Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

Chapter Two Water, Water Everywhere

A. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
Page 17
 How much of the Earth’s surface is covered in water? Two-thirds
Page 18

 How did Michael spend most of his time? Soaked to the skin.
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 When the sun shone, what did they use to do? They would haul everything out on deck and
Peggy Sue would be washed from bow to stern.
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 What was a real luxury? To be dry again

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 Was there much to do for the three of them on board? Yes

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Page 19

 Who was allowed to be idle? __Stella____________________________________

 How did she spend the rough days on board? ____Curled up on Michael’s bed in the cabin
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 And the finer and calmer days? __She would be on watch up at the bow
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 What animals did Stella see? __porpoises, dolphins, whales, sharks, turtles
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 What would they all do when they saw sea animals? _Michael’s mom would take
photographs and video while Michael and his dad would fight over the binoculars___
 Why did they sometimes find her annoying? _She would bring her smelly wetness with her
everywhere. ___________
Page 20
 Why didn’t they regret bringing Stella? _She gave them much comfort._________
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 What else would he keep close by him and why? ___Eddie’s football. It was his talisman__
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 Why had the football become a lucky charm to him? ___It’s being a lucky charm seemed to
work as they were still alive and afloat after every storm__
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 What did Michael hope his parents would forget? _His school work._________
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 What is another word for lucky charm given on the reading? ___talisman_____
Page 21
 Why was there no point appealing to his Dad for help when Mum made him do his
schoolwork? ___Because mum was the skipper____________________________
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 Why did it make sense to have only one person in charge on the boat? So that only one
person could make a decision for everyone._________________
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 What subjects did he study? ___math, geography, history, environment studies, navigation
and art___________________________________
Page 22
 What did he feel sometimes, looking up into the night sky? _That they were the last people
alive on the planet.___
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 Why? ___It was just them, the dark sea and the millions of stars above them.
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 What was his English work? The ship’s log
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 How often did he have to write in it? Every few weeks
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 Why did he find it easy to write his log? _______He had so much to say and write about.
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Page 23
 Describe Michael’s log___Crinkled paper, yellowed pages, and
writing that was scribbly and a little faded but legible.
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SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 2:
Water, Water Everywhere

They are always soaked to the skin, and being dry was a luxury. There is never a dull moment
on board, and only Stella Artois is allowed to be idle. Michael keeps the football close by at all
times. His parents did forget his planned schoolwork. They teach him the usual school subjects as
well as navigation. Michael learns to use the sextant. When he’s on watch at night, he feels that
they’re the only people on the planet. The ship’s log is his “English” work that he needs to write
every few weeks. It’s a bit crinkled and pages yellowed. His scribbly writing is a little faded but
legible. The entries are short but they tell the story of their journey on board the Peggy Sue.