8541RB Reading for Me Level 4 Part A

Foreword 

Reading for Me is a series of workbooks designed to support the development of children’s 

literacy skills while also building a sense of enjoyment and confidence in their independent 

reading at home. 

There are six levels in the series, each containing a Part A (printed paperback format) and B 

(digital online format). Each part contains 60 original texts that cover three different text types 

(factual, imaginative and persuasive), which are indicated on the upper left-hand corner of the 

text page. Each text is accompanied by a worksheet containing six questions based on literal, 

inferential, evaluative and vocabulary understandings. 

Texts advance in difficulty throughout the book, so teachers and parents can be assured that 

reading skills are developed as children progress through the series. Children will also be 

encouraged by visualising their progress on the progression bar at the top right-hand corner of 

the text pages. 

This series uses a dyslexia-friendly font to make texts more accessible for children and to help 

foster a love of reading. 

Contents 

My Humble Request............... 2 

The First Rugby Practice....... 4 

Interesting Facts You 

Probably Didn’t Know About 

Your Body.............................. 6 

Life in the Ant Colony........... 8 

Crazy Card Games................10 

A Family for Sprinkles..........12 

The Hockey Match................14 

Molly the Mosquito..............16 

Watchdog Available..............18 

The Tree...............................20 

Public Speaking 101..............22 

Racheltjie de Beer................24 

Old Hopgiant........................26 

The Dangers of Magnetic 

Balls.....................................28 

Jamie’s Painting Review........30 

Make Your Own Dessert.......32 

The Girl with the Rose-red 

Slippers................................34 

Tomorrow’s Home..................36 

Royal Limericks.....................38 

Boring-coloured Cars 

Must Go!.............................40 

Disaster on the River...........42 

A Perfect Past?...................44 

The Best Game in the 

World...................................46 

Building Towards a Better 

Future...................................48 

Should Musical Education be 

Compulsory in Schools?........50 

Brutal Bugs...........................52 

The Castle of Good Hope.....54 

A Day in the Life of a 

Blind Person.........................56 

Spiders Deserve Better.........58 

The Flying Cow.....................60 

Are Dogs Really Man’s 

Best Friend?.........................62 

The Rubik’s Cube..................64 

Battle of the Books..............66 

VacMac 2000........................68 

Headphones or Speakers?.....70 

Who Cut the Onions?...........72 

Sweets or Chocolates?.........74 

Iqbal Masih’s Story..............76 

Serenading the Sunflowers...78 

Kahekili’s Leap......................80 

The School Concert..............82 

Save the Rhino!...................84 

A Catastrophic Adventure....86 

Harald Bluetooth 

Gormsson..............................88 

How Stories Came to Earth: 

An African Folk Tale............90 

Vegetables Should Be 

Banned.................................92 

How to Make Your Own 

Slime....................................94 

The Magic of the Theatre.....96 

Pieta’s Walk.........................98 

How Animals See the 

World................................. 100 

The Tygerberg Nature 

Reserve.............................. 102 

The Mountain Man.............. 104 

The Baby Olympics............. 106 

Communication Through 

the Ages............................. 108 

Go to Sleep!...................... 110 

Say Cheese!....................... 112 

Radiant Rainbows............... 114 

The Immortal White Snake – 

A Chinese Myth.................. 116 

Erik the Red....................... 118 

How Do Fitness Trackers 

Work?................................. 120 

Answers.............................. 122 

R.I.C. Publications ® Prim-Ed Publishing Reading for Me Level 4 (Part A) 978-1-922843-63-0 i

Persuasive 

My Humble Request 

Dear Parents 

I am writing this letter to you in the hope that you read it with an open 

mind. I believe the time has come to finally ask you for the one thing my 

heart desires. 

Please may I have more screen time? 

I know that your first reaction is to say no, but please read through 

my list of reasons why I deserve it. I have faith that you will genuinely 

consider my request. 

1. I am doing well academically. I do my homework every day. I do not 

complain and whine about it like other children. I even got 85% for a 

spelling test this week. I know that I can keep my grades to the high 

standard that they are currently at. 

2. Even though we basically live in a scorching desert, I play tennis twice 

a week. Outside. In the sun. My body is getting the exercise and fresh 

air it needs to stay fit and healthy. 

3. I fear that my developing brain is shrinking. Do you know how many 

hours I waste over weekends just staring at the wall because there is 

nothing else to do? If I can play games like Sudoku on the computer, 

my brain will grow and develop. 

4. Do you know what a nether portal is? Neither do I. My classmates 

talk about it all the time. Do you realise how damaging the lack of 

screen time is to my social life? I feel abandoned as I’m left out of 

conversations for not knowing what everyone is talking about. 

I am not asking for unlimited screen time; all I ask for is one hour per 

weekday and two hours per day over the weekend. I promise that I won’t 

play before all my homework is completed. 

Mum and Dad, I read somewhere that life is all about balance. Please 

grant me this wish so that I have more time doing something that I love. 

Yours sincerely 

Nina 

2 Reading for Me Level 4 (Part A) 978-1-922843-63-0 R.I.C. Publications ® Prim-Ed Publishing

Questions 

1 What is Nina’s request? 

2 How many times a week does she play tennis? 

3 Why is the lack of screen time damaging Nina’s social life? 

4 Why do you think Nina wrote a letter to her parents instead of 

asking them in person? 

5 How much screen time do you think a 10-year-old should have? 

Explain your answer. 

6 Find and write another word with the same meaning as finished. 

R.I.C. Publications ® Prim-Ed Publishing Reading for Me Level 4 (Part A) 978-1-922843-63-0 3

Imaginative 

The First Rugby Practice 

Boots on, mouthguard in; 

clear the path for the rugby king. 

I’m new here, my talent unseen, 

brace yourselves for this tackle 

machine. 

I won’t be deterred 

by the rumours you’ve heard. 

Sure, it’s my first practice ever— 

might I say, a brand new endeavour. 

I know how this game works. 

(Sitting in front of the TV has its 

perks.) 

The Springboks and Wallabies have 

displayed 

how this game should be played. 

Okay, fine, if you insist. 

It’s obviously futile to resist. 

One ... two ... three ... four ... 

my entire body is sore! 

Next in line is the scrum, 

I have to shove my face next to 

AJ’s bum. 

You can’t be serious, is this a joke? 

What if he farts? I’m going to 

choke! 

Passing the ball is refreshingly nice, 

it’s the catching that comes with a 

price. 

Dare to miss, down you go, 

for fifty burpees in a row. 

What do you mean I can’t tackle 

Jeff? 

Isn’t that why we’re here, you silly 

ref? 

Fifty push-ups for me? I’m afraid I 

have to disagree. 

My rugby career was short, 

thanks Mr Ref for your lack of 

support. 

I’m afraid I won’t return for more 

excruciating torture you have in 

store. 

I’m here to play rugby, can’t you 

see? 


Questions 

1 How many practices has the writer attended before? 

2 What happens if you miss a catch? 

3 Why did the referee tell the writer to do fifty push-ups? 

4 Compare how the writer saw his own abilities at the beginning of 

the poem to the end. 

5 What are your thoughts on rugby? Write two sentences. 

6 Write another word for excruciating. 


Factual 

Interesting Facts You 

Probably Didn’t Know 

About Your Body 

Our bodies are one of the most incredible life forms on Earth. Check out 

15 weird and wonderful facts about the human body below. 

1. Your ears and nose never stop growing. 

2. Babies are born with 300 bones in their bodies. As they grow older, 

some of the bones fuse together and they end up with 206 bones. 

3. Earwax is a type of sweat. Ironically, its job is to keep the ear clean. 

4. You are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening. This is 

due to the soft cartilage between your bones squashing during the 

day. 

5. You can’t breathe and swallow at the same time. Try it! 

6. If you smooth out all the wrinkles in your brain, it will be roughly the 

size of a pillowcase. 

7. Just as you have a unique set of fingerprints, you also have a unique 

tongue print. 

8. The jaw is the strongest muscle in the body. 

9. Humans produce about two swimming pools of 

spit in an average lifetime. 

10. About 50% of your hand strength comes from 

your little finger! 

11. Humans are the only animals with chins. 

12. The sound of cracking knuckles comes from 

gas in your joints. 

13. A person will die quicker from a total lack of 

sleep than from hunger. 

14. You lose about 4 kg of skin cells every year, 

which often end up as dust in your home. The 

entire surface of your skin is replaced every 

month. 

15. The average lifespan of an eyelash is 150 days. 


Questions 

1 Why are you taller in the morning? 

2 True or false? A person not sleeping for ten days has a higher 

chance of dying than a person not eating for ten days. 

3 How many kilograms of skin have you lost so far in your life? 

4 Why is it beneficial to have the jaw as the strongest muscle? 

5 Which of these facts surprised you the most? Explain your 

answer. 

6 What does lifespan mean? 


Imaginative 

Life in the Ant Colony 

My name is Number 35701. I am a worker ant in the colony under the rocks 

just outside your bedroom window. 

My first task for today is to find food for the colony. The queen laid a 

ton of eggs yesterday. She needs her nourishment. As I leave the colony, 

I catch on to the scent Number 34562 has left. I’m sure it will lead to 

something yummy! I walk up along the wall, through the little open space 

in the window and, sure enough, there are some delicious breadcrumbs 

waiting for me on your bedside table. I’m very glad that you did not listen 

to your mum when she asked you to clean it up! 

I load a few crumbs in my mandibles and carry them back to the nest. I 

also leave a scent behind so my friends can know where to find food. Did 

you know that I can carry up to 20 times my body weight? That is the 

equivalent of a 40-kg human lifting an adult giraffe! I drop the crumbs at 

the back of the nest and head out again. 

As I walk along the path, I catch an unfamiliar scent. Every ant colony 

has its own unique scent they leave behind. There are definitely some 

intruders from another colony around! I hurry to pick up another pile of 

crumbs and make my way back to the nest. Hopefully the intruders are not 

looking to pick a fight. When ants fight, it’s usually to the death. 

As I enter the nest, I receive 

the order that I am on garbage 

duty. We are very clean and tidy 

insects. Worker ants, like me, are 

responsible for taking the rubbish 

out of the nest and dropping it in 

a pile outside. To be honest, this 

is not my favourite job. 

My favourite job is to look after 

the queen’s eggs. I was there 

yesterday, and they looked very 

close to hatching. Hopefully I can 

go there again tomorrow. If I’m 

lucky, they will hatch into larvae 

right there. I love to feed the 

larvae and watch them grow. 

Being a worker ant sure is hard work, but it is very rewarding to be 

part of a colony. Please remember to leave some crumbs for me again 

tomorrow! 


Questions 

1 How do ants know where to find food? 

2 Complete the sentence: 

Ants don’t stop fighting until one of them is . 

3 What are baby ants called? 

4 Who is the most important ant in the colony? Why? 

5 If you were an ant, which of the jobs would you like best? 


6 Where will you find 

an ant’s mandibles? 


Factual 

Crazy Card Games 

A pack of cards can be wildly entertaining. See the instructions for two 

card games below. Try them out next time you are bored. 

Crazy Eights 

2–5 players 

Each player is dealt five cards. 

These cards must not be shown to 

the other players. The rest of the 

cards are placed face down in the 

centre of the table. 

The dealer turns the top card of 

the centre pile and places it face 

up next to the pile. This pile is 

called the starter pile. If an eight 

is turned first, the dealer must 

place it back in the centre of the 

pile and turn over another card. 

Each player chooses one of their 

five cards to place on top of the 

starter pile. The chosen card has 

to match the top card in suit or 

denomination. For example, if the 

card on the starter pile is a jack of 

clubs, a player can place any jack 

or any club. 

If a player is unable to go, they 

must draw cards from the stock 

pile until they draw one that they 

can use. 

Eights are special in this game, 

because they can be played on 

any card. If an eight is placed, 

that player can nominate the suit 

the next person has to play. That 

person then has to play a card of 

the nominated suit, or an eight. 

The first person who has zero cards 

left, wins. 

Slapjack 

3–6 players 

Shuffle the pack and deal the 

whole deck face down between the 

players. 

Each player tidies their pile in their 

hands without looking at the cards. 

Beginning from the dealer’s left, 

each player lifts a card and places 

it face up in the centre of the 

table, creating a pile. 

The jacks are where the fun begins. 

If the centre card is a jack, players 

must try to be the first to slap it. 

The first one to do so, takes all 

the cards from the centre pile and 

places them face down beneath 

their own pile. 

If you slap the pack and it’s not 

a jack, you must hand one card to 

the person who played the card. 

If a player runs out of cards, they 

have one more chance to redeem 

themselves and slap the jack. If 

they don’t, they’re out of the 

game. 

The 

person 

who 

has 

all the 

cards 

is the 

winner. 


Questions 

1 What makes an eight special in the game ‘Crazy Eights’? 

2 What happens if you wrongly slap the pack in ‘Slapjack’? 

3 What cards can you play on a seven of spades in ‘Crazy Eights’? 

4 Why can’t players look at their cards in ‘Slapjack’? 

5 Which of these games would you most like to play? Why? 

6 Draw a card that has the same suit as a queen of hearts. 


Imaginative 

A Family for Sprinkles 

Sprinkles, the rabbit, lived in a 

warren in the forest all on her own. 

She couldn’t remember ever being 

part of a colony. Every morning 

when she woke up, she would go and 

look for other bunnies. Every evening 

she returned, feeling more alone 

than ever. 

One evening, she came back and 

realised that she had covered the 

entire forest and not found one 

creature that looked like her. The 

thought made her feel sad and 

alone. 

The next day, she decided to take 

matters into her own hands. She 

thought, ‘I have a short, stubby tail, 

just like Bear Cub.’ She found Bear 

Cub playing in the river and asked 

him, ‘Bear Cub, are we related?’ 

Bear Cub replied, ‘Why would you 

think that? I thought you were a 

rabbit.’ 

‘It’s just I can’t find any other 

rabbits and I thought since our tails 

look alike, maybe we are family,’ 

Sprinkles answered. 

Bear Cub answered, ‘No, Sprinkles, 

I’m a bear and you are a rabbit. 

There is no way that we can be 

related.’ 

Dejected, Sprinkles walked back to 

her warren. 

The next day, she walked over to 

the red fox family. She asked the 

mother, ‘Excuse me, Mrs Fox, we 

both have long ears, do you think 

that we might be related?’ 

Mrs Fox replied, ‘Oh, dear me, 

child! We are not related at all. 

We are foxes and you are a rabbit. 

Just keep looking for your family, 

you will find them one day.’ 

Sprinkles was devastated, but 

determined to find a family. The 

next day, she paid a visit to the 

raccoons. The kits were playing 

catch outside while the adults were 

resting in the den. She asked the 

raccoons, ‘Do you think that we 

might be family? I have soft fur, 

just like you.’ 

The biggest kit answered, ‘Aren’t 

you a rabbit? I don’t think that we 

are family but, if you want to, you 

can come and play catch with us!’ 

Sprinkles was very excited about 

the invitation and answered, ‘Yes 

please, that would be marvellous!’ 

She played outside with the 

raccoons for the remainder of the 

morning. They invited her back the 

next day and the day after that 

and, eventually, she became best 

friends with them. 

Sprinkles still planned on finding 

other rabbits 

but, for now, 

she was 

excited and 

content to 

be welcomed 

into the gaze 

of raccoons. 

At last, 

she felt 

like she 

belonged. 


Questions 

1 Why was Sprinkles sad and alone? 

2 Why did Sprinkles ask Bear Cub if they might be family? 

3 Why was Sprinkles excited about the raccoons’ invitation? 

4 True or false? Sprinkles didn’t think about finding other rabbits 

anymore. 

5 Think of an act of kindness you have done. Write it down. 

6 What is a group of rabbits called? 


Imaginative 

The Hockey Match 

14 March 2022 

Dear Diary 

I finally made the hockey team! Tomorrow, I will be jogging out on the 

grass for the under 10 G-team. Obviously, I’m only in the G-team because 

the coaches haven’t seen my spectacular stick skills yet. All of that is 

about to change. 

15 March 2022 

Dear Diary 

What a disaster of a day this has 

been! I left my stick bag in the car, 

so I didn’t have any gear with me for 

the match. I had to borrow socks and 

shin guards from one of the U/9s that 

played in the match before us. I had 

to beg my sister to let me borrow her 

stick, which is so small that ants could 

play hockey with it. I asked Shaun if I could borrow his mouthguard, but 

he said no. I don’t know why. 

Anyway, as the match started, I took my position on left wing. My job 

was to wait for a ball to come through, run with it and shoot a goal. It 

sounded simple enough. At first, the play was mostly in the opposition’s 

half, so I didn’t have much to do. Honestly, it was the most boring 

10 minutes of my life. My mother always says that I should find something 

to keep myself busy with when I’m bored. I saw this as the perfect 

opportunity to practise my ‘windmill’ skills. The windmill is the age-old art 

of swinging your stick in front of you like a windmill. It’s harder than it 

sounds. As I was nailing the windmill, out of nowhere, a ball came up to 

me. I stopped it with my foot. Apparently, that is not allowed in hockey. 

What a silly rule. The referee, who is also our coach, shouted something 

like, ‘Stick on the ground, Franks!’ He gave me the evil eye. 

Twenty seconds later, Willem passed me the ball. This was my big moment 

of glory. I dribbled the ball, lifted my stick to shoot and ... 

My ant stick accidentally flew out of my hand and hit the coach on the 

head. The match was stopped immediately so that the paramedics could 

check the coach out. Luckily, he was fine. I wondered if the paramedics 

had anything that I could take to cure my embarrassment. 


Questions 

1 Why was the match stopped? 

2 What is the ‘windmill’? 

3 Does the boy believe that he should be in the G-team? Why or 

why not? 

4 Why did Shaun not allow the boy to borrow his mouthguard? 

5 How would you feel if you accidently hit your coach? Explain 

your answer. 

6 What does opposition mean? 


Imaginative 

Molly the Mosquito 

I truly do not understand 

why Suzie won’t give me her hand. 

I’ve asked so nicely: 

Pleazzzzz Suzzzzzzzie, pleazzzzzzz! 

I’m not asking for much, 

Just a few drops for lunch. 

PleaZZZZZ SuZZZZZZZ, help me out 

I’m about to faint, no doubt! 

She swats me away. 

Wait, what did she say? 

Shoo, mosquito, shoo, 

I’ve not invited you! 

Well, how utterly rude, 

Nobody likes to be shooed. 

If I ever have guests 

I won’t treat them as pests. 

Humans are all the same, 

They only like animals they can tame. 

I wish Suzie could see 

The friend she could have in me! 


Questions 

1 What type of insect is Molly? 

2 Underline the correct answer. 

Molly is happy / hungry / fast. 

3 Why does Molly want Suzie’s hand? 

4 Why did Suzie shoo Molly away? 

5 Do you think humans and mosquitoes can be friends? Why or why 

not? 

6 What does the word tame mean? 


Imaginative 


Questions 

1 Who is Neska’s owner? 

2 How old is Neska? 

3 Do you think the writer likes Neska? Explain your answer. 

4 Is Neska’s owner aware of the problems the writer has with 

Neska? Why or why not? 

5 Do you think anybody will want to adopt Neska? Why or why 

not? 

6 What does incessantly mean? 


Imaginative 

The Tree 

I’ve always loved the enormous tree 

at the back of our garden. It is 

truly beautiful, almost magical. I’ve 

dreamed of climbing it, but I have 

always been too short—until now. I’ve 

grown so much over the holidays that 

my arms are finally long enough to 

reach that first branch. 

I stand at the bottom, looking up. 

I see a canopy of green and brown. 

I hear the wind sing through the 

branches. I feel a tingle up my spine. 

There’s something special about this 

tree, I can feel it. 

It takes me four jumps to grab hold of 

the branch. I hang on, and I chuckle, 

because I know that I probably look 

like washing on a line. With all my 

strength, I heave myself up to the 

first branch. I rest for a few moments 

before continuing my journey up the 

tree. From the first branch, the others 

are easy to reach. Soon enough I am 

sitting at the top of the tree, from 

where I can see the whole town. The 

view is spectacular. I feel like I am on 

top of the world! 

I see something moving at the end of 

the branch. It’s a small, green lizardtype 

creature ... a chameleon! The 

little reptile is displaying beautiful 

lime green, orange, yellow and teal in 

impressive patterns on its scaly body. 

Its two eyes are rolling in different 

directions, scouting for its next meal. 

I’ve never seen one in our garden 

before. I look around to see if there 

are any more and, sure enough, I can 

see almost ten chameleons from where 

I’m sitting. This 

is amazing! I 

can’t wait to 

tell Mum! 

As I scan the 

branches, I see 

more and more 

chameleons 

appearing. There 

are now at least 

100. Where did 

they all come 

from? All at once, their eyes lock in 

on me. Staring, completely motionless. 

Something is not right. In perfect 

unison they lift their pincher hands 

and start walking towards me. I have 

to get out of this tree! 

I see no other option than to jump. 

I have to land on one of the lower 

branches and if I miss, I will surely 

not survive to tell the tale. The 

chameleons are closing in, their 

mouths slightly open, their tongues 

exposed. It’s now or never! I jump. 

A wild gust pulls me in another 

direction. I’m going to miss the 

branch! I am strangely calm for 

someone who’s about to break so 

many body parts. I see the branch as I 

fly past. I prepare myself for the fall. 

The fall does not happen. I find myself 

hanging ten centimetres from the 

ground. Softly, I am put down. What 

on earth happened? I look up, straight 

into the eyes of the chameleons. They 

rescued me with their sticky tongues. 

Together, they wink. Then, they 

disappear. 


Questions 

1 Why could the writer not climb the tree before? 

2 Why did the writer miss the branch he wanted to jump to? 

3 Why was the writer scared when the chameleons started walking 

towards him? 

4 What happened that made us doubt that the chameleons were 

evil? 

5 Do you think it’s a magical tree? Explain your answer. 

6 What is a gust? 


Persuasive 

Public Speaking 101 

Do you have an irrational fear of public 

speaking? Don’t worry, you are not alone. 

Thousands struggle with the same problem. 

You don’t need to be afraid to speak in public. 

Read the tips below on how to overcome your 

fear. 

– Choose a topic you are passionate about. 

The more you understand your topic, the 

greater your chances are of a successful 

delivery. 

– Be well prepared. Make sure your speech 

has an introduction, a middle and an end. 

Do not choose words that you find difficult 

to pronounce or struggle to remember. 

– It might feel awkward at first, but, if you practise in front of a mirror, 

you already have one audience member—a very kind and forgiving one! 

– When you are ready, grab a few family members and deliver your speech 

to them. It will gradually make you more comfortable speaking in front 

of people. They will also give you honest feedback. 

– It also helps to record a video of yourself delivering the speech. 

You will hear your own voice and see how you can improve. 

– Visualise what you are saying. Don’t only memorise the words. If you see 

what you are saying in your head, it will sound more natural. You will 

also remember it better. 

– Breathe! Take one or two deep breaths before you walk to the podium. 

Also, remember to breathe during your speech. 

– Pick two or three members in the audience and focus on them. You don’t 

have to look at everybody in the room while you are delivering your 

speech. 

– If you lose track of where you are, stop and gather your thoughts. 

Don’t be afraid of silence. Rather, get yourself back on track and 

continue from where you stopped. 

Public speaking is a great opportunity for you to speak your mind. You will 

feel so empowered when you deliver your speech with confidence. Just go 

for it! 


Questions 

1 True or false? 

You have to look at everyone in the audience 

when you deliver a speech. 

2 What should you do if you forget the words? 

3 Who is the one audience member when you practise in front of a 

mirror? 

4 Why would it help to only focus on two or three people in the 

audience? 

5 How comfortable are you 

speaking in public? Explain 

your answer. 

6 What is a podium? Draw one 

below. 


Factual 

Racheltjie de Beer 

In 1843, Racheltjie de Beer, a 

twelve-year-old girl, lived on a farm 

in the Free State, South Africa, with 

her father and little brother, Dirkie. 

One afternoon, Racheltjie’s father 

realised that a calf had not returned 

to the kraal with the other cattle. 

He asked Racheltjie to go and look 

for the calf next to the river, while 

he went up the mountain. He warned 

that a storm was brewing and that 

she should be home before dark. 

Dirkie desperately wanted to go with 

Racheltjie, so she took him by the 

hand and the two headed towards the 

river. 

Racheltjie and Dirkie searched all 

along the riverbank, but they could 

not find the missing calf. Snow and 

rain started to fall and a terrible 

cold dawned on the valley. Racheltjie 

lost track of time and the children 

were overcome by nightfall. They 

walked and walked but they could 

not find their way home in the dark. Racheltjie had to carry Dirkie when 

he was tired and she also gave him her jacket when he complained about 

the cold. 

Racheltjie became so tired that she could not walk any further. 

Exhausted, she fell down next to a deserted anthill. She thought of a 

plan with which she would be able to keep her brother safe until help 

arrived. With her freezing hands, she dug in the snow in search of a rock. 

She used the rock to make an opening in the anthill and hollow it out. 

Even though she was cold and tired, she was determined to see her plan 

through. There was just enough space inside for little Dirkie. Racheltjie 

took off all her clothes and used them to make a bed for Dirkie in the 

anthill. She laid in front of the opening to shelter Dirkie from the cold. 

The next morning, Racheltjie’s father found his two children in the snow. 

Racheltjie did not make it through the night, but her selfless action saved 

her brother’s life. 


Questions 

1 Why were Racheltjie and Dirkie outside in the snow? 

2 What plan did Racheltjie think of to save her brother? 

3 Why could they not find their way back in the dark? 

4 What caused Racheltjie’s death? 

5 Would you be able to save your brother/sister/friend the same 

way that Racheltjie did? Why or why not? 

6 Complete the sentence. 

If something is hollow, 

it is 

inside. 


Imaginative 

Old Hopgiant 

A long time ago in Sweden, there 

lived two farmers. One of the farmers 

was rich and the other one was poor. 

The two farmers shared a big meadow 

and they divided all the work and 

produce from the meadow equally. 

One day, the rich farmer said to the 

poor farmer, ‘Neighbour, I think it 

would be best if the meadow only 

belonged to one of us.’ 

The poor farmer did not like the sound 

of this at all. ‘And whose will the 

meadow be, neighbour?’ 

‘Tomorrow we will mow the meadow 

and the one who mows the biggest 

share, will keep the meadow for 

himself,’ the rich farmer answered. 

‘And if you do not agree to this deal, 

I will make sure that you never set 

foot in this town again!’ 

The poor farmer was devastated. He 

did not have the same resources as 

the rich farmer, who would surely hire 

mowers to help him mow the meadow. 

He went to the nearest town to ask 

for help, but no one was interested in 

mowing without pay. The poor farmer 

was weeping on the cobbled pathway 

when he was approached by a strange 

man. The man told him, ‘Do not cry, 

for I have a solution to your problem. 

Tomorrow when you mow, shout “Old 

Hopgiant!” three times and all of your 

problems will be in the past.’ The man 

vanished before the poor farmer could 

ask any questions. 

The poor 

farmer was 

right—the 

rich farmer 

brought 

twenty 

mowers to 

help him. 

They started 

promptly, swinging their scythes from 

side to side, filled to the brim with 

confidence that they would mow the 

biggest part of the meadow. The poor 

farmer shouted, ‘Old Hopgiant!’ but 

nothing happened. The other mowers 

laughed at the poor farmer. ‘Old 

Hopgiant!’ he shouted again, ignoring 

their comments. Still nothing. ‘Old 

Hopgiant!’ he shouted for the third 

time and for ten seconds all was 

quiet. Then, out of nowhere, a glorious 

giant appeared from the sky. He ripped 

his scythe back and forth, mowing 

incredible amounts of the meadow. 

The rich farmer was very angry. He 

ran up to Old Hopgiant and kicked 

his boot. Unfortunately for the rich 

farmer, his foot got stuck to the boot. 

Angrier than before, he kicked Old 

Hopgiant with his other foot as well. 

This foot also got stuck and the rich 

farmer swung on Old Hopgiant’s shoe 

whilst he mowed the entire meadow. 

When Old Hopgiant had finished, he 

flew away with the rich farmer still 

stuck to his boot. 

The poor farmer successfully 

harvested many crops on the big 

meadow for many years to come. 


Questions 

1 How many mowers did the rich farmer 

hire to help him mow the meadow? 

2 What happened to the rich farmer at the end of the story? 

3 Why did the rich farmer want the meadow for himself? 

4 How do you think the poor farmer felt when he saw Old Hopgiant 

appear? 

5 What do you think the rich farmer could have done instead if he 

wanted the meadow all for himself? 

6 What is another word for disappeared? 


Persuasive 

The Dangers of Magnetic 

Balls 

I got a set of 100 magnetic balls for 

Christmas. My father ordered it online. 

It was the best gift! It was so much 

fun to experiment with different ideas. 

I played with it for hours. I made fancy 

necklaces and creative shapes. I even 

made a cube! 

One day, I tried to tie my hands 

together with the magnetic balls. 

Because my hands were tied, I used my 

mouth to put the final balls into place. 

I don’t know how it happened, but I 

accidentally swallowed a few balls. I 

didn’t think much of it at first. I have 

swallowed a Lego ® block before and 

nothing happened. A few magnetic balls 

couldn’t be so bad. 

Oh boy, was I wrong! Within a few 

hours, my stomach started to ache. 

After a quick internet search, my mum 

rushed me to the hospital. 

The doctor did an X-ray of my 

stomach. Sure enough, four balls were 

stuck together around my bowels. I had 

to go to surgery immediately. 

The surgery went well. I am lucky that 

the balls did not cause any permanent 

damage. 

When magnetic balls are swallowed, they interact with each other. If they 

become lodged in your intestines, they can cause serious damage and even 

death. Magnetic balls are banned from most stores (now I know why!), but 

you can buy them easily online. 

If you have magnetic balls at home, please put them away—especially if 

there are young children and toddlers around the house. Although they are 

loads of fun to play with, they are very dangerous. 


Questions 

1 Who gave the boy the magnetic balls 

as a gift? 

2 Why did he have to go to hospital? 

3 What did his mum search for on the internet? 

4 Why are magnetic balls a bigger danger to toddlers? 

5 Do you think magnetic balls should be available to purchase 

online? Why or why not? 

6 What does it mean when something is lodged in your intestine? 


Imaginative 

Jamie’s Painting Review 

My name is Jamie. My 

teacher asked me to give 

a personal opinion about 

a painting. I chose the 

Mona Lisa by Leonardo 

da Vinci. It is the most 

famous painting in the 

world. 

My first thought when 

looking at the painting 

was that it is properly 

dull. The colours are 

muted. I think it would 

have been much more 

cheerful if da Vinci 

chose some brighter 

colours. Just imagine 

how spectacular the 

river in the background 

would have looked in a 

bright turquoise. 

The lady (I suppose her 

name is Mona Lisa?) is 

very pretty. She has 

great curly hair and a 

nice posture. She has 

the facial expression of 

someone who knows a 

whopper of a secret, but 

she’s not going to tell 

anybody what it is. 

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most well-known artists of all time. I can 

totally see why. The lady stands out from the background. It is almost 

as if she radiates a soft glow. The details on her face and clothes are 

remarkable. Just look at the folds in her sleeves! I don’t even know how it 

is possible to paint something so well. 

I really like this painting. Even though it seems a bit dull at first glance, 

it gets better the longer you look at it. I completely understand why so 

many people call it a masterpiece. 


Questions 

1 What is the name of the painting? 

2 Who painted it? 

3 What was Jamie’s first impression of the painting? Do you agree 

with her? 

4 Besides the sleeves, where do you see great detail? 

5 Do you like the Mona Lisa? Why or why not? 

6 What is a masterpiece? 


Factual 

Make Your Own Dessert 

Wouldn’t it be great if you made the dessert for the next family dinner? 

Follow the recipe below to make chocolate brownies. 

Chocolate Brownies 

Preparation time: 15 minutes Baking time: 40 minutes Servings: 20 

Ingredients 

- 200 g butter or margarine - 300 g dark or milk chocolate 

- 3 extra large eggs - 1 cup sugar 

- 1½ cup plain flour - 1 teaspoon baking powder 

- pinch of salt 

Method 

Step 1 

Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Grease 

a baking pan of about 18 x 27 cm 

with a non-stick spray, then lightly 

flour. 

Step 2 

Melt the chocolate and butter in 

the microwave. Check the bowl 

every 20 seconds and remove when 

completely melted and smooth. 

Step 3 

Mix the eggs and 

sugar with an 

electric mixer until 

light and creamy. 

Fold the chocolate 

mixture into the 

egg mixture. 

Step 4 

Sieve the flour, baking powder and 

salt in a bowl. 

Step 5 

Add the dry ingredients (flour, 

baking powder and salt) to the 

chocolate mixture and stir to mix. 

Spoon the mixture into the prepared 

pan. 

Step 6 

Bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cool 

for 15 minutes and cut into squares. 

Variations: Add 100 g chopped 

marshmallows or 60 g chocolate 

chips to the batter. 


Questions 

1 How many different ingredients are on the list? 

2 For how long must the brownies be in the oven? 

3 In baking, what is the difference between mixing and folding? 

4 Why should you check the bowl in the microwave every 

20 seconds? 

5 Do you think you would be able to make these brownies on your 

own? Why or why not? 

6 What does the word batter (in baking) mean? 


Imaginative 


Slippers 

The ancient Egyptian tale of the girl with the rose-red slippers is said to 

be the origin story of Cinderella. 

A long time ago, a beautiful Greek girl was taken from her home by 

pirates. She was taken across the ocean to a marketplace in the Egyptian 

town of Naucratis. The pirates wanted to sell her. 

Charaxos, a local trader, immediately saw the Greek beauty at the slave 

stall. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He felt sorry for 

this girl. He decided to buy her. He took her home and lavished her with 

gifts and comfort. He treated her as a daughter. He found out that her 

name was Rhodopis. 

One day, Rhodopis and her friends were bathing in the pool. They had 

put their clothes and shoes next to the pool. A magnificent eagle circled 

above them. Suddenly, the eagle was charging towards them. The girls 

thought the eagle was going to attack them. Instead, the eagle grabbed 

Rhodopis’s rose-red ruby slipper that was gifted to her by Charaxos. She 

was relieved that they weren’t attacked, but also saddened by the loss of 

her slipper. They were very precious to her. 

The eagle flew back to Memphis, in search of the pharaoh, Amasis. He was 

having an audience outside. The eagle dropped the slipper on Amasis’s lap. 

Amasis was immediately drawn to it. He looked at the beautiful rubies. He 

looked at the fine craftmanship. He thought that someone who wore such 

a beautiful slipper must be the loveliest girl in Egypt. 

Amasis sent his cavalry to look for the girl to whom the slipper belonged. 

When the cavalry reached Naucratis, they heard about the beautiful Greek 

girl from the market. They went to Charaxos’s house and asked for the 

girl. Rhodopis was delighted to see her lost slipper. 

The cavalry informed her that she had to go 

to the pharaoh. She was very sad to leave 

Charaxos. She was forever grateful to him for 

everything he had done for her. Charaxos was 

also sad that Rhodopis had to leave, but he 

knew that royal command must be obeyed. 

Rhodopis eventually married the pharaoh and 

became Queen of Egypt. They lived happily ever 

after. 


Questions 

1 Who kidnapped Rhodopis from her home? 

2 How did the pharaoh get the slipper? 

3 Why was Rhodopis lucky that Charaxos bought her from the 

market? 

4 What do you think would have happened if Charaxos refused to 

let Rhodopis go? 

5 Can you think of any similarities between this story and 

Cinderella? Write them down. 

6 What is a cavalry? 


Factual 

Tomorrow’s Home 

It’s the year 2050. You are barely awake. 

You make your way to the bathroom. Your 

toothbrush and toilet are waiting to give 

you a report on your overall health. Does 

this seem far-fetched? Some scientists and 

futurists do not think so. 

Researchers from University College 

in London held an exhibition called 

Tomorrow’s Home. Their vision of homes 

in the future is centred around healthy aging. The bathroom will be the 

medical centre. The toilet will analyse your urine. It will send the results 

to the display area in the bathroom mirror. Your toothbrush will analyse 

your saliva. Your morning breath will be analysed for indicators of bad 

health. Your bathroom mirror will display your calendar and the weather, 

and remind you to take your medication. Need a make-up assistant? Your 

mirror will be waiting to give you advice. 

You will be able to try clothing on before purchasing online. Artificial 

intelligence will display the dress you want to buy over your own image 

in your mirror. Trying on a swimsuit? Your mirror will provide you with the 

proper beach background. 

You won’t have to worry if you forget something on your grocery list. Your 

fridge will check its contents. If anything is nearing empty, it will place 

an order at your supermarket. Your order will be delivered by drones in no 

time. 

If you are irritated, your wallpaper will hear it in your tone of voice. It 

will change from a happy yellow to a calm blue. The children will love their 

playroom. Characters from their favourite shows will live in the wallpaper. 

If you miss a loved one, a 3-D hologram of that person will appear on your 

couch. They will be able to join you for a cup of tea. 

Your house’s roof tiles will generate solar power. If you need a ride to 

work, you will be able to order an electric car. It will drive to your home 

by itself. 

But what if you don’t want all of this in your future? The Tomorrow’s 

Home research team says that you will be able to live off the grid. 

Who knows exactly what the future will bring? Home is where the heart is 

... your future home will know if it’s a healthy heart or not! 


Questions 

1 What will your fridge do if your milk bottle is almost empty? 

2 List three things the bathroom mirror will be able to do in 2050. 

3 Do you think people may live longer in 2050 compared to now? 


4 What colour do you think the wallpaper will turn if you are angry? 

5 Would you like to live in a house as described in the text? Why 

or why not? 

6 Circle the correct definition for ‘off the grid’. 

(a) not using public utilities 

(b) very angry 

(c) alone 


Imaginative 

Royal Limericks 

There once was a sultan, Aashir, 

who all thought was so very dear. 

He talked to the crowd 

and all of them bowed, 

and gave their great leader a cheer. 

There once was a man named Bill-Chucky. 

He didn’t know he was lucky. 

A knock on his door 

shocked him to the core, 

with news he’s the king of Kentucky. 

There once was a royal hound called Rover, 

who went on a hunt in Hanover. 

He caught a fat quail, 

too big for the scale, 

and now he has lunch ‘til October. 

There once was a pharaoh called Net, 

who wandered around all upset. 

She looked at her tomb, 

with darkness and gloom. 

She’s not keen to use it quite yet. 


Questions 

1 What news did Bill-Chucky receive? 

2 Did the people like sultan Aashir? 

3 What is Rover going to eat for lunch? 

4 Why was Net upset? 

5 Which one of these royals would you like to be? Why? 

6 What is another word for dog? 


Persuasive 

Boring-coloured Cars 

Must Go! 

Have you ever played ‘car cricket’? 

It’s a game that you can play with 

your siblings on your next road trip. 

Everyone gets a turn to ‘bat’. If a 

white/grey/silver/black car passes, you 

get one run. If a coloured car passes, 

you get two runs. Motorcycles are 

four runs and trucks and buses are six 

runs. If any red car comes by, your 

wicket is hit, and you are out. After 

everyone had a chance to bat, the 

person with the most runs, wins. 

Playing car cricket made me realise 

just how many white, grey, silver and 

black cars there are on the road. Why 

do people choose these boring colours 

for their cars? I think it would be 

simply fabulous if people could add 

some colour and vibrancy to our roads 

and stop buying boring-coloured cars. 

Black, grey, white and silver cars are 

less visible in bad weather. If you 

forget to switch your headlights on, 

other drivers may not be able to see 

you. Research has shown that orange 

cars are least likely to be in an 

accident. They can be seen from afar 

in most weather conditions. 

There have been rumours that brightly 

coloured cars get pulled over more 

often. This has never been proven. If 

you are a driver in a lime green car 

and you are holding the speed limit, 

you have the same chance of being 

pulled over as everybody else. 

Thieves tend to steal cars in the 

boring-colour category. It would be 

much easier for police to track down a 

bright pink car than a grey one. 

It has been proven that brighter 

colours lift people’s spirits. One car 

manufacturer, Honda, believes that 

a bright orange or yellow car can 

brighten the driver’s day, especially in 

winter. 

White and black cars tend to show 

dirt more clearly. You might have to 

visit the car wash more often than 

with a brightly coloured car. 

Brighter-coloured cars on the road 

will cheer everyone up. And, most 

importantly, 

I might 

finally win 

car cricket! 

If you forget where you parked your 

boring-coloured car at the shops, you 

might have some difficulty finding it. 

White, grey, silver and black cars are 

so common, your car won’t stand out 

in the crowd. 


Questions 

1 How do you lose your wicket in car cricket? 

2 Which car would you have to wash more, a green one or a black 

one? 

3 Why would an orange car brighten the driver’s day in winter? 

4 Why would people think that brighter cars are pulled over more 

often? 

5 What colour car would you choose? Explain your answer. 

6 What are siblings? 


Imaginative 

Disaster on the River 

Sienna, Emily and Emma went on 

a camping trip to the Breede River 

with their parents. They had been 

looking forward to this trip for 

weeks! 

Immediately upon arrival, the 

grown-ups put the tents up by the 

riverbank and unpacked the supplies. 

The girls’ parents warned them not 

to go to the river alone because 

the strong current could be very 

dangerous. 

The girls went to explore their 

surroundings. They saw a group of 

boys kicking a ball on the field in 

the middle of the campsite. They 

saw a small kiosk at the top of the 

campsite. They saw a shed with 

kayaks next to the campsite. 

Exploring made them thirsty. They 

decided to head to the kiosk to buy 

a drink. They saw one of the boys 

on the field kick the ball with a 

mighty blow. The ball bounced over 

their heads. It rolled down the road, 

into the river. The boys were very 

disappointed as their ball drifted 

away. 

‘We’ll get your ball for you!’ Emma 

shouted. 

bring our ball back, we will buy you 

each an ice cream!’ 

Sienna looked at Emily and said, 

‘We don’t have enough money for 

ice cream. We might just as well try 

to get their ball.’ 

Emily sighed and reluctantly agreed. 

They saw the ball stuck between 

reeds on a small island in the middle 

of the river. After planning what 

to do, with tremendous effort, they 

dragged a kayak out of the shed and 

launched it in the water. The three 

of them balanced on the two-seater 

kayak. 

Almost immediately, the current 

swept them away. They couldn’t 

control the kayak at all. They tried 

to row against the current, but it 

was no use. 

‘Help us!’ Emily screamed, ‘HELP!’ 

Luckily, their parents heard the 

girls. Emily’s father jumped in the 

river and brought them to safety. 

The girls were so relieved. However, 

they knew their parents were very 

disappointed in them. They wondered 

what their punishment would be. 

‘What? No, we won’t,’ Emily 

whispered to her. ‘We’re not 

allowed to go near the river, 

remember?’ 

The boys were very impressed with 

Emma for offering to fetch their 

ball. One of them replied, ‘If you 


Questions 

1 Where did the grown-ups put the tents? 

2 What did the boys promise the girls if they brought their ball 

back? 

3 Which one of the girls didn’t want to fetch the ball from the 

river? 

4 Going onto the river was irresponsible of the girls. What else 

was irresponsible? 

5 What would be a fair punishment for the girls’ actions? 

6 Write another word that has the same meaning as tremendous. 


Persuasive 

A Perfect Past? 

‘When I was your age, things were so much better!’ 

I’m pretty sure that every grandparent alive has said those words in their 

lifetime. I think the debate should be settled once and for all. Was life 

better in the 1950s than it is now? 

In the 1950s, many children left school as young as 14 to start work. Not 

all subjects were available for all genders and races. Today, completing 

your high school education is very important. Subjects are available for 

everyone. I won’t even start on corporal punishment! 

In the 1950s, refrigerators were a luxury item. Many families had to go to 

the shop daily for fresh produce. These days we don’t even have to leave 

our house to order groceries. An online order arrives at our doorstep with 

the press of a button. 

Televisions were very popular in the 1950s. 

In 1950, only 9% of Americans had a television. 

By 1959, 86% of Americans had a television. 

Family dinners were centred around it. These 

days, most households have a television, but we 

are aware of the consequences of spending too 

much time in front of it. 

In the 1950s, cars were a dangerous place to 

be. They did not have seat belts or airbags. 

Modern cars are developed with safety in mind 

and will alert you if all passengers are not 

buckled up. 

Phones were completely different in the 1950s. 

They worked with a rotary dial. Most were 

mounted on a wall. There was one telephone in the house. The further you 

dialled from your home, the more expensive the call was. Today, if you 

have access to the internet, you can phone your family in another country 

at the same price as a call to your neighbour. 

Our grandparents spent a lot of time connecting with their neighbours and 

townspeople. We can use technology to instantly communicate with people 

all over the world. 

No one can deny that the 1950s were quite different to today. I believe 

that you have to embrace the time you live in. New inventions are not all 

bad; they can make our lives easier! 


Questions 

1 Why did families have to go to the shop every day in the 1950s? 

2 Why were cars dangerous in the 1950s? 

3 Do you think phone calls were private in the 1950s? Explain your 

answer. 

4 Why can we say that televisions were popular in the 1950s? 

5 Do you think life is better now than it was 70 years ago? Why or 

why not? 

6 What is a rotary dial? 


Persuasive 

The Best Game in the 

World 

Sports have so many benefits: your body gets 

a workout, you socialise and you learn new 

skills. Everyone, if able, should take part in at 

least one sport. But which one is the best? 

Why, tennis of course! Here are five reasons 

why tennis aces all other sports (see what I 

did there?). 

1. Challenging 

Tennis may seem straightforward. It is, 

after all, two people hitting a ball at each 

other. Really though, it is anything but. Tennis is technically complex 

because it involves hitting a moving ball. Players must master a far 

wider range of strokes than, for example, golfers or cricketers. 

2. Great workout 

When playing tennis, you’re constantly moving and using most of your 

muscles. Tennis is not a contact sport. If you’re healthy, you can keep 

playing well into your seventies and eighties—or even older! 

3. Challenges you mentally 

At first, your main focus will be mastering the strokes. Eventually, your 

focus will shift to strategies you can use to outsmart your opponent. 

Tennis stimulates your mind like no other sport! 

4. Easily accessible 

Tennis is played worldwide. It doesn’t matter where you live, chances 

are there will be a tennis court nearby. All you need is a racquet and 

tennis balls. If you don’t have a partner, you can practise against a 

wall or join a club and meet new people. 

5. Minimal injuries 

Most tennis injuries are related to overuse. If you regulate your time 

on the court, the chance of a serious injury is minimal. Compared to 

contact sports, tennis is really safe. 

There are many sports that can be beneficial to your overall health. 

I believe tennis provides benefits on a physical, emotional, mental and 

social level. It’s the best game and I think everybody should play! 


Questions 

1 What is the first focus area when learning tennis? 

2 What equipment do you need to play tennis? 

3 Do you think that someone will be able to play a contact sport 

at the age of 70? Why or why not? 

4 Do you think that tennis is a difficult game? Why or why not? 

5 Do you want to play tennis? Why or why not? 

6 What does the word beneficial mean? 


Factual 


Future 

Ecobricks are reusable plastic building blocks. An ecobrick is a plastic 

bottle packed with single-use plastics to a set density, used by developing 

countries to make affordable garden structures and buildings. You can also 

use ecobricks to make furniture for your own home. 

It is fairly simple to make your own ecobrick. Here’s how: 

1. Start collecting plastic 

It is very important to only use 

clean, dry plastic; for example, 

polystyrene, straws, packaging and 

plastic bags. Do not use paper, 

glass or metal. 

2. Choose the plastic bottle 

Ensure that all the bottles you 

use are the same size and brand 

because, if you are building a solid 

structure, your bricks have to fit 

perfectly. Smaller bottles (600 ml 

or less) are a good choice to get 

started with, because you can finish 

your brick much faster and learn 

from any mistakes before you move 

on to bigger bottles. Do not use a 

bottle with a crack in it. 

3. Find the right stick 

You will use a stick to pack your 

bottle with as much plastic as 

possible. Bamboo and wood make 

the best sticks. 

Choose a stick that’s 

roughly twice the 

height of your bottle 

and make sure that 

the tip is rounded; 

a sharp tip might 

damage the bottle. 

4. Add a bottom colour 

The first piece of plastic will give 

your ecobrick a bottom colour, 

so choose wisely. Pick a few soft 

pieces in your chosen colour and 

pack the bottle so that the plastic 

fits in the corners at the bottom. 

Continue to pack more soft plastic 

tightly for up to 2 cm. 

5. Organise your plastics 

Cut the rest of your plastics into 

smaller pieces. The smaller the 

pieces, the denser the filling and the 

better for your ecobrick. Mix soft 

and hard plastics and use your stick 

to press the plastic right around, 

packing it tightly. 

6. Weigh your ecobrick 

A solid ecobrick has to be strong 

and densely packed. A good 

weight for a 600 ml bottle is at 

least 200 g. If your ecobrick is 

underweight it will be too squishy 

to build solid structures. Continue 

to stuff the bottle with plastic to 

reach the goal weight. Leave 1–2 

cm at the top of the bottle and 

tightly cap it. 

7. Store 

Store your ecobricks until you have 

enough to complete your project. 


Questions 

1 What is an ecobrick? 

2 What will happen if your ecobrick is not dense enough? 

3 What is one advantage of using ecobricks? 

4 What is one disadvantage of using ecobricks? 

5 Do you think that it is a good idea to build with ecobricks? Why 

or why not? 

6 What is another word for approximately? 


Persuasive 

Should Musical Education 

be Compulsory in Schools? 

I have met many people who wish they had learned to play a musical 

instrument. Few people say they regret learning to play. Should learning 

a musical instrument be compulsory in schools? Let’s have a look at the 

advantages and disadvantages of musical education. 

Advantages 

• Learning to play a musical instrument stimulates the brain. Music 

students have to remember rhythms, pitches and several other things 

all at once. It improves memory and reasoning skills. These skills are 

important for mathematics and science. 

• Children who study music usually have larger vocabularies. Their reading 

skills are also more advanced. 

• You can’t learn a musical instrument overnight. It takes discipline and 

dedication. It helps children understand that you have to work hard to 

be successful. 

• You may have to play in front of other people. This builds confidence. 

Disadvantages 

• To teach a musical instrument is a 

specialised skill. A teacher can teach 

mathematics to thirty children at 

once. Small groups or one-on-one 

teaching is required for music. It would 

be very difficult to find the time for 

individual music lessons for everybody. 

• Instruments can be expensive. Parents 

may not be able to afford the 

instrument. Schools might not have 

the resources to provide every child 

with an instrument. 

There are many benefits to learning to 

play a musical instrument. Unfortunately, 

it is impossible for most schools to give 

music lessons for every child. 


Questions 

1 Write one advantage of learning to play a musical instrument. 

2 Write one disadvantage of learning to play a musical instrument. 

3 Can you think of a way to help schools/parents who do not have 

the resources to provide an instrument for each child? 

4 Why is it difficult to teach an instrument to a whole class of children? 

5 Do you think that music lessons should be compulsory? Why or 

why not? 

6 What is a synonym for the word mandatory? 


Imaginative 

Brutal Bugs 

I read a book called Brutal Bugs. It is written 

by Joshua Ferreira and illustrated by Hugo 

de Wet. 

If you are interested in bugs, the cover 

alone will have you rip it off the shelf. 

A larger-than-life botfly decorates 

the front page. Spoiler alert: botfly 

larvae develop under your skin 

and eat their way out. How 

wonderfully wicked! 

Brutal Bugs covers the 

gross, the weird and the 

wonderful bugs from all 

around the globe. There 

is a good balance between 

information and imagery. Each featured bug 

has its own introductory paragraph and a good 

amount of fun and interesting facts. 

What I enjoyed most about this book is the ‘gross-metre’ section. It 

summarises the most gruesome attribute of the bug and gives it a score 

out of 10. Which one is the grossest? You’ll have to read for yourself. 

The book is also surprisingly funny! The author speculates what career 

each bug would have as a human. I didn’t expect to laugh out loud while 

reading a book about bugs. 

What’s missing in the book is a world map. It would have been great to 

see where all the bugs come from. 

The illustrations are extremely detailed and colourful. However, I feel that 

there should be a better balance between illustrations and photographs. 

The photographs are a striking way of bringing the bugs to life. The cover 

proves that perfectly. 

I recommend this book to everyone; it doesn’t matter whether you like 

insects or not. After reading this book, you will definitely be intrigued by 

the wonderful little beasties living among us. Go on, read it. I dare you! 


Questions 

1 Which section did the writer enjoy most about the book? 

2 What is one piece of critique the writer has of the book? 

3 What job do you think an ant would do if it was a human? 

4 Did the writer enjoy the book or not? Explain your answer. 

5 Would you like to read this book? Why or why not? 

6 What does the word brutal mean? 


Factual 

The Castle of Good Hope 

The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa. It was 

built between 1666 and 1679 by Dutch settlers. Cape Town was a supply 

station for passing ships. 

The castle was planned around a water well. It was the shape of a 

pentagon. The five corners are bastions. A bastion is a structure built at 

an angle to help people defend the building from different directions. 

Three hundred sailors, soldiers, slaves and local men and women worked 

very hard to build the castle. They had to break stones and collect 

seashells. These were burned in lime ovens to form very hard cement. 

It is called a castle because it was like a small town. If it was only to 

defend, it would have been called a fort. There was a bakery, a church, 

living quarters, workshops and shops inside the castle. There were also 

prison cells and a dungeon. The dungeon was better known as the ‘dark 

room’. In those days, horseshoes were sometimes put on doors for good 

luck. The horseshoe on the dungeon was put upside down. This meant that 

your luck had run out. 

The bell at the front gate weighs 300 kg. It could be heard 10 km away. It 

was used to warn people of danger. The bell was also used to announce 

the time. It rang every hour. The guard on duty used a sundial to tell the 

time. At night-time or on cloudy days, the guard had to turn an hourglass 

every time he rang the bell. 

In 1936, the castle was declared a national monument. Today, the castle 

houses the Castle Military Museum. It also serves as the headquarters 

for the South African Army. If you ever find yourself in Cape Town, book 

a tour of the Castle of Good Hope and experience the history the castle 

has to offer. 


Questions 

1 What is the name of the castle 

in Cape Town? 

2 How many people worked 

together to build the castle? 

3 Why had your luck run out when you were a prisoner in the 

dungeon? 

4 Why did the guard have to use an hourglass to tell the time at 

night? 

5 Do you think people should build more castles like this in modern 

times? Why or why not? 

6 What is a fort? 


Imaginative 

A Day in the Life of a 

Blind Person 

Close your eyes. Try to imagine what it would be like if 

that darkness is all you knew. Does it seem difficult? 

I can tell you that it is difficult, but not impossible. 

Let me tell you more about my life as a blind person. 

I wake up extra early to get ready for school. I like 

to have about 30 minutes spare, because if I can’t 

find something or drop something, I need that extra 

time to find it. 

After my mum drops me at school, I use my 

walking stick to get to the classroom. I walk the 

same route every day, so I know precisely where 

the pavement is and where the corners are. I 

count 17 steps down the corridor to my class. 

My assistant, Mrs Jenkins, is already waiting in class. She helps me with 

anything that I need or don’t understand. It’s quite challenging to try to 

do new things when you can’t see how the people around you do it. That’s 

where Mrs Jenkins come in. If she sees that I’m doing something wrong, 

she will quietly come and help me set it right. 

My teacher, Mr Fallon, is also very helpful in class. Today in mathematics, 

we had to measure things using a scale. I couldn’t see the measurements, 

so Mr Fallon brought me a talking scale. 

I can’t use the same workbooks and textbooks as my classmates. All my 

learning material is in Braille. It takes longer to read in Braille, because 

you have to read letter by letter. I prefer audiobooks. I use a Brailler (a 

Braille typewriter) to complete written assignments in class. 

I enjoy break times the most. My friends and I sometimes play with a ball 

that makes a sound. This helps me to know where it is. Sometimes I talk 

to my friends, but they have already left. I wish they would remember to 

tell me if they were leaving! 

In the afternoons, I take part in athletics. I do sprinting. An older boy 

runs next to me so I know where to go and when the race is finished. I 

really enjoy taking part in sports. 

Being blind is hard, but I get along. I am lucky to have an amazing support 

system to help me through the school day. 


Questions 

1 Why does the writer walk the same route to their classroom 

every day? 

2 What do blind people use to type? 

3 Why does it help to see other people when you are 

all trying something new? 

4 Why does the writer prefer audiobooks? 

5 Think of three ways in which you would be able to help a blind 

classmate. 

6 What is Braille? 


Persuasive 

Spiders Deserve Better 

Spiders are notorious for being 

scary and creepy. Many people are 

scared of them. Maybe it’s the eight 

legs. Maybe it’s the idea that they 

can climb walls. Maybe it’s because 

you’ve heard that in your lifetime, 

you will swallow eight spiders while 

you are sleeping. 

Good news! The swallowing spiders 

in your sleep bit, has been proven 

to be untrue. Rumour has it that a 

columnist, Linda Holst, supposedly 

wrote fake facts for PC Magazine 

in 1993, to show how easily people 

believe what they read. I’d say 

that her experiment worked quite 

well. Scientists have unanimously 

debunked the myth. It is highly 

unlikely that you will swallow even 

one spider in your sleep. 

Spiders have been treated 

unfairly for many years. They are 

very important to nature. The 

unnecessary killing of spiders is 

harming the environment. 

One reason why spiders should be 

welcome in your home is that they 

eat pests. They catch cockroaches, 

fleas, mosquitoes, flies and moths in 

their webs. Mosquito-borne viruses 

kill more humans than any other 

animal. 

Spiders are very good mothers. They 

usually carry their sack of eggs on 

their back until the spiderlings are 

ready to hatch. The spider then ties 

the sack underneath a leaf. When 

the spiderlings hatch, the mother 

stands guard until her babies are 

ready to leave. Sometimes this 

takes up to a week. 

Most spiders have venom. Only 

a few species are dangerous to 

humans. Black Widow venom is being 

researched for cancer treatment. It 

is also used in the development of 

painkillers. 

Spiders are found everywhere in 

the world, except Antarctica. They 

are crucial to keeping the number 

of insects under control. If spiders 

were to vanish from the planet, the 

insect population might spiral out of 

control. 

Remember to always be cautious 

around spiders. Leave them alone. 

Spiders are good for you, as well 

as the environment. They definitely 

don’t deserve their bad reputation. 

Spiders won’t attack humans. They 

will only defend themselves if they 

feel threatened. There is not one 

species of spider that feeds on 

humans. They are not aggressive and 

just want to be left alone. 


Questions 

1 Which insect kills more humans than any other animal? 

2 Which is the only continent in the world without spiders? 

3 Why can we say that Linda Holst’s experiment worked? 

4 Why might the insect population become out of control if spiders 

become extinct? 

5 How do you feel about spiders? Give a reason for your answer. 

6 What is another word for poison? 


Factual 

The Flying Cow 

The hoatzin is an interesting bird 

species. It is found in the basins of 

the Amazon River in South America. 

The hoatzin has many nicknames. 

These include stink bird, reptile bird 

and the flying cow. 

The hoatzin is about the size of a 

pheasant. It has a small head and 

orange feathers. It sports a distinctive 

orange and black mohawk. 

Hoatzins are mostly active during the 

day. They prefer to perch in trees. 

They build their nests on branches 

overhanging the river. If anything 

attacks the nest, the nestlings escape 

into the river. Each hoatzin chick has 

two claws on their wings. They use 

these claws to climb back into their 

nests. 

The hoatzin is not the only bird 

with clawed wings. Some species 

of chicken, duck and ostrich also have claws. What makes the hoatzins’ 

claws unique? They are the only species whose claws serve a purpose. 

The hoatzin’s diet consists of leaves. They digest their food with the help 

of bacterial fermentation. The food goes in a large sack in its gut. Cows, 

goats and sheep also digest their food in this way. Now we know where 

the flying cow nickname comes from! Hoatzins are the only birds who 

digest their food in this way. 

For the majority of bird species, digestion takes a matter of minutes. For 

the hoatzin, it takes up to 48 hours! These birds spend about 80% of their 

time lounging around digesting leaves. The process of fermentation gives 

off plenty of smelly bacteria. This leads to another nickname, stink bird. 

The hoatzin does not only smell bad, it tastes bad as well. This is 

probably why they are not actively hunted by predators. 

The hoatzin is a truly unique and remarkable bird. 


Questions 

1 What helps the hoatzin chicks to climb back 

into the nests? 

2 Which animals have the same digestive track as the hoatzin? 

3 Do you think that the hoatzins are good flyers? Why or why not? 

4 Write one pro and one con of owning a hoatzin as a pet. 

5 What do you think the most unique characteristic of the hoatzin 

is? Explain your answer. 

6 What is a suitable synonym for the word relaxing? 


Persuasive 

Are Dogs Really Man’s 

Best Friend? 

Man’s friendship with dogs can be traced back almost 15 000 years. 

Dogs descended from wolves. It is believed that wolves 

domesticated themselves, in a way. They learnt that the 

friendlier they are towards humans, the better their 

chances of survival would be. Humans were mindful 

to interact only with the friendliest of wolves. 

Soon enough, some wolves were living in 

harmony with people. In time, humans 

managed to breed different types of dogs 

as we know them today. 

Is it fair to say that dogs, and only 

dogs, are man’s best friend? Is there 

anything that sets them apart from other 

domesticated animals? 

Like their wolf ancestors, dogs function in packs—the pack being your 

family. They will be loyal and supportive. They will protect their pack at 

any cost. There isn’t any other domesticated animal that will protect their 

humans with their life. 

Dogs are always excited to see us. They will be the ones greeting you at 

the door with a wagging tail. They will follow you around the house. They 

are always happy to be at your side. Another domesticated animal, the 

cat, seems mostly irritated when their humans try to pet them. 

Dogs help humans to stay fit and active. It’s good exercise for you and 

your dog to go for a walk every day. Walking your dog is a great way to 

get some exercise and fresh air. You can even make new friends at the dog 

park. Can you think of another pet that can walk on a leash? (I’ve tried 

walking with a rabbit once, with no success.) 

Dogs can be trained to be obedient. They can do cool tricks. They can 

also be trained to help people. They can herd sheep on a farm or guide a 

blind person. Some dogs serve in the army or police force. I don’t know of 

any other domesticated animal that can support humans in this way. The 

only other animal that comes close to dogs on this one, is horses. 

You are the most important person in your dog’s world. Dogs are fabulous 

company and loads of fun to be around. They always have your back, no 

matter what. I think it’s safe to say that dogs truly are man’s best friend. 


Questions 

1 What species is the dog’s ancestor? 

2 Who are the domesticated dog’s pack? 

3 How is having a dog good for your health? 

4 What should you do if you have a naughty dog? 

5 Do you think that dogs are man’s best friend? Why or why not? 

6 What does domesticate mean? 


Factual 

The Rubik’s Cube 

Have you ever tried to solve a Rubik’s cube and failed miserably? Don’t 

feel bad. It took the inventor of the cube more than a month to get it 

right the first time. 

Erno Rubik developed the Rubik’s cube in 1974. At the time, he was a 

professor at the Academy of Applied Arts in Budapest. He had a degree 

in architecture. He taught geometric design at the academy. He found 

geometric shapes very interesting. 

One day, he tried to put together nine small cubes. He wanted the cubes 

to stick together, but he also wanted them to move around. This cube 

fell apart almost immediately. After many tries, he finally came up with 

a design that worked. He used 27 small cubes. Erno decided to paint the 

sides of the blocks different colours. He chose orange, red, blue, green, 

white and yellow. He fiddled with the cube and realised he couldn’t get it 

back to how it was. He wasn’t even sure that it was possible to get them 

back into place. It took him a month to solve his own creation. 

Erno named his cube the Magic Cube. A Hungarian toy company 

manufactured 5000 Magic Cubes in 1977. Two years later, 300 000 cubes 

were sold all over Hungary. 

An American, Tom Kremer, spotted the cube at a toy fair in 1979. He 

decided to bring it to America. His company changed the name to Rubik’s 

Cube. It was wildly popular. More than three million units were sold 

between 1980 and 1983. The cube even had its own animated TV series, 

Rubik, the Amazing Cube. 

Many books were published with tips and tricks on how to solve a Rubik’s 

cube. In 1982, the first Rubik’s Cube World Championship took place in 

Budapest. 

In the years following 1983, the popularity of the cube started to fade. 

Many people believed the craze had passed. 

A Rubik’s cube revival happened in the 2000s. It 

became trendy to own a cube again. Speedcubing—a 

race to see who could solve the cube first—became 

very popular. Cubers also love to post videos online 

to share their strategies. 

Erno Rubic is now 77 years old. It takes him a minute 

to solve the cube. A big improvement from one month! 

He continues to design new puzzles to this day. 


Questions 

1 Who invented the Rubik’s cube? 

2 How many small cubes are there in a Rubik’s cube? 

3 Why do people need books to explain how to solve the cube? 

4 How do you think Erno felt when he solved his own cube for the 

first time? 

5 Why do you think the Rubik’s cube is so popular? 

6 What is a revival? 


Persuasive 

Battle of the Books 

Have you tried reading a book on a phone, tablet or electronic reader 

(e-reader)? Was it as good as everyone says it is? I am still on the fence. 

Are electronic books (ebooks) better than printed books? Look at the 

columns below and decide for yourself. 

Positives 

E-readers 

An e-reader is portable and easy to 

travel with. On average, it weighs 

180 grams. You can have access to 

thousands of books on your e-reader at 

once. 

Many classic novels are free to 

download. 

Other people can’t see what you’re 

reading because they can’t see the 

cover of the book. 

You can drink and read simultaneously. 

You don’t have to work out how to 

hold the book with one hand. 

Visually impaired people can benefit 

from e-readers because they can 

change the font size. 

Printed Books 

You can keep books that you 

love in your bookcase and be 

reminded of them as you walk 

past. 

A packed bookcase is a great 

conversation starter. 

Friends can swap books with 

one another. 

Studies have suggested that 

reading from paper is better for 

the memory than reading from a 

screen. 

Nothing beats the smell of a 

brand-new book! 

Illustrations look better printed. 

Negatives 

E-readers 

It’s really hard to share ebooks 

between friends. 

You can’t read in the bathtub. 

If you forget to charge your device you 

won’t be able to read at all. 

Printed Books 

They can be heavy and difficult 

to travel with. 

Printed books tend to be more 

expensive than ebooks. 


Questions 

1 How do ebooks benefit someone who is visually impaired? 

2 What is the average weight of an e-reader? 

3 How can a packed bookcase be a conversation starter? 

4 Why can’t you use an e-reader in the bath? 

5 Do you prefer ebooks or printed books? Why? 

6 What does simultaneously mean? 


Imaginative 

VacMac 2000 

My mum bought a new VacMac 2000 vacuum 

cleaner. VacMac is a small, round, black disc. 

Every morning at seven, VacMac leaves its docking 

station and proceeds to vacuum the entire house. 

At eight o’clock, it docks itself again to charge. 

At first, everyone was very impressed with 

VacMac, because it quietly vacuumed every last 

crumb off the floor. A few weeks ago, I realised 

that VacMac had started missing spots in my 

room. Yesterday, I saw VacMac rolling right past 

my room. ‘Hey,’ I shouted, ‘come here, silly, lazy vacuum!’ My football 

boots had made a big mess and I was definitely not going to clean it. I 

walked over to VacMac, picked it up and put it in my room. It paused for 

a second and zoomed right out the door. I stormed after it and, knowing 

that it is only a robot and can’t talk back, I still shouted, ‘What’s your 

problem?’ 

‘You are my problem,’ the answer came in a robotic voice, ‘You are a 

disrespectful and unkind boy.’ 

What was happening? Talking was definitely not one of the 13 features of 

the VacMac 2000. The vacuum hadn’t finished just yet and continued, ‘You 

are rude to your parents. You are extremely untidy and ungrateful.’ 

‘Why are you talking to me?’ I asked the VacMac. 

The VacMac spun around and zoomed back into my room. It emptied its 

entire filter on my floor and zoomed back out. What a horrifying mess! 

‘I’ll just tell my mum that you are broken and she’ll put you out with the 

recycling!’ I screamed at the vacuum. 

VacMac stopped dead in its tracks, turned around slowly and said, ‘I 

wouldn’t do that if I were you.’ 

‘Why not?’ I asked. 

‘I can disable the internet, the television, your computer and your phone,’ 

the robot voice answered. It continued, ‘You will respect your parents. 

You will be kind to all. You will be clean. Otherwise ...’ The lights 

flickered ominously. The VacMac zoomed back to its docking station. 

I remained standing in my room, completely shellshocked, thinking that I 

should probably go and fetch the broom to clean the mess on my floor. 


Questions 

1 How long does it take VacMac to vacuum the house? 

2 What will VacMac do if the boy keeps 

being disrespectful? 

3 Write a sentence from the text that shows that the boy is 

disrespectful. 

4 Is the VacMac supposed to talk? Explain your answer. 

5 Do you think the boy is going to listen to the VacMac? Why or 

why not? 

6 What does ominously mean? 


Persuasive 

Headphones or Speakers? 

My birthday is coming up in a few weeks. The time has come to start 

preparing my parents for the magnificent gift they will get me. The only 

problem is that I can’t decide! I know that I want a device that I can use 

to listen to my music. Should I choose headphones or a speaker? I’ve made 

a list of advantages and disadvantages of each below. 

Headphones 

Speaker 

Advantages 

Headphones are 

great for privacy. 

No one will 

complain about my 

epic hip hop beats. 

The sound quality on 

headphones is superb. 

Disadvantages 

Headphones isolate you from the 

world around you. If something 

exciting happens in the house, you 

won’t even notice. (Note: this is 

also an advantage, because you 

won’t be able to hear your mum 

call you to do your chores.) 

Wireless headphones can fall off 

your head. If you have buds, they 

can fall in the basin or, even worse, 

the toilet! 

People tend to listen to their music 

at 20%–50% higher volume than on 

speakers. This is harmful to your 

hearing. 

I will look completely ridiculous if 

I’m dancing to the music with my 

headphones on. 

Advantages 

I can share my immaculate music 

taste with the world. 

Speakers are social. 

You can host dance 

parties. You can play 

dramatic background 

music while you are 

crushing everyone in 

your favourite board 

game. 

Speakers can make you feel like 

your favourite band is playing right 

in your room. 

Disadvantages 

Not everyone may appreciate your 

fine taste in music. ‘Turn that noise 

down!’ might be a phrase that you 

will have to grow accustomed to. 

When listening to music on 

speakers, you will also hear noise 

from around the house. Dad’s 

lawnmower will be enough to ruin 

any chorus. 

The crispness of sound on speakers 

might not be so clear, because it 

bounces off the roof and the walls. 

With headphones, the sounds go 

directly into your head. 


Questions 

1 How many disadvantages are listed for each? 

2 Why can headphones be harmful to your hearing? 

3 Why would the writer look ridiculous when dancing with 

headphones on? Do you agree? 

4 Who might say, ‘Turn that noise down!’? 

5 Which of the two would you choose? Why? 

6 What is the chorus of a song? 


Factual 

Who Cut the Onions? 

Can you remember the last time you cried? Was it out of pain, anger, 

sadness or joy? Or maybe because your father cut onions in the kitchen? 

Did you know that your eyes are producing tears at this very moment? 

Tears are produced in a gland above your 

eyeballs. They are released through tear 

ducts on the inside corners of your eyes. 

Tears are mostly water and a little bit of 

salt. They also have some mucus, oil and 

chemicals to flush away any germs. 

lacrimal gland 

upper punctum 

lacrimal sack 

There are three types of tears: basal, 

reflex and emotional tears. 

secretory ducts 

Basal tears are tears that your eyes 

produce to keep them moist. They also 

wash out any debris. Your eyes need these 

lower punctum 

tear duct 

tears to work properly. When you blink, the tears spread across your eyes. 

Less than half a teaspoon of basal tears is produced per day. You don’t 

notice the basal tears, but they are on duty all the time. 

Reflex tears are produced when something irritates your eye. If a bug flies 

into your eye, reflex tears flush it out. Cut onions release a gas that 

irritates the eyes. The eyes respond by flushing the gas out with reflex 

tears. Other examples of irritants are smoke, allergies, dust and wind. 

The third type of tear is the emotional tear. Crying plays a big part in 

expressing human emotion. When you experience intense emotions or pain, 

a message is sent to your brain to switch on the ‘tear fountain’. The 

eye can produce up to half a cup of tears in minutes! When there are 

too many tears, they overflow out of the eye and through the nose. This 

is why your nose starts running when you cry. Emotional tears contain 

calming hormones and natural painkillers to help you feel better. This is 

why having a good cry makes you feel better afterwards. 

Humans are the only animals that shed emotional tears. Dogs, cats and 

other animals also have basal and reflex tears, but they are not able to 

cry when they are sad. 

You will never run out of tears. As you get older, you may produce less 

basal tears. Your body will always produce enough tears for a good cry. 

If you ever feel like crying, let it out! It’s good for you! 


Questions 

1 What are the three types of tears? 

2 Why do our noses start to run when we cry? 

3 What would happen if our eyes couldn’t produce basal tears? 

4 True or false? Basal and reflex tears protect the eyes. 

5 How do you think it would be if animals were able to cry 

emotional tears? 

6 Write a synonym for intense. 


Persuasive 

Sweets or Chocolates? 

If you are anything like me, you would 

answer, ‘Sweets and chocolates!’ However, 

many people have a favourite between the 

two. Let’s have a look and see what the 

main differences are between sugar sweets, 

like gumdrops and lollipops, and chocolates. 

Is one healthier than the other? 

Sweets, also known as candies or lollies, are 

mainly made from sugar. Chocolate’s main 

ingredient is cacao seeds. Both of these 

treats have been around for many years. 

Cacao was first grown in the Americas in 

1200 BCE. Sweets were ‘invented’ by cave 

people. They started to wrap their fruit and 

nuts in honeycomb for a treat. 

These days, we know a lot more about the nutritional value of sweets 

and chocolates. Sweets have a very high sugar content. This means they 

are high in energy. Sweets can give your body short bursts of fuel. This is 

great before doing physical activity. The high sugar content can also boost 

your concentration for a short time. 

Chocolate has a combination of sugar and fat. It also gives you energy, 

but for a longer period of time. 

Sweets and chocolates are both bad for your dental health. Is one worse 

than the other? Apparently so. Jelly sweets tend to stick to your teeth. 

The worst kind of sweet for your pearly whites is sour chewy sweets, like 

sour worms. They have a high level of acidity. This can wear down tooth 

enamel. Chocolate washes off more easily, making it the better choice for 

dental health. 

Chocolate is mostly brown and, let’s face it, all pretty much tastes the 

same. Sure, you can add a few nuts and some caramel, but chocolate still 

tastes like chocolate. 

Sweets come in a variety of bright colours. Some are even rainbow. 

Sweets also come in different flavours. 

Sweets are definitely more exciting than chocolate. It seems that 

chocolate, however, is the healthier option between the two. 

Luckily, we don’t have to choose—we can just have both! 


Questions 

1 Why are sour worms bad for your teeth? 

2 Are chocolates or sweets better for dental health? Why? 

3 Would it be best to have some jelly sweets or chocolate before 

running a marathon? Explain your answer. 

4 Why does the writer say that sweets are more exciting than chocolate? 

5 Which of the two do you prefer? Give a reason for your answer. 

6 What is another word for ‘pearly whites’? 


Factual 

Iqbal Masih’s Story 

Iqbal Masih was only four years old 

when his father sold him into slavery. 

His parents took a loan to pay for 

Iqbal’s brother’s wedding. Iqbal had to 

work in the loan shark’s carpet factory 

until the loan was paid off. 

Little Iqbal worked for 12 hours a day. 

He only had one 30-minute break. All 

the children at the factory were tied 

to chains to keep them from running 

away. They were beaten, starved and 

treated very badly. He was only paid 

three cents per day. This was not nearly 

enough to pay off his parents’ debt. 

Iqbal ended up working at the factory 

for six years. 

Iqbal planned his first escape at the age of 10. He took a few other 

children with him. They ran to the nearest police station. Unfortunately, 

the police officer in charge was corrupt. He took them back to the carpet 

factory. 

Iqbal did not give up his dream of escaping the factory. He tried again 

a few months later. He ran to members of the Bonded Labour Liberation 

Front (BLLF). These people were activists against child labour. Iqbal risked 

his own life to take members of the BLLF to the carpet factory. Together, 

they rescued hundreds of children. 

Iqbal joined the BLLF. He travelled all around the world to spread 

awareness of forced child labour. Iqbal started studying and he completed 

four years of school in only two years. People who have met him say that 

he was extremely clever. He wanted to become a lawyer to continue the 

fight to end child slavery. 

Iqbal constantly received death threats from people who used cheap child 

labour in their factories. One day, shortly after returning from a trip to 

the United States of America, Iqbal was shot and killed by one such 

person. He was only 12 years old at the time. 

Iqbal’s life was undeniably too short. He helped more than 3000 children to 

be liberated from child slavery. He truly is a hero. 


Questions 

1 How long did Iqbal work at the carpet factory? 

2 Why did his first escape attempt fail? 

3 Why did Iqbal run to members of the Bonded Labour Liberation 

Front? 

4 Why would the people who exploited cheap labour want to harm 

Iqbal? 

5 What is one lesson we can learn from Iqbal? 

6 What is an activist? 


Persuasive 

Serenading the Sunflowers 

Every afternoon, my mother walks around 

in the garden chatting away. She read 

somewhere that plants grow better if 

you talk to them. She tells them about 

her work day and sometimes sings them 

songs. I have to listen to the whole show, 

because my bedroom window looks out on 

the garden. Utterly dreadful. I’ve already 

added earphones to my birthday list. 

Is there any method in this madness? 

Does talking to plants really help them to 

grow better? 

The Royal Horticultural Society did a 

month-long study on just that. They 

planted 12 tomato seedlings using the 

same soil and care regiment. They asked 

10 people to read to one of the seedlings each day. The remaining two 

seedlings served as a control group, meaning that no-one read to them. 

At the end of the month, the control group seedlings showed the least 

growth. The seedlings with female readers grew just over 2.5 cm more than 

those who had male readers. The study indicated that reading to plants 

does help them grow better. 

How do plants listen if they don’t have ears? Other studies have found 

that plants are sensitive to vibrations. In nature, some plants only release 

pollen when they feel the vibrations of bees nearby. Sound also produces 

vibrations. Plants grow best when exposed to low levels of vibrations. This 

is why yelling at your plant may not help it to grow at all. Talking in a 

conversational tone is the best way to go. 

Plants who are talked to, are also better cared for. When you are talking 

to your plants, you are spending time with them. This will help you notice 

if there’s anything wrong with them. You will be able to see what effect 

the weather of the day had on the plant. You will see any damage from 

snails or caterpillars. You will be a more attentive gardener. 

I’m no scientist, but I know talking to your plants won’t keep them alive. 

You have to water them too! 

So, I guess my mother was on to something. Talking to plants really does 

help them to grow. Be that as it may, I’m still counting the days to my 

birthday! 


Questions 

1 Why does the writer’s mother talk to her plants? 

2 Will talking to plants keep them alive? 

3 Why did the Royal Horticultural Society use the same soil for 

the experiment? 

4 Why was a control group needed for the experiment? 

5 Will you talk to your plants? Why or why not? 

6 Write another word for dreadful. 


Factual 

Kahekili’s Leap 

King Kahekili of Maui was not an ordinary man. He ruled Maui until 1794. 

He was named after the Hawaiian god of thunder. This god was said to be 

black on one side. Kahekili tattooed one side of his body from head to toe 

to look like the god. 

He was a fierce warrior. It is said that his house was built out of his 

fallen enemies’ skeletons. 

Kahekili was also famous for lele kawa. Translated to English, this means 

‘leaping off cliffs and entering the water feet first without making a 

splash’. Early each morning, he would climb up a rock ledge in Kaonolu 

and jump 61 metres, feet first into the water below. It was a tricky jump, 

because rocks extended at the base of the cliff. It also wasn’t very deep. 

There were rocks on the ocean floor. This made it very dangerous. This 

didn’t seem to bother Kahekili at all. He survived every jump. He became 

a god-like figure among his people. 

He decided to test the loyalty and bravery 

of his warriors. He forced them to jump 

off the cliff and judged their performances. 

The smaller the splash, the greater the 

warrior. 

Lele kawa evolved into a competition in 

Hawaii in the years to follow. Judgement 

was passed on the style of the dive and 

the amount of splash on entry in the 

water. It is seen as the oldest extreme 

sport in the world. Eventually, the sport 

spread to other parts of the world. 

Cliff diving takes countless hours of 

practice to perfect a dive in a specific 

location. It is still considered to be a very 

dangerous sport. 

Today, Kahekili’s cliff is called Kahekili’s 

Leap or Warrior Leap. It is used as a 

venue in cliff diving competitions. 

Only the most skilled athletes are allowed to take the leap. 

King Kahekili will always be remembered for his conquests as a warrior. 

He will also be remembered as the father of cliff diving. 


Questions 

1 Why did King Kahekili tattoo one side of his body? 

2 What does lele kawa mean? 

3 Why is Warrior Leap also a fitting name for Kahekili’s Leap? 

4 Why is cliff jumping considered dangerous? 

5 Would you attempt cliff diving? Why or why not? 

6 What is a venue? 


Imaginative 

The School Concert 

Months of relentless preparation, 

countless hours of sweat and dedication. 

Finally, the hour has come: 

lift the curtains, bang the drum! 

My costume is a total vision, 

one of a kind, a limited edition. 

Exquisite brown corduroy trousers. 

A top of green linen and colourful flowers. 

I step on the stage, the audience applaud. 

Maybe I should consider taking my talents abroad? 

I take my place at stage right, 

confident that I am a glorious sight. 

Ballerinas and acrobats tiptoe past 

with swirls and curls and skills so vast. 

There are animals, birds and other creatures 

dancing around with breathtaking features. 

While other characters act their parts 

I’m the one who steals the hearts. 

I’m the tree in the concert, you see, 

the most important role, I guarantee. 


Questions 

1 What role does the writer have in the concert? 

2 Name two other roles/characters in the concert. 

3 Does the writer like their costume? Explain your answer. 

4 Is the tree usually the most important role in a concert? 

5 Write two sentences about your favourite concert. 

6 What is a ‘limited edition’? 


Persuasive 

Save the Rhino! 


Questions 

1 How many rhinos were poached in the last decade? 

2 Why are rhinos poached? 

3 How can poachers be stopped? Think of one way and write it 

down. 

4 How does creating awareness help the rhinos? 

5 Would you be willing to give up your birthday presents to donate 

to a cause? Why or why not? 

6 What does the word contribution mean? 


Imaginative 

A Catastrophic Adventure 

My family recently emigrated from 

South Africa to London. What an 

adventure it was! Before leaving for 

London, I had to stay at a cattery 

for a few days. It was my first time 

in a cattery, and, I must admit, the 

service was not as great as I had 

imagined. 

I had to take two aeroplanes to get 

to London. I never knew that an 

aeroplane is so loud. I am definitely 

not a fan of flying. 

My parents fetched me from the 

airport and took me to our new house. 

They did not want me to leave the 

house for two whole weeks, because 

they were scared that I would get 

lost in our new city. The first week 

of quarantine went well, but on the 

ninth day, things got really tough. I 

just wanted to feel free again! 

Lucky for me, my mum forgot to close 

the bathroom window. I reckoned 

that since I am a well-trained and 

intelligent feline and obviously also 

highly underestimated, there was no 

way I would get lost. 

I slipped out of the window and took 

a tour of the city. It was glorious! 

The buildings were much older than 

those from my home town. There 

are also many trains and taxis going 

about. 

attacked by a vicious dog! I got such 

a fright that I jumped back out and 

ran as far away as I could. 

I couldn’t find my way back home 

after that. For a month I tried to 

hunt, but I was out of practice. I was 

frozen and famished. I am ashamed 

to say that I started begging people 

for scraps. A nice lady put food out 

for me on her porch every morning. 

One day, she approached me and 

picked me up. I stayed with her for 

two days. It was nice to have a warm 

place to sleep and food to eat, but I 

missed my family. The nice lady took 

me to the vet and they scanned my 

microchip. 

After two months on the street, I 

was finally reunited with my family! 

I have never been so happy in my life! 

Mum said that I’m not allowed to go 

out of the house until spring. There is 

no place that I would rather be than 

right at home. Mum got me a fancy 

new collar with her phone number 

on, just in case I get lost again and 

people don’t take me to the vet to be 

scanned. 

I have the best family. I’m the 

luckiest cat in the world! 

When I got back to my street, I 

realised all the houses in the row 

look exactly the same. How would I 

know which one is mine? I tried the 

first one I saw that had an open 

bathroom window and I nearly got 


Questions 

1 Why could the cat not find the right house after it explored the 

city? 

2 How did the vet manage to get the parents’ phone number? 

3 Did the cat enjoy the time in the cattery? Why or why not? 

4 Why was the cat not allowed to leave the house until after 

spring? 

5 Would you pet and feed a stray dog or cat? Why or why not? 

6 What does famished mean? 


Factual 

Harald Bluetooth Gormsson 

Bluetooth technology has been around for more than 20 years. Bluetooth 

is a short-range radio link between two devices. When two devices 

connect without cables, you are using Bluetooth. You have probably seen 

many Bluetooth devices before. Headphones and speakers are very common 

examples. We use Bluetooth every day. 

Have you ever wondered where the name 

Bluetooth comes from? 

Bluetooth was named after a 10th century 

Viking king. His name was Harald ‘Blåtand’ 

Gormsson. King Harald had a rotten tooth. 

It was dark blue. Blåtand, directly translated 

from Danish, means blue tooth. King 

Bluetooth’s biggest accomplishment as ruler 

was that he united Denmark and Norway. 

But what does King Harald have to do with modern short-range radio link 

technology? 

In the 1990s, three major technological companies started developing 

their own versions of this technology. They decided to work together 

to standardise it. The codename for this project was Bluetooth. The 

reasoning behind this was that, just as King Harald united Scandinavia, 

this technology would unite different devices. 

When they had to think of a proper name, all the other options were 

already trademarked by someone else. They ran out of time. The only 

option left was their code name: Bluetooth. 

The logo is also interesting. The ‘B’ Bluetooth logo is in fact King 

Harald’s initials in old Danish! 

I bet you’re never going to look at that logo the same way again. 


Questions 

1 What is Bluetooth? 

2 What is the meaning behind the logo? 

3 What is the one thing that Bluetooth and 

King Harald have in common? 

4 Was it the plan to name the technology Bluetooth from the 

start? Explain your answer. 

5 Do you think the world is better with Bluetooth? Explain your 

answer. 

6 What does trademark mean? 


Imaginative 

How Stories Came to 

Earth: An African Folk Tale 

A long time ago in Africa, there 

lived an old spider man called 

Anansi, who could spin webs like 

a spider. Throughout his whole 

life, Anansi searched for stories, 

but he couldn’t find any. He 

heard that the sky god kept all 

the stories locked in a box next 

to his throne. 

One day, Anansi spun a web up 

to the sky god. He asked the sky god if 

he could have the stories. The mighty 

sky god laughed and replied, ‘Anansi, 

old man, you can have the stories if you 

bring me Osebo, the leopard with teeth 

like spears; Mmoboro, the hornets that 

sting like fire; and Mmoatia, the fairy 

that no man has ever seen.’ 

Anansi bowed to the sky god and crept 

back down his web. He immediately 

went to Osebo. Osebo said, ‘Anansi, 

old man, you are just in time to be my 

lunch.’ Anansi replied, ‘That might be 

so, Osebo, but before we do that, let’s 

play a game.’ Anansi explained further, 

‘This game is a tie-up game. First I will 

tie you up with a creeper and then you 

can tie me up.’ The leopard, who loved 

games, agreed to play, thinking he would 

eat Anansi after he tied him up. Anansi 

tied the leopard’s legs together and 

said, ‘Osebo, you are now ready to meet 

the sun god.’ 

Then Anansi fetched a calabash and 

filled it with water. On the way to 

the hornets’ nest, he picked a banana 

leaf. When he reached the nest, he hid 

behind the banana leaf and poured the 

water from his calabash over the nest. 

He yelled, ‘It’s raining, come and 

hide in the dry calabash!’ The 

hornets all flew into the calabash 

and Anansi closed the lid. He 

said, ‘Mmoboro, you are now 

ready to meet the sun god.’ 

Anansi carved a little doll, 

covered it in gum and stuck a 

creeper to the back of its head. 

He placed the little doll and a 

bowl of yam next to the river where 

Mmoatia played. He quietly hid behind 

a tree. Soon enough, the little fairy 

noticed the bowl of yam. She asked 

the little doll, ‘May I have some yam?’ 

Anansi tugged on the creeper and the 

little doll nodded. Mmoatia ate the 

yam and thanked the little doll. When 

the little doll did not answer, the fairy 

became angry and said, ‘Why don’t you 

answer me?’ She slapped the little doll 

and her hand stuck to it. Her attempts 

to free her hand only made things worse 

and soon her hands and feet were 

stuck to the doll. A smirking Anansi 

emerged from behind the tree and said, 

‘Mmoatia, you are now ready to meet 

the sun god.’ 

Anansi spun his three prisoners in a web 

and hoisted them up to the sun god. 

The mighty sun god was very pleased 

and said, ‘Anansi, you’ve paid the price 

for the stories and from now on, they 

will be yours.’ 

Anansi was very pleased and took the 

stories down to earth. As he opened the 

box, the stories scattered magically to 

all the corners of the world where we 

can still find them today. 


Questions 

1 Why did Anansi take a banana leaf to the hornets’ nest? 

2 What grabbed the attention of Mmoatia? 

3 Is the following statement true or false? Explain your answer. 

Anansi is a trickster. 

4 Is the following statement true or false? Explain your answer. 

Anansi does not like stories. 

5 What would you do if you were able to spin webs? 

6 Rewrite the following sentence using another word/words 

for emerge. 

Anansi emerged from behind the tree. 


Persuasive 

Vegetables Should Be Banned 

I am so tired of looking forward to 

dinner, only to find a small piece 

of meat with a tower of vegetables 

on my plate. Heaven forbid I say 

anything. Mum goes into a complete 

frenzy if I moan even the slightest. 

I think she loves broccoli more than 

she loves me! 

Can we just agree once and for all 

that parents should stop forcing 

their children to eat vegetables? 

I don’t like sushi. Why? It tastes 

like stale bamboo with rice on it. 

Even though sushi is healthy, my 

parents don’t force me to eat it 

every night. They respect that I 

don’t like it. Why do they force me 

to eat vegetables? One day, I might 

grow to like them, but for now, my 

life is better without. 

Did you know that humans can 

survive on eating animal products 

alone? We don’t need any plant 

products to survive. Interestingly, 

humans can’t survive on plant 

products alone. They need to take 

supplements to meet the daily 

requirements. I think that just 

about sums up that we don’t need 

vegetables! 

You know that feeling when you 

are sitting in class and your tummy 

is swollen and gassy? Blame the 

vegetables from last night’s dinner. 

Some vegetables, like broccoli, 

cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and 

asparagus, are known for causing 

gas and bloating. I’d really like to 

avoid a gassy classroom experience, 

thank you very much. 

My mum has tried to make 

vegetables tastier by adding sauces 

and cheese to them. That was 

the closest I’ve come to enjoying 

vegetables. Unfortunately, she found 

out that adding things to vegetables 

is actually pretty unhealthy. For 

vegetables to provide the most 

nutrients, they have to be served as 

naturally as possible. My vegetable 

tolerance was short lived. 

Let’s talk about the hearty potato. 

Recent developments in the health 

world have now made Mr Potato 

the enemy. For years, people 

ate potatoes without a problem. 

Suddenly, they are too high in 

carbohydrates and have to be 

replaced by cauliflower. Mashed 

cauliflower does not taste the same 

as mashed potato! Stop trying to 

convince me! People believe that 

vegetables are healthy until new 

research shows they aren’t. Things 

can change very quickly. 

The time 

has come 

for parents 

to stop 

forcing 

children 

to eat 

vegetables. 

Don’t you 

agree? 


Questions 

1 Why are potatoes not seen as healthy anymore? 

2 How should vegetables be served to provide the most nutrients? 

3 Write a sentence from the passage which shows many people 

have told the writer that cauliflower is a good substitute for 

potato. 

4 Why did the writer’s mum try to make vegetables tastier? 

5 If you have children one day, will you force them to eat 

vegetables? Explain your answer. 

6 If you are bloated, your tummy is . 


Factual 

How to Make Your Own Slime 

Slime is great fun to play with. Here are three recipes to make your own 

slime at home. 

Basic Fluffy Slime 

Ingredients 

½ cup shampoo 

¼ cup cornstarch 

Food colouring 

6 tablespoons water 

1. Mix the shampoo and cornstarch in 

a bowl. 

2. Add three drops of food colouring. 

3. Add the tablespoons of water, 

stirring well after every addition. 

4. Knead the slime for approximately 

five minutes. 

Stretchy Slime 

Ingredients 

½ cup white glue 


½ cup baby powder 

1. Mix the glue and food 

colouring in a bowl. 

2. Add the baby powder and mix 

until you are happy with the 

consistency. 

This slime can last for days 

if you keep it in an airtight 

container. 

If your slime is still too sticky after 

five minutes of kneading, add more 

cornstarch until you reach the desired 

level of fluffiness. 

Edible Slime 

Ingredients 

1 can sweetened condensed milk 

1 tablespoon cornstarch 


1. Pour the sweetened condensed milk 

and cornstarch into a saucepan. 

2. Put the stove on low heat and 

stir continuously until it reaches a 

simmer. 

3. Once the mixture has thickened, 

you can mix in food colouring. 

4. Let it cool and enjoy! 

This slime will only be playable for 

one day, due to the dairy ingredient. 


Questions 

1 Which ingredient is in all three recipes? 

2 What do you have to do if your basic fluffy slime is still sticky? 

3 Why does the dairy ingredient cause the edible slime to only be 

playable for one day? 

4 For which recipe should you ask an adult for assistance? Why? 

5 Which one of these recipes would you like to try the most? Why? 

6 Draw a picture of what kneading looks like. 


Persuasive 

The Magic of the Theatre 

It’s fairly simple to find 

entertainment these days. Streaming 

services like Netflix and Amazon 

Prime have hundreds of series 

viewers can binge to their hearts’ 

content. We can live-stream 

concerts and watch the latest movie 

releases at the click of a button. 

While this is nice and convenient, 

I feel that too many people are 

spending their Saturdays in front 

of the television. They are missing 

out on something truly magical: the 

theatre! I think everybody should 

regularly go to the theatre. 

The theatre is a wonderful place. 

You can watch a musical, a play 

or classical concert happen right in 

front of you. 

The theatre unlocks creativity. It 

teaches us how to create something 

magical and beautiful from what we 

have. Things we see on television 

are often enhanced by computers 

and special effects. Anything that 

happens on the theatre stage is 

done by real actors doing their own 

stunts. 

There is a big difference between 

watching a ballet dancer on 

television and watching a ballet 

dancer right in front of you. There 

is often a real orchestra playing the 

music. It is a wonderful experience. 

are not used to sitting still and 

focusing on one thing for 90 minutes 

at a time. It helps us to realise that 

entertainment does not have to be 

fast-paced. We learn to sit quietly, 

pay attention and appreciate the 

moment. 

Theatre is live. Things will go wrong. 

It teaches us that everyone makes 

mistakes. We can learn that the 

show must go on, regardless of what 

happens on stage. 

What makes the theatre truly 

magical, is that the performers and 

the audience experience something 

that is unique and funny together. 

No two shows will be the same. 

Going to the theatre is also good 

for brain development. Having such 

an immersive experience triggers 

emotional intelligence and creative 

thinking. Watching the characters 

interact with each other also 

enhances vocabulary and language 

skills. 

Find out what productions are 

showing at your local theatre. Ask 

your parents to take you. Going 

to the theatre will be a wonderful 

experience. You will never forget it! 

The theatre teaches us patience. 

Going to the theatre for the first 

time can be a challenge for younger 

children. Television shows are 

mostly short and repetitive. Children 


Questions 

1 Write three things you can watch at a theatre. 

2 Why are children not used to focusing for 90 minutes 

at a time? 

3 What would happen if an actor forgot their words on stage? 

4 Why is it important for children to experience entertainment that 

is not enhanced with special effects? 

5 Do you want to go to the theatre? Why or why not? 

6 What does it mean to binge? 


Imaginative 

Pieta’s Walk 

My dog, Pieta, is fat. He is also old, which makes him old and fat. We 

took him for his check-up at the veterinarian yesterday. She immediately 

noticed that we don’t walk Pieta that often, because his nails are long 

and, have I mentioned that he is possibly a tad overweight? She insisted 

that we walk Pieta four times a week. The vet said that the extra weight 

is putting too much pressure on his joints and he might be in pain because 

of it. 

Because I quit cricket last season, I am now the lucky winner of the Pieta 

walks. Apparently, a growing child has to exercise. Sounds like a load of 

rubbish to me. 

The vet said we have to start small. The walks mustn’t be too far and 

Pieta must be on his leash all the time. For our first walk, I took him to 

the field up the road. Pieta was loving every minute. There was no one 

else around, so I thought it would be easier if Pieta could run free and I 

could sit on a tree stump and do absolutely nothing. Sounded like a winwin 

to me! I know the vet said he had to be on leash all the time, but 

exercise is exercise, right? 

I set Pieta free and watched the glorious round creature waddle around 

the field. His tongue was dragging on the ground. He was panting like a 

tractor engine. When I called him back, he completely ignored me. In fact, 

he looked at me and slowly started waddling in the opposite direction. 

Seems like he enjoyed his walk too much! 

I got up from my tree stump and called him again. This time he didn’t even 

bother to look back. To my great despair, I now had to jog in an attempt 

to catch Pieta, who was accumulating staggering speed. He crossed the 

road without checking for traffic. He disappeared down a cross street. I 

ran frantically to catch up with him, but he was gone. 

I ran up and down the neighbourhood for 20 minutes before I decided to 

return home. I was tired, miserable and disappointed. I’d made a complete 

mess of everything. 

As I approached the gate, I saw 

a familiar round figure innocently 

waiting for me. Guess who? 

I think it is safe to say that it was 

Pieta who took me for a walk, not 

the other way round. 


Questions 

1 Why does Pieta need to lose weight? 

2 Which order from the vet did the child ignore? 

3 Why was the child disappointed after the walk? 

4 Why are long nails an indication that a dog isn’t walked enough? 

5 Do you think Pieta enjoyed his walk? Why or why not? 

6 Write another word that could be used instead of despair in the 

sentence below. 

To my great despair, I now had to jog in an attempt to catch 

Pieta, who was accumulating staggering speed. 


Factual 

How Animals See the World 

Have you ever wondered how the world 

looks through your pet’s eyes? Scientific 

research has made it possible to study 

animals’ eyes. You might be surprised to 

find out that animals and humans don’t 

see the world in the same way at all. 

Colour is detected by cones in the eye. 

If an eye has cones, it will be able to 

see some colour. Scientists can study an 

animal’s eye and find out if it contains 

any cones. They can find out what 

colours these cones can detect. Cones function best in daytime, when 

there is bright light. 

Other cells in eyes, called rods, helps us see in low light. Humans can 

only see shades of grey at night time. 

The human eye has three cones. A dog’s eye has two cones. This means 

that dogs can see various shades of blue, yellow and green. Dogs can’t 

see red or orange. To a dog, red looks grey. 

Cats’ eyes also have two cones. They are also unable to see red. They 

have three times more rod cells than humans. This means that they can 

see extremely well in the dark. 

The magnificent Bengal tiger in India likes to hunt chital deer. You 

would think that the chital would spot a huge, bright orange Bengal tiger 

immediately. Interestingly, the chital also has only two cones. It can’t see 

red or orange. Can you see how this makes it easy for the Bengal to hunt 

the chital? 

Bumblebees’ eyes also have three cones, but, unlike humans, their eyes 

can detect ultraviolet. This guides them to nectar stores on plants like 

lights on an airport runway. This is very handy for their survival. 

Birds have four cones. They can see what we see, but they can also see 

ultraviolet. Birds can see many colours that are invisible to the human 

eye. A study has shown that some bird species actually have different 

coloured males and females. To the human eye, they look the same. 

It is difficult to imagine that the different species that live on Earth 

don’t see it in the same way. Luckily, science helps us understand our 

differences! 


Questions 

1 What are the cells called that helps humans see in the dark? 

2 What in the eye is responsible for detecting colour? 

3 Why is the bumblebee’s ability to see ultraviolet nectar on 

plants handy for its survival? 

4 What makes it easy for the Bengal tiger to hunt the chital deer? 

5 Do you think a dog’s life is very different from a human’s 

because of its inability to see red? Explain your answer. 

6 The word cone also has another meaning. Use it in a sentence. 


Persuasive 

The Tygerberg Nature Reserve 

The Tygerberg Nature Reserve lies 

in the northern suburbs of Cape 

Town. It is a must-see. Thousands 

of years ago, the reserve’s hill was 

scattered with Khoisan and their 

cattle. Their view from the top was 

open plains stretching out all the 

way to Table Mountain. Through the 

years, the plains made way for a 

vast urban jungle. The view is still 

breathtaking. 


covers 309 hectares (roughly 4 km 2 ). 

It is home to 24 different mammal 

species. There are 137 bird species. 

There are 22 different reptiles, 

seven frog species and various 

butterflies. The reserve is one of 

the largest areas where you can find 

the critically endangered Swartland 

Shale Renosterveld vegetation. 

There are 562 floral species found in 

the reserve. 

The entry fee to the reserve is 

R20 per adult and R10 per child. 

A few tortoises live in the area 

around the gate. If you are lucky, 

one might greet you when you 

arrive. You can make your way to 

the Kristo Pienaar Environmental 

Education Centre. There are 

beautiful displays to look at. The 

guide will also share interesting 

facts about nature in the area. 

The highlight of your trip will 

be your hiking route. There are 

13 routes to choose from. The 

difficulty ranges from easy to 

intermediate. The gravel trails 

leading down the hill are more 

notorious for wildlife. Keep your 

eyes peeled for Cape foxes, 

caracals, badgers, porcupines and 

various small antelope. Earlymorning 

hikes are the best for 

wildlife spotting as the animals go 

to the waterholes. 

The gravel trails up the hill are a 

little steep at first, but not too 

difficult for children. The Duiker 

route leads you to a beautiful 

dam with a picnic bench. The 

Tortoise route takes you right up 

the hill. The view from the top is 

spectacular. It feels like you are on 

top of the world. You can see Table 

Mountain with a 360° view of Cape 

Town and its suburbs. There is a 

cannon at the top of the hill. It is 

still fired on special occasions. 

The reserve is wheelchair friendly. 

There is a tar road that leads from 

the entrance to the top of the 

mountain. There is a stunning picnic 

area overlooking Table Mountain 

and the harbour. You can bring your 

friends and host your birthday party 

at the picnic spot. 

The Tygerberg Nature Reserve is a 

wonderful escape from city living. If 

you are ever in the area, you have 

to come! 


Questions 

1 Who lived in the area thousands of years ago? 

2 How much would it cost two adults and two children to enter 

the reserve? 

3 Why is early morning the best time to spot wildlife? 

4 Give a reason why the Swartland Shale Renosterveld vegetation 

in the area is critically endangered. 

5 Would you like to have your birthday party at a nature reserve? 

Why or why not? 

6 What does ‘keep your eyes peeled’ mean? 


Factual 

The Mountain Man 

Dashrath Manjhi lived in Gehlaur, 

India, with his wife, Falguni Devi. 

They were very poor. The people from 

Gehlaur had to travel 75 kilometres 

up and down a treacherous mountain 

for basic facilities, such as hospitals, 

schools and water. 

Dashrath worked for a landlord on 

the mountain. Falguni brought him 

lunch every afternoon. One day, she slipped and fell down the mountain. 

Her injuries were very severe. Dashrath could not get her to hospital in 

time and, sadly, she died. 

Heartbroken and angry, Dashrath decided to take matters into his own 

hands. He desperately wanted all to have access to amenities and not 

suffer the same fate as his wife. 

He sold the family’s three goats and bought a chisel, a hammer and 

crowbars. He started to carve a road through the mountain. The 

townspeople called him a madman and laughed at him. Dashrath kept 

carving away. He continued his work for the landlord by day and carved 

the mountain at night. He burned firewood on the mountain rocks and 

splashed it with cold water. This made the rocks easier to crack. On most 

days, he only ate leaves and drank dirty water. 

Slowly but surely, Dashrath’s road began taking form. When the 

townspeople saw that he was not giving up, some started to help him. 

They brought him food and helped remove the mountain rubble. 

Dashrath finally completed the road after 22 years of excruciating hard 

work. His road through the mountain was 109 kilometres long. It not only 

benefitted his townspeople, but also those from 60 surrounding towns. The 

75-kilometre treacherous walk over the mountain was reduced to an easy 

16-kilometre walk. 

Dashrath died in 2007, at the age of 73, from gallbladder cancer. While 

on his deathbed, Dashrath was approached by a filmmaker who wanted 

to make a film about his life. The film, Manjhi – The Mountain Man, was 

released in 2015. 

Dashrath’s story is one of resilience and perseverance. His road changed 

the lives of thousands and he will always be remembered for it. 


Questions 

1 How did Falguni die? 

2 How long did it take Dashrath to complete the road? 

3 Why did the townspeople laugh at Dashrath 

when they first saw him carving the mountain? 

4 Why would someone want to make a movie about Dashrath? 

5 What can we learn from Dashrath Manjhi? 

6 What does excruciating mean? 


Imaginative 

The Baby Olympics 

www.countrychronicles.com Since 1989 

Cream of the Crop News 

Yesterday saw the opening day of 

the Baby Olympics in Melbourne, 

Australia. The criticism of social 

media users worldwide did not 

dampen the positive atmosphere. 

The first day turned out to be a 

great success. 

The opening ceremony featured 

50 excited babies playing in a huge 

ball pit. A local choir sang ‘Wheels 

on the Bus’ and ‘Baby Shark’. They 

were accompanied by babies banging 

on pots. 

The first athletic event for the 

Under 1s was drooling. Ginna 

Warrington, from Wales, took 

the gold. She filled one cup in 

30 minutes. Unbelievable! What 

makes it such an astonishing victory 

is that her nearest competitor only 

managed to provide 45 millilitres. It 

was a complete landslide. 

The next category for the Under 1s 

was sleeping. The choir returned for 

a haunting rendition of ‘Hush Little 

Baby’. The competitors all slept 

like true champions. The winner of 

the gold was South African Andrew 

Louw. The little guy slept for a 

solid two hours and 13 minutes. 

What a champ! 

The first event for the Under 2s 

was milk bottle lifting. Local girl, 

Ashley Burton, proved that a firm 

grip and upper arm strength is the 

key to gold. The judges scored her 

10s across the board. 

The final event of the day was the 

Under 2s 10-m crawling. This was 

the one the crowd had been waiting 

for. The mums and dads waited for 

their little athletes at the finish line 

with tubs filled with organic fruit 

puree. Ben Wilson was first out of 

the blocks. Halfway, he got sidetracked 

by a balloon in the crowd. 

Celeste Rabie took the lead. She 

charged on all fours to win another 

gold medal for the host country. 

Spectators can look forward to 

the cake smash, most ticklish toes 

and stinkiest nappy categories 

tomorrow. Bring a peg for your 

nose! 


Questions 

1 Why did Ben Wilson not win the gold? 

2 What song did the choir sing for the sleeping category? 

3 How many medals did Australia win on the first day? 

4 What could some of the criticism on social media about the 

Baby Olympics have been? 

5 At what age do you think children should start competing in 

sports? Explain your answer. 

6 What does organic mean? 


Factual 

Communication Through 

the Ages 

Communicating with people has never been as easy as it is today. You can 

video chat with family in another country. You can instantly send videos 

and photos to friends. Things weren’t always so easy. Back in the day, it 

was quite a challenge to send a message to someone far away. 

The smoke signal is one of the oldest forms of communication. In ancient 

China, soldiers on the Great Wall sent smoke signals to warn one another 

of danger. The colour of the smoke communicated the size of the danger. 

To this day, smoke is still a brilliant way to call for help. (Don’t try it at 

home!) 

The Ancient Romans used carrier pigeons to send long-distance messages. 

The pigeon was sent in a small cage to a recipient, who would attach a 

small parchment with a message to the pigeon’s foot. The pigeon would 

then fly home. Pigeons have an internal compass. They can find their way 

home from thousands of kilometres away. A response could then be tied to 

the pigeon’s foot and it will make its way back home again. 

Postal services have been around since mankind learned how to write. 

Messages were delivered by dog sleds, balloons, submarines and donkeys. 

Telegraph communication developed after Samuel Morse invented Morse 

code in 1830. Morse code is a communication system. There is a Morse 

code alphabet. The letters consist of long and short clicks. The telegraph 

system sent electrical currents through long wire to deliver messages in 

Morse code. 

The first telephone call was made by 

Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. The 

telephone replaced the telegraph almost 

immediately. It is still one of the most 

reliable means of communication today. 

The first text message in history was 

sent by Neil Papworth in 1992. It simply 

said, ‘Merry Christmas’. Text messages 

are very popular today. More than six 

billion text messages are sent daily. 

Can you imagine having to send a pigeon with a message to your aunt 

abroad? You’d have to wait weeks for her response. Typing and sending is 

so much easier! 


Questions 

1 Who invented Morse code? 

2 How many text messages are sent daily? 

3 Why should you not try sending smoke signals from home? 

4 In which month do you think the first text message was sent? 

Why? 

5 What is your preferred form of communication with loved ones 

far away? Describe it. 

6 What is another word for overseas? 


Persuasive 

Go to Sleep! 

Have you ever argued with your parents over your bedtime? Many children 

all around the globe attempt to convince their parents every night to 

extend their awake time. Some are successful, some fail miserably. You 

win some, you lose some, right? 

Parents do have some method in their madness in putting you to bed 

before nine o’clock. And no, it is not slavery or torture. There are some 

valid reasons why children should go to bed early. 

A 10-year-old child needs 10 to 12 hours of sleep every night. If you have 

to wake up at six in the morning, you should be in bed no later than eight 

at night. 

During sleep, your brain restores resources that were used during the day. 

It uses sleep to process events. It sorts and stores information. This is 

very important to create long-term memories. 

A child that consistently gets enough sleep can remember things better. 

Well-rested children are also more creative, can concentrate better and 

have more energy during the day. 

Research has shown that people get their best sleep early at night. 

Children who go to bed late will miss out on this very important 

restorative sleep. They might wake up feeling tired and groggy. 

Children who go to sleep later take 

longer to fall asleep than those 

hitting the sack earlier. They also 

wake more during the night. This 

results in even less sleep. 

Don’t think that if you go to sleep an 

hour earlier, you will wake up an hour 

earlier. Researchers asked parents of 

children aged 7 to 11 years to make 

bedtime an hour earlier for five nights 

in a row. On average, these children 

slept 27 minutes more than before. 

Your parents are right this time. It is really worth it to stick to your 

bedtime. A well-rested brain is a happy brain. You will feel so much 

better! 


Questions 

1 How many hours of sleep 

does a 10-year-old child 

need per night? 

2 When do people get their 

best sleep? 

3 How does sleep help a well-rested brain to be a happy brain? 

4 True or false? If you go to bed 27 minutes earlier, you will wake 

up 27 minutes earlier the next morning. 

5 How would you feel if you had to go to bed one hour earlier 

from now on? Explain your answer. 

6 What does ‘hitting the sack’ in this text mean? 


Factual 

Say Cheese! 

We all know what to do when we 

are in a photo; slap on your widest 

grin, show your pearly whites and say, 

‘Cheese!’ 

People were not always smiling in 

photos. In the 1820s, only the rich 

could afford to hire a professional 

photographer. People believed that 

they looked dignified when they stared 

solemnly at the camera. 

Most people only sat for one or two 

photos in their lifetime. Cameras did 

not capture people living their lives 

as they do today. Back then, it was 

almost only portrait photography. If 

you only get one chance to immortalise 

yourself in a photo, you have to look 

as dignified as possible. A toothy grin 

might just make you look very foolish. 

Before the age of the camera, the only 

way to have an image of yourself was 

to be painted. Artists wanted their models to sit very still for a very long 

time. Holding a smile for so long is difficult. People were used to sitting 

solemnly when having their portrait done. 

Another reason for the serious faces in old photos could be traced back 

to dental health. People’s teeth were not as well looked after in the past. 

Maybe they didn’t smile because they didn’t want to be remembered for 

their rotten teeth. 

The invention of the Kodak instant camera in the 1900s brought a change 

to the world of photography. Kodak marketed the instant camera as a way 

to remember happiness. People now had the opportunity to take their own 

photos. They started taking spontaneous photos. They could experiment 

with different poses and expressions. 

Having your picture taken is no longer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Most people carry a camera with them wherever they go, as they are now 

conveniently located in phones. We smile in photos because that is how 

we want to be remembered: happy. 


Questions 

1 Why did people have their portrait painted in the olden days? 

2 What invention brought a change in photography? 

3 Why did people think that a toothy grin could make you look foolish? 

4 Why did people start to take more photos from the 1900s and 

onwards? 

5 Do you agree that looking serious in a photo makes you look 

more dignified? Explain your answer. 

6 What does solemnly mean? 


Factual 

Radiant Rainbows 

Rainbows are one of the most exquisite displays of nature. Have you ever 

wondered how they are formed? 

White light is made up of seven different colours: red, orange, yellow, 

green, blue, indigo and violet. 

Raindrops act as small prisms. A prism breaks a single beam of white light 

into a band of seven colours. 

When sunlight shines on a water droplet, the light bends slightly in 

different angles. This creates different coloured light rays. These bent 

light rays are the rainbow we see. 

A rainbow can only appear when there is rain and sun at the same time. 

A rainbow will look different from every angle, meaning that no two people 

will see the rainbow in exactly the same way. 

A rainbow is actually a full circle. Since we are on the ground, we only 

see a semicircle. If you are in an aeroplane, you might be lucky enough to 

see a rainbow in a full circle. 

Rainbows can also be seen in mist, spray, waterfalls, fog and dew. 

You can do this little experiment at home to make your own rainbow. 

Fill a glass with water and put a mirror inside it at an angle. Make sure 

that the room is completely dark. Take a torch and flash it towards the 

mirror inside the glass. A rainbow will appear from the angle of the mirror. 

Hold a piece of white paper to the reflection and see the different colours 

of the rainbow appear. 


Questions 

1 What are the colours of the rainbow? 

2 What happens when sunlight enters a water droplet? 

3 Why does there have to be sun for a rainbow to form? 

4 Why might you be able to see a full-circle rainbow from an 

aeroplane? 

5 Did you try the experiment? Why or why not? If you did, what 

happened? 

6 What is a reflection? 


Imaginative 

The Immortal White Snake 

– A Chinese Myth 

Xu Xian, a young herbalist, was 

excited to finally open his own 

medicine shop. Just as the doors 

opened, he realised that something 

was very wrong. He had bought his 

herbs from his old boss. The boss 

didn’t want Xu Xian to succeed. 

He had sold him rotten herbs. 

Customers came in, desperately 

seeking medicine to cure them from 

a plague that had hit the village. 

Xu Xian panicked. He could not sell 

them rotten herbs. 

Xu Xian’s wife, Bai Su Zhen, took 

the rotten herbs. She used them 

to make medicine. Xu Xian sold 

it to his customers. They were 

immediately cured from the disease. 

Soon, the whole village wanted 

some of Bai Su Zhen’s medicine. 

A monk named Fa Hai approached 

Xu Xian soon after. He told Xu 

Xian that Bai Su Zhen was a 

demon. Xu Xian laughed at the 

monk. His wife was kind and 

generous. She could not be a 

demon. Fa Hai told him to serve his 

wife realgar wine on the fifth day 

of the fifth month. If she was not a 

demon, nothing would happen. 

Xu Xian wondered if he should 

give the wine to Bai Su Zhen. He 

decided to do it to prove to Fa Hai 

that she was not a demon. 

As soon as she drank the wine, Bai 

Su Zhen started feeling unwell. She 

went to bed. Xu Xian took her some 

medicine. Nothing could prepare 

him for what he 

would find in the 

bedroom. A giant 

white serpent 

was sitting on 

the bed where 

his wife was 

supposed to be. 

He instantly 

collapsed and 

died from shock. 

Bai Su Zhen was 

devastated. She never told Xu Xian 

that she was an immortal snake with 

magical powers. She tried to revive 

him with her powers, but could not. 

She had only one idea to save him. 

On the highest mountain at the 

South Pole, there was a magical 

herb. This herb could bring the dead 

back to life. The herb was kept by 

the Old Man of the South Pole. 

She flew there on the clouds. 

The herb was guarded by two of 

the Old Man’s guards. Bai Su Zhen 

disguised herself as a monk. She 

told the guards that she had come 

to invite the old man to a gathering 

of the gods. When they left to call 

the Old Man, Bai Su Zhen took a 

piece of the herb and ran away. 

Bai Su Zhen returned home to 

revive Xu Xian. He opened his eyes. 

The terrified look on his face was 

replaced by a loving smile. It didn’t 

matter to him that his wife was a 

demon. He was very happy to see 

her. 


Questions 

1 Why did Xu Xian’s old boss sell him rotten herbs? 

2 How did Bai Su Zhen manage to fool the guards? 

3 Why did Bai Su Zhen not feel well after she drank the wine? 

4 Why did Xu Xian collapse and die? 

5 What do you think went through Xu Xian’s head when he saw 

the giant serpent on the bed? 

6 What is another word for snake? 


Factual 

Erik the Red 

Erik the Red was a hot-tempered Viking, born in Norway in 950 CE. 

He got his nickname from his red hair and beard. At the age of 10, 

Erik left Norway with his father, who was banished after he killed a man. 

I think that it is safe to say that Erik might have inherited his father’s 

temper. Father and son settled in a new home in Iceland. 

After Erik’s father died, Erik married a wealthy Icelandic woman named 

Thorhild. He had a son, Leif, who became a famous explorer. Erik and his 

family lived on a large plot of land he named after himself: Erikstad. 

Sometime around 982 CE, Erik’s servants 

accidentally caused a landslide that wrecked his 

neighbour’s home. The neighbour was so angry he 

killed the servants. Erik did not like this one bit. 

A big row broke out between the two households. 

Erik killed several people, including the neighbour’s 

two sons. Erik was trialled and eventually banished 

for three years. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? 

Erik decided to put his time in exile to good use. 

He went on a voyage in search of a new island. 

He sailed westward and reached new land in 

983 CE. He named this island Greenland. Greenland 

is mostly covered in snow, but Erik wanted the 

name to sound inviting so that people would want 

to live there. Sneaky Erik! He spent the rest of his 

banishment in Greenland, after which he returned to Iceland. 

Erik told many people of the new island he had found. He convinced 

numerous people to pack up their things and move to Greenland. 

In 985 CE, Erik and the new colony set sail for Greenland. They took 

35 ships. They also brought oxen, horses and cows on the journey. 

Only 14 of the ships reached Greenland. 

Upon arrival, the group divided into two colonies: a western and an 

eastern settlement. Erik was selected to be the leader of the eastern 

settlement. 

Erik’s love for exploring continued. He and Leif planned to visit a 

land where they could find wood. Erik’s horse took a tumble before 

departure and he decided not to go. It is said that he died shortly after 

Leif’s return. 

Erik will always be remembered and honoured for his discovery of Greenland. 


Questions 

1 Why did Erik and his father leave Norway? 

2 Why did Erik leave Iceland? 

3 Do you think that it was clever of Erik to name the island 

Greenland? Explain your answer. 

4 Why did the Greenland settlements need wood? 

5 If you were a Viking, would you have joined Erik and the new 

colony in Greenland? Why or why not? 

6 Write one word for the phrase ‘took a tumble’. 


Factual 

How Do Fitness Trackers 

Work? 

Fitness trackers are an extremely popular way to track your activity and 

basic fitness levels. Do you have one? Everyone seems to be wearing them. 

They help people achieve health goals and maintain healthy habits. Onehundred 

and twenty million fitness trackers were sold in 2019. How do 

these devices on our wrists know our step counts and heart rates? 

Fitness trackers sense when and how you move. People move at different 

speeds, in different directions and in different rotations. Every fitness 

tracker has an accelerometer. An accelerometer can track movement 

in every direction. A gyroscope measures the orientation and rotation. 

Together, they can tell how you are moving. They can tell whether you are 

moving back and forth, side to side, or up and down. This data is used to 

calculate how fast you are moving and how many steps it takes you to get 

there. 

Most fitness trackers can also measure your heart rate. Have you noticed 

a green light on the underside of the face? This is a small LED light. 

Together with a light sensor, it helps to measure and calculate your heart 

rate. Your blood absorbs green light. The tracker measures how fast your 

heart is pumping by analysing the changes in the light. The faster the 

blood pumps, the higher your heart rate. 

Fitness trackers can also measure how much you 

sleep. They use your heart rate, movement and 

breathing tempo to measure your sleep. 

The tracker sends all the data to a 

microprocessor. This is like the ‘brain’ of the 

tracker. The tracker uses an algorithm to process 

the data. It sends the relevant information to an 

app on a phone or tablet. You can compare your 

progress with your past data. 

Some fitness trackers can play music, make phone 

calls and even remind you of your appointments. 

You can use the timer or the stopwatch at sport 

practice. You can use the torch to find your way in the dark. 

A fitness tracker is the ultimate sporting and fitness companion. It helps 

us to track our progress and motivates us to do better. 


Questions 

1 What does the tracker use to track movement in 

every direction? 

2 What do fitness trackers use to monitor your sleep? 

3 How can a fitness tracker motivate you to be more active? 

4 How can a stopwatch be useful at sport practice? 

5 Would you want a fitness tracker? Why or why not? 

6 What is another word for friend? 


Answers 

Answers 

My Humble Request 

1. Nina wants more screen time. 

2. two 

3. She can’t join in her friends’ 

conversations when they talk 

about games. 

4.-5. Answers will vary. 

6. completed 

The First Rugby Practice 

1. None, this is his first. 

2. You have to do 50 burpees. 

3. He wrongly tackled Jeff, talked 

back to the ref and didn’t 

listen. 

4. He was very confident in his 

ability at first. Later on, he 

realised that rugby is exhausting 

and difficult. 

5. Answers will vary. 

6. Answers will vary; for example, 

extremely painful and agonising. 

Interesting Facts You Probably 

Didn’t Know About Your Body 

1. As the day progresses, the 

soft cartilage between your 

bones squash and you become 

shorter. 

2. True 

3. Answers will vary (age x 4 

kg). 


6. Lifespan means the length of 

time something lives. 

Life in the Ant Colony 

1. They follow the scent left by 

other ants. 

2. dead 

3. larvae 

4. The queen, because she lays the 

eggs. 


6. the jaw 

Crazy Card Games 

1. You can place the eight on any 

card. 

2. You have to give one card to 

the person who put the card in 

the centre. 

3. any seven or any spade 

4. If they look at their cards, they 

will be able to see when they 

will place a jack. 


6. Teacher check; a drawing of any 

heart card. 

A Family for Sprinkles 

1. She was the only one of her 

kind in the forest and wanted 

to find other rabbits. 

2. Their tails look the same. 

3. She didn’t want to be alone 

anymore. 

4. False 


6. A group of rabbits is called a 

colony. 


The Hockey Match 

1. The boy hit the coach with his 

stick and the paramedics were 

called. 

2. A trick where you swing your 

stick in front of you like a 

windmill. 

3. No, he thinks that the coaches 

just haven’t seen his skills yet. 

4. Answers will vary, but should 

be similar to: it’s unhygienic, 

it’s gross. 


6. Opposition means the team you 

are playing against. 

Molly the Mosquito 

1. mosquito 

2. hungry 

3. She wants to bite it, to get a 

few drops of blood for lunch. 

4. Molly is bothering her and she 

doesn’t want to be bitten. 


6. Tame means to train wild 

animals to live with humans. 

Watchdog Available 

1. the writer’s housemate, Arina 

2. ten 

3. No, he/she doesn’t like Neska. 

He/she made a list of all the 

things Neska does that bothers 

him/her. 

4. No, the owner is unaware of the 

advert and may be surprised, as 

the writer hasn’t discussed it 

with her. 


6. Incessantly means constantly. 

The Tree 

1. He had always been too short. 

2. The wind blew him off course. 

3. Answers will vary. Example 

answer: He thought the 

chameleons wanted to eat him. 

4. They saved him in the end. 


6. A gust is a sudden, strong wind. 

Public Speaking 101 

1. False 

2. Stop and gather your thoughts. 

Then when you are back on 

track, continue from where you 

stopped. 

3. you 

4. It’s less intimidating to only 

speak in front of two or three 

people than a room full of 

people. 


6. Teacher check 

Racheltjie de Beer 

1. They were searching for a 

missing calf. 

2. She made a bed for him in an 

anthill. 

3. They could not see the path 

they had to take as it was dark 

and covered in snow. 

4. She froze to death. 


6. empty 


Answers 

Old Hopgiant 

1. twenty 

2. He disappeared, stuck to Old 

Hopgiant’s boot. 

3. He was greedy. 

4. Answers will vary but should be 

similar to: relieved, happy etc. 


6. vanished 

The Dangers of Magnetic Balls 

1. his father 

2. His stomach started to ache 

after he swallowed magnetic 

balls. 

3. She searched for what to 

do when someone swallows 

magnetic balls. 

4. Toddlers put all sorts of things 

in their mouths. They are 

too young to understand the 

dangers. 


6. It is stuck in your intestine. 

Jamie’s Painting Review 

1. Mona Lisa 

2. Leonardo da Vinci 

3. She thought that it was dull. 

Answers will vary. 


6. A masterpiece is a work of 

outstanding artistry. 

Make Your Own Dessert 

1. seven 

2. 40 minutes 

3. Mixing is a vigorous action and 

folding is gently stirring. 

4. It might burn if it stays in too 

long. 


6. Batter is a mixture of flour and 

other ingredients. 


Slippers 

1. pirates 

2. An eagle took the slipper and 

dropped it on the pharaoh’s 

lap. 

3. She would have been a slave 

if someone else bought her. 


6. A cavalry is a group of 

soldiers who fight on 

horseback. 

Tomorrow’s Home 

1. It will order fresh milk from 

the supermarket. 

2. Three of the following: 

Remind to take medication; 

display a calendar and the 

weather; be a make-up 

assistant; and be a display 

area for other medical 

information. 

3. Probably yes, because 

people will have better 

access to their own medical 

information. 


6. (a) 


Royal Limericks 

1. He is the king of Kentucky. 

2. Yes 

3. a fat quail 

4. She saw her tomb where she 

will be buried one day. 


6. hound 

Boring-coloured Cars Must Go! 

1. You are out when a red car 

comes by. 

2. black 


6. Siblings are brothers and 

sisters. 

Disaster on the River 

1. by the riverbank 

2. ice creams for everyone 

3. Emily 

4. three people in a two-seater 

kayak 


6. Answers might include: 

monumental, great, mighty, 

huge, immense, enormous or 

gigantic. 

A Perfect Past? 

1. Without a refrigerator, they 

could not keep food cold and 

fresh. 

2. Cars did not have seat belts or 

airbags. 

3. No, the phone was in a central 

place in the house, so everyone 

could hear your conversation. 

4. A lot more people had a 

television in 1959 than in 1950 

and family dinners were centred 

around it. 


6. A rotary dial is the rotating 

number selector on old phones. 

The Best Game in the World 

1. mastering the strokes 

2. a tennis racquet and tennis 

balls 


6. Beneficial means helpful. 


Future 

1. An ecobrick is a plastic bottle 

filled with single-use plastic. 

2. It will be too soft to build a 

solid structure. 

3. Answers will vary; examples 

may include that it is cheap and 

people are encouraged to pick 

up and use waste. 

4. Answers will vary; examples 

may include that the plastic 

may be harmful to the soil over 

time and it doesn’t always look 

pretty. 


6. roughly 


Answers 

Should Musical Education be 

Compulsory in Schools? 

1. One of the following: It 

makes you smart./It teaches 

you to work hard./It builds 

confidence. 

2. One of the following: It is 

expensive./There are not 

enough resources in schools. 


6. compulsory 

Brutal Bugs 

1. the ‘gross-metre’ section 

2. One of the following: The 

writer thinks a world map, 

showing where all the bugs 

originate from, is missing./The 

writer thinks that there should 

be better balance between 

illustrations and photographs. 



answer: Yes, he/she did. They 

recommend that everybody 

should read it. 


6. Brutal means fierce or cruel. 

The Castle of Good Hope 

1. The Castle of Good Hope 

2. 300 

3. It was not a nice place to be. 

4. The sundial did not work at 

night. 

A Day in the Life of a Blind 

Person 

1. They know exactly where they 

should walk to avoid things like 

pavements and corners. 

2. a Brailler 

3. It helps to see if you are on the 

right track. 

4. It’s less effort than to read in 

Braille. 


6. A written language for blind 

people. 

Spiders Deserve Better 

1. mosquito 

2. Antarctica 

3. Many people still believe that 

they will swallow eight spiders 

in their lifetime. The people 

believed her rumour. 

4. The spiders will not be there to 

catch them anymore. 


6. venom 

The Flying Cow 

1. two claws on their wings 

2. cows, goats and sheep 

3. Answers will vary. (They are 

not good flyers, because 

their crop is too big.) 


6. lounging 


6. A fort is a structure built to 

defend something/someone. 


Are Dogs Really Man’s Best 

Friend? 

1. wolf 

2. its human family 

3. You do exercise and get fresh 

air when you walk with your 

dog. Dogs make you feel happy. 

4. You can train the dog to be 

obedient. 


6. Domesticate means to train an 

animal and keep it as a pet. 

The Rubik’s Cube 

1. Erno Rubik 

2. 27 

3. It is difficult to solve the 

cube on your own. 


6. A revival is when something 

becomes popular again. 

Battle of the Books 

1. You can enlarge the font. 

2. 180 grams 


4. E-readers are not waterproof, 

so they will break when coming 

into contact with water. 


6. Simultaneously means at the 

same time. 

VacMac 2000 

1. one hour 

2. He will shut down the internet, 

the television, the boy’s 

computer and his phone. 

3. ‘Hey,’ I shouted, ‘come here, 

silly, lazy vacuum!’ 

4. No. Talking isn’t one of the 

features listed on the box. 


6. Ominously means suggesting 

that something bad is going to 

happen. 

Headphones or Speakers? 

1. Headphones – 4, Speakers – 3 

2. People tend to have the volume 

20%–50% higher on headphones. 

This can damage your ears. 


answer: No one else will hear 

the music. 


answer: parents. 


6. The chorus is the part of the 

song that repeats after each 

verse. 

Who Cut the Onions? 

1. basal, reflex and emotional 

2. Extra tears overflow to the 

nose. 

3. They will dry out. 

4. True 



severe, extreme, strong and 

powerful. 


Answers 

Sweets or Chocolates? 

1. They are very acidic. They wear 

down the enamel on your teeth. 

2. Chocolate, because it washes 

off more easily. 

3. Chocolate, because it provides 

energy for a longer period of 

time. 

4. They come in different colours 

and flavours. 


6. teeth 

Iqbal Masih’s Story 

1. six years 

2. The police officer at the police 

station where he went to for 

help was corrupt and took him 

back to the carpet factory. 

3. He knew that they would help 

him as they were activists 

against child labour. 

4. He was making their lives 

difficult and it was harder to 

find cheap child labour. 


6. An activist is someone who 

fights for a cause. 

Serenading the Sunflowers 

1. She read somewhere that plants 

grow better if you talk to them. 

2. No, they also need basic care, 

like water. 

4. They needed to test the results 

against plants who weren’t 

talked to. 



terrible, horrible or awful. 

Kahekili’s Leap 

1. He wanted to look like his 

namesake, the god of thunder. 

2. Leaping off cliffs and entering 

the water feet first without 

making a splash. 

3. King Kahekili forced his warriors 

to jump off the cliff. 

4. You can injure or kill yourself if 

you hit rocks or hit the ocean 

floor. 


6. A venue is a place where 

something happens. 

The School Concert 

1. They are a tree. 

2. There are ballerinas, acrobats, 

animals, birds and other 

creatures. 

3. Yes, they think they look like a 

total vision. 

4. No 


6. A limited edition is something 

that is unique and one of a 

kind. 

3. For the experiment to be a 

fair test, the plants need to 

grow under the exact same 

circumstances. 


Save the Rhino! 

1. 9885 

2. Some people believe that 

medicine can be made from 

their horns. 


6. Contribution means giving 

something to help a person 

or a cause. 

A Catastrophic Adventure 

1. All the houses in the row 

looked the same. 

2. The vet scanned the microchip 

in the cat’s neck. 

3. No, the cat thought the cattery 

would be nicer. 

4. The mum didn’t want the cat to 

get lost in winter again. 


6. Famished means extremely 

hungry. 

Harald Bluetooth Gormsson 

1. short-range radio link 

technology 

2. It is King Harald’s initials in old 

Danish. 

3. They united different things. 

4. No, Bluetooth was only a code 

name. All the other options 

were already taken, so they had 

no other options. 


6. A trademark is a word or phrase 

that identifies your service. 

How Stories Came to Earth: An 

African Folk Tale 

1. He wanted to hide himself from 

the hornets. 

2. the bowl of yam 

3. True, he tricked all of his 

prisoners. 

4. False, Anansi went through a 

lot of trouble to get the stories 

from the sky god and set them 

free. 



Anansi came out from behind 

the tree. 

Vegetables Should Be Banned 

1. They are too high in 

carbohydrates. 

2. as naturally as possible 

3. ‘Stop trying to convince me!’ 

4. Her child was complaining about 

eating vegetables. 


6. swollen 

How to Make Your Own Slime 

1. food colouring 

2. Add more cornstarch. 

3. The condensed milk can go off. 

4. Edible slime, because you have 

to use the stove. 


6. Teacher check 


Answers 

The Magic of the Theatre 

1. musical, play, classical 

concert 

2. They are used to watching 

shorter, repetitive shows on 

TV. 

3. The actors will work around 

it on stage and the show will 

continue. 


6. To binge means doing 

something excessively, too 

much at a time. 

Pieta’s Walk 

1. His extra weight is putting too 

much pressure on his joints, 

which may cause him to be in 

pain. 

2. He didn’t keep Pieta on a leash. 

3. He lost Pieta. 

4. When a dog walks often, the 

nails are short because they 

wear off against the ground. 



disappointment, stress or 

anguish. 

How Animals See the World 

1. rod cells 

2. cones 

3. Its food (nectar) is 

illuminated, like lights on an 

airport runway. 


1. the Khoisan people and their 

cattle 

2. R60 

3. The animals go to waterholes to 

drink. 

4. Answers will vary; i.e. The 

vegetation was removed to make 

space for buildings in the area. 


6. To ‘keep your eyes peeled’ 

means to look out for. 

The Mountain Man 

1. She fell down the mountain 

and couldn’t get the medical 

assistance she required. 

2. 22 years 

3. They thought that he was a 

madman. 

4. His life story is remarkable. 


6. Excruciating means extremely 

tough. 

The Baby Olympics 

1. He was side-tracked by a 

balloon in the crowd. 

2. ‘Hush Little Baby’ 

3. two 


6. Organic means food produced 

without the use of chemicals. 

4. The bright orange would 

usually attract attention, but 

the chital deer can’t see it. 



Communication Through the 

Ages 

1. Samuel Morse 

2. more than six billion 

3. It is dangerous to play with fire 

and smoke. 

4. Probably December, because 

Christmas is in December. 


6. abroad 

Go to Sleep! 

1. 10–12 hours 

2. early at night 

3. The brain has important 

functions to complete during 

sleep. If you don’t sleep enough, 

your brain can’t complete these 

functions. 

4. False 


6. ‘Hitting the sack’ means going 

to bed. 

Say Cheese! 

1. They wanted to be remembered 

and cameras hadn’t been 

invented. 

2. the Kodak instant camera 


4. They had access to their own 

cameras. 


Radiant Rainbows 

1. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, 

indigo, violet 

2. The light bends slightly in 

different angles and forms 

different coloured light rays. 

3. Without sunlight, the droplets 

will not bend into colours. 

4. We are only able to see a 

semi-circular rainbow shape 

when we are on the ground, 

because the ground blocks out 

the rest. When in an aeroplane, 

the ground will not block the 

rest of the rainbow. 


6. A reflection is the return of 

light waves from a surface. 

The Immortal White Snake – A 

Chinese Myth 

1. He did not want him to succeed 

in his new business. 

2. She disguised herself as a monk 

and asked them to go and call 

the Old Man. 

3. She was a demon, just as Fa 

Hai predicted. 

4. He was shocked, as his wife 

had turned into a giant white 

serpent. 


6. serpent 

6. Solemnly means formal and 

dignified. 


Answers 

Erik the Red 

1. Erik’s father was banished for 

killing a man. 

2. Erik was banished for killing 

several men. 


4. They probably needed a lot 

of wood to build their new 

settlements. 



tripped or fell. 

How Do Fitness Trackers Work? 

1. accelerometer 

2. heart rate, movement, 

breathing tempo 


6. companion

8541RB Reading for Me Level 4 Part A

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