1 Adventure

In this unit, you will study texts about adventures. You will read about
characters who face challenges, go on journeys and experience exciting
situations As you work through the texts and activitics, think about the
way the characters react to their adventures

> 1.1 The start of an adventure

In this session, you will:
discuss the features of adventure stories
look for explicit information in a text
explore how writers structure their stories.

Getting started
Adventure stories are about characters who go on journeys.
difficult
The characters often have special skills and face
challenges. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is an
sea adventure
example of a story about a boy who goes onofaadventure
In pairs, make a list stories
to find hidden treasure.
and fiims that you know.
 1.1 The start of an adventure

1
Adventure stories are a genre. This means that different adventure Key words
stories contain similar features. In pairs, discuss:
genre: a particular
the types of characters in adventure stories type of text
the types of settings in adventure stories (e.g. adventure,
what happens in adventure stories comedy, crime,
science fiction)
how these stories usually end. setting: the
location of where
Compare your findings with another pair. Apart from the a story takes
main character, what other types of people do you find in place
adventure stories?

'Beware Low-Flying Girls'

Read the extract from 'Beware Low-Flying Girls' by Katherine Rundel.
It is about Odile, a girl whose adventure begins when she discovers she
has a very unusual skill.

Extract 1

It was cold, that day she first took flight, and the snow lay thick enough to hide a cat in.
She wore her father's coat. It came down past her knees, and she had rolled the sleeves
up, so they hung at her wrist in a great roll of wool. The coat had once been a deep,
cocoa-bean brown, but now it was the colour of an elderly shoe. It smelt, very slightly,
of horses and woodsmoke.
The wind was fjerce that day. It was often windy in winter at the top of the mountain;
birds got blown backwards up the cliff edge, reverse-somersaulting through the sky,
their wings shedding feathers like confetti. Seagulls blew into the house, sometimes
right into her lap as she sat curled up in the gomer, wrapped in rugs, reading by the
firelight. Suddenly finding that you had an itate Seagull as a bookmark was not, Odile
thought, ideal, but her grandfather would throw a blanket over them and stomp out
into the night with the bird bundled into his arms.
'Always be polite to birds, he would say. They know more than they let on.'
The house was built into the rock of the mountain, and the door was polished stone. Her
arandfather had lived on the mountaintop allhis life. Odile had lived with him since she
was a baby. She had nobody else. In the house, the fire burned all the year round. 'Keep
the fire as hot as the human heart,' said her grandfather, his jaw stern.'Never let it go out.
That day, she had pulled her father's coat around her, and set out. The wind caught the
coat as she walked down the mountain path, billowing it out behind her like a sail. t had
no buttons left, so she tooka corner of the coat in each fist and held her arms stiff at her
side. She began to run, her hair blowing in her eyes and mouth, down the hill.

9)
 1 Adventure

The wind caught her coat and tossed her upwards. Odile felt the
sudden swoop of gravity undone.
It lasted only a second. She screamed, pulling her coat
her face, and dropped to the ground again, up over
her hands and krnees in the snow. Her landing on
breathing
stopped. Though she had barely fallen two feet,
she felt winded, gasping and choking for air.
1flew,' she whispered. Or had she
just tripped and fallen more perhaps
than usual? She had to be sure.extravagantly
Odile ubbed some snow into her eyes to
make sure
she was awake. She pulled a twig from a tree, brushed
the frost from it and used it to pin her hair out
of her
eyes. She put on her gloves.
She stretched out the corners of her coat. She
to run, downhill, her feet kicking up a spray of
began
snow.
The coat billowed out behind her. Her breath
misted
the air in front of her.
And Odile flew.

Reading tip
When you see words you do not understand, use details from
the surTOunding sentences to help you work out meanings. For
example, in the second to last paragraph of the extract, you could
work out the meaning of billowed by thinking about the effect the
wind might have on Odile's coat- blowing it out around her.
Key word
2 Practise working out word meanings from their context. context: the
The following words are taken fromn the third paragraph of situation within
the extract. What do you think they mean? which something
fierce irate
exists or happens
b confetti bundled.
3
When reading a text, it is important to be able to identify and
understand the main points and ideas that a writer tells you.
 1.1 The start of an adventure

Explicit information is information that the writer states directly. Key words
Read the text again and make notes on:
explicit
what you can find out about Odile's family information: ideas
b what is unusual about the setting and details that
C other unusual aspects of the story.
a writer states
directly
4 The narrative structure of a story is the order in which events take narrative
structure: the
place. This includes how a story starts, when different pieces of order in which a
information are revealed and how the story ends. Look at this writer sets out the
timeline, which shows the first four main points in 'Beware events in a story
Low-Flying Girls'.
You are told Odile The strength of the
can fly. wind is described.

Her father's coat You find out that Odile's

is described. grandfather and Odile
live alone.

Write down the last two main points in the extract from Beware
Low-Flying Girls'
5 Writers design the narrative structure of their stories to keep
readers interested. In pairs, discuss the following questions.
Why does the writer start the story by telling you Odile
can fly?
coat?
b Why does she tell the reader that Odile wears her father's
(Think about why the coat might be special.) Key words
Why does the writer this part of th story with predict: say what
Odile flying? Te you think might
6 Which parts of the story have you found most interesting so far? happen in the
future
you
In your pairs, predict what you think might happen, or what both opinion: a
would like to find out, in the next part of the story. Do you personal view
have the same opinion? or judgement
7 Write a summary of about 50 words explaining what you have about something,
learnt about the features of adventure stories. Use some examples not necessarily
based on fact or
from 'Beware Low-Flying Girls' in your summary.
knowledge

11 )
 1 Adventure

Summary checklist
Ican identify some features of adventure stories.
Ican locate explicit information in a text and understand
its meaning.
can comment on the narrative structure of a text.

> 1.2 Quest!

In this session, you will:
describe how stories develop
explore the features of a monologue
write and perform a monologue.

Getting started
quest is a difficult journey in search of an item or person.
A
Look up the origins of this word. How is the word 'quest'
connected to the word 'question'?

1 Here are two possible ways that the story you read in Session l1.1
could develop.
Which idea do you prefer and why? Discuss your ideas in pairs.
Are they similar to the predictions you made in the previous session?

A Odile flies far from home and arrives in a town she has
never been to. The people treat her like a princess. She is given
lots of power. One day, a threatening creature arrives and Odile
is expected to defend the town. She is frightened and doesn't
know what to do.
 1.2 Quest!

B Odile flies into a dizzying snowstorm and doesn't know

where she is. She falls asleep on a mountainside and when she
wakes up, the coat has gone. She meets a friendy girl called
Millie who invites Odile to stay with her family. Cdile is not
sure if it's a good idea.

Now read another part of "Beware Low-Flying Girls'. At this

point, Odile has found out that her father used the coat to fly.
She also discovers that her grandfather is ill. To get better,
he needs a special plant from the other side of the mountain.
Odile decides to go on a quest to find it. Her grandfather warns
her to be careful of the Kraiks -a mysterious group of talking
birds.

Extract 2
Without another word, she pulled on her boots and coat
and kissed her grandfather's cheek. He waved her away;
his skin was colder than usual.
Odile walked as far as the paths would take her, clapping her
hands together in front and behind her back to keep them
warm; and then she climbed. It was more of a scramble, really,
around the edge of the mountain, but there were places where
She did not
the ground cut away and dropped to a blur below.didn't like the
fly: the wind might drop at any moment, and she
idea of so much gravity at once.
The first hint that something was wrong was theofsmell. Odile
sniffed. There were seven layers of scent, none them good:
a between-the-toe smell, a week-old-fish smel, an unbrushed
tooth smell; a jackdaw's breath, a cat's sick pool, a burnt furball jackdaw: a bird
and a sailor's earwax. (a small crow)
furball: a ball
'Kraiks,' she whispered. of fur that can
could see
She looked up, up the edge of the mountainside. She develop in an
nothing - only mist, and branches stretching like arms across the animal's stomach
rocks. But a voice came down, thin and quiet.
Where are you going, little girl?"
Odile said nothing. She set her jaw, and kept climbing, heading
sideways.

13 >
 1 Adventure

how the story could develop.

2 In pairs, discuss
Remember the following:
dangerous.
The Kraiks seem
Odile can fly: Key words
for her grandfather.
She needs the plant story usually faces monologue:a
adventure
The central character in an story or speech
aproblem. given by one
happily. character
Adventure stories usually end tone: the way that
spoken text told by one person. The speaker someone speaks
03 3 A monologue is a and attitudes, as well as telling a
usually explains their feelings or how a piece of
reveal bits of information. writing sounds,
story in which they gradually
monologue and answer the questions. You will need which helps
Listen to the suggest mood
but also consider the speaker's
to listen for explicit information,feeling. and feelings
tone, which can reveal how he is
missed?
a How many messages had Alex
happy Listening tip
b Why does Alex think the music shop owners are
to let John play the guitars? When you hear
information
between Alex
How would you describe the relationship spoken aloud,
and his mother? listen carefully
d How does the story end? for any explicit
information. The
e 'Alex seems like a really kind person." To what extent do you way a person
agree with this view? speaks and how
they use their
Just like written stories, monologues are carefully structured voice can also
to keep the listener interested. When writing a monologue, it is
give youclues as
important to think about when to tell the listener key information. to how they feel
In pairs, discuss the following questions. about the story
What were you told at the start of the monologue and how they are telling.
Listen carefully
did this keep you interested? not just to what
b What was the most exciting or dramatic part of the is being said, but
monologue? At what point in the story did it happen? also the tone (i.e.
how it is being
C How did the monologue end? How did the ending make you said).
feel - were you happy for Alex?

14 )
 1.2 Quest!

5 Plan a monologue called The Day I Met the Kraiks".

It will be told from Odile's point of
view.
a On your own, decide and make brief notes on:
what happened when you met the Kraiks
what happened on the next stage of your quest.
b Think about the narrative structure of your monologue.
List the events in the order you will tell them in your
monologue. Look back at the structure outlined in Key word
Session 1.1, Activity 4 for ideas.
voice: the way
6 Now write your monologue. Remember that you are writing from a particular
Odile's point of view, so you will need to capture her voice. This character speaks
means thinking carefully about her personality and attitude, and or thinks in
fiction, or the
choosing words and phrases that convey this. For example, you writer's tone and
have found out that Odile is young, but she is also brave. She likes
point of view in
adventures. She has been warned about the Kraiks, so she may be non-fiction
cautious and a little scared.

Peer assessment
Speaking tip
In groups,take turns reading your monologue aloud. Before you read
Which bits of each monologue were the most interesting your monologue,
to listen to? plan how you
will speak. Which
Why? Give reasons for your assessment. words will you
emphasise?
Where will you
What have you learnt from writing this monologue? pause? How can
you use your
What might you do differently next time? voice to make
your monologue
sound exciting?
Summary checklist
Ican predict how stories might develop.
I can identify the features of a monologue.
I can write and perform an interesting monologue.

15>
1 Adventure

> 1.3 Train trouble

In this session, you will:
explore ways of using speech to engage an audience
look for implicit meaning in a text
use diferent sentence types to add interest to descriptive writing.

Getting started
Have you ever had a difficult start to a journey? Have you ever
missed a bus or been on a crowded train? Have you ever been stuck
in traffic or had an annoying start to a holiday? What happened? Key words
How did it make you feel? Tell your anecdote to a partner.
anecdote: a short
entertaining
that is usually
story
1 Tell the whole class your anecdote.
spoken
Explain clearly what happened. gesture:
Focus on feeling and emotion to engage your listeners. movements of

Use tone of voice, gesture and facial expression to add

the hands or arr
meaning. to add emphas
Give your anecdote a strong ending. to bring a story
to life
Speaking tip non-fiction:
writing that is
When you relate an anecdote, make sure you give enough details about about real even
the event to help your listeners picture the scerne. Effective speakers and facts
often use non-verbal communication, so think about how you could
use gesture and facial expression to add meaning to your anecdote. autobiography
a text in which
the writer gives
an account of
Around India in 80 Trains their own life an
Read the following piece of non-fiction writing, which is from an experiences
autobiography by Monisha Rajesh. In the extract, the writer describes
a difficult start to a journey, as she arrives at a station in India. She is
accompanied by a friend called Passepartout. They are helped by Subbu,
who is guiding them through the busy station and on to the train. AS
you read, think about how the writer makes the journey seem stressful.

16>
 1.3 Train trouble

Chennai Egmore station could be heard before it was seen.

Acacophony erupted as we made our way under the arches, cacophony:
running after Subbu who had been instructed to come with us a mix of loud,
to the platform. Indian stations are not designed for running. often unpleasant
An assault course lay between us and Subbu, who was winding sounds
deeper and deeper into the sea of boxes. We ducked and wove assault course:
around the slalom of wooden carts wheeled by men with no an area filled with
sense of urgency, strings of hand-holding children, hobbling obstacles such as
dogs, stacked hessian sacks, nose-pickers, watersellers, walls and ditches
booksellers and red-shirted porters. Subbu now stood by our
train, under a digital sign reading B2, his face powder dry, as we that people have
to find a way over
bent double, sweat running down our bodies. or around
Engines hissed and thudded as they began to move, high slalom: a skiing
-pitched announcements singing out in breakneck-speed Tamil, race down a long.
while the smell of dried fish crept up my nostrils. Passepartout winding course
leapt about, clicking away, and I smiled weakly for the camera hobbling: walking
before boarding the Anantapuri Express to Nagercoil. unsteadily
Subbu had already found our seats and placed our bags on hessian: astrong,
each by the time we squeezed through. Thanking him, we dug thick woven fabric
out bottles of water, notebooks, pens, toilet paper, flannels slunk: moved
and flip-flops, much to the amusement of our companions who away smoothly
had already chained up bags, hidden shoes, plugged in phones and quietly
and sat down cross-legged, watching us. At 7:20 pm the train silhouette: the
jerked. Subbu bowed and slunk off as the train glided out of the
shadow or outline
station. Through the tinted window he was soon no more than a
saluting silhouette. of an object
against a brighter
We were on the move. background

17)
 1 Adventure

explicit information in the text:

2 In pairs, discuss the about Chennai Egmore
station?
Key words
out
a What can you find and feelings of the
about the actions narrator: the
b What do you learn Passepartout?
narrator, Subbu and leave them to work
person teling
the story
information to readers and
this
3 Writers often give information. Understanding implicit
this is implicit
out what it means -reading bet ween the lines. For example, in information:
is sometimes called the writer implies that Subbu is calm. ideas and detals
paragraph Iof the extract, that readers hav
Subbu's face was powder dry, which suggests that to work Out for
She states that unlike the others.
Subbu is not flustered and sweating, themselves
discuss the following simple sentenc
Reread the final two paragraphs. In pairs, sentence with on
questions: main clause
amused?
Why might the people on the train be compound
narrator and Passepartout's sentence: a
b What is being implied about the sentence with
experience of travel in India? two main clau
Language focus joined by 'ana
'but', 'or
effects.
Writers use different types of sentences for different clear detail, complex
For example, a simple sentence can provide basic, sentence: a
but it can also create tension. Compound sentences and sentence wit
complex sentences add detal as well as creating effects, such as one main cla
conveying excitement. When writing about sentences, try to link and one or m
your comments about the sentence type to the effect it creates. dependent
For example, think about what the shortness ofa sentence clauses
suggests about the narrators feelings. Does the detail ofa
complex sentence help to suggest busyness or panic?

4 Look at this simple sentence followed by a complex sentence from

the extract:

Indian stations are not designed for running. An assault course lay between
us and Subbu, who was winding deeper and deeper into the sea ofboxes,
briefcases and body parts.
The first sentence is a direct statement that gives a view about the
station. The tone sounds slightly sarcastic. The effect on the reader
is to givea clear, direct impression of the station and the narrator's
attitude. The shortness of the sentence reflects the narrator's feeling
of amusement but also tension.

18)
 1.3 Train trouble

The second sentence is longer and more detailed. The first clause Key words
introduces an image of the clutter of the station. The subordinate
clause (1ho was winding..) contains more detail, using 'and' twice. clause: a group
of words that
The effect is to convey the huge number of things in the station. contain averb
The length and detail of the sentence reflects the detail of the scene
subordinate
being described. clause: in
Copy and complete the following table in your notebook to grammar, a clause
that cannot
identify examples of simple, compound and complex sentences
form a sentence
in the extract from Around India in 80 Trains. In the last column, alone but adds
comment on their efect. Explain how the writer builds up detail information to the
and the impression this gives the reader. main clause

Sentence type Example Effect

Simple
Compound
Complex
5 In Activity 1, you told an anecdote about a difficult journey. Now
turn this into a written version. Before you write, think about how
you will describe the scene. Remember how the extract uses lots of
Writing tip
images, lists and interesting words to bring the scene to life. Use a Remember that
range of simple, compound and complex sentences to add detail the language
and style of
and variety to your writing. written accounts
is different to
Peer assessment
spoken accounts,
Share your finished account with another learner. Discuss the so think carefully
following questions: about the way
Which bits of your writing do you think are most effective you phrase
your writing.
and why?
For example,
Did you use a variety of sentences? people often
If you were to redraft your work, what would you do differently? do not speak in
full sentences,
although you can
Summary checklist hear where ideas
start and end,
lcan use language to engage listeners in a spoken account. but you must
Ican identify and understand implicit information in a text. always write in
lcan use different sentence types to write an interesting account. full sentences.

19>
 1 Adventure

> 1.4 A hard journey

In this session, you will:
look for explicit and implicit meanings in poetry
explore how poets use language features for effect
learn how to write an analysis of a poem.

Getting started
Some people and some poems describe life as ajourney.
In pairs, discuss what life has in common with a journey.
How could life be described as an adventure?

'Hard is the Journey'

Read the following poem by Li Po, an 8th century Chinese poet.

05 Gold vessels, At peace l drop a hook

Jade dishes of rare meats, into a brooklet,
costing more thousands, At once I'm in a boat

but sailing sunward...

Ilay my chopsticks down,
no more can banquet,
I draw my sword and stare
wildly about me:
lce bars my way to cross
the Yellow River,
Snows from dark skies to climb bringing fair weather,
the T'ai-hang mountains!
(Hard is the journey,
Hard is the journey,
So many turnings,
And now where am 1?)
So when a breeze breaks waves,
Iset a cloud for sails,
cross the blue oceans!
 1.4 A hard journey

1 Copy and complete this table to list the events of each stanza. Key word
The first one has been done as an example.
stanza: a group
of lines of poetry,
Stanza What happens sometimnes called
a verse
1 The narrator describes expensive meats.
2

Language focus Key words

alliteration:
Poets often use different types of sound effects, such as use of the same
alliteration and sibilance. These sound patterns are effective
sometimes for sound, especially
when the poem is read aloud. They are used consonants, at
very specific effects.
the beginning
Alliteration is when consonant sounds are repeated at the start of several close
of words (e.g. 'the rifle's rapid rattle'- the repeated 'r sound together words
brings to mind the stuttering sound of a gun being fired). sibilance: use
Sibilance is the repetition of soft consonant sounds, usually the of repeated soft
's' sound (e.g. 'the ship moved slowly through the sea'- the consonant sounds

repeated 's' sound brings to mind the sound of a ship moving for emphasis
through water, or the sound of the wind making the ship move).

2 Read the poem again carefully. Identify examples of alliteration

and sibilance. What effect do these language features create?
3 In pairs, discuss the following:
a In stanza 2, the narrator decides to stop feasting and picks up
his sword. Why do you think he does this?
b In stanza 3. the narrator is unable to cross the river.
How does the narrator seem to feel about this in stanza 4?

21
1 Adventure

4 At the end of a poem, the poet usually states their conclusion and
Comments on the main point of the text. Reread stanzas 5and 6
and make notes on:
a
how the narrator feels in stanza 5 (why does he find the
journey hard?)
b what happens in stanza 6 to make the narrator set sail.
5 People read poems in different ways and have different responses
to them. Some readers might think that 'Hard is the Journey' ends
happily, because the narrator travels on. Others might think that
the ending of the poem shows that the narrator's difficult journey
Key word
is never-ending. In groups, discuss what you think the ending of
the poem means. mood: the feelino
6 What is the overall mood of the poem- is it optimistic or created by the
pessimistic? Here are two possible interpretations of the poem. words, sounds
and images in
Discuss them in smallgroups. Do you agree with either of them? poem
Why or why not?

This is a poem about B

how difficult life can be. The
narrator faces many problems. The
poem shows how you can't
control your life.

This is a poem about

how humans succeed in the end.
The poem showws that if you
belleve in yourself, then
things work out well.
 1.4 A hard journey

7 Present your thoughts from Activity 6 to another group and listen Speaking tip
to their ideas. Then debate your ideas. You should:
When debating
clearly explain and justify your views ideas, listen
discuss your ideas, making sure you take turns carefully to
come to an agreement about which view is the
others' opinions
and their
most convincing. reasoning. When
challenging their
Self-assessment views, be polite
and friendly. You
How well did you contribute to your group discussion could organise
and debate? your debate in a
Did you give a clear opinion and justify it? formal way, with a
teacher or learner
Did you listen respectfully to other people's views? taking on the role
What advice would you give to others in your group about of chairperson to
improving their skills? keep order and
make sure that
everybody gets a
8 Using ideas from the table you created in Activity 1and from your chance to speak.
discussion and debate, write a response to the following question.
Write about 200 words.
What does Hard is the Journey' show about attitudes to
adventures? You should write about:
details of the journey in the poem
what you think the writer is saying about journeys
and adventures
the language choices made by the poet.

Summary checklist
l can identify and explain explicit and implicit meanings
in poetry.
effect.
can analyse how poets use language features for
can write an analysis of a poem.

23>
 1 Adventure

> 1.5 Danger!

In this session, you will:
investigate some features of suspense writing
choices
explore the effects of language and grammatical
read aloud with expression.

Getting started
Adventure stories often contain moments of suspense. The main
character is usually in a dangerous situation. The situation is
tense and drawn-out, which makes the reader concerned about
what will happen to the character.
Look at the picture of a child in the woods. If youwrote a story
based on this picture, how would you create suspense? What
would happen in your story?

Silverfin
Read the following extract from a novel by Charlie Higson. It is about
a young spy called James. At this point in the story, James is trying to
sneak into a castle that hides a deadly secret. The only way to get in is
to walk along a branch that hangs over a lake. Kelly is James's friend.

06 He struggled on up through the tangle of small twigs and young limbs. After
some careful searching, he found a suitable branch. In fact it was probably his
only hope, because it was the last branch that looked as if it would be strong
enough to support him. He lay down on it, gripping it with his legs, and
slowly slid himself away from the trunk and out over the loch.
loch: lake
He looked down at the black waters, so still now, but he consolation:
could picture the eels
beneath the surface, lying in the stinking mud at the bottom, their wide something that
sticking out, waiting patiently. His one consolation was that if the fall snouts makes you feel
kill him, it would at least knock him didn't
unconscious, and he would know nothing better
about sinking down through the dark waters towards their slimy
mouths.
He suddenly felt very lonely. If he fel, Kelly
knew he was here. He was utterly alone. wouldn't come, and nobody else

24
 1.5 Danger!

He forced his eyes away from the water towards the wall ahead of him.The
branch was bending sharply now, and he found himself crawling downwards
towards its tip, so that there was a very real danger of slipping forward and off
the end. Best not to think about that.
Slowly he shuffled along. The castle was six feet away, five
four... The branch was swaying alarmingly. He felt like he could tip offat
any moment.

He stopped.
The wall was still three feet away ...
He didn't move.

He knew it wasn't going to work.The branch wasn't long enough. It was too thin.
If he went any further, he would be past the point of no return. He'd be stuck.
He glanced down, he was over the ground now, at the foot of the wall.That
would be worse than hitting the water, eels or no eels. He closed his eyes and
slowed his breathing, trying to calm the mounting panic. mounting: getting
And then he heard it. bigger
tread: the surface
First a creak. Like a loose tread on a staircase. of a step or stair
And then a crack.
He felt the branch shudder... It was splitting.

1 In your notebook:
Key word
list the dangers and problems that the main character faces
storyboard: a
b note down how you think James feels series of drawings
or images
C write down the six most exciting sentences in the story.
Find a partner and compare your ideas. Do you agree?
showing the
planned order of
images in frames
2 Imagine you are making a film based on Silverfin. Create a (in films and
storyboard of six images that show the most important parts of the television)
story. Choose your images carefully - which ones would help to
create a feeling of suspense?
 1 Adventure

Language focus
Reading tip
To create excitement in suspense stories, writers often use verbs
that suggest movement and power. In the first paragraph of
When exploring
the effect of
Silverfin, there are lots of 'action' verbs, including struggled,
gripping and slid. These powerful verbs create excitement in the
sentence tytpeso
rememnber
Story, helping the reader imagine the movement and danger that think about the
the character is experiencing. Verbs build intensity, so choosing specific effect
a powerful verb like struggled is often more effective in creating they create. For
excitement than the choice of adjective. example, short
sentences do not
3 Look again at the extract from Silverfin. Write a paragraph always Create
explaining how the writer uses powerful verbs to create excitement.
Find yOur own examples and comment on their effect.
excitement;
sometimes they
are used to
4 Writers use many techniques to create excitement. For example, Convey anger or
they may use short sentences at the moment of greatest even humour.
drama,
or they might use a single sentence paragraph. Look at the short
sentences in the last 13 lines of the extract (from He stopped).
In pairs, discuss which is the most exciting short sentence and Key words
why. Make a note of your opinions. humour: when
5 Writers can use punctuation to create effects. In the extract, things are funny
ellipsis is used at moments of drama. For example, in or things that ar
the narrator states: paragraph 5, funny
The castle was six feet away, five... four... The ellipsis: a set of
branch was three dots(..)
swaying alarmingly:. used to indicate
Here the ellipsis emphasises the tension, as if the that words have
reader are character and the
holding their breath as the main character cdges
along been left out
the branch.
Find one other example of ellipsis from the extract and
sentence explaining its effect.
writea
6 Look again at the extract from Silverfin.
Writea paragraph explaining
how the writer creates suspense through his choice of
punctuation and sentence types. You should commentlanguage,
on:
powerful verbs
short sentences
ellipsis
any other aspects of language that help to
create suspense.

26>
 1.6 Creating suspense

read
7 Using your knowledge of the way the text has bcen written, Speaking tip
the extract aloud to a partner. As you read, focus on expressing the When performing
excitement. Work out: a story aloud,
which words and phrases you will emphasise always plan
how you will
how loud or soft your voice will be at various points emphasise
certain words.
how long you will pause when ellipsis is used When actors
when you will slow down or speed up your reading to perform scripts,
create excitement. they spend time
considering how
Summary checklist they will speak
certain phrases
lcan comment on the teatures of suspense stories. and where they
Ican describe the effects of language and grammatical choices. will pause. Use
lcan read a story aloud with expression. a pencil to make
notes on the story
to help you plan.

>1.6 Creating suspense Key word

script: the words
In this session, you will: in a play, film, etc.
narrative writing
use planning techniques for a piece of
explore what makes a successful opening to a story
write and edit a narrative text.

Getting started
stories from
Remind yourself of the typical events of adventure
of story are used
Sessions 1.1 and 1.2. Which events in this type
to build suspense?
suspense.
1 You are going to plan part of a story that contains
Make notes on the following questions:
Who will your main character be?
Where is the story set?
What are they trying to do or achieve in the story?
What dangers do they face?

27 )
1 Adventure

think about these situations:

I you are finding it difficult to start.
when a storm happens
acharacter who is rowing across a wide river
a character who is trying to escape from his kidnappers.
Or use the picture below to help you.
2 Theopening sentences of astory are very important. They must
provide the reader with information - cither character, setting or
situation. They must also show an element of mystery, danger or
humour to engage the reader's interest. Compare these two story
openings. In pairs, discuss why the second opening is more effective
than the first.

A lwas walking along a cliff at night. It was very dark and Ithought that Imight fall of.
BAbsolute darkness. I'd never been this scared before. Slowly, Iedged along the cliff.
3 Think carefully about your story opening. How can you capture
your reader's attention straight away? Write some opening
sentences and show them to a partner. Share your opinions
Write the story that you have planned. You do not have to write
the complete story- you could stop at a dramatic moment like
Silverfin. Remember to:
build suspense as the story develops
try to mnake your reader feel concerned about your
character
use appropriate punctuation, such as ellipses
use known spelling patterns to spell words correctly
use language precisely to show your ideas
use paragraphs and give your story an
appropriate title
make sure your handwriting is clear and neat.

28>
 1.6 Creating suspense

Here is a sample answer to this task:

Istood on the cliff face and looked down at the furiou,

boiling waters -I'd dreamt of this moment. The airr The
sea. The freedom. My dreams of liberty and closeness to
nature had led me here. Further along this cliff face was a
place of wonder: it was a cave rumoured to contain strange,
beautiful creatures that only a few humans had seen. But
to get to the cave, Iwould ne ed to leap into the ocean,
then climb up to the cave. This was no easy thing. People
had died attempting such a feat - it was madness.
Allmy life I had avoided danqer But sometimes, life has a
strange way of opening our eyes. The ocean locked angry, the
OCean was Certain death.

The air is so fresh here. There is a comfort in the hypnctic

noise of the seabirds, calling you into pOssible destruction.
Ibreathed de eply, controling my fear, reminding myself of the
reason I was here. Even with my eyes shut, Icould see the
vivid colours of sea and sku. The sea was beautiful.
This will be a smbolic fall. I may not make it
Beneath my feet, I felt the grainy reassurance
of the rocks. Was the wind on my side? Or was
it the enemy? On the horison, a cruise ship
moved slowly. The waters suirled invitingly.
An nseen force propelled me towards the
water . Ididit want this any more but
found myse f falling.
For seconds, I was a bird.
Beneath me, the ocean beckoned.
This was it.

29 >
 1 Adventure

Writing tip
5 Discuss the sample answer in pairs.
What do you think is good about
it? Redrafting your
work can be time.
techniques could you use in your own story?
b What ideas or
such as the dash, ellipsis,
consuming, but it
is essential. When
Look how punctuation devices used. How do they help you redraft, start
colon and semi-colon have been by considering
with meaning? structure. Is the
sort of personality does
Nowdiscuss the voice of the text. What order right or
writer uses to convey
the narrator have? Make a list of phrases the does it need
the narrator's personality. rearranging?
Do some parts
Peer assessment need more

Ask a partner to read your story aloud. Listen carefully to

explanation?
how it sounds. Which bits do you both think are the best? Then turn your
Which bits need redrafting? attention to the
detail, such as
Use a highlighter to identify paragraphs you want to improve. word choices,
Help each other with ideas and phrases. Remember to spell
check your work. ensuring you ha e
used strategies
Look at the effectiveness and range of punctuation you have you know to spe
used. Can you use some of these when you redraft your work?
words correctly

Once you have finished your story, read it back to yourself.

How well do you think you planned your story?
fyou did this activity again, what
would you change about the
What advice would you give to planning process?
someone who wants to write a suspense story?

Summary checklist
I can plan a piece of
narrative writing.
lcan identify what makes a successtul
piece and edit myopening
lcan write a narrative to a story.
work to improve it.

30
Check your progress
Answer the following questions to check what you have learnt in this unit.
1
What are the key features of adventure stories? Give some examples of events that
happen in adventure stories.
2 What type of characters do you find in adventure stories? What happens to them?
3
List three ways you can keep an audience interested when relating an anecdote.
4 Using examples, explain what alliteration and sibilance are.
5 List three ways of creating suspense in a story.
6 Explain what you have learnt about planning, writing and redrafting your writing.
Write a list of tips for future learners about improving writing.

Project
In groups, you are going to design and present some ideas for a specific
type of adventure story: the superhero story. Superhero stories are about
characters who have extraordinary powers. They are often normal
people who secretly change into superheroes in order to help people
in need. Using the information in this unit as well as extra research:
devise a new superhero
write a brief character profile
decide details about the world they live in - is it
recognisable as your own world, or is it a different type of place?
describe a costume they might wear
draw the bad characters that the superhero will encounter
plan some storylines.
Present your ideas as a group. You could use pictures and
artwork to explain your ideas.
Start by:
noting down the names of any superhero books, comics
and films you know
discussing some initial ideas with your group
working out who will do what in your group
planning ways to present your work.