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GRADE 7 TERM 2 – part 1

LANGUAGE
 COMPOUND NOUNS
 COMPLEX NOUNS
 SUBJECT, PREDICATE AND OBJECT
 WHAT IS A SUBJECT?
 WHAT IS A PREDICATE?
 FINITE VERBS
 DEGREES OF COMPARISON
 TENSES
 SENTENCES
 ANTONYMS
 SYNONYMS
 EMOTIVE LANGUAGE
 LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE MEANING
 PUNCTUATION
WRITING – NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH
READING AND VIEWING
 READING - “HOLES” NOVEL
 SKIMMING AND SCANNING
 LISTENING AND SPEAKING
 LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Dear Learners,
Welcome to your English Term 2 notes and activities. Time to get those
smart brains working so that when we resume school, we will be ready,
steady, go! Before the close of school last term, you were given notes on
summarising skills and two writing tasks- movies reviews and descriptive
writing. Make sure these are done. They are important preparation
activities for the Mid- year examinations.
All the activities must be done in your exam pad and filed in the English
file.
Be safe and remember to wash your hands.☺

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☻Laughter is the best medicine… so enjoy the great “pun fun” included
throughout the workbook.

LANGUAGE

COMPOUND NOUNS

♣ Compound nouns are words for people, animals, places, things, or ideas, made up of
two or more words.
♣ Most compound nouns are made with nouns that have been modified by adjectives or
other nouns.

TYPES OF NOUNS:

♣ Closed or solid compound nouns: compound nouns which are one word e.g.
toothpaste, haircut and bedroom.
♣ Hyphenated compound nouns: compound nouns which are connected with a
hyphen e.g. dry-cleaning, daughter-in-law and well-being.
♣ Open or spaced compound nouns: compound nouns appear as two separate
words e.g. full moon, Christmas tree and swimming pool.
The following sentences are just a few examples of compound nouns. The compound
noun examples are written in bold italics.

Compound nouns can be made with two nouns:

ℵ I love watching fireflies during the summer nights.
ℵ While you are at the store, please pick up some toothpaste and some egg rolls.

Compound nouns can be made with an adjective and a noun:

ℵ Let’s watch the full moon come up over the mountain.
ℵ Please erase the whiteboard.
Compound nouns can be made with a verb and a noun: ℵ You must clean the
washing machine.
ℵ Do not let the babies near the swimming pool.

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COMPLEX NOUNS

A complex noun is a compound noun that is formed when a noun is put together with
another part of speech.

E.g. hair (noun) + cut (verb) = haircut

sun (noun) + rise (verb) = sunrise

Activity 1: Compound And Complex Nouns

UNDERLINE THE COMPOUND/COMPLEX NOUNS IN THE SENTENCES BELOW.

1. The butterfly was rare and beautiful.

2. We hired a babysitter to take care of the children.
3. The earthquake caused severe damage to the supermarket.
4. Danny is a part-time worker.
5. The mother-in-law put the clothes in the washing machine.
6. The fish tank was emptied into the swimming pool.
7. Housekeeping must be done on a daily basis at hotels.
8. The police officer caught the thief red-handed.
9. I love the brightly-lit room
10. The children’s handwriting was neat.

The person who invented the door knock… won the “No bell” prize.☺

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SUBJECT, PREDICATE AND OBJECT

 In order to have a complete sentence, each sentence must have a subject and a
verb.
 These two parts of speech are the fundamental parts of the subject and predicate
that make up a sentence.
 Every sentence has a subject and a predicate, or it is not considered a complete
sentence.

WHAT IS A SUBJECT?
 A subject is the person or thing that is doing an action, or the person or thing that
is the focus of the sentence.
 Most of the time the subject comes at the beginning of a sentence, in which case, it
is very easy to identify.

E.g. Mary likes to run at the park.

In this case, the person who is doing the action is Mary, therefore, Mary is the subject.
E.g. My brother throws the ball.
In this case, the person who is doing the action is My brother, therefore, My brother is
the subject.
(Note: the Subject can be more than one word)
WHAT IS A PREDICATE?
 The predicate of the sentence is the part that contains the action.
 It is the part of the sentence that is not the subject and includes all the descriptions
of the action and the objects that are affected by the action.

E.g. Mary likes to run at the park.

The question you can ask yourself here is, “What does Mary do”?
The answer, likes to run at the public park, is therefore the predicate.
The predicate includes the verb in the sentence and the rest of the words in that
sentence

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E.g. My brother throws the ball.

When you have multiple nouns, the concept is the same.
The entire sentence that excludes the subject, is the predicate.
If the sentence has objects, either direct or indirect, they are part of the predicate. In
this sentence, throws the ball is the predicate.

WHAT IS THE OBJECT?

∞ The object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb.
∞ A direct object tells what or whom after an action verb.

E.g. He paints posters.

Ask yourself whom or what receives the action?
What did he paint?
Therefore, ‘posters’ receives the action of painting and becomes the object.

E.g. Jane hit the ball.

The ball receives the action of hitting.
Therefore, ball is the object.

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Activity 2: Subject, Predicate and Object

IN THE SENTENCES BELOW, CIRCLE THE SUBJECT AND UNDERLINE THE

PREDICATE.
1. John played the drums at school.
2. My family went to London for the holiday.
3. Lions are the most feared animals in the world.
4. The soup burnt my mouth.
5. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon

IN THE SENTENCES BELOW, UNDERLINE THE OBJECT.

6. Tim swept and mopped the floor.
7. Mark and Sam sailed their boat.
8. Mandy hid all the coins.
9. The fire destroyed the house.
10.Jesse saved the kitten.

FINITE VERBS

♦ A finite verb is a verb that can be used to make a complete sentence.

♦ It can stand by itself as the main verb in a sentence.
♦ A finite verb has a subject, tense and number.
♦ A finite verb can be one word or it may be more than one word.
E.g. The girl (subject) rode (past tense verb) a (number) horse.
The boys (subject) ride (present tense verb) horses (number).

I couldn’t work out how to fasten my seat belt… Then it clicked.☺

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Activity 3: Finite Verbs

UNDERLINE THE FINITE VERB IN EACH SENTENCE.

1. We must always greet our elders.
2. Sarah performed well on stage.
3. Some learners forgot their lines while reading.
4. James received a certificate for eisteddfod.
5. She promised to complete her work.
6. Yesterday, I saw a strange man in the neighbourhood.
7. The president travelled to London for a meeting.
8. I love eating pizza and pasta.
9. We swam in the pool for two hours.
10.Linda gave me a story book for my birthday.

DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Read the following sentences:

1. John is tall.
2. Peter is taller than John.
3. Harry is the tallest of the three.

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In sentence 1, the adjective tall merely says something about John’s height.
In sentence 2, the adjective taller is used to compare John’s height with Peter’s
height.
In sentence 3, the adjective tallest is used to compare Harry’s height with the
height of John and Peter.

We have thus seen that adjectives change in form to show comparison.

These different forms of the adjective are called the degrees of comparison.
In the examples given above, the adjective tall is said to be in the positive degree.
The positive degree of an adjective is in its simple form when no comparison is
made.

Activity 4: Degrees of Comparison

The adjective taller is said to be in the comparative degree.
The comparative degree of an adjective is used when two things or two sets of
things are compared.
The adjective tallest is said to be in the superlative degree.
The superlative degree of an adjective is used when more than two things or sets of
things are compared.
Look at the information in the blocks above, of how changes take place to the
adjectives. Take note, that some adjectives are irregular and do not follow these
rules.
ADD IN THE ADJECTIVES IN THEIR COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORM

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POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

1. angry
2. sweet
3. exciting
4. good
5. thin
6. modern
7. little
8. hungry
9. bad
10. big

TENSES

 Verbs come in three tenses: past, present, and future.

 The past is used to describe things that have already happened (e.g.
yesterday, last week, three years ago).
 The present tense is used to describe things that are happening right now)
 The future tense describes things that have yet to happen (e.g. later,
tomorrow, next week, next year, three years from now).
E.g. Daniel played basketball yesterday – past tense
Daniel will play basketball tomorrow – future tense
Daniel plays basketball everyday – present tense

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Activity 5: Simple Tenses

COMPLETE EACH SENTENCE IN EITHER SIMPLE PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE

TENSE. CHOOSE FROM THE OPTIONS GIVEN BELOW.
1. My father ___________ for a brisk walk every
evening.
A. go
B. goes
C. is going

2. Jamie __________ all his maths problems.

A. solved
B. have
solved
C. have solving

3. The councillors __________ the Minister of Education

last week.
A.meet
B.have met
C.met

4. Samantha ____________ go to the dentist next week.

A.will
B.would
C.will be coming

5. The teacher ___________ the lazy boy for sleeping in

class.
A.scolds
B.scold
C. scolding

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SENTENCES

TYPES OF SENTENCES

Simple Sentence: a sentence that has only one clause.

Compound Sentence: a sentence with two or more clauses joined by a coordinating

conjunction.
Coordinating Conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

Complex Sentence: two or more clauses joined with a subordinating conjunction.

Subordinating Conjunctions: as, because, although, since, before, when, once, if,
that, whatever, whenever, during, until, unless, wherever, whether, while, as if, even if.

Compound-Complex: three or more clauses joined by coordinating and subordinating

conjunctions.

Thieves had broken into my house and stolen everything except my soap,
shower gel, towels and deodorant … Dirty Fellows.☺

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Activity 6: Types of Sentences

STATE IF THE SENTENCES BELOW ARE SIMPLE, COMPOUND OR COMPLEX.

LOOK AT THE CONJUNCTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN USED IN EACH SENTENCE.

1. “Vampires Dairies” is my favourite television show, but I also love “True

Blood”.
2. The student wiped the whiteboard that had last week’s notes.
3. The trendy fashion designer released her new line on Wednesday.
4. I'm going to take a nap when I get home from school,
5. Regina cast a spell on the entire city, so the citizens decided to rebel.
6. Being alone can be scary unless you keep yourself busy.
7. Keith, Carrie, and Kyle bought donuts and ate them down by the river.
8. Crossing the street is dangerous if you don't look both ways before you
cross.
9. Trina and Harold went to Paris to celebrate their anniversary.

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4 KINDS OF SENTENCES

I can’t believe I got fired from the calendar factory… All I did was take a day
off.☺

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ANTONYMS

An antonym is a word opposite in meaning to another.

Activity 7: Antonyms

CHOOSE AN ANTONYM FROM THE BLOCK BELOW AND REPLACE IT WITH THE
UNDERLINED WORD IN EACH SENTENCE.

hot large above up happy

all early before wet slow

1. Our teacher was sad in the morning.

2. The dry surface was good to play the game on.
3. I looked down the stairs.
4. The weather in the morning was cold.
5. I looked under the table for the lost baseball.
6. The short basketball player ran very fast.
7. I arrived late to class.
8. None of the players were prepared to play the game.
9. The small cloud hovered over us.
10.I took a shower after I played my basketball game.

Singing in the shower is all fun and games until you get shampoo in your
mouth… then it just becomes a soap opera.☺

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SYNONYMS

A synonym is a word that has a similar meaning as another word.

Activity 8: Synonyms

CHOOSE A SYNONYM FROM THE BLOCK BELOW AND REPLACE IT WITH THE
UNDERLINED WORD IN EACH SENTENCE.

high old new polite glad

safe intelligent rich vacant mad

1. The man was upset that he didn’t finish the race.

2. Her parents are wealthy because they live in a big mansion.
3. The money was secure in the bank.
4. She was courteous to the man who bought her a gift.
5. I was happy that I passed my test.
6. The building was very tall.
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7. The ancient artefacts were on display at the museum.

8. The modern building was just constructed this year.
9. The investigator was very clever in solving the crime.
10.The old house was empty for many years.

EMOTIVE LANGUAGE

 Emotive language is language that is used to stimulate or provoke emotions or

feelings in the reader.
 Many novels use emotive language because they want the reader to feel the
emotions that the characters are feeling.
 This helps the reader to become involved in the story and to know what is
happening.
 The intention is to get a reaction from the audience.
 A writer might do this by using certain words and by writing descriptions of
characters, to make their emotions seem real.
 Different words can be used to cause different reactions in the audience.
 Good writers show what a character is feeling through their thoughts and actions,
rather than by just telling us.

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E.g. Instead of saying: The boy was sad.

They will say: The boy’s eyes filled with tears.

E.g. Put that in the recycle bin.

This sentence is not emotive. It is a command, but it does not cause an emotional
reaction.
Instead: You should recycle because it saves the planet.
This sentence is emotive.
It suggests an action that elicits an emotional response.
Don’t you want to save the planet?
How could you choose to not recycle since it saves the planet?
The emotive response causes a reaction or a response.

 Emotive language is not reserved for literature either.

 It is used in everyday interactions as well.
 Often, news headlines use emotive language to hook the audience.

Want to hear a construction joke? … I’m working on it.☺

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Here are a few examples.

 An innocent bystander was murdered in cold blood in Johannesburg.
 The words “innocent” and “murdered” and the phrase “in cold blood” are the
uses of emotive language in this sentence.

 The defenceless victims were attacked at night.

 The phrases “defenceless victims”, “at night” and the word “attacked” are the
uses of emotive language in this sentence.

 In each example the emotive words do not need to be used to communicate a fact.
 However, this diction creates an emotional response in the audience.
 Consequently, emotive language can cause an audience to take action or to argue
with the speaker.
 Emotive language should not be overused.
 Furthermore, it should be used when there is a purpose the speaker wishes to
achieve.
 Using emotive language effectively can be very beneficial to a speaker.

Example of emotive language:

Nelson Mandela’s Speech at the Rivonia Trial.

During what is now known as the Rivonia Trial in 1964, Nelson Mandela was faced with a
possible death sentence for the number of crimes he had committed. He read a speech
from a piece of paper until he got to this part below. He put his piece of paper down and
looked straight into the eyes of the judge, Justice De Wet and said:

During my lifetime, I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people.
I have fought against White domination and I have fought against Black domination.
I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live
together in harmony and with equal opportunities.
It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for
which I am prepared to die.

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Activity 9: Emotive language

1. Which words make this an emotive speech?

2. What are your feelings after reading this extract?
3. What is the ideal that Mandela stands for?
4. Which particular words show that he is totally committed to his cause?
5. Explain what emotive language means. Has Mandela achieved this in his
speech?

LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE MEANING

Literal language is used to mean exactly what is written. It is the dictionary meaning of
the words that are used. This is referred to as denotation.
For example: “It was raining heavily, so I took the bus home.”
In this example of literal language, the writer means to explain exactly what is written: that
he or she chose to take the bus home because of the heavy rain.
Figurative language is used to mean something other than what is written, something
symbolic, suggested, or implied. This is referred to as connotation. Poets often used
figurative language to give multiple possible meanings to their poems.
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For example: It was raining cats and dogs, so I rode the bus.
In this example of figurative language, cats and dogs were really not falling from rain clouds,
instead, the rain felt so heavy and large that it was almost as if small animals were falling
from the sky!

Activity 10: Literal and Figurative language

STATE OF THE SENTENCES BELOW, HAVE A LITERAL OR FIGURATIVE MEANING.

1. They sky is pale blue with a few clouds.
2. The sky is full of dancing stars.
3. I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse.
4. Tom’s mouth is a vacuum machine.
5. I was so hungry, that I ate all the food on my plate.

Two antennas met on a roof and got married… The wedding was okay but the
reception was incredible.☺

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PUNCTUATION

 Punctuation marks make any written text easier to read and understand.
 Without punctuation, writing would not make sense.

FULL STOP

Used to end a sentence.

Example
He went to town.
Used after an abbreviation
Example
President = Pres.

QUESTION MARK
? ?
Appears at the end of a question.
Example Who
left the gate open?
Where did you hide the ring?
Did you eat?

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! EXCLAMATION MARK !
Appears at the end of an exclamation, i.e. a sentence that shows strong emotions
or feelings. Example Help!
Don’t run!
Stop!

NB: ANY OF THE ABOVE THREE PUNCTUATION MARKS CAN BE USED TO END A SENTENCE.

AB CAPITAL LETTER AB
Sentences always begin with a capital letter.
Example
They went across the road to buy ice-cream.
Proper nouns must be written in capital letter.
Example
Mike, America, Master Street, Boksburg, etc.
Main words in titles must appear in capital letters. Example
The Lord of the Flies.

The first word in Direct Speech must also be in capital letter if it is the start of the
spoken sentence. Example
She said, “Must we always agree with her?”

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Used in the personal pronoun.

Example
I returned the bag.
Should I go on the road trip?
(Whether used at the beginning or middle of a sentence, the
personal pronoun I must always be a capital.)

COMMA

Used to separate items on a list.

Example
Dad bought pens, books, erasers and glue.
(there is no comma before and)

Shows additional information.

Example
Ronaldo, the famous soccer player, scored the winning goal.
(brackets or dashes can also be used to show additional informational)
Placed before and after certain conjunctions.
Example
He went to town, but forgot to buy his shoes.
Example: Nevertheless, she will make up for her mistake.

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Used after introductory words in direct speech.

Example
Bill said, “I will meet her.”
Joanne asked, “Can I come with?”
Used to separate repeated words in a sentence.
Example
Whatever you want to say, say it now.

SEMI-COLON
Indicates a long pause (shorter than a full stop and longer than a comma). Example
Paul reached a decision; he will not run away from home.

Used to show two opposite/related ideas. Example

Paul was lonely; eventually he made friends.

May be replaced by a full stop or a conjunction (and, but, so, for, although).
Example
She studied hard for her exam; she had nothing to fear. Or
She studied hard for her exam and had nothing to fear.

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COLON

Introduces a list of items.

Example
The following are harmful to our planet: pollution, poaching and global warming.
Introduces a quotation.
Example
Nelson Mandela said: “It was a long walk to freedom.”
Used in script writing (dialogue or plays).
A colon follows the speaker.
Jason: Where did you go?
Ben: I went to look for the boat.

BRACKETS
(PARENTHESIS)

Used to show additional information in a sentence. Example

The three men (who were brothers) went to the rugby match.

Commas or dashes can be used instead of brackets. Example

The old man, who lived on the island, came to visit us.
The tennis match – which was played on Tuesday – was won by Sally Williams.

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INVERTED COMMAS
(QUOTATION MARKS/SPEECH MARKS)

Used to indicate Direct Speech, i.e. the actual spoken words.

A comma must appear before opening the inverted commas.
The final punctuation mark must appear before closing with inverted commas.
Example
Mrs Roberts said, “There is no homework for today.”
To quote from a play, story, poem or speech.
Example
William Shakespeare said, “All the world is a stage.”
To show titles.
Example
Mark Twain’s novel is called, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”.
(Here, the full stop appears after the final inverted commas because this is not a
quote or direct speech).

- HYPHEN -
Links two words to form compound words.
Example
ice-cream, well-deserved, etc.
Links prefixes to words.
Example
pre-school, bi-annual, non-toxic, semi-circle, etc.
Used if a prefix ends in a vowel and the word joined to the prefix, begins with the
same vowel.
Example
re-examine, co-operate, etc.

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Words that cannot be completed on one line, are linked to the next line with the
hyphen.
(NB: The hyphen must be used at a syllable break) Example
The kids were always full of de-lightful surprises.
Example The party con- tinued until
midnight and then every- body went home.

ELLIPSES

The three ellipses dots indicate that a sentence is incomplete or

that something has been omitted.

Example
He walked to the edge of the cliff and …
Example
You’d better give back my money or else…

- DASH
-
The dash and the hyphen look the same, but have different functions

Separates parts of a sentence and forces us to pause. Example

There is more to school than just learning – friendships are also to be learned along the
way.

In order to give additional information, the dash serves the same purpose as the
comma or brackets. Example
Next week we are going to Cape Town – the friendly city.

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Separates a comment or afterthought from the rest of the sentence. Example

We looked for the dark shadow and it was not to be seen – or so we thought!

Creates a dramatic pause, leading to a climax or anti-climax. Example

I ran to the window, looked out and saw – the cat!

Activity 11: Punctuation

Rewrite the following sentences adding any punctuation marks needed.

1. Are john mark and katlego coming today

2. Look out

3. Jack could not believe that south Africa lost the cricket match

4. Are you sure that you want to say your speech today

5. Njabulo, the fastest runner in school broke the record

6. Black panther was a movie filled with suspense action and revenge

WRITING
Narrative Essay:
• When you write a narrative essay, you are telling a story.
• Narrative essays should therefore be written in the past tense because you relate or
write about a story/event that has already happened/taken place.
• Often, sensory details are provided to get the reader involved in the elements and
sequence of the story.
• Write in the first person. Since it's your story, use "I" in your sentences.

Activity 12: Narrative Paragraph

Write a paragraph of 8 sentences. In each sentence, highlight the past

tense verb that you have used. Topics:

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1. My day at the beach.

2. My day at the Valentine’s dance.
3. My day at my friend’s house.

READING AND VIEWING

NOVEL

HOLES BY LOUIS SACHAR

W hen your name is Stanley Yelnats, bad luck just seems to run in the family. Stanley’s
great-grandfather, the first
Stanley Yelnats, lost his fortune to an outlaw called Kissin’ Kate Barlow. Stanley’s father is a
luckless inventor whose experiments keep failing. And now Stanley IV, our Stanley, has been
wrongly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit: stealing a pair of athletic shoes. So Stanley
doesn’t seem too surprised to find himself headed off to a detention camp for bad boys in the
middle of the Texas desert.
Camp Green Lake takes its name from a lake that dried up more than a hundred years ago.
The camp is run by a sinister person called the Warden. (Stanley is told, “There’s only one rule
at Camp Green Lake: Don’t upset the Warden.”) The Warden’s second in command, Mr. Sir,
introduces Stanley to life at the camp: “You are to dig one hole each day, including Saturdays
and Sundays. Each hole must be five feet deep, and five feet across in every direction. Your
shovel is your measuring stick. Breakfast is served at 4:30.” This punishment supposedly
builds character, but Stanley soon figures out the real reason for all the digging:
The Warden is searching for something buried in the lakebed.
Stanley is assigned to Group D, run by a counsellor named Mr.Pendanski, otherwise known as
Mom. Nearly everyone at Camp Green Lake has a nickname, and Stanley soon becomes
Caveman. At first Stanley seems to adjust well to camp life. The work is exhausting and the
shovelling gives him terrible blisters, but he gradually grows stronger. “He figured that in a
year and a half he’d be either in great physical condition, or else dead.” As an accepted member
of Group D, Stanley even begins to enjoy a sense of belonging he has never known before.
Then one day Stanley unearths something interesting: a small golden tube engraved with the
initials KB. As promised, he turns the cylinder over to X-Ray, the group’s leader; X-Ray pretends
to find it in his own hole and hands it over to the Warden, hoping for a reward. It’s clear that
the tube is a clue to what lies buried at the bottom of Green Lake, but Stanley knows
“whatever they were looking for, they were looking in the wrong place.”
As it happens, the tube comes from a lipstick that belonged to Kissin’ Kate Barlow, the
outlaw who robbed Stanley’s great-grandfather and left him stranded in the desert. This is
just one of many coincidences that occur in Holes. (A coincidence is a chance happening or
meeting.) Sachar braids his plot together from three different story lines, or narratives, two
of which occur in the past. Part of the fun of reading this book is seeing how cleverly the
author brings these different story lines together.

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One of the stories from the past concerns Stanley’s great-great-grandfather Elya. This
narrative may remind you of a folktale, because it uses many of the elements of this kind of
story. As a young man in Latvia, Elya made a promise to a woman named Madame Zeroni. In
return for her help, Elya agreed to fulfil three tasks: He would carry Madame Zeroni up a
mountain, help her drink from a magical stream, and sing her a special song. But Elya forgets
to keep his promise when he sails off to America, and the Yelnats family is cursed for
generations to come.
The second story tells how a beautiful and kind-hearted schoolteacher becomes a notorious
outlaw. Katherine Barlow was the teacher in the town of Green Lake, before the lake dried
up. Katherine fell in love with Sam, the onion man. Because she was white and Sam was black,
their love had tragic consequences. Charles Walker, a man who wanted Katherine Barlow for
himself, shot Sam to death. “Three days after Sam’s death, Miss Katherine shot the sheriff
while he was sitting in his chair drinking a cup of coffee....For the next twenty years Kissin’
Kate Barlow was one of the most feared outlaws in all the West.” We also learn that Kissin’
Kate buried her loot somewhere in the lakebed. She died from a yellow-spotted lizard bite
before she could tell anyone where she’d hidden it.
More than a century later, the Warden wants desperately to find Kate’s buried treasure.
Meanwhile, Stanley has made a deal with a camper named Hector Zeroni, or Zero. In exchange
for reading lessons, Zero will help Stanley dig his hole each day. This arrangement stirs up
resentment among the other boys, who bring it to the Warden’s attention. The Warden and
Mr. Pendanski confront Stanley and Zero, demanding that the lessons stop. “It causes him
stress,” said Mr. Pendanski. “I know you mean well, Stanley, but face it. Zero’s too stupid to
learn to read.” These insults are the last straw for Zero. He smashes his counsellor in the
face with a shovel and runs off into the desert.
As the chances for Zero’s survival dwindle in the days that follow, Stanley can’t ignore the
nagging of his conscience. “What worried him the most, however, wasn’t that it was too late.
What worried him the most...was the fear that it wasn’t too late.” Finally Stanley escapes
into the desert to search for Zero and, miraculously, finds him alive. They set off together
toward a rock formation sticking up in the distance like a giant thumb. Stanley recalls that
after being robbed by Kate Barlow, his great-grandfather claimed he “found refuge on God’s
thumb,” and he hopes that Big Thumb may offer salvation to him and Zero, too.
Zero is so sick that Stanley has to carry him up the mountain. At the top, they find water to
drink and wild onions to eat. As Zero sleeps, Stanley sings him a lullaby that his father used to
sing to him. Without realizing it, Stanley has succeeded in fulfilling the promise his great-
great-grandfather Elya failed to keep.
In the shadow of Big Thumb, Stanley and Zero eat onions and regain their strength. They
decide to sneak back to camp and find the treasure still believed to be buried there.
Unfortunately, the Warden catches them in the act and demands that they hand over the
metal suitcase they have unearthed. The hole where the suitcase was buried turns out to be
a nest of deadly yellow spotted lizards, which swarm all over Stanley and Zero. The boys don’t
move and the Warden and the counsellors don’t grab the loot for fear of being bitten. This
standoff lasts until the law arrives. The Attorney General of Texas and a lawyer named Ms.
Morengo, hired by Stanley’s father, show up with the news that Stanley has been cleared and
is free to go. The Warden claims the suitcase belongs to her, but Zero can read the letters on
its side, which spell out STANLEYYELNATS.

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However, Stanley won’t leave Camp Green Lake without Zero. During their ordeal in the
desert, the boys formed a real friendship. Since Mr. Pendanski has erased Zero’s files from the
computer system, Stanley knows his friend is in danger of being erased, too. The Attorney
General can’t even determine why Zero has been sent to the camp, so the two boys get to
leave Camp Green Lake along with the metal suitcase.
Stanley and Zero inadvertently succeed in bringing the whole brutal system of the camp to an
end. As they leave the camp, Ms. Morengo gives Stanley more good news: His father has
invented a wonderful product that smells like peaches and eliminates foot odour. At the book’s
conclusion there is reason to hope that both Stanley’s family and Zero will lead better lives,
thanks in part to the contents of the suitcase

SKIMMING AND SCANNING

Activity 13: Skimming and Scanning

USING THE SKIMMING AND SCANNING METHOD, FIND THE ANSWERS TO THE
QUESTIONS LISTED BELOW.

1. What is the setting of the story?

2. Name the first character in this story.
3. What did the farmer take out from the cave?
4. Who did the lizard share his secret with?
5. Was the tortoise greedy? How do you know this?
6. Who caught the tortoise in the cave?
7. What was lizard doing at home?

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8. What reason did lizard give for not entering the cave?
9. How did tortoise’s shell break?

Where do TVs go on vacation? … To remote islands.☺

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LIZARD AND TORTOISE

Once upon a time, there was famine in the land of the animals. One day, the lizard was
passing by a farm when he saw the farmer approach a rock. The lizard hid and watched as
the farmer rolled the rock away to reveal the entrance into a cave. The farmer went inside
and came out a few minutes later with a handful of yams and rolled the rock back into its
place. The lizard waited for the farmer to leave then he too rolled away the rock and went
into the cave. Inside the cave were several stacks of yams. The lizard took out a yam, and
rolled the rock back into its place. Every day, the lizard would return to the cave to take a
yam and would go home to eat it.

One day, as the lizard was carrying his yam home, he came across the tortoise, who asked
him where he had gotten his yam. He offered to share his secret, on the condition that the
tortoise told no one. The tortoise promised to keep the secret, so the lizard told the tortoise
to meet him the following morning and he would take him to the secret cave. Early the next
morning, before the very first rooster crowed, the lizard and the tortoise went to the secret
cave. When they got there, the lizard rolled the rock away to reveal the entrance to the
cave. The tortoise, who was a very greedy fellow, could not believe his eyes, for there were
more yams in there than even he could eat.

The lizard picked a yam and started on his way home, but the tortoise was not done yet.
He was going to carry as many yams as he could and maybe even more. Very soon, the
farmer came and found the tortoise, who was still busy collecting yams. By this time, the
lizard was home, had eaten his yam and was taking a nap. The farmer grabbed the
tortoise and asked him how he came to be in the cave. The tortoise confessed that the
lizard had brought him there. So, the farmer took tortoise to the lizard’s house. There they
found lizard lying on his back. The farmer asked lizard if it was he who had brought tortoise
to his cave. The lizard was shocked and said it was not possible as he had been feeling
unwell and had been lying on his back all day. The farmer grabbed the tortoise and threw
him against the wall and the tortoise lay on the floor with a broken shell. The tortoise cried
out to the insects of the forest, who helped him pick up and glue the pieces of his shell
together. And that was how the tortoise ended up with a broken shell.

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LISTENING AND SPEAKING

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Listening comprehension is more than simply hearing what is being said.

It involves:
ℵ the ability to take in information from what is bring read.
ℵ the ability to respond to instructions/questions i.e. being able to answer
questions based on the passage.
ℵ the ability to share ideas, thoughts and opinions i.e. being able to respond
verbally to questions that are asked.

• It is important for you to give your full attention to what is being read.
• You must look at the reader when you listen to maintain focus throughout the read.
• Your full attention is important, and this gets you into the habit of giving your full
attention to what is being said.

5 TIPS TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE LISTENING SKILLS

Step 1: Face the speaker and maintain eye-contact.
Step 2: Be attentive, but relaxed.
Step 3: Listen to the words and try to picture what the speaker is saying.
Step 4: Don't interrupt. Ask questions only to ensure understanding. Step 5:
Try to feel what the speaker is feeling.

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Activity 14: Listening comprehension - Informal

Instructions to the teacher/ parent: The text below will be read twice to the learners. Learners are not allowed
to take down any notes as this is a focused listening activity. They will however, have the questions with them all
the time so that they make reference to what information they need to listen out for.

The Red Kangaroo

What Australian mammal can leap 25 feet in one hop, stand as tall as a six-foot
person and weighs 200 pounds. It is the red kangaroo and is known as the world’s
largest marsupial.

What is a marsupial? It is a mammal where the mother has a pouch for carrying,
feeding and protecting her young. While a red kangaroo may be the largest
marsupial, the new-born baby is tiny, under an inch long. After a few months of
sleeping and growing in mother’s stomach pouch, the young kangaroo, called a joey,
begins to come out. But it hurries back to the pouch when frightened, hungry or cold.
Eventually, the joey gets so big it hangs out of the pouch. Then, at eight months old,
it stays out, but the joey remains close to its mom until it is ready to live on its own.

Red kangaroos are good swimmers. However, they are best known for their hopping
abilities. Their long, powerful hind legs have big feet. Hopping moves them quickly
over their grassy and desert habitats. Meanwhile, a thick tail helps them balance and
steer.

What do red kangaroos eat? They eat grass, leaves and other vegetation. The red
kangaroo’s vegetarian diet provides much of its water. It can also go long periods
without drinking anything. Staying in the shade, panting and limiting most activity to
night time helps the red kangaroo conserve water and stay cool.

Red kangaroos travel together in groups called mobs. Mobs include both males and
females, with one male being dominant. Males show their dominance by “boxing”
with other males. They balance on their tails and try pushing each other off balance
with their forearms or by kicking their hind legs. This kicking ability, along with their
sharp claws, can also be used by kangaroos to defend against Australia’s wild dog,
the dingo.

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Questions:
1. Which animal is known as the world’s largest marsupial?
2. What is a marsupial?
3. Give the name of a young kangaroo.
4. When would the young kangaroo hurry back into its mother’s pouch?
5. What do these kangaroos have to help them with hopping?
6. Which part of their body is used for balancing?
7. What do kangaroos eat?
8. How do kangaroos conserve water and stay cool?
9. What name is given to kangaroos who travel together?
10.How do kangaroos defend themselves from the dingo?

I’m going to stand outside, if anyone asks …I’m outstanding! ☺

The English language is awesome… that’s all for now.

Lots of love
Your English Teachers

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THE FOLLOWING NOTES WERE GIVEN TO LEARNERS ON THE LAST DAY OF

SCHOOL

MOVIES REVIEWS:

Newspapers employ critics. They watch all the new movies, and then write their opinions of what they have seen.

These are called reviews. Often they give movies a star rating . Star
Star Rating Activity Ratings
Read the following reviews with a partner. Decide whether the critics liked the movie
or not. (HINT: Look at the language they use). Try to decide which star rating was given

by the critic to each film.

Movie Reviews:
E.g. Spies in Disguise

Will Smith and Tom Holland have great chemistry in their new animated buddy-
comedy, which gives this film its charming, crowd-pleasing energy.

Superspy, Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and scientist, Walter Beckett (Tom
Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair.
Walter is not. Walter lacks in social skills, but he makes up for in smarts and
invention, creating the awesome gadgets Lance uses on his epic missions.
When events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely
on each other in a whole new way and if this odd couple can’t learn to work as a
team, the whole world is in peril.

Spies in Disguise does a great job of tackling the film’s themes like teamwork and trying to break the cycle of
violence to create a safer future, in a way that younger viewers can easily understand. There really isn’t anything
new with the animation, but there are some pretty awesome visuals in the movie that plays with lighting and
colour that stand out. Holland and Smith’s performances help tie the animation together and with the help of
Mark Ronson’s soundtrack, creates an entertaining animated movie.
Spies in Disguise delivers plenty of fun for viewers – silly comedy for kids and some dark humour for adults.
Viewers of all ages will be pleased with what Spies in Disguise have to offer.

Critic Rating: 4/5 stars

ACTIVITY: WRITE A MOVIE REVIEW ON THE LAST MOVIE THAT YOU WATCHED. INCLUDE THE MAIN
CHARACTERS, THE PLOT, YOUR OPINION AND A STAR RATING.

TOTAL WORDS 80 – 100 WORDS

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DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY
 Description is used often, to create atmosphere and mood: films do this visually, writers do this with words.
 Writing a descriptive essay is very different to narrative essays.
 Instead of telling a story, these essays focus on one topic and describe it in full detail.
Descriptive essays:

• Describe someone/something to allow the reader to • Use images of sight, sound, hearing,
experience the topic vividly taste and touch

• Create a picture in words • Use figures of speech

• Choose words and expressions carefully to achieve

the desired effect
Read the following descriptive essay on Carnival Rides. Notice that it is not a story about ‘Johnny visiting Gold Reef
City”, it is describing carnival rides as a whole.
Carnival Rides

I have always been fascinated by carnival rides. It amazes me that average, ordinary people eagerly trade in the peacefulness
of the ground for the chance to be tossed through the air like vegetables in a food processor. It amazes me that at some time
in history, someone thought that people would enjoy this, and that person invented what must have been the first of these
terrifying machines. For me, it is precisely the thrill and excitement of having survived the ride that keeps me coming back for
more.

My first experience with a carnival ride was a Ferris wheel at a local fair. Looking at that intimidating monstrosity spinning the
life out of its sardine-caged occupants, I was dumbstruck. It was huge, smoky and noisy. Ever since that initial impression
became fossilized in my imagination many years ago, these rides have reminded me of mythical beasts, amazing dinosaurs
carrying off their screaming passengers like cows lining up at the abattoir. Even the droning sound of their engines brings to
mind the great roar of a firebreathing dragon with smoke spewing from its exhaust-pipe nostrils.

The first ride on one of these fantastic beasts gave me an instant rush of adrenaline. As the death-defying ride started, a lump
in my throat pulsed like a misplaced heart ready to walk the plank. As the ride gained speed, the resistance to gravity built up
against my body until I was unable to move. An almost faint pause as the wheel reached the top of its climb allowed my body
to relax in a brief state of normalcy. Then there was an assault of stomach-turning weightlessness as the machine continued
its rotation and I descended back toward the earth. A cymbal-like crash vibrated through the air as the wheel reached bottom,
and much to my surprise I began to rise again.

Each new rotation gave me more confidence in the churning machine. Every ascent left me elated that I had survived the
previous death-defying fall. When another nervewracking climb failed to follow the last exhilarating descent and the ride was
over, I knew I was hooked. Physically and emotionally drained, I followed my fellow passengers down the clanging metal
steps to reach the safety of my former footing. I had been spared, but only to have the opportunity to ride again.
My fascination with these fantastic flights is deeply engrained in my soul. A trip on the wonderful Ferris wheel never fails to
thrill me. Although I am becoming older and have less time, or less inclination, to play, the child-like thrill I have on a Ferris
wheel continues with each and every ride.
This essay is reproduced with the permission of its author, Elisabeth McCarthy. No part of this essay may be reproduced.

* All the highlighted phrases in the above text are examples of figures of speech. Can you name the figures of
speech?

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY:

 Write a descriptive essay of 150-200 words to describe any scene of your choice.
 Give your essay a title and make sure that you follow the guidelines of a descriptive essay.
 Use at least 5 – 8 figures of speech in your essay and highlight these.
 Follow the writing process.

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SUMMARISING

 A summary is a simple version of the story.

 It teaches you to be brief and get straight to the point.

 Only the main ideas are used in a summary.

 Leave out all examples, definitions and extra information.

 Leave out quotations and opinions as well.

 Use your own words wherever you can.

HOW TO SUMMARISE:

 Read the passage.

 Highlight the main ideas in the passage.
 Decide what are the crucial details necessary for
supporting the ideas?
 Decide what information is irrelevant or
unnecessary?
 Use key words or phrases to identify the main points
from the text.
 Write the first draft, with these main ideas only.
 Make sure that these ideas are in order.
 Now try and write these main ideas in your own
words.
 Write your final draft.
 Add your word count

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Read the passages below and summarise each one in about 5 sentences.
Passage 1: Dogs

Dogs make wonderful pets. They are fun, happy, playful and loving. People
sometimes forget, however, that owning a dog is a big responsibility. Owners need
to feed, care for and clean up after their dog. They must make sure their pets get
enough exercise. Dogs also need to be taken to the vet regularly to make sure
they are healthy and to get treatment to stop ticks, fleas and worms from causing
health problems. Owners also have a responsibility to train their pet so it knows
how to behave around people. Dogs are beautiful animals and they deserve
responsible owners who will look after them properly.

Passage 2: The Australian Kelpie

The Australian Kelpie is a very special breed of dog. Kelpies have strong limbs and
a trim built. Well-developed muscle combined with their athletic built, means the
Kelpie can move at very high speeds. Kelpies also move with great agility and
balance. They skilfully jump on top of herds of sheep. This is known as ‘sheep
backing’ and is useful for quickly getting from one side of the herd to the other and
for moving around in tightly packed pens. Kelpies are hard workers and will work
until they drop. They love to be given jobs to do. Kelpies are very alert, eager to
please and very loyal. Kelpies are also famed for their high intelligence. They are
easy to train, which is important because herding sheep is very complex. There are
many commands a herding dog needs to remember such as: hold, gather and keep
distance. The Kelpie is an extraordinary breed of dog.

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Write one main idea for each paragraph below. You must have 5
sentences only.

Bullying

Bullying is when you are mean to another kid again and again. Bullying can take
many forms. It can be teasing, threatening to hurt someone, telling lies about
someone, not including others in order to make them feel bad, or even yelling at
or hitting someone. Bullying can also take place over text messages or emails, or
by posting rumours on sites like Facebook and passing around embarrassing
pictures or videos.

Being bullied makes kids feel powerless, unpopular and alone. It can be difficult to
stand up for yourself when you are being bullied. The bully seems more powerful
than you are. Being bullied can lead to feeling sick or having problems at school.
It can even lead some kids to want to be a bully themselves.

There are many reasons why kids bully other kids. Some want to copy their
friends. Some think that being a bully will make them be respected by other kids,
or make them popular. Sometimes bullies think that they are better than their
victims, and so they bully other kids to prove it.

No matter what the reasons behind it, or what form it takes, bullying is wrong.
Bullies use power to hurt people. Bullies might use their physical strength,
popularity or smartness to bully others. They may use secrets that they know, to
hurt other kids. Bullying isn’t just bad for the kid being bullied. It’s bad for the bully
too. Kids who are bullies often grow up to have problems like using alcohol and
drugs, getting into fights and dropping out of school.

You may not know what to do when you witness bullying. It may make you feel
depressed or worried. You may not feel safe. These feelings may make you want
to join in the bullying, or be silent, so that you do not get bullied yourself. Maybe
the bullying makes you so angry that you stand up to the bully yourself. The best,
and the safest thing to do, is to always bring the bullying to the attention of an
adult, who will put a stop to it.

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