1 The World in a Wall - Fazaia | LMS Oxford Modern... · siblings and his mother moved to Corfu in Greece to live with Durrell’s grown-up brother, Larry. It was here that Durrell

The World in a Wall1words to know

bulbous fat, bulging and round; shaped like a bulbbulging swelling outwards; sticking outconfetti small pieces of coloured paper traditionally thrown on

birthdays and marriage ceremoniesdawdling being slowenraptured extremely pleased byinfinite limitless; impossible to measureintricate extremely detailed and complicatedoblivious unawarephobia an extreme fear of somethingpredator an animal that hunts and kills another for foodquashed rejected or stoppedrapidity moving or reacting with great speedreluctantly with hesitation; unwillinglyrepercussion an unintended, unwelcome consequence of an event or

actionrotund large and plumpscuttled ran with quick, hasty stepssurreptitiously secretively, sneakily

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This extract is from the autobiography, My Family and Other Animals, by Gerald Durrell. Durrell was an expert in studying animals. When he was ten years old, Durrell, his older siblings and his mother moved to Corfu in Greece to live with Durrell’s grown-up brother, Larry. It was here that Durrell began to collect and keep animals as pets.

The crumbling wall that surrounded the garden alongside the house was a rich hunting ground for me. It was an ancient brick wall that had been plastered

over, but now this outer skin was green with moss, bulging and sagging with the damp of many winters. The whole surface was an intricate map of cracks, some several inches wide, others as fine as hairs. Here and there large pieces had dropped off and revealed the rows of rose-pink bricks lying beneath.

The inhabitants of the wall were a mixed lot, and they were divided into day and night workers, the hunters and the hunted. At night, the toads and geckos were the

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hunters. Their prey was the population of stupid, absent-minded crane-flies, moths of all shapes and sizes and rotund beetles hurrying with their night’s work. By day, it was difficult to tell the difference between the prey and the predators. Everything seemed to feed off everything else. The hunting wasps searched out caterpillars and spiders; the spiders hunted for flies; the dragon-flies fed off the spiders and the flies; and the swift, multi-coloured wall lizards fed off everything.

But my favourites were the shyest members of the wall community who did not seek any attention. They were also the most dangerous; you hardly ever saw one unless you looked for it, and yet there must have been several hundred living in the cracks of the wall. If you gently lifted a piece of the loose plaster away from the brick, there, crouching beneath it, would be a little black scorpion an inch long, looking as though he were made out of polished chocolate.

They were weird-looking things, with their flattened, oval bodies, their neat, crooked legs, the enormous crab-like claws, bulbous and neatly jointed as armour, and the tail like a string of brown beads ending in a sting like a rose-thorn. The scorpion would lie there quite quietly as you examined him only raising his tail as a warning sign if you breathed too hard on him.

Then one day, I found a fat female scorpion in the wall, wearing what at first glance appeared to be a pale fawn fur coat. Closer inspection proved that this strange garment was made up of a mass of tiny babies clinging to the mother’s back. I was enraptured by this family, and I made up my mind to smuggle them into the house and up to my bedroom so that I might keep them and watch them grow up. With infinite care I moved the mother and family into a matchbox, and then hurried to the villa.

It was rather unfortunate that just as I entered the door, lunch should be served. However, I placed the matchbox carefully on the mantelpiece in the drawing room and made my way to the dining room and joined the family for the meal. Dawdling over my food, feeding Roger surreptitiously under the table and listening to the family arguing, I completely forgot about my exciting new captures. At last Larry, having finished, fetched the cigarettes from the drawing

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room, and lying back in his chair he put one in his mouth and picked up the matchbox he had brought. Oblivious that the end of my happy days was about to come, I watched my eldest brother interestedly as, still talking loudly, he opened the matchbox.

Now I insist, to this day, that the female scorpion meant no harm. She was nervous and a little annoyed at being shut up in a matchbox for so long, and so she seized the first opportunity to escape. She pulled herself out of the box with great rapidity, her babies clinging on desperately, and scuttled on to the back of Larry’s hand. There, not quite certain what to do next, she paused, her sting curved up at the ready. Larry, feeling the movement of her claws, glanced down to see what it was, and from that moment things got increasingly confused.

He uttered a roar of fright that brought Roger out from beneath the table, barking wildly. With a flick of his hand, he sent the unfortunate scorpion flying down the table, and she landed midway between Margo and Leslie, scattering babies like confetti as she thumped on the cloth.

And with that there was a rapid change from peace to chaos: thoroughly enraged at this treatment, the creature sped towards Leslie, her sting quivering with emotion. Leslie leapt to his feet, overturning his chair, and flicked out desperately with his napkin, sending the scorpion rolling across the cloth towards Margo, who promptly let out a scream that any railway engine would have been proud to produce.

‘Eek! Look out! Look out! They’re coming!’ screamed Margo.

‘All we need is a book,’ roared Leslie; ‘don’t panic, hit them with a book.’

Mother, completely bewildered by this sudden and rapid change from peace to chaos, put-on her glasses and peered down the table to see what was causing the

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pandemonium, and at that moment Margo, in a vain attempt to stop the scorpion’s advance, hurled a glass of water at it. The shower of water missed the animal completely, but successfully drenched Mother, who, not being able to stand cold water, promptly lost her breath and sat gasping at the end of the table, unable to protest even.

‘Get a knife, hit them with a book!’ shouted Larry. ‘That boy will kill the lot of us! Bah! Look at the table, knee deep in scorpions! Kill them.’

‘Oh no! Don’t hurt them. I’ll catch them,’ I pleaded until, eventually, backed up by Mother, Leslie’s suggestion that the whole lot be killed was quashed.

By the time a certain amount of order had been restored, all the baby scorpions had hidden themselves under various plates and bits of cutlery. The results of this incident were numerous. While the family, still feeling angry and frightened, moved to the sitting room, I spent half an hour rounding up the babies, picking them up in a teaspoon, and returning them to their mother’s back. Then I carried them outside on a saucer and, reluctantly, released them on the garden wall. Roger and I went and spent the afternoon on the hillside, for I felt it would be wise to allow the family to have a break before seeing them again.

Larry developed a phobia about matchboxes. But, from my point of view, the worst repercussion of the whole affair was that Mother decided to try to stop me from exploring the animal world.

‘You are running wild again. It is high time you received a little more education,’ she said. ‘I’m getting you a tutor.’

Gerald Durrell (adapted)

While ReadingDo you find this scene funny? Why or why not?

About the AuthorGerald Durrell (1925–1995) was an English naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author, and television presenter, but he is perhaps best remembered for the books he wrote about his life as an animal collector and enthusiast. Durrell was taken to a zoo when he was very young and he said that this was when his lifelong love of animals began.

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ExercisesA COMPREHENSION

1. Answer the following questions.

a. Where does Gerald hunt for animals and why is it a good place to find them?

b. Make two lists of animals under the following headings. i. animals that Gerald finds during ii. animals that Gerald finds at night the day c. Explain who the following characters are and find information about what

happens to them in the text. i. Larry ii. Rogerd. What does Gerald think the female scorpion is wearing? What gives her

that appearance? e. Why does Gerald forget about the scorpions after he has put them in the

matchbox?f. What happens to Gerald’s mother during the chaos at the end of lunch?g. Why does Gerald stay away from the family in the afternoon?h. What are the repercussions of the incident?

These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.

i. Why do you think that this chapter is called The World in a Wall?j. Work with others to fill in the Venn diagram below with the names of the

creatures mentioned in the story.

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Prey Predator

Pick out three of Gerald’s descriptive phrases about scorpions. How does he feel about scorpions?

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B

sheep

cows

hounds

ants

stones

hills

A

range

colony

heap

flock

herd

pack

B

keys

puppies

fish

wolves

cards

A

litter

school

deck

bunch

pack

2. Answer the following questions with reference to context.

I completely forgot about my exciting new captures.

a. Who forgot and what distracted him?b. Why did he capture the creatures?c. Where were the captured creatures?d. What happens next?

B WORKING WITH WORDS

1. Use the following words in sentences of your own to show that you understand what they mean. You will find the words in the story.

a. bulging b. reluctantly c. enraptured d. surreptitiously e. oblivious f. inhabitants

g. dawdling h. confetti i. oblivious

COLLECTIVE NOUNS

2. Here are some common collective nouns. Can you match them correctly, and write them in your notebook?

Example: a swarm of bees

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C LEARNING ABOUT LANGUAGE

PARTS OF SPEECH

The eight parts of speech are: nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

1. Recall the first seven parts of speech. Try to give an example of each.

2. Make lists of the nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in the following passage.

One day, Merlin the Wizard, came out of the deep green valleys of Wales and passed along the stoneway to London. He was a famous man and no one dared to attack him on the way. When he got to London, he spoke to the bishops and they called a meeting in the great Abbey Church. Suddenly, everyone in the Church started to murmur because there appeared outside the Church a great stone; on the stone was an anvil and in the anvil was a shining sword.

VERBS AND ADVERBS

3. Find six interesting verbs and six interesting adverbs in the story.

INTERJECTION

The interjection is an exclamation. Words, which show feeling, emotion, anger and delight, are called interjections.

4. Underline the interjections in the following.

a. Whew! That was a good run. b. We have lost the battle. Alas!c. Ugh! What a smelly drain! d. Hurrah! We have won the match.

5. Find three interjections in the story.6. Make a list of any other interjections that you can think of.

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D LISTENING AND SPEAKING

1. Work in a pair and take turns to ask each other some of the following questions. Answer each other in detail. Listen to your classmate’s answer carefully. You can help your classmate give details by asking them about their response.

a. What animal are you most like? Why?b. What animal are you frightened of? Why?c. What should we do to save endangered species?d. Are there any animals that we should try to kill off completely?

Why or why not?e. Which three animals’ traits would you most like to have and why?f. What is the sweetest animal you can think of? What is the least attractive?g. Except for food, do humans need other animals? Why or why not?h. Why do humans have pets? Do you have a pet? Why or why not?

E COMPOSITION

Imagine that you were present in the dining room during the scorpion incident. Write a paragraph about what you thought and felt about the incident.

Think about: how you felt during the incident; how you feel about Gerald’s interest in animals; what should happen to Gerald …

OR

Pick out the descriptions of the scorpions from the story. Add to that description, and write a paragraph about scorpions. Draw a picture to go with it.

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Project

MAKING A PRESENTATIONDo some research about ONE OR TWO of these dangerous animals.

BOX JELLYFISH GOLDEN POISON DART FROG

FUNNEL WEB SPIDER BLACK MAMBA HIPPOPOTAMUS

CASSOWARY MOSQUITO

• what makes it dangerous to humans• what it looks like (limbs, horns, tail, claws… colour, size,

body covering: skin, fur…)• whether it has a backbone and skeleton (or something

else)• whether its young are born or hatch from eggs• what its mouth is like• what it eats (is it a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore?)• and, anything else you can find out.

Prepare a presentation covering the points given below:

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Exercises

words to know

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near, Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Lee Frost

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

darkest evening winter evenings are much darker than summer evenings in places closer to the North Pole

downy like down (the soft under-feathers of young birds)flake small pieces of snow; flecks harness the leather straps and belts

used to control a horse

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Exercises

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A UNDERSTANDING THE POEM


a. To whom did the woods belong?b. Did the rider see a farmhouse?c. During which season (or month) do you think this event took place? Give

a reason for your answer.d. What mood or atmosphere does this poem create?


e. Why do you think the rider stopped by the woods?f. Why was the horse puzzled?g. Where do you think the rider was going?

2. What is the rhyming pattern in the poem? Do all the stanzas have the same pattern?


He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake.

a. Who is the he the poet is speaking about?b. What is a harness?c. What is the possible mistake?

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About the PoetRobert Lee Frost (1874–1963) was born in San Francisco. He was a poet, a teacher, and also a farmer. He won two Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry.

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SUFFIXESSometimes, we can add the suffix -y to a word when we wish to use it as an adjective.Example: down (a noun meaning the soft feathers of young birds) can be turned

into downy (an adjective)

1. Addthesuffix-y to these words, and then use the new words (adjectives) you have made in sentences of your own.

a. fluff b. fun c. leaf d. sugar e. bend

2. Addthesuffix-y to the following, where possible. Not all the words cantakethesuffix-y, so check in a dictionary. And be careful about spelling changes.

a. red b. run c. shade d. close e. shoutf. thorn g. weight h. cold i. snow j. sun

ABBREVIATIONS

Do you remember what an abbreviation is?

It’s a short form of writing something. Usually only the important words have their initial letters in the abbreviations.

Example: Bachelor of Arts is not BOA but BA.

3. See if you can write abbreviations for the following.

a. Master of Science b. His/Her Majesty c. Member of Parliament d. Master of Arts e. School Leaving Certificate f. Doctor of Medicineg. Trade Union h. Doctor of Philosophyi. South East j. Bachelor of Education

CONTRACTIONS

4. Write the short form (contractions) for the following.

a. I am b. have not c. they have d. we are e. cannot f. they will g. shall not h. it isi. they are j. will not k. I would l. she will

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NOUNS AND VERBS Look at the sentences below: He gives his harness bells a shake.They shake the branches and the fruit falls off.The word shake is used as a noun in the first sentence and as a verb in the second.

Below are some words that may be used as nouns or verbs.

1. Use the words in sentences of your own—once as a noun and once as a verb.

a. line b. surface c. water d. sensee. shape f. taste g. swim

2. State whether the underlined words are nouns or verbs.

a. Time should not be wasted.b. We can easily time how long it will take by using a stopwatch.c. The flies settled on the piece of bread.d. He flies to many different countries each year.e. We rent an apartment. f. She pays rent for her apartment.


1. Say the following aloud, clearly, and slowly.

a. Step along the steep, deep dip but don’t trip.

b. Look at the dull fool pull the boot out of the cool pool with his foot.

c. Sheila sells seashells when she’s not sewing shepherds’ socks.

E COMPOSITION

Write a paragraph or two about where the rider might have been going. What work did he have? Who was he going to see? Did anything happen to him?

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ExercisesDoes He Remember?2words to know

bay deep-throated, lengthy barkcacophony harsh sounddeterminedly in a decided or resolved manneremitted gave out (light or sound)frantic greatly excited; frenziedfumbled touched or handled awkwardly and uncertainlyilluminated lit upleash a chain or strap attached to the collar of a dogmuse to consider thoughtfullyprolonged lengthy; drawn outscrawled written hastily and untidilyscurry to go with light, running stepswrenched pulled roughly and with forcewrithed twisted and turned

Mike stood waiting at the garden gate. There was a padlock and chain on the gate. It was firmly locked. On the wall beside the gate, there was a large round button.

Above the button, there was a sign that said: ‘BELL’. Mike had already pressed it once, but he now pressed it again. He had thought about climbing over the gate and entering the compound, but he knew that the large sign on the gate meant what it said:

BEWARE OF DOGS

Below the lettering of this sign someone had scrawled:

THEY WILL HAVE YOU FOR BREAKFAST

Mike thought this was amusing, but he also knew that it might be true, judging by the barking he could hear coming from the house. He was not going to take the risk and become

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food for these creatures. Besides, he was now too old to be climbing over gates. Perhaps the dogs had heard the bell ringing again or possibly they had sensed their prey, for the baying became more frantic. It was not a yelp or a howl, but a deep-throated and prolonged baying. The animals were obviously hungry.

Mike waited and mused about the old days. He shifted from one foot to the other, thinking about all the occasions he had visited this very house. Those were the good old days. Nabil was such good company. And those dogs of his, they were little puppies then. How he had teased them! How time had moved on! He was an adult now.

At last, just as Mike was becoming a little annoyed, an old man came scurrying out of the side door of the house. He appeared, with his urgent shuffle, to be hurrying, but he took forever to reach the gate. On this seemingly long trip he searched all the while in one pocket after another. When he finally reached the gate, his smile indicated that he had found what he had been looking for — the key to the padlock.

The old man fumbled with the keys, and in due course opened the lock. The heavy gate squeaked and screeched, as it was swung open with some difficulty.

The old man stood to one side to let Mike in. He then used some effort to heave the gate shut again. It was apparent that the gate had not been opened in a long while.

Mike waited for the old man to lock the gate — more fumbling — then he followed him to the front door.

The baying from the depths of the house reached new heights. Mike made sure to keep close to the old man, determinedly staying a step behind him.

On entering the hall, Mike was shown into a large, dark living room. The heavy curtains on the windows kept out the light. Although it was three o’clock in the afternoon, and there was bright sunlight outside, a table lamp in one corner emitted a dull glow that partially illuminated a small section of the room. Mike could just make out the figure of someone sitting on the sofa near the lamp.

‘Hello, dear Mike,’ came a greeting from the shadowy form. ‘It’s been many years.’

‘Ah, Nabil! Is that you?’ asked Mike nervously.

While ReadingWere Nabil and Mike childhood friends? On which occasions do you think Mike would have visited Nabil?

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‘Yes,’ came the reply.

The baying continued, but since there was no visible movement in the room, Mike was hopeful that the hounds were behind a secure door somewhere. But he was not completely convinced that this was true.

Mike edged forward, towards Nabil.

‘Wait there, Mike!’ said Nabil. ‘The dogs have been locked in the bedroom, but old Marmaduke is asleep here beside me.’

‘Marmaduke?’ said Mike, aghast, stopping dead in his tracks. ‘The old Marmaduke? The dog I used to tease when he was just a pup?’

‘Yes,’ replied Nabil. ‘You remember Marmaduke.’

‘I … I do,’ stuttered Mike. ‘It’s… it’s been a long time. I hope you have him on a leash. I remember I used to worry him no end!’

‘I don’t think he will remember that far back,’ said Nabil. ‘He is old and blind now, and likes to sleep. And, by the way, no, he is not on a leash.’

‘Can you be sure?’ asked Mike.

‘Sure of what?’ asked Nabil. ‘That he is asleep? You can hear him snoring, can’t you?’

‘No, no!’ whispered Mike. ‘Are you sure that he does not remember me?’

Just then the snoring stopped abruptly. The dark form on the sofa stirred. A large head was raised, and two great nostrils sniffed the air loudly. Nabil and Mike did not make a sound.

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Then there was chaos.

The dark form leapt into the air, urgently scrambling to get off the sofa. A snarling, raging Marmaduke, leaping forward towards Mike, drowned out the baying from the distant bedroom.

‘Stop him! Do something!’ screamed Mike, as he too scrambled behind a large armchair.

Nabil acted just in time. He threw himself on top of the dog, pinning it firmly to the floor, slowing it down. Mike saw his chance, and took to his heels immediately, heading straight for the front door. Nabil could not keep the writhing animal trapped for very long; it was almost as big as he was, and much stronger. Mike reached for the door handle, wrenched it down, pulled open the door, and shot outside, slamming the door firmly behind him. It was not a moment too soon. Looking over his shoulder, as he raced for the gate, Mike saw Marmaduke’s great paws up against the windowpanes next to the door. The animal’s large, unseeing eyes blazed like garnets, and his teeth were bared. His ferocious barks and growls had encouraged the other dogs to bay louder. It seemed as if all the dogs of the neighbourhood had joined in the cacophony.

Mike leaped up and over the gate, like an athlete in his prime, and collapsed in a heap on the dusty ground. He stood up shakily, and still breathless, dusted his jacket and trousers with trembling hands. From his pocket he took a large white handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his brow.

‘Bye, Nabil!’ he called out and waved, as he hastily made his way down the road, without even turning to look. ‘I’ll call you sometime. Perhaps we can meet in town one day?’

They never did see each other again.

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ExercisesExercisesA COMPREHENSION


a. What did Mike see when he arrived at the gate? b. Give two reasons why Mike did not climb over the gate. c. Had Mike been to the house before? How do we know?d. What kind of room was Nabil sitting in? e. How did Marmaduke react to Mike? f. How did Mike leave the property?


g. Which words and phrases tell us that Mike was frightened of Marmaduke? h. How do you think Marmaduke recognised Mike?


a. ‘Can you be sure?’ asked Mike. i. To whom does Mike address this question? ii. What is Mike trying to make sure of? iii. Does the answer satisfy him?

b. Nabil acted just in time. i. What made Nabil act in time? ii. What did he do? iii. Was his action satisfactory?


1. Copy and complete the following. You will find the words in the passage, but try to do it without looking!

a. Mike made sure to keep close to the old man, staying a step behind him.

b. But he was not completely that this was true.

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Do you think dogs have a good memory? Is their memory better than, say, that of cats?

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c. The heavy gate and , as it was swung open with some difficulty.

d. The dark form leapt into the air, urgently to get off the sofa.

2. Which of the following words are incorrect? Correct the mistakes.

a. collapsed b. obviously c. cacophony d. anoyede. apparent f. iluminated g. ferosious h. scrowled


PUNCTUATION

1. Without looking at the story, copy the passage below, but put in the correct punctuation marks as you do so. When you have finished, read what you have written to see if it all makes good sense.

can you be sure asked mike sure of what asked Nabil that he is asleep you can hear him snoring cant you no no whispered mike are you sure that he does not remember me

VERBS AND ADVERBS

2. Make lists of verbs and adverbs in the following passage.

When they came out of the church they gazed wonderingly at the sword. Round the stone they found these beautifully written letters of gold.

WHO PULLS OUT THIS SWORD FROM THIS STONE WILL BE KING OF ALL BRITAIN.

All the men tried hard to pull out the sword but no one could move it at all.

3. Find six interesting verbs and six interesting adverbs in the chapter, Does He Remember?

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YOU CAN HEAR HIM SNORING, CAN’T YOU?Using the correct question tag is important if you want to speak good English. He is tall, no? ✘He is tall, isn’t he? ✓

Question tags are mainly used in two ways: • To get someone involved in a conversation or to encourage a response.

To seek agreement.

Example: Sheila was in an awful mood, wasn’t she? (falling intonation at the end)

• To confirm information. The question is usually genuine, but confirmation is sought.

Example: I did pay him last week, didn’t I? (rising intonation at the end)

There are exceptions:

Let’s do it now, shall we ? (Use shall after let’s)

I’m taller than you, aren’t I ? (Use the plural form aren’t after I’m)

Write your name here, will/would you? (Use will/would after imperatives.)

1. Your teacher will read some statements. Write them down and add a question tag at the end. Don’t forget the question mark.

Example: Statement: We are working hard, …

You write: We are working hard, aren’t we?

2. When you have written all the statements and tags, check that the tags are correct.

3. Work with a classmate. Choose one of the statements and read it to your classmate. Then, he/she should provide the correct question tag without looking at the answer. Then reverse roles.

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E COMPOSITION

Draw a picture of Marmaduke at the window. Write a paragraph about him.

Here are some suggestions:

What does the dog look like? How is it standing?

What expression does it have on its face? Why?

Is it strong or weak? What is it after? How does it behave?

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ExercisesThis Morning is Our History Test

words to know

mayonnaise a thick, creamy dressing for food made from egg yolks, oil, and vinegar

Tennessee a state in the United States of AmericaTimbuktu a city in Mali

This morning is our history test.I’ve pinned my notes inside my vest.Inside my coat I wrote my notes,Including dates and famous quotes.I’ve written more upon my handThat only I can understand,And in my socks and sleeves I stowedMy scribbled notes in secret code.

I’ve written down so many namesOf winners of Olympic games,Of buildings, people, places too,From Tennessee to Timbuktu.I even copied down a pieceOn ancient Rome and ancient Greece,Plus everything from Shakespeare’s playsTo who invented mayonnaise.

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ExercisesA UNDERSTANDING THE POEM


a. Which items of clothing did the child write notes on?b. Find two phrases to show that the child has written the notes in such a

way that others will not be able to read them.c. What emotions does the child usually feel before a test?d. Why can’t the child read the notes?e. Is it a good idea to cheat in exams? What should one do instead of

cheating?

These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.f. This poem uses exaggeration to create humour. Which things that the

child says he has done are unlikely to be true in your opinion?g. If the child had written all these notes, would he or she need to cheat?h. Is there a moral to this poem?

2. About the poetry.

a. Look at the rhyme scheme of the poem. Which lines rhyme?

b. Copy the rhyming pairs into your notebook.

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I came to school so well prepared.I wasn’t nervous, wasn’t scared.But here it is, the history test.I look inside my coat and vestTo get the dates and famous quotesAnd find I cannot read my notes.So much for Shakespeare, Greece and Rome.I left my glasses back at home.

Kenn Nesbitt

About the Poet Kenn Nesbitt writes humorous poems for children. He is an American and was born in 1962.

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c. A syllable is a single sound. The word ‘test’ has one syllable; the word ‘history’ has three syllables (his/to/ry). Can you count the syllables in each line of the poem?

d. Which two lines have one extra syllable? Which phrase do they both contain?


Inside my coat I wrote my notes,

Including dates and famous quotes.

a. List five topics that the notes were about. b. Which phrase from these lines is repeated elsewhere? Where?


COMPARISONS

When we compare things in English, we use the words as … as, or like.

Example: as dry as a bone; like a dry bone

Here are some more well-known comparisons.

as cool as a cucumber as cold as a stone as firm as rock as dead as a doornail as fierce as a tiger as changeable as the weather

1. Match the idioms given above with the descriptions given below.

a. a person who is sure about what he thinksb. a person who keeps calmc. a person who acts fiercelyd. something which is definitely not alivee. a person who shows no feelings or emotionsf. a person who changes moods easily

2. Use the comparisons in interesting sentences of your own.


CONJUNCTIONS, PREPOSITIONS, AND INTERJECTIONS

In Exercise C.2 on page 20 you read about the sword in the stone. Here is a continuation of the story.

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1. Make lists of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in the passage below.

No one could pull the sword out, so the Bishop sent men all over the kingdom. ‘Listen!’ they cried, ‘Whoever pulls out the sword will be the King of England.’

Arthur’s brother had forgotten his sword and asked Arthur to go home and get it. The house was locked, but on the way back Arthur took the sword from the anvil outside the church. Arthur’s brother saw it.

‘Heavens!’ he cried. ‘This is the sword from the stone!’ and he took it to his father.

ARTICLES

2. Copy the following passage into your notebook, adding articles where necessary.

Sir Ector, … father of … Kaye and … Arthur, asked Kaye where he got … sword and … Kaye told him. ‘Where did you get … sword?’ Sir Ector asked … Arthur.

Arthur said, ‘I got it from … stone.’

‘Then put it back into … anvil,’ said Sir Ector, ‘and take it … out again.’

When Arthur put … sword back into … anvil no one could take it out again. Arthur drew … sword out easily.

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Sir Ector knelt before his son and said, ‘Now I know that you are … King of … whole of … England.’


In a small group, take turns to tell each other about a time when you have had to prepare for a test. Discuss the following:

a. your feelings about the testb. what you did to prepare c. what it was like during the testd. how you felt afterwards (and anything you would have done differently)

Using the same headings, prepare a short speech on this subject. You can make notes but you should not write the whole speech.

Present your speech to the class. You can look at the notes briefly but you must not read a written piece.

E COMPOSITION

Write a response to this letter.

Dear friend,

I am writing to ask your advice. I found a small chain with a locket on it in my

garden. There is a photograph of a young child in the locket. Who do you think

it could belong to? Who might the child in the photograph be? How did it get

into my garden? Should I keep it or do something else with it?

Please write back and let me know what you think I should do.

Best wishes,

Syed

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Documents

1 The World in a Wall - Fazaia | LMS Oxford Modern... · siblings and his mother moved to Corfu in Greece to live with Durrell’s grown-up brother, Larry. It was here that Durrell