ENGLISH

Mastery A

Week 1, Term 1, 2023

Name: ____________________
“Order and simplification are the first steps toward the mastery of a
subject.”
― Thomas Mann
 A. COMPREHENSION

The Stormy Petrel by Barry Cornwall

1. A thousand miles from land we are,

Tossing about on the roaring sea.
From billow to bounding billow cast
Like fleece snow on the stormy blast
The sails are scattered abroad like weeds
The strong masts shake like quivering reeds;
The mighty cables and iron chains,
The hull, which all earthly strength disdains –
They strain and they crack; and hearts like stone
Their natural hard, proud strength disown.

2. Up and down! Up and down!

From the base of the wave to the billow’s crown,
And amidst the flashing and feathery foam
The stormy petrel finds a home –
A home, if such a place may be
For she who lives on the wide, wide sea
On the craggy ice, in the frozen air
And only seeks her rocky lair
With a mate to form a pair

3. Over the deep! Over the deep!

Where the whale, and the shark, and the swordfish sleep
Outflying the blast and the driving rain,
The petrel tells her tale – in vain;
For the mariner curses the warning bird
Which brings him news of a storm unheard!
Ah, thus does the prophet of good or ill
Meet hate from the creatures she serves still;
Yet she never falters – so, petrel, spring
Once more over the waves on your stormy wing!

The sea bird of this poem ranges over the oceans, hardly ever returning to land. It is
a small bird and is black except for a few white feathers on its wings and tail. Sailors
look upon it as a bird that brings bad luck because of its colour and because it is
always busiest in stormy weather.

Ó Mastery School 1 Mastery A, Week 1

Circle the right answers:

1. The first verse describes the ship

a. Ploughing through heavy seas in a high wind.

b. Sailing fast through calm water.

2. In the second verse the poet says that

a. The petrel makes its homes amongst the waves.

b. The petrel’s home is at the North Pole

3. Also in the second verse the poet says the reason that the petrel returns to land is
because

a. The bird has to come home to her parents

b. She has to raise her own family.

4. In the third verse we read that the petrel is not liked but

a. This does not stop the bird from springing over the waves.
b. The bird is really friendly

5. What Sea creatures are mentioned in the poem? Whale, shark, swordfish

6. Write the line that tells us the ship is not driven by engines.

From billow to bounding billow cast

7. What word does the poet use instead of ‘sailor’?

Mariner

Mastery A, Week 1 2 Ó Mastery School

What causes Volcanic Eruptions?

Earth’s thin outer layer is called the crust and it fits together like an irregular jigsaw
puzzle. The puzzle is predominately made up of eight large tectonic plates that are
all odd shapes and sizes. Volcanic eruptions most commonly occur at tectonic plate
boundaries.

Below the crust is a thick layer of earth referred to as the mantle. Magma is a
mixture of molten and semi-molten rock and gases formed in the upper part of the
mantle. It forms due to factors such as extreme heat, changes in pressure or the
presence of water. The magma works its way up through cracks and weaknesses in
the Earth’s crust, often pooling in a magma chamber beneath the surface.

When enough pressure builds and the gases expand, the magma is forced upwards
towards Earth’s surface. It escapes through a vent, released as lava.
The nutrient-dense lava cools, forming new rock and altering the landscape. Over
time, and after a number of eruptions, a mountainous volcano can form.

When a volcano erupts, massive ash clouds above the volcano’s crater (opening) and
immense amounts of water vapour, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide are released
into the atmosphere. Eruptions are a natural way for Earth to cool off and release
internal pressure.

Pacific Ring of Fire

Approximately 75% of all volcanoes and 90% of all earthquakes occur along the
Pacific Ring of Fire. The ring stretches roughly 40 000km and hugs the coasts of
North America, South America, Russia, China, Japan, some Pacific Islands, New
Zealand and New Guinea. Not surprisingly, the ring occurs at the location where
tectonic plates, including the Pacific plate, move and collide with each other.

One active volcano that lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire is Mount St Helens, situated
in the Cascade Mountain Range in the state. In 1980, Mount St Helens experienced a
devastating volcanic eruption.

An earthquake that triggered a landslide was the cause of the explosive eruption.
Seconds after the landslide began, a huge flow of magma was released. It is believe
the force was equal to the power 500 atomic bombs. The lava from the volcano
flowed down the mountain and mixed with pulverised rock, mud and ice. The
flowing mixture consumed everything in its path for 30km. The eruption resulted in
57 people losing their lives.

Ó Mastery School 3 Mastery A, Week 1

1. Are all tectonic plates the same? Explain.

No, they are irregular.

2. Where do volcanic eruptions most commonly occur?

The edge of tectonic plate boundaries, such as the Ring of Fire.

3. What is magma and where does it form?

Magma is a mixture of molten and semi-molten rock. It forms in the upper

part of the mantle.

4. What happened to Mount St Helens in 1980?

A devastating volcanic eruption.

5. What was the cause of the 1980 eruption?

An earthquake which triggered a landslide.

6. List two ways lava may alter a landscape.

a. create new rock formations. b. fertilise soil and encourage plant growth.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Many large spiders are incorrectly called tarantulas. Taking their name from the
city of Taranto in Italy are:

a. most spiders b. true tarantulas

c. funnel web spiders d. daddy long legs

2. Shirley Temple was a very famous child movie star of the 1930s. Because of her
fame she learnt a lesson earlier in life than she probably wanted to. She once told an
interviewer, ‘I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him
in a department store and:

a. he gave me a gift b. he had forgotten to feed his reindeer

c. he asked me for an autograph d. he gave me a hearty laugh

3. More and more people are using chemicals nowadays. Some of these can be
dangerous if used incorrectly. To avoid placing yourself in dangerous situation it is
important to read the labels so that you know:

a. what the chemical is used for b. the safety precautions

c. the ingredients d. which is the best value

Mastery A, Week 1 4 Ó Mastery School

4. Separating Tasmania from the mainland of Australia is a stretch of water known
as:
a. the Inchcape Reef b. the Great Dividing Range
c. the Tasman Glacier d. Bass Strait

E. WRITING

You are about to write a persuasive text. the topic for your writing is:

Australia’s capital city should be changed.

• Tell me which city you think it should be.

• The current capital city is Canberra, in the ACT
• Use paragraph breaks
• Use a conventional persuasive structure: introduction, body paragraphs,
conclusion
• Include one main reason per body paragraph – then explain that reason in
detail.
• You can use a small number of rhetorical questions – but please do not use
too many.
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Ó Mastery School 5 Mastery A, Week 1

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Mastery A, Week 1 6 Ó Mastery School