Report Text: Reading and Practices

Report is a text which presents information about something, as it is. It is a result of systematic
observation and analyses. Its social purpose is presenting information about something. Report text
generally describes an entire class of things, whether natural or made: mammals, the planets, rocks,
plants, countries of region, culture, transportation, and so on.

The following is the generic structure of Report Text:

# General Clasification: Stating classification of general aspect of thing; animal, public place, plant,
etc which will be discussed in general
# Description: tells what the phenomenon under discussion ; in terms of parts, qualities, habits or
behaviors.

Example:

Thanksgiving Day
General Classification:

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is a celebration of harvest, thankfulness for peace, and the attempt
of Native Americans. It is usually celebrated in late autumn.

Description:
In the past, Thanksgiving was celebrated for their rich harvest in New England. In North America,
however, it was originally held to thank God for their survival in the new land which was not easy for
them. However, in Canada, it had been celebrated as in New England. Thanksgiving now is celebrated
in United States of America and in Canada. Thanksgiving festivals are held every fourth Thursday of
November in the U.S and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It is usually celebrated in four
to five days in the North America and for three days in Canada.
It is celebrated through families and friends gathering to eat and give good luck. Turkey is the main
dish in the thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving parades are also usually held. In Thanksgiving homes
are decorated with wreaths, fresh and dried flowers. Lamps are lighted to brighten the environment.
Tables are decorated with best china and antique silver dishes to mark the occasion.

1. Now please identify the generic structure of the following report text.
Giraffes are the world's tallest mammals, thanks to their towering legs and long necks. A giraffe's legs
alone are taller than many humans—about 6 feet . These long legs allow giraffes to run as fast as 35
miles an hour over short distances and cruise comfortably at 10 miles an hour over longer distances.
Typically, these fascinating animals roam the open grasslands in small groups of about half a dozen.
Bulls sometimes battle one another by butting their long necks and heads. Such contests aren't usually
dangerous and end when one animal submits and walks away. Giraffes use their height to good
advantage and browse on leaves and buds in treetops that few other animals can reach (acacias are a
favorite). Even the giraffe's tongue is long! The 21-inch tongue helps them pluck tasty morsels from
branches. Giraffes eat most of the time and, like cows, regurgitate food and chew it as cud. A giraffe
eats hundreds of pounds of leaves each week and must travel miles to find enough food.
The giraffe's height also helps it to keep a sharp lookout for predators across the wide expanse of the
African savanna.
The giraffe's stature can be a disadvantage as well—it is difficult and dangerous for a giraffe to drink
at a water hole. To do so they must spread their legs and bend down in an awkward position that makes
them vulnerable to predators like Africa's big cats. Giraffes only need to drink once every several days;
they get most of their water from the luscious plants they eat.
Female giraffes give birth standing up. Their young endure a rather rude welcome into the world by
falling more than 5 feet to the ground at birth. These infants can stand in half an hour and run with their
mothers an incredible ten hours after birth.

The Characteristics / Language Feature of Report text:

– Use of general nouns, eg hunting dogs, rather than particular nouns, eg our dog;
– Use of relating verbs to describe features, eg Molecules are tiny particles;
– Some use of action verbs when describing behaviour, eg Emus cannot fly;
– Use of timeless present tense to indicate usualness, eg Tropical cyclones always begin over the sea;
– Use of technical terms, eg Isobars are lines drawn on a weather map;
– Use of paragraphs with topic sentences to organise bundles of information; repeated naming of the
topic as the beginning focus of the clause.

2. Now please identify the General Nouns and Action Verbs of the report text entitled ‘Giraffe’
written above (In the question number 1).

3. Now please read the following Report Text Exercise.

ELEPHANTS

Elephants are large mammals. They are the biggest mammals living on land today. Their skin
is gray and very thick. Elephants use their huge ears to keep themselves cool. The most amazing feature
of elephant is trunk, which is used for reaching high branches, drinking, transferring food to its mouth,
bathing, and smelling danger. Its enermous upper teeth are tusks which are used for getting food and
fighting.
African and Asian elephants are the only two species left. Asian elephants are smaller and easier
to train. African elephants have larger ears. They need their ears to keep them cool in their hot climate.
Elephants are herbivores and eat grasses, leaves, twigs, and fruit. They can reach leaves on tall
trees using their trunks.
Working elephants clear forest, provide transport, move logs, and take parts in the parades. They have
done this in Asia for hundred years.
Baby elephants take two years to develop. After birth, they live on their’s mother milk for three years
and then using their trunks to put food into their mouth.
Many elephants have been killed by poachers who sells their tusks to ivory traders. Elephants need to
be protected because their numbers are decreasing.

3.1 Answer the following questions based on the information from the text.
a. Why are there more working elephants in Asia than in Africa?
b. How long do the baby elephants stay with their mothers?
c. How do the elephants help human to do their work?
 d. Why do the poachers kill elephants?
e. Since the elephants is endangered animals, do you have any idea to help them?

4. Now please read the following Report Text Exercise.

DOLPHINS

Dolphins are mammals in the order Cetacca. They are part of the toothed whales. Generally, they are
among the smaller whales. Most live in salt water oceans, but some live in rivers – there are oceanic
dolphins and river dolphins. Dolphins are from 1.5 to 4 metres (4.5 feet to 13 feet) long. The Killer
whale is the largest of the group, and can be about 8 metres (26 feet).

The name ‘dolphin’ comes from the Ancient Greek (delphis) meaning “with a womb”, because it was
first thought to be a fish with a womb. It is now known to be a mammal, and quite an intelligent
mammal. Dolphins breathe air. A dolphin’s nose is on top of its head so the dolphin can easily breathe
on the surface of the water. The skin of a dolphin has no scales. It is soft and smooth. However, it is
very firm, due to how much muscle they have. Dolphins use echolocation to find their food.

Dolphins swim in ‘pods’; a very large pod is called a herd. They are very social and help each other
fight off predators. Dolphins have fought off sharks in this way. They can kill large sharks by ramming
them over and over again with their snouts and heads. They look after the young when the mothers that
need to leave their calves to hunt for food. The young need to breathe more often than the adults, and
the food may be in deeper waters.

Oceanic dolphins are marine animals living in the sea. They live in all of the oceans. Three of the four
species of river dolphins live in fresh water rivers. The La Plata Dolphin lives in saltwater estuaries and
the ocean. Water pollution and the loss of habitat are a threat to some dolphins, especially those living
in rivers and estuaries.

Dolphins do not sleep in a normal way. They have to sides of brain, which they use to sleep. One side
sleeps, while the other side stays awake. They will keep one eye open to watch for predators while they
sleep.

Dolphins (and other cetaceans) sleep in the water. It is dangerous because of the sharks. While sleeping
in the water, the animals go through different stages of sleep. They do some behaviours during the sleep.
For example, they come to the surface occasionally to breathe, and they have an eye open most of the
time. The details vary in different species or groups. Predator detection is the obvious function of this
behaviour. Similar adaptations are found in pinnipeds like seals.

The brain of a dolphin is like a human brain in size and development. Dolphins have reasonable
eyesight. They can watch a thing in the water, and they can see colors, too. They can also see in dark
places.

A dolphin’s hearing is better than their sight. There are small holes behind the eyes, and they are the
cars of a dolphin. Dolphins can hear a sound underwater. They can know the direction of the sound very
well.

4.1 After reading the text find the meanings of these word-phrases.
a. Toothed whales :
b. Salt water :
 c. Intelligent mammals :
d. Fight off predators :
e. Large shark :
f. Hunt for food :
g. Keep one eye open :
h. Human brain :
i. Eyesight :
j. Dark places :

4.2 Now, Fill in the table of Facts Checkers below

STATEMENTS WRITE IN LINE ...
YES/NO
1. Most dolphins live in the river
2. There are two kinds of dolphin
3. Dolphins are intelligent animals
4. Dolphins have lungs
5. Dolphins have scales
6. Dolphins swim alone
7. Dolphins help other tp fight their enemy
8. Echolocation is used to find food
9. Water pollution is one of the cause why the
dolphins’ numbers are decreasing
10. A dolphin shuts both of their eyes while
sleeping

4.3 Lastly, Please Answer the Following Questions

a. There are two kinds of dolphins, they are ................ and ..........................
b. Where can you find:
i. Dolphin’s nose
ii. Dolphin’s ears
c. How do the dolphins kill sharks?
d. Why does a dolphin sleep with one eye opens?
e. The dolphin’s brain is like..............................