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Contents

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Bookmarks

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My Activity

Cambridge Lower Secondary

English
WORKBOOK 8
Graham Elsdon

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Contents
Contents

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Bookmarks
Contents
 1 Nature and humans 5
My Activity
2 ‘Grandmother’s Song’ 20
3 Strange islands 32
4 This is the modern world 47
5 Heroes 62
6 Monsters 76
7 ‘The Plantation’ 89
8 Choices and decisions 101
9 Endings 114
Acknowledgements 128

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How to use this book

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Bookmarks How to use this book 1 Nature and humans
 This workbook provides questions for
you to practise what you have learnt in
Focus

1.1 The leopard

1 Highlight the past tense verbs in this passage. Then, write a sentence

My Activity the Learner’s Book. There is a unit to
match each unit in your Learner’s Book.
Each session is divided into three parts:
explaining how the writer uses these verbs to convey the action and
build detail.
I walked through the hills trying to find an ancient temple.
I came to a small river. On the other side stood a leopard,
quiet and proud. I, too, stood quietly. I was amazed. I had
Language focus
never looked on such an animal before and never have since.

Focus: these questions help you to

Our eyes locked for a second and then it vanished. I walked
on, desperate to tell my story to the next person I met.
When selected carefully, verbs can really bring a description to life. One
master the basics of the key decisions writers make is which verb tense to use. Past tense
………………………………………………………………………………………. verbs describe events that have already happened. The difference in time
………………………………………………………………………………………. between when the story is narrated and when it occurred adds some
……………………………………………………………………………………….
distance to the tale. This can make a story seem more natural – when we
recount experiences, we do so from a point after they have occurred.
Present tense verbs make the action seem more immediate, which can
create a sense of excitement, drawing the reader into the story. Look at
these examples.
• Amir blasted the football over the wall.
Practice The past tense verb has the effect of looking back at a dramatic moment.
2 Rewrite the extract using present tense verbs. For example, you could begin:
I walk through the hills trying to find an ancient temple… The action seems to ‘stand still’ as we observe Amir’s actions at a distance
……………………………………………………………………………………….
from a point in the future.
Practice: these questions help you to ………………………………………………………………………………………. • Amir blasts the football over the wall.
become more confident in using what ……………………………………………………………………………………….
Here the actions seems immediate, almost as if we are
you have learnt ……………………………………………………………………………………….
there at the moment it takes place.
……………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………….

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Challenge
3 Write some lines of dialogue. Use the rules of setting out dialogue identified in
Activity 2 and use past or present tense verbs to report speech. Choose one of
these ideas or use one of your own:

Challenge: these questions will make • a conversation between two young people about seeing a wild animal

you think hard • a conversation between a parent and child about caring for an animal.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………….

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1 Nature and humans 1.2 The mysterious figure

 Focus
Bookmarks 1 Highlight the past tense verbs in this passage. Then, write a sentence
explaining how the writer uses these verbs to convey the action and
build detail.
 Write a paragraph in your notebook describing:
My Activity I walked through the hills trying to find an ancient temple.
I came to a small river. On the other side stood a leopard,
quiet and proud. I, too, stood quietly. I was amazed. I had
never looked on such an animal before and never have since.
Our eyes locked for a second and then it vanished. I walked
on, desperate to tell my story to the next person I met.
Challenge
3 Sometimes writers deliberately switch between tenses, moving from the past tense
into the present tense to create different effects. Experiment with this approach
by writing an account of one of the following scenes or an idea of your own.
• a man being chased down a busy street
• the last minute of an exciting sports game
• being caught in a storm.
Think carefully about when to switch between tenses so that your account still
feels natural.

……………………………………………………………………………………….
1.2 The mysterious figure
………………………………………………………………………………………. Dialogue is an important structural device in a story. It helps the reader understand
relationships between characters and can also be used to reveal important pieces
……………………………………………………………………………………….
of information.

Practice Focus
2 Rewrite the extract using present tense verbs. For example, you could begin: 1 What are the rules of setting out dialogue? Look at this example
from When the Mountains Roared by Jess Butterworth, then write
I walk through the hills trying to find an ancient temple… a list of rules. Consider speech marks, punctuation and layout.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
‘What are you doing out here?’ Toad barks.
………………………………………………………………………………………. ‘Who are you working for?’ yells Garjan, his gaze wild.
‘Are you taking pictures of me?’
………………………………………………………………………………………. ‘We are taking pictures of animals,’ I say, quickly.
‘I’m practising to be a wildlife photographer.’
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……………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….

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1 Nature and humans 1.3 The wildness of eagles

 Practice
1.3 The wildness of eagles
Bookmarks The verbs used to report speech help to show character and emotion.
In non-fiction texts, writers organise information carefully and
Look at the present tense verbs used to report speech in the extract in the Focus
deliberately. They may reveal information gradually, and each
section – barks and yells. Both of these help create a sense of excitement in the story.
 2 Look at this exchange between a teacher and a learner.
paragraph may have a different focus and purpose.

My Activity Add present tense verbs in the gaps to show how the characters speak.
‘Why haven’t you handed in your homework?’ ………………………
Mrs Smith.
‘I just forgot,’ ……………………… Tim, quietly.
‘But you shouldn’t forget,’ ……………………… Mrs Smith. ‘You’re a
clever boy.’
‘Sorry, miss,’ ……………………… Tim. ‘I’ll hand it in first thing tomorrow.’
Challenge
3 Write some lines of dialogue. Use the rules of setting out dialogue identified in
Activity 2 and use past or present tense verbs to report speech. Choose one of
these ideas or use one of your own:
• a conversation between two young people about seeing a wild animal
• a conversation between a parent and child about caring for an animal.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Focus
1 Reread the final three paragraphs of Higher into the Hills,
then answer the questions.
I asked Arman how he tamed the bird. It was a skill he learnt from his
father. The process is fascinating. First of all, you need to find a bird.
This is done by locating a nest way up in the mountains, then taking
a young female from it. Female birds are preferred because they are
larger so they can catch larger prey. Once the bird has been taken,
a hood is put over its head and it is tied down.
This sounds a little cruel to me, but there are some tender aspects to the training.
‘I treat my eagle like I treat my own baby,’ said Arman. Keeping the eagle
calm and happy is very important. Trainers sing and talk to their birds. They
communicate. Training an eagle to hunt involves lots of repeated practice and
rewards. The human voice is the key. It can take two months before an eagle is
ready for hunting.
‘Arman truly understands eagles,’ noted another family member – and I could see
the respect Arman had for this incredible bird. There was a bond that I assumed
would last a lifetime. I was wrong. ‘We return eagles to the wild after ten years.
They are noble. They need freedom eventually,’ he explained.

………………………………………………………………………………………. a Who taught Arman how to tame a bird?

………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………
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b Why are female birds preferred?
……………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………. c Give two ways that trainers communicate with their birds.

…………………………………………………………………………………
d Why are birds released after ten years?

…………………………………………………………………………………

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1 Nature and humans 1.4 The poetry of Tu Fu

 Practice Write a paragraph explaining this view. Use quotations and evidence from the
text to back up your points.
Bookmarks 2 Look at the way the information is ordered in the extract. Then scan the text
again and list the main points of each paragraph. ……………………………………………………………………………………….

 Paragraph 1 ……………………………………………………………………………………….
My Activity
………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………….
Paragraph 2
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Paragraph 3
1.4 The poetry of Tu Fu
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Language focus
………………………………………………………………………………………. In poetry, different effects can be created by varying the length of lines and
how they are punctuated.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
• Some lines of poetry have a punctuation mark at the end – they are
end-stopped or use a comma.
Challenge • Sometimes a poet will use enjambment to create a sense of movement
3 Here is one view of the structure of Higher into the Hills: or to make the poem sound like a monologue.
• Poets may also decide to use punctuation in the middle of a line (caesura)
 to signify a pause.
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Look at this example:

The writer organises the A hawk hovers in air. To drop and seize
information so the reader Two white gulls float on the stream. Birds who foolishly drift with the current.
gradually realises that trainers Soaring with the wind, it is easy
care for the birds.

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1 Nature and humans 1.4 The poetry of Tu Fu

 Continued I have had asthma for a

Bookmarks
Long time. It seems to improve
The first and second lines are end-stopped. They make the reader pause and focus on
the two birds. A sense of stillness is created, as if the hawk and the gulls are waiting. Here in this house by the river.

 The next three lines are one sentence split over three lines. The comma after ‘wind’
creates a caesura. Then enjambment is used suggesting the movement of the birds as
It is quiet too. No crowds
Bother me. I am brighter
My Activity they soar, drop and seize. Notice how the punctuation choices are tied to the ideas in
the poem. And more rested. I am happy here.
When someone calls at my thatched hut
My son brings me my straw hat
Focus
And I go out and gather
1 Read this poem. Add full stops and commas as you A handful of fresh vegetables.
feel appropriate. Make sure your choices keep the
It isn’t much to offer.
meaning of the poem.
But it is given in friendship.
Flying
Through the air ……………………………………………………………………………………….
The falcon moves gracefully riding the currents
Like a feather it glides ……………………………………………………………………………………….
Coming to a rest high
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Upon a cliff edge
Its journey is over ……………………………………………………………………………………….

Challenge
Practice 3 Here are the lines of a poem written as a prose paragraph. Rewrite it as a
poem, arranging lines, using end-stopping, enjambment and caesura as you
2 Read ‘Visitors’ by Tu Fu. Look at the way the lines are either
feel appropriate.
end-stopped or use enjambment. Choose two lines and explain the effect
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of these choices.
The Fish
Swimming through the depths of the water is a bright
fish. Its colours glimmer in the sunlight, bubbles
rippling upwards. I sit for a moment, taken by its
beauty. It pauses, tail and fins paddling. A sound
beyond the water troubles it, and with a dart, it’s
gone. I’m left with my thoughts again.

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1 Nature and humans 1.5 Destroying the planet

 Continued
Bookmarks ………………………………………………………………………………………. • simpler vocabulary and contractions

………………………………………………………………………………………. • punctuation, such as exclamation marks and dashes

 ……………………………………………………………………………………….
• simple and compound sentences.
Consider the different levels of formality in these examples:
My Activity
• When considering which phone to purchase, research is paramount.
……………………………………………………………………………………….
This is aimed at older adults who are unfamiliar with technology. It uses a
………………………………………………………………………………………. complex sentence (with a comma to separate the subordinate clause) and
the complex word paramount. The overall effect is of professional,
………………………………………………………………………………………. trustworthy advice.
• So – a new phone?! Exciting. Want to compare the latest handsets?
………………………………………………………………………………………. Here it goes…

………………………………………………………………………………………. This is written for teenagers and young adults who are familiar with
technology. Question marks, exclamations and ellipsis are used in a playful
………………………………………………………………………………………. way and the sentences are minor or simple. The overall effect is light-
hearted and friendly to engage the intended audience.
……………………………………………………………………………………….

1.5 Destroying the planet Focus

1 Read this text about climate change.
Language focus Highlight any words, phrases, sentence
structures and punctuation that make this text
The type of language a writer uses is linked to the audience and purpose of seem relatively formal, then explain the effect
a text. For example, a headteacher writing to parents about school rules will these features have on you as a reader.
use formal language to indicate their professional status, their respect for
their relationship with their audience, and also the seriousness of the topic.
Formal language choices include the use of: Our planet is in a state of metamorphosis.
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• complex words, such as specialist terms or more elevated synonyms Although it’s probable that humans have
• punctuation such as colons and semi-colons
contributed to these changes, to claim that we are entirely
• complex sentence structures.
responsible is not valid: there are natural forces happening
Writers sometimes use informal language to talk to their readers in a
friendly way, which establishes a relationship between writer and reader. that homo sapiens have no influence over, and it is entirely
For example, a text encouraging children to start cycling will be written in
way a that is light-hearted and easy to read. Informal language choices governed by the way Earth moves.
include the use of:

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1 Nature and humans 1.6 Tsunami

 1.6 Tsunami
Bookmarks ……………………………………………………………………………………….
Language focus
……………………………………………………………………………………….
 ……………………………………………………………………………………….
There are several ways of working out the meaning of unfamiliar words.
You could use:
My Activity
• context: looking at the words around it and the overall topic to make
………………………………………………………………………………………. a sensible guess at the meaning
• morphology: looking at the shape of the word – that is, seeing if it has
Practice a root word, a prefix or a suffix, and using your knowledge of those to
work out the whole word
2 Rewrite the paragraph in Activity 1 using less formal language for a
younger audience. • etymology: looking up the origins of a word to discover its possible
meaning.
………………………………………………………………………………………. Sometimes a combination of methods will help you. For example, look at
this sentence:
………………………………………………………………………………………. • He stared down the dark, lonely street in trepidation.
What does 'trepidation' mean?
……………………………………………………………………………………….
• context: you may notice that the street sounds scary, so you might
………………………………………………………………………………………. guess that trepidation means something like ‘a feeling of fear’.
• morphology: you may notice that trepidation uses the suffix ‘-ation’,
………………………………………………………………………………………. which you know refers to a state or quality. From this you could guess
that the word is a type of feeling.
………………………………………………………………………………………. • etymology: you might research the origins of the word and discover that
it comes from the Latin word trepido, meaning ‘to shake’.
……………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………. Focus
1 Look at the underlined word in these phrases.
Challenge
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Identify the root word and make a list of related words.
3 In your notebook, write two informative accounts of the same topic. The first a it lasted for an unusually long time
account should use formal language and be intended for your teacher. The
second account should use less formal language and be intended for a friend. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .
You could choose your own topic or one of these ideas:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .
• two accounts of a favourite sport
• two accounts about your school day.

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1 Nature and humans 1.6 Tsunami

 b the sea rose immediately immobile

Bookmarks ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . . ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .

……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . . ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .
 c the electricity has just cut out miraculously
My Activity ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .

Practice
2 Work out the meaning of the underlined words in this paragraph. Annotate
the text with the word meanings, then check your answers in a dictionary.
Being caught in a tsunami was the most disconcerting event I’ve ever
been involved in. As the water crashed in, I froze, immobile. My body
refused to move, but then – miraculously – instinct kicked in and I ran.
I found energy from somewhere and I found myself ascending the stairs
ascending
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .
refuge
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .

of a large building, seeking refuge from the water.

Challenge
3 Now research the etymology of the underlined words. Which languages do these
words come from? What did the words mean in their original language?
tsunami
From Japanese, ‘tsu’ = harbour and ‘nami’ = wave
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disconcerting
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .

……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . .

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2.1 Life in the village

 Practice
Bookmarks
2 ‘Grandmother’s 2 Look at the simile that is underlined in this extract and the three statements a−c.
Tick the statements that you think are accurate interpretations of the metaphor.
You can tick more than one.

My Activity Song’ She woke up early that morning having slept like a baby. She felt completely refreshed
and ready for the day ahead. What a relief it was to be free of the problems that had
played on her mind for so long.

2.1 Life in the village a

b
The woman had a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.
The woman went to bed in baby’s clothing.
Language focus c The woman had no worries to keep her awake.

Writers use figurative language, such as simile and metaphor, to give

readers a way of understanding characters that goes beyond describing Challenge
them in a literal way. Figurative language opens up different meanings 3 Write your own sentence including a simile or metaphor to describe the following:
which add complexity to descriptions. For example, if a man is described
using the simile ‘like the sun hidden by a cloud’, this could mean: a a happy old man walking down a street

• the man looks miserable but is actually happy …………………………………………………………………………………

• the man brings a positive attitude to bad situations
…………………………………………………………………………………
• the man’s positive attitude is spoilt by the world he lives in.
When thinking about the meanings that figurative language such as b the feeling of returning home after a long journey
similes and metaphors create, always read them in the context of
what you already know about the character and the story. Ask …………………………………………………………………………………
yourself what the language says about the character’s attitudes
and how these attitudes are shown elsewhere in the story. …………………………………………………………………………………

c the feeling of going outside on a very cold day

Focus
…………………………………………………………………………………
1 Find the figurative language in this text. Highlight the examples of
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simile and metaphor in two different colours. …………………………………………………………………………………

d a child returning to school after a long holiday.

The wind was a howling monster that attacked me as I left
my house. I was late, as usual, and I ran like a cat chasing …………………………………………………………………………………
a mouse to the bus stop. The bus came around the corner,
shuddering like an old man against the cold, and as it did so, …………………………………………………………………………………
I opened my wallet. My money flew away in the wind,
spinning down the street like an out-of-control dancer.

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2 ‘Grandmother’s Song’ 2.2 Making progress

 2.2 Making progress

Bookmarks ……………………………………………………………………………………… .
Writers often introduce secondary characters or events into a storyline to reveal
things about main characters. In ‘Grandmother’s Song’, the writer brings the ……………………………………………………………………………………… .

 hummingbird into the story to suggest things about the

granddaughter’s emotions and development. ……………………………………………………………………………………… .
My Activity
Focus ……………………………………………………………………………………… .

1 Read the following story, ‘First Flight’. You should then ……………………………………………………………………………………… .
annotate the emotions experienced by the boy and the bird.
……………………………………………………………………………………… .
For most of my last weeks at school, I was bored. I felt trapped.

One of the things that held my interest was looking out of the window
Challenge
3 Write your own short story where you use an animal or even a setting to show
and watching the birds on the roof opposite. As the days went by,
the feelings of a character. Choose one of these idea, or use one of your own:
I watched them make nests and fly to get food for their chicks. Before • an old man watching a cat limp down the street
I knew it, it was my final day at school and the chicks were out on • a hospital patient looking at a documentary about the recovery of
injured tigers.
the roof, fluffy and terrified. I stood in the school yard gazing up at
……………………………………………………………………………………… .
them. It was the last day and I was free. My heart seemed light but
……………………………………………………………………………………… .
I did have a moment of doubt as the sun blazed down. On the roof

opposite, a tiny, hesitant little bird bravely launched itself into the air. ……………………………………………………………………………………… .

It flew. ……………………………………………………………………………………… .

……………………………………………………………………………………… .
Practice
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……………………………………………………………………………………… .
2 Now think more deeply about ‘First Flight’. How do you interpret the link made
between the boy and the bird? What points might the writer be trying to make
……………………………………………………………………………………… .
about the boy’s experience of school and his feelings about the future?
……………………………………………………………………………………… .
……………………………………………………………………………………… .
……………………………………………………………………………………… .
……………………………………………………………………………………… .

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2 ‘Grandmother’s Song’ 2.3 Growing up

 2.3 Growing up Practice

Bookmarks 2 Writers combine reporting verbs, the words characters use in their
Language focus dialogue and the narrated text to convey information about characters.


Read the following dialogue, then describe your impression of the
One way to show the attitude and feelings of a character in your writing is by
choosing reporting verbs carefully to describe how the character speaks. Different two characters.
My Activity verbs can suggest particular qualities. For example, using the verb ‘bellowed’ may
suggest that the character has a confident personality or is in an angry mood. Hassan strode down the alley. ‘Hurry up!’ he barked.
Look at these examples used to report direct speech:
‘But…’ started Amir.
• ‘Leave me alone,’ he begged.
‘But what?’ said Hassan, rolling his eyes.
• ‘Leave me alone!’ he yelled.
‘But I’m scared,’ whispered Amir.
• ‘Can I ask you to give me ten minutes alone?’ he whispered.
‘Look,’ said Hassan bluntly, ‘I’m scared
Each reporting verb creates a different impression of the person speaking. The too, but we’ve got to get there – now!’
first example suggests that the speaker is weak or weary. The second suggests
the speaker is angry. Notice how the third example could suggest two quite ‘Yes, but…’ began Amir.
different feelings – the speaker may be upset or he may be speaking in a low, ‘But nothing!’ Hassan interrupted.
threatening way.

………………………………………………………………………………………
Focus
1 What do the reporting verbs in these sentences suggest about the personality ………………………………………………………………………………………
and mood of the speaker?
………………………………………………………………………………………
a ‘I cannot believe what you have done!’ she screamed.
………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
b ‘Why should I?’ she insisted. ‘Why?’ ………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………
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…………………………………………………………………………………
c ‘I’m really glad to be home,’ Chen wept.
Challenge
3 Write your own dialogue featuring two characters arguing about a sports match.
………………………………………………………………………………… Use speech and descriptive reporting verbs to reveal each character’s voice.
………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………..…………………………………

……………………………………………………..…………………………………

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2 ‘Grandmother’s Song’ 2.4 Climbing the mountains alone

 ………………………………………………………………………………………
c What does carefree laughter mean?
Bookmarks …………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………

Practice
 ………………………………………………………………………………………
2 The writer uses sensory images to create meaning and effect in
My Activity ……………………………………………………………………………………… this final paragraph.

……………………………………………………………………………………… List all the words connected with sound, touch and taste in the extract.

……………………………………………………………………………………… Sound Touch Taste

2.4 Climbing the mountains alone

The meaning of a story is often revealed at the end. The ending of ‘Grandmother’s
Song’ focuses on the importance of human touch.

Focus
1 Read the final paragraph of ‘Grandmother’s Song’, then answer the questions.

Granddaughter has become a grandmother many times now. She has taken her
children and her grandchildren across her own broad lap. She has cradled them with Pick one word from each column and explain its effect.
her strong, skilful arms, she has laughed and cried with them, she has sung to them
Sound:
and she has stroked them, whispering, ‘My little ones, listen well. Grandmother’s
spirit is all around us. She is in the wind and in the trees. She is in the valleys and the ………………………………………………………………………………………
hills. She is always there when we are with warm friends, when we taste delicious
food, and whenever there is carefree laughter or salty tears are shed. No matter
………………………………………………………………………………………
where we are, grandmother is never far away. And whenever we need her, we can
simply shut our eyes and feel her holding us so very close.’ Touch:
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………………………………………………………………………………………
a In this paragraph, the granddaughter has become a grandmother. Give two
words used to describe her arms. What is the effect of these words?
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… Taste:
b What do you think the writer means by She is in the wind and in the trees ?
………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………

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2 ‘Grandmother’s Song’ 2.5 Celebrating grandparents

 Challenge Practice
Bookmarks 3 ‘This story is about how close families are and how we are all connected.’ 2 Look at how the writer has structured the information about character and place.
In your notebook, explain what this statement means using quotations from a Describe the way the information is structured in paragraph 1.
the paragraph in the Focus section. What image of the character is given at the start? How has this changed
 by the end of the paragraph?
My Activity
2.5 Celebrating grandparents …………………………………………………………………………………

Writers choose language carefully to present character. They also think carefully …………………………………………………………………………………
about how and where they place information and main points in the body of
the text. …………………………………………………………………………………
b How are England and Poland presented in paragraph 2?
Focus …………………………………………………………………………………
1 Read this extract from The Secret Life of my Grandfather. Using two different
colours, highlight: …………………………………………………………………………………
a words and phrases in the first paragraph that make the character seem
…………………………………………………………………………………
attractive and important
b words and phrases in the second paragraph that make the character seem
Challenge
brave and determined.
3 In your own words, explain how the writer presents his grandfather as a hero.
The old man by the fire Focus on what you find out about the character and the writer’s choice of
language and structure.
As he sits hunched by the fire, it’s hard to imagine my grandfather as anything other than
a quiet old man. But things aren’t always as they appear. Seventy-five years ago, he was ………………………………………………………………………………………
a young man living in Poland. I’ve seen photographs from that time. He’s tall, handsome
and looks great in his Polish army uniform – the one he got married in. He was a captain ………………………………………………………………………………………
in the army, but when the Russians took over the part of Poland he lived in, he had to
make a decision: should he stay in Poland with his family and risk danger, or should he ………………………………………………………………………………………
take his new wife – my grandmother – and start a new life abroad?
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A long journey ………………………………………………………………………………………
In the end, he did the only thing he could. He helped his wife and both their families start a
………………………………………………………………………………………
new life in England. He used all his money to buy train tickets and made sure they got away
safely. By this time, Poland had become a dangerous place, but my grandfather stayed there
………………………………………………………………………………………
alone for a week after his family left before making his way across Europe. Sometimes he
caught trains, sometimes he got lifts in cars, but most of the time he walked. It took him one
………………………………………………………………………………………
month to reach England.
………………………………………………………………………………………

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2 ‘Grandmother’s Song’ 2.6 Comparing texts

 2.6 Comparing texts The Orphan Boy and the Mysterious Stone – a Nigerian folk tale
Bookmarks
When his father and mother die, 10-year-old Ayong Kita becomes chief of the
Different genres of writing can be identified by features such as character types, tribe. However, his people do not like him, so he runs away. He has no money
setting, storylines and specific vocabulary. It is important to bear these kind of and becomes very hungry, but has a dream in which his father tells him where to
 features in mind if you are writing in a particular genre. find buried treasure. He does not go because he is frightened. He then meets
an old woman who gives him a stone from a lake. She tells him to go and dig up
My Activity
the treasure …
Focus
1 Draw a line to match the genre on the left to the conventions on the right.
………………………………………………………………………………………

Features a character who has to overcome a problem. ………………………………………………………………………………………

crime
Contains humour. Ends happily.
………………………………………………………………………………………
Something bad happens at the start. The main
fantasy character has to solve a problem. Ends with a bad ………………………………………………………………………………………
character being punished.
………………………………………………………………………………………

Set in a world different to our own. The main ………………………………………………………………………………………

comedy character goes on a journey. Ends with the main
character being successful.
Challenge
3 Here is the start of another folk tale. In your notebook, write an ending for it.
Practice
Remember that folk tales end with a lesson about life. Write around 100 words.
2 Read the descriptions of two folk tales. Write down what features they have in
common. Think about the types of characters and the plot.
The Gold-Giving Snake – an
Indian folk tale
Princess Kwan-Yin – a Chinese folk tale At the end of long day, a poor farmer called
A king has three daughters, but his favourite is the youngest one, Kwan-Yin. He Haridatta falls asleep under a tree. He wakes
wants her to be queen when he gives up the throne. Kwan-Yin does not want to up to find a giant snake coming out of its
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be queen – she thinks it will make her unhappy. She wants to spend her life studying den. He decides to give it a bowl of milk,
and helping poor people. As the king is dying, he tells Kwan-Yin that he has found a hoping that it would bring him good luck.
husband for her and she must be married and become queen . . . The next day, he finds a gold coin in the bowl.
Every time he gives the snake milk, it leaves
him a gold coin. One day, Haridatta asks his
son to feed the snake. His son decides to kill
the snake and steal the gold from its den…

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 Practice
Bookmarks
3 Strange islands
 3.1 The mystery of Oak Island
My Activity
Writers may present similar topics and themes in very different ways.
The language and level of formality they choose depends on the purpose and
audience of the text.
Focus
1 Non-fiction writing on serious topics often contains facts. Read this paragraph
from the informative article ‘The Oak Island mystery’. Highlight all the facts.
In 1909, the Old Gold Salvage Group arrived. They dug 34 metres
down, but found nothing. In 1969, Triton Alliance bought most of
the island and dug 72 metres down. They sent a camera into the
hole and claimed to have recorded images of tools and wooden
chests. People who saw the images said it was impossible to tell
what was down there. Soon after that, the hole collapsed, and the
project was abandoned.
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3.1 The mystery of Oak Island
2 Now read another version of the paragraph. This was written to entertain an adult audience.
Highlight the words and phrases that present the topic less seriously.
In 1909, when there were much better things to do – such as prepare for a world
war – the Old Gold lot turned up and dug. It was an old waste of their time. All
34 metres of it. Sixty years and 72 metres later, Triton Alliance left with precisely
nothing. They reckoned they caught some treasure chests on camera … of course
they did! Just like their dreams, the hole collapsed.
Challenge
3 Write your own less serious version of this paragraph from ‘The Oak Island mystery’.
Try to make your version sound more informal, light-hearted and entertaining.
As with many such mysteries, strange stories have emerged. Some people claim
that the treasure included some unknown plays by William Shakespeare. Others
say that a curse hangs over the island, which states that seven men will die before
the treasure is found. So far, six men have died trying to find it . . .
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
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…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
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3 Strange islands 3.2 Strange islands

 3.2 Strange islands Focus

Bookmarks 1 Read the sentences in the table. Put a tick next to the ones that use more
Language focus formal punctuation and ones which use less formal punctuation.

 There are times when punctuation choices can help to create different
effects. Punctuation such as brackets, dashes and exclamation marks are not
Quotation
You’re welcome to visit the Japanese
Formal Less formal

My Activity only ways of organising information in a sentence, they also communicate

island of Okunoshima, but you’d be
levels of formality and different shades of meaning. Look at these examples
and explanations.
wise to bring plenty of carrots – there
are thousands of completely tame
• I went for a walk, even though it was getting late, and found myself rabbits hopping around the place!
lost in a maze of streets.
Many chemical weapons were
The commas give this a formal feel and a calm, explanatory tone. used here (there’s even a museum
• I went for a walk (even though it was getting late) and found myself dedicated to poison gas on the
lost in a maze of streets. island), but these days the rabbits
are the main inhabitants.
The brackets still give this statement a formal feel, but they create the
impression of an aside – as if the narrator is involving the reader in their Snake Island has the largest number
thoughts a little more. of snakes, mainly golden lancehead
vipers, in such a small place.
• I went for a walk – even though it was getting late – and found myself
lost in a maze of streets. You really wouldn’t want to visit –
and in fact it’s illegal to land on the
This example is less formal and more conversational. The island – but poachers have been
dashes make it appear closer to spoken English, as if the known to secretly go there to catch
narrator is casually (maybe quickly) explaining the situation. and sell the snakes.
• I went for a walk – even though it was getting late – and
found myself lost in a maze of streets! 2 Choose one of the quotations and briefly explain the effect created by
This example sounds more dramatic. The exclamation mark punctuation choices.
suggests heightened emotion, as if the narrator is scared
or excited. ………………………………………………………………………………………
The choice of punctuation can help the reader to interpret
………………………………………………………………………………………
the meaning of a sentence. Notice how the addition of
the exclamation mark creates a different meaning to the
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version containing only commas. ………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

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3 Strange islands 3.3 Treasure Island: Meeting Ben Gunn

 Practice
Bookmarks 3 Rewrite the following extracts in a more formal way, changing the
punctuation and phrasing where needed. For example, consider using
brackets in a.
 •
My Activity a On the Isla de las Munecas – Island of the Dolls – you’ll find yourself
faced with dolls. That’s right … dolls. Or at least parts of dolls!
Creepy, eh? The island can be found among the Xochimilco canals
in Mexico City.
Challenge
4 Practise using dashes, brackets and exclamation marks in your less formal
writing to create different shades of meaning. Choose a topic that requires
explanation and some detail. Use one of these ideas or choose one of your own:
an account of an event from your childhood
• an explanation of the rules of a sport.
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………

3.3 Treasure Island: Meeting

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

b It was a long-term project for him. Over the next 50 years he put
hundreds of dolls – or parts of dolls – around the island!
Ben Gunn
Reading older texts can present challenges. There are likely to be more
unfamiliar words and plot lines and ideas can be harder to follow, but
with practice you will find this much easier.

………………………………………………………………………………………
Focus
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……………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Read the extract from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson,
then answer the questions.
………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………… ‛Who are you?’ I asked.

‛Ben Gunn,’ he answered, and his voice sounded hoarse and hoarse: having a
awkward, like a rusty lock. ‛I’m poor Ben Gunn, I am; and I rough-sounding
haven’t spoke with a person these three years.’ voice

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3 Strange islands 3.3 Treasure Island: Meeting Ben Gunn

 His skin, wherever it was exposed, was burnt by the sun; even his ………………………………………………………………………………………
Bookmarks lips were black, and his fair eyes looked quite startling in so dark
a face.
………………………………………………………………………………………
‛Three years!’ I cried. ‛Were you shipwrecked?’
 ‛Nay, mate,’ said he; ‛marooned.’ buccaneers: ………………………………………………………………………………………
My Activity I had heard the word, and I knew it stood for a horrible kind of sailors, ones who
punishment common enough among the buccaneers, in which were often lawless ………………………………………………………………………………………
the offender is put ashore and left behind on some desolate and desolate: empty,
distant island. uninhabited ………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………
a What simile is used to describe Ben’s voice?
………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
b In your own words, explain what this simile means. ………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………
c Why do Ben’s eyes seem startling?
………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
d Explain the difference between being shipwrecked and being marooned. Challenge
3 Here is another extract from Treasure Island . Ben is running alongside Jim.
…………………………………………………………………………………
In your notebook:
………………………………………………………………………………… • write a summary of what happens
• explain the effect of the information given here – what impression of Jim
Practice does it give you?
2 Rewrite Ben Gunn’s dialogue in modern standard English.
I began to run, my terrors all forgotten, while close at my side
the marooned man in his goatskins trotted easily and lightly.
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‘I were in Flint’s ship when he buried the treasure; he and six
strong seamen. They was ashore nigh on a week. ‛Left, left’ says he; ‛keep to your left hand, mate Jim! Under the trees
with you! Ah! And there's the cetemery’—cemetery, he must have
Well, I was in another ship three years back, and we sighted this
meant. ‛You see the mounds? I come here and prayed, nows and thens …
island. ‘Boys,’ said I, ‘here's Flint’s treasure; let’s land and find it.’
Twelve days they looked for it, and every day they had the worse So he kept talking as I ran, neither expecting nor receiving any answer.
word for me, until one fine morning all hands went aboard.’ The cannon-shot was followed after a considerable interval by
a volley of small arms.

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3 Strange islands 3.4 Treasure Island: The play


Bookmarks
3.4 Treasure Island: The play Practice
2 Annotate the following extract from the play version of Treasure Island .
Language focus Identify places where the writer has used phrases, stage
directions and punctuation to show character.
 Dialogue is the main way in which the story is told in a drama script.
Sometimes, a character is given a long speech that reveals their feelings, In your annotations, state the effect that is created.
My Activity but dialogue between characters is used to move the plot along and show
cooperation or conflict. Playwrights use regular features in their
dialogue, including: JIM: This place is…weird.

• questions
(JIM jumps in alarm as the loud sound of a colourful
• short sentences
bird is heard.)
• repeated phrases, questions and exclamations.
Writers also indicate in a script what tone of voice an actor should use to JIM: I need to get off this island. It’s not normal.
show how they are feeling. For example, these three versions of the same
line suggest different things about the character’s feelings: (Sound of rustling. Someone is hiding.)
• BETH: (aggressively) Who’s there? – suggests she is angry or
possibly afraid JIM: What’s that? I can see eyes. Is that…a man? Hello!

• BETH: (very quietly) Who’s there? – suggests she is calm or (JIM’S ‘hello’ echoes around the island.)
perhaps frightened
• BETH: (annoyed) Who’s there? – suggests she is irritated. BEN: Aaaargghhhh!

JIM: Aaaargghhhh!
Focus
1 Write some appropriate directions in the gaps to indicate to the actors what
their tone of voice should be. Challenge
3 Rewrite the scene, keeping the same storyline and emotions, but using
CHEN: ……………………………………… Why have you done that?
different phrasing, stage directions and punctuation.
LING: ………………………………………. I don’t know. I just felt like it.
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……………………………………………………..…………………………….
CHEN: ……………………………………… That’s not very fair!
……………………………………………………..…………………………….
LING: ………………………………………. I don’t care.
……………………………………………………..…………………………….

……………………………………………………..…………………………….

……………………………………………………..…………………………….

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3 Strange islands 3.5 Singing sand

 Practice
Bookmarks ………………………………………………………………………………………
2 Read this passage, then answer the questions to explore the way
the natural world is presented in The Lost Island of Tamarind.
………………………………………………………………………………………

 ……………………………………………………………………………………… When she looked back down at the tide pool, the
surface of the water had settled and she could
My Activity
……………………………………………………………………………………… see the creature clearly. Her heart skipped a beat.
A tiny, perfect octopus, just like the one that her
……………………………………………………………………………………… parents had collected from the sea on their last
day together, was looking up at Maya. Its tentacles
glowed so brightly that it outshone the moon. Then
……………………………………………………………………………………… Maya realized that there were dozens of creatures
just like it in the tide pools up and down the beach.
………………………………………………………………………………………
Was this where all the strange, glowing sea
creatures that her parents had been collecting

3.5 Singing sand came from? Maybe it wasn’t an accident that the
children had landed in Tamarind.
Stories with fantasy elements usually combine real-world details with strange and
unusual events. Settings in fantasy stories are often like exaggerated versions of a Find a quotation that shows Maya’s surprise at seeing the octopus.
the world we know.
…………………………………………………………………………………
Focus …………………………………………………………………………………
1 Here are some typical features of fantasy stories. Put a tick next to the features
b How does the writer make the octopus seem unusual?
you can identify in The Lost Island of Tamarind in the Learner’s Book.
a journey to a different type of place …………………………………………………………………………………

a quest (some sort of puzzle or mystery) …………………………………………………………………………………

an unusual main character, for example, an orphan c The octopus seems to be a mixture of a real animal and a fantasy creature.
a main character who is lonely but finds help from non-human characters What is the effect of this?

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a main character who has no family but finds friends …………………………………………………………………………………
a powerful force in conflict with the main character
…………………………………………………………………………………
a mysterious person who helps the main character
d What is implied by the sentence Maybe it wasn’t an accident that the
a dangerous event that threatens the life of the main character children had landed in Tamarind ?
some realistic elements and settings
…………………………………………………………………………………
strange or magical events and items
…………………………………………………………………………………
a happy ending

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3 Strange islands 3.6 Helix

 Challenge Focus
Bookmarks 3 In your notebook, write the opening paragraph of a fantasy story. You should 1 Look at the suffixes in this table. Write what each suffix means and give
introduce a main character and a setting. Use one of these ideas or think up three examples for each suffix in the final column.
one of your own:
 • a young boy wakes to find himself in a strange world below the
Suffix
-ation
Meaning Examples
1
My Activity surface of the Earth
• a teenage girl arrives on an island looking for a book that 2
contains a secret.
3
-ology 1
3.6 Helix 2

Language focus 3
You can try several strategies when spelling unfamiliar or difficult words, -phobia 1
such as:
• sounding out a word. This is where you say aloud the individual letters 2
or syllables to help you hear each sound in the word.
3
• using your knowledge of root words and the patterns of words
-arian 1
(morphology). For example, if you know how to spell ‘identify’ then you
could work out how to spell ‘unidentifiable’. You could do this by using
2
your knowledge that adding the prefix ‘un-’ doesn’t alter the start of
the root word. Also, you could remember that when adding the suffix
‘-able’ to words ending in ‘-y’, the last letter is dropped. 3

Most of the time, you will combine strategies. For example, if you needed -hood 1
to spell the word ‘frustrated’, then you could sound out the first five
letters, then use your knowledge of other words using the suffix ‘-ed’ 2
to complete the word.
3



Practice
2 Now research the roots of the following words. Use a dictionary or an online
source to find out the etymology of each one – that is, where it comes from.
Write some related words in the final column.

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3 Strange islands

 Word Etymology Related words

Bookmarks fantasy
4 This is the

modern world
marine

My Activity

biology

4.1 The birth of the internet

octopus When writing any text, your purpose and audience will inform many of its features.
In particular, they should help you choose a suitable tone and level of formality.

helix
Focus
1 Rank these three extracts in terms of formality, where 1 is most the formal
and 3 is the least formal. All of them are written for older people wanting
Challenge to know about computing.

3 Correct the spelling mistakes underlined in this extract. Use various strategies
to work out the correct spelling. Write the correct version above the misspelt
word, then check your answer in a dictionary.
So – you bought one of those computer things. Congrats! But don’t
tell me … you can’t switch it on. Only joking! Keep calm. I’m Wayne.
Look upon me as your friendly grandson. I’ll help you. Read on…

Sophie woke up, opened her eyes and looked

Information technology can often appear daunting; people of
around. She was absolootly amazed. She looked
advanced years may encounter feelings of uncertainty or bewilderment
at the sea – a huge purple oshun stared back at when using it. This guide is intended to allay those worries.

her. Every now and again, a sea creature that

 looked like a dollfin appeared above the water. Congratulations on buying a computer. Technology can be

confusing at times, but in this guide, we’ll help you set off on an
What was this place? Before she had time to exciting new journey – all the way from setting it up to using a
range of programs.
think, a missteerious buzzing sound rose. It

became louder until she realised it was some

sort of aircraft – a type of hellikopter, but unlike one she’d ever seen before.

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