Complete English Basics 1 student book sample/look inside

1
A class and homework course
THIRD EDITION
Rex Sadler Sandra Sadler

This edition published in 2021 by
Matilda Education Australia, an imprint
of Meanwhile Education Pty Ltd
Level 1/274 Brunswick St
Fitzroy, Victoria Australia 3065
T: 1300 277 235
E: customersupport@matildaed.com.au
www.matildaeducation.com.au
First edition published in 2007 by
Macmillan Science and Education Australia Pty Ltd
Copyright © Rex Sadler and Sandra Sadler 2007, 2010, 2017
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
All rights reserved.
Except under the conditions described in the
Copyright Act 1968 of Australia (the Act) and subsequent amendments,
no part of this publication may be reproduced,
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Licence restrictions must be adhered to. For details of the CAL licence, contact:
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Publication data
Authors: Rex Sadler and Sandra Sadler
Title: Complete English Basics 1: A Class and Homework Course
ISBN: 978 1 4202 3709 2
Publisher: Emma Cooper
Project editor: Barbara Delissen
Cover and text designer: Dimitrios Frangoulis
Production control: Janine Biderman
Photo research and permissions clearance: Vanessa Roberts
Typeset in Heuristica Regular 10.5/12pt by Dim Frangoulis
Cover image: Shutterstock/Ipatov
Printed in Malaysia by Vivar Printing Pdt Ltd
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Warning: It is recommended that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples exercise caution
when viewing this publication as it may contain images of deceased persons.

Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
vii
viii
1 Enjoying texts 1
Comprehension Film review 1
Poem 3
Information report 4
Spelling and vocabulary Texts 6
Language Sentences 7
Phrases 9
Punctuation Why do we use punctuation marks? 10
The craft of writing Becoming a better writer 11
2 Ancient times 12
Comprehension Gladiators 12
Spelling and vocabulary Ancient worlds 14
Language Nouns 15
Punctuation Starting and finishing sentences 17
The craft of writing People from other times 18
3 Around the world 19
Comprehension Expedition to the jungles of Borneo 19
Spelling and vocabulary Getaway 21
Language Common and proper nouns 22
Punctuation Making sense with sentences 24
The craft of writing Life experiences 25
4 People26
Comprehension Mrs Pratchett 26
Spelling and vocabulary Occupations 28
Language Nouns—gender 29
Punctuation Capital letters and full stops 30
The craft of writing People 32
5 Climb every mountain 33
Comprehension Cliffhanger 33
Spelling and vocabulary On the mountain 35
Language Collective nouns 37
Punctuation Statements and questions 38
The craft of writing Overcoming adversity 39
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6 Feelings and emotions 40
Comprehension What it feels like to survive a volcanic eruption 40
Spelling and vocabulary That’s life! 42
Language Abstract nouns 43
Punctuation Types of sentences 44
The craft of writing What it feels like to … 46
7 Drive47
Comprehension Car accident 47
Spelling and vocabulary On the road 49
Language Revision—nouns 51
Punctuation Using capital letters for proper nouns 52
The craft of writing An accident 53
8 Marooned!54
Comprehension The blue dolphins 54
Spelling and vocabulary Survival 56
Language Synonyms 58
Punctuation Commas 59
The craft of writing Castaway 60
9 Food, glorious food! 61
Comprehension The pizza 61
Spelling and vocabulary Food, food, food! 63
Language Antonyms 64
Punctuation Apostrophes—abbreviating words 65
The craft of writing Food, glorious food 67
10 Cities68
Comprehension A city under siege 68
Spelling and vocabulary Cityscape 70
Language Homonyms 71
Punctuation Apostrophes—avoiding confusion 73
The craft of writing Cities, towns and other places 74
11 Fantasy75
Comprehension The Grand High Witch 75
Spelling and vocabulary The world of fantasy 77
Language Adjectives 79
Punctuation Apostrophes—ownership 80
The craft of writing Villains 81
12 Alien worlds 82
Comprehension The Tripod 82
Spelling and vocabulary Space mission 84
Language Verbs 85
Punctuation Capital letters 86
The craft of writing The time machine 88

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13 The animal kingdom 89
Comprehension Skunks 89
Spelling and vocabulary Creatures great and small 91
Language Idioms 92
Punctuation Uses of the comma 94
The craft of writing Animal experiences 95
14 Fashion96
Comprehension Jeans 96
Spelling and vocabulary Glitz and glamour 98
Language Adverbs 100
Punctuation Abbreviations 101
The craft of writing Clothes and fashions 102
15 Speaking personally 103
Comprehension Chased by a boar 103
Spelling and vocabulary Describing people 105
Language Word families 107
Punctuation Paragraphs 108
The craft of writing Eyewitness accounts 109
16 The long arm of the law 110
Comprehension The worst bank robbers 110
The noisiest burglar 111
Spelling and vocabulary Law and order 112
Language Prefixes 113
Punctuation Quotation marks for speech 115
The craft of writing A crime scene 116
17 The world of computers 117
Comprehension Space demons 117
Spelling and vocabulary Computers 119
Language Suffixes 120
Punctuation More about quotation marks 121
The craft of writing Inventions 123
18 House and home 124
Comprehension Bilbo Baggins’s house and home 124
Spelling and vocabulary Home, sweet home 126
Language Making comparisons using similes 127
Punctuation Direct and indirect speech 129
The craft of writing Houses and homes 130
19 Wildfire131
Comprehension Firestorm 131
Spelling and vocabulary Fire 133
Language Making comparisons—similes and metaphors 134
Punctuation Using quotation marks for titles 136
The craft of writing Disaster 137

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20 Family and friends 138
Comprehension A friend in need 138
Spelling and vocabulary Family and friends 140
Language Using better words 141
Punctuation Punctuating lists 143
The craft of writing Family and friends 144
21 Sun, surf and sand 145
Comprehension A shark tried to eat me 145
Spelling and vocabulary The beach 147
Language Shades of meaning 148
Punctuation Revision—punctuating sentences 149
The craft of writing The sea 150
22 Just in time 151
Comprehension The land that time forgot 151
Spelling and vocabulary Words in time 153
Language Prefixes and suffixes 154
Punctuation Revision—sentences 155
The craft of writing Long, long ago 156
Back-of-the-book dictionary 157

Preface
Complete English Basics 1 sets out to present essential English skills in an interesting and
meaningful way for junior secondary students.
This third edition covers essential language and literacy skills underpinning the Australian
Curriculum. It incorporates a wide range of comprehension texts, spelling and vocabulary
development, as well as language work on sentences, phrases, parts of speech, word families
and paragraphing. It is important to note that 22 creative writing tasks—linked to the ideas and
techniques contained in the Literature section—have now been added.
The workbook can be used as a class or homework text. One approach would be to have
students complete each unit over a two-week period.
The stimulus materials and exercises are designed to improve comprehension and
vocabulary skills as well as language usage and spelling. A special feature is the back-of-the-book
dictionary, which encourages students to expand their vocabulary by looking up the meanings of
unfamiliar words.
Correct spelling is essential for good communication. Research has shown that in those
classrooms where teachers are concerned about correct spelling and vocabulary enrichment,
the students’ spelling level improves significantly. It is a good idea, if time allows, to have a brief
spelling test at the end of each unit using the words from the spelling and vocabulary list.
The extracts are engaging and cover a diverse range of topics—from shark attacks to
gladiators. A range of genres is represented, including biography, crime, fiction and adventure.
Above all, we hope that students will enjoy their English studies as they gain basic English
skills.
Rex and Sandra Sadler
978 1 4202 3709 2
vii

Acknowledgements
The author and publisher are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:
Photographs
Alamy/A.F. ARCHIVE, 60, 102, /cbstockfoto, 4, /Pictorial Press,
116; Getty Images, 56, /Jetta Productions, 3, /Popperfoto,
109; iStockphoto.com/AlexRaths, 32, /Joel Carillet, 39, /
CoreyFord, 156, /Derek Dammann, 19, /DarthArt, 133, /
demaerre, 119, /Jacques van Dinteren, 54, /Emilie Duchesne,
67, /duncan1890, 74, /marta maria fontana, 96, /Georgijevic,
70, /Global_Pics, 145, /Karim Hesham, 14, /Imgorthand, 18,
/Kenishirotie, 123, /Iryna Kurhan, 75, /Catherine Lane, 98,
/Tina Lorien, 68, /Franklin Lugenbeel, 47, /Lysogor, 137, /
mandygodbehear, 82, /Mike Morley, 138, /Karen Mower, 53,
/Barış Muratoğlu, 153, /OJO_Images, 140, /Onfokus, 112, /
photocritical, 117, /RapidEye, 26, / John Sommer, 42, / Dieter
Spears, 84, / tirc83, 110, /Rex_Wholster, 77, /XiXinXing, 126;
THE KOBAL COLLECTION/DREAMWORKS/UNIVERSAL/
BUITENDIJK, JAAP, 12; Shutterstock/ Algol, 88, /Big Pants
Production, 89, // DM7, 151, /Alex Hinds, 15, /Brent Hofacker,
61, / JAZZDOG, 124, /K Jensen, 25, /Iakov Kalinin, 21, 147, /
Elena Kalistratova, 40, /Kencana Studio, 49, /Longjourneys,
46, /Lucky Business, 63, /mervas, 11, /NarongchaiHlaw, 105, /
Sean Pavone, 130, 131, /Dasha Petrenko, 95, /Pressmaster, 28,
/sivanadar, 91, /Vixit, 33, 35.
Other material
Extract from The Zoo Expeditions by David Attenborough,
Penguin UK, p191, © David Attenborough Productions
Ltd 1980, reproduced with permission of The Lutterworth
Press, 20; Account of Titanic sinking by George Brayton, 109;
Excerpt from Adrift by Steve Callahan. Copyright © 1986
by Steven Callahan. Reprinted by permission of Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved, 150;
Extract from The Boy Who Was Afraid by Armstrong Sperry,
Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1969, 8; Cover of Adrift
by Steve Callahan. Copyright © 1986 by Steven Callahan.
Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publishing Company. All rights reserved, 150; Extract from
Firestorm! by Roger Vaughan Carr, Thomas Nelson Australia,
reproduced with permission by Penguin Group (Australia)
and Roger Vaughan Carr, 131–2; Extract from The Witches
by Roald Dahl, Jonathan Cape Ltd. & Penguin Books Ltd, ©
Roald Dahl, reproduced with permission of David Higham
Associates, 75-6; Extract from Boy by Roald Dahl, Puffin Books,
UK, © Roald Dahl 1984, reproduced with permission of David
Higham Associates, 26; 47–8; Extract from The Story Makers:
A collection of interviews with Australian and New Zealand
Authors and Illustrators for Young People, edited by Margaret
Dunkle. Oxford University Press, 1987, 11; Extract and cover
from A Fortunate Life by AB Facey, Puffin, 1985, Reproduced
with permission by Penguin Group (Australia), 103–4; Extract
from Fear No Boundary by Lincoln Hall and Sue Fear, Hachette
Australia, 2005, 33; Extract from Collision Course by Nigel
Hinton, Oxford University Press, 1976, 53; Extract from Boy
Overboard by Morris Gleitzman, Puffin, 2002, 39; Extract from
The Rocks of Honey by Patricia Wrightson, Puffin, 1960, 8;
Extract from What it feels like ... by AJ Jacobs, HarperCollins,
UK, © Esquire Magazine (US) 2003, reprinted by permission
of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 40; Extract from I Can Jump
Puddles by Alan Marshall, Longman Cheshire, 1955, reprinted
by permission of Penguin Group Australia Ltd, 138–7; Extracts,
The Book of Heroic Failures by Stephen Pile, © 1979 Stephen
Pile. Reproduced by permission of the author c/o Rogers,
Coleridge & White Ltd, 20 Powis Mews, London W11 1JN, 110,
111; Extract from Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo by
Zlata Filipovic, translated by Christina Pribichevich-Zoric,
Viking 1994, first published in France as ‘Le Journal de Zlata’
by Fixot et editions Robert Laffont 1993, © Fixot et editions
Robert Laffont 1993, reproduced by permission of Penguin
Books Ltd, 68–9; Extract from Space Demons by Gillian
Rubenstein. © Gillian Rubenstein, 1986. First published by
Omnibus Books, a division of Scholastic Australia, 1986.
Reproduced with permission of Scholastic Australia Pty
Limited, 117–18; Extract from Cannery Row by John Steinbeck,
Viking Press, 1945, 8; Extract from The Light beyond the Forest
by Rosemary Sutcliff, The Bodley Head, 1979, 74; ‘How to
Train Your Dragon 3D’ by Andrew L Urban, The Sun-Herald,
23 March 2010 (Based on the original review published on
www.urbancinefile.com.au, March 23, 2010), 1; Quote from
Rosemary Sutcliff, 74; Extract from Blue Fin by Colin Thiele,
HarperCollins, 1974, 7; Extract from February Dragon by Colin
Thiele, HarperCollins 1965, 7; Extract from Blueback by Tim
Winton, Pan Macmillan Australia, 1987, 46; Book cover of
Lockie Leonard by Tim Winton, Penguin Books Australia, 2007,
144; Extract from Lockie Leonard Human Torpedo by Tim
Winton, Jenny Darling and Associates, 144; Extract from Time
and Tide by Tim Winton, 25.
The author and publisher would like to acknowledge the
following:
‘Our new teacher’ by David Bateson, 3; Extract from The
White Mountains by John Christopher, Penguin Books Ltd,
reproduced with permission of John Christopher, 82-3;
Extract, ‘A shark tried to eat me’ by Brian Rodger in Shark
Hunters by Ben Cropp, Rigby Ltd, 1964, 145. Extract from
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell, Copyright © 1960
by Scott O’Dell, renewed 1988 by Scott O’Dell, reprinted with
permission of McIntosh & Otis, Inc, 54–5; Extract from The
Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, Harper Collins, 1937, 81, 124–5.
While every care has been taken to trace and acknowledge
copyright, the publisher tenders their apologies for any
accidental infringement where copyright has proved
untraceable. They would be pleased to come to a suitable
arrangement with the rightful owner in each case.
viii 978 1 4202 3709 2

Enjoying texts
1
Comprehension
Read the following texts and answer the questions for each one.
Film review
How to Train Your Dragon 3D
CRITICS RATING 8/10
Rated PG
WHAT if your dad was the strong, not-so-silent
type, the leader of the Viking tribe, going about
his daily business of slaying dragons ... and you
were a spindly-legged weakling teenager?
You’d probably feel like Hiccup (voiced by Jay
Baruchel), a spindly-legged weakling teenager
who doesn’t fit his family’s long line of dragon
slayers in the land of Berk. It’s a constant source
of shame for his father, Stoick (voiced by Gerard
Butler), a big, burly Viking (with a big Scottish
burr).
But when Hiccup comes face to snout with
one of the most feared of the dragons, he
inadvertently discovers a more positive and
powerful way of dealing with the Viking’s ‘dragon
problem’ than using a sword or a sledgehammer
and goes on to change the lives of his entire
tribe—and that of the dragons. That’s the
essential moral of the story, that problems can be
solved without violence. Not a bad message. The
film also covers the father–son relationship with
an equally positive message.
Talk to the animals …
Viking teenager Hiccup befriends
Toothless the dragon
Magnificent 3D animation brings this family
movie to life. The screenplay is smart, funny and
has something to say. But perhaps the target
audience of 10- to 14-year-olds will be even more
impressed with the spectacular flying sequences,
with Hiccup riding bareback through the air—or
the mass fly-past by a dozen different types of
dragons.
The production elements all contribute to the
immersive experience of an adventure in which
humour plays a key role and the main characters
quickly become familiar and real.
There is a hint of romance as Hiccup and the
feisty Astrid (voiced by Ferrera) find common
ground and the charmingly fearsome, felineinspired
dragon, Toothless, makes an indelible
impression.
The screenplay is based on Cressida Cowell’s
popular book, which could become as hot as a
dragon’s breath.
Andrew L Urban
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Reading for understanding
1 How do you know from the first paragraph that the movie is a fantasy?
2 What evidence can you find in the first paragraph to show that Hiccup is not a character
you would expect to be the hero?
3 In what ways is Hiccup’s father different to him?
4 Where do Hiccup and his father live?
5 What is the essential moral of the story?
6 Give an example of an equally positive message in the film.
7 Who, according to the reviewer, is the target audience of the film?
8 What flying sequences did the reviewer feel would be likely to impress younger viewers?
9 Identify the reviewer’s simile that predicts an increase in popularity of the book on
which the film is based.
10 Using the back-of-the-book dictionary, give the meaning of:
a burr:
b inadvertently:
c fearsome:
d feline:
e indelible:
10 marks

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1 Enjoying texts 3
Poem
Our new teacher
This teacher has such scary teeth,
they look just like a shark’s;
His eyes gleam in the sunlight
like a pair of purple sparks.
His voice is just as booming
as the roar from some big gun;
He can imitate a thunderstorm
for a gruesome bit of fun.
And now Billy who was silly
almost every other day
Does his tables, writes his spellings,
hides his comic book away.
Every lesson lasts a lifetime ...
with our noses to each page,
We imagine bars on windows
and the classroom seems a cage.
So, please come back, Miss Fothergill:
though you won’t believe it’s true,
We all loved you as our teacher;
we were oh, so fond of you!
David Bateson
Reading for understanding
1 Who seems to be the narrator of this poem?
2 What does the simile ‘like a shark’s’ suggest about the new teacher’s teeth?
3 Identify the simile that describes the gleaming of the new teacher’s eyes.
4 What is the sound of the new teacher’s voice similar to?
5 How has Billy’s behaviour changed?
6 Explain the meaning of ‘with our noses to each page’.
7 Why do you think the narrator says, ‘We imagine bars on windows’?

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8 What is the narrator’s plea in the final stanza?
9 What contrast do you think there would be between Miss Fothergill and the new
teacher?
10 Write down words that rhyme with each of the following:
a
b
c
shark’s
page
true
10 marks
Information report
The taipan—the world’s deadliest snake
AUSTRALIA is home to two different types of
taipan—the inland taipan and the coastal taipan.
The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus),
which grows up to 2.5 m, produces the deadliest
venom of any snake in the world, but luckily
it only lives in the deserts of central eastern
Australia, where few humans visit. No human
deaths caused by the inland taipan have been
recorded, because an effective antivenom has
been produced.
Inland taipans live in deep cracks in the soil
to escape the extreme heat of summer. During
summer their scales are a light straw colour to
reflect the heat, whereas in winter their scales
change to a dark brown in order to absorb the
sun’s rays.
The inland taipan’s favourite food is native
rats. When the rats are plentiful, the population
of the snakes rises dramatically—female taipans
lay between 12 and 20 eggs in the soil or in
abandoned animal burrows. In extremely dry
years, however, the rat population decreases
through starvation, so there is little food for the
snakes and their death rate rises.
The longest recorded coastal taipan was
3.35 m. Coastal taipans (Oxyuranus scutellatus)
live in northern Queensland and in the Northern
Territory. They are often seen in sugar-growing
areas and on grassy sand dunes. Their favourite
foods are small, warm-blooded mammals such as
rats, lizards, quolls and bandicoots.
Coastal taipans are very aggressive and
Coastal taipan
have large fangs through which they inject a
very potent venom. The venom is capable of
paralysing small marsupials in a very short time.
One strike could potentially deliver enough toxin
to kill several humans. Coastal taipans have been
responsible for many human deaths. The toxins
in the venom cause communication between the
body’s muscles and the brain to shut down. Once
bitten, the taipan’s prey convulses and suffers
from internal bleeding and the taipan waits for its
prey to die before devouring it.

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1 Enjoying texts 5
Reading for understanding
1 ‘No human deaths caused by the inland taipan have been recorded.’ Why?
2 Which type of taipan is the longer?
3 How does the inland taipan escape from the extreme heat of summer?
4 What is the reason for the difference in the colour of the inland taipan’s scales between
summer and winter?
5 What causes the death rate of the inland taipan to rise?
6 Why is the coastal taipan more likely to kill a human than the inland taipan?
7 What are the coastal taipan’s favourite foods?
8 Why is the taipan’s bite extremely dangerous for humans?
9 What effect does the toxin in the taipan’s venom have on an animal’s nervous system?
10 Using the back-of-the-book dictionary, write down the meaning of these words:
a dunes:
b potent:
c toxin:
10 marks

6 Complete English Basics 1
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Spelling and vocabulary
Texts
Spelling tests can be created
from the word list in each unit.
myth documentary advertisement poem magazine
legend autobiography interview ballad newspaper
recipe cartoon fantasy novel epitaph
drama narrative fiction symbol menu
comedy tragedy letter haiku atlas
diary speech dictionary elegy biography
What text am I?
Use the following clues to identify the texts from the list.
1 I enable people to read the news each day
2 I give people the meanings and spellings of words
3 I am a book of maps
4 I am a list of dishes served in a restaurant
5 I am a funny drawing or animated film
6 I am a three-line poem of 17 syllables
7 I am a story of a person’s life written by somebody else
8 I am a simple poem with short verses that tells a story
9 I am the words written on a tombstone
10 I am a list of ingredients in cooking instructions
11 I am a written message often sent by post
12 I am a record of daily happenings
13 I am a notice about something for sale
14 I am a story about imaginary worlds and creatures
15 I am a meeting in which someone is asked questions
16 I am a mournful poem ending in ‘y’
16 marks
Word skills
1 Write down the following words in alphabetical order.
haiku newspaper fantasy fiction documentary letter dictionary

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1 Enjoying texts 7
2 By adding the suffixes –ist or –er, write down the name of the person derived from each
of these words:
a diary c interview
b novel d biography
Back-of-the-book dictionary
The word ‘advertisement’ is derived from the Latin words ad and verto.
Ad means ‘towards’ and verto (versus) means ‘I turn’. The advertiser sets
out to sell a particular product by ‘turning’ the desire of the audience
‘towards’ it. Use the back-of-the-book dictionary to write down the
meanings of the following words derived from verto.
5 marks
divert:
reverse:
vertigo:
convert:
invert:
5 marks
Language
Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense by itself. A sentence is usually made up
of two parts. The part that tells us who or what does the action is called the subject. The number
of words in the subject varies. The subject can be a noun or pronoun or a group of words. The rest
of the sentence is called the predicate. The predicate always includes the verb. The subject in the
following sentences is in italics. The remainder in normal type is the predicate.
Gigantic updrafts and downdrafts of air swept through the vortex above them.
from Blue Fin by Colin Thiele
The whole crest of the slope above them suddenly boiled over with flame.
from February Dragon by Colin Thiele
Identifying the subject and predicate
To find the subject of a sentence, ask ‘Who?’ or ‘What?’ before the verb. Write down the subjects
of these well-crafted sentences.
1 A great column of water rose up out of the sea. (from Blue Fin by Colin Thiele)
Subject:
Predicate:

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2 Hundreds of tons of water seemed to crash down on the ship. (from Blue Fin by Colin
Thiele)
Subject:
Predicate:
3 A burst of lightning lit up the sea with supernatural brilliance. (from The Boy Who Was
Afraid by Armstrong Sperry)
Subject:
Predicate:
4 An instantaneous crack of thunder shattered the world. (from The Boy Who Was Afraid
by Armstrong Sperry)
Subject:
Predicate:
5 The anemones expand like soft and brilliant flowers. (from Cannery Row by John
Steinbeck)
Subject:
Predicate:
6 The greenish purple cloud was looming heavily over and along the opposite hills. (from
The Rocks of Honey by Patricia Wrightson)
Subject:
Predicate:
12 marks
Missing subjects
Complete the following sentences by adding a subject from the box.
Tokyo Joan of Arc The Nile Ned Kelly
Michelangelo Harry Potter Shakespeare Greenland
Mt Everest The Pacific Mercedes Alfred Nobel
1 is the least densely populated country in the world.
2 wrote the tragedy Romeo and Juliet.
3 painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
4 is a famous character in a series of novels.
5 is a very high mountain.
6 was an Australian bushranger.
7 is the world’s largest ocean.
8 is the longest river in the world.
9 invented dynamite in 1866.
10 is a French heroine.
11 is the make of a famous car.
12 is the capital city of Japan.
12 marks

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1 Enjoying texts 9
Phrases
A phrase is a group of words that does not make sense on its own. Unlike a sentence, a phrase does
not have a finite (or complete) verb.
at the zoo an elephant in the shower flying dragons
Identifying sentences and phrases
Write the word ‘phrase’ or ‘sentence’ next to each of the following examples.
1 At midday 7 She visited the zoo
2 By the river 8 Going away
3 He watched the movie 9 I‘ve been to school
4 They went home 10 A few days ago
5 I love cooking 11 Over the rainbow
6 Inside the cave 12 The computer crashed
12 marks
Completing phrases
Complete each of the following phrases by inserting the name of the missing object.
e.g. the pendulum of a
the pendulum of a clock
1 the radius of a 6 the yolk of an
2 the spokes of a 7 the lens of a
3 the fuselage of an 8 the kernel of a
4 the rungs of a 9 the summit of a
5 the hilt of a 10 the chapter of a
10 marks
Missing phrases
Phrases often give sentences greater vitality. In the following passage, Obie has fallen head over
heels in love with Laurie. The writer uses both phrases and sentences to communicate Obie’s
feelings. Correctly insert the phrases from the box that are missing from the passage.
in a rosy haze in love in the movies at the sight of her into the earth on his face
Obie in love
Obie was
. Wildly, improbably and wonderfully in love. The kind of thing he thought
happened only
. Her name was Laurie Gundarson and she was beautiful.
Obie’s legs dissolved
, and he felt as though he would sink
and disappear. He had never known such happiness or such sweet torture. He
lived his days and nights
and went around with a stunned and radiant
expression .
from Beyond the Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
6 marks

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Punctuation
Why do we use punctuation marks?
When we are speaking, we naturally stop at the end of a sentence. We also use pauses to help our
listeners follow our meaning. We can even indicate a question or exclamation by changing the
pitch of our voice.
In our writing, we use punctuation marks to indicate these pauses and changes of expression.
Can you imagine how confusing it would be to read and write without punctuation? The purpose
of punctuation marks is to clarify written language. It is possible for one punctuation mark to
alter the whole meaning of a sentence. Look at the difference a mere comma makes in these two
sentences:
Let’s eat Grandma!
Let’s eat, Grandma!
Using punctuation to change the meaning
Rewrite the following sentences, changing the punctuation in each sentence to produce a more
accurate meaning. Hints are given in brackets.
1 Has the doctor rung Elizabeth? (Add a comma.)
2 Have you eaten Father? (Add a comma.)
3 The visitors ate ice-cream cheese chocolate pizza and meat pies. (Insert three
commas.)
4 The huskies, having eaten the explorers, moved on. (Remove the two existing commas
and add a new comma.)
5 Caesar entered on his head
A helmet on each foot
A sandal in his hand he had
His trusty sword to boot.
(Add full stops and capital letters.)
6 Emily gets enjoyment from cooking her family and her dog. (Add a comma.)
7 The amazing giant panda eats, shoots and leaves. (Remove comma.)
7 marks

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The craft of writing
Becoming a better writer
From time to time, successful writers give practical
advice on what techniques have helped them in their
writing careers. Here is a very important hint from author
Christobel Mattingley:
When you write about something you know, the words
come more easily. It may be real—a place, a person or a
happening. Or it may be something in your own mind,
that you’ve made up. It has to be so real to you that your
words make it live for other people. Then it is true to
itself. And you are true to yourself.
Here is an opportunity to write about something you know. Write 200 words on one of the
following:
• Recount some of your earliest childhood memories. Begin ‘I remember when …’
• Describe your first days at high school.
• Write a description titled ‘My bedroom’.

2 Ancient times
Comprehension
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Gladiators
ROMAN gladiators were typically
slaves, prisoners of war or convicted
criminals. There were differ ent types
of gladiators. As the Roman Empire
expanded, many of the prisoners
of war who became gladiators wore
the clothes and weapons associated
with their conquered country. For
example, Samnites carried oblong
shields and short swords and
wore plumed helmets with visors.
Thracians used small, round shields
and fought with curved daggers.
The ‘net men’ carried large nets to
entwine their opponent and then
killed them with a trident, a threepronged
weapon.
Some gladiators, called bestiarii,
were trained to fight wild animals.
The number of animals killed in any
one day was astonishing. During the
special games, which Trajan held
when he became Emperor, 9000
animals were slaughtered.
Strangely enough, a number of free citizens
chose to become gladiators and to renounce
their rights as citizens. These were mainly poorer
people who chose this life because gladiators, on
the whole, were well fed and were given proper
medical care. Even members of higher social
status sometimes chose to enter a gladiator
school if their family had financial problems.
Most owners and trainers regarded their
gladiators as an investment and ensured they
were well looked after.
If a gladiator was wounded and unable to fight
on, he gave the sign for mercy. It was up to the
crowd to either give the thumbs-up sign to say
they wanted him to be spared or the thumbsdown
sign to say they wished to see him die.
Usually gladiators fought four or five matches
a year and could win their freedom by showing
bravery or becoming popular with the crowd.
If a gladiator survived, he could be granted his
freedom and may even be given a monetary
reward. Gladiators could never become Roman
citizens, but they could marry citizens and their
children could become citizens.
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Reading for understanding
1 What people were more likely to become gladiators?
2 Explain how gladiators came to dress differently and use different weapons.
3 What weapons did the Samnites carry?
4 What protective equipment for the head did the Samnites wear?
5 What weapons did the Thracian gladiators use?
6 Why were the bestiarii different from other gladiators?
7 What event took place when Trajan was Emperor?
8 Why did some free citizens decide to become gladiators?
9 Why did most owners ensure that their gladiators were well looked after?
10 What did a gladiator do if he was wounded or unable to fight on?
11 How did the crowd indicate that the gladiator should live or die?
12 How could gladiators win their freedom?
12 marks

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Spelling and vocabulary
Ancient worlds
pharaoh weapon burial gladiator
pyramid shield conqueror centurion
tomb sword dungeon powerful
papyrus dagger heroes guard
treasure soldier emperor cavalry
chariot warriors sphinx military
Words and meanings
Write down a word from the spelling list for each of these meanings.
1 an Egyptian ruler
2 a group of soldiers riding horses
3 paper made from a tall water plant
4 a two-wheeled carriage
5 a huge Egyptian tomb
6 a dark underground prison
7 men or women admired for brave deeds
8 soldiers or fighting men
9 a person who fought at the Colosseum
10 a person who rules an empire
10 marks
Missing words
Insert appropriate words from the spelling list in the spaces below. The first letters are given to
help you. Each word should be used once only.
1 Sometimes gladiators were armed with a s and s .
2 A Roman c was a s in charge of a hundred men.
3 A Roman e was so p he could have any of his
subjects imprisoned in a d under g .
4 In Egypt, tourists can see a s and a pyramid of a famous
p .
5 T raiders broke into the b chamber of a p
in search of t .
6 Egyptian tombs sometimes contain a c , a w such as
a d and remnants of p .

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7 In ancient times, stories would be told of h and w .
8 The Egyptians were a m nation and had their own c .
Back-of-the-book dictionary
The Latin word centum means ‘one hundred’. A centurion commanded
a hundred men. With the help of the back-of-the-book dictionary,
write down words beginning with cent- for each of these meanings.
a period of one hundred years:
one-hundredth part of one dollar:
one-hundredth part of one metre:
a small invertebrate animal with many (‘a hundred’) legs:
a temperature scale in which there are 100 degrees between freezing (0°C) and
boiling point (100°C):
22 marks
Language
5 marks
Nouns
Nouns are naming words. They are used to name:
people: gladiator mother teacher Roald Dahl Cate Blanchett
places: harbour school hospital Egypt Colosseum
things: sword apple chair car road
qualities: honour sadness love happiness bravery
Missing nouns
An analogy is a form of comparison; for example: Soldier is to army as sailor is to navy.
Complete the following analogies by supplying the missing nouns.
1 Day is to week as month is to .
2 Wing is to as fin is to fish.
3 is to son as mother is to daughter.
4 Cat is to as dog is to puppy.
5 Aunt is to niece as uncle is to .
6 North is to as east is to west.
7 Car is to as bicycle is to cyclist.
8 Tongue is to taste as is to smell.
9 Hearing is to ear as sight is to .
10 Food is to as water is to thirst.
10 marks

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Nouns in everyday life
Choose nouns from the list and insert them in the spaces below in their correct categories.
eagle Nile yacht mosquito peach Amazon
soccer bee Paris cherry anger golf
fear London cicada joy tennis Murray
canoe hawk banana Cairo dove catamaran
fruits cities boats birds
rivers sports feelings insects
24 marks
Noun pyramid
Find the words from the box hidden in the word pyramid. They may be horizontal or vertical,
or written forwards or backwards.
pyramid soldier burial shield
dagger tomb guard military
P
R Y E
D E R L Y
E L I A B D O
S B E D M A R T A
T O M I L I T A R Y N
H O H O H O D B U R I A L
G L O O T S S R E G G A D X H
8 marks

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Punctuation
Starting and finishing sentences
We write in sentences so that our words will be easier to read and understand. A sentence that
makes a statement begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. For example:
Roman gladiators were typically slaves, prisoners of war or convicted criminals.
Punctuating sentences
Rewrite these statements, using capital letters and full stops.
1 the ancient Egyptian civilisation began more than 5000 years ago
2 tomb robbers broke into the pyramids to steal the treasures inside
3 water was lifted from the Nile using a device called a shaduf
4 the rulers of ancient Egypt were called pharaohs
5 the ancient Egyptians worshipped more than 1000 different gods and goddesses
6 the three pyramids at the town of Giza are more than 4500 years old
7 as god of the dead, Osiris was in charge of the underworld
8 each block used to build the Great Pyramid weighed as much as two-and-a-half
elephants
9 the Egyptians invented a form of picture writing called hieroglyphics
10 without the Nile, Egypt would be all desert
10 marks

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The craft of writing
People from other times
Select one of the following people from a bygone age and write a description of about 200 words.
Give details of your character’s physical appearance, clothing, behaviour etc. Arthur Conan Doyle’s
description of an archer from the Middle Ages will give you some ideas.
• gladiator • slave • centurion • warrior • explorer
• queen • king • monk • peasant • maid
• pharaoh • artist • pirate • sultan • duchess
The archer
He was a middle-sized man, of massive build. His shaven face was as
brown as a hazel-nut, tanned and dried by the weather, with harsh,
well-marked features, which were not improved by a long white scar
which stretched from the corner of his left nostril to the angle of the
jaw. His eyes were bright and searching, with something of menace
and of authority in their quick glitter, and his mouth was firm-set
and hard. A straight sword by his side and a painted long-bow jutting
over his shoulder proclaimed his profession, while his scarred chainmail
and his dinted steel cap showed that he was even now fresh
from the wars.
from The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle