the correct words from the list. You will use

most of the words more than once. The first letter is given to help you.

gaze frame pattern(s) background foreground

vector line subject salience close-up high-angle shot

1 The s of Image A is a woman going up an escalator.

2 The woman has highest s because her red jacket stands out against

the escalator.

3 The side rails of the escalator provide a vertical f for the woman.

4 This is a h shot because it is taken from above, looking down.

5 The steps of the escalator form a p of rectangles.

6 The s of Image B is a group of three lemur monkeys.

7 This shot shows a c of the subject.

8 The g of the three lemurs is directed towards the camera.

9 The two p that appear in the photograph are the identical faces of

the three lemurs and the black and white colours and stripes.

10 The s of Image C is a fisherman casting a net.

11 The fisherman’s arms create a partial f around the setting sun.

12 The fisherman and his net are in the f close to the viewer.

12 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

13 The reflection of the sun on the water creates a visible v that

leads the viewer’s eye towards the sun in the b .

14 The setting sun has higher s than the sky and the ocean because it

is so bright.

The advertising campaign for the ship, Spirit of Tasmania, is based on a cleverly

constructed image that conveys the advantages of travelling to Tasmania by sea.

2 Visual literacy

Responding to the advertisement

1 ‘Drive straight into your next holiday.’ What is the message in these words?

2 From what you can see on the outside of the car, what is the advantage of travelling

to Tasmania by sea instead of by air?

3 What is in the foreground of the advertisement?

4 There are two backgrounds in the advertisement. What are they?

5 Does the car or the ship have the highest salience in this advertisement? Why?

6 Where does the road lead the eye of the viewer?

7 What is used to provide a frame for the Tasmanian scenery?

8 Which elements in the advertisement are blue?

9 What message does the colour blue convey about the type of holiday Tasmania

offers?

10 What desire is the advertiser appealing to in this advertisement?

11 What makes this an effective advertisement?

14 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

What are clauses?

A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a finite verb.

subject verb

The cruise ship was sailing from Venice to Athens.

Clauses are either main (principal) clauses or subordinate (dependent) clauses.

Main clauses

A clause that makes complete sense by itself is called a main clause. Every sentence has

to have one main clause.

A sentence can consist of a single main clause.

sentence—main clause

The tourists went aboard the cruise ship.

Sometimes a sentence can be two main clauses joined by a conjunction such as and

or but.

main clause 1 main clause 2

The tourists went aboard the cruise ship, but they could not find their cabin.

Subordinate clauses

A subordinate clause (also known as a dependent clause) is a group of words that has

both a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand alone. It usually begins with a conjunction

or relative pronoun, such as because, before, while, although, until, when, where, who,

whose, which or that.

subordinate clause

main clause

Because the seas were rough, the ship anchored in the fjord.

The swimmers were surrounded by fish, which were exquisitely coloured.

Identifying the subject and verb

Write down the subject and verb of each of the following sentences. To find the subject,

identify the verb (action word) and then ask ‘Who?’ or ‘What?’ before it.

1 The freshwater crocodile was basking in the sunshine.

Subject:

2 Suddenly the wedge-tailed eagle swooped onto its prey.

3 A snow storm caused long delays at the airport.

4 Quietly and with great care our safari approached the lions at the waterhole.

5 The island resort provided its guests with free snorkelling equipment.

6 Brightly shone the moon on the blue water of the lagoon.

Identifying clauses

Identify the clauses in each of the following sentences. The first one has been done to

help you.

1 Hippopotamuses can become very aggressive if they feel threatened.

Main clause:

Hippopotamuses can become very aggressive

Subordinate clause:

if they feel threatened

2 When you drive a 4WD through sand, you should reduce your tyre pressure.

3 The rhinoceros, which is often hunted by humans for its horns, has become a

critically endangered species.

4 Our lodge proved to be the perfect getaway, because it overlooked a picturesque valley.

5 Great holiday deals are available off-season, but many attractions may be closed

during winter.

6 Penguins eat fish and other sea life, which they catch underwater.

7 If you lose your passport overseas, you should contact your embassy.

16 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

Identifying sentences

A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, unless it is a question

or an exclamation.

Using capital letters and full stops

The following groups of sentences don’t have any punctuation. Identify the sentences

and insert the missing capital letters and full stops.

1 our beaches are a major attraction for both locals and tourists we need to protect

them for future generations

2 escaping to a national park is a perfect way to relax there is nothing better than

walking along a quiet bush track or swimming in a beautiful lake

3 city streets were decorated for the festival the preparations had been underway for

months excited crowds spilled out of trains and buses to join in the fun

4 being a tour guide is not an easy job tourists expect you to be able to answer all their

questions you must be polite and friendly at all times it is also important to control

the whereabouts of the group.

5 roller coasters are popular with thrill-seekers everywhere both speed and height

are important factors the fastest roller coaster in the world reaches speeds of

240 kilometres per hour it is thought that the tallest roller coaster has a drop of

more than 120 metres

Holiday

traveller leisure hotel relaxation accommodate

schedule visit foreign business restaurant

luggage abroad canoe departure reservation

luxurious spacious ocean secluded preparation

voyage unique cruising escaping recreation

enjoyable season activities wilderness picturesque

A word for a phrase

Find words in the word list that match the meanings below. The first letter is given to

1 suitcases or other travel bags l

2 a large expanse of sea o

3 a lodging place for paying travellers h

4 free time l

5 a person making a journey t

6 the start of a journey d

7 breaking free e

8 belonging to another country f

9 the act of getting ready p

10 a person’s occupation or work b

11 extremely comfortable and elegant l

12 one of four periods of the year s

13 roomy s

14 unlike anything else u

15 a journey usually by sea v

16 an uninhabited region w

17 a plan of procedure s

18 a place where meals are served r

19 visually pretty or charming p

18 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

Wilderness travel brochure

Complete the travel brochure using list words. The first letter is given to help you.

The trip of a lifetime

Our w lodges provide l ,

s cabins that can a four people. Our daily

s offers a such as c

to the outer reef, e to the p mountains or

paddling a c to the s waterfall. We offer a

u and e holiday where every t

will experience r and r no matter which

s of the year they v us.

Completing phrases

Complete each phrase by adding a list word. The first letter is given to help you.

1 a f country 8 an outrigger c

2 our d time 9 a sushi r

3 a p scene 10 the untamed w

4 a l apartment 11 a weary t

5 h accommodation 12 our hotel r

6 l activities 13 c downriver

7 a u painting 14 a sea v

The word ‘prepare’ is derived from two Latin words: pre, which means ‘before’, and

parare, which means ‘to make ready’. There are many English words that begin with

the prefix pre-. Some are listed here. Use the dictionary at the back of the book to

write their meanings.

precedent:

precocious:

predecessor:

prelude:

prevail:

pretext:

Interpreting a gaze

In each of the following photographs, the subject is gazing at someone or something

outside the image. Choose one of the photographs, give the subject a name and decide

what you think he or she is looking at. Then write an imaginative story about what

happens next.

A B C

My chosen photograph is (circle): A B C D

The subject’s name is:

The subject looking is at:

D

20 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

3

The origins of English

English is a global language. It is estimated at this present time that nearly one and a half

billion people are able to speak English. It is commonly learnt as a second language in

many countries throughout the world.

As a language, English never ceases to amaze and delight us with its resourceful

origins. It has borrowed, stolen, adapted and created many thousands of words from

other languages. One reason for this was that over a period of a thousand years, England

was invaded first by the Romans, then by German and Scandinavian tribes and finally by

the French in 1066. As a result of these invasions and the arrival of Christianity and the

Renaissance in England, there are many German, French, Scandinavian, Latin and Greek

words in the English language.

Later, when England became a great trading and military empire, words came into

the English language from India, Spain, the Netherlands, South America, Italy, North

America, Australia and other countries. Read the following interesting examples of

words that have been borrowed or created, then answer the questions that follow.

Words from other lands

alligator (Spain): When the Spaniards

exploring the New World fi rst saw a

creature that to them was a giant

lizard, they described it with their

word for ‘lizard’, el legarto. Thus in

English, this new creature became known

as an ‘alligator’.

chauffeur (France): The French word chauffeur

originally meant ‘fi reman’ or ‘stoker’. At the

beginning of the twentieth century, the earliest

cars were steam-driven. Many of the owners

of these cars employed professional drivers to

take them from place to place. Because of the

smoke and steam coming from these fi rst cars,

the men employed as drivers were jokingly called

chauffeurs by the French.

bushranger (Australia): The word ‘bushranger’ is

distinctively Australian. It fi rst appeared in the

The Sydney Gazette of 4 May 1806, referring to

the capture of the outlaw William Page. Before

that time, bushrangers were called banditti, the

Italian word for ‘bandits’. From 1806 onwards,

the outlaws in early colonial Australia who

ranged or roamed the bush robbing the farmers

and settlers and resisting the police became

known as bushrangers.

continued »

arbecue (West Indies): When the Spaniards

fi rst explored the West Indies in the sixteenth

century, they found that the natives preserved

meat by smoking it on a wooden rack they called

a berbekot. This became barbacoa in Spanish.

Over time, as this idea for cooking meat spread,

the English called it a ‘barbecue’. Today, the word

describes both the cooking equipment and the

cooking method.

tycoon (Japan): Today the word ‘tycoon’ is used

in English to describe a business person of great

wealth and power. The word came into English

from the Japanese word taikun, which means

‘great prince’.

confetti (Italy): Confetti are small pieces

of coloured paper thrown over a bride and

bridegroom by their wedding guests after the

marriage ceremony. The word originates from

confetti, an Italian word that means ‘small

sweets’. In Italy, traditionally sweets were

thrown after the couple were married. Over

time, after the custom had reached England,

paper was substituted for sweets.

bungalow (India): The English word ‘bungalow’

originated from the Hindi word bangla, meaning

‘a house belonging to Bengal’. These Bengal

houses were small, one-storey buildings with

wide verandahs. Today, while bungalows vary

from country to country, most of them are lowrise

and have verandahs.

1 Why did the Spaniards in the New World name the alligator el ligarto?

2 What was the original meaning of the French word chauffeur?

3 Why, at the beginning of the twentieth century, were some of the car drivers

described as chauffeurs?

4 How did the word ‘bushranger’ become known as a term to describe Australian

outlaws?

5 What Italian word was previously used to describe outlaws?

6 What did the Spanish word barbacoa originally describe?

7 What is the meaning of the Japanese word taikun?

8 What does the Italian word confetti mean in English?

9 What were the features of a bungalow in Bengal?

22

Through the centuries, there have been some amazing discoveries and creations.

Sometimes objects that became commonly used were named after the people who

invented or created them. Here are some examples.

Words named after their creators

sandwich: When we eat a sandwich, we usually

never give a thought to the origin of the word.

Strange as it may seem, the word ‘sandwich’

originated from a nobleman, the 4th Earl of

Sandwich, who lived during the eighteenth

century. The Earl of Sandwich was a keen

gambler and card player. One day he became so

involved in his cards that he refused to leave the

table to eat. Finally, a servant brought him roast

beef between two slices of bread. Soon people

started ordering ‘the same as Sandwich’ and the

name for this type of meal took hold.

cardigan: The cardigan is a type of knitted

garment that has an open front, traditionally

with buttons for closing. It was named after

the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who led the Charge

of the Light Brigade at Balaclava in 1854. He

usually wore a knitted woollen waistcoat to keep

out the cold during the winters of the Crimean

campaign. This garment, which could be worn

with or without sleeves, was also popular with

the other offi cers. It is interesting to note that

the knitted woollen hat called a ‘balaclava’ was

named after this battle.

biro: In 1938, a Hungarian named Laszlo Biro

invented the modern ballpoint pen. Working

as a journalist, he found writing with pen and

ink frustrating. The ink took long to dry and

smudging often resulted, while the ink used

to print newspapers dried quickly without

smudging. His new pen used thicker, quick-drying

ink and had a tiny steel ball at its tip, which when

it turned, picked up ink from a cartridge. During

World War II, Laszlo Biro’s invention became

popular with aircraft crews, because unlike the

traditional fountain pen it did not leak at high

altitudes. Since then, billions of ballpoint pens, or

biros, have been sold throughout the world.

1 Why would a sandwich have been advantageous to the Earl of Sandwich?

2 How did the Earl of Sandwich’s name finally become linked to the sandwich?

3 Why did the Earl of Cardigan wear a knitted woollen waistcoat?

4 How did the knitted woollen hat, the balaclava, get its name?

5 Why was Laszlo Biro unhappy with using pen and ink?

6 Why was the biro suitable for use in aircrafts?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 3 The origins of English 23

In English, there are many unusual and curious expressions and sayings that we use

regularly in everyday speech. They are called idioms. Idioms have become so much a

part of our language that most of the time we are unaware that we are using them. Here

are the explanations of how four well-known idioms came into the English language.

Idioms

To let the cat out of the bag: This idiom has its

origins in the Middle Ages when some dishonest

traders would put a cat in a sack and sell it as

a suckling pig. If an unsuspecting visitor to the

market bought the ‘pig’ without checking that the

sack really contained a suckling pig, he was well

and truly deceived because of his own stupidity.

However, if the bag was opened before buying,

‘the secret’ (in this case, an ill-tempered, vicious

cat) jumped quickly out of the sack and ran away

for all to see. The expression ‘to let the cat out

of the bag’ became part of everyday speech

meaning ‘to reveal facts previously hidden’.

To give someone the cold shoulder: If you give

someone the cold shoulder, you show your dislike

by ignoring them and being unfriendly. The saying

comes from the days when knights were not only

bold, but were obliged to be chivalrous, especially

to fellow knights. This extended to wining, dining

and looking after a visiting ‘Sir’ for as long as he

stayed. But if the visitor overstayed his welcome,

his host would make his feelings known by

serving a meal normally served only to servants,

namely a cold shoulder of mutton.

Straight from the horse’s mouth: This idiom

means that what we have heard or are about to

hear is completely reliable and comes from the

very best authority. But what is the signifi cance

of a ‘horse’s mouth’? The best and surest way

of fi nding the age of a horse is to examine its

teeth. When a horse is two and a half years

old, its fi rst permanent teeth appear, the next

set appears a year later, and the next when the

horse has reached four to fi ve years of age. A

buyer who knows these facts and is looking for

a young horse will not be tricked into buying

an older horse. Thus the buyer gets their

information straight from the horse’s mouth.

1 Today, what is the meaning of the idiom ‘to let the cat out of the bag’?

2 In the Middle Ages, what was ‘the secret’ in the bag?

3 Today, what is the meaning of ‘to give someone the cold shoulder’?

4 What was ‘the cold shoulder’ in the age of chivalry?

5 What is the meaning of ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’?

24

Word origins—Greek and Latin

It has been estimated that more than fifty per cent of all the words in English are derived

from Greek or Latin. There are a number of reasons for this. During the Middle Ages and

the Renaissance, Latin and Greek were the important languages of the well-educated,

and so thousands of scientific, mathematical, medical, legal, literary and religious words

came into the English language.

Greek word origins

The Greek words bios, aster and scopeo are given below with their meanings, together

with English words that are derived from them. Your task is to write each English word

from the box next to its correct definition.

bios, meaning ‘life’

autobiography amphibian biopsy antibiotic

1 an account of a person’s life written by that person

2 a medical examination of tissue removed from the body

3 an animal capable of living both on land and in water

4 a drug used to treat bacterial infections

aster, meaning ‘a star’

astronomer astronomical asterisk astrology

1 a small star-like symbol used in printing and writing

2 extremely large; exceedingly great

3 a study of the stars as having an influence on human affairs

4 a scientific observer of celestial bodies

scopeo, meaning ‘I see’

periscope microscope kaleidoscope horoscope

1 an optical instrument used for looking over the top of something

2 a device for producing a larger view of very small objects

3 predictions based on a person’s birth and position of the stars

4 an instrument showing colourful, changing patterns

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 3 The origins of English 25

Latin word origins

The table below lists a number of Latin words, together with their meanings and

English words derived from them. Next to each of the definitions that follow the table,

write the correct English word. The Latin origin is given in brackets to help you.

Latin word Meaning English words

aqua water aquarium, aquatic, aqueduct, aquamarine, aquatics

forma shape uniform, conform, deformed, reform, formula

finis the end finish, infinity, confine, definite, finale

navis ship navy, naval, navigate, navigator, circumnavigate

insula island insulate, insular, peninsula, insulation, insulin

canto I sing chant, enchanted, recant, canto, disenchanted

corpus body corpse, corporal, corporation, corpulent, corpuscle

1 the last part of a piece of music or public event (finis)

2 an area of land almost surrounded by water (insula)

3 fat (corpus)

4 disfigured or misshapen (forma)

5 charmed; under a spell (canto)

6 to sail all the way around (navis)

7 a dead body (corpus)

8 a pipe or channel carrying water over a long distance (aqua)

9 a tank in which water creatures and plants are kept (aqua)

10 the branch of the armed services conducting operations at sea (navis)

11 to declare that one no longer holds an opinion or belief (canto)

12 a hormone regulating the amount of glucose in the blood (insula)

13 a number greater than any countable number (finis)

14 a mathematical relationship expressed in symbols (forma)

15 a red or white cell in a vertebrate’s blood (corpus)

16 a section into which certain long poems may be divided (canto)

17 a person who navigates a ship, aircraft, etc. (navis)

18 sports played in or on the water (aqua)

19 to restrict someone or something within certain limits (finis)

20 to comply with rules or standards (forma)

26

Question marks and exclamation marks

A question mark is used at the end of a sentence that asks a direct question.

Does someone have a ruler I can borrow?

An exclamation mark is used for emphasis. It ends a sentence that expresses a powerful

emotion such as relief, anger or joy. It may also convey urgency or deliver a strong

command.

Thank goodness for that! (expresses relief)

Hurry! (expresses urgency)

Stop right there! (a strong command)

The wording of a statement and of an exclamation can be the same. Using an

exclamation mark is then a deliberate choice to emphasise what is being said.

There’s a train coming. (a factual statement)

There’s a train coming! (an urgent warning)

Identifying questions and exclamations

Rewrite each sentence, starting with a capital letter and ending with a question mark

or an exclamation mark.

1 what a surprise

2 would you like a muffin

3 is it a funnel-web spider

4 watch out for that car

5 keep running

6 do you like horror movies

7 stop that noise

Using exclamation marks to express emotion

For each of the following exclamations, choose the most appropriate emotion from the

ones in brackets and write it in the space provided.

1 You can’t be serious! (anger, disbelief, joy)

2 Yuck! That tastes horrible! (sadness, fear, disgust)

3 I can’t believe how far I fell! (shame, shock, nervousness)

4 That’s amazing! (surprise, horror, sorrow)

5 I’ve just won a car! (panic, worry, excitement)

6 How dare you speak to me like that! (despair, anger, relief)

7 What an achievement! (admiration, tenderness, happiness)

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 3 The origins of English 27

Words and their origins

Spain India Arabia Italy Japan

mosquito guru assassin concerto bonsai

matador mongoose algebra maestro sumo

renegade anaconda tariff vendetta tycoon

stampede bazaar gazelle fiasco sushi

embargo curry arsenal parapet origami

fiesta bungalow sultan inferno karate

Find the word

For each of the meanings below, write down the correct English word from the list

above. The country of origin is given in brackets to help you.

1 a person who murders another, often for political reasons (Arabia)

2 a sudden panicked rush of animals (Spain)

3 a large semi-aquatic constricting snake (India)

4 a distinguished musician (Italy)

5 the art of folding paper into decorative shapes (Japan)

6 a large, dangerous fire (Italy)

7 a collection of weapons (Arabia)

8 an event marked by festivities or celebrations (Spain)

9 a one-storey house (India)

10 a long, bitter quarrel with people seeking vengeance (Italy)

11 a person who deserts and betrays an organisation (Spain)

12 a wealthy, powerful person in business (Japan)

13 a branch of mathematics (Arabia)

14 a small carnivorous mammal from Africa and Asia (India)

15 the art of limiting the growth of trees and shrubs (Japan)

16 a musical composition for a principal instrument (Italy)

17 a bullfighter whose task is to kill the bull (Spain)

28

18 a ruler of a Muslim country (Arabia)

19 a form of heavyweight wrestling (Japan)

20 a Hindu spiritual teacher or a popular expert (India)

Completing the phrases

Complete the following phrases by adding a suitable word from the list. The first letter

is given to help you.

1 a graceful g

2 a high import t

3 stalls at the b

4 a family v

5 a trade e

6 the cattle s

7 a violin c

8 a blazing i

9 the castle’s p

10 a complete f

11 the business t

12 a brick b

13 a small b tree

14 the r soldier

15 a high k kick

16 at the s bar

17 my a homework

18 m repellent

19 mild c powder

20 the s wrestler

Through the centuries, a rich array of German words entered the English language.

Use the dictionary at the back of the book to write the English meanings for each of

the following words originating from German.

wunderkind:

autobahn:

kaput:

poltergeist:

wanderlust:

kindergarten:

hinterland:

abseil:

sauerkraut:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 3 The origins of English 29

People and events

Use one of the topics in the list below

or one of your own to tell the story of

a discovery or historical event. You can

make up an imaginary description or you

can use details from history. Write about

250 words.

• Discovery of fire

• Bushrangers bail up a stagecoach

• The wheel is invented

• A cave-dweller’s encounter with a

mammoth

• Conquering Mt Everest

• Blackbeard the pirate is captured

• Discovery of the pharaoh’s tomb

• Gold is discovered

30

Film shots

A film shot is a piece of action that is recorded in one uninterrupted running of the

camera, usually lasting for a few seconds. Camera techniques are applied to create

special effects. The use of camera shots and camera angles are explained below.

Camera shots are used to show

distance to create a special effect for the

viewer. The main camera shots are listed

here.

• Close-up shot: the subject’s face fills

most of the image area, allowing the

viewer to see the subject’s expression

and emotions

• Medium shot: the subject is shown

from the waist up and allows the

viewer to see the subject’s gestures as

well as the setting

• Long shot: the subject’s entire body is

shown in a setting that is important to

the action.

Camera angles are used to show

degrees of power or strength. The main

camera angles are as follows.

• Low-angle shot: the camera looks up at

the subject, making it appear large and

powerful

• Eye-level shot: the camera is at the

same level as the subject, making the

audience part of the action

• High-angle shot: the camera looks

down on the subject, lessening its

impact by making it seem powerless,

tense, desperate, weak or vulnerable.

The film Gladiator stars Russell Crowe as Maximus, a heroic and powerful Roman

general who is forced to fight for his survival as a gladiator. The various camera

techniques were applied to create dramatic effects for the viewers. The following camera

shots are from early in the film when Maximus is still a Roman general.

Close-up shot

Responding to the close-up shot

1 What makes this a close-up shot?

2 Circle or highlight the word that best describes the expression on Maximus’s face:

furious delighted despairing thoughtful frightened

3 Maximus is gazing outside the frame of the screen. What is the effect of this on the

audience?

Medium shot

32

Responding to the medium shot

1 What makes this a medium shot?

2 How can you tell that Maximus and Lucilla have a strong emotional connection?

3 What is it about Lucilla’s clothing that indicates she is a princess?

Long shot

Responding to the long shot

1 What makes this a long shot?

2 What action is taking place?

3 What impression of Maximus’s character is given by the setting?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 4 Film shots 33

The stills shown here are from later in the film when Maximus is a gladiator. They

illustrate the use of camera angles.

Low-angle shot

Responding to the low-angle shot

1 What makes this a low-angle shot?

2 What impression of Maximus’s character is given by this choice of angle?

3 What action is suggested by his facial expression and outstretched arms?

Eye-level shot

34

Responding to the eye-level shot

1 What makes this an eye-level shot?

2 What effect does this choice of angle have on the audience?

3 What emotion is the audience likely to feel as they look at the attacking tiger?

High-angle shot

Responding to the high-angle shot

1 This is a shot of Maximus and Juba. What makes it a high-angle shot?

2 What are the characters doing?

3 What is the purpose of choosing a high-angle shot for this scene?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 4 Film shots 35

Shades of meaning

There are many groups of words that are related in meaning. Consider the following

people.

robber burglar bushranger embezzler gangster forger pirate

All these words have in common the idea of theft. Yet each word suggests an

individual who differs in the way the theft is achieved. The differences suggested by the

words are called ‘shades of meaning’.

Identifying the meanings

Complete the three phrases in each group by choosing the most suitable words from

the words in brackets. Use each word once only.

1 an interstate

rocky

a tree-lined

(trail highway avenue)

2 a house

6 a body

up the plants

the ancient ruin

(dig excavate exhume)

7 a on a ship

the

old man

to the Holy Land

vase

through the hills

(frail dilapidated fragile)

3 the of a galah

(cruise trek pilgrimage)

8 a photo

(bellow yelp screech)

4 a concert

a church

a cheering

of a bull

of a dog

a personal

a telephone

(directory diary album)

9 the taxi

a joining

a one-stroke

(mob congregation audience)

5 leaves

hooves

sirens

(wailing rustling thundering)

(penalty fee fare)

10 a baby’s

a sea

(hymn lullaby shanty)

36

Capital letters for titles

You will often need to refer to the titles of books, films, newspapers

and magazines in your English essays, but it is sometimes difficult

to know exactly where to use capital letters for the individual

words. Although there is more than one way of punctuating

titles, the following method is commonly used.

• The first word of a title and other major words always

start with a capital letter:

The Hunger Games

• The tricky part is that some of the small words start

with a capital and others do not:

The Lord of the Rings

I Am the Cheese

Here are some guidelines to help you use capital letters

consistently in titles.

• You do not need to use a capital letter for small connecting words such as:

a an the and but so in of with

at or to by off on up from when

• Capital letters are used for all verbs, including short forms of the verb ‘to be’:

Is Are Was Am Were

• Capital letters are used for all pronouns:

Me My Mine You Your He She Him

Her It We Us Our They Them Their

Note that titles are presented in italic type when you are using a computer, but if you

are writing by hand you can use single quotation marks around the title instead.

Using capital letters in titles

Rewrite the sentences by inserting quotation marks around the titles and following the

above guidelines to change the lower-case letters to capitals where necessary. You will

also need to add capital letters for some other words.

1 a famous australian novel is my brilliant career.

2 home and away is a long-running television series.

3 the novel diary of a wimpy kid is very funny.

4 how to train your dragon is an animated film.

5 a popular lifestyle magazine is called better homes and gardens.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 4 Film shots 37

At the movies

screen action film cinema producer

humour tragic mystery suspense dramatist

rehearsal image award response costumes

beginning design special audition conclusion

climax colour dissolve angle performance

musical studio preview theme animation

Find words in the word list that match the meanings of the following phrases. The first

letter is given to help you.

1 an interview for a job as a singer or an actor a

2 extremely distressing or sorrowful t

3 the time at which something starts b

4 something difficult or impossible to understand m

5 a writer of dramas d

6 a showing of a play or movie before its official opening p

7 a practice performance of a play or other work r

8 a prize given in honour of an achievement a

9 sets of clothes worn by an actor c

10 the quality of being amusing h

11 mental uncertainty or excitement about what may happen s

12 a motion picture or movie f

13 the person responsible for financing a movie or play p

14 a room in which an artist, musician or photographer works s

15 the central idea of a movie or a piece of writing t

16 a play or movie in which singing and dancing form a big part m

17 a reaction to something r

18 a plan or drawing of something before it is made d

19 change gradually to a different scene d

38

Complete the following sentences by selecting suitable words from those in brackets.

1 The built rapidly as the movie reached its .

(climax, suspense)

2 The of the was shown on a wide .

(film, screen, preview)

3 The organised the of the

for the opera. (producer, costumes, design)

4 The large was used for the daily before the

opening of the

. (musical, studio, rehearsal)

5 The Wizard of Oz was one of the first movies and the lead actress

won an for her . (award, performance, colour)

6 A famous wrote the script of an movie that

screened at our local

. (dramatist, cinema, action)

7 The cinematography course showed the students how to

create a short

from one image to another and how to use

effectively. (dissolve, special, animation)

8 The to the advertisement meant that many aspiring actors

attended the of the play, which had a theme.

(tragic, audition, response)

The word ‘producer’ is made up of the Latin prefix pro-, which means ‘forth’ or

‘forward’, and the Latin verb ducere, which means to ‘lead’. Thus, a producer is a

person ‘who leads forward’ by creating goods and services or by being in charge of

organising the business side of a play or film. There are many words in the English

language beginning with the prefix pro-. Use the dictionary at the back of the book to

write the meanings of these pro- words.

proclaim:

proceed:

proliferate:

proficient:

prominent:

prosecute:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 4 Film shots 39

Describing a scene from Gladiator

In this action scene from Gladiator, Maximus is in the arena fighting for his life against

several ferocious tigers and another gladiator, Tigris of Gaul, who has never been

defeated. Imagine that you are in the crowd watching this scene. Write a description

of what you can see, aiming to capture the excitement of the conflict. Your description

could include:

• the setting

• the noise of the crowd around you

• the armour and weapons

• the physical strength and size of Tigris

• the menacing tiger

• the actions and feelings of Maximus.

40

5

Explanations

The purpose of explanations is to tell how and why things happen. Explanations provide

causes and reasons. They inform and instruct. Often the title may be in the form of a

question; for example, ‘How were the pyramids of Egypt built?’ or ‘Why do rattlesnakes

rattle?’ Most explanations are usually structured in three main parts:

• a general statement in the introductory paragraph that introduces the thing or event

being explained

• a series of statements that describe how or why something works or happens

• a concluding statement that sums up the explanation.

Read through the four explanations below and answer the questions that follow.

How were the pyramids of Egypt

built?

Although pyramids were also built in Central

America, the pyramids of Egypt are better known

because of their size and the treasures hidden

inside them. The fi rst stone pyramid in the

world is considered to have been built in about

2650 BC/BCE by Imhotep, the chief architect of

the Egyptian pharaoh, Djoser.

Pyramids were built as burial places and

also monuments to the pharaohs. The ancient

Egyptian tombs were stocked with food, clothing

and treasures for the dead to take into the

afterlife. The most famous and largest Egyptian

pyramid was built at Giza for King Cheops,

between 2560 and 2540 BC/BCE. Huge stone

slabs were cut from quarries and fl oated down

the river Nile on barges. These were then loaded

onto sledges, with round logs that acted like

wheels. When the stones arrived at the site,

they were measured, shaped and cut into blocks,

each weighing about two and a half tonnes. As

the Ancient Egyptians did not have pulleys or

cranes, it is amazing that these massive weights

could be lifted to such heights. It is thought

that huge ramps were built and the blocks were

physically pushed and pulled up the ramps to

their resting positions.

The cutting of the blocks was done by

stonemasons, artists and sculptors. Originally

it was thought that the labourers were slaves,

but current thinking is that the heavy work was

probably done by local farmers when their crops

were under water when the river Nile fl ooded

each year.

While many of the great pyramids still

survive today for travellers and visitors to see

and admire, most of the treasures inside the

pharaoh’s burial chamber and elsewhere have

been plundered by grave robbers through the

centuries and very little of value remains.

1 Why are the pyramids of Egypt better known than other pyramids in the world?

2 Who was Imhotep?

3 Why were the Egyptian pyramids built?

4 Why were the pyramids stocked with food, clothing and treasures?

5 How did the builders of the pyramids lift the huge blocks to great heights?

6 Who, according to current thinking, did the heavy work on the pyramids?

7 What has happened to the original treasures of the pharaohs?

Why do rattlesnakes rattle?

The rattlesnake is one of the most feared

snakes in the world because of the spine-chilling

rattle made by its tail. People often wonder

how and why the rattlesnake creates its unique

warning sound.

All snakes shed their skin from head to

tail as they grow, effectively crawling out of

their old skin. Rattlesnakes can shed their skin

two to four times a year, but the end result

is different from other snakes. They have a

single, large scale at the end of their tail and

this stays attached even though the rest of the

skin is shed. This continues with every shedding

and each new end segment interlocks with

the previous one. The segments are similar to

empty beads that click together when the tail

vibrates. It is not until there are a few segments

that the rattle is strong.

Many snakes move their tail as a warning

to other creatures, but it is only the family of

rattlesnakes that makes the distinctive rattle.

To protect their rattle, these snakes crawl along

the ground with the end of the tail held high.

Even so, the rattle can get damaged, but new

sections are still added after each skin shedding.

Some snakes kill their prey by strangling

them, but the rattlesnake has a very potent

venom and even the newborn snakes are very

venomous. However, rattlesnakes rarely attack

humans unless provoked or threatened. Their

rattle is mainly used in defence.

42

1 Why do you think people would find the rattle of the rattlesnake ‘spine-chilling’?

2 What is unusual about the large scale at the end of a rattlesnake’s tail?

3 How is the sound of the rattle enabled to become louder and louder with each

shedding of skin?

4 How does the rattlesnake protect its rattle?

5 How does the rattlesnake kill its prey?

Why are some people afraid of

the number 13?

‘Triskaidekaphobia’ is better known as the fear

of the number 13, but the question is why do

so many people have such a great fear of this

number?

There are many different theories and one is

that it developed from an ancient Norse legend.

Twelve gods were sitting down to a banquet

when Loki, an uninvited guest, joined them to

increase their number to thirteen. However,

Loki was the god of discord and he tricked one

of the other gods present to kill Balder, the god

of peace and light. As a result, many natural

disasters followed and the whole world was

obliterated except for two survivors.

Another theory stems from numerology,

which maintains that the number 12 represents

perfection. Adherents believe that trying to

improve perfection by adding one more digit will

only lead to bad luck!

Friday the thirteenth of the month is called

Black Friday and is seen as an unlucky day. On

this day superstitious people try to not leave

their homes, make medical appointments or

travel in an aircraft. One comforting feature for

them is that there can never be more than three

Black Fridays in any year, and some years have

only one.

Many hotels around the world do not have

a thirteenth fl oor or a room number 13 on any

fl oor. Hospitals do not usually have a bed 13,

many airports do not have a gate 13 and some

streets do not have a house number 13. This

demonstrates that triskaidekaphobia is more

common than we may expect.

1 According to the Norse legend, what evil did Loki commit?

2 On Friday the thirteenth, what would superstitious people be unwilling to do?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 5 Explanations 43

3 Why wouldn’t hospitals have a bed 13?

4 Why wouldn’t airports have a gate 13?

Why are sharks such formidable

predators?

Sharks are the most-feared animals of the

sea, and for good reason. They have up to

3000 teeth in fi ve rows and when one tooth is

damaged, another grows in its place. Rather

than chewing their prey, sharks take huge pieces

from their victim and gulp them down. Their jaw

is not attached to the brain cage and the mouth

can be stretched in order to swallow large

chunks. If they mistakenly attack something and

don’t like the taste, they spit it out.

Different sharks come in different sizes and

shapes. Most are torpedo-shaped, which allows

for very fast swimming. Slow swimmers are

those that live on the sandy sea bottom and hide

there waiting for their prey to swim past. The

spined pygmy shark is the smallest one, only 28

centimetres in length, whereas the largest one,

the whale shark, can be 14 metres in length.

Sharks are expert hunters because of their

very acute senses. They are able to smell small

amounts of blood in the water up to 400 metres

away. Unlike us, their nostrils are not used for

breathing, but water continually fl ows through

them giving information about possible prey.

Sharks’ eyes are about ten times more sensitive

to light than our eyes and they can also see in

dim light. Some sharks have a membrane that

protects their eyes when they are hunting.

Excellent hearing and vibration sense organs

along their sides also help in the detection of prey.

Baby sharks are called pups and they are

born with a full set of teeth. Some species of pups

are nurtured inside the mother’s body and will

often eat other siblings before they are even

born. Other species lay their eggs in the ocean and

these are at risk of being eaten by other predators.

Even though sharks are predators at the

top of the food chain, they have now become an

endangered species because of human activities

such as netting, shark fi nning and longline

fi shing. It has been estimated that humans kill

one hundred million sharks each year.

1 How do sharks eat their prey?

2 What feature enables sharks to swim very fast?

3 What is amazing about a shark’s sense of smell?

4 How are a shark’s eyes superior to those of a human?

5 Why have sharks become an endangered species?

44

Personal and possessive pronouns

Pronouns, as their name implies, are used instead of nouns. Pronouns are essential in

speaking and writing because they save us from having to keep repeating many of the

nouns we use.

Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns are so called because they take a different approach for each of the

three persons (I, you, he/she/it).

• The first person is the person speaking:

‘I have written my essay.’

• The second person is the person spoken to:

‘You must invite your brother.’

• The third person is the person or thing spoken about:

‘She read out her poem to the class.’ It is making them sick.’

The following table will give you a better understanding of personal pronouns.

Personal pronouns Singular Plural

First person (person speaking) I, me, my we, us, our

Second person (person spoken to) you, your you, your

Third person (person or thing spoken about)

he, him, his

she, her

it, its

they, them, their

Identifying personal pronouns

Read through Howard Carter’s description of discovering Tutankhamun’s tomb after

almost three and a half thousand years. Then underline the personal pronouns.

(Hint: there are 15.)

The tomb of Tutankhamun

Imagine how the objects appeared to us as we looked down upon

them from our spy-hole in the blocked doorway, casting the beam

of light from our torch. Gradually the scene grew clearer, and

we could pick out individual objects. First, right opposite to us

were three great gilt couches, their sides carved in the form of

monstrous animals. Seen as we saw them, their brilliant gilded

surfaces picked out of the darkness by our electric torch, they

were almost terrifying. Next, on the right, two statues caught and

held our attention: two life-sized figures of a king in black, facing

each other like sentinels, armed with mace and staff, the protective sacred cobra on their

foreheads.

adapted from The Tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 5 Explanations 45

Changing the personal pronouns

Rewrite each of the following sentences by changing the pronouns to the form indicated

in brackets. Refer to the personal pronoun table on page 45 to help you. You may have

to change other words as well. The following example will give you the idea.

She is eating her sandwich. (Change to first person plural.)

We are eating our sandwiches.

1 We easily passed our exams. (Change to third person plural.)

2 His shirt is too big for him. (Change to second person singular.)

3 You are disappointed with your results. (Change to first person singular.)

4 They can take their holidays soon. (Change to second person

plural.)

5 Is she selling her new car? (Change to second person

singular.)

6 We are using our mobile phones. (Change to first

person singular.)

Possessive pronouns

Personal pronouns have a possessive form that is used to show ownership of something:

my, our, your, her, his, their, its. These pronouns are always used with a noun.

my biro our food your hand her apple his glasses their shoes its paw

However, there is another group of pronouns that also shows ownership. They are

called possessive pronouns: mine, ours, yours, hers, his, theirs, its. For example:

The jacket is mine. The car is yours. The prize is hers. Which house is theirs?

Identifying possessive pronouns

Write down the possessive pronouns that are used in each of these sentences.

1 Is this coffee yours or theirs?

2 The lawn mower is hers not ours.

3 Is the money mine or his?

4 One desk is theirs and the other is hers.

5 What’s mine is yours.

6 The cat is his and the dog is ours.

46

Commas for lists

Commas replace and and or in various kinds of lists. Sentences would be clumsy and

repetitive if we didn’t use commas for this purpose. Look at these examples:

I decided to plant geraniums and lavender and daisies and ferns.

I decided to plant geraniums, lavender, daisies and ferns.

We could choose to swim or play tennis or go surfing or read a book.

We could choose to swim, play tennis, go surfing or read a book.

Notice that a comma is not necessary before the last item in the list. This is because

and or or is being used to complete the sentence. (However, you can add a comma if

needed to make the meaning clear.)

Commas replace and in the following examples of lists.

• a list of items:

My birthday presents included a watch, a camera, a gift voucher and a computer game.

• a series of actions:

The police turned on their siren, raced to the crime scene, captured the thief and took

him back to the station.

• a series of two or more adjectives or adverbs:

It was a cold, dark, rainy night. (adjectives)

She walked swiftly, silently and purposefully towards the car. (adverbs)

Using commas for lists

Rewrite the following sentences, inserting commas where needed.

1 The art gallery displays paintings prints photographs and sculptures.

2 It was a hot sweet fruity delicious pie.

3 The old man put on his grimy jacket grabbed his worn-out hat said goodbye to his

friends and left.

4 The children at the playground were running laughing jumping and screaming.

5 She picked up the fragile antique slowly carefully and nervously.

6 We flew to Fiji caught a taxi to our hotel relaxed in the beautiful swimming pool and

had dinner in the restaurant.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 5 Explanations 47

Pyramids Snakes Superstition Sharks

pharaoh venomous superstitious predator

discovery habitat occurrence attack

desert lethal disaster powerful

oasis species legend endangered

monument reptile favourable surface

inscription hibernate fearful marine

ancient slither impossible prey

What list word am I?

Choose words from the list to answer the quiz.

1 I begin with the letter p:

a an animal that preys on other animals

b having great power or strength

c

a ruler in Ancient Egypt

d an animal hunted and killed by another for food

2 I begin with the letter s:

a believing in supernatural events

b to move smoothly over a surface

a biological group of living organisms

d the uppermost layer of something

3 I begin with the letter d:

a a sudden event causing great damage or loss of life

b a dry, barren area of land

the finding of something during a search

4 I begin with the letter a:

a belonging to the very distant past

b to take aggressive action against

48

5 I begin with the letter h:

a to spend the winter in a dormant state

b the natural home or environment of an animal or plant

6 I begin with the letter i:

a not able to occur

b words inscribed on a monument

7 I begin with the letter o:

a an incident or event

b a fertile spot in a desert

Use list words to complete these phrases. The first letter is given as a clue.

1 a history

2 p jaws

3 e animals

4 v snakes

5 an i situation

6 m biology

7 a l injection

8 s fears

9 r eggs

10 f results

11 a famous Greek l

12 a stone m

13 its natural h

14 a fascinating d

15 threatened s

16 a catastrophic d

17 a violent a

18 a fierce p

19 a lush o

20 a barren d

Our English word ‘marine’ come from the Latin word mare, which means ‘the sea’.

There are a number of words in the English language that are derived from mare.

Here are some of them. Use the dictionary at the back of the book to write their

meanings.

marina:

mariner:

maritime:

submarine:

marinate:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 5 Explanations 49

Explaining how or why

Write an explanation text in answer to one

of the following questions or a question

of your own. You will need to start by

doing some research on the internet or

in the library. Once you have written your

explanation text, choose the most suitable

way to present it to the class. It may take

the form of a short talk or a PowerPoint

presentation. You will find that other

students in the class will be interested in

what you have discovered.

• How is a rainbow formed?

• How was dynamite discovered?

• How do flying fish fly?

• How are hailstones created?

• How was penicillin discovered?

• How do bees make honey?

• How was the iPad created?

• How do spiders make their webs?

• How are diamonds formed?

• Why did the dinosaurs die out?

• Why is the Tower of Pisa leaning?

• Why do passenger jets fly so high?

• Why did Walt Disney invent Mickey Mouse?

• Why do some people have freckles?

• Why do animals hibernate?

• Why did people wear wigs in the 1700s?

50

Conflict

Conflict is part of the human experience. It is the essence of all stories and creates the

tension and suspense that engage the audience. It is represented as the dramatic struggle

between two forces. Conflict is revealed in actions, dialogue and descriptions. There are

two main types of conflict—external and internal conflict.

External conflict usually involves one of the following exterior forces:

• a character (the hero or protagonist) versus another character (the villain or antagonist)

• a character versus society —fighting for freedom, rights or justice

• a character versus the physical world such as surviving a natural disaster

• a character versus destiny—usually a pursuit of ideals versus predetermined fate.

Internal conflict is the struggle that takes place within a character’s mind. Choices

have to be made. The character has the problem of what to think and how to react, and

has to deal with and try to resolve their own ethical or emotional challenges. It is a

conflict between the character and his/her self.

In the following passage there is conflict between teacher Mr Fuller and student

Trevor Huon because Trevor constantly seems to be doing the wrong thing.

Conflict in the classroom

‘Stand up, Trevor Huon.’

Surprised out of

daydreaming, Trevor duly

pushed his chair back and

stood beside his desk.

Mr Fuller solemnly

held up a familiar exercise

book. ‘Know what this is,

Trevor Huon?’

‘My writing book,’

Trevor replied without

expression, ‘sir.’

‘Exactly. And if I were

you, I wouldn’t be proud

of it.’

The rest of the

class had started to

divert their attention

from comprehension exercises, but a

reprimanding glance from the teacher

caused faces to be pointed

at desks once more.

‘The writing, as usual,

needs improvement,’

Mr Fuller continued, ‘and

so does your story. Why

is it, Huon, that everyone

in the room seems to

have imagination, but you

don’t?’

‘I don’t know.’

The teacher’s casual

brand of sarcasm showed

on his face, which

displayed neither anger

nor a smile, merely a

calculating look that

Trevor found uncomfortable

to face. Mr Fuller shook the exercise book

for emphasis. ‘I asked everyone in the class

to write an imaginary story. Do you know

what that means?’

‘Something made up.’

‘Sir!’

‘Sir.’

‘Exactly. Why then did you choose to

write an autobiography? Everyone seemed

capable of imagination. They made up

their stories. Why not you?’

‘Don’t know, sir.’

‘I don’t particularly want to read

about your life story, colourful as it may

be.’ The teacher paused. ‘You’ve got

less than a week to finish this project.

Because you did the wrong thing in the

first place, you’re running out of time. By

next Monday, I want to see this exercise

book with a new story in it. Finished.

Understand?’

‘Yes, sir,’ Trevor answered, feeling the

resentment rising.

‘Here is your book. Come and collect it.’

Trevor walked hesitantly to the

teacher’s desk and picked the offending

exercise book up from where it had been

disdainfully placed. As he turned to return

to the relative safety and distance of the

chair next to Martin, the teacher said:

‘Remember, Huon. A new story, finished by

next Monday. And before you sit down …’

The other kids once more seemed to

have abandoned their work, and had fixed

their surreptitious attention on Trevor and

the irritated teacher.

‘Why is it, Trevor Huon, that you

never see fit to wear appropriate school

clothing?’

Trevor looked down at what he was

wearing.

‘Why do we have to put up with the

sight of you in sandals, jeans—usually

patched—and hair that constantly looks

untidy, mainly because it needs cutting?’

Shut up, you cretin, Trevor thought to

himself and aloud, said, ‘I don’t know, sir,’

not so much to the teacher as to the floor.

‘Neither do I. I suppose it’s too much

to hope that you will deign to appear in

proper school clothing, but it would be

appreciated if you could wear decent

shoes and socks, like the rest of us. Now

sit down.’

Sure that his face was scarlet with the

anger and frustration he felt, Trevor made

an effort to resume the comprehension

work. He wrote erratically for the next

few minutes until Mr Fuller stood up and

left the classroom for the office next door.

Briefly he flicked open the writing book,

long enough to take in the red biro lines

and comments that covered his incomplete

story. Without stopping to read the teacher’s

comments, he slowly closed the book.

from Cannily, Cannily by Simon French

1 What is Mr Fuller’s first criticism of Trevor’s writing book?

2 What is the main reason for the conflict between Mr Fuller and Trevor?

3 What is Trevor’s emotional response when Mr Fuller tells him to write a new story?

4 What specific complaints does Mr Fuller make about Trevor’s dress and appearance?

5 What response does Trevor want to give to Mr Fuller’s criticisms?

6 At the end of his encounter with Mr Fuller, what emotions does Trevor experience?

52

7 What does this incident reveal about the character of Mr Fuller?

8 What does this incident reveal about the character of Trevor?

In The Outsiders, author SE Hinton depicts the gang wars between the Socs and the

Greasers. The Socs were west-side rich teenagers who were constantly provoking fights

with the Greasers, lower-class poor teenagers who slicked back their hair with grease.

Jumped

I like walking.

I about decided I didn’t like it so much,

though, when I spotted that red Corvair

trailing me. I was almost two blocks from

home then, so I started walking a little

faster. I had never been jumped, but I

had seen Johnny after four Socs got hold

of him, and it wasn’t pretty. Johnny was

scared of his own shadow after that.

Johnny was sixteen then.

I knew it wasn’t any use though—the

fast walking, I mean—even before the

Corvair pulled up beside me and five

Socs got out. I got pretty scared—I’m

kind of small for fourteen even though I

have a good build, and those guys were

bigger than me. I automatically hitched

my thumbs in my jeans and slouched,

wondering if I could get away if I made

a break for it. I remembered Johnny—

his face all cut up and bruised, and I

remembered how he had cried when we

found him, half-conscious, in the corner

lot. Johnny had it awful rough at home—it

took a lot to make him cry.

I was sweating something fierce,

although I was cold. I could feel my palms

getting clammy and the perspiration

running down my back. I get like that

when I’m real scared. I glanced around for

a pop bottle or a stick or something—Steve

Randle, Soda’s best buddy, had once held

off four guys with a busted pop bottle—

but there was nothing. So I stood there like

a bump on a log while they surrounded

me. I don’t use my head. They walked

around slowly, silently, smiling.

‘Hey, grease,’ one said in an overfriendly

voice. ‘We’re gonna do you a

favour, greaser. We’re gonna cut all that

long greasy hair off.’

He had on a madras shirt. I can still

see it. Blue madras. One of them laughed,

then cussed me out in a low voice. I

couldn’t think of anything to say. There

just isn’t a whole lot you can say while

waiting to get mugged, so I kept my mouth

shut.

‘Need a haircut, greaser?’ The

medium-sized blond pulled a knife out

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 6 Conflict 53

of his back pocket and flipped the blade

open. I finally thought of something to say.

‘No.’ I was backing up, away from that

knife. Of course I backed right into one

of them. They had me down in a second.

They had my arms and legs pinned down

and one of them was sitting on my chest

with his knees on my elbows, and if you

don’t think that hurts, you’re crazy. I could

smell English Leather shaving lotion and

stale tobacco, and I wondered foolishly if I

would suffocate before they did anything. I

was scared so bad I was wishing I would.

I fought to get loose, and almost did for a

second; then they tightened up on me and

the one on my chest slugged me a couple

of times. So I lay still, swearing at them

between gasps. A blade was held against

my throat.

‘How’d you like that haircut to begin

just below the chin?’

It occurred to me then that they could

kill me. I went wild. I started screaming

for Soda, Darry, anyone. Someone put his

hand over my mouth, and I bit it as hard as

I could, tasting the blood running through

my teeth. I heard a muttered curse and

got slugged again, and they were stuffing

a handkerchief in my mouth. One of them

kept saying, ‘Shut him up, for Pete’s sake,

shut him up!’

Then there were shouts and the

pounding of feet, and the Socs jumped

up and left me lying there, gasping. I lay

there and wondered what in the world was

happening—people were jumping over me

and running by me and I was too dazed to

figure it out. Then someone had me under

the armpits and was hauling me to my feet.

It was Darry. ‘Are you all right, Ponyboy?’

He was shaking me and I wished he’d

stop. I was dizzy enough anyway. I could

tell it was Darry though—partly because

of the voice and partly because Darry’s

always rough with me without meaning to

be. ’I’m okay. Quit shaking me, Darry, I’m

okay.’

from The Outsiders by SE Hinton

1 What made Ponyboy decide he didn’t like walking as much as he previously

thought?

2 How was Johnny affected after he had been ‘jumped’?

3 Why was Ponyboy sweating?

4 ‘It occurred to me then that they could kill me.’ How did Ponyboy react to this

5 Explain why Ponyboy’s screaming probably saved his life.

6 How did Ponyboy know that it was Darry who had saved him?

7 What does this incident show about the Socs?

54

Adjectival clauses and relative pronouns

An adjectival clause is a subordinate clause that does the work of an adjective. It describes

or adds to the meaning of a noun or pronoun in another clause. An adjectival clause is

usually introduced by a relative pronoun such as who, whose, whom, which or that.

Ponyboy was followed by a red Corvair, which pulled up beside him.

Ponyboy was stopped by a gang of Socs, who threatened to hurt him.

The Socs seized Ponyboy, whose brother Darry was the leader of the Greasers.

Relative pronouns

A relative pronoun stands for the noun or pronoun that goes before it. In the following

example, who is the relative pronoun that stands for the noun, ‘Greasers’.

The Greasers, who were the Socs’ enemies, had long, greasy hair.

Relative pronouns are used in the following ways.

Subject Object Possessive

who whom whose

which which whose

that

• who, whom and whose stand for people

• which stands for things

• that stands for things or people.

Identifying adjectival clauses

Write down the adjectival clauses contained in each of the following sentences. Then

write the noun that each adjectival clause describes.

1 The Outsiders is a novel that teenagers enjoy reading.

Adjectival clause:

2 The book’s author, who is a writer of young adult novels, grew up in Oklahoma.

3 In the movie, which was successful at the box office, Patrick Swayze played the part

of Darry.

4 Johnny, whom four Socs had beaten up, was afraid of his own shadow.

5 Simon French, whose novels have an Australian setting, has won many awards for

his writing.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 6 Conflict 55

Joining sentences using relative pronouns

Join the sentences together using the relative pronoun. You may need to change the

wording.

1 which

a The Socs threatened to cut Ponyboy’s hair. His hair was long and greasy.

b The blond Soc pulled out a knife. He flipped it open.

2 whose

a The Socs were rich boys. Their homes were in wealthy areas of the city.

b Ponyboy was very scared. His palms were sweating.

3 that

a The Soc was wearing a madras shirt. It was blue.

b Ponyboy bit the Soc’s hand. It was covering his mouth.

4 whom

The Socs threatened to kill Ponyboy. They had him pinned down.

5 who

Ponyboy started screaming for Darry. Darry was Ponyboy’s brother.

Adding adjectival clauses

Very often relative pronouns begin adjectival clauses. Think about the Socs and

the Greasers story as you complete the following sentences by adding the missing

adjectival clauses listed below.

who was sweating with fear

who were holding him on the ground

which had been following Ponyboy

whom the Socs had beaten up

1 Five Socs got out of the red Corvair, .

2 Ponyboy thought about Johnny, .

3 Ponyboy could smell the shaving lotion of the Socs,

.

4 The Socs walked slowly around Ponyboy, .

56

Quotation marks for direct speech—1

In written texts, the words that are actually spoken are enclosed by quotation marks.

Full stops, question marks and exclamation marks indicate whether the spoken words

are a statement, a question or a command. The position of commas depends on the

position of the spoken words in the whole sentence. Two common patterns are shown

below. Pattern A starts with the spoken words and Pattern B ends with the spoken words.

Pattern A

‘Hello,’ said Sophie.

‘Can I come in?’ asked Aaron.

Pattern B

Sophie said, ‘Hello.’

Aaron asked, ‘Can I come in?’

‘Watch out!’ shouted Hannah.

Hannah shouted, ‘Watch out!’

• In both patterns, the full stop, question mark or exclamation mark that ends the

spoken words are always placed inside the quotation marks.

• In Pattern A, the comma is placed inside the final quotation mark. ( ____,’ said)

• In Pattern B the comma is placed before the first quotation mark. (said, ‘____ )

Punctuating direct speech

Rewrite the following short conversations, inserting quotation marks to indicate the

spoken words. You will need to use capital letters, commas, full stops, question marks

and exclamation marks. Use a new line for each new speaker.

1 the film was meant to be a comedy said jack

did you think it was funny asked emma

jack replied I thought it was the most boring film I’ve ever seen

2 I whispered quietly I hope jess wins the talent quest

she’s in with a great chance said tom

and the winner is jess leigh shouted the judge

3 what do you think you’re doing asked the park ranger

the camper answered sheepishly we’re just lighting a camp fire

there is a total fire ban in place today warned the ranger

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 6 Conflict 57

C o n fl i c t

violence authority anger complain assertive

physical frighten cruel mercy annoying

avoid confusion serious retaliate relationship

solution interrupt group dispute opportunity

injure struggle revenge irritate negotiate

failure disagree innocent problem aggressive

Find words in the list whose meanings match the phrases below. The first letter is

given to help you.

1 a thing that is difficult to solve p

2 to keep away from a

3 to make violent efforts to get free s

4 to have a different opinion d

5 a number of people close together g

6 to break the continuity i

7 compassion or forgiveness m

8 to fight back r

Word forms

Fill the gaps by adding the correct form of the words in brackets.

1 The athlete’s was painful. (injure)

2 My parents were very . (anger)

3 This was an moment. (opportunity)

5 My cat has a skin . (irritate)

6 The mountain climb was . (frighten)

7 Our school does not condone behaviour. (violence)

8 Delicate were underway in the war zone. (negotiate)

9 She has a rare medical . (complain)

58

10 I find this problem quite . (confusion)

11 The teller the signature. (authority)

12 The prisoner attacked the guard. (revenge)

13 The dog’s made it a dangerous animal. (aggressive)

14 Please help me this problem. (solution)

15 I needed to myself. (assertive)

16 He declared his . (innocent)

17 I don’t know why I the driving test. (failure)

18 Animal can never be accepted. (cruel)

Adding endings

Use the endings below to complete the list words.

-ship -al -ious -cent -sion -pute

-enge -ity -ing -ate -tion -en

1 ser

2 rev

3 relation

4 confu

5 fright

6 annoy

7 author

8 inno

9 dis

10 solu

11 physic

12 negoti

The word ‘interrupt’ is derived from two Latin words: inter, meaning ‘among’ or

‘between’, and rump/ruptus, meaning ‘to break’. Thus, ‘to ‘interrupt means ‘to break

into’. Here are some more words derived from ruptus. Use the dictionary at the

back of the book to write their meanings.

corruption:

disrupt:

abrupt:

erupt:

rupture:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 6 Conflict 59

Using dialogue to create conflict

Dialogue is very important for creating

conflict. It is through their words that

characters confront each other and reveal

their personalities.

When you are writing dialogue,

make sure it resembles real-life speech.

Listen to how people around you talk.

Remember that different characters will

have different ways of speaking. Don’t

be afraid to give your characters short,

uncomplicated sentences.

Select one of the following conflict situations or make up one of your own. Write

about 200 words, including dialogue, to create an interesting story.

People in conflict

Teenager versus parent

Motorist versus motorist

Dog owner versus neighbour

Husband versus wife

Cyclist versus pedestrian

Situation

Getting home late

Accident

Barking

Money problems

Right of way

60

7

Persuasion

A persuasive text presents a point of view or opinion about an issue and sets out to

influence the audience. It may ask the audience to take some kind of action, such as buy

a product or donate to a cause, or it may simply seek to persuade them to agree with the

writer’s or speaker’s opinion on the topic.

There are numerous techniques that can be used to achieve a persuasive purpose.

These include:

• appealing to emotions such as sympathy, fear or happiness

• appealing to values that the audience may believe in, such as honesty, equality or

freedom

• involving the audience by asking rhetorical questions—that is, questions that do not

require an answer

• providing real-life examples to personalise the issue or cause

• giving logical reasons for an opinion

• using quotations from people who have credibility, experience or expertise.

In this unit, you will look at three very different persuasive texts: a newspaper article

about animal welfare, a letter to the editor about the issue of a longer school day, and an

advertising brochure for a charitable organisation.

A plea from the Animal Welfare League

BY SOPHIE PERRI

THE Animal Welfare League

is pleading with families to

carefully consider any decision

to buy pets as gifts in the lead

up to Christmas.

Animal Welfare League

communications officer Jade

Ellis said the number of dogs

and cats being taken to the

shelter was increasing.

‘If this trend continues over

the coming months we will be

stretched to the limit in terms

of resources and funds which

are needed to care for these

animals,’ Ms Ellis said.

‘There have been instances

of people dumping cats and

Coby, a border collie labrador cross, with a young kitten at the shelter

dogs at our gates which is very

distressing for all involved.’ …

The Wingfield shelter was

swamped with surrendered pets

mid-year, many of which Ms

Ellis said were likely given as

presents during Christmas 2012.

Ms Ellis said pets were not

suitable gifts as they were a

lifelong commitment. ‘Much

thought and planning must go

into whether you are ready to

adopt,’ she said.

‘Dogs or cats can live until

they’re 20 years old, therefore

when people and families are

looking to adopt, they must

consider if they can commit to

the pet for life and if they are

ready for the responsibilities

involved.’

Labrador cross border collie

puppy, Coby (pictured), is

among 16 dogs up for adoption

at the shelter. There are also 42

kittens and 38 adult cats waiting

to find new homes.

Ms Ellis said people looking to

adopt a pet needed to meet the

animal beforehand to ensure the

pet’s personality matched their

family’s.

Each year the Animal Welfare

League cares for up to 20,000

dogs and cats at the shelter and

through the support of foster

carers.

from City North Messenger

1 What is the purpose of this newspaper article?

2 From the bold lead-in text, explain what the Animal Welfare League wants to

persuade families to do.

3 Why is Jade Ellis a credible source of information about the issue of animal

protection?

4 What does she say will happen if the number of dogs and cats being taken in

continues to increase?

5 What did many people do with their unwanted pets a few months after Christmas?

6 Why does she believe that pets are unsuitable as Christmas gifts?

7 ‘Dogs or cats can live until they are 20 years old …’ Why does Jade Ellis mention this

fact?

8 What does she think people need to do before adopting a pet?

9 The shelter cares for up to 20,000 cats and dogs each year. What is the purpose of

including this statistic?

62

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Bring on a longer school day

A recent proposal in the United

Kingdom to extend the school

day to 6 pm has considerable

merit. We should look at doing

the same thing in Australia.

There is no doubt that the

short school day is stressful

for both teachers and students.

Teachers often say that they

don’t have enough time to

teach the curriculum, and many

students feel frustrated because

they never get a chance to finish

their work in class.

A longer school day will

mean that there will be no such

thing as homework. At the

moment, kids come home, have

a break, have dinner, and then

they are expected to start school

all over again. By that stage of

the evening, they don’t want to

do any homework. And who can

blame them? Imagine how many

family fights could be prevented

if homework was completed at

school.

However, the most important

reason for introducing a longer

school day is to improve literacy

and numeracy standards.

Employers are constantly

complaining about the lack

of basic skills among school

leavers. More time in class

equals more time to develop

these vital skills.

Of course, this proposal will

cost money, but it will be worth

it. As a nation we have to think

of the long-term benefits to

our students and to Australia’s

future. Bring on longer school

days—the sooner the better.

Jack Willis, Richford

1 In the first paragraph, what point of view or opinion does the writer express?

2 Why does he think that the length of the school day is stressful for teachers and

students?

3 What is the rhetorical question in the third paragraph?

4 How would families benefi t from the extended school day?

5 What is the most important reason for extending the school day?

6 What reason does the writer give for spending money on this idea?

7 Take the opposing point of view and think of one reason why school hours should not

be extended.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 7 Persuasion 63

This is the front page of a brochure produced by World Vision Australia.

Responding to the brochure

1 What is the purpose of the brochure?

2 What are the causes of hunger in Myanmar (previously called Burma)?

3 According to her mother, what effect has the lack of a proper diet had on Myanin?

4 ‘But she also hungers for a better tomorrow free from poverty—something every

child deserves.’ What value or belief is expressed in this sentence?

5 Myanin is looking straight at the camera. Why is this effective?

6 What emotions does this brochure appeal to?

64

Nouns

There are four types of nouns: common nouns, proper nouns, collective nouns and

abstract nouns.

Common nouns: Common nouns are the general names given to people, places, animals

and things. Common nouns never begin with a capital letter.

woman doctor school city tiger magpie influenza helicopter

Proper nouns: A proper noun is the particular name given to a person, place, animal or

thing and always begins with a capital letter.

Jessica Garfield Mozart Italy Shrine of Remembrance November

Collective nouns: A collective noun is a word used for a collection or a group of similar

persons, animals or things.

crowd flock choir regiment armada crew

Abstract nouns: Abstract nouns are words that name feelings or qualities.

anger love kindness flattery frustration revival

Common nouns: people and places

Next to each person listed below, add the place with which they are most likely to be

associated.

palace barracks garage casino school laboratory

embassy observatory studio diggings airport restaurant

1 ambassador

2 soldier

3 scientist

4 gambler

5 artist

6 astronomer

7 mechanic

8 queen

9 archeologist

10 pilot

11 chef

12 teacher

Proper nouns: Who am I?

Select a proper noun from the list to match each description.

Sally Pearson Titanic Mozart Shakespeare Ned Kelly Mona Lisa

Einstein Cleopatra Henry VIII Lego Juliet Mt Vesuvius

1 I am the famous queen of Egypt who loved Mark Antony.

2 I was the luxurious passenger liner sunk by an iceberg.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 7 Persuasion 65

3 I erupted in AD/CE 79 and destroyed the city of Pompeii.

4 I am the Shakespearean character who married Romeo.

5 I am the king of England who had six wives.

6 I am considered to be the greatest English playwright.

7 I am one of the greatest scientific geniuses of all time.

8 I am a construction toy consisting of plastic building blocks.

9 I am a bushranger who has become a national folk legend.

10 I am an Australian Olympic champion in the 100 m hurdles.

11 I am a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

12 I am a famous Austrian composer.

Adding collective nouns

Complete each phrase by choosing an appropriate collective noun.

orchard pod platoon range fleet suit

roll galaxy plague plantation gang colony

1 a of soldiers

2 a of banknotes

3 a of locusts

4 a of clothes

9 a of penguins

10 a of trees

11 a of thieves

12 an of trees

5 a of ships

6 a of whales

7 a of mountains

8 a of stars

Forming abstract nouns

Turn the following words into abstract nouns by changing or adding endings.

1 confident

2 generous

3 patient

4 anxious

5 amaze

6 fail

7 curious

8 honest

9 persevere

10 wise

66

Capital letters for proper nouns

Capital letters are used to start sentences, but they also help us to recognise proper

nouns—that is, specific names for people, places, animals and things—that are referred

to within sentences. Here are some common uses of capital letters:

• names and titles of particular people

Ms Lucy Roberts Dr Tanya Kahn Duke of Edinburgh

• days, months, holidays and events

Wednesday August New Year’s Day Grand Prix

• nationalities, languages and religions

Greek Mandarin Islam

• places such as countries, cities, streets, buildings and entertainment venues

Argentina San Francisco George Street Parliament House Luna Park

• organisations, companies and government departments

World Wildlife Fund Honda Department of Defence

Rewrite these sentences, changing lower-case letters to capital letters where

necessary.

1 A famous buddhist temple, not far from the city of yogyakarta in indonesia, is called

borobudur.

2 The literary heritage of england includes william shakespeare, charlotte brontë,

charles dickens and jane austen.

3 Popular festivals around the world include running of the bulls in spain, carnival of

venice in italy and obon festival in japan.

4 Two well-known charitable organisations are save the children and world vision.

5 The sydney opera house was designed by a danish architect, jørn utzon, in 1956. The

chosen location was bennelong point, which is close to circular quay.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 7 Persuasion 67

truly always definitely persuasive emphasise

debate argue applause introduce conclusion

skilful reason announce advertiser correct

support proposal evidence celebrate demonstrate

reject oppose logical appreciate strategy

forceful motivate promote command enthusiastic

Find a word

1 Use the clues to write down list words that have seven letters.

a correct and sensible reasoning l

b to have control or authority over c

able to do something well s

d free from error c

e

to bear the weight of; to hold up s

2 Use the clues to write down list words that have eight letters.

a praise expressed by clapping a

b a plan or suggestion offered for consideration p

to make known publicly a

d strong and assertive; vigorous and powerful f

f

g

information that gives proof e

to provide with a motive for doing something m

a plan of action designed to achieve a goal s

3 Use the clues to write down list words that have ten letters.

a able to make someone do or believe something p

b a person who draws attention to a product, etc. a

an end; a judgement c

d to be grateful for something a

certainly d

68

Complete the following phrases by using the correct form of the list word in brackets.

1 strong (oppose)

2 a public (announce)

3 a violent (demonstrate)

4 great (emphasise)

5 a logical (argue)

6 an lesson (introduce)

7 a outcome (reason)

8 a plan (strategy)

9 a issue (debate)

Antonyms

Write the list words that are opposite in meaning to the following words. The first

1 beginning c

2 illogical l

3 wrong c

4 demote p

5 falsely t

6 accept r

7 apathetic e

8 feeble f

9 never a

10 support o

Centuries ago, the word ‘reject’ literally meant ‘to throw back’. It is made up of

two Latin words: re, meaning ‘back’, and jectus, meaning ‘thrown’. There are many

English words containing the Latin word jectus. Here are some of them. Use the

dictionary at the back of the book to write their meanings.

interject:

eject:

dejected:

inject:

projectile:

abject:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 7 Persuasion 69

What’s your opinion?

Choose one of the statements below and decide whether you agree or disagree with it.

Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper that expresses your opinion on the issue and

aims to persuade others to agree with you. Use the letter to the editor on page 63 as a

guide to the structure. A typical letter to the editor contains an introductory paragraph

that states an opinion, two or three body

paragraphs that support that point of view,

and a concluding paragraph to sum up the

case.

• School holidays should be shortened

• Public transport should be free

• Reality television should be banned

• Teenagers are slaves to fashion

• Australians are too obsessed with sport

• Cars should be banned from the city

centre

70

Recounting

Recounts retell past events. They tell where and when events happened and who was

present at the time. Recounts may take the form of a letter, diary entry, autobiography,

biography, eyewitness account, newspaper report, email, speech or anecdote.

Occasionally recounts occur in imaginative texts such as fantasy and adventure stories.

The main features of recounts are listed below.

• They often describe an author’s personal experiences.

• The events and happenings are usually arranged in chronological order.

• The author may also make personal comments and judgements on the events.

• Personal pronouns such as I, me, my, she, his and they are used.

The two recounts that follow are taken from famous autobiographies. The first is

from Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, in which he describes his

struggle against apartheid and his resulting eighteen years' imprisonment. The second is

from Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave, in which he tells how he was kidnapped

and sold into slavery in the American South during the 1840s. Read each recount then

answer the questions.

Life in Robben Island prison

In the midst of breakfast, the guards

would yell, ‘Val in! Val in!’ (‘Fall in! Fall

in!’), and we would stand outside our

cells for inspection. Each prisoner was

required to have the three buttons of his

khaki jacket properly buttoned. We were

required to doff our hats as the warder

walked by. If our buttons were undone, our

hats unremoved, or our cells untidy, we

were charged with a violation of the prison

code and punished with either solitary

confinement or the loss of meals.

After inspection we would work in the

courtyard hammering stones until noon.

There were no breaks; if we slowed down,

the warders would yell at us to speed up.

At noon, the bell would clang for lunch

and another metal drum of food would be

wheeled into the courtyard. For Africans,

lunch consisted of boiled mealies, that

A still from the film Long Walk to Freedom

is, coarse kernels of corn. The Indian and

Coloured prisoners received samp, or

mealie rice, which consisted of ground

mealies in a souplike mixture. The samp

was sometimes served with vegetables,

whereas our mealies were served straight.

For lunch we often received

phuzamandla, which means ‘drink of

strength’, a powder made from mealies

and a bit of yeast. It is meant to be stirred

into water or milk and when it is thick,

it can be tasty, but the prison authorities

gave us so little of the powder that it

barely coloured the water. I would usually

try to save my powder for several days

until I had enough to make a proper drink,

but if the authorities discovered that you

were hoarding food, the powder was

confiscated and you were punished.

After lunch we worked until four,

when the guards blew shrill whistles and

we once again lined up to be counted

and inspected. We were then permitted

half an hour to clean up. The bathroom at

the end of our corridor had two seawater

showers, a saltwater tap, and three large

galvanized metal buckets, which were

used as bathtubs. There was no hot water.

We would stand or squat in these buckets,

soaping ourselves with the brackish water,

rinsing off the dust from the day. To wash

yourself with cold water when it is cold

outside is not pleasant, but we made the

best of it. We would sometimes sing while

washing, which made the water seem less

icy. In those early days, this was one of the

only times when we could converse.

Precisely at 4.30, there would be a loud

knock on the wooden door at the end of

our corridor, which meant that supper had

been delivered. Common-law prisoners

were used to dish out the food to us and

we would return to our cells to eat it.

We again received mealie pap porridge,

sometimes with the odd carrot or piece

of cabbage or beetroot thrown in but

one usually had to search for it. If we did

get a vegetable, we would usually have

the same one for weeks on end, until the

carrots or cabbage were old and mouldy

and we were thoroughly sick of them.

Every other day, we received a small piece

of meat with our porridge. The meat was

usually mostly gristle.

For supper, Coloured and Indian

prisoners received a quarter loaf of bread

(known as a katkop, that is, a cat’s head,

after the shape of the bread) and a slab of

margarine. Africans, it was presumed, did

not care for bread as it was a ‘European’

type of food.

Typically, we received even less than

the scanty amounts stipulated in the

regulations. This was because the kitchen

was rife with smuggling. The cooks—all of

whom were common-law prisoners—kept

the best food for themselves or their friends.

Often they would lay aside the tastiest

morsels for the warders in exchange for

favours or preferential treatment.

At 8 p.m., the night warder would lock

himself in the corridor with us, passing

the key through a small hole in the door to

another warder outside. The warder would

then walk up and down the corridor,

ordering us to go to sleep. No cry of ‘lights

out’ was ever given on Robben Island

because the single mesh-covered bulb

in our cell burned day and night. Later,

those studying for higher degrees were

permitted to read until 10 or 11 p.m.

The acoustics along the corridor were

quite good, and we would try to chat a bit

to each other before going to sleep. But if

we could hear a whisper quite clearly, so

could the warder, who would yell, ‘Stilte

in die gang’ (Quiet in the passage!) The

warder would walk up and down a few

times to make sure we were not reading

or writing. After a few months, we would

sprinkle a handful of sand along the

corridor so that we could hear the warder’s

footsteps and have time to stop talking or

hide any contraband. Only when we were

quiet did he take a seat in the small office

at the end of the passage where he dozed

until morning.

from Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

1 What does the first paragraph reveal about the guards?

72

2 What criticism did Mandela have of the phuzamandla (‘drink of strength’)?

3 How did the prisoners overcome the problem of washing in cold water?

4 ‘… this was one of the only times when we could converse.’ What does this show

about the lives of the prisoners?

5 Why weren’t the African prisoners given any bread?

6 ‘… we received even less than the scanty amounts stipulated in the regulations.’ Why

did this happen?

7 ‘No cry of “lights out” was ever given on Robben Island ...’ Why?

8 What ploy did the prisoners use to enable them to better hear the warder’s

footsteps?

9 Use the dictionary at the back of the book to find the meaning of these words:

b

doff:

violation:

contraband:

Life as a slave

The hands are required to be in the

cotton field as soon as it is light in the

morning, and, with the exception of ten

or fifteen minutes, which is given them

at noon to swallow their allowance of

cold bacon, they are not permitted to be

a moment idle until it is too dark to see,

and when the moon is full, they often

times labor till the middle of the night.

They do not dare to stop even at dinner

time, nor return to the quarters, however

late it be, until the order to halt is given

by the driver.

A still from the film Twelve Years a Slave

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 8 Recounting 73

The day’s work over in the field, the

baskets are ‘toted’, or in other words,

carried to the gin-house, where the cotton

is weighed. No matter how fatigued and

weary he may be—no matter how much

he longs for sleep and rest—a slave never

approaches the gin-house with his basket

of cotton but with fear. If it falls short in

weight—if he has not performed the full

task appointed him, he knows that he

must suffer. And if he has exceeded it by

ten or twenty pounds, in all probability

his master will measure the next day’s

task accordingly. So, whether he has

too little or too much, his approach to

the gin-house is always with fear and

trembling. Most frequently they have

too little, and therefore it is they are not

anxious to leave the field. After weighing,

follow the whippings; and then the

baskets are carried to the cotton house,

and their contents stored away like hay,

all hands being sent in to tramp it down.

If the cotton is not dry, instead of taking

it to the gin-house at once, it is laid upon

platforms, two feet high, and some three

times as wide, covered with boards

or plank, with narrow walks running

between them.

This done, the labor of the day is not

yet ended, by any means. Each one must

then attend to his respective chores. One

feeds the mules, another the swine—

another cuts the wood, and so forth;

besides, the packing is all done by candle

light. Finally, at a late hour, they reach the

quarters, sleepy and overcome with the

long day’s toil. Then a fire must be kindled

in the cabin, the corn ground in the small

hand-mill, and supper, and dinner for the

next day in the field, prepared. All that is

allowed them is corn and bacon, which is

given out at the corncrib and smoke house

every Sunday morning. Each one receives,

as his weekly allowance, three and a half

pounds of bacon, and corn enough to make

a peck of meal. That is all—no tea, coffee,

sugar, and with the exception of a very

scanty sprinkling now and then, no salt.

I can say, from ten years’ residence with

Master Epps, that no slave of his is ever

likely to suffer from the gout, superinduced

by excessive high living.

from Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

1 At what time were the slaves required to be in the cotton field?

2 In the first paragraph, what does Solomon Northup show about the daily life of a

slave in the American South?

3 Why were the baskets of cotton carried to the gin-house?

4 What happened to a slave if his basket fell short in weight?

5 What was the diet of a slave each day?

6 What point does Solomon Northup make about his owner, Master Epps?

74

Adjectives

Adjectives are descriptive words that add meaning to nouns. Adjectives describe

people, places, animals and things. They add colour, size, shape, feeling and many other

qualities to nouns. In the following description of a bird of prey, notice how novelist

Colin Thiele uses adjectives to create a beautiful image.

The sea eagle

It was … a big nuggety bird with strong

talons and a curving beak. Its feathers

were beautiful—a lovely chestnut colour

on the back and sides, and bright white

on the head and breast. The wing-tips

were black.

from Brahminy by Colin Thiele

Adjectives are especially important when writers are describing people or characters.

Robin Klein uses adjectives effectively to create a real-life portrait of her character

Alison Ashley in her novel Hating Alison Ashley.

Adjectives in action

Read the description of Alison. Find all the adjectives in the extract that describe the

features of her clothing and appearance that are listed in the exercise. (Hint: you should

have 20 adjectives in total.)

Alison

She was wearing this soft blue skirt, and a shirt the colour of cream, with not a crease

nor a wrinkle nor a loose thread anywhere. Expensive-looking plaited leather sandals.

Long, pale gold hair caught back with a filigree clasp, and tiny gold roses, the size of

shirt buttons, in her ears. Her skin was tanned and each cheek had a deep, soft dimple.

Huge navy-blue eyes, the colour of ink, fringed with dark curly lashes. She was the most

beautiful, graceful, elegant thing you ever saw in your life.

from Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein

1 Skirt:

2 Sandals:

3 Hair:

4 Skin:

5 Dimple:

6 Eyes:

7 Overall impression:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 8 Recounting 75

Proper adjectives

Proper adjectives are proper nouns that are used as adjectives. For example:

Some surfers consider Australian beaches to be the best in the word.

Many audiences enjoy Shakespearean comedy.

Form proper adjectives from the words in brackets to complete the phrases.

1 literature (England)

2 art (Korea)

3 movies (America)

4 music (Hawaii)

5 pharaohs (Egypt)

6 caviar (Russia)

7 ruins (Mexico)

8 coffee (Brazil)

9 safari (Africa)

10 fries (France)

11 matador (Spain)

12 chocolate (Belgium)

13 island (Greece)

14 pizza (Italy)

15 maple (Canada)

16 fjord (Norway)

17 palaces (India)

18 silk (Thailand)

19 noodles (China)

20 delight (Turkey)

21 samurai (Japan)

22 salami (Poland)

23 cars (Germany)

24 salmon (Alaska)

Using better adjectives

The word ‘nice’ is used in each of the following sentences. Choose a better adjective

from the list below to replace ’nice’ and improve each sentence.

picturesque fertile fragrant delicious stylish

refreshing graceful comfortable absorbing harmonious

1 The ballerina did a nice pirouette on the stage.

2 The company director was wearing a nice suit.

3 The guests enjoyed a nice dinner.

4 The farmland has nice soil.

5 I am reading a nice novel.

6 She purchased a nice perfume.

7 The surfer enjoyed a nice swim.

8 The chair was very nice.

8 The guitarist was playing a nice melody.

10 The house overlooked the nice countryside.

76

Commas to mark pauses

Commas indicate where to pause within a sentence, and they often help us to

understand the meaning of what we are writing, reading or saying. The following

guidelines cover some common instances when a comma is needed to mark pauses and

separate words from the rest of the sentence.

• To mark off the name of a person being referred to or directly addressed.

I asked our tour guide, Kim, to talk about the ruins. (refers to the person)

‘Stop staring, Harry.’ ‘Harry, stop staring.’ (addresses the person)

• To mark off words and phrases such as finally, however, therefore, meanwhile, on the

other hand and in addition.

Finally, I would like to thank our sponsors.

• To mark off an introductory phrase or subordinate clause.

After the cyclone, the town was almost completely destroyed. (phrase)

When the flood finally receded, everyone was shocked by the damage. (subordinate

clause)

• To mark off extra or non-essential information in a sentence.

The stranger, who arrived by train, walked towards the hotel.

• To join two main clauses with a conjunction, such as and or but.

The lifesaver tried to save the swimmer, but the current was too strong.

Using commas to mark pauses

Use the above guidelines to rewrite the sentences and insert the necessary comma

or commas.

1 Our waiter Mario suggested the ravioli.

2 Paul is not here to collect the prize. Therefore the raffle winner is Lucy.

3 Until he was found guilty of fraud he was a contender for the top job.

4 Have a look at these photos Jill.

5 I didn’t play very well but we managed to win the volleyball match.

6 Before the cool change the summer weather was warm and dry.

7 The play which was first performed in Sydney achieved international success.

8 Meanwhile we’d like to wish Fred all the best for his retirement.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 8 Recounting 77

Freedom

justice previous purchase safely permission

individual pursuit capable obedient strenuous

mention doubtful curiosity convey happened

beneficial precise conceal hopeful advisable

compel deprive fatigue prisoner persevere

slavery imprison written legible dominate

Find list words to complete the phrases. Use the first letter as your clue.

1 to exercise control over d

2 complying with orders o

3 a strong desire to know or learn something c

4 the quality of being fair and reasonable j

5 requiring great exertion s

6 in a manner free from danger or injury s

7 clear enough to be read l

8 the condition of being owned by another person s

9 to refer to briefl y m

10 to put into jail i

11 having the ability to do something c

12 to withhold or take away from d

13 to be recommended a

14 a single member of a class i

15 the act of following p

16 to transport or carry to a place c

17 to continue on in the face of difficulty p

18 having a good or helpful effect b

19 consent; authorisation p

20 extreme tiredness f

78

Synonyms

Find a word in the list that has a similar meaning to the word in italics. Use the first

letter as your clue.

1 Should we force people to vote? c

2 The budget should have an advantageous effect on the economy. b

3 The captive was treated cruelly. p

4 We need to persist in the face of difficulty. p

5 Do you think that was a good buy? p

6 Famine occurred as a result of the drought. h

7 Do you have your parents’ consent to attend? p

8 The accident occurred because of the driver’s tiredness. f

9 Have you composed your assignment? w

10 The exact moment of the fire is unknown. p

11 The cupboard will hide the hole in the wall. c

12 It is uncertain whether there could be life on Mars. d

13 The truck will transport our fruit to the market. c

Change the following list words into nouns.

1 dominate 5 deprive

2 imprison 6 conceal

3 persevere 7 safely

4 obedient 8 precise

The word ‘dominate’ comes from the Latin word dominus, which means ‘master’ or

‘lord’. To dominate people means to have power over them or to control them. Here

are some of the words derived from dominus. Use the dictionary at the back of the

book to write their meanings.

domineer:

predominant:

dominion:

dominant:

condominium:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 8 Recounting 79

Writing life stories

In the following brief recount, Sally Morgan, author of My Place, retells her impressions

of entering a hospital to visit her father when she was five years of age.

The hospital

The hospital again, and the echo of my

reluctant feet through the long, empty

corridors. I hated hospitals and hospital

smells. I hated the bare boards that

gleamed with newly-applied polish, the

dust-free window-sills, and the flashes of

shiny chrome that snatched my distorted

shape as we hurried past. I was a grubby

five-year-old in an alien environment.

Sometimes I hated Dad for being sick

and Mum for making me visit him.

from My Place by Sally Morgan

Now it is your turn to write about memories of your childhood or incidents from your

life. Use one of the following topics and write a 200-word recount in the form of a story

or a description.

• One of my fondest memories was …

• Looking back through the years, the first things I remember are …

• School days

• I’ll never forget the time when …

80

9

Cultural diversity

The word ‘culture’ refers to the shared beliefs, attitudes and customs of a particular

country or community. Different cultural groups can often be recognised by their

language, clothing, food, music, legends, art and other special characteristics. A person’s

cultural background helps to shape who they are, how they behave and what they

believe in.

Parvana by Deborah Ellis is set in Afghanistan when it was ruled by the Taliban

militia in the 1990s. The Taliban interpreted Islamic law in a harsh, extremist way. For

example, they banned the internet to avoid foreign influence and they stopped women

from having jobs or leaving their homes without a male relative. Anyone found breaking

the rules was punished by violent beatings, imprisonment or even public execution.

In this extract, Parvana is at home with her parents, her sisters Nooria and Maryam,

and her baby brother Ali. Her father has just finished telling them a traditional story of a

heroic girl called Malali who, in the 1800s, led exhausted Afghani troops to victory.

Living in fear

‘The lesson here, my daughters,’ he looked

from one to the other, ‘is that Afghanistan

has always been the home of the bravest

women in the world. You are all brave

women. You are all inheritors of the

courage of Malali.’

‘We can win this battle!’ Maryam cried

out, waving her arm around as if she were

holding a flag. Mother moved the teapot

out of harm’s way.

‘How can we be brave?’ Nooria asked.

‘We can’t even go outside. How can we

lead men into battle? I’ve seen enough of

war. I don’t want to see any more.’

‘There are many types of battles,’

Father said quietly.

‘Including the battle with the supper

dishes,’ Mother said.

Parvana made such a face that Father

started to laugh. Maryam tried to imitate

it, which made Mother and Nooria laugh.

Ali woke up, and saw everyone laughing,

and he started to laugh, too.

Taliban soldiers near Kabul in 1996

The whole family was laughing when

four Taliban soldiers burst through the

door.

Ali was the first to react. The slam of

the door against the wall shocked him,

and he screamed.

Mother leapt to her feet, and in an

instant Ali and Maryam were in a corner of

the room, shrieking behind her legs.

Nooria covered herself completely with

her chador* and scrunched herself into a

small ball. Young women were sometimes

stolen by soldiers. They were snatched

from their homes, and their families never

saw them again.

Parvana couldn’t move. She sat as if

frozen at the edge of the supper cloth.

The soldiers were giants, their piled-high

turbans making them look even taller.

Two of the soldiers grabbed her

father. The other two began searching the

apartment, kicking the remains of dinner

all over the mat.

‘Leave him alone!’ Mother screamed.

‘He has done nothing wrong!’

‘Why did you go to England for your

education?’ the soldiers yelled at Father.

‘Afghanistan doesn’t need your foreign

ideas!’ They yanked him towards the door.

‘Afghanistan needs more illiterate thugs

like you,’ Father said. One of the soldiers hit

him in the face. Blood from his nose dripped

onto his white shalwar kameez*.

Mother sprang at the soldiers, pounding

them with her fists. She grabbed Father’s

arm and tried to pull him out of their grasp.

One of the soldiers raised his rifle and

whacked her on the head. She collapsed

on the floor. The soldier hit her a few more

times. Maryam and Ali screamed with

every blow to their mother’s back.

Seeing her mother on the ground

finally propelled Parvana into action.

When the soldiers dragged her father

outside, she flung her arms around his

waist. As the soldiers pried her loose, she

heard her father say, ‘Take care of the

others, my Malali.’ Then he was gone.

Parvana watched helplessly as two

soldiers dragged him down the steps, his

beautiful shalwar kameez ripping on the

rough cement. Then they turned a corner,

and she could see them no more.

from Parvana by Deborah Ellis

* chador: a cloth wrapped around the head and

shoulders of women and girls, leaving the face

visible

* shalwar kameez: a long shirt or tunic worn

over loose trousers

1 According to Parvana’s father, what is the lesson of the story about Malali?

2 Why does Nooria feel that they can’t be brave?

3 What happened to interrupt the family’s happy laughter?

4 Why did Nooria cover herself and scrunch up into a tiny ball?

5 Why did the Taliban soldiers come to arrest Parvana’s father?

6 Why did one of the soldiers hit Parvana’s father in the face?

82 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

7 What happened to Parvana’s mother when she tried to stop the soldiers arresting

her husband?

8 ‘Take care of the others, my Malali.’ From the first paragraph of the extract, why

does Parvana’s father call her ‘my Malali’?

9 What does this extract tell you about how the Taliban used their power?

The novel Trash by Andy Mulligan was inspired by the existence of huge dumpsites

in many developing countries, and by the families who still live and work in terrible

poverty and squalor. Their job is to sift through the mountains of rubbish, looking for

anything that they can sell for recycling.

This extract is about the day that Raphael and Gardo, two ‘dumpsite boys’, found

something much more interesting than the usual plastic, paper, rags and tin cans.

Raphael is the narrator.

Dumpsite boys

Gardo’s fourteen, same as me. He’s

thin as a whip, with long arms. He was

born seven hours ahead of me, onto the

same sheet, so people say. He’s not my

brother but he might as well be, because

he always knows what I’m thinking,

feeling—even what I’m about to say. The

fact that he’s older means he pushes me

around now and then, tells me what to do,

and most of the time I let him. People say

he’s too serious, a boy without a smile,

and he says, ‘So show me something to

smile at.’ He can be mean, it’s true—but

then again he’s taken more beatings than

me so maybe he’s grown up faster. One

thing I know is I’d want him on my side,

always.

We were working together, and the

bags were coming down—some of them

already torn, some of them not—and that’s

when I found a ‘special’. A special is a

bag of trash, unsplit, from a rich area, and

you always keep your eyes wide for one

of them. I can remember even now what

we got. Cigarette carton, with a cigarette

inside—that’s a bonus. A zucchini that

was fresh enough for stew, and then a load

of beaten-up tin cans. A pen, probably no

good, and pens are easy to come by, and

some dry papers I could stick straight in

my sack—then trash and trash, like old

food and a broken mirror or something,

and then, falling into my hand … I know

Sorting the rubbish at a dumpsite in Manila

I said you don’t find interesting things,

but, OK—once in your life …

It fell into my hand: a small leather

bag, zipped up tight and covered in coffeegrounds.

Unzipping it, I found a wallet.

Next to that, a fold-up map—and inside

the map, a key. Gardo came right over, and

we squatted there together, up on the hill.

My fingers were trembling because the

wallet was fat. There were eleven hundred

pesos inside, and that—let me tell you—is

good money. A chicken cost one-eighty, a

beer is fifteen. One hour in the video hall,

twenty-five.

I sat there laughing and saying a

prayer. Gardo was punching me, and I

don’t mind telling you, we almost danced.

I gave him five hundred, which was

fair because I was the one who found

9 Cultural diversity

it. Six hundred left for me. We looked

to see what else there was, but it was

just a few old papers, photos, and—

interesting … an ID card. A little battered

and creased, but you could make him

out easy enough. A man staring up at

us, right into the camera, with those

frightened eyes you always have when

the camera flashes. Name? José Angelico.

Age? Thirty-three years old, employed

as a houseboy. Unmarried and living

somewhere called Green Hills—not a rich

man, and that makes you sad. But what

do you do? Find him in the city and say,

‘Mr Angelico, sir—we’d like to return your

property’?

Two little photos of a girl in a school

dress. Hard to say how old, but I reckoned

seven or eight, with long dark hair and

beautiful eyes. Serious face, like Gardo’s—

as if no one had told her to smile.

We looked at the key then. It had a

little tag made of yellow plastic. There was

a number on both sides: 101.

The map was just a map of the city.

I took it all away and slipped it down

my shorts—then we kept on sorting. You

don’t want to draw attention to yourself,

or you can lose what you find. But I was

excited. We were both excited, and

we were right to be, because that bag

changed everything. A long time later I

would think to myself: Everyone needs a

key.

With the right key, you can bust the

door wide open. Because nobody’s going

to open it for you.

from Trash by Andy Mulligan

1 Why does Raphael think Gardo might as well be his brother?

2 What type of bag is a ‘special’?

3 What was memorable about the cigarette carton and the zucchini?

4 What three items did they find in the small leather bag?

5 What do you find out about Raphael’s character when he divides up the money?

6 How does Raphael feel when he discovers that José Angelico isn’t rich?

7 ‘But what can you do?’ How does Raphael justify not returning the money?

8 What comparison does Raphael make between the little girl in the photos and Gardo?

9 What does the key represent to Raphael?

84 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

Adverbs

Adverbs are words that tell us more about verbs. They tell how,

when, where or why an action occurs. They may also give us

more information about adjectives and other adverbs.

The tourists arrived yesterday. Time

The old cottage stood nearby.

The soldiers advanced cautiously.

The workers were extremely tired.

Adverbs of time

Place

Manner

Degree

Complete each sentence by choosing a suitable adverb from the list. Use each word

once only.

annually daily finally tomorrow yesterday late

1 The prize for dux of the school is awarded .

2 I had forgotten our class assignment was due.

3 Our plane leaves for Paris .

4 Our newspaper is delivered so that we can keep up with current

events.

5 At the end of the story the hero rescued the prince.

6 I failed the job interview because I arrived .

Adverbs of place

upwards westwards inside everywhere abroad nowhere

1 We were flying towards the setting sun.

2 They searched as they tried to find the missing ring.

3 The family had their holidays on a luxury liner.

4 The balloon floated .

5 The refugees had left their homes and had to sleep.

6 The children played because it was raining heavily.

Adverbs of manner

Complete each sentence by choosing a suitable adverb from the box. Use each word

loudly fondly greedily correctly furtively mysteriously

1 The survivor ate the food.

2 The quiz contestant answered all the questions.

3 The police knocked at the door.

4 The ghost disappeared in the moonlight.

5 The old man remembered his wife and family.

6 The burglar crept through the house.

Adverbs of degree

too just enough rather completely very

1 Is your coffee hot ?

2 He’s eaten much cake.

3 The temperature was above freezing.

4 The audience disagreed with the speaker.

5 Rome is a pleasant city.

6 The students enjoyed the excursion much.

Changing phrases into adverbs

Change the phrases in italics into adverbs. The first one has been done to help you.

1 They drank their coffee in silence. silently

2 The opponents glared at each other in anger.

3 The goalie defended the goal area with tenacity.

4 The Roman general entered the city in triumph.

5 People were asked to give with generosity.

6 The choir sang in harmony.

7 The accused spoke with defiance.

86 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

Quotation marks for direct speech—2

A common pattern for punctuating speech occurs when the spoken words, indicated by

quotation marks, are interrupted by information about who is speaking.

In the following example, the spoken words, as well as the unspoken words that

interrupt them, make up a single sentence. Therefore, a comma follows after the

unspoken words and no capital letter is used when the sentence resumes.

‘I’ll be home late,’ said Ryan, ‘because it’s footy training night.’

In the next example, the spoken words are two separate sentences. Therefore, there is

a full stop after the unspoken words and the new sentence starts with a capital letter.

‘I’ll be home late,’ said Ryan. ‘It’s footy training night.’

Rewrite the following sentences, inserting the missing quotation marks in the correct

position. You will need to add capital letters where necessary, as well as commas, full

stops, question marks and exclamation marks.

1 let’s go shopping today said mia the sales are on at the moment

2 my parents won’t let me go to schoolies week complained luke because they think it’s

too far away

3 because my importing business isn’t profi table enough said the owner we’ll be closing

at the end of the year

4 look out shouted ava to her brother the steps are right behind you

5 not only was i burgled last week muttered simon but now i have to deal with a

broken-down car as well

6 I’ve always wanted to see uluru said kelly can we go there for our next holiday

Society and culture

prejudice refugee family identity personality

hunger freedom believe belonging democracy

values racial tradition heritage indigenous

culture similar suffer asylum discriminate

religion healthy poverty starvation occupation

people national attitude immigrant disadvantage

Words in action

1 Give the plural form of the following list words.

family

d

culture

tradition

democracy

personality

refugee

2 Write the list words that are opposite in meaning to the following words. Use the

first-letter clue to help you.

a captivity f

b advantage d

c wealth p

d emigrant i

e distrust b

f sick h

3 Find an appropriate list word to fill the gap. Use the first-letter clue to help you.

a Australian i plants

b poverty and s

d the h building

e our n fl a g

c an a seeker

a positive a

4 Fill the gap with the correct form of the list word in brackets.

a a system of government (democracy)

customs (tradition)

c a gift (values)

d racial (discriminate)

twins (identity)

therapy (occupation)

g a striking (similar)

88 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

Choose appropriate endings to complete the list words below.

-ing -ion -ee -ure -age -ous -ity -um

-ice -ate -acy -ude -er -om -al -ar

1 democr

2 tradit

3 prejud

4 refug

5 hung

6 belong

7 freed

8 asyl

9 nation

10 disadvant

11 indigen

12 cult

13 ident

14 discrimin

15 simil

16 attit

Word for a phrase

Write words from the list that match each of the phrases below. The first letters are

1 a person who has fled from their home country because of some danger or problem

r

2 a place offering protection and safety; a refuge a

3 to accept that something is true; to hold as an opinion b

4 a job, profession or line of work o

5 the state of being extremely poor p

6 a person who comes to live permanently in a new country i

7 native to a particular area or country i

The word ‘democracy’ comes from the Greek word demos, which means ‘people’.

Here are some other English words derived from demos. Use the dictionary at the

epidemic:

democrat:

demography:

endemic:

anti-democratic:

The mysterious key

In the extract from Trash, Raphael finds

a key that will change his life forever.

Imagine that you have come into

possession of a mysterious and significant

key. Write a 200-word story in the first

person about what happens and how it

changes your life.

You could start by brainstorming what kind of key you have found. Will it open a desk

drawer, a jewellery box, a shed, a jail cell, a factory, a suitcase, a shop or something

else? Where do you find it? Perhaps it is on a park bench, hanging on a tree branch,

hidden under a rock, at the bottom of a swimming pool or half buried in sand.

If you like, you can begin with the words ‘I looked down and there it was …’, or choose

your own opening sentence.

90 <strong>Focus</strong> on English 8 ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

Humour

The popular saying ‘laughter is the best medicine’ expresses a widely held view that

humour is actually good for us—it makes us feel relaxed, positive and happy. Humour

in texts such as novels, plays, films, television comedies and cartoons tends to be

based on characters, situations and dialogue. This unit looks at the following aspects

of humour.

• A pun is a humorous play on words. Puns are based on words that have multiple

meanings; for example, the word ‘trunk’ could refer to the trunk of an elephant, a

tree trunk or a large piece of luggage. Sometimes puns use words that sound the

same or similar but have different meanings, such as ‘toad’ and ‘towed’ or ‘purposes’

and ‘porpoises’. Rhyming words can also be used to create a pun.

• Exaggeration is often used in humorous texts to make a situation seem so extreme

and ridiculous that it is funny. The situation usually starts normally, but as the

writer gradually adds detail about the action or the characters it becomes increasingly

bizarre and unreal.

• Humour is often used to make a serious comment on society. Making people laugh

can be a good way of raising their awareness of a social problem, such as pollution

or poverty, and it may even persuade them to agree with a particular point of view.

The following cartoon by Mark Lynch is based on a pun, or a play on words.

1 What is the adult bears’ observation

of Desmond?

2 Which word is an unexpected play on

another word?

3 What is humorous about the illustration of Desmond?

In the novel Don’t Call Me Ishmael!, a group of school bullies, led by Barry Bagsley, can’t

scare little James Scobie because he simply isn’t frightened of them. In this extract, the

writer uses exaggeration to create a chaotic scene as the bullies attempt to terrify James

once and for all. His friend Ishmael narrates the story.

The unearthly eardrum-shredding shriek

‘Ok, listen up, you clowns. I have an

important announcement to make. A

miracle is about to happen right here in

Room 301. That’s right, a medical miracle.’

Danny Wallace paused for

effect. ‘In just a few seconds,

right before your very eyes,

little James Scobie will be

given back his sense of fear.

And you can all share in

this wonderful occasion by

just enjoying the show and

keeping your mouth shut,

right?’ Then Danny Wallace

leant in so close to my face

that he went all blurry. ‘Right?’

Soon after that two figures appeared

at the door. Barry Bagsley gave James

Scobie a friendly pat on the back, winked

and headed for his seat, where Danny

Wallace and Doug Savage quickly joined

him. Around the class boys went through

the motions of talking, unpacking books

and doing last-minute homework, but

everyone’s attention was secretly focused

on the small fidgety form of James Scobie.

Looking back, I suppose I should have

done something or warned him in some

way, but what could I have said or done

that would have made any difference?

Everything seemed normal enough, and

though I knew something was going

to happen, I had no idea what it was or

exactly where or when it would unfold. I

did try to catch James Scobie’s eye, but he

just nodded once, sat down and started to

unpack his bag. It wasn’t until he placed

both hands on the lid of his desk and

began to lift it that the memory of Danny

Wallace sitting on top of it flashed into my

mind and I finally knew at least where the

danger lurked.

But it was too late. James Scobie had

already straightened his arms and pushed

up the lid.

A blur of wings exploded from within.

It was like a scene from The Mummy,

Arachnophobia and A Bug’s Life all rolled

into one.

First about a dozen enormous green

and brown grasshoppers catapulted

themselves into the air, smacking into

windows, leaping past startled faces and

clasping their sharp spiky

legs into unsuspecting hair,

necks and limbs. This led to

random outbreaks of what

appeared to be the Mexican

hat dance around the class.

Then three enormous

stick insects the size of

rulers roared into the air

with humming, purple

wings. Unfortunately one

immediately flew up into the fan and

was slung across the room, hitting the

whiteboard with a sickening Thwuug!

before sliding slowly and messily to the

ground. One landed with a thud on Bill

Kingsley’s back and held on for all it was

worth until Bill Kingsley ripped his shirt

off in panic and flung it unintentionally

over Doug Savage’s head. This in turn

caused a strange rapidly escalating growl

to rise from Doug Savage as he madly tore

the shirt from his head and sent it sailing

out the window and into the playground

three storeys below. The third stick insect

continued to sweep around the room like

a Black Hawk helicopter while everyone

ducked and dived for cover.

As all this was happening, dozens of

big dark brown cockroaches were spilling

from James Scobie’s desk, scuttling among

stamping and pirouetting feet, diving

into school bags or flying unpredictably

around the room like hit fighter planes.

Taylor MacTaggert, who sat in the desk

immediately in front of James Scobie’s,

was laughing so hard at all the ‘wusses’

dodging and dancing around him that he

failed to see until it was too late the three

large spiders on the front of his shirt.

He became aware of their presence only

when the biggest one decided to seek

shelter under his collar. At that moment

Taylor MacTaggert did a fine impromptu

impression of a Zulu warrior as he leapt

92

madly into the air beating his head and

torso like a frenzied drummer.

I would really like to be able to report

at this point that I coped well in all this

chaos, but the truth is, as soon as the first

insects appeared, I leapt backwards from

my seat, tripped over my school bag and

landed on my backside on the floor. When

I looked up and saw an advancing wave of

spiders and cockroaches heading towards

me, I scuttled backwards on my hands

and feet like an upside-down crab to the

far corner of the room. I was still taking

refuge there when I finally looked up to see

what James Scobie was doing.

About the same time, the rest of

the class also began to regain some

composure and, apart from isolated

outbreaks of hysteria, they too were

looking in James Scobie’s direction. It

seemed that in all the chaos, Scobie hadn’t

moved an inch. Now he sat motionless as

the last of the cockroaches dived from his

desk and scuttled to freedom.

Finally he lowered his arms. Then he

turned slowly around and looked squarely

at Barry Bagsley. The entire class stared

at James Scobie’s face. A spider the size of

a saucer had spread itself over his cheek

and neck. When Scobie screwed his mouth

around and wrinkled up his nose, the

spider’s great hairy legs picked their way

across his face before settling like a giant

bullet hole over the left lens of his glasses.

Nobody moved or said a word.

If it wasn’t for the unearthly eardrumshredding

shriek that came from Miss

Tarango, we might have stayed frozen like

that forever.

from Don’t Call Me Ishmael!

by Michael Gerard Bauer

1 According to Danny Wallace, what ‘medical miracle’ was about to happen?

2 Why didn’t Ishmael say anything to James Scobie?

3 What happened when James Scobie opened the lid of his desk?

4 Find a simile about the third stick insect and a simile about the

cockroaches that suggest the classroom had become a war zone.

5 Why is Taylor MacTaggert compared to a Zulu warrior?

6 What was remarkable about James Scobie’s behaviour during all the chaos?

7 How do you know that the bullies failed to frighten James Scobie?

8 What saved the class from staying frozen forever?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 10 Humour 93

This cartoon by Phil Somerville uses humour to make a serious comment on humans’

relationship with their environment.

1 How can you tell that the father and daughter live in a high-rise city apartment?

2 In the first four frames, what does the daughter ask her father?

3 What does her father tell her in each of these four frames?

4 In the fifth frame, how does she react to the information he has given her?

5 In the sixth frame, what is humorous about the father's comment?

6 How does the father respond when his daughter asks him to show her a tree?

7 What serious point is the cartoonist making about our society?

94

Prepositions

A preposition is always followed by a noun or pronoun, which is called its object.

over the hill with them under the sea in the car towards him

A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between one part

of speech and another. Usually it shows the relationship of:

• a verb to a noun (or pronoun):

The horse jumped over the fence.

In this example, the preposition over shows the relationship

between ‘jumped’ (verb) and ‘fence’ (noun).

• a noun (or pronoun) to a noun (or pronoun):

The passengers at the airport were delayed.

Here the preposition at shows the relationship between

‘passengers’ (noun) and ‘airport’ (noun).

• an adjective or participle to a noun (or pronoun):

The crowd was angry with the referee.

Here the preposition with shows the relationship between ‘angry’ (adjective) and

‘referee’ (noun).

The list below shows most of the important prepositions you will encounter.

about along behind beyond from off through up

above among below by in on to upon

across around beneath down into onto towards with

after at beside during near over under within

against before between for of past until without

Identifying prepositions

Identify three or more prepositions in each of the sentences.

1 The horses galloped through the open

gates, past the farmhouse and into the

paddocks before they stopped at the

river. (4)

4 Without doubt, the sheep could have

been saved from the bushfire if the fire

truck had arrived before midday. (3)

2 On the bridge of the ship stood the

captain with a map in his hands. (4)

5 After the storm, the yacht with its

tattered sails moored beside the jetty.

(3)

3 Saddened by defeat, the goalie of our

team kicked the ball across the field.

6 During his lunch break, the cyclist rode

along the path, down the avenue, over

the bridge and around the park. (5)

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 10 Humour 95

Missing prepositions

Choose prepositions from the ones in brackets to complete each sentence.

1 Accompanied other residents, they protested the

mining. (against, by)

2 complaint, the prospectors departed dawn, confident

returning their base twenty-four hours.

(of, at, to, within, without)

3 They knew certainty that their invention was superior that

the other contestants. (to, of, with)

4 Even though they agreed the decision, they refrained voting.

(from, with)

Prepositional phrases

Phrases that begin with a preposition are important in the English language. They

occur everywhere in everyday speech and language and often form part of an idiom.

Choose the correct prepositional phrases from the list to complete the sentences.

The meanings of the idioms are given in brackets.

on pins and needles on the wrist against the clock at a snail’s pace

up the wrong tree of cake in a blue moon in the pipeline

to the fire in a day around the bush on the head

1 The driver who caused the accident received a slap .

(a very mild punishment)

2 Winning the 100 m race was a piece . (easily accomplished)

3 To get the building finished, the builders had to work .

(rushed and short on time)

4 The bus was travelling . (extremely slowly)

5 Your letter of complaint added fuel . (made difficult matters worse)

6 The speaker was beating . (avoiding the main concerns)

7 This event takes place once . (very rarely)

8 The plans for the new subdivision are . (about to be implemented)

9 Waiting to do the exam we were . (anxious and nervous)

10 The investigators were barking . (looking in the wrong place)

11 Rome wasn’t built . (Important tasks take time to complete.)

12 The film critic’s review hit the nail . (was exactly right)

96

Apostrophes for contractions

When two words are joined together and shortened to become one word, they are

referred to as a contraction. An apostrophe is used to indicate where the letter or letters

have been left out. Contractions are most often used in speech and in informal writing.

Where’s the cat? (where is) I can’t go. (cannot) You’re next. (you are)

Forming contractions

In each of the following sentences, underline the two words that can be turned into a

contraction. Then rewrite the sentence using an apostrophe in place of the letters that

are left out.

1 He would not go home.

2 Do not cross the road here.

3 I hope she will win.

4 We were not happy.

5 I have got a new job.

6 Here is my ticket.

7 You must not misbehave.

8 They would like the movie.

Choosing contractions

Complete this conversation by choosing the most appropriate contractions to fill the

gaps. Use each contraction once only.

isn’t I’d that’s we’re don’t here's I’m couldn’t we’ve we’ll

Buying a car

‘Hello,’ said the car salesman. ‘

The customer said, ‘Yes,

John. Can I help you?’

like to buy a car.’

'Well,

‘You

got plenty of those available!’

seem to have any with a manual transmission, though.’

John replied, ‘There

much demand for manuals around here.’

‘I find any at your other branch either,’ said the customer.

‘ expecting a nice red one in the showroom next week,’ said John.

‘If you like,

contact you when it comes in.’

‘Well, great,’ said the customer. ‘ my phone number.’

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 10 Humour 97

Laughing matters

farce absurd comical cartoonist comedian

funny satire joking anecdote laughter

ridicule jester chuckle amusing humorous

clown sneer giggle limerick entertain

smiling jovial parody hilarious caricature

1 Find the list words consisting of fiv e letters that match these meanings:

a causing laughter or amusement

b a scornful or contemptuous smile

a comic entertainer, usually in a circus

2 Find the list words consisting of six letters that match these meanings:

a to laugh lightly in a silly manner

b saying something to cause amusement

cheerful and friendly

3 Find the list words consisting of eight letters that match these meanings:

a an amusing or entertaining person

b a humorous verse of three long and two short lines

to subject someone to mockery and derision

d a sound expressing joy and amusement

4 Find the list words consisting of ten letters that match these meanings:

a a person who makes humorous drawings

b a representation with exaggerated characteristics

Completing the sentences

Choose appropriate words from the ones in brackets to complete each sentence.

1 A sometimes uses to

politicians. (ridicule, cartoonist, satire)

98

2 A told an to the

audience. (anecdote, entertain, comedian)

3 The behaviour of the court made the king

. (chuckle, absurd, jester)

4 The students began to at the recited by the

poet. (limerick, giggle, jovial)

Matching the clues

Use the clues to complete these ‘cartoonist’ words from the spelling list.

t

o

n

i

s

a short, amusing story

extremely amusing

an absurd event

provide amusement or enjoyment

showing a sense of humour

a humorously exaggerated imitation

a mocking smile

the use of ridicule to expose stupidity

ridiculous

a person who plays the fool

The word ‘absurd’ means ‘utterly or obviously senseless, illogical or untrue’. It is

made up of two Latin words: the prefix ab-, meaning ‘away from’, and surdus,

meaning ‘falling on deaf ears’. There are many words in English beginning with the

Latin prefix ab-. Use the dictionary at the back of the book to write the meanings of

the following words beginning with ab-.

abduct:

abolish:

absolve:

abrasion:

abnormal:

abdicate:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 10 Humour 99

A funny situation

The extract from Don’t Call Me Ishmael! on

page 92 describes a humorous incident by

using exaggeration to great effect. Insects

fl y around like army helicopters, students

don’t know which way to turn and chaos

reigns. The writer uses powerful language

and clever similes to add to the drama.

Think of a time when something funny

happened to you or when you watched a

humorous incident unfold. If you prefer,

you can choose one of the ideas listed below. Write a 200-word description that

exaggerates both the sequence of events and the behaviour of the people involved.

Start with a normal situation and gradually add unexpected twists and turns.

Some ideas are listed here to start you thinking.

• A disastrous day at school

• An embarrassing family outing

• A bungled robbery

• An eventful trip to the supermarket

• A neighbourhood dispute

• A practical joke backfires

100

11

Media texts

Media texts are designed to reach and communicate with a mass audience. Traditional

media texts include newspapers, television, radio, films, magazines and advertisements.

The rise of communication technologies, particularly the internet, has led to the creation

of an even wider range of media texts such as news websites, ezines and blogs.

Things to consider when analysing a media text include the following:

• What is its purpose? Is it informative, persuasive or entertaining?

• Who is the intended audience?

• How well do the words and images work together to create meaning?

Consider the combined effect of the text and the image in the following article.

Listen up, everybody

Police warn headphones are a hazard

BY ALEKS DEVIC

STOPPING pedestrians

listening to music and talking

on mobile phones are among the

radical measures Victoria’s top

traffic cop wants to introduce to

curb spiralling deaths.

Victoria Police last week

held internal crisis talks with

mounting concerns over 27

pedestrians dead in seven

months—a 30 per cent rise on

last year.

There have been another

44 pedestrians who

were hit by vehicles in

Melbourne’s CBD this

year but did not die.

The Herald Sun can

reveal the coroner is

investigating four cases

where pedestrians were

sleeping in the middle of the road

when hit by a car and eight cases

where pedestrians were hit on a

roadway while not crossing.

Alcohol is being investigated

as the cause in at least eight of

the incidents where people have

been run down by cars.

Twenty-two of the casualties

happened when it was dark. The

fatality list includes two joggers

who were wearing headphones,

including one who had restricted

vision from his hoodie.

Asst Commissioner Robert

Hill wants joggers to start

wearing high-visibility clothing,

stop wearing hoodies and to

only have one headphone in.

Mr Hill said headphones were

distracting walkers and many

were confusing traffic signals

for music, and walked straight

into cars.

‘Do you really need to

listen to that latest hit song

and make a phone call while

you are walking around busy

areas such as the city? The

best solution here would be

not to use headphones at all or

alternatively put one earphone

in and take one out—at least

you would be more conscious of

your surrounds,’ he said.

from Herald Sun

Responding to the article

2 ‘Listen up, everybody’. Explain the play on words in this headline.

3 In the first paragraph, why do police want to stop pedestrians listening to music and

talking on mobile phones?

4 What alarming statistics about pedestrians in general are presented in paragraphs

2 and 3?

5 What cases of pedestrian deaths are being investigated by the coroner?

6 What is being investigated as a possible cause of at least eight pedestrian deaths?

7 What solutions for joggers are suggested by Asst Commissioner Hill?

8 According to Mr Hill, why do some pedestrians walk straight into cars?

9 What does he want pedestrians to do to help solve the problem?

10 From the photograph, describe the pedestrian’s facial expression and behaviour.

11 How does the photograph support the concerns expressed by police?

102

Many films are based on novels. Often when the film is released, a tie-in edition of

the book is published for promotional purposes. This tie-in cover of The Book Thief

features an image of Sophie Nélisse who played Liesel, the main character. The story is

set in Nazi Germany during World War II when the ideas in books were considered to

be dangerous and book burnings took place. Liesel, who is the book thief, discovers a

fascination with books and begins to steal them for herself.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 11 Media texts 103

Responding to the cover

1 Liesel has highest prominence, or salience, on the cover. Explain why this is so.

2 Liesel is gazing directly at the camera. What effect does this have on viewers?

3 What is the expression on Liesel’s face?

4 What colour dominates the cover?

5 What does this choice of colour suggest about everyday life at the time?

6 What attracts your attention in the background? Why?

7 What strong and positive words are used in the quote from the New York Times

review in the top left corner?

8 Why has the quote from the New York Times review been included on the cover?

9 How many copies of the book have been sold? Why is this information included?

10 What makes the author’s name stand out more than

the title?

11 How can you tell from the image on the cover

that the book/film is not set in modern times?

104

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are joining words. They are able to join words, phrases, clauses and

sentences. By far the most common conjunctions are and and but. There are two kinds of

conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.

Coordinating conjunctions

The following conjunctions are called coordinating conjunctions.

and but yet or for so nor

either … or neither … nor both … and not only … but also

Coordinating conjunctions often link words that belong to the same part of speech.

students and teachers (nouns)

young yet wise (adjectives)

slowly but surely (adverbs)

Is it yours or mine? (pronouns)

stop and look! (verbs)

Coordinating conjunctions join phrases.

the new principal and the school captain

neither in the kitchen nor on the verandah

Coordinating conjunctions join main clauses together.

Karl Benz invented the first car in 1896, but it could not travel very fast.

The Wright Brothers were fascinated by flight and they longed to find a way to fly.

Subordinating conjunctions

These conjunctions are called subordinating conjunctions.

after until because if unless

when before for than since

while where although as whether

whenever till once that wherever

A subordinating conjunction joins a main clause to a subordinate clause.

Travelling was often slow until the aeroplane was invented.

After Galileo had invented the telescope, he was able to see the moon’s craters.

The motor car became popular when Henry Ford invented the Model T in 1908.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 11 Media texts 105

Using conjunctions to join sentences

Use each conjunction to join the pair of sentences. In some examples, there may be

more than one correct answer.

Yet

Sputnik I, the first satellite made by humans, was about the size of a beach ball.

It took just 98 minutes to orbit the Earth.

But

Leonardo da Vinci drew a sketch of a helicopter machine in 1493.

It took until 1940 for the world to see the first helicopter.

Because

John Spilsbury created the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767 in England.

He wanted an educational tool to improve his teaching of geography.

Before

Modern refrigerators were invented in the early twentieth century.

People used to keep their food in a wooden cupboard called an icebox.

And

Chess was invented in India circa 600 AD/CE.

It spread to Europe during the Middle Ages.

Since

Monopoly went on sale in 1935.

Two hundred million sets have been sold.

When

Benjamin Franklin flew a kite with an iron key attached during a thunderstorm in 1752.

He received an electric shock.

106

Apostrophes for possession

Apostrophes are used to show ownership or possession in the following ways.

• When the noun that owns or possesses something is singular, add ’s.

Sasha’s mobile phone (the mobile phone of Sasha)

the boss’s car (the car of the boss)

• When the noun that owns or possesses is plural and already ends in s, just add an

apostrophe.

my parents’ house (the house of my parents)

• If the noun that possesses is plural, but does not end in s, add ’s.

the men’s shirts (the shirts of the men)

Apostrophes showing possession

Change each phrase so that an apostrophe is used to show possession.

1 the scarf of the woman

2 the quacking of the ducks

3 the cubby house of the children

4 the tents of the explorers

5 the pets of Cameron

6 the racquet of the tennis player

7 the news of the day

8 the article of the journalist

9 the pool of our neighbours

10 the blog of the women

Choosing the apostrophes

Choose the correct word from the pair in brackets to fill the gap in each sentence.

1 Several laptops were stolen. (boys’, boy’s)

2 bike is chained to the fence. (Robyns’, Robyn’s)

3 The two bridles had to be repaired. (pony’s, ponies’)

4 My best friend was born in Brazil. (mother’s, mothers’)

5 The injury was serious. (player’s, players’)

6 I certainly got my worth. (monies’, money’s)

7 The magazine is published weekly. (womens’, women’s)

9 I’m going to party on Saturday. (Lachlans’, Lachlan’s)

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 11 Media texts 107

Inventions

compass computer mirror electricity thermometer

umbrella chimney camera ambulance telescope

aqualung alphabet dynamite parachute refrigerator

television calendar telephone calculator microscope

bicycle balloon elevator aeroplane deodorant

email radiator battery helicopter automobile

Changing words

1 Give the plural form for each of the following list words.

a compass d battery

b umbrella e balloon

c chimney f email

2 Rearrange the jumbled letters to form list words of inventions. The first letter of

each word is in bold.

a r u t e c p m o

b a r d d n e o o t

b a m o t l o i e u

d e e o e t h p l n

3 Arrange the following list words in alphabetical order.

compass chimney calculator computer calendar camera

Creating inventions

Choose appropriate nouns from the list below to complete the names of the following

inventions.

meter saw belt card puzzle cleaner extinguisher floss

stamp wire lights opener oven machine charger aid

1 postage

2 microwave

3 barbed

4 sewing

5 vacuum

6 seat

108

7 fire

8 can

9 hearing

10 parking

11 traffic

12 chain

13 credit

14 dental

15 battery

16 jigsaw

What am I?

Use list words to answer the following clues.

1 I reflect images.

2 I am also known as ‘electronic mail’.

3 Skydivers use me in order to land safely.

4 I keep food cold.

5 I am used as protection against sun and rain.

6 Your temperature is measured by me when you are sick.

7 I am an aircraft with an overhead rotor.

8 I am an inflatable rubber bag used as a toy or decoration.

9 I am a vehicle used to transport sick people.

10 Scientists can view very tiny objects when they use me.

11 Astronomers use me to view very distant heavenly objects.

12 I provide lighting and heating to your house.

13 I capture moments in history and in the present.

The word ‘automobile’ is made up by combining two words: the Greek word

autos, which means ‘self’, and the French word mobile, which means ‘moving’. An

automobile is a self-propelled motor vehicle. There are a number of English words

that come from the Greek word autos. Here are some of them. Use the dictionary at

the back of the book to write their meanings.

autograph:

autocrat:

automatic:

autonomous:

autopsy:

autopilot:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 11 Media texts 109

Reporting on an invention

The article ‘Listen up, everybody’ on page 101 explores an unforeseen problem that

has been created, in part, by the invention of the mobile phone. Now choose one of the

inventions listed below, or think of one yourself, and imagine life in the future where the

invention is readily available and widely used.

You are a journalist reporting on the problems this invention has created, in a

200-word newspaper report. Think about these questions before you start: What could

go wrong with the invention? How might people misuse it? What new laws might be

needed to prevent the problems?

Give your article a headline and include

a photograph or diagram to support it.

• Cars that drive themselves

• Personal aerial drones

• Remote-controlled lawnmowers

• Flying cars

• Keyboards that type words by voice

recognition

• Robots for factory production lines

110

12

The five senses

Like painters and photographers, poets have their own special way of seeing, feeling

and responding to their experiences. Poets paint their word pictures from the world they

see around them, with the intention of giving their audience a deeper appreciation and

understanding of life. To do this they engage our senses of sight, sound, taste, touch and

smell.

The sense of sight

In the following poem, American poet Walt Whitman conveys his joy as he describes a

magnificent stallion and his reaction to its beauty.

A gigantic beauty of a stallion

A gigantic beauty of a stallion, fresh and responsive to my caresses,

Head high in the forehead, wide between the ears,

Limbs glossy and supple, tail dusting the ground,

Eyes full of sparkling wickedness, ears finely cut, flexibly moving.

His nostrils dilate as my heels embrace him,

His well-built limbs tremble with pleasure as we race around and return.

from Song of Myself by Walt Whitman

1 How does the stallion react to the poet’s presence?

2 Identify one phrase that shows the beauty of the stallion’s limbs and another that

shows the strength of its limbs.

3 What words show that the stallion enjoyed being ridden by the poet?

4 What is the poet’s purpose in this poem?

Sense of sound

In her poem ‘Noise’, Jessie Pope delights in all the sounds around her. Her poem is full

of onomatopoeic (sound) words.

Noise

I like noise.

The whoop of a boy, the thud of a hoof,

The rattle of rain on a galvanised roof,

The hubbub of traffic, the roar of a train,

The throb of machinery numbing the brain,

The switching of wires on an overhead tram,

The rush of the wind, a door on the slam,

The boom of the thunder, the crash of the waves,

The din of the river that races and raves,

The crack of a rifle, the clank of a pail,

The strident tattoo of a swift-slapping sail—

From any old sound that the silence destroys,

Arises a gamut of soul-stirring joys.

Jessie Pope

Finding onomatopoeic words

Next to each noun listed below, write the onomatopoeic word from the poem that

shows the sound it is making.

1 boy

2 hoof

3 rain

4 t r a f fi c

5 train

6 machinery

7 wires

8 wind

9 door

10 thunder

11 waves

12 river

13 r i fl e

14 pail

Sense of taste

On their long journey home from Troy, Odysseus and his men reached the land of the

Lotus-eaters, who gave them the fruit of the lotus to eat.

The magic fruit

On the tenth day we reached the land of the Lotus-eaters,

Who live on a food that comes from a kind of honey-sweet flower,

Which was so delicious that those who ate it,

Left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back

And say what had happened to them. They were for staying

And munching lotus with the Lotus-eaters.

from The Odyssey by Homer

112

1 What taste did the lotus flower have?

2 What effect did eating the lotus have on travellers?

Sense of touch

Like the poet Stanley Cook, all of us delight in eating hot chips, especially on a cold and

frosty day.

Chips

Out of the paper bag

Comes the hot breath of the chips

And I shall blow on them

To stop them burning my lips.

Before I leave the counter

The woman shakes

Raindrops of vinegar on them

And salty snowflakes.

Outside the frosty pavements

Are slippery as a slide

But the chips and I

Are warm inside.

Stanley Cook

1 What is the poet’s purpose in this poem?

2 In the first stanza, what concern does the poet have about the hot chips?

3 Explain the metaphor ‘raindrops of vinegar’.

4 Explain the metaphor ‘salty snowflakes’.

5 Why are the frosty pavements outside on the street dangerous?

6 Which words show that the hot chips make the poet feel happy and contented?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 12 The fi ve senses 113

Sense of smell

The poet Christopher Morley presents us with a poem full of smells.

Smells

Why is it that the poet tells

So little of the sense of smell?

These are the odours I love well:

The smell of coffee freshly ground;

Or rich plum pudding, holly crowned;

Or onions fried and deeply browned.

The fragrance of a fumy pipe;

The smell of apples, newly ripe;

And printer’s ink on leaden type.

Woods by moonlight in September

Breathe most sweet, and I remember

Many a smoky camp-fire ember.

Camphor, turpentine, and tea,

The balsam of a Christmas tree,

These are whiffs of gramarye.

A ship smells best of all to me!

Christopher Morley

2 In the second stanza, the smell of what beverage does the poet enjoy?

3 The smell of what particular fruit does the poet enjoy?

4 What printing smell does the poet enjoy?

5 The woods by moonlight ‘breathe most sweet’. Explain.

6 What smell does the poet like most of all?

7 Use the dictionary at the back of the book to find the meaning of these words from

the poem:

camphor:

balsam:

gramarye:

114

Onomatopoeia and alliteration

Complete the exercises on two important techniques used by writers and poets.

Onomatopoeia

There are many words in English that actually echo the sounds made by people,

animals, things and actions. The word ‘croak’ echoes the sound made by a frog, just

as ‘slam’ imitates the sound of a door closing forcefully. Words such as ‘growl’, ‘moo’,

‘drip’, ‘bang’, ‘thud’ and ‘slap’ are just a few of the many sound words we come across

every day. The use of sound words in poetry and prose is called onomatopoeia.

Identifying onomatopoeia

Read the following pieces of poetry and write down the three sound words in each one.

Meeting at night

Three fields to cross till a farm appears;

A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch

And blue spurt of a lighted match …

Robert Browning

The brook

I chatter over stony ways

In little sharps and trebles,

I bubble into eddying bays,

I babble on the pebbles.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Onomatopoeia in everyday life

Complete the phrases by adding sound words from the list below.

babbling slam rustle splintering

howl flapping strum wailing

crackle popping clapping dripping

clanking tramp clashing creaking

1 the of a door

2 the brook

3 flags

4 the of feet

5 sirens

6 the of wood

7 the of the audience

8 floorboards

9 a chain

10 the of silk

11 the of a guitar

12 cymbals

13 the of corks

14 the of the wind

15 a tap

16 the of burning twigs

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 12 The five senses 115

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of consonants, especially at the beginning of words. Some

poets use alliteration to create rhythmical or musical effects; other poets use it to focus

the reader’s attention on particular qualities or attributes. Notice how the alliteration of

the letters f and b in the following lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are used

to show the swiftness of a sailing ship with the wind in its sails.

The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,

The furrow followed free.

Creating alliteration

Create alliteration by adding adjectives from the list to the nouns below.

greedy deep hovering famous curious patient

sandy pink kicking hectic talented broken

merry zany spinning bold fragrant leafy

weird tawny bouncing dainty jittery sizzling

1 jellyfish

2 cats

3 kangaroos

4 bears

5 laneways

6 dancers

7 sausages

8 teachers

9 helicopters

10 spiders

11 grubs

12 pedestrians

13 witches

14 biscuits

15 zebras

16 seashores

17 footballers

18 music

19 flowers

20 tigers

21 holidays

22 babies

23 pyjamas

24 ditches

116

Apostrophes and confusing plurals

Apostrophes are used to show possession (the cat’s bowl) or to form contractions

(he wouldn’t go). Apostrophes are not used to show plural words, as plurals simply

indicate that there is more than one thing. However, a common error is to add an

apostrophe just to be on the safe side. Here are some basic guidelines for when not

to use an apostrophe.

• Plural nouns ending in s never have an apostrophe because they don’t own or

possess anything.

foccacias (not foccacia’s or foccacias’)

cherries (not cherry’s or cherries’)

videos (not video’s or videos’)

• Plural dates and numbers do not have an apostrophe.

in the 1950s (not 1950’s)

in your 20s (not 20’s)

• Plural acronyms (abbreviations formed from the first letter of several words) do not

have an apostrophe.

two DVDs (not DVD’s)

elected MPs (not MP’s)

Note that an apostrophe may be used to clarify meaning and prevent misunderstanding,

usually in the case of single letters. For example:

There are two i’s in ‘idiom’. (not ‘two is’)

Watch your p’s and q’s. (not ‘ps and qs’)

Correcting the apostrophes

For each word shown in bold in the passage below, write the correct word in the

space that follows it. Note that some words are already correct.

The shopping trip

There were no ATM’s

in sight, so Kate and Lou headed straight for the

shops’ to find one. Then the girls decided to buy some new

clothes’ . They each picked out a pair of jean’s and two

T-shirts’ . Lous father, who is in his 40’s , asked

her to buy him a couple of DVDs’ featuring greatest hit’s from the

1990s . They wanted to go to the movie’s after that, but the

best tickets’

school holidays

to grab a couple of Bills

were sold out because of the

. Luckily, there was time

Burgers

for lunch before heading home. Not bad for a mornings

work!

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 12 The five senses 117

Hearing Sight Taste Touch Smell

whisper spectacular delicious smooth aroma

murmur attractive sour slimy perfume

melodious glance spicy slippery odour

aloud handsome appetising texture scent

harmony splendour juicy greasy stench

rattle beauty bitter warmth fragrance

noisy vision flavour squeeze whiff

Use list words to complete the following phrases. The first letter is given to help you.

Use each list word once only.

Taste

1 s chilli

2 s grapes

3 b lemon

4 d dessert

5 j oranges

6 a pavlova

Hearing

1 perfect h

2 quiet w

3 heart m

4 train r

Touch

1 rough t

2 summer w

3 g saucepan

4 s shave

Smell

1 coffee a

2 garbage s

3 heavenly p

4 rose f

Sight

1 s waterfall

2 h prince

3 amazing b

4 peripheral v

118

Write a word from the list that matches each clue. The sense is given in brackets.

1 having a sharp, unpleasant taste (taste) b

2 a fragrant liquid (smell) p

3 the faculty of being able to see (sight) v

4 to speak very softly (hearing) w

5 covered with an oily substance (touch) g

6 an unpleasant or distinctive smell (smell) o

7 sweet-sounding (hearing) m

8 good-looking (sight) h

9 comfortable and moderate heat (touch) w

10 a very unpleasant smell (smell) s

11 to firmly press (touch) s

12 a series of short, sharp sounds (hearing) r

13 a brief or hurried look (sight) g

14 the opposite of rough (touch) s

15 pleasing to the senses (sight) a

16 a pleasant, sweet smell (smell) f

17 the feel of a surface (touch) t

18 stimulating one’s appetite (taste) a

France has been famous for its food and wines for many centuries. Over the years,

English has borrowed many French eating and dining words. Here is just a small

taste of these French words. Use the dictionary at the back of the book to write

their meanings.

bon appétit:

à la carte:

café au lait:

sorbet:

soupe du jour:

filet mignon:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 12 The five senses 119

Using sound words

Here are some models for writing sound

poems. All you need to do is to add your

own sound words.

Sounds of nature

I love nature

The whispering of the wind

Sounds of a party

I love a party

The clinking of glasses

of the

of

Sounds of music

I love music

The strum of guitars

Sounds of the zoo

I love the zoo

The gibbering of the monkeys

Here are a number of sound-word exclamations. See how interesting you can make the

sentence that follows each one. The first one has been done to give you the idea.

Splat! The truck ran over the cane toad sunbaking on the highway.

Bang!

Whoosh!

Hiss!

Creak!

Crash!

Ha! Ha!

Neigh!

Buzz!

Knock! Knock!

120

13

Heroes and legends

Ancient Greece was famous for its heroes and legends. The stories of Greek heroes

such as Hercules, Jason, Perseus, Atlanta, Achilles and many others have entertained

audiences for more than two and a half thousand years. These heroes, with their amazing

courage and incredible feats, far exceeded the achievements of ordinary mortals.

Many other countries have their own legends and heroes. England has Boadicea,

Beowulf, Robin Hood and King Arthur. Norse legends abound with heroes such as Thor,

Odin and Freya, and of course the Swiss have the famous legend of William Tell.

The heroes of legend or of real life are often involved in a struggle to overcome great

dangers and formidable foes. They may be on a quest to defeat the forces of evil or to

win epic battles against superior enemies. We marvel at their determination, bravery and

endurance as they face all kinds of challenges and crises. These qualities can be seen in

Ulysses as he struggles to defeat the dreaded Cyclops, and in William Tell as he tests his

courage and skills against an evil tyrant.

Ulysses versus the Cyclops

Sailing on, we presently saw

the dim coastline of another

strange country. Not

knowing the kind of

people who might live

there, I ordered the ship

to put in at a little island

nearby.

When the fog over

the mainland cleared, we

saw many huge caves and

cattle much bigger than any

I had seen before.

What new mysteries

were we to discover

there? I called some of my

strongest warriors together and told them

to fetch a large skin bottle of wine. ‘We will

offer it as a gift to whoever we meet. Let us

take one of the boats and explore the place.’

Once across the strait we found a

twisted path rising steeply to the mouth

of a cave. Cautiously we went inside and,

when our eyes had grown used to

the dark, saw a strange sight.

The cave was clearly used

as a home. There were pens

filled with sheep and cows

of that large species we

had seen from the island.

All around the walls hung

enormous cheeses, and

gigantic churns of goats’

milk stood against the

walls.

‘Food!’ cried one of my

men, his voice echoing across

the cavern. ‘Enough food to

keep us going for a hundred

voyages! Shall we kill the sheep now and

make off? How many of those cheeses can

we carry?’

‘Silence!’ I replied. ‘Are we common

robbers to steal food from someone while

he is away from home? This cave belongs

to a shepherd, I suppose. When he returns

we will give him the wine and no doubt he

will make us a present of meat and cheese

in return. Sit down, and wait.’

It was evening before we heard

the slow, heavy footsteps of someone

approaching the cavern. Through the

opening we were startled to see a giant

of a man staggering up the steep path

carrying a bundle of huge logs on his back.

The creature wore only a loin-skin, had

shaggy hair and beard and—strangest of

all—a single eye fixed in the middle of his

forehead.

Terrified, we hid ourselves in a dark

corner of the cave. The giant had returned

with his flock of goats, which he drove into

the cave, blocking the entrance behind

him with a great boulder.

He crouched down in the middle,

milking the goats, then, piling faggots

on the floor, lit a fire. The dancing flames

soon lighted our dark corner and the giant

saw us.

‘Who may you be?’ he demanded in a

thundering voice.

My legs trembling, I stepped forward

and replied, ‘My name is No-man! My

warriors and I are on our way home

from the Trojan War. The great god Zeus

watches over us, and will be pleased with

you if you treat us kindly.’

I had hoped that by mentioning Zeus,

I would make the giant afraid to harm us.

But he merely laughed and roared, ‘I am

Polyphemus, son of Poseidon who is god of

the seas. Fools! Do you think we Cyclops

care a fig for Zeus and his heavenly family?

Where is your ship?’

I could tell by the look in his single,

wicked eye that if I told him of the ships

and warriors waiting on the island, he

would find a way to destroy them. So I

said, ‘Our ship was sunk in a storm and

we few are the only survivors. Have mercy

on us, we beg you!’

‘What is mercy?’ demanded the

terrible fellow. Then he reached down,

grabbed two of my men and ate them.

There was nothing we could do to

save them from their wretched fate.

Afterwards, the Cyclops drank a pail or

two of milk, stretched himself out by the

fire and fell asleep.

I longed to kill him there and then. But

I remembered the huge stone blocking the

cave mouth and knew that without a living

giant to push it away we should be shut in

the cave for the rest of our lives.

We spent the night anxiously seeking a

way of escape. In the morning, the Cyclops

ate two more of my men and, rolling the

stone away, took his goats out to graze.

Left alone in the darkness we at last hit on

a plan.

The Cyclops had left some of his

firewood in a corner. We chose a slender

young tree trunk from the pile, sharpened

it to a point, then hardened the tip by

holding it in the red-hot faggots. Our

weapon ready, four of us were chosen

to use it when the time came, then with

more cheerful hearts we waited for the

monster’s return.

Once more he drove the goats into the

cavern and blocked the opening. Next he

made a meal of two more of my warriors.

I filled a milk bowl with some of the wine

from the skin we had brought and took it

to the giant. ‘This is the finest wine in all

the earth. Taste it and see.’

The Cyclops snatched the bowl and

gulped it down.

‘More!’ he cried, and I filled the bowl

‘Still more, and I will make you a gift.

The gift will be that I’ll eat you last of all!’

Unused to the strong wine of warriors,

the Cyclops soon lay down and fell half

asleep. Now we crept to the corner, seized

the sharpened tree trunk and drove it into

the giant’s single eye.

122

He gave a terrible scream, which

brought others of his kind thundering

towards the cave mouth. ‘What is the

matter?’ they called.

‘No-man is killing me!’ yelled the

giant, believing this to be my true name.

‘If no man is killing you, why are

you screaming?’ demanded the Cyclops

outside. ‘Go to sleep! You are keeping us

all awake with your noise!’

Then they went away. The blinded

giant crawled as far as the entrance stone,

pushed it away, and squatted outside,

expecting to catch us as we dashed

through the narrow opening.

But my companions and I crawled

beneath some of the goats, and clinging

to their long hair let them carry us out of

the cavern. The giant’s groping hands felt

only the hairy backs of the animals and we

were free.

We made for the boat at once, and when

we were safely out of reach I cried across to

the cave, ‘Polyphemus! Zeus has punished

you, and rightly so, for you defied him.’

The enraged giant heard our voices

and, seizing some large stones, pelted

us with them. Not one struck the boat.

Across the waves came the Cyclops’ wail:

‘Poseidon, my father! Avenge this cruel

deed.’

I then knew that the god of the sea

would treat me badly from that day on.

Wherever I went, he followed me with

storm and disaster.

from The Legend of Ulysses by Roy F Brown

1 Ulysses is the narrator of this story. When the fog cleared, what did he notice

about the terrain and the cattle of this strange country?

2 What was it about the appearance of the Cyclops that terrified Ulysses and his men?

3 Why did Ulysses tell the Cyclops that his ship was sunk in a storm?

4 ‘I longed to kill him there and then.’ Why didn’t Ulysses do so?

5 What effect did the wine have on the Cyclops?

6 ‘No-man is killing me!’ Why does the Cyclops call Ulysses ‘No-man’?

7 How did Ulysses and his men manage to escape from the cave?

8 What does this story reveal about the character of Ulysses?

9 ‘… the god of the sea would treat me badly from that day on.’ Why?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 13 Heroes and legends 123

William Tell and the apple

About six hundred years ago, Austria

ruled the Swiss people against their

wishes. Austria had appointed a cruel

tyrant named Gessler to control the Swiss

and to make sure they did not revolt. All

the Swiss hated Gessler because he tried

to crush their spirit and take away their

freedom. One day, Gessler placed his cap

upon a flag pole in the market place of a

large Swiss village and gave instructions

that, as a sign of obedience, every person

who passed the flag pole had to salute his

cap. The Swiss really hated Gessler for this

and most of them made sure they did not

go near the pole.

A few days later, William Tell, one

of the finest archers in Switzerland, and

his young son courageously walked past

the cap without saluting it. The soldiers

standing nearby seized William Tell and

his son and sent a message to Gessler.

By the time Gessler arrived, a great

crowd of Swiss people had gathered

waiting expectantly to see what Gessler

would do to the man who had defied his

instructions.

When Gessler was informed that

William Tell had disobeyed his orders,

he grew very angry. His cruelty showed

as he smirked and said to William Tell,

‘I hear that you’re not such a bad archer.

Well, being a generous man, I am going to

let you show us how good you are with a

bow.’

Gessler then turned to one of his

soldiers and ordered, ‘Take the boy over to

that tree. Tie him to it and place this apple

on his head.’ Gessler handed the soldier

an apple he had in his pocket. He then

addressed William Tell. ‘Now, William

Tell, let’s see how good you are. If you can

shoot the apple off your son’s head, you

both shall be set free. If you fail, I’ll give

orders that you both be killed.’

The crowd and soldiers were horrified

at these words, but William Tell remained

calm as he took two arrows from his

quiver, one of which he placed in his belt.

The other he fitted to his bow string. The

crowd was deathly silent as the arrow

sped from William Tell’s bow. A sigh of

relief passed through the crowd as the

arrow cut the apple in two. The people

rejoiced.

‘But why the two arrows? The second

was in case you should miss with the

first?’ asked Gessler.

‘No!’ answered Tell. ‘If I had missed

the apple and harmed my son, the second

arrow was for your heart.’

1 What is the setting for this legend?

2 Why did the Swiss people hate Gessler?

3 What special skill did William Tell have?

4 How did William Tell provoke Gessler?

5 How did Gessler react when he heard that William Tell had disobeyed his orders?

6 What do you learn about the character of William Tell from this legend?

124

Verbs

Verbs are doing, being and having words. They also express time and action. Sometimes

a verb may consist of one word only, but at other times it may consist of a number of

words. In the following examples, the verbs are in italics.

Ulysses was returning home from Troy when he saw a mysterious island.

Gessler handed the soldier an apple he had in his pocket.

Identifying the verbs

Read the sentences from the legends and write down the verbs.

1 The dancing flames soon lighted our dark corner and the giant saw us.

2 ‘Our ship was sunk in the storm and we few are the only survivors.’

3 Once more he drove the goats into the cavern and blocked the entrance.

4 ‘I filled a bowl with some of the wine we had brought and took it to the giant.’

5 ‘The gift will be that I will eat you last of all.’

6 ‘The soldiers seized William Tell and his son and sent a message to Gessler.’

7 ‘The crowd and soldiers were horrified at these words, but William Tell calmly took

two arrows from his quiver, one of which he placed in his belt.’

8 ‘If I had missed the apple and harmed my son, the second arrow was for your heart.’

Forming verbs

Complete each sentence by changing the word in brackets into the correct verb form.

The first one has been done to help you get started.

1 The student has simplified the equation. (simple)

2 The path should be . (wide)

3 She is for her lost friend. (grief)

4 The traveller had his passport. (false)

5 The scientist will the water. (pure)

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 13 Heroes and legends 125

6 The sky slowly started to . (dark)

7 The rope has been . (strong)

8 The surfers were by the breeze. (fresh)

9 Her travel experiences had her life. (rich)

10 The demonstrator was without a trial. (prison)

11 The photo needs to be . (large)

12 The old house is being . (modern)

13 The hit-and-run driver the victim. (fury)

14 The new landscaper will the gardens. (beauty)

15 Greenhouse gases will the environment. (danger)

Verbs and tenses

Not only do verbs indicate that an action is taking place, they also tell us the time when

the action is happening. There are three main time periods: present, future and past.

Today—present tense Tomorrow—future tense Yesterday—past tense

I sleep I will/shall sleep I slept; I have slept

I am sleeping I will/shall be sleeping I was sleeping

I will/shall have slept

I have/had been sleeping

I had slept

Present and past tense

Insert the correct verb forms to complete the present and past tense columns.

The first one has been done to help you.

Present tense (Today)

Past tense (Yesterday)

1 She knows She knew

2 It falls It

3 He He left

4 I swim I

5 You drink You

6 They hide They

7 We We sang

8 She She bought

9 I I did

10 We We drove

126

Direct and indirect speech

There are two ways of conveying what someone has said.

• Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken by a person, using quotation marks

around the spoken words.

Joel confessed, ‘I scraped the side of the car on a pole.’

‘I scraped the side of the car on a pole,’ confessed Joel.

• Indirect speech reports what someone has said by adjusting the language slightly and

not using quotation marks:

Joel confessed that he had scraped the side of the car on a pole.

Changing direct speech to indirect speech

The following sentences are written in direct speech. Change them to indirect speech

by removing the quotation marks and making the necessary adjustments to retain the

meaning. The first one has been done as an example.

1 ‘I enjoyed reading about Robin Hood when I was a child,’ said Tony.

Tony said that he enjoyed reading about Robin Hood when he was a child.

2 The robber whispered, ‘I think the most valuable jewels will be in the safe.’

3 ‘Let’s go to the exhibition about 1970s music legends,’ suggested Lisa.

4 ‘Real heroes spend their lives helping other people,’ said Dad.

5 Holly expressed the opinion, ‘William Tell’s son must have had nerves of steel.’

Changing indirect speech to direct speech

Change these sentences to direct speech by making the necessary adjustments and

inserting quotation marks.

1 The teacher said that the heroes of ancient times were courageous in battle.

2 Sergio asked his parents if he could go to see the old sailing ship replica.

3 The grateful father said that the rescue workers who saved his son were heroes.

4 Auntie Judy bragged that she was very proud of her daughter.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 13 Heroes and legends 127

Amazing tales

journey quest fury confront remarkable

noble capable travel excellent courageous

bravery furious miracle accomplish persistent

energy rescue reliable entrance compassion

heroic wisdom calamity obstacle reputation

superior satisfy enemy resistance endeavour

Changing the words

1 Change the following list words into nouns.

courageous

satisfy

confront

heroic

reliable

excellent

accomplish

h

capable

2 Change the following list words into adjectives.

calamity

miracle

wisdom

energy

compassion

reputation

3 Give list words opposite in meaning to:

stupidity

exit

inferior

calm

cruelty

friend

Find the list word

Find the correct list words using the clues and meanings below.

1 A list word beginning with c, and meaning:

a an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress

b having the ability or skills to do something well

brave; able to face difficulty or danger without fear

d a strong feeling of understanding

128

2 A list word beginning with r, and meaning:

a the general belief or opinion that someone has of a person or thing

b dependable; able to be trusted

refusal to accept or comply with something

d worthy of attention

3 A list word beginning with e, and meaning:

a a person actively opposed or hostile to another

b an opening allowing access to a place

strength and vitality

d to strive or make an effort

Choose a list word to complete each phrase. The first letter is given to help you.

1 the w of Ulysses 6 a f Cyclops

2 a sea j 7 e bowmanship

3 the cave e 8 a r escape

4 a terrible c 9 a s archer

5 an o course 10 a h warrior

The word ‘reputation’ means ‘the general belief or opinion that someone has of a

person or thing’. It is derived from two Latin words: the prefix re-, which means

‘repeatedly’ or ‘again’, and putare, which means ‘to think’. Listed below are some

more words that come from putare. Use the dictionary at the back of the book to

disputable:

compute:

reputable:

deputy:

disreputable:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 13 Heroes and legends 129

Describing a real-life or fictional hero

Here’s your opportunity to write a 200-

word description of a real-life or fictional

hero. Thinking about some of the following

questions will help you to create your

description.

• What makes this hero special for you?

• What does your hero look like?

• What are your hero’s special qualities

or powers?

• What are your hero’s special interests

or ambitions?

• Where does your hero live? Comment on the time and place.

• Who are your hero’s friends and/or enemies?

• What interesting situation was your hero involved in?

130

14

Science fiction

The genre of science fiction (or sci-fi) often focuses on the future effects of science

and technology on the real world or on imagined worlds. A science fiction plot may

be based on alien invasion, human journeys into space, scientific experimentation

such as cloning, or technological developments such as robots. Science fiction often

explores such themes as survival, exploitation, mind control and the destruction of the

environment.

Science fiction stories, novels, films and television shows often speculate on the

future of our world. Some of the early science fiction writers have predicted future

technological developments with remarkable accuracy. For example, nearly one hundred

and fifty years ago, in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Jules Verne created a

futuristic submarine with numerous features that are now a reality, so much so that the

novel still seems relevant and up to date.

In John Wyndham’s novel The Day of the Triffids, the triffids are terrifying plants that

have escaped from farms and are roaming free, attacking and killing people with their

deadly whip-like sting. In this extract, Bill, the narrator, has just driven Josella to her

family home.

The triffids

We got out of the car, and I pushed open

the gate. A short drive curved round a bed

of bushes which hid most of the house

front from the road. As we turned the

corner, Josella gave a cry and ran forward.

A figure was lying on the gravel, chest

downwards, but with the head turned to

show one side of its face. The first glance

at it showed me the bright red streak

across the cheek.

‘Stop!’ I shouted at her.

There was enough alarm in my voice to

check her.

I had spotted the triffid now. It was

lurking among the bushes, well within

striking range of the sprawled figure.

‘Back! Quick!’ I said.

Still looking at the man on the ground,

she hesitated.

A still from the film The Day of the Triffids

‘But I must—‘ she began, turning

towards me. Then she stopped. Her eyes

widened, and she screamed.

I whipped round to find a triffid

towering only a few feet behind me.

In one automatic movement I had my

hands over my eyes. I heard the sting

whistle as it lashed out at me—but there

was no knockout, no agonized burning,

even. One’s mind can move like lightning

at such a moment; nevertheless, it was

more instinct than reason which sent me

leaping at it before it had time to strike

again. I collided with it, overturning

it, and even as I went down with it my

hands were on the upper part of the

stem, trying to pull off the cup and the

sting. Triffid stems do not snap—but they

can be mangled. This one was mangled

thoroughly before I stood up.

Josella was standing in the same spot,

transfixed.

‘Come here,’ I told her. ‘There’s another

in the bushes behind you.’

She glanced fearfully over her shoulder

and came.

‘But it hit you!’ she said incredulously.

‘Why aren’t you—?’

‘I don’t know. I ought to be,’ I said.

I looked down at the fallen triffid.

Suddenly remembering the knives that

we’d acquired with quite other enemies in

mind, I used mine to cut off the sting at its

base. I examined it.

‘That explains it,’ I said, pointing to

the poison sacs. ‘See, they’re collapsed,

exhausted. If they’d been full, or even part

full …’ I turned a thumb down.

I had that, and my acquired resistance

to the poison, to thank. Nevertheless, there

were pale red marks across the backs of

my hands and my neck that were itching

like the devil. I rubbed them while I stood

looking at the sting.

‘It’s queer—,’ I murmured, more to

myself than to her, but she heard me.

‘What’s queer?’

‘I’ve never seen one with the poison

sacs quite empty like this before. It must

have been doing a hell of a lot of stinging.’

But I doubt if she heard me. Her

attention had reverted to the man who

was lying in the drive, and she was eyeing

the triffid standing by.

‘How can we get him away?’ she

asked.

‘I’m afraid we can’t—not till that

thing’s been dealt with,’ I told her.

‘Besides—well, I don’t think we can help

him now.’

‘You mean he’s dead?’

I nodded. ‘Yes. There’s not a doubt of

it—I’ve seen others who have been stung.

Who was he?’ I added.

‘Old Pearson. He did gardening for us,

and chauffeuring for my father. Such a dear

old man—I’ve known him all my life.’

‘I’m sorry—’ I began, wishing I could

think of something more adequate, but she

cut me short.

‘Look! Oh, look!’ She pointed to a path

which ran round the side of the house. A

black-stockinged leg with a woman’s shoe

on it protruded beyond the corner.

We prospected carefully and then

moved safely to a spot which gave a better

view. A girl in a black dress lay half on the

path and half in a flower-bed. Her pretty,

fresh face was scarred with a bright red

line. Josella choked. Tears came into her

eyes.

‘Oh! Oh, it’s Annie! Poor little Annie,’

she said.

I tried to console her a little.

‘They can scarcely have known it,

either of them,’ I told her. ‘When it is

strong enough to kill, it’s mercifully quick.’

from The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

132

1 Why did Josella cry out and start to run forward?

2 Why did Bill shout ‘Stop!’ to Josella?

3 What emotions did Josella experience when she saw another triffid behind Bill?

4 How did Bill defeat the triffid after it stung him?

5 Why wasn’t Bill killed by the triffid’s sting?

6 ‘It must have been doing a hell of a lot of stinging.’ What is ominous about these

words?

7 Why couldn’t Bill and Josella do anything to help the man in the drive?

8 What made Bill and Josella first realise that there was a second victim?

9 How did Bill try to console Josella about the two deaths?

10 Explain how John Wyndham builds up suspense in this extract.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 14 Science fiction 133

A popular theme in science fiction is alien invasion. The following extract describes

Martians that have invaded Earth.

The Martians

They were, I now saw, the most unearthly

creatures it is possible to conceive. They

were huge round bodies—or, rather,

heads—about four feet in diameter, each

body having in front of it a face. This face

had no nostrils—indeed, the Martians

do not seem to have had any sense of

smell, but it had a pair of very large darkcoloured

eyes, and just beneath this a

kind of fleshy beak. … In a group round

the mouth were sixteen slender, almost

whip-like tentacles, arranged in two

bunches of eight each. These bunches

have since been named rather aptly, by

that distinguished anatomist, Professor

Howes, the hands. Even as I saw these

Martians for the first time they seemed

to be endeavouring to raise themselves

on these hands, but of course, with the

increased weight of terrestrial conditions,

this was impossible.

from War of the Worlds by HG Wells

Describing a Martian

Use information in the extract to fill in the Martian checklist. Write your answers in

complete sentences. Then, putting all these details together, draw your impression of

a Martian in the box.

Martian checklist

• General impression:

• Body shape:

• Nose:

• Eyes:

• Mouth:

• Tentacles:

• Professor’s name for the tentacles:

• How it attempts to move:

134

Present participles

Present participles always end in -ing.

singing struggling walking knitting guessing loving

They help to form verbs.

Fire was hurtling through the trees. The thunder is rumbling loudly.

Often participles are used as adjectives. Look at the examples in the following extract.

The tropical rain fell in drenching sheets, hammering the corrugated roof of the clinic

building, roaring down the metal gutters, splashing on the ground in a torrent.

from Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Forming present participles

The usual way of forming a present participle is to add -ing.

drink—drinking agree—agreeing marry—marrying sail—sailing

However, words ending with a single e usually drop the e before adding -ing.

give—giving take—taking escape—escaping achieve—achieving

Note: There are some exceptions to ensure the meaning of the word remains clear,

such as:

eye—eyeing (NOT: eying) dye—dyeing (NOT: dying, as for ‘die’)

Verbs that end with a single consonant that is preceded by a single vowel, usually

double this consonant before adding -ing.

drop—dropping sit—sitting begin—beginning submit—submitting

Adding -ing

Use the above spelling rules to change the following verbs into present participles.

1 work

2 run

3 move

4 rise

5 compel

6 deceive

7 become

8 win

9 commit

10 vote

11 listen

12 beg

13 occur

14 read

15 freeze

16 choose

17 write

18 prefer

19 increase

20 invite

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 14 Science fiction 135

Matching present participles with nouns

Select the most suitable participle from the list for each noun below.

rustling buzzing howling bellowing clinking

purring pattering slamming bleating dripping

booming sparkling grinding pealing screeching

wailing erupting blazing shuffling ticking

1 volcano

2 leaves

3 diamonds

4 fire

5 clock

6 wind

7 raindrops

14 bells

15 coins

16 cat

17 teeth

18 saw

19 siren

20 feet

8 guns

9 bulls

10 brakes

11 sheep

12 door

13 tap

Using present participles in sentences

Change the words in brackets into present participles and fill the gaps to complete

each sentence correctly.

1 When a distress signal, the astronauts discovered an

alien army close to the city. (invade, answer)

2 The explorers across the desolate landscape discovered a well

crystal-clear water. (travel, contain)

3 The spacecraft, after off slowly, was soon

through the atmosphere. (hurtle, lift)

4 Astronauts out new solar systems found a race of aliens

superior intelligence to earthlings. (seek, possess)

5 The spacecraft was out of control and noisily

as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere. (echo, spin)

136

Commas, brackets and dashes

Many sentences contain groups of words that provide extra information of some kind.

Commas, brackets and dashes may be used—often interchangeably—to mark off this

extra information from the rest of the sentence.

• Commas are used to mark off descriptive detail related to the sentence.

• Brackets separate extra information when a stronger break is needed.

• Dashes, which are used in pairs to separate extra information, indicate a very strong

break.

Whichever punctuation mark is used, the main sentence is always a complete

sentence. In the following examples where commas, brackets and dashes are used, the

main sentence is: The driver pulled up at the service station.

The driver, who wore a striking blue jacket, pulled up at the service station.

The driver (a man in his forties) pulled up at the service station.

The driver—and keep in mind that he had escaped from prison many times—pulled up

at the service station.

Note: Remember not to confuse a dash with a hyphen. Hyphens are very short dashes

that join words together, such as off-duty nurse or father-in-law.

Identifying parts of the sentence

In the following sentences, commas, brackets and dashes are used to provide extra

information. Write down the main sentence and the extra information in the spaces

provided. The first one has been done as an example.

1 Robert Frost, a major American poet, lived from 1874 to 1963.

Main sentence: Robert Frost lived from 1874 to 1963.

Extra information:

, a major American poet,

2 She went overseas—I’m not really sure where—and never came back!

Main sentence:

3 Many people (and I’m not one of them) love skydiving.

4 The booklet (see page 12) lists the equipment you will need.

6 The movie, which starred Jennifer Lawrence, ran for ten weeks.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 14 Science fiction 137

gravity planet barrier satellite asteroids

velocity mission capsule universe technology

alien galaxy missile meteors inhabitant

robot artificial machine desolate pressure

force hostile comets transport misfortune

solar destiny astonish spacesuit astronaut

Use the definitions and clues below to write down list words. The first letters are given

to help you.

1 to amaze a

2 not natural a

3 speed v

4 unfamiliar; foreign a

5 unfriendly h

6 relating to the sun s

7 a space traveller a

8 an important task m

9 an unfortunate event m

10 the cosmos u

11 bleakly empty or bare d

12 fate; fortune; lot d

13 a system of billions of stars g

14 an obstacle that prevents movement b

15 a machine resembling a human r

16 a self-propelled weapon m

17 to carry from one place to another t

18 a person living in a place i

138

19 an object orbiting Earth s

20 Jupiter is one of these p

Filling the gaps

Complete the following description by inserting list words. The first letters are given

to help you. Use each list word once only.

Journey to Mars

The a was strapped tightly into the c of the spacecraft

as it rocketed beyond Earth’s g . Travelling at a v of more

than 62 000 kilometres per hour, the crew navigated between c ,

m and a . Modern t had designed a

m that needed to keep the inside air p constant. It took

over six months to reach Mars. A vehicle driven by a r

t the astronauts across the p ’s d

surface. When the m

new information about the g .

was used to

was completed, the crew returned to Earth with

Technology is the study of practical sciences for industry or commerce. The

word ‘technology’ is derived from two Greek words: techne, meaning ‘skill’ or

‘craftsmanship’, and logos, meaning ‘the study of’ or ‘the science of’. Use the

dictionary at the back of the book to write the meanings of these logos or ‘-ology’

words.

meteorology:

zoology:

archaeology:

seismology:

dermatology:

neurology:

psychology:

anthropology:

theology:

pharmacology:

pathology:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 14 Science fiction 139

Describing an alien

In the extract from War of the Worlds

on page 134, HG Wells gradually creates

a picture in our minds of the Martian’s

appearance by describing the detail of

its body shape, eyes, beak and tentacles.

Choose one of the photos and use it

as a starting point for your 200-word

description of an alien arriving on Earth

or an alien found on another planet.

140

15

Earth on fire

Bush and forest fires frequently break out during the summer months in countries such

as Australia that have a hot, dry climate. It is particularly during times of drought and

extreme hot weather that firestorms are likely to develop. In Australia, trees such as the

eucalypts whose leaves contain extremely flammable oil enable controllable bushfires to

become raging infernos.

Australia’s two worst bushfires are named Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday. On

16 February 1983, the Ash Wednesday fires, fanned by powerful winds, took the lives of

twenty-eight people in South Australia and forty-seven in Victoria. More recently, during

the Black Saturday fires in Victoria on 7 February 2009, one hundred and seventy-three

people died and more than two thousand homes were destroyed.

Today, as more and more houses are built closer to dense bushland, the risk of homes

being destroyed by fire has increased significantly. The following extract from Colin

Thiele’s novel February Dragon conveys the true horror of being caught in a bushfire.

Waves of fire

‘Go for your life, sir! It’s the fire!’

But Strarvy had already seen it. The

whole crest of the slope above them

suddenly boiled over with flame, as if a

crimson sea had swept the top of the ridge

and was tossing and leaping down the

other side in wild waves of fire. Strarvy

pressed the accelerator down hard and the

bus roared down the road through the dust

and stinking smoke. Forty, fifty, sixty miles

an hour the speedo showed, with Strarvy

crouching at the wheel and every bolt in

the bus jarring and rattling. It was as fast

as the bus would go.

On the right the fire poured down

the hillside like burning petrol from a

tank. None of them—not even Strarvy

or Lemon—had ever seen a big bushfire

close at hand, and its horror stunned

them. The noise was sickening, the sight

unbelievable. Huge masses of flame like

outbursts from the sun’s rim broke away

from the fire and shot high into the air,

flapping and folding in fierce incandescent

sheets. Whole trees exploded into torches.

There was fire on the ground, and fire like

hellish harpies in the air. The whole world

was writhing and flinging, convulsing,

twisting … and dying.

Up the road the bus flew, with the

fire not a quarter of a mile away. Past

the gates of Humpty Doo they shot, with

Lemon pressing her hands to her head and

crying out ‘The house! Oh, my God, what

about my things!’ Between the two rows

of big gums on either side of the road they

rocketed, with the leaves twisting in the

heat and the oil in them vaporising like

benzene.

‘The fallow paddock, sir!’ It was Burp’s

voice in Strarvy’s ear again. ‘Turn into our

gate, and head for the fallow paddock past

the dam.’

Strarvy had thought of it too. The only

spot in the district, an oasis of earth in a

world of fire, Heaslip’s ploughed paddock

beckoned him on through the smoke and

heat. The bus seemed as if it was about

to burst into flame. Columbine and Debby

had slumped in their seats; the big trees

were blowing up like gunpowder behind

them. But like an escaping colt with whips

of fire cracking at its heels, the bus swung

through Heaslip’s gate and tore down the

track. Behind them the whole world had

disappeared in smoke and flame—the Big

Scrub and Humpty Doo, Barnacle’s store

and Bottlebrush Barn—all swallowed

alike in the fiery holocaust. Almost beside

them now, the fire was racing in the long

stubble and grass of Heaslip’s paddock.

Ahead lay the chocolate handkerchief

of fallow they were straining to reach.

But they didn’t quite make their goal. A

quarter of a mile inside Heaslip’s farm,

where the track turned to skirt around

the yabbying dam, Strarvy did what

Mrs Heaslip had always been saying

someone would do. A tyre, tormented

by heat and angular gravel, suddenly

burst with a bang. Strarvy instinctively

swung the wheel, and the next moment

the bus lurched off the track and headed

straight for the dam. There was a flurry of

wheels in mud, a squelching slide, and a

final tremendous splash. Luckily the bus

remained upright. There was a moment of

stunned silence, then a babble of shouts

and cries. Strarvy jumped quickly from

the driver’s seat and strode up the sloping

centre aisle.

‘Everyone all right?’

‘Ye-e-es.’

There were a few jarred wrists and

bruises, but no one was badly hurt.

‘All out!’ Strarvy ordered, trying to

make a joke of it. ‘This is the special stop

for today.’

from February Dragon by Colin Thiele

1 In paragraph 2, what is the bushfire compared to?

2 Which two sound words in this paragraph indicate the noises made by the speeding

bus?

3 ‘… the fire poured down the hillside’. What is the fire compared to here?

4 How did the people in the bus feel when they saw the bushfire close at hand?

5 Why did the two rows of gums catch fire?

6 ‘The fallow paddock, sir!’ Why would the fallow paddock be a safe place?

7 Why was the fallow field likened to ‘a chocolate handkerchief’?

142

8 Use the dictionary at the back of the book to find the meanings of these words:

incandescent:

holocaust:

harpy:

writhing:

One important way of reducing bushfire fatalities is by educating residents. The page

below is from a brochure prepared by the NSW Rural Fire Service.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 15 Earth on fire 143

1 What is the purpose of this brochure?

2 ‘Are you prepared to keep your family safe?’ Why are these words in the form of a

question and in large red letters?

3 Why is it important to check the condition of the roof?

4 Why should the leaves in the gutters be removed?

5 What kind of trees and shrubs should be planted?

6 Why is it important to have metal flywire or solid screens on the windows?

7 What is an important requirement regarding the garden hose?

8 Why is it important that pressure relief valves on the LPG cylinders face outwards?

144

Past participles

Past participles are used to form verbs. They often—but not always—end in -ed.

The fire had raced down the hill. Thick smoke was seen in the distance.

Past participles are also used as adjectives.

a knitted scarf a broken arm a stolen wallet

Past participles can be used to begin phrases.

wrapped in a scarf burnt by the sun attacked by the enemy

Forming past participles

Complete the following sentences by inserting the past participles of the verbs in

brackets.

1 The diners had (pay) the bill and had quickly (leave) the

restaurant.

2 He had (swim) five metres after the whistle was (blow).

3 The captain had (show) what had to be (do) to achieve

victory.

4 Having been (strike) by a speeding car, the pedestrian was

(take) to hospital.

5 The horse has been (ride) by excellent jockeys, but has not yet

(win) a race.

6 The amateur had (defeat) the champion, but had (lose)

the final.

Using past participles as adjectives

Change the verbs in brackets into past participles to complete the phrases. The first

one has been done for you.

1 the broken window (break)

2 a lake (freeze)

3 a proposal (write)

4 my knee (swell)

5 a shirt (rip)

6 the sheep (shear)

7 a team (beat)

8 a catch (drop)

9 a tree (fall)

10 snow (melt)

11 the grass (mow)

12 the sun (rise)

13 a nail (bend)

14 the story (forget)

15 a tyre (wear)

16 a muscle (tear)

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 15 Earth on fire 145

Using correct verb forms

Choose the correct verb form from the words in brackets to complete each sentence.

1 (fell/fallen)

a The builder has

b The builder

off the roof.

2 (chosen/chose)

a She to visit Australia.

b She has

to visit Australia.

3 (swum/swam/swim)

a The surfer liked to

b The surfer had

through the breakers.

c The surfer through the breakers.

4 (given/gave)

a The aid worker

b The refugee was

the refugee some food.

food by the aid worker.

5 (drove/driven)

a He his new SUV into the city.

b He has

his new SUV into the city.

6 (draw/drew/drawn)

a Comic characters were

b The cartoonist liked to

by the cartoonist.

comic characters.

c The cartoonist comic characters.

7 (write/wrote/written)

a The journalist

an interesting newspaper article.

b An interesting newspaper article was

by the journalist.

c The journalist did not magazine articles.

8 (eat/ate/eaten)

a The student

b The apple was

her apple.

by the student.

c The student did not want to the apple.

146

The colon

A colon (:) is used to introduce a list of items or to indicate that a related detail or

explanation will follow. The words before the colon must be a complete sentence that

makes sense on its own.

I will visit four countries: Germany, Norway, Denmark and France. (a list)

We guessed who would win: the Swedish competitor. (an explanation)

Note that commas are used to separate each item in a list, except for the last item

where and is used.

Using colons in sentences

Rewrite each sentence, adding the colon and any necessary commas.

1 Four colours dominated the painting orange green yellow and blue.

2 We knew what the weather would be like cold and miserable.

3 Dad bought a completely new outfit a shirt a pair of jeans a leather jacket and

expensive shoes.

4 Two things are important a positive attitude and a willingness to work.

5 The apartment offers everything I want a new kitchen a large bedroom a balcony and

beach views.

6 They explained why the performance had to be cancelled most of the cast had food

poisoning.

7 My thanks go to the following people the tournament organisers the sponsors my

fellow players and my coach.

8 Many developing countries face difficult challenges poverty overpopulation and a lack

of educational opportunities.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 15 Earth on fire 147

Inferno

emergency ruin expect arson deliberately

explosion fierce ignite access catastrophe

extinguish fault safety destroy hazardous

precaution futile ablaze haste suffocation

terrifying notice siren severe inhalation

insurance fiery evade situation inspection

Use the following clues and meanings to find the correct list words.

1 A list word beginning with e, and meaning:

a to escape or avoid by trickery or cleverness

b a violent shattering and blowing apart

to put out or bring to an end

d to regard as likely to happen

a sudden event requiring immediate action

2 A list word beginning with s, and meaning:

a the state of being free from danger or risk

b very great or intense

a state of affairs; condition

d a device that sounds a warning

death caused by the deprivation of oxygen

3 A list word beginning with i, and meaning:

a to catch fire

b a guarantee against loss

a close look at something

d the act of breathing in

4 A list word beginning with f, and meaning:

a burning strongly and brightly

148

hostile, threatening or aggressive

having no use or effect

5 A list word beginning with a, and meaning:

a a means of entering a place

b on fire or lit up

the criminal act of deliberately setting fire

6 A list word beginning with d, and meaning:

a on purpose; in an intentional manner

b to ruin or make useless

Find appropriate list words to complete the passage below. The first letter of each

word is given to help you.

The explosion

The e crew heard the s and responded

immediately to the h s . They arrived at the scene

to find a factory a after a huge e .

F flames that rose to t heights were impossible

to e . It appeared to be a case of a since petrol had

been d

into the building was dangerous because i

s .

poured around the area, making access very difficult. Entry

of toxic fumes could cause

The word ‘catastrophe’ is derived from two Greek words: cata, which means ‘down’,

and strophe, which means ‘twist’. A catastrophe is literally ‘a downwards spiralling’.

There are many words in English derived from the Greek prefix cata-. Use the

dictionary at the back of the book to write the meanings of the following words.

catacomb:

cataract:

catalyst:

catapult:

catalogue:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 15 Earth on fire 149

Disaster!

Write a description in either first or third

person of a natural or man-made disaster.

Use verbs and adjectives to convey the

drama of the events taking place: The

following description is a good example of

action-packed writing about a fire.

Firestorm

I heard the mighty crackling of fire coming through the wood. At the same instant, the

blinding smoke burst into a million tongues of flickering flame, and I saw the fire—not

where I had seen it before, not creeping along among the scrub, but up above, a hundred

and fifty feet overhead. It had caught the dry tops of the higher bows, and was flying

along from tree-top to tree-top like lightning.

from The Recollections of Geoffrey Hamlyn by Henry Kingsley

Write about 250 words on one of the following topics or choose your own.

• Earthquake • Tornado • Air crash • Disease epidemic • Flood

150

16

Short stories

The structure of a short story usually consists of the following three parts.

• Orientation: In the orientation (beginning), the setting or location of the story is

presented and the main characters are introduced. The orientation tells the audience

who, when, where, what and why.

• Complication: As the story develops, complications occur. At least one problem

arises that the character must overcome before the story’s climax is reached.

• Resolution: As the sequence of events brings the story to an end, the problem faced

by the character is solved or resolved. A resolution is achieved, which leads to a

happy or unhappy ending in the story.

Fudge

‘Have you all got the gist?’ our business

studies teacher, Mr Lesser, asked. ‘Are

there any questions?'

Of course, Jumbo Fowler hadn’t got the

gist. ‘Can you go over it one more time?’

he asked.

‘Right,’ said Mr Lesser. ‘You, that is

this business studies class, are divided

into six groups of three. We, that is the

school, will lend to each group the sum

of twenty dollars. It is then the job of

each group to use that capital to earn as

much as you can over the period of one

semester. At the end of the semester,

you return the capital and your earnings

to the school. It is a practical exercise

in business. If you are going to be the

business successes of the future it’s about

time you had some experience of how

business works.’

‘Don’t we get to keep the profit we

make?’ asked Alison.

‘Certainly not,’ Mr Lesser replied. ‘The

only way I could get the Principal and

School Council to agree to this use of the

school’s money was to persuade them that

you were all such bright business people

that you would produce a nice little profit

to swell the amenities fund.’

‘What if we lose the twenty dollars?’

Simon asked. ‘Some businesses do go

broke.’

‘The school will carry the loss, but your

marks will look pretty sick. This exercise

carries twenty-five percentage points.’

Even Jumbo understood that. After

explaining to us that this was his special

pet project and that he expected us to

excel, Mr Lesser divided us into six groups

and gave each one a twenty dollar note.

Then he handed us each a letter from the

Principal explaining ‘To Whom It Might

Concern’ what we were doing and that we

had the full support of the School Council

of St Matilda’s Secondary College in our

pursuit of any legitimate business activity.

The other two in my group were

Alison, and Tim Potter, our class’s whizzkid

at maths. ‘Let’s meet straight after

school,’ Tim said to us. ‘Come round to my

place.’

We began our business career sitting

on the bed in Tim’s room.

‘Why don’t we just put the money in

the bank and pay it back with the interest

at the end of the semester?’ Alison

suggested.

Tim whipped out his calculator. ‘We’d

earn about twenty cents interest in that

time,’ he said. ‘That’s not going to impress

anyone.’

‘We could use the twenty bucks to buy

some stuff and make things,’ I offered.

‘Then we could sell what we made at a

p r o fi t .’

‘What sort of things?’ Tim asked.

‘I know,’ Alison said. ‘Fudge. Then we

could sell it at school. I’ve got a really good

recipe for fudge.’

So we bought twenty dollars' worth

of fudge-making ingredients and helped

Alison mix it, make it, and cut the fudge

into little cubes. We made little cellophane

bags of six cubes each and sold them for

fifty cents a bag. By our next meeting we

had sold all the bags and had increased

our capital to $31.20.

‘More fudge?’ Alison suggested.

‘No,’ Tim replied. ‘It took us all week

to sell that lot, and even then I had to

discount the last few bags to get rid of

them.’

‘Well, we’ve increased our capital by

more than fifty per cent,’ I said. ‘We could

just leave it at that.’

‘No way,’ Tim replied. ‘I want our

group to do really well. Our problem is that

we’ve got too low a capital base. We need

to raise some venture capital. I’ve been

reading how big business works.’

‘How do we do that?’ Alison asked.

‘A bank loan, of course,’ Tim replied,

obviously thinking she should have

known.

‘But no bank will give us a loan,’ I

objected. ‘We’ve no collateral to secure

one.’

‘Yes we have,’ Tim replied, holding up

the Principal’s letter. ‘We’ve got the school.

The buildings and grounds are valued at

close to a million dollars in the school’s

financial report for last year. That’s plenty.’

The bank manager read the Principal’s

letter. ‘I’ll have to keep this in our safe

here as security,’ he explained, before

signing the forms that allowed us to draw

three thousand dollars—with the school as

our collateral.

‘This is more like it,’ Tim said, when

we were back in his bedroom. ‘But we’ll

have to invest quickly or we won’t be able

to meet the interest payments.’

‘Lots of fudge,’ Alison suggested,

‘enough to supply the whole town.’

‘Nah,’ said Tim scornfully. ‘The

stockmarket, of course. That’s where the

real money’s made.’

The investment adviser leant on his

desk and stroked his chin. ‘As you are a

young consortium,’ he said, ‘I think you

should spread your investments. Say, a

thousand dollars into something that’s

really safe and secure, and a couple of

thousand spread across two or three

companies with potential, but with a little

more risk attached.’

‘Sounds good to me,’ Tim replied.

‘What do you suggest?’

‘Blue Chip Metals for the thousand,’

the adviser said. ‘It’s as safe as a bank

152

and the dividends are good. Then I’d try

a thousand with Mud Crab Holdings—

they’re doing quite well and the restaurant

demand for mud crabs is increasing with

the tourist trade. Then I’d try five hundred

dollars on Aqua Cars—it’s risky, but if they

do come up with an engine that runs on

water the returns will be massive. The last

five hundred I’d put into Glorious Gold.

There’s a whisper that their latest mineral

survey reports have been hopeful, and

anyway, they’re only ten cents a share.’

‘If they go to twenty cents that’s an

easy five hundred,’ Tim said.

‘That’d take care of the bank interest,’

I agreed.

‘What bank interest?’ the investment

adviser asked.

We explained that we had borrowed

the three thousand from the bank. He

looked rather surprised. ‘What did you use

for collateral?’ he asked.

‘Land and buildings worth around a

million,’ Tim replied rather grandly. ‘The

bank has kept the documentation.’

‘I might get a copy from the bank,’ the

adviser said. ‘It’s better to be safe than

sorry.’

We didn’t know what he meant by

that, but we agreed to follow his advice on

the shares, and he said he’d arrange for a

stockbroker to buy them on our account.

The next few days were pretty boring

as far as the sharemarket went. The Blue

Chip Metals went up a couple of points,

but we had only a few of those as they had

cost more than ten dollars each. Mud Crabs

fell a little after a scientist was reported

in the papers talking about sewerage and

seafood, but the following day the papers

reported another scientist contradicting

the first one and our shares went up again.

Aqua Cars stayed right where they were,

on twenty-five cents each. Glorious Gold

rose a cent on the day after we had bought

them but then stayed steady. At the end of

the week Tim’s calculator reported us as

having made a profit of just over a hundred

dollars. ‘Not spectacular,’ he said, ‘but

better than fudge.’

‘I liked making the fudge,’ Alison

retorted. ‘And people liked eating it. And

we made over fifty per cent profit. The

shares haven’t done that.’

‘Give them time,’ Tim said with a grin.

Things stayed quiet on the sharemarket

for the next four weeks. So quiet that I

began to become bored with looking up

our shares in Dad’s paper each morning.

They never seemed to change their price

at all. That is, not until that Tuesday

morning …

The phone rang before breakfast,

which was unusual at our place. It was

Tim, for me. ‘Look up Glorious Gold,’ he

spluttered. ‘We’re rich.’

I hung up and grabbed the newspaper.

Fortunately Dad was still in the shower.

Glorious Gold shares stood at $6.20 each.

I was trying to do sums in my head at

the same time as I read an article on

the opposite page that discussed the

very favourable geologist’s report on the

Glorious Gold claim.

‘I’ve managed to get some more,’ Tim

explained excitedly when he called by to

walk to school with me. ‘The adviser says

they’ll continue to rise.’

‘What with?’ I asked. ‘We spent all the

money we borrowed buying the first lot.’

‘Not now we haven’t,’ Tim replied.

‘We’ve just made $25 500 profit. That

was enough to get another four thousand

shares. We can pay for them when we sell

some. It’s called aggressive trading.’

‘What price fudge now?’ Tim asked

Alison when we met in the schoolyard.

Even she was impressed when he showed

her the newspaper article.

‘It’s a pity we’ve got to give it all to the

school, though,’ she complained. ‘We could

pay for the new kitchen Mum wants with

that.’

For the next few days we scanned the

paper eagerly each morning. Glorious Gold

rose slowly but steadily to seven dollars a

share.

‘We ought to sell them now,’ Alison

said to us. ‘That’s more than sixty

thousand dollars we’ve made. None of the

other groups will get anywhere near that.’

We would have taken her advice if

Glorious Gold hadn’t more than doubled

its share price on the following morning,

rising to fifteen dollars a share. Once again

Tim got in early and was able to increase

our holding by 4800 shares.

‘Sixty thousand’s chicken feed,’ he

said to Alison. ‘We’re worth well over two

hundred grand now.’

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 16 Short stories 153

‘Then let’s sell them quickly,’ Alison

urged.

‘I dunno,’ said Tim. ‘I’d really like to

get to a quarter of a million.’

His chance came two days later.

Glorious Gold’s geologist, reported in an

evening newspaper, indicated that their

mine site was likely to have the richest

lode of gold of any mine in Australia’s

history. Overnight the shares tripled in

value. Tim was able to get another nine

thousand at the new price of forty-five

dollars.

‘We’re way over half a million now,’

he said gleefully. Why don’t we go for the

million?’

‘You were happy with a quarter of

a million a few days ago,’ Alison said

sharply. ‘Don’t be so greedy. Anyway, the

school doesn’t need a million dollars. It’s

only a small school.’

I agreed with her. After all, we weren’t

going to benefit from our success, I

argued. The school would probably build

a new building or something, but by the

time it was finished we could have left.

‘Okay,’ Tim said reluctantly. ‘I’ll phone

the broker in the morning and tell him to

sell the lot.’

But, unknown to us, a second

geologist had been reported in the papers

questioning the claims of Glorious Gold’s

geologist. In the morning the price of

Glorious Gold shares had fallen to forty

The investment adviser had advised

Tim not to sell. ‘After all,’ he had told him,

‘it’s the Glorious Gold geologist who’s

actually at the site. Once this second

bloke’s ideas have been contradicted the

shares will go up again.’

But no contradiction came. Instead,

on the following evening the TV news

was full of the arrest of the Glorious Gold

directors on charges of fraud. The police

had been alerted when the Glorious Gold

geologist had tried to unload his own

shares at forty dollars during the day. By

morning the shares were down to five

cents each.

‘What do we do?’ we asked the

investment adviser. ‘We’re broke.’

‘I realise that,’ he replied. ‘I’ve also

talked to the bank. I’m afraid we’re going

to have to realise on your collateral.

That should more than clear you, I think.

Fortunately the property market is fairly

buoyant at the moment.

He gazed at us sympathetically as his

secretary showed us out the door.

The ‘For Sale’ notices appeared outside

St Matilda’s a few days later. All the other

kids were furious with us. None of them

wanted to transfer to other schools.

The Principal retired. He said that

after forty years in schools, new education

methods had finally defeated him.

We never got our marks from Mr

Lesser. He left the district quietly and

quickly. We later heard he had a job as an

economic adviser to the government in

Canberra.

‘We really should have stuck to fudge,’

Alison said. ‘It’s a great recipe and a lot

of the kids told me they would have liked

some more.’

by Michael Dugan

Responding to the short story

1 Where is the setting for the orientation?

2 In the complication, what conflict arises between Alison and Tim?

3 In the resolution, what happened to Mr Lesser?

4 In the resolution, why were the other St Matilda’s students furious?

154

Prefixes

A prefix is a word part placed at the beginning of a word to modify the word’s meaning

or create a new word.

disobey forecast precaution supervise submerge

Some prefixes indicate a number. For example, the prefix bi- means ‘two’.

A biped is an animal that uses two legs for walking.

Matching prefixes and meanings

Below are lists of words with prefixes that indicate the numbers two, three and ten

(bi-, tri- and dec-). Match these words with their meanings.

bi- (two)

bisect biplane biennial bilateral bicycle bigamy biscuit

1 being in two marriages

2 to cut in two

3 a ‘twice-cooked’ cake

4 having two sides

5 a two-winged plane

6 once in two years

7 a two-wheeled vehicle

tri- (three)

trisect trilogy tripod triple trimaran trident trio tricycle

1 a yacht with three hulls

2 three related novels

3 a group of three people

4 to cut in three parts

5 to multiply by three

6 a three-pronged spear

7 a three-legged stool or stand

8 a three-wheeled vehicle

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 16 Short stories 155

dec- (ten)

decade December decimate decagon decathlon

1 to destroy or kill a large number of people

2 a polygon with ten sides and ten angles

4 a period of ten years

5 a ten-event athletic contest

3 the tenth month in the old Roman calendar

Prefixes in action

A number of important prefixes, their meanings and some of the words derived

from them are listed in the table below. Choose words from the table to match the

meanings in the exercise below. The prefixes are given as clues.

Prefix Meaning Words beginning with the prefix

trans- across transport, transaction, transit, transplant, translate

contra- against contradict, contraband, contravene, controversial

post- behind/after posthumous, postpone, post-mortem, postscript

inter- between interject, interrupt, intercept, interstate, interlude

dia- through dialogue, diagnose, diagonal, diameter

peri- around perimeter, period, periscope, peripheral

semi- half semicircle, semicolon, semiconscious, semiquaver

hyper- beyond hyperactive, hyperventilate, hyperbole

1 to put off to a later time; to defer (post-)

2 to breathe abnormally rapidly (hyper-)

3 giving rise to disagreement (contra-)

4 a straight line joining two corners of a polygon (dia-)

5 a punctuation mark (semi-)

6 a business conclusion (trans-)

7 to stop the continuous progress of (inter-)

8 of secondary or minor importance (peri-)

9 half a circle (semi-)

10 goods imported or exported illegally (contra-)

11 a conversation between two people (dia-)

156

The semicolon

A semicolon (;) indicates a pause that is longer than a comma but shorter than a full

stop. A semicolon may be used in the following ways.

• To separate two main clauses (sentences) that are closely related in meaning.

I love horror movies; my brother prefers comedies.

• To separate items in a list if the item descriptions already contain commas.

The committee members included David, an accountant; Margaret, an experienced

fundraiser; and Damien, a communications expert.

Punctuating with semicolons

Rewrite the following sentences, adding semicolons and commas where necessary.

1 Dad wanted me to mow the lawn Mum wanted me to vacuum the house.

2 Some people want to fight climate change other people don’t think it exists.

3 Tennis tournaments have been completed in Brisbane Australia Memphis USA

Madrid Spain and Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

4 The road follows a beautiful river the freeway takes a direct route.

5 The rescue team searched in dense bush the police helicopter searched from the air.

6 I think you should buy the blue shirt it really suits you.

7 The menu featured prawn beef or pork dishes for mains banana

fritters rice pudding or ice cream for dessert and Chinese tea

English tea or coffee to finish.

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 16 Short stories 157

All kinds of people

optician dictator soloist politician pedestrian

miser traitor cyclist carpenter vegetarian

amateur aviator pianist barrister photographer

porter vendor pacifist impostor humanitarian

skier beggar chemist ancestor auctioneer

pioneer librarian optimist neighbour millionaire

Who am I?

Choose the correct list words for the clues below. The word ending appears in brackets

1 I engage in an activity for enjoyment, not payment. (-eur)

2 I perform alone as a singer or instrumentalist. (-ist)

3 I conduct the bidding when property is being sold. (-eer)

4 I am in charge of or assist in a library. (-ian)

5 I make and repair wooden objects. (-er)

6 I make and supply eye glasses. (-ian)

7 I am a person from whom you are descended. (-or)

8 I am a lawyer able to practise in higher courts. (-er)

9 I live next door to you. (-our)

10 I betray people. (-or)

11 I have confidence in the future. (-ist)

12 I do not eat meat. (-ian)

13 I am employed to carry luggage. (-er)

14 I impersonate others in order to deceive. (-or)

15 I am the first to enter or settle a region. (-eer)

16 I am a ruler with total power over my subjects. (-or)

17 I seek to promote human welfare. (-ian)

18 I fl y planes. (-or)

158

19 I refuse to participate in military service. (-ist)

20 I sell goods, articles or property. (-or)

Insert the words in brackets in their correct places to complete each sentence.

1 The hit the who was hurrying to the

shop owned by the

. (pedestrian, chemist, cyclist)

2 The accompanied the when she

competed as an

in the eisteddfod. (pianist, amateur, soloist)

3 A needed to repair the deck before our

could employ an

to sell her house. (neighbour, auctioneer,

carpenter)

4 The left his money to the who had

once been a champion

. (beggar, skier, millionaire)

5 His had been a who had betrayed his

country to a powerful

. (traitor, ancestor, dictator)

List words beginning with p

Find list words beginning with p that could be associated with the following things.

1 music

2 camera

3 peace

4 discovery

5 walking

6 luggage

The word ‘pedestrian’ is used in this unit to describe a person who goes or travels

on foot. It comes from the Latin word pes/pedis, meaning ‘a foot’. Below are some

of the many words in English that are derived from pes/pedis. Use the dictionary at

impede:

expedite:

pedicure:

quadruped:

pedestal:

pedigree:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 16 Short stories 159

When things go wrong

The short story, ‘Fudge’, humorously describes how a group in Mr Lesser’s business

studies class, by wheeling and dealing in the share market, manages to bankrupt the

school. The story has the usual narrative structure of an orientation (beginning), a

complication (problems) and a resolution (ending).

Write your own short story of about

250 words, using one of the beginnings or

topics listed below. Your story can be a reallife

or imaginary encounter. Make sure that

you have an orientation, a complication and

a resolution. Your narrative may have an

unexpected ending, as in ‘Fudge’.

• The most fun we ever had at school was

when …

• Caught in the act!

• It was just an innocent mistake!

• I vowed that I would never do that again.

160

17

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is the relationship that one text may have with other texts. Texts make

connections with each other through their language, storylines, settings, themes,

contexts and characters. Sometimes an original text may be transformed so that it exists

in a new form such as a play, poem, film, musical, graphic novel or poster.

Intertextual references can occur in the following forms.

• Parody: When a text parodies another text, it ridicules or mocks the original by

imitating its words, ideas or style.

• Allusion: An allusion is a reference to something well known, such as a historical

event, a novel, a famous person, a painting and a myth or legend.

• Structural borrowing: The structure of a text is the way it is organised and presented.

For example, poems are often arranged in stanzas. The structure of one text may be

‘borrowed’ and used in another text.

Here is a simple example of intertextuality that has been created from a nursery

rhyme being parodied. The traditional version is on the left and the parody is on the

right.

Little Miss Muffet—a parody

Little Miss Muffett

Sat on a tuffet

Eating her Irish stew.

Along came a spider

And sat down beside her,

So she ate him up too.

Anonymous

What is the difference between Miss

Muffet’s behaviour in each version?

Little Miss Muffet

Sat on a tuffet,

Eating her curds and whey;

Along came a spider,

Who sat down beside her,

And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Romeo and Juliet

Many of Shakespeare’s plays have been transformed from the stage to other media such

as film, television and radio, and none more so than the tragic love story, Romeo and

Juliet. Here is an abridged scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, followed by an

example of intertexuality related to the play.

Balcony scene

Romeo has climbed a wall into the Capulet’s garden and is standing in the darkness

beneath Juliet’s window. Juliet appears but is at first unaware of Romeo’s presence as he

declares his love for her.

ROMEO: But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east and Juliet is the sun. …

It is my lady, O it is my love.

O, that she knew she were.

She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that? …

See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.

O, that I were a glove upon that hand,

That I might touch that cheek.

JULIET: Ay, me.

ROMEO: She speaks.

O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art

As glorious to this night, being o’er my head

As is a winged messenger of heaven. …

JULIET: O, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father, and refuse thy name.

Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

ROMEO: (Aside) Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

JULIET: ’Tis but thy name that is my enemy.

Thou art thy self, though not a Montague.

What’s Montague? It is not hand nor foot,

Nor arm nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O be some other name.

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet. …

ROMEO: I take thee at thy word.

Call me but ‘love’, and I’ll be new baptised.

Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

JULIET: What man art thou that thus bescreen’d in night

So stumblest on my counsel?

ROMEO: By a name

I know not how to tell thee who I am.

JULIET: My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words

Of thy tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound.

Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?

ROMEO: Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.

162

JULIET: How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?

The orchard walls are high, and hard to climb,

And the place death, considering who thou art,

If any of my kinsmen find thee here.

ROMEO: With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,

For stony limits cannot hold love out. …

O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?

JULIET: What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?

ROMEO: Th’exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine. …

JULIET: Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed,

If that thy bent of love be honourable,

Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,

By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,

Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,

And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay,

And follow thee, my lord, throughout the world.

adapted from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Act 2 Scene 2

1 The Capulet and Montague families are fighting a civil war with each other. What

are Romeo’s and Juliet’s surnames?

2 At the beginning of his speech, to what does Romeo compare Juliet?

3 Why would Romeo wish to be a glove on Juliet’s hand?

4 ‘’Tis but thy name that is my enemy.’ Why does Juliet say this?

5 Which words of Juliet indicate she has finally become aware that there is someone

outside in the dark?

6 How is Juliet able to identify that it is Romeo in the darkness?

7 Why is it dangerous for Romeo to be in Juliet’s family orchard?

8 What promise does Juliet give to Romeo at the end of this scene?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 17 Intertextuality 163

Film poster

1 What is the purpose of the film poster?

2 Romeo and Juliet was written over four hundred years go. How do you know from the

poster that the film has a modern-day setting?

3 How does the poster emphasise that Romeo + Juliet is a love story?

164

Suffixes

A suffix is a word part added at the end of a word to change its meaning or form. Most

suffixes consist of one syllable.

motorist collection happiness defective regretful

Using suffixes to form adjectives

Use suffixes to create adjectives from the words in brackets. Sometimes you may have

to change the ending of the word before adding the suffix. For example, luxury would

become luxurious.

1 a rescue (drama)

2 a scene (beauty)

3 a driver (nerve)

4 a climb (peril)

5 a spider (poison)

6 a victory (decide)

7 a disaster (nature)

8 a result (satisfy)

9 a plan (deceive)

10 a neighbour (talk)

11 a lifestyle (health)

12 an athlete (energy)

13 a painting (value)

14 an dog (obey)

15 an lecture (inform)

16 a change (notice)

17 a singer (fame)

18 a judge (mercy)

Adding suffixes to name people

Add the suffixes listed below to form the word that describes a person associated with

each activity. Sometimes you will have to change the ending of a word before you add

the suffix. For example, piano would become pianist.

-or -er -ian -ant -ist

1 sail

2 explore

3 cycle

4 custody

5 library

6 illustrate

7 prison

8 descend

9 law

10 apply

11 canoe

12 invest

13 art

14 invent

15 politics

16 jewellery

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 17 Intertextuality 165

Suffixes and meanings

Many suffixes have their own meanings, which help better communication. Here are

some of these suffixes and their meanings. Choose the appropriate words from the list

to match the phrases.

-ate (cause/make)

abbreviate educate deviate segregate exaggerate emancipate

1 to set apart; to separate

2 to make short

3 to turn aside from an established course

4 to free from slavery or bondage

5 to provide with schooling; to lead to knowledge

6 to cause to appear larger than normal

-al (relating to)

oral reprisal cerebral optional aural manual

1 relating to the brain

2 relating to paying back evil for evil

3 relating to choice; not compulsory

4 relating to the mouth; spoken

5 relating to the hands

6 relating to the ear; heard

-ic (nature of/like)

barbaric majestic patriotic rustic caustic panoramic

1 characterised by loyalty to one’s country

2 characterised by grandeur or royalty

3 like a barbarian; savagely cruel

4 of the countryside

5 characterised by burning; sharpness

6 with a wide view surrounding the observer

166

Punctuating dialogue—play scripts

The term ‘dialogue’ in written texts refers to the conversations that are presented. Scripts

for plays, films and television consist almost entirely of dialogue, so they follow special

punctuation and layout conventions or patterns. The main features of a play script are

listed here.

• Quotation marks are not required to indicate the spoken words.

• Characters’ names appear in the margin before their spoken words. They may be set

in capital letters or bold type to make them stand out and they are usually followed

by a colon.

• Stage directions to guide the director and the actors are usually set in italics. Except

for the first stage direction in each new scene, they are always enclosed in brackets

within the script. Characters’ names are often set in capitals or bold type to highlight

them.

Look carefully at the following example.

Scene 1

Morning-room in algernon’s flat in Half-Moon Street. lane, the butler, enters.

ALGERNON: (Picking up empty plate in horror.) Good heavens! Lane! Why are there no

cucumber sandwiches? I ordered them specially.

LANE:

(Gravely) There were no cucumbers at the market this morning, sir.

ALGERNON: (Shocked) No cucumbers!

No, sir. Not even for ready money.

ALGERNON: That will do, Lane, thank you.

adapted from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Punctuating a play script

The following lines from a play script are set out correctly, but some punctuation

is missing. Underline the stage directions to indicate italics, and insert colons and

brackets where necessary.

A derelict farmhouse. sam, an escaped prisoner, is sitting at an old table with his head

in his hands.

SAM

This is hopeless. I’ll never get away.

There is a loud knock at the front door.

OFFICER 1

Shouting Sam Wilson! I know you’re in there! Open up now!

sam peers out the front window. He sees officer 1 with gun drawn.

OK, OK. Don’t shoot. I haven’t got any weapons. I’m coming out.

All right. Come out now with your hands up.

sam quietly slips out the back door.

OFFICER 2

And just where do you think you’re going, Mr Wilson?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 17 Intertextuality 167

Word pairs

decent throne raze duel recent mail flee eminent

descent thrown raise dual resent male flea imminent

straight ceiling wholly waist course lute lose currant

strait sealing holy waste coarse loot loose current

Using the clues

Use the clues to insert the correct word from the list of word pairs above.

1 a a part of the human body w

b to use carelessly w

2 a a downward movement d

b respectable; proper d

3 a rough in texture c

b the route or direction followed c

4 a to feel bitterness or indignation r

b having happened not long ago r

5 a a small dried fruit c

b belonging to the present time c

6 a not firmly or tightly fixed l

b to be unable to find something l

7 a the opposite of crooked s

b a narrow passage of water s

8 a a deadly combat between two people d

b consisting of two parts or elements d

9 a an ancient musical instrument l

b property taken from an enemy in war l

10 a to completely destroy r

b to lift to a higher position r

168

Completing sentences

Complete the sentences by choosing the correct words in brackets.

1 The arrival of the researcher was .

(imminent, eminent)

2 The king’s was from the castle during the

barbarians’ attack. (throne, thrown)

3 In fourteenth-century England, many lives were lost because the citizens were unable

to from the that transmitted the bubonic plague.

(flea, flee)

4 A layer of solution was necessary before painting the smoke-

damaged

. (ceiling, sealing)

Pairs of sentences

1 Complete the pairs of sentences by adding list words beginning with r.

a The farmers were thankful for the

They had good reason to

b The builder had to decided to

He now needed to

rainfall.

the damaging drought.

the old wooden shed.

money to pay for a new building.

2 Complete these pairs of sentences by adding list words beginning with l.

a Nero is believed to have played the .

He had allowed his soldiers to

enemy towns.

b The rocks began to fall down on the climbers.

They realised they had no time to .

Both ‘duel’ and ‘dual’ are derived from the same Latin word: duo, meaning ‘two’.

A duel is a fight with chosen weapons between two people. The word ‘dual’ means

‘having two parts, elements or aspects’. Here are some more English words derived

from duo. Use the dictionary at the back of the book to write their meanings.

duet:

dubious:

duopoly:

duplex:

duplicity:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 17 Intertextuality 169

Changing a text to

a graphic novel

Many of Shakespeare’s tragedies and

comedies such as Macbeth, Romeo and

Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, A Midsummer

Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night have

been published as graphic novels. Choose

a scene from a play, novel, short story or

poem that you have studied in class this

year. Use the four panels below to convert

your chosen scene to a page that might

appear in a graphic novel. Write the name

of the text you’ve chosen on the line above

the panels.

Here is a sample panel from a graphic

novel of Romeo and Juliet.

170

18

Relationships

The theme of relationships between characters is explored in almost every literary

narrative because relationships are an essential part of everyone’s life. Relationships

within families, for example, can range from loving and supportive through to

indifferent or even cruel. Some questions to think about when you read novels that focus

on relationships include the following.

• How have past events or actions influenced the characters and their relationship?

• Does one person hold power over others or is the relationship based on fairness and

equality?

• What are the positive and negative aspects of the relationship?

• What feelings do the characters have as a result of the relationship? Do they feel

confident and happy or do they feel persecuted and alone?

• Is there conflict in the relationship? Is the conflict physical or emotional?

In the following extract set in modern-day Australia, Anna tells her school friends a

story about Heidi, the secret daughter of Adolf Hitler (the Führer). During World War II,

Heidi is kept hidden from public view and has to call her father ‘Duffi’ to conceal their

relationship. She knows nothing of her father’s responsibility for the deaths of millions

of people. This extract explores the unusual relationship between Heidi and her father.

Heidi and her father

Suddenly there was a

rumble in the distance. Not

a plane sort of rumble; not

even the faint echo of an air

raid far away.

‘That is a motorbike,’

said Fräulein Gelber sharply.

She went to the door as the

motorbike pulled up outside

and she opened it before

anyone could knock.

Heidi strained her ears

to hear. It would have been

bad manners for her to go

to the door as well. Anyway

this might be one of those times when she

wasn’t supposed to be noticed, as though

she didn’t exist, had never

existed.

Fräulein Gelber closed

the door. Her eyes were

shining.

‘We are to go to meet

the Führer,’ she whispered,

as though spies might be

listening at the window or

round the door. ‘Quickly!

Into your best dress, and

your coat, and your good

shoes. Hurry!’

A car arrived just as she

came down the steps. Like

the motorbike, its lights were shaded, so it

couldn’t be seen by a plane flying above.

Fräulein Gelber had changed her

clothes too. She wore her best hat with the

tiny feather. Her hand was trembling as

she ushered Heidi through the door and

into the car.

She should be excited, Heidi thought,

as the car turned slowly through the

gates and began to creep down the lane.

It had been, oh, how long had it been

since she had seen her father? Over a year,

perhaps.

Once she had hoped that he might

write her a letter. She had studied hard so

she could read it by herself when it came.

But no letter had ever come.

Long ago, sometimes there had been

phone calls. But there was no phone at the

house where they lived now.

She should be excited. But somehow

she just felt flat and scared.

The car drove through the village and

Heidi looked at it curiously—it was only

the second time she had seen it. Frau Leib

talked about it so often it was almost as

though she knew it. She hoped she might

catch a glimpse of the children Frau Leib

spoke of. But everyone was indoors.

Past the village, past the church. There

was another car pulled up at the side of

the road, in the even darker shelter of a

tree.

Heidi’s car stopped. The driver stepped

out and opened their door. Heidi scrambled

out first. Fräulein Gelber started to follow

her, but the driver shook his head. ‘Only

the child,’ he said.

It seemed a long way from their car to

the other. Heidi’s white socks shone in the

moonlight (a tiny moon, a rind of cheese of

a moon). Her shoes shone back tiny moons

too.

The back door of the other car opened.

Heidi slid onto the seat.

There was no driver. He must have

been told to keep his distance. There was

no one to see or hear.

‘Well, Heidi,’ said the Führer, ‘have you

been a good girl?’

‘Yes, Duffi,’ whispered Heidi.

The Führer bent to kiss her on the

cheek. His lips were very cold.

‘You have been good?’ he asked

again. It was as though he was thinking

of something else, not even hearing when

she said ‘Yes’ again.

‘Fräulein Gelber has been good to

you?’

‘Yes, Duffi.’ It was if that was all she

knew to say. She’d thought of so many

things she would say to him—let me come

to Berlin, let me help you, look after you,

work for you. The words were still in her

head. But somehow there was no reason to

say any of them now.

‘She is also a good girl,’ said the Führer

slowly. ‘She can be trusted. So few people

can be trusted. They are all betraying me.

Do you know that, Heidi? All of them! All

of them!’ His voice rose in the confines of

the car.

Heidi shook her head. What should she

say? What did he want her to say? ‘I am

still on your side, Father,’ that’s what she

ought to say. ‘You can always trust me.’

Heidi was silent.

The Führer looked at her, as though he

had just remembered she was there. ‘You

let me know if there is anything you need,’

he instructed her, though he didn’t tell her

how. ‘And you listen to Fräulein Gelber.

She can be trusted. But you must always

be on your guard.’

‘Yes, Duffi,’ said Heidi, for the last time.

‘I have to go,’ said the Führer. ‘There is

so much to do and they will be waiting for

me,’ and Heidi knew then that he hadn’t

come all this way just to see her.

He kissed her cheek again. She slid

along the seat, and out the door and

walked back to the other car.

The engine of the Führer’s car

muttered. The car pulled out onto the road.

Heidi watched it as it passed. She lifted

her hand to wave, but it was too dark to

see if the Führer waved back.

‘You are lucky,’ said Fräulein Gelber, as

their car slid back down the lane to home.

‘With all his other concerns, the Führer

still stopped to visit you!’

It was obvious she was bitterly

disappointed at not seeing the Führer too,

but she was trying to hide it for Heidi’s

sake.

For a moment I existed, Heidi thought.

But she didn’t say the words aloud.

from Hitler’s Daughter by Jackie French

172

1 From the opening paragraph, how can you tell that it is wartime?

2 What did Fräulein Gelber ask Heidi to do before meeting the Führer?

3 Heidi didn't feel excited about seeing her father. What evidence shows that they did

not have a close relationship?

4 During the drive through the village, what does the reader learn about Heidi’s life?

5 The Führer asked Heidi twice if she had been good. What impression did this give her?

6 ‘Yes, Duffi.’ Why was Heidi upset that these were the only words she said to her

father?

7 How did Heidi know that her father had not come all this way just to see her?

8 Why did Fräulein Gelber think Heidi was lucky?

9 At the end of the extract, how does Heidi feel about the visit?

10 What does the extract reveal about the Führer’s relationship with his daughter?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 18 Relationships 173

A synonym is a word that means exactly or nearly the same as another word. The

following pairs of words are synonyms.

courage—bravery begin—start disappear—vanish purchase—buy

Identifying synonyms

For each key word in italics, underline the correct meaning, or synonym. Use the

dictionary at the back of the book to help you.

Key word

Meaning

1 a pensive judge a harsh b thoughtful c wise

2 to harass the enemy a hurry b anger c trouble

3 to feign an illness a grieve b pretend c induce

4 to concede defeat a acknowledge b deny c confess

5 exultant winners a helpful b persistent c jubilant

6 impartial justice a impulsive b unbiased c unfair

7 a secluded beach a isolated b neglected c untidy

8 a futile attempt a bold b successful c useless

9 a plausible excuse a believable b certain c feeble

10 a cry of anguish a anger b torment c joy

11 a candid opinion a misguided b honest c poor

12 a lucid answer a correct b stupid c clear

13 a bizarre happening a miraculous b weird c forceful

14 domineering parents a loving b agreeable c overbearing

15 an arduous journey a exciting b wonderful c strenuous

16 to confiscate goods a seize b conceal c purchase

17 a novice skier a professional b beginner c talented

18 turbulent waters a peaceful b strong c violent

19 a tranquil sea a rough b peaceful c transparent

20 an exorbitant price a affluent b fair c excessive

21 an impetuous act a impulsive b immediate c daring

22 to divulge a secret a reveal b conceal c dramatise

23 conspicuous errors a contradictory b clearly seen c lethal

24 to eradicate malaria a disinfect b wipe out c cultivate

25 a devious plan a strategic b cunning c erroneous

26 a verbose message a clear b vital c wordy

27 a pompous politician a corrupt b talkative c self-important

174

Punctuating dialogue—stories

When you write your own stories, it is important to know how to punctuate dialogue.

Here are some common patterns.

• Spoken words may appear before or after information about the speaker.

‘We won the match,’ said Jack proudly.

Jack said proudly, ‘We won the match.’

• The spoken words may be interrupted by information about the speaker.

‘We won the match,’ said Jack, ‘but it was a close call.’

‘We won the match,’ said Jack. ‘It was a close call though.’

It is also important to set out dialogue clearly in a story so that readers can

understand who is speaking. Look carefully at this example of dialogue.

The depths of despair

New paragraph

for a new speaker

‘You’re not eating anything,’ said Marilla sharply,

eyeing her as if it were a serious shortcoming.

Anne sighed.

‘I can’t. I’m in the depths of despair. Can you

eat when you are in the depths of despair?’

‘I’ve never been in the depths of despair, so I

can’t say,’ responded Marilla.

‘Well, did you ever try to IMAGINE you were in

the depths of despair?’

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘Then I don’t think you can understand what

it’s like’ said Anne. ‘It’s a very uncomfortable

feeling indeed.’

from Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

Descriptive detail

adds life to dialogue

Speech tags (e.g.

‘she said’) can be

omitted if speaker’s

identity is clear

Indicating a new speaker

The dialogue in this passage is already punctuated, but the paragraphs have been

combined into one. Indicate where a new paragraph is needed for each new speaker by

inserting a square bracket. The first one has been done as an example. There are four

more.

Being an orphan

‘Boy,’ said the gentleman in the high chair, ‘listen to me. You know you’re an orphan, I

suppose?’ [‘What’s that, sir?’ inquired poor Oliver. ‘The boy is a fool—I thought he was,’

said the gentleman in the white waistcoat. ‘Hush!’ said the gentleman who had spoken

first. ‘You know you’ve got no father or mother, don’t you?’ ‘Yes, sir,’ replied Oliver,

weeping bitterly. ‘What are you crying for?’ inquired the gentleman in the white

waistcoat. And to be sure it was very extraordinary. What could the boy be crying for?

adapted from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 18 Relationships 175

Relating to others

faithful brief absence defiant considerate

cheerful easily arrogant admire circumstance

envious lonely humiliate miserable friendship

value proud respect ignorant conscientious

genuine sudden fortunate cautious dependable

affection sorrow impulsive generous agreeable

Find list words to match the meanings. The first letter is given to help you.

1 a period of being away from a person or thing a

2 to respect or look at with pleasure a

3 a gentle feeling of fondness or liking a

4 to make someone feel ashamed or foolish h

5 rash or hasty i

6 lacking knowledge or awareness i

7 having a deep feeling of satisfaction for oneself or another p

8 wretchedly unhappy m

9 the worth of something or someone v

10 occurring quickly and unexpectedly s

11 a feeling of deep distress s

12 without difficulty or effort e

13 having an exaggerated sense of one’s importance a

14 relating to a person’s conscience c

15 lucky f

16 reliable d

17 happy and optimistic c

18 loyal and truthful f

19 feeling sad because of being alone l

20 an event that causes something to happen c

176

Jumbled list words

Unjumble the following words to give list words.

1 pecters

2 fainted

3 veinous

4 aluve

5 ingenue

6 airmed

7 beareagle

8 raintong

9 greensou

10 steroidacne

11 gnoratra

12 rwoosr

13 bneasec

14 emhitauli

Forming abstract nouns from adjectives

Change each of the following list words into an abstract noun.

1 cautious

2 admire

3 envious

10 proud

11 dependable

12 cheerful

4 generous

5 humiliate

6 considerate

7 defiant

8 ignorant

9 arrogant

A circumstance is an event or fact that causes or helps to cause something to

happen. The prefix circum- means ‘around’. Use the dictionary at the back of the

book to write down the meaning of these words beginning with circum-.

circumnavigate:

circumscribe:

circumference:

circumvent:

circumspect:

circumlocution:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 18 Relationships 177

A family relationship

In the extract from Hitler’s Daughter,

Heidi feels that her father never really

notices her—that she doesn’t exist. She

desperately wants to be closer to him

and help him, but she can’t express her

feelings. These emotions are captured

in the dialogue and in the description of

Heidi’s thoughts.

Write a 200-word story about the relationship between two members of a family or

two close friends. Choose one or two emotions from the list below and build your story

around them. For example, you could explore a jealous rivalry between two brothers, the

loving relationship between a girl and one of her grandparents, or the constant criticism

a parent gives to a child. Make sure that you include dialogue in your story.

• jealous

• trusting

• proud

• hurt

• excited

• loving

• angry

• critical

• triumphant

• frightened

• surprised

• competitive

178

19

Diaries

A diary is a daily record of events in one’s life. The word ‘diary’ comes from the Latin

word dies, which means ‘a day’. This is why each entry is recorded under a daily date.

A typical diary entry is an account of happenings in the diarist’s life, although many

diarists also record their thoughts and feelings about people and events. They often

make no effort to conceal their innermost secrets, since they believe they are writing a

private account of their lives.

Diarists quite often use an abbreviated style of writing. Sentences may be shortened

and words left out, as long as the sense of the diary entry is preserved. A diary usually

has some of the following features.

• Dated entries

• The use of the first person pronoun, ‘I’

• Colloquial language

• A chronological order of events

• The revelation of personal feelings and commentaries.

In 1941, at the age of 17, Sheila Allan became a prisoner of the Japanese. She wrote

her diary on scraps of paper, which were kept hidden in her quarters. She survived

and came to live in Australia, where her diary was published. In this diary entry, she

describes the bombing of a building in Singapore where she and her family were living.

Air raid

19 January 1942 Rex Hotel, Singapore

‘Snatched from the jaws of death’ as it were! That’s

exactly what happened yesterday. All I can say is

that our ticket can’t have been on that bomb—or

else I wouldn’t be writing this down.

Dad was with us—he had decided not to go out

that morning. So, there were Mum, Dad and I just

sitting in our room doing nothing—just waiting,

waiting and waiting …

When the air raids were on, and we had plenty

each day, we went down to the 2nd floor under the

staircase for shelter. From our room we can hear

the warning whistle from the roof spotter on the VHQ before the official wail of the

siren is sounded. The first and second raids came and went. Bombs were exploding

in the distance. There we were, crouched under the staircase, our hearts beating

rapidly and our thoughts running wild—will we come through this one and so on it

goes.

The All Clear whistle from the spotter was heard. We got out from under the

shelter and proceeded upstairs to our room. Of course, the official All Clear hadn’t

sounded yet.

On our way up I heard the droning of the planes (I have already learnt to know

the sound of the bombers) approaching nearer and nearer. There was no warning

whistle but it could have been given and we failed to hear it. Something prompted

me to return to the shelter. I shouted to Dad and Mum to come down. Dad said the

All Clear whistle had gone and he heard no warning signal. I grew frantic and yelled

at them to come down at once. They hesitated, then thought better of it when the

planes drew nearer and the ack-ack guns started firing.

We reached the shelter just in time as the first bomb was dropped. We flung

ourselves flat on the floor and whizz-shiss-ss-ss, crr-crr-rump, crash came the

bombs one after another. I heard the whistling of each of them as they hurtled down

from the sky and waiting for the rest—the explosion—to follow. The building rocked

beneath us. An orange flame from a bursting bomb flashed in a downward streak

as it passed an open window. Screams of human fear and pain penetrated through

the sound of the crashing force of the bombs. Smoke and acrid smell assailed us

through cracked and open windows. There was dust everywhere. Mum had her head

buried in her arms, sobbing. Dad had his arms around her. I, for that split second

closed my eyes and thought ‘this is it!’ The danger had passed—no sounds of

planes or firing. The ‘All Clear’ rang through our fuddled minds as we lay on the floor,

shaken and white-faced. The raid was over and we were alive!

We got up, rather dizzily, dusting ourselves and feeling ourselves all over to

ascertain if any bodily damage had been done. No, we were safe and sound in limb

and body. Mentally and emotionally, I’m not sure. I think I grew old, very old and very

frightened during that short time when I had my face down on the floor!

We made our way through the debris of plaster, splinters, broken furniture and

dead bodies—poor souls, they hadn’t reached the shelter in time. Dust, smoke, foulsmelling

fumes seemed to fill the atmosphere as we choked and gasped for a breath

of fresh air which was non-existent!

It was too much for Mum. She was on the point of collapse as we helped her

upstairs.

When we got to our room which was facing the VHQ we stared into a wreck of

a room. The floor was littered with pieces of armoury, broken wood frames, broken

glass and brickwork. Dad picked several pieces of the metal, turning them over in

his hands. He reckoned that they must have come from the dump of machinery

outside the Headquarters. Our windows and walls were no longer as such and if we

had stayed in the room—well, it would have been ‘Kingdom come’ for us three. Mum

became hysterical at the state of the room and refused to stay another day there,

so off once again we went seeking somewhere else to stay.

180

Dad went across to hand over the metal he had picked up. When he came back

he announced that we’ve had a very lucky escape as there were two bombs lying not

fifty yards away—unexploded! Duds perhaps! Whew! Certainly we weren’t meant to

die—not yesterday anyway!

from Diary of a Girl in Changi by Sheila Allan

1 Why did the diarist describe her experiences as ‘snatched from the jaws of

death?

2 How did the diarist save the lives of her parents?

3 What sounds and words indicate the noise of the bombs?

4 What human sounds were heard during the crashing of the bombs?

5 How did the diarist’s mother react during the bombing of the hotel?

6 What was the condition of their room, when they returned after the bombing?

7 In the final paragraph, the diarist’s

father announced they had a very lucky

escape. What had he discovered?

8 What is the diarist’s purpose in this

diary entry?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 19 Diaries 181

An antonym is a word opposite in meaning to another word. The following pairs of

words are antonyms.

empty—full arrive—depart junior—senior buy—sell entrance—exit

Nouns and their antonyms

Find the words in the list that are opposite in meaning to the abstract nouns below.

bravery cruelty discourtesy hatred betrayal captivity

ugliness despair generosity death presence failure

1 beauty

2 absence

3 freedom

4 loyalty

5 kindness

6 politeness

7 love

8 cowardice

9 birth

10 selfishness

11 success

12 hope

Verbs—synonyms and antonyms

For each verb, identify its synonym and antonym in the right-hand column. Write them

correctly in the spaces provided. The first one has been done as an example.

Verb Synonym Antonym Choices

refuse reject accept accept, reject

elevate

build

hurry

unite

leave

help

conceal

purchase

retreat

allow

diminish

raise, lower

demolish, erect

linger, hasten

separate, join

depart, return

hinder, aid

hide, reveal

buy, sell

advance, withdraw

permit, prohibit

lessen, increase

182

Here is an opportunity to practise using the punctuation marks covered so far. You will

need to use capital letters, full stops, commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, question

marks, exclamation marks, and quotation marks for speech.

Punctuating sentences

Rewrite the following sentences, inserting all the missing punctuation marks.

1 watch out shouted the police officer

2 The new horror film which received some atrocious reviews was surprisingly wellreceived

by the public

3 theyve always wanted to live in the country have a few chickens grow their own

vegetables and enjoy nature

4 it was a beautiful boat trip said Grace but I was disappointed to see so much fastfood

packaging floating in the water

5 follow these steps before you board your flight print your boarding pass check in your

luggage go through security and find your gate lounge

6 our neighbours have installed solar panels on their roof said Pierre do you think we

should consider it too

7 some people like to travel overseas others prefer to holiday in Australia

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 19 Diaries 183

War

soldiers military defeat casualty campaigns

terror conquer triumph supreme evacuate

seize secure assault invader surrender

civilian violent artillery afraid infantry

advance coward perilous retreat cavalry

hostage captain battle admiral sergeant

People in wartime

Insert list words to match the meanings below. The first letter is given to help you.

1 a commander of a fleet or naval squadron a

2 soldiers in the past who fought on horseback c

3 a person who lacks courage c

4 a person seized or held as a security for ransom h

5 soldiers who fight on foot i

6 a person killed or injured in a war c

7 a person not in the armed force or police force c

8 a person who enters a country by force i

9 a person in command of a ship or aircraft c

10 an army officer who ranks next above a corporal s

Complete the following description by inserting words from the word list. The first

letters are given to help you.

Capturing the city

The s commander ordered the infantry to a to capture the

enemy city. During the ensuing b the a commenced firing

from a nearby hill. This caused t among the c population, who

were a they would be killed. It was a p situation for them and

in their attempt to e the city they suffered a high c rate.

After a v a , the invading s were able to

184

control of the city. The besieged troops had suffered a great d

and began to r

to the nearby mountains. It was a m

t for the victors, even though the enemy did not s .

Complete the sentences by using the correct form of the words in brackets.

1 There were many (casualty) during the

(evacuate) of the city.

2 The (triumph) general had (defeat) a superior

enemy.

3 The troops were (advance) and had (seize) the

airfield.

4 The (conquer) of the country released three

(hostage).

5 When (violent) broke out, the (secure) of the

area was threatened.

6 A group of (terror) had gained (supreme) and

wanted to overthrow the government.

7 The (coward) retreat of the army left the city in great

(perilous).

8 After fighting several (battle), the soldiers are

(retreat) towards the river.

A captain is a person who is the leader or who is in authority over others. The word

‘captain’ is derived from the Latin word caput/capitis, which means ‘head’. Here are

some other important English words related to caput. Use the dictionary at the back

of the book to write their meanings.

caption:

captaincy:

capitulate:

per capita:

capital:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 19 Diaries 185

Keeping a diary

A diary or journal gives you the opportunity

to write down the thoughts, ideas and

feelings you have about any matter or

event of importance to you. Try writing

two diary entries of your own in the space

below. For each day you choose, write

down what happens to you, your family

and your friends and record your feelings.

You might also include descriptions of the people you meet, the films you see, or perhaps

a quotation from an interesting book you are reading.

Don’t forget that you’ll often need to use the pronoun ‘I’ because you are keeping a

personal record. Make sure you also record the date.

186

20

Survival

Survival stories are inspiring tales about people who overcome the odds by confronting

forces that threaten their very existence. They may survive a dangerous journey, a war, a

terrible accident or a natural disaster. Survival stories, both real-life and fictional, are not

just about physical obstacles but also about emotional struggles.

The theme of survival has been explored in literature throughout history. One of

the most famous novels is Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Published in 1719, it tells

the story of a man who becomes shipwrecked and must learn to survive alone on an

island. Modern novels that explore the theme of survival include The Hunger Games by

Suzanne Collins and Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden.

Key features of survival stories include the following.

• Detailed explanations of how the character survives physically—finding food,

building a shelter and avoiding danger

• An exploration of qualities essential for survival such as courage, determination and

the ability to solve problems

• The journey towards self-discovery—lessons learnt along the way and how these

change the character

• Details of the setting to indicate the extent of the problems that must be overcome

• Powerful and descriptive language choices in key action scenes.

Read the extract from Hatchet, a story of survival, by Gary Paulsen.

Survival in the wilderness

Mistakes.

Small mistakes could turn into

disasters, funny little mistakes could

snowball so that while you were still

smiling at the humour you could find

yourself looking at death. In the city if he

made a mistake usually there was a way to

rectify it, make it all right. If he fell on his

bike and sprained a leg he could wait for it

to heal; if he forgot something at the shop

he could find other food in the refrigerator.

Now it was different, and all so quick,

all so incredibly quick. If he sprained a leg

here he might starve before he could get

around again; if he missed while he was

hunting or if the fish moved away he might

starve. If he got sick, really sick so he

couldn’t move, he might starve.

Early in the new time he had learned

the most important thing, the truly vital

knowledge that drives all creatures in

the forest—food is all. Food was simply

everything. All things in the woods, from

insects to fish to bears, were always,

always looking for food—it was the great,

single driving influence in nature. To eat.

All must eat.

But the way he learned it almost killed

him. His second new night, stomach full

of fish and the fire smouldering in the

shelter, he had been sound asleep when

something—he thought later it might be

smell—had woken him.

Near the fire, completely unafraid of

the smoking logs, completely unafraid of

Brian, a skunk was digging where he had

buried the eggs. There was some sliver

of a moon and in the faint-pearl light he

could see the bushy tail, the white stripes

down the back, and he had nearly smiled.

He didn’t know how the skunk had found

the eggs, some smell, perhaps some tiny

fragment of shell had left a smell, but it

looked almost cute, its little head down

and its little tail up as it dug and dug,

kicking the sand back.

But those were his eggs, not the

skunk’s, and the half smile had been

quickly replaced with fear that he would

lose his food and he had grabbed a

handful of sand and thrown it at the

skunk.

‘Get out of here …’

He was going to say more, some silly

human words, but in less than half a

second that skunk had snapped its rear

end up, curved the tail over, and sprayed

Brian with a direct shot aimed at his head

from less than four feet away.

In the tiny confines of the shelter

the effect was devastating. The thick

sulphurous rotten odour filled the small

room, heavy, ugly and stinking. The

corrosive spray that hit his face seared into

his lungs and eyes, blinding him.

He screamed and threw himself

sideways, taking the entire wall off the

shelter; screamed and clawed out of the

shelter and fell-ran to the shore of the lake.

Stumbling and tripping, he scrambled into

the water and slammed his head back and

forth trying to wash his eyes, slashing the

water to clear his eyes.

A hundred funny cartoons he had

seen about skunks. Cute cartoons about

the smell of skunks, cartoons to laugh at

and joke about, but when the spray hit

there was nothing funny about it—he was

completely blind for almost two hours.

A lifetime. He thought that he might be

permanently blind, or at least impaired—

and that would have been the end. As it

was, the pain in his eyes lasted for days,

bothered him after that for two weeks.

The smell in the shelter, in his clothes, and

in his hair was still there now, almost a

month and a half later.

And he had nearly smiled.

Food had to be protected. While he

was in the lake trying to clear his eyes the

skunk went ahead and dug up the rest of

the turtle eggs and ate every one. Licked

all the shells clean and couldn’t have cared

less that Brian was thrashing around in

the water like a dying carp. The skunk had

found food and was taking it and Brian

was paying for a lesson.

Protect food and have a good shelter.

Not just a shelter to keep the wind and

rain out, but a shelter to protect, a shelter

to make him safe. The day after the skunk

he set about making a good place to live.

from Hatchet by Gary Paulson

188

1 ‘Mistakes.’ In what way was Brian’s life in the wilderness different from his life in

the city?

2 What ‘vital knowledge’ did Brian learn about all creatures in the forest?

3 Which words indicate to the reader that Brian was about to learn a harsh lesson

about the importance of food in the wild?

4 Why did the skunk enter Brian’s shelter?

5 How did Brian react when he first saw the skunk? Why?

6 In what way did Brian underestimate the skunk?

7 What devastating physical effects did the skunk’s spray have on Brian?

8 In the paragraph that describes Brian rushing to the lake to wash his eyes, find five

powerful action words beginning with the letter s.

9 What would have happened if Brian had been permanently blinded by the skunk’s

spray?

10 What was the skunk’s attitude towards the food and towards Brian?

11 What lesson about survival did Brian learn from this incident?

12 What do you learn about Brian’s character in this extract?

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 20 Survival 189

In English, there are many words that change their endings and their forms to create

different parts of speech. For example, look at the word ‘study’.

study student studious studiously studies studied studying

Forming nouns

Form nouns from the verbs in brackets. The first example has been done for you.

1 a victory celebration (celebrate)

2 heat (expose)

3 a guest (appear)

4 a joy (fly)

5 rust (corrode)

6 garbage (dispose)

7 plant (grow)

8 a home (invade)

9 Greek (civilise)

10 family (grieve)

11 skin (irritate)

12 general (know)

13 a volcanic (erupt)

14 a sports (injure)

Change the words in brackets to verbs to complete the sentences. The first one has

been done to help you.

1 The film horrified the audience. (horror)

6 The poet has the beautiful scene. (description)

2 The farmer has the fields. (fertile)

3 The prisoner has guilt. (admission)

4 The students are the rules. (obedience)

5 Do you to go? (intentional)

7 The two cars had with each other. (collision)

8 Do you that she took the ring? (suspicion)

9 The journalist has the government. (criticism)

10 I need to my parents. (persuasion)

11 The maths teacher the equation. (simple)

12 I do not the decision is fair. (thought)

13 The swimmer in winning the race. (success)

190

More revision

Complete the following revision exercises.

Defining punctuation marks

Write the name of the correct punctuation mark next to its clue below.

comma exclamation mark apostrophe brackets

full stop question mark colon quotation mark

I am used for: I am a:

1 direct questions

2 possession and contractions

3 indicating a short pause

4 enclosing spoken words

5 ending a statement

6 emphasising strong emotion

7 introducing a list of items

8 enclosing extra information

Punctuating a passage

The punctuation is missing from this passage. Rewrite it in the space provided,

inserting the necessary punctuation marks and starting a new line for each new

speaker.

Caught in a storm

as soon as i left for work the sky darkened and a fierce storm rolled in i was utterly

drenched by the time i reached the station i could see my next-door neighbour joe

reading the news on his phone good morning joe i said cheerfully he glanced up at

me and said havent you heard the bad news the line is flooded and the trains cant

get through

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 20 Survival 191

accident grief search urgent dangerous

worry chaotic protect horrify destruction

anxiety prevent courage endure exhausted

damage effort collapse choice wreckage

difficulty panic progress ordeal volunteer

Find a list word that matches the meaning of each phrase. Use the first-letter clue to

1 deep sorrow, heartache g

2 to fall down; to cave in c

3 bravery; fearlessness c

4 to shock greatly; to scare h

5 uncontrollable fear; agitation p

6 an unfortunate incident; a misadventure a

7 to suffer patiently; to cope with e

8 extremely tired; worn out e

9 nervousness; unease a

10 forward movement; advancement p

11 to seek or look for s

12 someone who works without getting paid to do it v

13 remains after destruction w

14 to keep safe from harm p

15 requiring immediate action u

16 a very unpleasant and prolonged experience o

17 to keep something from happening p

18 to feel uneasy or concerned about something; to be troubled w

19 likely to cause harm d

20 a vigorous or determined attempt e

192

Complete the list words by choosing the appropriate endings.

-ic -ous -ify -ion -ess -apse -eer -al -age -ent -ed -ure

1 accid

2 coll

3 volunt

4 end

5 orde

6 dam

7 destruct

8 danger

9 chaot

10 progr

11 exhaust

12 horr

Complete the following phrases by adding list words. Use the first letter as your clue.

1 freedom of c

2 a terrifying o

3 a stock market c

4 a plane w

5 with great d

6 doing v work

7 a p attack

8 g counselling

9 a c world

10 an u message

11 a skiing a

12 e marathon runners

13 d driving

14 making steady p

The word ‘exhausted’ means ‘tired out’. If someone is exhausted, their energy has

been drawn out of them. The Latin prefix ex- means ‘out of’. There are many words

in English beginning with the prefix ex-. Use the dictionary at the back of the book to

write the meanings of these words beginning with ex-.

exclude:

excavate:

expel:

excel:

exhale:

extol:

excerpt:

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 20 Survival 193

Setting the scene for survival

The setting is very important in a survival

story as it conveys the extent of the

obstacles faced by the characters. Your

main character is a teenage boy or

girl your own age. Your task is to place

your character in one of the settings

listed below and write the opening three

paragraphs of a survival story.

Remember that your main focus is on

the setting so you will need to describe

it in considerable detail. Is it raining? Is it

unbearably hot? What is the vegetation

like? Are there any animals, fish or insects? What sounds can you hear? What smells

are around you? Think about the overall atmosphere or mood as you build up the detail

of your setting.

• A scorching desert

• A war-torn city

• Deep underwater caves

• A treacherous mountainside

• An African game park

• At sea in a wild storm

194

Acknowledgements

The authors and publisher are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:

PHOTOGRAPHS

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RF, 20, /United Archives/IFTN Cinema Collection, 40; Dreamstime/Moori, 55; Gettyimages/Per-Anders

Pettersson, 81, /Eco Images, 83; iStockphoto/AleksandarNakic, 85, /AVTG, 5, /Baloncici, 18,

/bowdenimages, 60, /ChuckShugPhotography, 23, /claudiobaba, 106, /cookelma, 138, /CSA-Images, 121,

/cwa-studios, 113, /danielle71, 104, /Elnur, 117, /ferrantraite, 57, /filadenderon, 10, /ishoot63, 108,

/lisegagne, 168, /liveslow, 42, /MCCAIG, 45, /Paul Morton, 14, /mtreasure, 80, /mycola, 190,

/narvikk, 116, /Eugene Onischenko, 28, /ozgurdonmaz, 51, /pixelprof, 97, /RapidEye, 46, /ruthrose,

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Kobal/Regency Enterprises/The Kobal Collection, 73, /Video Vision Entertainment/Distant Horizon/

NewsLtd, 61; Shutterstock/Olha Afanasieva, 157, /auremar, 63, /BestPhotoStudio, 146, /BeyondImages,

130, /bikeriderlondon, 178, /Blend Images, 176, /Natalia Bratslavsky, 161, /Dan Breckwoldt, 41,

/Alex Brylov, 128, /Hung Chung Chih, 8, /chrisdorney, 184, /Neale Cousland, 70, /Erhan Dayi, 48,

/Ditty_about_summer, 18, /diversepixel, 140, /Andreja Donko, 181, /Robert Eastman, 21, /Ekkachai, 12,

/funkyfrogstock, 108, /GWImages, 120, /Tero Hakala, 194, /holbox, 76, /JIANG HONGYAN, 66, /Robert-

Horvat, 118, /hxdbzxy, 192, /Andrea Izzotti, 12, /JAZZDOG, 37, /JennaWagner, 185, /Stuart Jenner, 98,

/Jitinatt Jufask, 75, /Iakov Kalinin, 126, /Karramba Production, 68, /Heiko Kiera, 188, D Kucharski K

Kucharska, 93, /leungchopan, 20, /Torsten Lorenz, 173, /LuckyImages, 38, /Kamil Macniak, 160,

/Maridav, 11, /Maxisport, 156, /miwa-in-oz, 125, /mmac72, 26, /Christian Mueller, 158, /nednapa, 92,

/Ozphotoguy, 88, /Ociacia, 138, /paintings, 140, /paparazzit, 112, /violeta pasat, 151, /Patrick Poendl,

78, /Poznyakov, 177, /Dmytro Pylypenko, 58, /riekephotos, 187, /Michael Rosskothen, 140, /Scott

Rothstein, 100, /Rtimages, 90, /Jorge Salcedo, 132, /sculpies, 31, /Fedor Selivanov, 50, /Sergei Simonov,

6, /stevecoleimages, 148, /Yurkovska Tanya, 111, /Keith Tarrier, 140, /Stefano Tinti, 20, /travellight, 183,

/Nils Versemann, 144, /waldru, 136, /Gubin Yury, 16.

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‘Animal Welfare league pleads with families to carefully consider any decision to buy pets as Christmas

gifts’ by Sophie Perro, The Adelaide Advertiser, 13 December 2013. This work has been licensed by

work without the permission of the copyright owner of CAL, 61–2; Romeo and Juliet: The Graphic Novel

Photos CD-ROM, 161; Extract from Trash by Andy Mulligan, published by David Fickling Books, 2011,

83–4; Poster ‘The girl he left behind is still behind him’, Granger NYC, 4; Hitler’s Daughter by Jackie

French, Harper Collins Australia, 1999, 171–2; Cover of Hitler’s Daughter by Jackie French, Harper

Collins Australia, 1999, 171; ‘Listen up, everybody’ by Aleks Devic, The Herald Sun, 28 July 2014. This

work has been licensed by Copyright Agency Limited (CAL). Except as permitted by the Copyright Act,

you must not re-use this work without the permission of the copyright owner of CAL, 101; Extract from

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, Little Brown and Company, 1995, 71–2; Cartoon Kids Today

Lynch/Cartoons-a-plenty.com, reproduced with permission, 91; Extract from The Day of the Triffids by

John Wyndham reprinted by permission of Pollinger Limited (www.pollingerltd.com) on behalf of the

Estate of John Wyndham. Reproduced with permission of David Higham, 131–2; Extract from February

Dragon by Colin Thiele, New Holland Publishers, 1976, 141–2; Brochure reproduced by permission

of the NSW Rural Fire Service, 143; Cover of The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, 2005, reproduced by

permission of Pan Macmillan Australia, 103; Extract from The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths,

Pan Macmillan Australia, 2011, 7; Fudge by Michael Dugan, Penguin, 1991, 151–4; Cover of Diary of a

Girl in Changi 1941–1945 by Sheila Allan, Rosenberg Publishing, 1994, 181; Cartoon Daddy, where does

air come from? © Phil Somerville, reproduced by permission, 94; Advertisement courtesy of Spirit of

Tasmania, 13; Cover of Cannily, Cannily by Simon French, 2012, reproduced by permission of Walker

Books Australia, 51; Extract from Cannily, Cannily by Simon French, 2012, reproduced by permission of

Source: www.worldvision.com.au, 64.

The authors and publisher would like to acknowledge the following:

Extract from Parvana by Deborah Ellis, Allen & Unwin, 2002, 81–2; Extract from ‘The Asian disease’ by

Simone Lazaroo from Growing up Asian in Australia, edited by Alice Pung, Black Inc, 2008, 3; Extract

from My Place by Sally Morgan, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 80; Extract from The Legend of Ulysses

by Roy F Brown, The Hamlyn Publishing Group, Golden Pleasure Books, 1965, 121–3; Extract from

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, Alfred A Knopf, 1990, 135; Extract from Hatchet by Gary Paulson,

Macmillan Children’s Books, 1987, 187–8; Extract from Brahminy by Colin Thiele, W McVitty Books,

1995, 75; Cover of Born to Run: My Story by Cathy Freeman, Puffin Books Australia, 2007, 1; Extract

from Born to Run: My Story by Cathy Freeman, Puffin Books Australia, 2007, 1–2; Extract from Hating

Alison Ashley by Robin Klein, Puffin Books, 1984, 75; Extract from Diary of a Girl in Changi 1941–1945

by Sheila Allan, Rosenberg Publishing, 1994, 180–1; Extract from Don’t call me Ishmael! by Michael

Gerard Bauer, Scholastic, 2006, 92–3; ‘Chips’ by Stanley Cook, Woods beyond a cornfield, Smith/

Doorstop Books, 1979, 113; Extract from The Outsiders by SE Hinton, Viking Press/Dell Publishing,

1967, 53–4.

While every care has been taken to trace and acknowledge copyright, the publisher tenders their

apologies for any accidental infringement where copyright has proved untraceable. They would be

pleased to come to a suitable arrangement with the rightful owner in each case.

196 Acknowledgements ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

Dictionary

abdicate verb to renounce a throne; to give up a right

abduct verb to lead away by force

abject

adjective miserable and hopeless; degraded

abnormal adjective different from what is normal

abolish verb to do away with; to destroy completely

abrasion noun rubbing or scraping away

abrupt adjective sudden and unexpected

abseil

verb to descend a very steep slope by holding onto a rope

absolve verb to free from blame; to exonerate

à la carte adjective/adverb according to the menu

anguish noun severe mental or physical pain or suffering

anthropology noun the study of the development of humans

anti-democratic adjective opposed to the principles of democracy

archaeology noun the scientific study of human remains and artefacts

arduous adjective requiring great exertion; laborious

autobahn noun a German, Swiss or Austrian expressway

autocrat noun a ruler who has absolute power

autograph noun a person’s signature

automatic adjective self-acting; moving or acting on its own

autonomous adjective having one’s own laws; self-governing

autopilot noun an automatic steering device in an aircraft

autopsy noun an examination of a dead body to determine cause of death

balsam noun a pleasant-smelling liquid resin used in medical preparations

bizarre adjective very strange or unusual

bon appétit interjection good appetite; enjoy your meal

café au lait noun coffee with milk

camphor noun a white crystalline substance with an aromatic smell

candid

adjective truthful and straightforward; frank

capital noun a city that is the seat of government; wealth in the form of money

capitulate verb to surrender or give up

captaincy noun the position of captain of a team

caption noun a heading or short explanation that accompanies an illustration or

photo

catacomb noun an underground burial place; a series of underground tunnels

or caves

catalogue noun a list of items written down alphabetically

catalyst noun something that causes or accelerates a change

catapult noun an apparatus for hurling stones

cataract noun a large waterfall; a clouding of the lens of the eye

circumference noun the distance around the edge of a circle

circumlocution noun a roundabout or indirect way of speaking

circumnavigate verb to sail or fly around something completely

circumscribe verb to draw a line around; to encircle

circumspect adjective wary and unwilling to take risks

circumvent

compute

concede

condominium

confiscate

conspicuous

contraband

corruption

dejected

democrat

demography

deputy

dermatology

desolate

devious

disputable

disreputable

disrupt

divulge

doff

dominant

domineer

domineering

dominion

dubious

duet

duplex

duplicity

duopoly

eject

endemic

epidemic

eradicate

erupt

excavate

excel

excerpt

exclude

exhale

exorbitant

expedite

expel

extol

exultant

feign

filet mignon

futile

verb to find a way around (an obstacle); to avoid

verb to reckon or calculate (a figure or amount)

verb to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; to admit

noun a building containing individually owned apartments

verb to take or seize someone’s property with authority

adjective very noticeable

noun goods that have been brought in illegally

noun behaviour that is dishonest, illegal or immoral

adjective sad and depressed; cast-down

noun a person who believes in democracy

noun the study of populations, births, deaths, etc.

noun a person appointed to act as a substitute for another

noun medical science dealing with diseases of the skin

adjective empty and without people; bleak

adjective deceitful; underhand

adjective open to question and debate

adjective having a bad reputation: not respectable

verb to throw into disorder

verb to disclose or reveal

verb to remove (an item of clothing such as a hat)

adjective ruling, governing or controlling

verb to assert one’s will over another in an arrogant way

adjective tyrannical or arrogant

noun the power to have control over a country or people

adjective hesitating or doubting; undecided between two things

noun a performance by two singers, instrumentalists or dancers

noun a residential building divided into two apartments

noun deception; double dealing

noun a situation where two suppliers dominate the market

verb to force out

adjective (of a disease) prevalent in a district or people

noun the widespread occurrence of a disease

verb to remove or destroy utterly

verb to burst forth

verb to hollow out; to make a hole in

verb to surpass or outdo others

adjective a passage or segment taken from a longer work

verb to prevent from entering; to keep out

verb to breathe out

adjective very high or unreasonable

verb to speed up the progress of; to hasten

verb to force or drive out

verb to praise enthusiastically

adjective triumphantly happy

verb to pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state or injury)

noun a small boneless steak cut from the inside of the loin

adjective incapable of producing any useful result

198

Dictionary ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8

gramarye

harass

harpy

hinterland

holocaust

impartial

impede

impetuous

incandescent

inject

interject

k

kaput

kindergarten

l

lucid

m

marina

marinate

mariner

maritime

meteorology

neurology

novice

p

pathology

pedestal

pedicure

pedigree

pensive

per capita

pharmacology

plausible

pompous

poltergeist

precedent

precocious

predecessor

predominant

prelude

pretext

prevail

proceed

proclaim

noun magic; occult learning

verb to pester, annoy; to trouble with repeated attacks

noun an evil creature, part woman and part bird

noun the remote or less-developed part of a country

noun any great destruction or loss of life

adjective free from bias, prejudice or favouritism

verb to restrict or retard action or progress

adjective acting in a hasty manner and without thinking

adjective white or glowing because of great heat

verb to administer a drug or medicine with a syringe

verb to interrupt with a comment while someone is speaking

adjective broken and useless; no longer working or effective

noun a school or class for very young children

adjective clear or easily understood

noun a specially designed harbour for pleasure yachts and small boats

verb to soak meat, fish or other food in a marinade or sauce

noun a sailor; a seaman

adjective related to navigation or shipping at sea

noun the study of the atmosphere and the weather

noun the study of the nervous system

noun a beginner

noun the study of disease

noun a base supporting a column or statue

noun cosmetic care of the feet and toenails

noun a list of ancestors; a line of descent

adjective engaged in deep or serious thought

adverb/adjective per head of population

noun the study of drugs

adjective seeming reasonable or probable

adjective puffed up with vanity

noun a ghost that makes loud noises and causes objects to move

noun something similar that happened before

adjective forward in development

noun one who preceded another in office

adjective having superior strength, influence or authority

noun a musical or dramatic introduction

noun a false reason or purpose given

verb to triumph or succeed

verb to go forward; to advance

verb to announce officially or publicly

ISBN 978 1 4586 5049 8 Dictionary 199

proficient

projectile

proliferate

prominent

prosecute

psychology

q

quadruped

reputable

rupture

sauerkraut

secluded

seismology

soliloquy

solitary

solitude

solo

sorbet

soupe du jour

submarine

theology

tranquil

turbulent

v

verbose

violation

w

wanderlust

writhing

wunderkind

z

zoology

adjective competent or skilled in doing or using something

noun a missile designed to be fired from a gun; an object set in motion

by an exterior force

verb to increase rapidly in number; to multiply

adjective standing out so as to be seen easily

verb to take legal action against

noun the study of the mind and its functions

noun an animal, especially a mammal, having four feet

adjective honourable; having a good reputation

noun a break, split or fracture

noun a German dish of chopped pickled cabbage

adjective hidden from view; removed or remote from others

noun the study of earthquakes and their phenomena

noun a speech by a character alone who is revealing innermost

thoughts

adjective alone; existing, living or going without others

noun the state of being alone or remote from others

noun a thing done by one person alone; adj/adv unaccompanied

noun a frozen sweet dessert made from fruit juice

noun soup of the day

noun a vessel that can be submerged and navigated under water

noun the study of religions and God

adjective free from disturbance; calm

adjective violently disturbed or confused

adjective using or having too many unnecessary words

noun the act of breaking or failing to comply with (a rule or law)

noun an impulse or longing to wander or travel

adjective making twisting, squirming movements

noun a child prodigy

noun the scientific study of animals

200

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English Journey Paperback – Import, January 1, 1977

Print length 400 pages
Language English
Publisher Penguin
Publication date January 1, 1977
Dimensions 1 x 1 x 1 inches
ISBN-10 0140042741
ISBN-13 978-0140042740
See all details

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin; New Ed edition (January 1, 1977)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140042741
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140042740
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1 x 1 x 1 inches
#8,018 in Travel Writing Reference
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Mathematics

Social science, journey to the sunderbans - new images next - class 8 - english.

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Back Exercises
Back Questions
Journey to the Sundarbans
Vocabulary - Flashcards
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About the Author
Important Lines

Back Exercises - Journey to the Sunderbans | New Images Next | Literature | English | Class 8

Add suitable prefixes or suffixes to the words in brackets to complete these sentences. 1. you don’t believe in that superstitious ____________, do you (sense) 2. it was ____________ of him to plan the holiday after applying for leaves. (thought) 3. many deaths from heart disease are actually ____________. (avoid) 4. i had been waiting for an hour, and i was getting ____________. (patient) 5. mohan said in anger, ‘the system is corrupt and ____________.’ (just) 6. i was surprised by amit’s ____________ for the examination. (prepare) .

You don't believe in that superstitious nonsense , do you? (Senseless)
It was thoughtless of him to plan the holiday after applying for leaves. (Thoughtlessness)
Many deaths from heart disease are actually avoidable . (Avoidance)
I had been waiting for an hour, and I was getting impatient . (Impatience)
Mohan said in anger, 'The system is corrupt and unjust .' (Injustice)
I was surprised by Amit's unpreparedness for the examination. (Unpreparedness)

Fill in the blanks using noun or adjective clauses of your choice. 1. Did you go to the school ______________________________? 2. I know the person ____________________________________. 3. My cat, __________________________________, is white and furry. 4. __________________________________ is a genius. 5. You should know __________________________________. 6. ________________________________________ wins the 10-metre race. 7. You may choose _________________________________.

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Complete these sentence using adverb clauses of your choice. 1. The women danced in the streets _________________________________. 2. We will go to the beach _________________________________. 3. You can put the suitcase _________________________________. 4. _________________________________, you will be invited to the party. 5. He was so happy _________________________________. 6. _________________________________, I went to a doctor. 7. Monika scrubbed the bathtub _________________________________.

Back Questions - Journey to the Sunderbans | New Images Next | Literature | English | Class 8

Choose the correct options to answer these questions. put a tick () mark. 1. what does ‘sunderban’ literally mean a. lush meadows b. lovely woods c. dreary deserts d. beautiful forest 2. the tides reach inland as far as ____________. a. 100 miles b. 200 miles c. 300 miles d. 400 miles 3. amitav ghosh is a ____________. a. novelist b. historian c. explorer d. tv host 4. what was ratul saha’s role in the journey to the sundarbans a. interviewer b. guide c. editor d. host .

d. beautiful forest
b. 200 miles
a. novelist

What are the Sundarbans? Where are they located?

Who wrote the book, The Hungry Tide? What does the book say about the Sundarbans?

What does the podcast say about the Bengal Tiger?

What other creatures are found in the Sunderbans? Describe them in brief.

Climate change has already started to dramatically reshape some parts of the earth. a. Who is the speaker here? b. What place are they visiting when these words are said? c. How is climate change affecting the shapes of some parts of the earth? Explain.

To get to the Sundarbans, you leave form the big city.... a. Which ‘big city’ is being talked from the big city... b. How long does it take to reach the Sundarbans from this ‘big city’? c. What modes of transport does one use to get there?

‘There is no prettiness here to invite the stranger in.’ Why do you think the novelist Amitav Ghosh writes this in his book? Explain the sentence with instances from the podcast.

The Bengal tiger of the Sundarbans is now an endangered species. What do you think the government and World Wildlife Fund are doing to protect them from getting extinct?

Journey to the Sundarbans - Journey to the Sunderbans | New Images Next | Class 8 Literature | English

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About the Author - Journey to the Sunderbans | New Images Next | Class 8 Literature | English

Audie Cornish is an accomplished American journalist known for her work with National Public Radio (NPR) and CNN. She was born on October 9, 1979, in Randolph, Massachusetts, to Jamaican parents. She attended the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where she obtained her journalism degree and interned with NPR. She has reported for various organizations, including the NPR station WBUR, the Associated Press in Boston, and NPR on Capitol Hill issues and 10 southern states. She has also won awards for her journalistic work, such as the 2005 first prize in the National Awards for Education Writing.

Cornish was a co-host of NPR's "All Things Considered" and replaced Liane Hansen on NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday" in 2011. She took maternity leave from NPR in 2017, during which she published occasional interviews in The New York Times Magazine. She resigned from NPR in January 2022 as part of what has been termed "The Great Resignation". After leaving NPR, she joined CNN+ to host a weekly show and also started hosting a weekly podcast called "The Assignment with Audie Cornish", which won the "Best Interview Podcast" award at the 2023 Ambies. In her personal life, she is married to author Theo Emery, and they have two children.

Summary - Journey to the Sunderbans | New Images Next | Class 8 Literature | English

The chapter explores the Sundarbans, which is the world's largest mangrove forest, located in the eastern corner of India. The Sundarbans is a patchwork of islands, some as small as sandbars, others miles long, and it is home to a variety of wildlife, including the Bengal tiger, Irrawaddy dolphin, water crocodiles, cobras, and monitor lizards. The ecosystem of ...........................

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Themes - journey to the sunderbans | new images next | class 8 literature | english.

The Sundarbans Ecosystem and Wildlife The Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest and a unique ecosystem, home to a variety of wildlife, including the Bengal tiger, Irrawaddy dolphin, water crocodiles, cobras, and monitor lizards. The chapter discusses the geography of the Sundarbans, its patchwork of islands, and the local beliefs and superstitions about wildlife. The guests share.....

Plot - Journey to the Sunderbans | New Images Next | Class 8 Literature | English

Explanation of the Sundarbans and its significance as the world's largest mangrove forest.
Introduction of the hosts, Ari Shapiro and Audie Cornish, with a brief insight into the journey they plan to take listeners on.
Description....

Important Lines - Journey to the Sunderbans | New Images Next | Class 8 Literature | English

"Sundarbans literally means ‘beautiful forests’, but as the novelist Amitva Ghosh writes, ‘There is no prettiness here to invite the stranger in.’"

This line is important because it highlights the contradiction between the name of the Sundarbans and the actual conditions of the forest. It draws attention to the fact that the Sundarbans is a harsh, unforgiving environment that is challenging for both human and animal life.

"Climate change has already started to dramatically reshape some parts of the Earth."

This line is important because it sets the stage for the rest of the chapter. It acknowledges the fact that climate change is a global problem ....

Vocabulary - Journey to the Sunderbans | New Images Next | Class 8 Literature | English

Backlash—slightly salty Sentences:- The soup has a subtle backlash of spices.
Lodged—(here) stayed Sentences:- We lodged at a cozy cottage near the woods.
Archipelago—an extensive group of islands Sentences:- Indonesia is an.....................................

English Journey 6 Student's Book

English Journey is an exciting and complete ten-level English course especially researched and written to appeal to young learners and teenagers alike. Its carefully constructed syllabus gradually and effectively takes your students from Pre-A1 (Beginner) to C2 level (Proficiency) in the CEFR. Each level is of a manageable length and can be completed in one academic year. A strong skills syllabus runs through the course which actively improves students’ performance in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Vocabulary is presented in context in theme-related word sets and there is also a focus on collocations, phrasal verbs and prepositions. Key features of English Journey 6 Student’s Book • 10 theme-related units, each containing carefully developed tasks designed to develop students’ reading, writing, listening and speaking skills • 10 Reload sections, one at the end of each unit, to reinforce vocabulary and grammar presented • 5 Progress Reviews, one after every two units, to consolidate the vocabulary and grammar • a Grammar Reference to support the grammar theory presented in each unit • a Writing Bank and a Speaking Bank to support students’ productive skills An interactive version of English Journey 6 Student’s Book, including the audio necessary for the listening activities, can be found on the English Journey 6 Interactive Whiteboard Software.

English Journey 6 Workbook

English Journey 6 Workbook accompanies English Journey 6 Student’s Book. It practises and consolidates the skills, vocabulary and grammar taught in the Student’s Book. The structure of the Workbook unit reflects that of the units in the Student’s Book, providing a valuable tool which allows students to follow up lessonby- lesson on the Student’s Book content. Its clear and simple format means that it can be used by students at home as well as in class. English Journey 6 Workbook contains • 10 theme-related units, containing Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening and Writing sections. The vocabulary and grammar taught in each unit of the Student’s Book is further practised in exam-style tasks in the Use-Your-English sections of each unit. • 5 Progress Reviews, providing further consolidation of the vocabulary and grammar. An interactive version of English Journey 6 Workbook, including the audio necessary for the listening activities, can be found on the English Journey 6 Interactive Whiteboard Software.

IMAGES

Level: B1+
English Journey Level 1
‎English Journey by Vuive en App Store
English Journey 8 Workbook Sample
English Learning Journey
English Journey

VIDEO

Английский язык
English Journey Institute
My English journey
Урок №8 Английский для начинающих
Saijaku Tamer
Year 8 English

COMMENTS

English Journey 8
Key features of English Journey 8 Student's Book. • 12 theme-related units, each containing carefully developed tasks designed to develop students' reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. • 12 Reload sections, one at the end of each unit, to reinforce vocabulary and grammar presented. • 6 Progress Reviews, one after every two ...
Level: B1+
English Journey 8 Workbook accompanies English Journey 8 Student's Book. It practises and consolidates the skills, vocabulary and grammar taught in the Student's Book. The structure of the Workbook unit reflects that of the units in the Student's Book, providing a valuable tool which allows students to follow up lesson-by-lesson on the ...
English Journey By J B Priestley
Addeddate 2020-12-03 09:46:49 Identifier english-journey-by-j-b-priestley Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t78t4gx0w Ocr tesseract 4.1.1 Ocr_detected_lang en
English Journey 8 Student's Book Sample
Key features of English Journey 8 Student's Book • 12 theme-related units, each containing carefully developed tasks designed to develop students' reading, writing, listening and speaking skills • 1 2 Reload sections, one at the end of each unit, to reinforce vocabulary and grammar presented • 6 Progress Reviews, one after every two ...
English Journey 8 Workbook Sample
English Journey 8 Workbook contains • 12 theme-related units, containing Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening and Writing sections. The vocabulary and grammar taught in each unit of the Student's Book is further practised in exam-style tasks in the Use-Your-English sections of each unit. • 6 Progress Reviews, providing further ...
English Journey
English Journey. English Journey is an account by J. B. Priestley of his travels in England which was published in 1934. Commissioned by publisher Victor Gollancz to write a study of contemporary England, Priestley recounts his travels around England in 1933. He shares his observations on the social problems he witnesses and appeals for ...
English Journey by J.B. Priestley
English Journey expresses Priestley's deep love of his native country and teaches us much about the human condition and the nature of Englishness. A fully illustrated special anniversary edition was published by William Heinemann in 1984, and in 1997 came the Folio edition which was a version of the 1984 edition with minor emendations. ...
The English Journey
The English Journey (TEJ) is a comprehensive platform to learn and improve your English vocabulary. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced learner, our platform offers a variety of vocabulary ...
English Journey: 'The finest book ever written about England and the
"English Journey is an important book that has a literary importance and social value that far exceeds the time it was written." Dame Beryl Bainbridge "This is a wonderful book: profound, wise, humane; a good companion indeed" Nina Bawden "Written in the elegant, simple language which was an essential part of Priestley's brilliance. ...
e-books
English Journey. English Journey 1 e-book. English Journey 2 e-book. English Journey 3 e-book. English Journey 4 e-book. English Journey 5 e-book. English Journey 6 e-book. English Journey 7 e-book. English Journey 8 e-book. English Journey 9 e-book. English Journey 10 e-book. Show more. Amazing English e-books .
English Journey
Welcome to my teaching YouTube channel, English Journey! 😊 I am here to make learning English fun and easy. I cover everything from English vocabulary 🗣 to grammar, as well as everyday life ...
Working, travelling, and identity: J.B. Priestley's English Journey (1934)
The motivation for travelling is at the centre of literary travel writing. All aspects of the journey and the content are underpinned, enabled or restricted, highlighted or overlooked, as a result of the purpose of the author's travels. For Priestley, the motivation for his English Journey leads us to its central theme - work.
English Journey: 'The finest book ever written about England and the
In 1934, as the English economy plunged after WWI (the First World War)English author and playwright J. B, Priestley undertook a tour around the English shires. His journey proved to be as dark as George Orwell's earlier explorations (Down and Out, Road to Wigan Pier) as Priestley encountered miners and shipyard workers whose jobs had expired ...
English Journey John Angerson
The Old New Inn Public House and Model Village, a one-ninth-scale replica of Bourton-on-the-Water. Built by local craftsmen the Model Village opened to the public on the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937. In 2013 Bourton-on-the-Water Model Village gained Grade II listed status from English Heritage.
The English Journey Podcast
The English Journey Podcast is your one-stop for English conversation tips, idioms, grammar, vocabulary, slang and more! You'll also learn tips from English students and teachers around the world. This podcast is hosted by Jasmine Johal, a Canadian native English speaker and experienced teacher. Take your English to the next level by ...
Level: B1
English Journey is an exciting and complete ten-level English course especially researched and written to appeal to young learners and teenagers alike. Its carefully constructed syllabus gradually and effectively takes your students from Pre-A1 (Beginner) to C2 level (Proficiency) in the CEFR. Each level is of a manageable length and can be ...
Focus on English 8 Student Book
Motivate your students to engage with the world of texts and develop their skills as effective communicators with our new series, Focus on English. These brand new workbooks cover essential English skills through a carefully sequenced program that enables students to develop and reinforce their literature, language and literacy skills. Based around high-interest topics and relevant literature ...
English Journey: J. B. Priestley: 9780140042740: Amazon.com: Books
In 1934, as the English economy plunged after WWI (the First World War)English author and playwright J. B, Priestley undertook a tour around the English shires. His journey proved to be as dark as George Orwell's earlier explorations (Down and Out, Road to Wigan Pier) as Priestley encountered miners and shipyard workers whose jobs had expired ...
English Journey 8 Workbook Sample
English Journey 8 Workbook accompanies English Journey 8 Student's Book. It practises and consolidates the skills, vocabulary and grammar taught in the Student's Book. The structure of the Workbook unit reflects that of the units in the Student's Book, providing a valuable tool which allows students to follow up lesson-by-lesson on the ...
Journey to the Sunderbans
Audie Cornish is an accomplished American journalist known for her work with National Public Radio (NPR) and CNN. She was born on October 9, 1979, in Randolph, Massachusetts, to Jamaican parents.
The Exit 8's official sequel finally announced
The Exit 8's official sequel finally announced. The Exit 8 developer Kotake Create launched the Steam page for the hit indie game's sequel on March 30. Entitled Platform 8, the new game is set to be released around the end of April or beginning of May. It will be playable in English and Japanese.
English Journey 7
Key features of English Journey 7 Student's Book. • 12 theme-related units, each containing carefully developed tasks designed. to develop students' reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. • 12 Reload sections, one at the end of each unit, to reinforce vocabulary. and grammar presented. • 6 Progress Reviews, one after every ...
English Journey 6
English Journey 6 Workbook accompanies English Journey 6 Student's Book. It practises and consolidates the skills, vocabulary and grammar taught in the Student's Book. The structure of the Workbook unit reflects that of the units in the Student's Book, providing a valuable tool which allows students to follow up lessonby- lesson on the Student's Book content.