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First Language English for Cambridge IGCSETM
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PART 2: WRITING
1: READING
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How to use this series
This suite of resources supports students and teachers following the Cambridge IGCSE™ and IGCSE (9–1) First Language English syllabuses (0500/0990). All of the components in the series are designed to work together and help students develop the necessary knowledge and skills for this subject.
First Language English for
The Coursebook is designed for students to use in class with guidance from the teacher. It is divided into two parts: reading and writing, and provides lots of opportunities for learners to develop these key skills through a range of engaging activities. Speaking and Listening tips offer different strategies to support learners in enhancing these skills while Reflection and Self-assessment features encourage learners to think about their own learning. Each unit ends with a Project and Practice questions that help consolidate learning.
A digital version of the Coursebook is included with the print version and is available separately.
The write-in Workbook consolidates the learning in the Coursebook by providing opportunities for more focussed practice. It can be used flexibly as an additional resource to support learning in the classroom or at home for individual work. The Workbook fully reflects the structure of the Coursebook, making it easy to navigate. A digital version of the Workbook is included with the print version.
First Language English for
First Language English for Cambridge IGCSETM
The Digital Teacher’s Resource provides everything teachers need to deliver the course. It is packed full of useful teaching notes and lesson ideas, with suggestions for differentiation to support and challenge students, ideas for assessment, homework and project guidance.
A wide range of additional content, such as worksheets, PowerPoint slides, end-of-unit tests, and answers to Coursebook and Workbook questions, is also available to help teachers save time and enrich their practice.
How to use this book
LEARNING INTENTIONS
Each unit begins with a set of learning intentions to explain what you will learn in the unit.
SKILLS FOCUS
This feature focuses on specific reading or writing skills that you will cover in the unit. These skills are crucial for your success in this course.
GETTING STARTED
A short starter activity explores what knowledge you already have before starting the unit. This activity will introduce you to the concepts covered in this unit.
KEY TERMS
Key vocabulary is emboldened in the text when it is first introduced. An accompanying definition is given in the margin to tell you the meanings of these words and phrases. You will also find definitions of these words in the glossary at the back of this book. Bold may also be used elsewhere in the text for emphasis, but all key terms will have an accompanying definition in the margin.
READING TIP
These tips will help to further enhance your reading skills.
WRITING TIP
These tips will help to further enhance your writing skills.
SPEAKING AND LISTENING TIP
These tips will help to further enhance your speaking and listening skills.
LANGUAGE FOCUS
This feature focuses on the main grammar or language topics within a unit. It helps to deepen your understanding and knowledge of key concepts.
REFLECTION
Reflection activities encourage you to look back on your work and think about your learning. You will critically assess the approach to your work, leading to self-awareness and improvement.
PROJECT
At the end of each chapter, there is a project that allows you to contextualise learning by applying your skills to a real-world task.
PRACTICE QUESTION
Each unit contains a set of questions written by the authors, which provide practice at responding to the type of task required by the syllabus.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
Each unit ends with a grid showing ‘Now I can . . . ’ statements which match the Learning intentions at the beginning of the unit. You might find it helpful to rate how confident you feel about each of these statements when you are revising. In addition, you can check your progress with the accompanying ‘Prove it’ tasks. We
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Skills introduction units – Units 1 and 7 introduce you to each part of the course: Reading and Writing. Unit 1 covers Reading, whilst Unit 7 covers Writing. These units introduce the types of skills you will practise throughout each part of the course.
Introduction
Although
• use appropriate structures to convey ideas and information
•
•
•
What does ‘good writing’ consist of? In groups, create a mind map showing the different skills that combine to make effective writing. Think about different types of writing – this could be anything from fictional stories to persuasive non-fiction. Share your thoughts with the class.
7.1 Content and style
There are two essential ingredients in effective writing: content and style. Content refers to what you write about. It is the starting point for any piece of writing, and the quality of your content will be a key factor in your writing success. Style refers to the way you write. This means not only the accuracy of your spelling, punctuation and grammar, but also the variety of language choices you make.
Content development takes time, but you will find it easier if you read and interact with stories, points of view and debates in your everyday life. The more reading, listening and interaction you do, the easier it will be to generate ideas for your own writing. Developing the style and accuracy of your writing also requires long-term work. There are plenty of grammar support materials available in print and online, but it is just as important for you to read and hear English being used in context. Find time to read, listen to and speak English as often as you can.
Practice units – Units 6 and 11 provide you with a full set of practice questions similar to those you may see in your assessments.
In relevant places throughout the units, you may see this video icon. This icon indicates that there is additional video content to help support your learning as you navigate a particular concept.
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Unit 1 Reading skills and strategies
LEARNING INTENTIONS
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
• identify how reading skills are used in everyday life
• read actively
• understand different reading strategies
• identify the features of different types of fiction and non-fiction texts.
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Introduction
This unit will introduce you to the key reading skills you will develop and use during your Cambridge IGCSE™ First Language course. You will need strong independent reading skills in all your school subjects and in many aspects of your life outside of school. Some of the reading people undertake is for pleasure and relaxation. Some reading is done to gather information or to learn something new for a specific purpose. Some is for more functional reasons, such as when shopping or ordering a meal at a restaurant. Whatever the purpose, you will use independent reading skills every day.
SKILLS FOCUS
The reading units in this book will focus on the following skills:
• reading for comprehension
• reading for inference
• summarising reading texts
• analysing how writers use language for effect
• using ideas and details from texts to develop a new piece of writing. To achieve these skills, you need to use a range of strategies that will help you become an active reader
GETTING STARTED
Think about the way that you use reading skills without thinking about them in your everyday life. In pairs, look at the following list and discuss how often you use reading skills in these situations. Score them out of 3, where 1 = daily, 2 = occasionally and 3 = rarely.
• reading texts and chat messages
• using social media sites
• deciding which programme to watch on television
• using a search engine
• playing a computer game
• cooking using a recipe
• relaxing with a book
• receiving an email or a letter
• checking ingredients in food
• following an instruction manual to build or use equipment
• ordering food online
• checking a timetable
• browsing information on a noticeboard
• accessing news reports
• looking through a magazine
• doing a crossword or other puzzle
• online shopping
• applying for a job
• doing schoolwork
• playing a board game.
READING TIP
Try to read as widely as you can, accessing many different types of texts. Take an interest in the ways in which they are structured and organised to convey information for different purposes. Even something as simple as a box of breakfast cereal has lots of information to read!
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1.1 An introduction to reading skills
Each situation in the ‘Getting started’ activity requires you to read in a different way for different reasons. You might just skim read to get the gist of what a text is about. You might scan a text to spot and select the particular information you are looking for – to answer a question, for example. In other situations, you will need to read more actively to ensure that you absorb and understand the material.
You will also be affected by how challenging the text is, including how many words you come across that are not familiar to you. In these cases, you will need to look up words you do not know or use specific strategies to help you work out the meanings in context. Remember that reading challenging texts is an important part of the learning process, and it will help you improve your reading skills.
What is active reading?
Active reading is a process in which a reader uses a range of strategies to fully engage with texts. To read critically, you need to be aware of your own thought processes as you read.
1 Look at the list of active reading processes in Table 1.1. How many do you already use when you read texts? Copy the table and give each process a RAG rating by ticking the appropriate column (red = not at all; amber = occasionally; green = always) to see which aspects of your reading you need to improve to become a more active reader.
Keep your copy of this RAG rating table. You will come back to it at the end of the unit to see how your understanding has improved.
KEY TERMS
skim: to read a text quickly to get a general overview of the topic and content
gist: the general or overall meaning of a text
scan: to read a text quickly to locate specific information in it
context: the situation within which something exists or happens
Adjust your reading rate according to the task you are doing or the purpose of your reading.
Annotate and highlight the text to improve your understanding at a deeper level.
Develop your understanding of a text’s purpose by considering the writer’s intentions.
Break down a text into chunks by being aware of how it is structured for effectiveness.
Make connections between texts and prior knowledge or experience. Use texts to learn new vocabulary by consulting references to look up the meanings of words.
Distinguish between the main ideas in a text and the supporting examples and details.
Visualise images in your mind that represent ideas in the text.
Table 1.1
Active reading processes
RAG rating
RedAmberGreen
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1.2 Reading strategies
You are now going to explore some useful reading strategies. The strategy you choose in a particular situation will depend on the purpose of your reading, as well as the type of task you are planning to do.
Skim reading (skimming)
Skim reading allows you to take in a whole passage of text quickly. It will give you a basic idea of the topic and content, but you would need to re-read the text to understand it fully. Skimming is a bit like watching a film on fast forward – you can catch the general flow of the story, but you will miss the more subtle details. You skim a text by allowing your eyes to quickly flick from one word to the next, focusing on the key words rather than absorbing whole sentences.
READING TIP
You might use skim reading when you need to read an unseen text in timed conditions, or when you need a basic overview of a text before you do more detailed work with it, such as in summary writing.
KEY TERM
overview: a brief explanation or summary of the topic or content of a text
Scan reading (scanning)
Scanning is similar to skim reading, as it is meant to be done rapidly. The difference is that when you scan a text, you actively search for a key piece of information or a specific detail. The rest of the text is not relevant. You do this by running your eyes quickly over the text, looking only for the information you need by searching for key words linked to the question.
Re-reading
Sometimes you need to read a text more than once to gain a full understanding of it. A second reading allows you to clarify anything that was unclear or confusing the first time you read it. When you re-read a text, you should slow down your reading pace, taking careful note of the punctuation to make sure that you pause in the right places. Listen to the inner voice in your head as you read. Re-reading is a skill that you should practise as much as possible.
Use your scanning skills when you have to answer a specific question based on a text (comprehension questions). These questions usually ask you to find a word, phrase or piece of evidence in the text. You may find it useful to underline the text when you find what you are looking for. We
Inferential reading
Reading for inference means looking closely at individual sentences, phrases or words in a text and working out what the writer is suggesting by these language choices. You need to look beyond the surface meanings and think about what the writer may be suggesting or implying. You will learn about this reading skill in more detail in Unit 4 when you explore writers’ effects.
READING TIP
LANGUAGE FOCUS: IMPLYING AND INFERRING
In reading tasks, you may come across the terms ‘imply’ and ‘infer’. They have related meanings, but they are not the same.
• To imply means to suggest something in an indirect way, without stating it explicitly.
• To infer means to work out a meaning by applying evidence and reasoning.
You can think of it in the following way: a writer implies something; a reader infers it.
Look at this sentence:
• ‘As he watched, Radu’s face turned increasingly red and he started to clench his fists tightly.’
As a reader, you might infer that Radu is becoming angry by what he can see. You have not been told this directly, but you have picked up on what the writer has implied here by their choice of language.
READING TIP
When reading for inference, use a highlighter pen or make annotations to help you identify relevant parts.
Close reading
Close reading means thinking hard as you read a section of text. You may read closely to think about the deeper meaning of the text and to clarify your thoughts about it. Close reading is also useful when analysing the language of a text to explore its meanings and how writers have used the language to deliberately shape the reader’s response. During close reading, you may need to identify unfamiliar words and try to work out their meanings through the context of the text.
KEY TERMS
imply: to suggest something in an indirect way, without stating it explicitly
SAMPLE
infer: to work out a meaning by applying evidence and reasoning
READING TIP
When reading something closely, you may find it useful to annotate the text by underlining words and phrases and making notes in the margin. It can also help to highlight words and phrases so you can trace how the ideas develop across the text. We
Pre-reading
Pre-reading is a technique you may need to adopt before reading the text and attempting to answer questions about it.
Sometimes, an unseen reading text will have a short introduction. Make sure you read this carefully, as it will contain essential information to help you get a better understanding of the text.
It is also important to read the question carefully when you are responding to reading texts so that you understand exactly what you are being asked to do. Some questions have more than one part, and each part may build on the knowledge required for the one before. Tasks requiring more extended answers (such as summary writing) will sometimes have further instructions that guide you on how to structure your answer or how long it needs to be. If you are told how many marks are available for a task, pay attention to that, as it suggests how much detail you need to offer in your answer.
2 Create a grid with space to record all the key information about the reading strategies you have just learnt about pre-reading, skimming, scanning, re-reading, close reading and inferential reading. Make a list of when you may need to use these skills. You can include subjects other than English language, as well as reading activities beyond the classroom.
READING TIP
To become an active reader, you should practise using these strategies on any task that requires you to read a text. This may not only be in English language lessons, but across other subjects, too.
3 Read Text 1.1, a travel writing article, then complete the activities in Task 1.1 to practise the strategies you have just read about.
Text 1.1
Mongolia on a dirt bike – the ultimate adventure!
At 5 ft 2 in in her motocross boots, Kerry Sano is too small to swing a leg over a 350 cc KTM dirt bike in the conventional way – so she snicks hers into gear, lets out the clutch and uses her footrest to hoist herself aboard once on her way.
But being vertically challenged hasn’t prevented the 44-year-old New Yorker from setting up a business that promises to take similarly brave riders on adventures to some of the less-touched corners of the world.
[Mongolia] is increasingly becoming a destination for tourists, but it still falls short of being popular, which could be seen as a bonus to those who bemoan1 the fact that the number of ‘undiscovered’ places in the world is fast diminishing. 5 10
We
It certainly appealed to me, along with the fact that this country, covering an area of more than 1,500,000 square kilometres is criss-crossed by a vast spider’s web of tracks and trails that makes it a nirvana2 for anyone who loves to climb aboard an off-road motorcycle and head out into the unknown.
But try to do it on your own and there’s a good chance you won’t come back because with a population of fewer than 3.5 million people, almost half of whom live in the capital, Ulan Bator, it’s possible to travel for hundreds of miles across the Mongolian Steppe without seeing another soul.
Which is why Sano teamed up with a small crew of Mongolian guides who know which of the numerous insignificant paths lead – eventually–to inhabited areas, be that small colonies of yurts3 that provide shelter to the country’s thousands of nomads, or once in a while to a built-up village or town.
The eagle festivals are one of Mongolia’s main tourist attractions and they are well worth the journey. But it is the vast, empty beauty of the country that holds even stronger appeal, and a motorcycle is probably the best way not only to see it but also to feel a part of it.
‘I love travelling by bike so much that I wanted a way to share the joy of experiencing other countries and culture[s] on two wheels with other people’, [Sano] explains. ‘A motorcycle can take you to so many more interesting places than a car or a bus, and Mongolia has been on my bucket list since I was six years old and discovered that there is still a whole region there that is populated by wild horses.’
She says her trips are aimed at people who have ‘seen it all and done it all’ in terms of visiting conventional destinations but feel a burning desire for true adventure. ‘These are hardcore trips for people who feel comfortable about riding long distances off-road over periods of several hours in places that are often a long, long way from anyone or anything’, she explains. ‘We vet everyone before they sign up, and we absolutely insist that they have cast-iron4 travel insurance.
I, for one, would not hesitate to return to this refreshingly unspoilt country by motorcycle and discover the many remarkable attributes of its landscape and people. It’s a place where eagles truly dare – and where you should too, if real adventure is what you crave.
from www.thetimes.co.uk
GLOSSARY
1bemoan: to complain or express sadness about something
2nirvana: a state of complete freedom or being absolutely perfect
3yurt: a type of round tent with a wooden frame
4cast-iron: describing something that is very strong and that can be trusted completely
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Task 1.1
a Scan the text and then describe what it is about in two sentences. Consider the text type, purpose and audience.
b Skim the text and identify what this trip to Mongolia offers a tourist looking for adventure and exploration.
c Re-read the text and then, in pairs, discuss how the content is structured. Make a list of how the information is ordered for the reader.
d What can you infer about the risks involved in exploring Mongolia by bike in paragraph 5?
e Closely read the text and explain why the following phrases are effective:
i ‘ . . . the vast, empty beauty of the country that holds even stronger appeal . . . ’
ii ‘It’s a place where eagles truly dare – and where you should too . . . ’
f What pre-reading did you need to do to answer the above questions successfully?
1.3 Types of texts
To develop strong skills in English, you need to read a wide variety of texts. The texts you read and write about will be both fiction and non-fiction, so you should be aware of which types of texts fall into each category.
For fiction texts, you may read from a variety of genres. These include:
• human interest: narratives about people facing a range of situations
• adventure: featuring an individual or a group of people involved in dramatic events
• suspense: where the writer develops a tense atmosphere and withholds information from the reader
• crime: usually featuring a detective solving a mystery, often with the help of a sidekick
• mystery: featuring unexplained happenings and giving the readers clues as well as distractions
KEY TERMS
fiction: stories about imaginary characters and events
non-fiction: writing that is about real events and facts
genre: a type, or category of story, such as comedy, tragedy or mystery
SAMPLE
• science fiction: usually set in the future, when technology is more advanced than it is now
• fantasy: set in worlds different from our own and featuring non-human characters
• history: featuring settings and people from the past.
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1 Reading skills and strategies
Non-fiction text types include:
• news reporting: usually in a newspaper or on an online news site reporting on current events
• feature writing: usually in a newspaper, magazine or website, exploring an issue or theme
• travel writing: usually in a travel book or on a website, reviewing, describing and recommending interesting places to travel to – or to avoid
• autobiography: a personal memoir of the author’s life
• biography: a book written about someone well known, reflecting on their life and work
• advice guides: usually in self-help books, brochures, articles or manuals
• information articles: usually in encyclopaedias and magazines or on websites.
READING TIP
Try to read widely, covering a variety of genres like the ones listed here. Reading widely will help you to recognise the key features used by writers across each genre. You can then use these in your own writing responses.
4 In pairs, read Texts 1.2–1.11. For each one:
a note down whether it is fiction or non-fiction
b discuss which genre or text type it is, then note down your answer, referring to any features of the text that helped you to decide.
Text 1.2
She looked at him, horrified. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickling as she absorbed the shocking news. Was he serious? Did he really expect her to leave her city, her country? How would she ever explain it to her parents? How could she break the news to them that their beloved only daughter would be moving thousands of kilometres from them, across oceans and rivers and deserts? It was impossible. She sank into the chair and began to weep.
Cut
Text 1.3
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Born on 4 August 1961, at Kapiolani Medical Centre for Women and Children in Honolulu, Barack Obama is the only US president to be born outside the continental USA. He was born to an American mother and a Kenyan father, who met at a Russian language class in 1960 at the University of Hawaii. Shortly after his birth, Obama and his mother moved to Seattle, but his father remained in Hawaii to finish his undergraduate degree.
Text 1.4
SAMPLE
At the G7 conference, world leaders are expected to address the growing threat of climate change, which is leading to increasingly bizarre weather patterns around the globe. One of the proposals likely to create divisions is that governments need to ramp up efforts to cut carbon emissions by 2030. Some leaders are claiming that current targets are already ambitious and unattainable.
Text 1.5
‘You’re wanted in the incident room, Chief,’ called the young recruit from the corridor outside. ‘Think it’s a breakthrough from the grins on the faces in there.’
Chief Bellioni grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and moved swiftly to the door, his heart beating rapidly. Surely this had to be good news? They had only six hours before they’d have to release the men in the cells due to lack of evidence. He knew they were guilty – could see it written all over their faces – but without a witness, he couldn’t pin the robbery on them. Hopefully they’d finally persuaded the old guy to talk . . .
Text 1.6
Smaller than the average blackbird, the starling has a short tail, pointed head and distinctive triangular wings. Their plumage is glossy with shining hues of purple and greens. Their feathers are also flecked with white, particularly in winter. They spend much of the year in flocks and when they congregate in ‘murmurations’ at dawn and dusk in the winter months, the swirling mass as they fly through the skies is truly remarkable.
Text 1.7
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What makes Buenos Aires one of the top destinations for those who love to travel on a budget? Well, it could just be because much of what makes the city so extraordinary can be enjoyed free of charge! From historical sights to art exhibitions to free festivals, spending an exciting and fun-packed day in Buenos Aires doesn’t have to cost a cent! Start by strolling through the city’s most famous neighbourhoods, admiring the spectacular architecture and stunning street art.
Text 1.8
My interest in jazz started before I could even walk, when I’d sit under the piano as my old Pa played and my Ma sang. I was never much good at school, and I dropped out when I was only 12, but I’d hang about the streets in New Orleans and listen to folk performing at the side of an old junk wagon. Eventually my friends and I began singing as a quartet in the streets for money.
Text 1.9
The creature on the monitor glared back at him, its three red eyes gleaming in anticipation. It swung a curling tentacle towards the camera, making a menacing gesture as if pointing directly at him. He knew then that this planet couldn’t offer a safe harbour for their struggling ship. They had to move on . . . into the void . . . into the unknown.
Text 1.10
SAMPLE
Without doubt, the growing number of young children using devices like tablets is causing concern for educators and child-health specialists. Experts in child development have cited recent studies which show that children aged three to five with higher exposure to screens had poorer language skills and were more likely to develop behavioural problems.
Text 1.11
The door of Scrooge’s counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk’s fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn’t replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part.
From A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
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SPEAKING AND LISTENING TIP
Working in pairs on activities offers you the opportunity to use your speaking and listening skills to explore, understand and convey ideas, and to learn from one another. Make sure you plan and manage the time you are given to complete the task.
5 In pairs, use the notes you have made on each of the texts to create a table like Table 1.2. Think about the features of the texts you have read that helped you decide the text type or genre. List them in the grid. The first two texts have been done for you as an example.
1.2Human interest• A character facing a tense situation
• Use of conflict
• Use of questions to demonstrate confusion
• Use of an emotional response
1.3 Biography
• Focus on early life
• Key background information linked to present achievement
• Linear structure (moves through life from young to old)
• Use of facts such as dates and names
1.4
Table 1.2
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6 Choose three of the texts from Activity 4 and develop them further by adding at least three paragraphs. Make sure you maintain the correct style.
In the following units, you will learn more about the skills and strategies you have been introduced to here. As you work through the units, use this checklist to remind yourself how to respond to reading questions.
Reading checklist
Is the text fiction or non-fiction?
If non-fiction, what is the text type, purpose and audience?
If fiction, what is the genre?
Am I familiar with the features of different text types and genres?
Can I summarise what the text is about in one sentence?
Can I work out any meanings of unfamiliar words using the context of the text?
Can I use other strategies to work out the meanings of words?
Can I appreciate how the text is structured for the benefit of the reader?
Can I identify any inferred meanings in the text?
Can I identify any examples of interesting language that deliberately shape the reader’s response?
REFLECTION
Revise the RAG rating you completed at the beginning of this unit. Do you feel more confident now about applying active reading processes to your reading? Which processes do you still need to improve? How could you increase your confidence further?
PROJECT
In small groups, you are going to prepare a presentation about digital awareness, present it and then answer any questions your audience has about it.
Imagine that your school is organising a ‘digital awareness’ week. The two major areas they are focusing on are online safety and digital well-being. Your presentation must cover both of these areas.
In your groups, research these topics by reading and selecting a range of relevant materials. Then, plan and write your advice on the topics in the form of a presentation. Brainstorm different areas you could research, then allocate one area to each member of the group, who should carry out the research and create the slides relating to it. Come back together as a group to put the slides together and finalise your presentation.
Deliver your presentation to the class. Afterwards, have a question and answer session in which you respond to questions or feedback from your audience.
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SPEAKING AND LISTENING TIP
When working in groups, you will be more productive if you agree to follow some ‘talk rules’. Discuss and agree on which rules to follow before you begin the task. Which of the following rules would help you get the most out of this task?
• allowing everyone to have an equal opportunity to share their ideas
• taking it in turns to speak
• avoiding interrupting one another
• using questions to ask for more information or clarification
• assigning clear roles and sticking to them
• challenging the idea rather than the person.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
This unit has introduced you to the to different types of reading texts and the reading strategies you will need in order to respond to them. Use the questions that follow Text A to test your comprehension skills at this early stage of the course.
Read Text A and answer the questions that follow.
Text A
SAMPLE
Standing on the equator!
Have you ever desired to be on both sides of the world at once? If so, come to Uganda, where your seemingly impossible dream can come true.
There is a point on the Masaka – Mbarara highway in Uganda that crosses the equator – the imaginary line that separates Earth at its widest point into two sections known as the northern and southern hemispheres. In the small town of Kayabwe, you can literally stand on the equator line itself! This has become a popular tourist spot for those travelling to Uganda’s capital, Kampala, which is nearly 80 km away.
As well as being able to meander around a range of local craft stalls and experience the delights of restaurants serving local foods, tourists can also observe an experiment to see how the gravitational pull differs in the two hemispheres. This involves watching water poured into a yellow enamel bowl on each side of the equator line and directly on top of the line itself. The water drains in a clockwise motion in the northern hemisphere but it drains in an anticlockwise motion on the southern side. On the line itself, the water drains vertically without swirling at all. It’s literally watching a physics experiment in front of your eyes!
CONTINUED
On the equator, the sun rises and sets at the same time every single day of the year, with 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. The sun rises and sets more quickly than anywhere else on Earth. Also, there are no proper seasons, and the temperature remains consistently warm all year round, although there is a rainy period. What is really interesting is that when you stand on the equator line, you are 3% lighter because of the lack of gravitational pull. Don’t worry, you return to normal bodyweight when you move away from it.
The equator is an amazing landmark that allows tourists to straddle the world!
Question 1
a Explain why the writer uses the word ‘desired’ rather than the word ‘wanted’ in paragraph 1? [1]
b Give two facts about the geographical position of the equator line in Uganda from paragraph 2. [?]
c Why does the writer describe the equator line as ‘imaginary’? [1]
d Identify a word in paragraph 3 that means the same as ‘wander’. [1]
e Explain what happens differently when water is poured into bowls on the northern and southern sides of the equator line. [?]
f Identify a word in paragraph 3 that means the same as ‘straight down’. [1]
g Give a phrase from paragraph 4 which means the same as ‘day and night are identical lengths’. [1]
h Why does the writer say ‘proper seasons’ rather than just ‘seasons’? [1]
i Explain why a person is 3% lighter when standing on the equator. [1]
j Select a phrase from paragraph 1 and a phrase from paragraph 5 with the same meaning. [1]
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SELF-ASSESSMENT
How confident do you feel about what you have learnt and practised in this unit? Rate yourself from 1 (not confident) to 5 (very confident), then answer the question to prove it.
Now I can . . . Confidence rating (1–5)Prove it
SAMPLE
identify how reading skills apply in everyday life
Make a list of five situations where you read texts in your everyday life. read actively
Note down five key features of active reading. understand different reading strategies and when to use them
Write notes to explain when it would be appropriate to use the following reading strategies: skimming, scanning, close reading. identify the genres and types of fiction and non-fiction texts I have read
Write 60 words explaining what the terms ‘fiction’ and ‘non-fiction’ mean, and give six examples of genres/text types for each.
