Write & Connect 1 - Book 1, 11-14 year olds

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Write And Connect

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Write And Connect

Book 1

Write And Connect Book 1 lower secondary students who are not writing at their expected level of competency. It focuses on reteaching basic writing skills and concepts through high interest texts and activities which abandon time limits and break down tasks into manageable parts. As

Book 1

and their overall feeling of success will also grow. This book is part of a three part series. You will not be disappointed with this purchase.

Ages 11 - 14 years

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Choices The Great Houdini Mountain Biking Team Player V Couch Potato Bermuda Triangle Mystery Buy Australian Made Uluru Cyclone Yasi

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Write And Connect Book 1 ISBN 978 186 397 883 5

© istock.com/ bonnie jacobs

RI

CUL U

M

CU R

  

By Margaret Warner

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Title: Write And Connect - Book 1 © 2013 Ready-Ed Publications Printed in Australia Author: Margaret Warner

Acknowledgements i. Clip art images have been obtained from Microsoft Design Gallery Live and are used under the terms of the End User License Agreement for Microsoft Word 2000. Please refer to www.microsoft.com/permission. ii. Front cover photograph: istock.com/ bonnie jacobs ©

Copyright Notice The purchasing educational institution and its staff have the right to make copies of the whole or part of this book, beyond their rights under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act), provided that: 1.

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Copies are made only by reprographic means (photocopying), not by electronic/digital means, and not stored or transmitted;

3.

Copies are not sold or lent;

4.

Every copy made clearly shows the footnote, ‘Ready-Ed Publications’.

Any copying of this book by an educational institution or its staff outside of this blackline master licence may fall within the educational statutory licence under the Act. The Act allows a maximum of one chapter or 10% of the pages of this book, whichever is the greater, to be reproduced and/or communicated by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that

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educational institution (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under Act. For details of the CAL licence for educational institutions contact: Copyright Agency Limited Level 19, 157 Liverpool Street Sydney NSW 2000 Telephone: (02) 9394 7600 Facsimile: (02) 9394 7601 E-mail: info@copyright.com.au Reproduction and Communication by others Except as otherwise permitted by this blackline master licence or under the Act (for example, any fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review) no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address below.

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ISBN: 978 186 397 883 5 2

Contents

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Teachers' Notes Curriculum Links Punctuation Grammar

4 4 5 6

Choices l Examining A Narrative l Check The Text l Edit And Proofread l Plan A Narrative l Review Your Writing

9 10 11 12 13

The Great Houdini l Examining A Biography l Check The Text l Constructing Sentences l Plan A Biography l Review Your Writing

16 17 18 19 20

Mountain Biking l Examining An Explanation l Check The Text 1 l Check The Text 2 l Plan An Explanation l Review Your Writing

23 24 25 26 27

Team Player V Couch Potato l Examining A Discussion l Check The Text 1 l Check The Text 2 l Plan A Discussion l Review Your Writing

30 31 32 33 34

Bermuda Triangle Mystery l Examining A Report l Check The Text 1 l Check The Text 2 l Plan A Report l Review Your Writing

37 38 39 40 41

Buy Australian Made l Examining An Exposition l Check The Text 1 l Check The Text 2 l Plan An Exposition l Review Your Writing

44 45 46 47 48

Uluru l Examining A Description l Check The Text 1 l Check The Text 2 l Plan A Description l Review Your Writing

51 52 53 54 55

Cyclone Yasi l Examining A Report l Check The Text 1 l Check The Text 2 l Plan A Report l Review Your Writing

58 59 60 61 62

l Answers

63-66

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Teachers’ Notes

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Write and Connect - Book 1 is written for lower secondary students who are struggling to keep up with their peers, and is therefore linked to the Year 5 English curriculum.

Researchers and teachers know that students' written literacy skills improve as they write more often and experience successes.

It is important to remember that secondary students experiencing difficulty with writing must be retaught basic written literacy skills that they may have had difficulty processing in earlier years. When they acquire these skills, they will begin to gain confidence with their writing.

Students at lower secondary level who are not writing confidently at their expected level of competency are more likely to engage with interesting texts that teach them about the writing process. In Write and Connect - Book 1, students will engage with a range of texts that are likely to be of interest to them and will complete language activities related to these texts.

How you could use the book: • model effective writing strategies and discuss the writing process as you compose a text or discuss a written text; • discuss the topic knowledge, awareness of intended audience and the purpose of a particular piece of writing; • actively teach the technicalities of writing, e.g. sentence construction, complex sentences, paragraphing, vocabulary development, spelling, text coherence, editing and proofreading skills; • encourage students to work with a partner or group to develop their ability to discuss and then improve their writing and to develop editing and proofreading skills; • develop students’ written literacy skills so that when they write they will know the expected format for different genres, they will know their intended audience and they will know the purpose of their writing and they will have the skills to write with confidence.

Australian Curriculum Links Year 5

Language ACELA1797 ACELA1500 ACELA1502 ACELA1504 ACELA1505 ACELA1506 ACELA1508 ACELA1512 ACELA1513

Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1702

Literature ACELT 1608 ACELT1609

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Punctuation

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It is important that students understand and use the correct language relating to punctuation when talking about their writing.

APOSTROPHE: an apostrophe is used when something has been left out of a word, e.g. it is/ it’s, she will/she’ll, or to show ownership, e.g. Jack’s bike, Lily’s pen.

CAPITAL LETTERS: these are used to start a sentence, and for the names of: people, places, days, months, festivals, organisations and for the titles of books and movies, e.g. On Monday, Rose went to Canberra then to Mount Kosciuszko to the Snowtime Festival.

COMMA: a comma separates items in a list, e.g. I bought carrots, beans, potatoes, fruit and drinks. It also separates one part of a sentence from another to make the meaning clear, e.g.

Outside, the grass was covered in frost.

COLON: this is used to separate the main part of a sentence from an explanation or list, e.g.

The wildlife sanctuary cared for a number of species: koalas, possums, kangaroos, wombats and bandicoots. It can also be used when quoting what a person has said, e.g. He said:,“Don’t worry, be happy.”

DASH: this indicates added emphasis, an interruption or change of thought, e.g. You are my friend - my best friend - the only one who helped me with the assignment. It is also used between numbers, e.g. pages 1 – 10.

ELLIPSES: a series of three dots to show that you have left out a word, phrase, line, paragraph or more from a quotation, or to indicate an unfinished thought, e.g. I didn’t expect to see him there but when I looked across the room …

EXCLAMATION MARK: this is used to indicate a command, e.g “Get out! Get out now!” or to indicate strong feelings such as surprise or fright, e.g. “Congratulations!” or “Oh no!”

FULL STOP: this marks the end of a sentence except where a question mark or exclamation is used, e.g. They went to the beach to surf the big waves.

HYPHEN: use a hyphen when two adjectives are joined together to form a single idea, e.g.

The Great Houdini performed death-defying tricks.

PARENTHESES: these are used to enclose words or figures or are used to add extra information, e.g. When he rang (after finally finding a public phone) he explained what had happened.

QUESTION MARK: use a question mark when asking a direct question, e.g. Where is Sam? QUOTATION MARKS: use these to show the exact words spoken, e.g. “Where do you live?”

Other punctuation must be placed inside the quotation marks.

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SEMICOLON: can be used to join related sentences that could stand alone, e.g. It was soon completely dark; he decided to stay hidden.

5

Grammar

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

It is important that students understand and use the correct language relating to grammar when talking about their writing.

ADJECTIVE: a word that adds description to a noun. It was a clear, sunny day.

ADVERB: a word that adds to a verb, adjective or another adverb. He walked away quickly from the shop.

CLAUSE: a group of words with a subject, a verb and a comment that adds to the information. The girl painted a beautiful picture. Compound and complex sentences have more than one clause. The girl painted a beautiful picture when she went to art class.

CONJUNCTION: a word that joins other words, phrases or clauses, e.g. ‘and’ or ‘but’. I saw my teacher and friends but I didn’t see my cousin.

CONNECTIVE: words that connect sentences and paragraphs in logical sequence, e.g. ‘first’, ‘second’, ‘because’, ‘furthermore’, although’, ‘in fact’. First you brainstorm ideas, second you start to write notes.

NOUN: a word that names a person, place, things and ideas. A proper noun refers to people, places, days, months and festivals and always starts with a capital letter, e.g. On Monday we went to Darwin. A collective noun refers to a group, e.g. a pod of whales, a mob of kangaroos. All other nouns are common nouns.

NOUN GROUP: a group of words that add to a noun, e.g. Mountain biking is a tough, exciting sport.

PHRASE: a group of words usually without a verb. He left the backpack on the train.

PREPOSITION: a preposition is a positional word, e.g. above, near, on. A prepositional phrase contains a preposition, e.g. He ran across the road.

PRONOUN: a word that stands for a noun, e.g. I, she, him, it, them. I gave the bag to Sam then he gave it to them.

SENTENCE: a group of words that form a complete statement, question or exclamation. He kicked the ball. Compound and complex sentences have more than one clause. He kicked the ball when he ran past his mate who had injured his leg.

VERB: a word that describes what someone or something is doing or feeling. He sat on the chair while he waited for the doctor. Verbs can be used in the past, present or future tense, e.g. I like ice cream (present tense), I liked ice cream when I was little (past tense), I will like ice cream even when I’m very old (future tense).

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6

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

• Choices •

This section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA 1508 ACELA1512 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1705

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Read the narrative text Choices. It is an imaginative story written to interest and entertain readers.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' • Choices • book preview.

Adam glanced at the old clock, groaned and pulled the blankets over his head. He hated Mondays! A moment later, he heard his mother call out, ‘Adam, it’s nearly 8 o’clock.

You’ll be late if you don’t get up now!’

Reluctantly he dragged himself out of bed, dressed, then headed for the kitchen. He wolfed down his cold toast, threw his heavy backpack over his shoulder and headed out the door. For the hundredth time he wished that his family hadn’t moved interstate. He missed his friends and he could hardly believe he was thinking it but he even missed his old school.

Lost in thought, he hurried along the quiet street hoping that Zak Hallam was already in school. He was a mean bully and had made life tough for Adam since day one - he was always taunting him about being the new kid and telling him that he wasn’t accepted. Zak’s 'mates' sided with him because they were afraid that Zak would turn on them and make their lives miserable. Zak often hassled Adam on the way to school but he knew that if he left home later he’d avoid the verbal abuse.

the path. As he got closer, he saw that it was a black wallet and when he picked it up its contents bulged almost forcing it open. A quick glance showed it contained a thick wad of notes, some of them fifties. Checking around to see if anyone nearby had dropped the wallet, he saw that the street was deserted except for a black labrador wandering along outside a nearby house.

Adam stuffed the wallet in his backpack, then checked again to see if anyone was around perhaps looking for it. For a moment he considered what to do with it. He reckoned that there could be a couple of hundred dollars in there, maybe more. Perhaps he could … what was he thinking?

Had the bullying changed him so much that he would even think of ‘buying’ friends with money that wasn’t his?

With minutes to spare until the morning assembly he raced into the school grounds to the office and handed over the wallet to the secretary. ‘Zak Hallam’s elderly grandfather rang this morning to say that he’d lost his wallet containing money to pay important bills. He hoped that a student might find it.

He’ll be very grateful for your honesty, Adam.’

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With his head down to avoid making eye contact with anyone, Adam noticed something just ahead on 8

• Choices •

l Examining A Narrative

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Re-read Choices and answer the questions.

LLA narrative usually has three parts: the orientation which describes the main character and the setting, the complication which describes a problem or challenges that the main character has to face, and the resolution which shows how the character solves the problem and usually learns something from the experience.

1. Who is the main character?___________________________________________________ 2. What is the setting?_________________________________________________________ 3. What is the first problem that Adam faces? _

_________________________________________________________________________

4. What is the second problem that Adam faces? _

_________________________________________________________________________

5. What action does he take to avoid the bullying? _

_________________________________________________________________________

6. Does he solve the problem?__________________________________________________ _

What action could he take?___________________________________________________

7. What action does he take when he finds the wallet? Why does he do this? _

_________________________________________________________________________

_

_________________________________________________________________________

8. What do you think Adam learns from this experience? _

_________________________________________________________________________

9. How does the writer position the reader? _

_________________________________________________________________________

10. What is one main idea in the text? _

_________________________________________________________________________

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Continue the story by writing the next scene. It could begin in the following way ...

Adam managed to avoid Zak Hallam all day until lunch time. He didn’t know what to expect when Zak called out to him, ‘Hey Adam, wait a minute I want to talk to you.’

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• Choices •

l Check The Text

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

A Read Choices on page 8 again, then answer the questions below.

LLVerbs bring a story to life, they describe the action part of a narrative. For example there is an important difference in meaning between, ‘He got out of bed’ and ‘He dragged himself out of bed.’ Have a think about the difference between, ‘He ate his toast’ and ‘He wolfed down his toast’.

The verbs in the story are written in the past tense. List ten verbs in the story and think about whether they create a strong impact on the reader.

1. _________________________________

6. _________________________________

2. _________________________________

7. _________________________________

3. _________________________________

8. _________________________________

4. _________________________________

9. _________________________________

5. _________________________________

10. _________________________________

LLNouns and noun groups provide the reader with a description of a person, place or thing. They add colour and depth to a narrative.

B

Complete these noun groups that are in the text. Think of other words that you might use instead.

1. ____________________ clock

6. ____________________ abuse

2. _____________________ toast

7. ____________________ wallet

3. ___________________ school

8. ___________________ glance

4. _____________________ bully

9. _______________ grandfather

5. ______________________ kid

10. _____________________ bills

LLThere are examples of direct speech in the text. It’s important when quoting direct speech to add quotation marks at the beginning and end of the words spoken and also to include any punctuation within the quotation marks.

C

Add punctuation and quotation marks to these sentences.

1. Adam, it’s nearly 8 o’clock, his mother called 2. Get up now, she said

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3. Where is my backpack Adam asked

4. It’s in the kitchen, his mother answered 5. Fire he yelled when he saw the smoke 10

• Choices •

l Edit And Proofread

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Read Choices on page 8 again, then answer the questions below.

LLWhen you have finished writing a draft of a narrative, it is important to edit and proofread your writing. You can do this by checking that the sentences are clear and make sense, by fixing up any spelling, grammatical or punctuation errors, and by making sure that your work is well-presented.

All of this will ensure that readers will enjoy the story without being distracted by errors.

A

Edit then rewrite this paragraph so that it is more interesting. Change sentence beginnings, add descriptions and join sentences.

Adam woke up. He got up. He got dressed. He looked at the clock. He was late. He got his toast. He left for school. He didn’t want to meet Zak Hallam on the way. Zak was a bully.

He picked on Adam. Adam was the new kid. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

B

Now proofread this section taken from the text Choices. There are ten errors in this text. When you read it, you will notice that the text doesn’t read as well as before. Errors can take the reader’s interest away from the story. There are two spelling errors, two punctuation errors and six grammatical errors. Underline the ten errors.

Lost in thought, he hurry along the quiet street, hoping that Zak Hallam was already in school. He wos a bully and had made life tough with Adam since day one, always taunt him that he was the new kid and wasn’t accepted? Zak’s mats sided around him, afraid that he would turn on him and make their lives miserable. Zak often hassled Adam on the way to school but he knew that if he leave home later he’d avoid the verbal abuse!

C

This is a short story that contains ten errors. There are two spelling errors, two punctuation errors and six grammatical errors. Underline the ten errors.

Adam looked at his clok on the bedside table. It was only 5am. It was too early to get

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up? He was looking forward to go to school today because two Olympic swimmers were come to the schol. They was going to talking to the students what had competed in the state swimming titles a week ago! Adam was one of the top swimmer in the state.

11

• Choices •

l Plan A Narrative

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' � Title book preview.

Create a narrative of your own. Make some notes about the characters and the plot before you start the first draft. Think about the challenges that your main character will face and how he/she will solve the challenges.

Brainstorm a few different titles before choosing the one that works best Sometimes a title isn’t decided until after the story has been written.

� Orientation � Who

� When

Main character’s name, age, description. Main character’s friend or foe.

� Where

When does the story take place? Is it now or in the past or in the future?

Describe the setting where your story takes place. Is it at school, at a beach, in a haunted house, in the desert, in another universe, etc.?

� Complication

� Resolution

List the challenges or complications that your character faces. There is often more than one and each new challenge usually gets tougher.

How did your character solve the problems or deal with the challenges or complications?

What did your character learn about him/ herself?

Go to www.readyed.net Write the first draft of your narrative. You might need to write several drafts before you start the final edit and proofread.

12

• Choices •

l Review Your Writing

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Many famous writers talk about writing several drafts of scenes or chapters in their novels to get the story ‘just right’. When you have written your final draft, edited it and have done a final proofread, your work should be ready to be read and enjoyed.

Check the following points and rate your writing.

Yes

No

Is the title interesting?

Is your main character believable and described well?

Have you introduced the main character and the setting in the first paragraph?

Are the ideas in the story clear?

Do you develop the storyline and include challenges to test the main character?

Do you use descriptive language?

Do you use a range of verbs in the past tense?

Is the ending/resolution satisfactory and believable?

Have you edited your narrative so that the information is clearly organised?

Have you proofread your work so that there aren't any errors?

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Have you positioned your readers in a particular way?

Do you think that the readers will enjoy your story?

13

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

• The Great Houdini •

This section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA1505 ACELA1507 ACELA1508 ACELA 1512 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1704 ACELY1705

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Read the biography entitled The Great Houdini. It is an informative recount about the life of the great magician, Harry Houdini.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' • The Great Houdini • book preview.

The Great Houdini was an amazing magician who held audiences spellbound for many years. He specialised in escaping from situations that seemed impossible.

Houdini used chains, handcuffs, ropes, locked boxes, gaol cells and containers filled with water in his acts.

Harry Houdini was born on March 24th, 1874 in Hungary and was named Ehrich Weisz. In 1876 when the family moved to the United States they changed their family name to Weiss.

Around the age of 13, Ehrich and his brother, Theo became very interested in magic tricks. By 17 Ehrich was already a performer with the stage name, Harry Houdini. The name Harry was close to his nickname, Ehrie and Houdini came from adding an i to the last name of his idol, the French magician, Robert Houdin.

At age 20, Houdini was developing and perfecting his escape tricks. He also married his stage partner, Bess. By 1900, Houdini had become famous across America for his amazing escapes from all kinds of locked boxes and containers while handcuffed and tied up.

In 1908 he added a very daring act to his show.

After being handcuffed, he squeezed himself into a large milk can that was then filled to the top with

water. As the audience held their breath, Houdini worked to escape the handcuffs to free himself. In another famous and very dangerous trick he escaped after he was held upside down in a tank of water with padlocks around his feet.

How did he perform these amazing escapes that seemed impossible to his audiences?

Part of the answer is that he was doublejointed, which allowed him to bend his arms and legs at unusual angles. He also studied locks and knew how they worked; at other times he used a hidden key.

In 1910 he appeared on stage in Sydney and Melbourne. In Melbourne he made a deathdefying leap from Queens Bridge into the Yarra River while chained and padlocked, as 20,000 spectators held their breath. He also made the first controlled, powered flight of an airplane in Australia.

In 1926, a student who came to see Houdini after his show asked him if it was true that if he was hit in the stomach he wouldn’t get injured. When Houdini replied that it was true, the student hit him in the stomach but unfortunately Houdini was not prepared and was injured internally.

He continued to travel and do his shows but the blow had damaged his appendix. As a result the great escapologist died on October 31st 1926, aged 52.

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15

• The Great Houdini •

l Examining A Biography

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Re-read The Great Houdini and answer the questions.

LLA biography is a recount of a person’s life. It usually has an orientation which introduces the subject of the biography to the reader. The main part tells the reader about significant events, usually in time order. The conclusion tells the reader why this person will be remembered and sometimes includes a personal opinion.

1. What does the first paragraph tell you about Houdini?

_________________________________________________________________________

2. What happened on 24th March 1874?__________________________________________ 3. When did the family change their name?_ ______________________________________ 4. What did Houdini take an interest in at age 13?_ _________________________________ 5. What did he do at age 17?_ __________________________________________________ 6. When did Houdini get married?_______________________________________________ 7. By age 26 Houdini__________________________________________________________ 8. What did he do in 1908?_____________________________________________________ 9. Where did he perform in 1910?_ ______________________________________________ 10. What feat did he perform at the Yarra River?

_________________________________________________________________________

11. How does the text position you to feel about The Great Houdini? Support your answer by quoting from the text.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

12. When and how did Houdini die?

_________________________________________________________________________ What is your opinion of The Great Houdini after reading his biography?

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• The Great Houdini •

l Check The Text

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

A Re-read The Great Houdini and answer the questions.

LLHoudini’s biography includes vocabulary that is connected to being a magician, e.g. audience, performer.

Find nine more words in the text that relate to Houdini’s performances.

1. ___________________

4. ___________________

7. ___________________

2. ___________________

5. ___________________

8. ___________________

3. ___________________

6. ___________________

9. ___________________

LLAdjectives add interest and give the reader a better description of people, places and events.

B

Check the text and add adjectives to complete these noun groups.

1. _________________ magician

6. ______________________ act

2. ________________ audiences

7. __________________ milk can

3. ____________________ tricks

8. _____________________ trick

4. __________________ escapes

9. _____________________ leap

5. ____________________ boxes

10. ____________________ flight

LLA biography is usually written in the past tense because it tells the reader about events that have already happened.

C

Read through Houdini’s biography again and note the verbs in each sentence. A verb is a word that describes what someone or something is doing or feeling, e.g. held, was named, worked, used. List nine verbs that describe an action in the text.

1. ___________________

4. ___________________

7. ___________________

2. ___________________

5. ___________________

8. ___________________

3. ___________________

6. ___________________

9. ___________________

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Extra! Complete in your workbooks.

Houdini’s biography is written over seven paragraphs. Look at the first sentence (the topic sentence) in each paragraph. It tells the reader what that paragraph will be about. Write a short summary of what each paragraph focuses on.

17

• The Great Houdini •

l Constructing Sentences

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Complete the tasks below.

LLTo make your writing more interesting, vary the sentence beginnings and the length of the sentences.

This is a simple sentence: Houdini was a magician.

A complex sentence has more than one clause, e.g. In Melbourne he made a death-defying leap from Queens Bridge into the Yarra River while chained and padlocked, as 20,000 spectators held their breath.

A

Check the text and complete these sentences. Note how the sentence lengths are varied with two or more clauses.

In 1876 when the family moved to the United States_____________________________ ___________________________________________. As the audience held their breath, _________________________________________________. Part of the answer is that he was double-jointed, _______________________________________________________ ______ In 1926, a student __________________________________________asked him _________________________that _____________________he wouldn’t get injured. As a result, _____________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

B

Join these simple sentences to make more interesting complex sentences.

1. Houdini was a magician. He performed unusual tricks. _________________________________________________________________________ 2. He was handcuffed. He escaped from a locked box. _________________________________________________________________________ 3. He escaped. He was double-jointed. _________________________________________________________________________ 4. He jumped from Queens Bridge. He was handcuffed. Spectators held their breath. _________________________________________________________________________

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5. The student hit Houdini in the stomach. He was not prepared. He suffered an internal injury. _________________________________________________________________________ 18

• The Great Houdini •

l Plan A Biography

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview. � Title Create your own biography. Before writing, it is important to research information about the person. After you decide who will be the subject of your biography, you can use different sources to gather information: interviews, newspaper articles, the internet, books or photographs. Make notes below.

Brainstorm a few interesting titles before choosing the one that works best. Usually a shorter title rather than a longer one works best for a biography. Make sure that the title is relevant. Change the title later if you think of a better one.

� Orientation This part introduces your subject to the reader and usually tells the reader why this person is important. This doesn’t mean that the person has to be famous or well-known. It could be someone special who isn’t well-known like a family member, a friend or a coach.

� The Main Part

� Conclusion

This section tells the reader about the person’s life, usually describing events, people and places. It is usually written in time order.

In the final statement, the writer explains why this person is important and how he/ she will be remembered. This final statement can also include your personal opinion.

Go to www.readyed.net Write the first draft of your biography.

19

• The Great Houdini •

l Review Your Writing

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Writing a biography involves careful research and presentation of information in a way that will be interesting to the reader. When you have edited your final draft and finished the proofreading, your work should be ready to be shared.

Check the following points and rate your writing.

Yes

No

Is the title interesting?

Did the opening paragraph introduce the person and explain why he/she is known?

Did you use interesting vocabulary when describing people and events?

Was the information relevant to the person’s life?

Were events presented in chronological (time) order?

Were ideas linked smoothly?

Did you use time connectives to link the ideas?

Did you use past tense verbs when describing past events?

Did you include a closing statement about this person and perhaps add your opinion?

Did you edit your biography so that it was structured well?

Did you proofread your work so that there weren’t any errors?

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Did you position the readers to think about the person in a certain way?

20

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

• Title • Mountain • Biking •

This section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA1505 ACELA1508 ACELA 1512 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1704 ACELY1705

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Read the explanatory text entitled Mountain Biking. It explains the sport of mountain bike riding.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' • Mountain Biking • book preview.

The sport of mountain bike riding involves riding bikes off-road over very rough terrain. In cross-country or XC competitions, the rider has to ride a course that usually includes climbs and descents on a variety of terrain including rough tracks, sand and water crossings.

The rider requires endurance, strength, fitness, good balance and excellent bike handling skills. Mountain bikes differ from other bikes as they are stronger and perform better on rough surfaces.

Most mountain bikes have front fork or dual suspension, larger tyres with deeper treads and wider handlebars (flat or rising) that allow the rider more control of the bike by allowing him/her to ride in an upright position.

To avoid the risk of injury riders wear protective gear. The protection worn by riders depends on the environment that they will be riding in, the weather, obstacles on the track and the rider's level of experience. As riders are always out in rough terrain, they must be wellprepared. Riders usually wear helmets; the style depends on the type of riding that they do. Cross-country riders usually wear helmets that are light and comfortable enough to wear for long hours on the bike.

rider hits a rock or a fallen branch. Gloves provide protection and sometimes are padded for comfort. Glasses or goggles protect the eyes from the sun and also from flying leaves and twigs. Shoes usually have strong grip on the soles for scrambling over rocks or running through water carrying the bike.

It is important when mountain bike riding to avoid damaging the environment.

Riders should stay on the trail in areas where they are allowed to ride. They shouldn’t ride in areas where they do not have permission. They should always take their rubbish with them and they should never scare birds or animals that they come across.

One of the toughest competitions in Australia is the Crocodile Trophy Mountain Bike Race held each year in October since 1995. It is considered one of the toughest, longest and most adventurous mountain bike races in the world. It takes place in north Queensland between Cairns and Cooktown. The nine stage race requires strength, endurance and courage as the riders cover nearly 1,000 kilometres over nine days and face a range of obstacles while riding through beautiful scenery. The male and female riders who win know that they have won a very challenging race. Mountain biking is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

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Clothing must be comfortable but tough to withstand the occasional fall if the 22

• Mountain Biking •

l Examining An Explanation

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Re-read Mountain Biking and complete the questions and tasks below.

LLAn explanation gives the reader information about a topic. It consists of an introductory statement which introduces the subject, the explanation which is an account of all aspects of the subject, and the final statement which sums up the information about the topic.

A

B

D

F

Explain what the sport of mountain bike riding involves.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

What qualities does the rider need?

C

How is a mountain bike different from a road bike?

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

List the protective gear that riders wear.

E

What kind of injuries do you think that riders might suffer?

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

What rules should riders follow to care for the environment?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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On the back of this sheet write down your opinion of the sport of mountain bike riding.

23

• Mountain Biking •

l Check The Text 1

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

A Re-read Mountain Biking and complete the tasks below.

LLThe explanation about the sport of mountain biking has vocabulary that refers specifically to this topic.

Find words or phrases in the text that refer to:

1. The rider: _ ____________________________________________________________ 2. Protection that the rider needs: _ __________________________________________ 3. The bike:_ _____________________________________________________________ 4. The course: ____________________________________________________________ LLCompound words occur when two words join together to make a single word, e.g. lunchbox, footprint.

B

Underline the compound words in these sentences.

1. The bikes have wider handlebars.

4. Some riders ride by moonlight.

2. The rider rides in an upright position.

5. Riders carry supplies in a lightweight backpack.

3. It is easier to ride a tough course in the daytime.

C

Add a second word to these words to make a new compound word.

1. back_______________

4. week_ _____________

7. eye________________

2. grown_ ____________

5. some_ _____________

8. sand_______________

3. home______________

6. earth_ _____________

9. day________________

D

Use a dictionary to find the meaning of these words.

1. terrain_ ________________________________________________________________ 2. descent_ _______________________________________________________________

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3. endurance______________________________________________________________ 4. environment____________________________________________________________ 5. faint-hearted____________________________________________________________ 24

• Mountain Biking •

l Check The Text 2

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Complete the tasks below based on the text on page 22.

Synonyms and Antonyms

LLA dictionary is used to find the meaning of a word. A thesaurus is very useful when writing as it helps you to vary your vocabulary and avoid using the same word again and again. A thesaurus is useful for finding synonymns: words that have similar meanings and antonymns: words that have opposite meanings.

Example:

A

Synonyms for say: state, announce, remark, exclaim Antonyms for easy: difficult, hard, tough, challenging

Use a thesaurus (a book or online) to find synonymns for:

1. terrain:__________________________

4. obstacle:_ _______________________

2. descent:_________________________

5. courage:_________________________

3. endurance:_ _____________________

6. permission_______________________

B

Use a thesaurus (a book or online) to find antonyms for:

1. rough:_ _________________________

4. deep:___________________________

2. descent:_________________________

5. tough:_ _________________________

3. strength:_ _______________________

6. beautiful_ _______________________

C

When you have finished the draft of your writing, edit it to check that you have not used the same word too many times.

Use another word for the words that are underlined below.

The sport of mountain biking involves riding over very rough areas in the shortest time. The rider has to complete a course that is very rough. The hills can be tough to climb and the downhill section can be very fast and tough. The rider has to be tough to complete such a rough course. Even the tyres have to be tough so they don’t puncture when they go over sharp rocks. The riders' clothing must be comfortable but

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tough enough not to rip if the riders fall. Their helmets must be comfortable too but tough enough to protect the riders. The Crocodile Trophy Race is a very tough course.

The riders who win this competition know that they have won one of the toughest mountain bike races in Australia.

25

• Mountain Biking •

l Plan An Explanation

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book� preview.

Title Create your own explanation. Before writing, it is important to research information about the subject. After you decide on the subject of your explanation you can use different sources to gather information, such as: the internet, newspaper items, books, diagrams or photographs. Make notes below.

Brainstorm a few interesting titles before choosing the one that works best. Usually a shorter title rather than a longer one works best for an explanation. Make sure that the title is relevant. Change the title later if you think of a better one.

� Introductory Statement This part introduces your topic to the reader.

� The Explanation This is the main part and explains your topic clearly. It usually includes technical language relevant to your subject.

� The Final Statement In the final statement, the writer sums up the information about the topic.

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Write the first draft of your explanation.

26

• Mountain Biking •

l Review Your Writing

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Writing an explanation involves careful research and clear presentation of relevant information in a way that will be interesting to the reader. When you have edited your final draft and finished the proofreading, your work should be ready to be shared.

Check the following points and rate your writing.

Yes

No

Was the title relevant?

Did you introduce the topic clearly in the opening paragraph?

Did you research your information indepth before you presented it?

Did you present the information in a logical order?

Did you use relevant technical language when explaining the topic?

Did you use interesting verbs and strong descriptions?

Were your ideas linked smoothly?

Did you use verbs in the present tense?

Did you include a final statement summing up the information?

Did you edit your explanation so that it was well-organised?

Did you proofread your work so that there weren’t any errors?

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Did you position the reader to view the topic in a particular way?

27

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

• T•eam V Couch Potato • TitlePlayer •

This section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA1505 ACELA1512 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1704 ACELY1705 Literature ACELT1698

Go to www.readyed.net 28

Read Team Player V Couch Potato. It is a discursive text. It argues for and against playing sport and tries to persuade the reader to see different points of view.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' • Team Player V Couch Potato • book preview.

Parents and educators argue that it is a good thing for teenagers to be active and play sport on the weekend rather than be ‘couch potatoes’.

Firstly, regular physical activity through sport is important for health. It helps to improve a person's balance, achieve a healthy weight and build strong bones and muscles. A healthy weight can mean less risk of developing medical problems such as a heart condition or Type 2 diabetes.

Secondly, participating in sport can be very beneficial emotionally. Being a team member builds self-confidence and selfesteem through friendships and learning new skills. Sport is not all about winning.

In fact, losing can motivate players to improve their skills and accept new challenges.

Thirdly, sport has a social benefit. It gives the players a wider group of friends outside school. In addition, team sport can be beneficial in developing the skills of working together as a unit.

In the work force many companies want someone who is a ‘team player’ who can work well with others.

Finally, exercise can help teenagers to deal with pressure, to cope with stress and can even help to lift their mood. Some research shows that students who participate in sports also get better academic results.

They believe that exercise improves memory and concentration.

In contrast, many teenagers disagree about the benefits of sport. They say that they don’t have time for sport and just aren’t interested. Firstly, they would rather spend their time on the weekend relaxing, watching TV or a movie, checking their Facebook, texting friends or playing computer games. They say that this is their way of relaxing and that they don’t want to be involved in sporting activities.

Secondly, they say that they don’t like the pressure of playing competitive sport. They would feel anxious if they missed training sessions because of homework. They would also feel the pressure for their team to win.

Thirdly, some teenagers believe that while there is often praise for the best performers in the team, the average players rarely get a mention. This can lead to peer pressure to ‘lift their game’. In addition, many teenagers argue that they spend so much time completing homework and studying that they don’t have time for training and competitions as well.

The fact is that research shows that there is a growing number of teenagers favouring being ‘couch potatoes’ rather than sports participants. There are many benefits to playing sport: physical, mental, social and emotional. However, it is up to the individual whether he or she wants to be active and participate in sports or simply to be a ‘couch potato’.

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29

• Team Player V Couch Potato •

l Examining A Discussion

Reread Team Player V Couch Potato, then answer the questions and complete the tasks.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

LLA discursive text introduces a topic then provides arguments for and against a particular point of view. It consists of an introductory statement which introduces the subject, arguments which specify different points of view and any evidence, and a final statement which sums up the information about the topic.

A

What does the introductory statement say about the topic?

________________________________________________________________________

B

List four arguments that are in favour of teenagers being involved in sport. State the arguments then add extra detail.

1. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

2. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

3. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

4. _ ____________________________________________________________________

C

_ ____________________________________________________________________ List four arguments that are against teenagers being involved in sport.

State the arguments then add extra detail.

1. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

2. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

3. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

4. _ ____________________________________________________________________

D

_ ____________________________________________________________________

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Sum up the final statement.

________________________________________________________________________

30

• Team Player V Couch Potato •

l Check The Text 1

Reread the text on page 29 to complete the tasks and questions below.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' A book preview.

LLA discursive text uses persuasive language to appeal to the reader’s sense of logic, to their values and their emotions.

Scan the text and find six verbs that are persuasive, e.g. agrees, etc.

1. ___________________

3. ___________________

5. ___________________

2. ___________________

4. ___________________

6. ___________________

B

Scan the text and find six phrases that are persuasive, e.g. advantages for teenagers.

1. ___________________

3. ___________________

5. ___________________

2. ___________________

4. ___________________

6. ___________________

C

Which argument in Team Player V Couch Potato did you find more persuasive? Why?

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

D

These unfinished sentences start with language that tries to persuade or convince others to adopt a point of view. Complete the sentences.

1. People say that __________________________________________________________.

2. My friend believes that____________________________________________________.

3. It is thought that_________________________________________________________.

4. There are advantages in___________________________________________________.

5. Many people think that_ __________________________________________________.

6. I feel that it is important to_________________________________________________.

7. The fact is that___________________________________________________________.

8. Parents say that__________________________________________________________.

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Extra! Complete in your workbooks.

Explain the meaning of these words: a)evidence, b)fact, c)hearsay, d)opinion, e)urban myth 31

• Team Player V Couch Potato •

l Check The Text 2

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

A Complete the tasks after reading the text on page 29.

LLSingle quotation marks are used in the text to indicate an expression, e.g. ‘couch potato’. This shows the reader that the words in the quotation marks have a different meaning to the literal meaning.

Explain what the words in quotation marks mean in these sentences:

1. It is better for teenagers to play sport than be ‘couch potatoes’.

‘couch potatoes’_ ________________________________________________________

2. Companies want someone who is a ‘team player’. ‘team player’_ ___________________________________________________________ 3. Good players can put pressure on average players to ‘lift their game’.

‘lift their game’_ _________________________________________________________

B

Match the sayings with their correct meanings.

a) crocodile tears

1) tell a secret

b) sleep on a clothesline

2) raining heavily

c) age before beauty

3) very happy

d) as the crow flies

4) older person first

e) raining cats and dogs

5) false tears

f) no such thing as a free lunch

6) jealousy

g) pie in the sky

7) sleep anywhere

h) let the cat out of the bag

8) straight from one point to another

i) green-eyed monster

9) you have to work for what you get

j) over the moon

10) imaginary

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Extra! Complete in your workbooks.

What is your opinion of playing weekend sport? State your opinion then briefly list your arguments to support your opinion. Use persuasive language and connectives such as: ‘firstly', 'secondly', 'in addition', 'finally’, etc. Start a new paragraph for each point. End your writing with a short statement that sums up your arguments.

32

• Team Player V Couch Potato •

l Plan A Discussion

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' � Title book preview.

Create your own discursive text. Before writing, it is important to research information about the subject. You can use different sources to gather information, such as: the internet, newspaper items, interviews, reports or books. Make notes below.

Brainstorm a few interesting titles before choosing the one that works best. Usually a shorter title rather than a longer one works best for a discursive text. Your title should be relevant to the topic. Change the title later if you think of a better one.

� Introductory Statement This first paragraph introduces your topic to the reader.

� The Arguments For And Against Set out your arguments logically starting with the strongest argument first. Support each point with any evidence or statistics. Use persuasive language to convince your reader.

� The Final Statement In the final statement, the writer sums up the information about the topic.

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Write the first draft of your discussion.

33

• Team Player V Couch Potato •

l Review Your Writing

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Writing a discursive text involves careful research, logical thinking and clear presentation of relevant information and evidence in a way that will persuade the reader. When you have edited your final draft and finished the proofreading, your work should be ready to be shared.

Check the following points and rate your writing.

Yes

No

Was the title relevant?

Did you introduce the topic clearly in the opening paragraph?

Did you research your information indepth before you presented it?

Did you present the arguments in a logical order?

Did you include evidence to support your arguments?

Did you use persuasive language when presenting the arguments?

Did you use interesting verbs and strong descriptions?

Did you link the ideas smoothly?

Did you use verbs in the present tense?

Did you include a final statement summing up the arguments?

Did you edit your writing so that it was well-organised?

Did you proofread your work so that there weren’t any errors?

Go to www.readyed.net

Did you position the reader in a particular way?

34

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

• Bermuda • Title • Triangle Mystery •

This section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA1505 ACELA1508 ACELA 1512 ACELA1514 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1704 ACELY1705

Go to www.readyed.net 35

Read Bermuda Triangle Mystery. It is a report on the mysteries and myths around the Bermuda Triangle.

This is ?a Ready-Ed Publications' • Bermuda Triangle Mystery • book preview.

The Bermuda Triangle is an area that is not officially listed on maps. However, it is wellknown because high numbers of ships and planes have supposedly disappeared over the area. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the south east coast of the United States.

The apexes of the triangle are Bermuda, Miami (in Florida) and San Juan (in Puerto Rico).

Over the past century there have been many baffling stories of disappearances. Some reports say that over 100 ships and planes have mysteriously disappeared with over 1,000 lives lost. In 1950 when reporter EVW Jones drew up a list of ships and planes that had disappeared, the area’s deadly reputation continued to grow.

One of the most famous cases was the unexplained disappearance of the USS Cyclops and its crew of 309 that went missing in 1918. Another mysterious disappearance occurred in 1945 when Flight 19 consisting of five Avenger bomber planes took off from Florida and disappeared without a trace during a training exercise.

In 1948 the four engine aircraft named Star Tiger carrying 29 passengers and crew made radio contact with Bermuda to check their position a few hours before expected arrival.

No further contact was ever received. In 1958 an aircraft with 32 people on board went missing leaving no trace.

In 1964 Vincent Gaddis wrote an article for a magazine in which he named the area: ‘The Deadly Bermuda Triangle’. In 1974 Charles Berlitz wrote a book entitled The Bermuda Triangle. It listed a long series of unexplained

disappearances of ships and aircraft. The book captured people’s interest and soon became a bestseller and then a movie.

Over the years a number of theories have been presented in an effort to explain the disappearances. These include: violent storms, the large numbers of ships and aircraft using the area, extraterrestrial activity and even that it is the location of the lost city of Atlantis.

There are logical reasons for some disappearances. The area does experience violent storms and hurricanes. Also, there is a strong ocean current called the Gulf Stream in the area so the evidence of any ship or aircraft that had been damaged would be quickly swept away. In addition, the ocean floor varies from extensive shoals around the islands to very deep marine trenches.

The combination of these factors could explain many disasters.

Research has shown that many reports of incidents in The Bermuda Triangle were exaggerated or could be explained, e.g. a boat that was reported missing arrived later.

Today, many large cruise ships sail regularly through the area. However, there still remain unexplained disappearances that might never be solved.

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36

• Bermuda Triangle Mystery •

l Examining A Report

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

A Reread the text on page 36 then answer the questions and complete the tasks.

LLA report introduces a topic then provides factual information and descriptions relating to the subject. It consists of an introductory statement which introduces the subject, a description which gives a description of and factual information about the subject, and a conclusion which sums up the information about the topic.

What does the introductory statement say about the topic?

B

D

F

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Describe the location of the Bermuda Triangle.

C

Explain why this area is of interest to many people.

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

What are some of the theories about the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle?

E

Do you think there are logical reasons for the disappearances?

Give your reasons.

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

Sum up the final statement.

___________________________________________________________________

Go to www.readyed.net

___________________________________________________________________

Your Opinion! Complete on the back of this sheet.

What is your opinion on the Bermuda Triangle mystery?

37

• Bermuda Triangle Mystery •

l Check The Text 1

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' A book preview.

Complete the tasks below after reading page 36.

LLA report is an informative text and usually contains facts, the names of people or places, dates and technical information.

List three important place names connected with the Bermuda Triangle.

1. ___________________

B

3. ___________________

List three people who have put forward theories about the Bermuda Triangle.

1. ___________________

C

2. ___________________

2. ___________________

3. ___________________

Outline three important disappearances and the dates that they occurred.

1. _______________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________________ LLCapital letters: these are used to start a sentence, and for the names of people, places, days, months, festivals, organisations and for the titles of books and movies.

D

List ten examples from the text where capital letters are used.

1. ________________________________

6. ________________________________

2. ________________________________

7. ________________________________

3. ________________________________

8. ________________________________

4. ________________________________

9. ________________________________

5. ________________________________

10. ________________________________

LLIn the report the present tense is used when sharing information but the past tense is used when describing events that have already happened.

E

38

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Check the report again and note where the writer has used present tense verbs and past tense verbs.

Example: The Bermuda Triangle is an area that is not officially on maps (present tense verbs). In 1958 an aircraft with 32 people on board went missing without a trace (past tense verbs).

• Bermuda Triangle Mystery •

l Check The Text 2

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' A book preview.

Read the text on page 36 again, then complete the tasks.

LLNoun groups provide a description of a person, place or thing. They add extra details and information to a report.

List ten examples of noun groups in the text.

high numbers 1. ________________________________

6. ________________________________

2. ________________________________

7. ________________________________

3. ________________________________

8. ________________________________

4. ________________________________

9. ________________________________

5. ________________________________

10. ________________________________

LLTo change a singular word, e.g. ship to plural, just add an ‘s’ - ships. The rule changes for words ending in ‘y’. If the word ending in ‘y’ has a vowel before the ‘y’, just add ‘s’, e.g. boy/boys. If the word ending in ‘y’ has a consonant before the ‘y’, change the ‘y’ into an ‘i’ and add ‘es’, e.g. story/stories.

B

Make these words plural.

1. key_____________________________

6. toy_____________________________

2. day_____________________________

7. boundary________________________

3. mystery_________________________

8. tray_____________________________

4. pin_____________________________

9. quality__________________________

5. theory_ _________________________

10. activity__________________________

LLThe report on page 36 contains a number of technical words to describe events and what has happened, e.g. the apexes of the triangle.

C

Give six examples of technical language.

1. ________________________________

4. ________________________________

2. ________________________________

5. ________________________________

3. ________________________________

6. ________________________________

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Extra! Complete in your workbooks.

The report is written in seven paragraphs. The first sentence or topic sentence of each paragraph is important because it tells the reader what the paragraph will be about.

Summarise the main topic of each paragraph.

39

• Bermuda Triangle Mystery •

l Plan A Report

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' � Title book preview.

Create a report. Before writing, it is important to research information about the subject. You can use different sources to gather information, such as: interviews, the internet, newspaper items, books, diagrams or photographs. Make notes below.

Brainstorm a few interesting titles before choosing the one that works best.

Usually a shorter title rather than a longer one works best for a report. Make sure that the title is relevant. Change the title later if you think of a better one.

� Introductory Statement This part introduces your topic to the reader and usually makes a general statement about the subject of the report.

� The Description This is the main part and describes the topic of your report clearly and in detail. It usually includes the names of people and places and technical language relevant to your subject.

� The Final Statement In the final statement, the writer sums up the information about the topic and sometimes makes a personal comment.

Go to www.readyed.net

Write the first draft of your report.

40

• Bermuda Triangle Mystery •

l Review Your Writing

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Writing a report involves careful research and clear presentation of relevant information in a way that will be interesting to the reader. When you have edited your final draft and finished the proofreading, your work should be ready to be shared.

Check the following points and rate your writing.

Yes

No

Was the title relevant?

Did you introduce the topic clearly in the opening paragraph?

Did you research your information indepth before you presented it?

Did you present the information in a logical order?

Did you include facts and statistics to support your information?

Did you use technical language when presenting the information?

Did you use interesting verbs and strong descriptions?

Did you link the ideas smoothly?

Did you use verbs in the past tense?

Did you include a final statement summing up the information?

Did you edit your writing so that the information was well-organised?

Did you proofread your work so that there weren’t any errors?

Go to www.readyed.net

Did you position your readers in a particular way?

41

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

• Buy Australian Made • • Title •

This section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1504 ACELA1505 ACELA1508 ACELA1512 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1704 ACELY1705

Go to www.readyed.net 42

Read Buy Australian Made. It is an expository text about the benefits of buying Australian made products.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' • Buy Australian Made • book preview.

When you do your shopping, do you stop to think or check where the products come from that you are buying? Australia imports goods from many countries and we export our goods to many countries.

However, more and more Australians are strongly interested in purchasing goods that they know are either made or grown in Australia.

Consumers state many reasons for buying Australian products. They believe that Australian grown products are fresh and healthy and Australian made products are safe and made to a high standard.

By buying Australian they feel that they are helping to keep farmers and factory workers in jobs and creating employment for workers.

Shoppers also state that there are definite advantages to the environment if they buy Australian products. If food is grown locally and products are made locally then there is less of a carbon footprint connected with producing the goods.

These products use a lot less energy to reach customers compared with imported products that have to be shipped or flown to Australia.

By buying Australian products, shoppers feel that they are doing something positive to help the economy.

Most people agree that it is beneficial to have Australian dollars being spent in our country

on Australian products. It helps to keep our economy strong especially in difficult economic times.

Another strong reason to buy Australian is that vital skills will continue to be learnt and used by young people. It is necessary that trade skills, inventions and technology used in a range of industries are not lost to future generations. If industries close because goods are not being produced in Australia then the next generation not only misses out on learning the skills for that industry but also on employment.

Finally, there are definite advantages to buying Australian products that have been grown or manufactured locally as they have to meet Australia’s high standards.

Not only is the quality of the product guaranteed but also if there is a problem later with a part needing to be replaced then the manufacturer is only a phone call away.

Australian shoppers have made it clear that they want to know where products come from and they definitely want to support Australian farmers and businesses. Look for the logo featuring a gold kangaroo on a green background that says: Australian Made or Australian Grown or Product of Australia next time you go shopping. It means that you can shop with confidence knowing that you are ‘buying Australian’.

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43

• Buy Australian Made •

l Examining An Exposition

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Read the text on page 43, then answer the questions and complete the tasks below.

LLAn exposition introduces a topic then argues for a particular point of view to try to persuade the reader to adopt this point of view. It consists of an introductory statement which introduces the subject and states the writer’s point of view, arguments which are presented in logical order usually with the strongest one first, and a conclusion which sums up the arguments and often contains a personal comment.

A

What does the introductory statement say about the topic?

___________________________________________________________________

B

Summarise the five arguments presented in the text for buying Australian products.

1. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

2. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

3. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

4. _ ____________________________________________________________________

_ ____________________________________________________________________

5. _ ____________________________________________________________________

C

E

44

_ ____________________________________________________________________ In your opinion which argument is the strongest and would convince you to buy Australian made?

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

D

Sum up the final statement.

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

Did the writer of this letter convince you to buy Australian products? If the answer is yes, then explain why you were convinced, but if the answer is no, explain why the writer hasn't been successful in persuading you.

Go to www.readyed.net

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

• Buy Australian Made •

l Check The Text 1

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

A Reread the text Buy Australian Made, then complete the tasks below.

LLThe text Buy Australian Made is persuasive. The writer presents arguments for buying Australian products and tries to persuade the reader to adopt this point of view.

Read the text and identify 10 words or phrases that are persuasive.

1. ________________________________

6. ________________________________

2. ________________________________

7. ________________________________

3. ________________________________

8. ________________________________

4. ________________________________

9. ________________________________

5. ________________________________

10. ________________________________

LLThe starting point of a sentence is important because it helps the reader to predict what the sentence will be about. E.g. When you do your shopping … In this sentence the reader knows straight away that the sentence will be about shopping.

B

Look at the first part of some of the sentences in the text. Predict what the rest of each sentence might be about.

LLThe first sentence in a paragraph (the topic sentence) is very important because it tells the reader what the paragraph will be about.

C

Summarise what each paragraph focuses on in Buy Australian Made.

Paragraph 1:______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 2:______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 3:______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 4:______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 5:______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

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Paragraph 6:______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 7:______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 45

• Buy Australian Made •

l Check The Text 2

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' A book preview.

Read the text on page 43 again to help you to complete the tasks.

Summarise in point form the reasons why people want to buy Australian made and Australian grown products.

economic

_ ___________________________________________________________

employment

_ _________________________________________________________

environmental skills

_ _______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

product standard

B

______________________________________________________

Proofread this section from the text Buy Australian Made. There are ten errors in this text. There are two spelling errors, two punctuation errors and six grammatical errors. Underline the ten errors.

Australian shoppers have made it cleer that they wants to know where products come from and they definitely want too support Australian farmers and businesses? Look out for the logo featuring a gold kangaroo on a green background what says: Australian Made or australian Grown or Product of Australia next time youse go shoping. It means that you can shop with confidence knowing that you is ‘buying Australian’.

LLA logo is a trademark or symbol designed to identify a company, organisation or sporting team.

The logo of Australian Made and Australian Grown is a gold kangaroo on a green background.

C

Design a logo for an Australian company that makes bikes, skateboards or surfboards.

Extra! Complete in your workbooks.

Describe (or draw) the logos for these companies.

Apple Computers

Qantas

Woolworths

Bunnings

McDonalds

Go to www.readyed.net 46

• Buy Australian Made •

l Plan An Exposition

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' � Title book preview.

Create your own exposition. Before writing, it is important to research information about the subject. You can use different sources to gather information, such as: the internet, newspaper items, interviews, reports or books. Make notes below.

Brainstorm a few interesting titles before choosing the one that works best. Usually a shorter title rather than a longer one works best for an exposition. Your title should be relevant to the topic. Change the title later if you think of a better one.

� Introductory Statement This first paragraph introduces your topic to the reader.

� The Arguments For And Against Set out your arguments logically starting with the strongest argument first. Support each point with any evidence or statistics. Use persuasive language to convince your reader.

� The Final Statement In the final statement, the writer sums up the information about the topic.

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Write the first draft of your exposition.

47

• Buy Australian Made •

l Review Your Writing

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Writing an exposition involves careful research, logical thinking and the clear presentation of relevant information and evidence in a way that will persuade the reader to adopt a point of view. When you have edited your final draft and finished the proofreading, your work should be ready to be shared.

Check the following points and rate your writing.

Yes

No

Was the title relevant?

Did you introduce the topic clearly in the opening paragraph?

Did you research your information indepth before you presented it?

Did you present the arguments in a logical order?

Did you include evidence to support your arguments?

Did you use persuasive language when presenting the arguments?

Did you use interesting verbs and strong descriptions?

Did you link the ideas smoothly?

Did you use verbs in the present tense?

Did you include a final statement summing up the arguments?

Did you edit your writing so that it was well-structured?

Did you proofread your work so that there weren’t any errors?

Go to www.readyed.net

Did you position the reader in a particular way?

48

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

• Title • • Uluru •

This section covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Year 5 Language ACELA1500 ACELA1504 ACELA 1508 ACELA 1512 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1704 ACELY1705

Go to www.readyed.net 49

Read Uluru. It is a descriptive text. It describes one of Australia’s most well-known natural landmarks.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' • Uluru • book preview.

Uluru, in central Australia’s desert country is one of Australia’s most well-known natural landmarks. Half a million people visit it each year. Given the traditional name, Uluru by the local Pitjantjatjara people, it is also known by the alternate name, Ayers Rock. The explorer, Ernest Giles first saw the rock formation from a distance in 1872. In 1873, the surveyor William Gosse visited the rock and named it Ayers Rock after Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia.

Uluru is an inselberg, which means ‘isolated mountain’. It can be clearly seen from a distance, as it rises dramatically from the flat country in the surrounding area. The sandstone formation stands at 348 metres high and has a total circumference of around 9 kilometres. It stretches to 3.6 kilometres and is almost 1.9 kilometres wide. It is known that Uluru extends several kilometres into the ground. The rock formation is unusually steep from the top down to ground level.

The area is sacred to the Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area. It is their belief that Uluru was formed by ancestral beings long ago in the time when land features were created. From a distance, the rock looks smooth. However, up close the face of the rock displays many features: holes, ridges, valleys and caves that all relate to the journeys of the ancestral beings.

formation is bare of vegetation but the area around the base of the rock is very different. It reveals cool springs, clear waterholes, unexpected vegetation and shallow rock caves, home to ancient paintings. This area also supports an interesting variety of wildlife. Certain areas around the rock are also very important ceremonial sites.

Visitors to Uluru are amazed at its impressive size but they are also impressed by another feature. Throughout each day the rock formation changes and displays a beautiful range of vibrant colours. Sunrise and sunset are favourite times to view the rock as it changes to a glowing rusty red. This glowing red colour is due to reflective minerals in the sandstone that change colour depending on the angle of the sun.

The Anangu do not climb Uluru because of its spiritual significance. They ask visitors not to climb it as it is special to their culture. Also, they do not want visitors to be injured or die as has happened a number of times but many people do still climb it. They also request that visitors do not photograph certain ceremonial sites.

This amazing rock formation Uluru/Ayers Rock and the surrounding national park were declared a World Heritage site in 1987.

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The rock

50

• Uluru •

l Examining A Description

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Read the text on page 50, then answer the questions and complete the tasks below.

LLA description introduces the topic of interest then describes important information and features.

It consists of an introductory statement which introduces the subject being described, a description which includes facts and features that provide information about the subject, and a conclusion which states something special or unique about the subject.

A

What information does the introductory statement provide about the topic?

B

___________________________________________________________________

Read the description again and list ten facts about Uluru that you consider are important.

1. _ ____________________________________________________________________ 2. _ ____________________________________________________________________ 3. _ ____________________________________________________________________ 4. _ ____________________________________________________________________ 5. _ ____________________________________________________________________ 6. _ ____________________________________________________________________ 7. _ ____________________________________________________________________ 8. _ ____________________________________________________________________ 9. _ ____________________________________________________________________ 10. _ ____________________________________________________________________

C

What are the two important facts in the final statement?

1. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________________________________

D

Have you ever been to Uluru? If your answer is ‘yes’, describe what impressed you most. If you haven’t ever been to Uluru, now that you have read the description of the rock formation, would you like to see it and what would interest you most?

Go to www.readyed.net

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ 51

• Uluru •

l Check The Text 1

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' A book preview.

Read page 50 to help you complete the tasks below.

LLThe description Uluru is an informative text. The writer describes Uluru in great detail to the reader. The description of Uluru contains important facts and figures.

List six names of individuals or groups referred to in the text.

1. __________________________________

4. __________________________________

2. __________________________________

5. __________________________________

3. __________________________________

6. __________________________________

B

List three dates that are mentioned and say why they are important.

1. _______________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________________

C

List six examples of figures (measurements) that are mentioned and their importance.

1. __________________________________

4. __________________________________

2. __________________________________

5. __________________________________

3. __________________________________

6. __________________________________

LLThe description of Uluru contains many examples of noun groups that bring the rock to life, e.g. desert country.

D

Find eight examples of noun groups.

1. __________________________________

5. __________________________________

2. __________________________________

6. __________________________________

3. __________________________________

7. __________________________________

4. __________________________________

8. __________________________________

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extra! Complete in your workbooks.

Find the following words in the text and write their meanings. You can work out the meanings either from the context of the sentences or by using a dictionary.

ancestral ancient ceremonial desert dual

inselberg landmark sacred surveyor vibrant 52

• Uluru •

l Check The Text 2

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' A book preview.

Read page 50 to help you to complete the tasks below.

LLThe description of Uluru contains vocabulary that is connected closely with the topic.

Create a word bank (words and phrases) that describe Uluru.

B

Proofread the following paragraph. Underline the ten spelling errors and write the correct spelling on top.

The rock is baar of vegetation but the area at the base of the rok is very different. There are cool springs, cleer waterholes, green vegetation and shallow rock cavs where visitors can see ainshent paintings. There are a lot of different animals in the area including wollobees, lizards and snacks. Visitors are amazed at how bigg Uluru is. They are also amazed at the way the rock changes culor at different times of the daye.

LLA conjunction is a word that joins other words, phrases or clauses, e.g. ‘and’ or ‘but’: I saw a red kangaroo and a wallaby but I didn’t see an echidna. Read the text again. Underline the conjunctions and note how they are used to link ideas within a sentence.

C

Use the conjunctions 'and' or 'but' to complete the sentences.

1. Many people have heard of Uluru _______ haven’t seen it.

2. Uluru is located in central Australia _______ it is very hot in summer.

3. There is no vegetation on Uluru _______ the area at the base of the rock is different.

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4. People are amazed at the size of Uluru _______ they are also amazed at how it changes colour at different times of the day.

5. The Anangu do not climb Uluru _______ many other people do.

53

• Uluru •

l Plan A Description

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' Title book� preview.

Create your own description. Before writing, it is important to know a lot of information about the subject. You can use different sources to gather information, such as: personal experience, the internet, interviews, newspaper items, books, diagrams or photographs. Make notes below.

Brainstorm a few interesting titles before choosing the one that works best.

Usually a shorter title rather than a longer one works best for a description. Make sure that the title is relevant. Change the title later if you think of a better one.

� Introductory Statement This part introduces your subject to the reader and usually has a general statement about what or who is being described.

� The Description This is the main part and describes the subject with detailed information. It can include names of people and places and descriptive vocabulary relevant to your subject.

� The Final Statement In the final statement, the writer sums up the information about the subject and sometimes makes a personal comment.

Go to www.readyed.net

Write the first draft of your description.

54

• Uluru •

l Review Your Writing

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Writing a description involves presenting detailed information about a subject that will be interesting to the reader. When you have edited your final draft and finished the proofreading, your work should be ready to be shared.

Check the following points and rate your writing.

Yes

No

Was the title relevant?

Did you introduce the topic clearly in the opening paragraph?

Did you research your information indepth before you presented it?

Did you use descriptive language?

Did you include information about the subject’s special features?

Did you use interesting verbs?

Did you use paragraphs?

Did you use conjunctions to join phrases and clauses?

Did you include a final statement summing up the information?

Did you edit your description so that it was well-structured?

Did you proofread your work so that there weren’t any errors?

Go to www.readyed.net

Did you position the reader to view the topic in a specific way?

55

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

• Cyclone Yasi •

Covers the following Australian Curriculum Links: Language ACELA1504 ACELA1505 ACELA1507 ACELA1508 ACELA1512 Literacy ACELY1701 ACELY1704 ACELA1705

Go to www.readyed.net 56

Read Cyclone Yasi. It combines a newspaper report about Cyclone Yasi (left) with a procedural text (right) which describes what to do when a cyclone hits an area.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' • Cyclone Yasi • book preview.

In the early hours of the 3rd February 2011 tropical Cyclone Yasi hit the coast at Mission Beach on the north Queensland coast. Over the previous three days as the cyclone approached Australia, the warning had changed from Category 3 on January 31st and intensified to the highest level, Category 5 on 2nd February. Yasi was the first tropical cyclone since 1918 to reach the maximum impact of Category 5.

In Mission Beach, south of Cairns where Cyclone Yasi made landfall, wind gusts estimated to have reached over 290 kilometres per hour caused a huge amount of damage. A massive storm surge estimated at 7 metres destroyed a number of structures as the water pushed inland past the beach.

As the cyclone moved over several towns, thousands of people were evacuated to emergency shelters and up to 90,000 homes were left without power. Intense winds and heavy rain destroyed homes and devastated farms. Banana and sugar cane crops were also ruined. Losses from the storm damage were estimated at $3.5 billion. One man died from gas poisoning as a result of using a generator in a confined space with not enough fresh air.

Surviving A Cyclone When a cyclone approaches it is important to be prepared and to follow the emergency procedures listed below.

• Listen to your battery radio for updates.

• Disconnect all electrical goods.

• Stay inside and shelter in the strongest part of the building: cellar, hallway or bathroom.

• Keep away from windows.

• Make sure that you have your evacuation and emergency kits with you.

• Protect yourself with mattresses or blankets if there is damage to the building. Shelter under a strong table or bench or hold onto something solid.

• Wait for official news that the storm has passed before going outside. When the ‘eye’ of the storm passes over an area, it is the calm time before the cyclone strikes again with the same force.

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57

• Cyclone Yasi •

l Examining A Report

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Read Cyclone Yasi then complete the tasks below.

LLA report introduces a topic then provides factual information and descriptions of the subject. It consists of an introductory statement which introduces the subject, a description which gives a description and factual information about the subject, and a conclusion which sums up the information about the topic.

A

Cyclone Yasi is a short newspaper report that includes important relevant facts and statistics in a short article. List nine important facts from the article about Cyclone Yasi.

1. _______________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________________ 4. _______________________________________________________________________ 5. _______________________________________________________________________ 6. _______________________________________________________________________ 7. _______________________________________________________________________ 8. _______________________________________________________________________ 9. _______________________________________________________________________ LLA procedure gives clear instructions that can be easily followed in order to achieve a goal.

B

In the procedural text Surviving A Cyclone the instructions on what to do are listed clearly. Each instruction begins with a verb in the present tense.

List the verbs used in the instructions.

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

C

The procedural text refers to items that are necessary to have on hand.

What items are necessary to have with you while you are sheltering from the impact of the cyclone? Add more items if you think they are necessary.

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_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

58

• Cyclone Yasi •

l Check The Text 1

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' A book preview.

Read the text on page 57 to help you to complete the tasks.

LLCyclone Yasi is a report which is informative. The writer is reporting to the reader about an event that has happened.

Cyclone Yasi happened in 2011 so the report is written in the past tense.

Find ten verbs in the report that are in the past tense.

1. ________________________________

6. ________________________________

2. ________________________________

7. ________________________________

3. ________________________________

8. ________________________________

4. ________________________________

9. ________________________________

5. ________________________________

10. ________________________________

B

Adjectives are words that add descriptions to nouns, e.g. dark, stormy night. ‘Dark’ and ‘stormy’ are adjectives. Find the adjectives that add to these nouns.

1. __________________________ hours

6. __________________________ towns

2. ________________________ cyclone

7. ________________________ shelters

3. ___________________________ level

8. ____________________________rain

4. _________________________ impact

9. __________________________ space

5. __________________________ storm

10. _____________________________ air

LLA clause is a group of words with a subject, a verb and a comment that adds to the information, e.g.

The girl painted a beautiful picture. Compound and complex sentences have more than one clause, e.g. The girl painted a beautiful picture when she went to art class.

C

Underline the clause (or clauses) in these sentences. Some sentences have more than one clause.

1. Tropical Cyclone Yasi hit the coast on the 3rd February.

2. The Cyclone intensified from category 3 to 5.

3. The Cyclone caused a huge amount of damage.

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4. A massive storm surge destroyed structures as the water pushed inland.

5. People who were in the path of Cyclone Yasi were moved to emergency shelters.

59

• Cyclone Yasi •

l Check The Text 2

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' A book preview.

Read the text on page 57 again to help you to complete the questions.

Surviving A Cyclone is a procedural text that outlines a set of instructions. What is the purpose of the instructions in this procedure?

_________________________________________________________________________

B

What is the purpose of starting each instruction with a verb in the present tense?

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

C

Each instruction is very short. Explain the reason for keeping the instructions short.

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

D

A report and a procedure are two different texts written for different purposes. Explain the purpose of a report and the purpose of a procedure.

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

E

Edit then rewrite this short paragraph so that it is more interesting. Change sentence beginnings, add descriptions and join sentences.

Cyclone Yasi was a really bad storm. It got worse in the days before it hit Mission Beach.

When Yasi hit it was very windy. There were big waves at the beach. People had to leave their homes. The wind and heavy rain were bad. There was a lot of damage. One man died. _________________________________________________________________________

Go to www.readyed.net

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 60

• Cyclone Yasi •

l Plan A Report

Write your own report. Before writing, it is important to research information about the subject. After you decide on the subject of your report you can use different sources to gather information, such as: the internet, newspaper items, interviews, books, diagrams or photographs. Make notes below.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' � Title book preview.

Brainstorm a few interesting titles before choosing the one that works best.

Usually a shorter title rather than a longer one works best for a report. Make sure that the title is relevant. Change the title later if you think of a better one.

� Introductory Statement This part introduces your topic to the reader and usually has a general statement about the subject of the report.

� The Description This is the main part and describes the topic of your report clearly. It usually includes names of people and places and technical language relevant to your subject.

� The Final Statement

Go to www.readyed.net

In the final statement, the writer sums up the information about the topic and sometimes makes a personal comment.

Write the first draft of your report.

61

• Cyclone Yasi •

l Review Your Writing

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

Writing a report involves careful research and clear presentation of relevant information in a way that will be interesting to the reader. When you have edited your final draft and finished the proofreading, your work should be ready to be shared.

Check the following points and rate your writing.

Yes

No

Was the title relevant?

Did you introduce the topic clearly in the opening paragraph?

Did you research your information indepth before you presented it?

Did you present the information in a logical order?

Did you use relevant facts and statistics when explaining the topic?

Did you use interesting verbs and strong descriptions?

Did you use verbs in the past tense?

Were ideas linked smoothly?

Did you include a final statement summing up the information?

Did you edit your report so that it was well-structured?

Did you proofread your work so that there weren’t any errors?

Go to www.readyed.net

Did you position the reader?

62

l Answers UNIT 1: CHOICES

P9 1 Adam. 2 On the way to school. 3 Avoiding the bully, Zak Hallam. 4 What to do with the wallet that he finds. 5 He left home earlier and walked with his head down so that he wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. 6 No. He could discuss the bullying with parents, friends or teachers. 7 He hands the wallet in to the school office because he believes it is the honest thing to do. 8 That doing what’s right/ honest/moral is more important than letting a bully influence your actions. 9 The reader is positioned to admire Adam's honesty. 10 Ideas = honesty and bullying.

audiences spellbound for many years. 12 He died in 1926 after complications from a punch to the stomach.

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

P10 A] 1 glanced 2 groaned 3 hated 4 dragged 5 threw 6 wished 7 hurried 8 sided 9 noticed 10 checked (there are other examples) B] 1 old 2 cold 3 old 4 mean 5 new 6 verbal 7 black 8 quick 9 elderly 10 important C] 1 “Adam, it’s nearly 8 o’clock, “ his mother called.

2 “Get up now,” she said. 3 “Where is my backpack?”

Adam asked. 4 “It’s in the kitchen,” his mother answered. 5 “Fire!” he yelled when he saw the smoke.

P11 B] Lost in thought, he hurried along the quiet street, hoping that Zak Hallam was already in school. He was a bully and had made life tough for Adam since day one, always taunting him that he was the new kid and wasn’t accepted. Zak’s mates sided with him, afraid that he would turn on them and make their lives miserable. Zak often hassled Adam on the way to school but he knew that if he left home later he’d avoid the verbal abuse.

C] Adam looked at his clock on the bedside table.

It was only 5am. It was too early to get up. He was looking forward to going to school today because two Olympic swimmers were coming to the school.

They were going to talk to the students about who had competed in the state swimming titles a week ago. Adam was one of the top swimmers in the state.

UNIT 2: THE GREAT HOUDINI

P16 1 That he was a famous magician. 2 Ehrich Weisz was born. 3 In 1876. 4 He became interested in magic tricks. 5 He performed under the stage name Harry Houdini. 6 1894. 7 Houdini was famous across America. 8 He added a daring, dangerous act to his show. 9 In Sydney and Melbourne. 10 He dived into the Yarra River while chained and padlocked.

11 That he was 'an amazing magician who held

P17 A] 1 magician 2 spellbound 3 impossible 4 acts 5 magic tricks 6 stage name 7 escape tricks 8 stage partner 9 double-jointed 10 spectators (there are other examples) B] 1 amazing 2 spellbound 3 magic 4 amazing 5 locked 6 daring 7 large 8 dangerous 9 deathdefying 10 controlled, powered C] 1 held 2 specialised 3 seemed 4 moved 5 changed 6 married 7 added 8 squeezed 9 held 10 escaped (there are other examples) EXTRA! Paragraph one: introduces who Houdini was. Paragraph two: Houdini’s birth and family name change. Paragraph three: Houdini’s interest in magic in his teenage years. Paragraph four: marriage and becoming famous across America.

Paragraph five: the secrets behind his amazing tricks. Paragraph six: Houdini’s visit to Australia.

Paragraph seven: how and when Houdini died.

P18 A] In 1876 when the family moved to the United States they changed their family name to Weiss.

As the audience held their breath, Houdini worked to escape the handcuffs to free himself. Part of the answer is that he was double-jointed, which allowed him to bend his arms and legs at unusual angles. In 1926, a student who came to see Houdini after the show asked him if it was true that if he was hit in the stomach he wouldn't get injured. As a result, the great escapologist died on October 31st 1926, aged 52.

B] 1 Houdini was a magician who performed unusual tricks. 2 He was handcuffed but he escaped from a locked box. 3 He escaped because he was double-jointed. 4 He jumped from Queens Bridge while handcuffed as the spectators held their breath. 5 The student hit Houdini in the stomach but he was not prepared and as a result he suffered an internal injury.

UNIT 3: MOUNTAIN BIKING

P23 A] It involves riding off-road over very rough terrain.

B] Endurance, strength, fitness, good balance and excellent bike handling skills.

C] It has front forks or dual suspension, larger tyres with deeper treads and wider handlebars.

D] Helmet, tough clothing, gloves, glasses or goggles, shoes with strong grip.

E] Broken bones, scratches, bruises.

F] Stay on the trail, take rubbish with them and

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63

don’t scare birds or animals.

P24 A] 1 endurance, strength, fitness, balance, bike handling skills 2 risk of injury, weather, obstacles, level of experience, helmet, tough clothing, gloves, glasses or goggles, shoes with strong grip 3 front fork, dual suspension, larger tyres, deeper treads 4 rough terrain, climbs and descents, rough tracks, sand and water crossings, adventurous B] 1 handlebars 2 upright 3 daytime 4 moonlight 5 lightweight, backpack C] 1 background 2 grown up 3 homework 4 weekend 5 sometimes/someone 6 earthquake 7 eyeball 8 sandcastle/sandstone 9 daytime /daylight D] 1 terrain: the surface of the land 2 descent: the downward slope 3 endurance: being able to do something for a long time 4 environment: the physical aspects of a place 5 faint-hearted: weak

academic results f.) less risk of developing medical problems (there are other examples) EXTRA! a) evidence: something that proves the truth b) fact: something that is true c) hearsay: gossip or stories that aren’t proven d) opinion: what you think about something e) urban myth: a story told by lots of people that is supposed to be true but usually isn’t

This is a Ready-Ed Publications' book preview.

P25 A] 1 land 2 downwards slope 3 stamina 4 barrier 5 bravery 6 agreement B] 1 smooth 2 ascent 3 weakness 4 shallow 5 easy 6 ugly C] Own choice - suggested examples: The sport of mountain biking involves riding over very rough areas in the shortest time. The rider has to complete a course that is very rugged. The hills can be steep to climb and the downhill section can be very fast and risky. The rider has to be fit to complete such a difficult course. Even the tyres have to be well-made so they don’t puncture when they go over sharp rocks. The rider’s clothing must be comfortable but strong enough not to rip if the rider falls. Their helmet must be comfortable too but hard enough to protect the rider. The Crocodile Trophy Race is a very challenging course. The riders who win that one know that they have won one of the most demanding mountain bike races in Australia.

UNIT 4: TEAM PLAYER V COUCH POTATO

P30 A] That there are advantages for teenagers to play sport on the weekend.

B] 1 good for health 2 emotional benefits 3 social benefits 4 helps with stress and lifts mood C] 1 don’t have time and not interested 2 don’t like pressure 3 average players don’t get encouraged 4 not enough time for training and competitions D] It’s better for teenagers to play sport than be ‘couch potatoes’.

P32 A] 1 someone who prefers doing little physical activity 2 works well in a group 3 improve their skills B] a5 b7 c4 d8 e2 f9 g10 h1 I 6 j3

UNIT 5: BERMUDA TRIANGLE MYSTERY

P37 A] It tells where the Bermuda Triangle is and why it is famous.

B] It is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the south east coast of the United States. The apexes of the triangle are Bermuda, Miami (in Florida) and San Juan (in Puerto Rico).

C] Because many ships and a number of planes seem to have disappeared without trace in this area.

D] Violent storms, large numbers of ships and planes using the area, extraterrestrial activity and that it’s where the lost city of Atlantis is.

E] Students' own response.

F] Many ships cruise this area today with no problem and in the past many disappearances weren’t actually disappearances because the ships turned up later but there are still disappearances that can’t be explained.

P38 A] 1 Bermuda 2 Miami 3 San Juan B] 1 EVW Jones 2 Vincent Gaddis 3 Charles Berlitz C] 1 USS Cyclops and its crew - 1918 2 Flight 19 bomber planes - 1945 3 Star Tiger aircraft and passengers - 1948 (there are other examples) D] 1 Bermuda Triangle 2 Atlantic Ocean 3 United States 4 Bermuda 5 Miami 6 Florida 7 San Juan 8 Puerto Rico 9 EVW Jones 10 USS Cyclops (there are other examples) P39 A] 1 high numbers 2 past century 3 baffling stories 4 deadly reputation 5 unexplained disappearance 6 mysterious disappearance 7 training exercise 8 expected arrival 9 violent storms 10 extraterrestrial activity (there are other examples) B] 1 keys 2 days 3 mysteries 4 pins 5 theories 6 toys 7 boundaries 8 trays 9 qualities 10 activities C] 1Avenger bombers 2 radio contact 3 training exercise 4 extraterrestrial activity 5 extensive shoals 6 incidents (there are other examples) EXTRA! Paragraph 1 - Location of the Bermuda Triangle. Paragraph 2 - Stories of disappearances.

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P31 A] a) argue b) believe c) disagree d) say e) feel f ) helps B] a) important for health b) improve balance c) achieve a healthy weight d) a social benefit e) better 64

Paragraph 3 - Famous reported disappearances.

Paragraph 4 - Texts written and created about the Bermuda Triangle. Paragraph 5 - Theories which explain the disappearances. Paragraph 6 - Logical reasons for the disappearances. Paragraph 7 Concluding statement.

and healthy; manufactured products are of a high standard.

B] Australian shoppers have made it cleer that they wants to know where products come from and they definitely want too support Australian farmers and businesses? Look out for the logo featuring a gold kangaroo on a green background what says: Australian Made or australian Grown or Product of Australia next time youse go shoping. It means that you can shop with confidence knowing that you is ‘buying Australian’.

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UNIT 6: BUY AUSTRALIAN MADE

P44 A] More Australian shoppers are becoming interested in knowing which products are Australian grown or made.

B] 1 Products are fresh and healthy. 2 Environmental benefits as products are not shipped from far away so use less energy. 3 Helping the Australian economy. 4 Creating employment and ensuring that trade skills, inventions and technology are being learnt and used by young people. 5 High quality products and any problem can be fixed faster locally.

D] Australian shoppers who want to buy Australian made or grown products should look for the logo featuring the kangaroo.

P45 A] 1 strongly interested 2 state many reasons 3 products are safe 4 made to a high standard 5 helping to keep farmers and factory workers in jobs 6 creating employment 7 definite advantages 8 less of a carbon footprint 9 use a lot less energy 10 doing something positive to help the economy (there are other examples) C] Paragraph1: Introduces the topic: buying Australian made or grown products. Paragraph 2: Australian products are safe and healthy and goods are made to a high standard. Buying Australian goods helps keep people in jobs. Paragraph 3: Environmental benefits of Australian grown or made products. Paragraph 4: Shoppers are helping the Australian economy. Paragraph 5: Ensuring employment and also that vital skills in many types of jobs are being learnt by young people. Paragraph 6: Products are made to a high standard and also easily fixed if there is a problem because they are made in this country. Paragraph 7: Shoppers who want to buy Australian products can look for the special logo with a kangaroo that guarantees the product is Australian made or grown.

P46 A] Economic: benefits the economy; keeps people in jobs so they spend money on products.

Employment: keeps people in jobs. Environmental: less energy used as goods don’t have to be transported from overseas; less of a carbon footprint. Skills: industry skills are continued to be taught and used by young people. Product standard: Australian grown products are fresh

UNIT 7: ULURU

P51 A] It tells the reader where Uluru is located and why it so well-known. It also gives some background information about why Uluru has two names.

B] 1 Uluru is located in central Australia. 2 Half a million people visit it each year. 3 It is known by two names. 4 It is an inselberg. 5 It is 348 metres high and has a circumference of 9 kilometres. 6 It extends several kilometres into the ground. 7 It is sacred to the Anangu people. 8 It isn’t smooth but has many features. 9 It is bare of vegetation. 10 There are ancient paintings in the shallow caves at the base. (There are other examples.)

C]1 It has two names: Uluru and Ayers Rock. 2 It was declared a World Heritage site in 1987.

P52 A] 1 Pitjantjatjara people 2 Ernest Giles 3 William Goss 4 Sir Henry Ayers 5 Anangu people 6 Visitors B] 1 In 1872 the explorer Ernest Giles saw the rock from a distance. 2 In 1873 the surveyor William Gosse visited the rock and named it after Sir Henry Ayers. 3 In 1987 it was declared a World Heritage site.

C] 1 It stands 348 metres high. 2 It has a circumference of around 9 kilometres. 3 It is 3.6 kilometres long. 4 It is 1.9 kilometres wide. 5 It extends several kilometres under the ground. 6 1987 declared World Heritage Site. These figures are important as they give the reader important factual information about Uluru and help the reader to visualise Uluru.

D] 1desert country 2 natural landmark 3 alternate name 4 isolated mountain 5 flat country 6 several kilometres 7 ancestral beings 8 cool springs 9 clear waterholes 10 shallow rock caves (there are other examples) EXTRA! 1 ancestral: someone related who lived a long time ago 2 ancient: very old 3 ceremonial: something performed on an important occasion 4 desert: a sandy or stony area that gets little rainfall 5 dual 6 inselberg: isolated mountain 7 landmark: something on land that is easily seen 8 sacred: worthy of religious respect 9 surveyor: someone who measures boundaries and features of land 10

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vibrant: bright and lively P53 A] suggested answers: sacred to the Anangu people; formed by ancesteral beings; impressive size; changes colour; has two names; very steep; not smooth; vegetation around the base; ceremonial site; World Heritage area; many visitors (there are other examples) B] The rock is baar [bare] of vegetation but the area at the base of the rok [rock] is very different. There are cool springs, cleer [clear] waterholes, green vegetation and shallow rock cavs [caves] where visitors can see ainshent [ancient] paintings. There are a lot of different animals in the area including wollobees [wallabies], lizards and snacks [snakes]. Visitors are amazed at how bigg [big] Uluru is. They are also amazed at the way the rock changes culor [colour] at different times of the daye [day].

C]1 Many people have heard of Uluru but haven’t seen it. 2 Uluru is located in central Australia and it is very hot in summer. 3 There is no vegetation on Uluru but the area at the base of the rock is different. 4 People are amazed at the size of Uluru and they are also amazed at how it changes colour at different times of the day. 5 The Anangu do not climb Uluru but many other people do.

P60 A] They tell people how to stay safe in a cyclone.

B] To make the reader aware that the actions are to be carried out as they read.

C] The instructions are short so that they are very clear and can be read and understood quickly.

D] A report tells the reader about an event that has happened. A procedure lists a set of instructions to follow for a specific purpose. It presents actions to be carried out.

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UNIT 8: CYCLONE SEASON

P58 A] 1 It hit on 3.2.2011. 2 It hit Mission Beach in north Queensland. 3 It built up in intensity over three days. 4 It was a category 5 before it hit. 5 It was the first category 5 cyclone since 1918. 6 Wind gusts reached 290 kilometres per hour. 7 There was a storm surge of 7 metres. 8 It caused damage estimated at $3.5 billion. 9 90,000 homes were left without power. 10 One man died.

B] listen, disconnect, stay, keep away, make sure, protect, shelter, wait C] battery radio, evacuation kit, emergency kit P59 A] 1 hit 2 approached 3 had changed 4 intensified 5 was 6 made 7 estimated 8 caused 9 pushed 10 moved (there are other examples) B] 1 early hours 2 tropical cyclone 3 highest level 4 maximum impact 5 massive storm 6 several towns 7 emergency shelters 8 heavy rain 9 confined space 10 fresh air C] 1 Tropical Cyclone Yasi hit the coast on the 3rd February. 2 The Cyclone intensified from category 3 to 5. 3 The Cyclone caused a huge amount of damage. 4 A massive storm surge destroyed structures as the water pushed inland. 5 People who were in the path of Cyclone Yasi were moved to emergency shelters.

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