Averages: Finding the Unknown Value
Read the passage below. Summarize the main idea in one short paragraph. Then answer the questions which follow.
Bushfires are fires that burn through areas of bushland. They are a type of wildfire. These fires are unpredictable and difficult to control. These fires are particularly common in areas that experience hot, dry weather, like Australia, Greece, Africa and parts of the USA.
There are lots of possible bushfire causes. They can start naturally when lightning strikes and ignites dry plants and trees. But they can also be caused by people, for example, by someone not extinguishing their campfire properly. Sadly, sometimes fires are started by someone deliberately.
Climate change doesn’t start bushfires, but it does cause them to become larger and more ferocious. That’s because our warming planet is experiencing more intense periods of drought, drying out the vegetation that fuels the fires. All that’s needed is a spark.
Believe it or not, bushfires are actually part of an important natural cycle that’s been around for hundreds of millions of years. Flames can kill insects and diseases that harm trees. Low-intensity fires burn dead or decaying debris on the ground which helps return nutrients to the soil. Fires also make space for new shoots to grow, and for more sunlight to reach the ground – creating a valuable food source and new habitat for animals and birds.
Sometimes, people who look after wild areas will start a controlled fire to help manage the land. These fires are carefully planned and monitored to make sure that they don’t put anyone at risk of danger. Controlled fires help to prevent large-scale, out-of-control bushfires by clearing dry leaves, grasses and branches that could fuel a potential fire, in a controlled way.
Give synonyms for each of the following words as found in the passage.
Habitat ____________________
Deliberately ____________________
2. Give two characteristics of wildfires.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Explain two ways how human beings are often responsible for bushfires.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. What part of speech is “lightning” (paragraph 2)
______________________________________________________________________
5. How does a “warming planet” contribute to the prevalence of bush fires?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. Explain how bushfires can be beneficial.
Bryan loved to play video games. Every day after school, he walked home quickly and did his chores and homework right away.
As soon as he was finished with his school assignments, Bryan was free to play video games until supper time.
Bryan sat down on the sofa in front of the television and turned on his video game console.
The console was a small white box that was attached to the TV with a long cord. Bryan's dad said that inside the console were special computer chips that held all the video games Bryan liked.
Bryan didn't really care how the video game console worked. He just liked to play the games. His favorites were racing games
and adventure games. Bryan sat back on the couch and began to play.
As Bryan was playing, his mom walked through the room to see what he was doing. "Don't let the video games turn you into a couch potato," Mom said. Bryan nodded and kept his eyes on the flashing television screen. He gripped his controller tightly and pushed the buttons hard.
Soon, Bryan's hand began to hurt. He was having trouble moving his fingers. Bryan tried to stretch out his hand, but
it felt like his fingers just wanted to curl back around the controller. Bryan settled back into the couch. He felt a little thirsty,
but it would be too much trouble to get up and pause the game.
Bryan looked down at his hands. They felt stiff now, and it seemed like they were stuck around the controller.
Suddenly, Bryan dropped the controller and made himself stand up. He stretched his arms up toward the ceiling and then
reached his hands down to touch his toes. His body tingled as he moved.
."I think I'll take a break from video games and go outside instead," Bryan said. And that's just what he did.
How do you know that Bryan was eager to play his games?
How did the game console work?
What part of speech is “inside” (paragraph 2) ?
“Don't let the video games turn you into a couch potato.” What did Bryan’s mother mean by this statement?
Give evidence to show that Bryan probably ignored his mother’s words.
What part of speech is “tightly” (paragraph 4)?
What physical sign told Bryan that he had played the game for too long?
For centuries silk was a fabric available only to royal families or the very rich. It was regarded as worth its
weight in gold. Indeed it is a special material. Delicate and glossy, it absorbs colours better than any
other fabric.
No wonder silk-weaving was a closely-guarded secret for centuries. Silk, and the silkworm from whose
cocoon it is spun, used to be fiercely-kept secrets in China. A popular tale of how it was first discovered
is the one about a Chinese empress, Shi Ling Chi.
One day, the empress was strolling in her palace grounds among the mulberry bushes. She noticed little worms spinning shining amber cocoons in the bushes. Picking up one of the cocoons, she unwound the thread and found that it was one long strand of shiny material. Fascinated by her discovery, she pulled strands from other cocoons through her ring to form a thicker thread. Eventually, with the help of her ladies-in-waiting, she spun the threads into a beautiful piece of cloth. This cloth was made into a magnificent robe for the emperor. Silk became known as the 'cloth of kings'.
For thousands of years only the royal family of China had silk. The Chinese kept the secret of making silk for 2,500 years. Although the material was sold to the West, the source of the precious thread
was not revealed. The punishment for disclosing that silk came from the cocoons of the silkworms was death.
Japan and India are the other leading producers of silk today. Even today the palace in Japan rears its own silkworms.
The silk produced is used for repairing treasures in the palace and making gifts for foreign dignitaries.
Members of the Japanese household often participate in silk weaving and dyeing.
In paragraph 1, what two adjectives are used to describe silk?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
In which country did silk weaving originate?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Why do you think silk-weaving was such a closely guarded secret?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
How do you know that the story of the Chinese empress is probably not true?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What part of speech is “thicker” in paragraph 3?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
According to the Chinese story, why is silk called “the cloth of kings”?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
“The palace in Japan rears its own silkworms.” What does this mean?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Give the passage a suitable title.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
1. What time does cartoon start on channel 3?
5. The average of 5 numbers is 13. Four of the numbers are 11, 9, 15 and 26. Find the fifth number.
Use the correct form of the verbs in the box below to complete the questions.
1. He_____________that the man who dyed the fabric was brilliant.
2. I______________at my aunt’s house and learnt a few designs.
3. The artist_______________the printed designs on the side of the house.
4. She was_______________on her way back home by the thieves and lost her decorations.
5. He ___________________for the paintings in dollars.
6. The priest_________________the congregation.
7. “He______________the video,” she said. ”it described how a jaunting tool creates patterns”
8. The meeting was _______________by an hour as one of the members looked for her materials.
9. I _______________for the new phone by one thousand dollars.
10. He_______________the money I had lent him to buy fabrics in two weeks.
Fill in the blanks spaces with the Nouns that are formed from the verbs given.
Rewrite the sentences below in the passive voice. Pay attention to your tenses.
Archaeologists have discovered an ancient temple. ________________________________________________________________________
We will carry gifts to the party. _________________________________________________________________________
. The firefighters rescued the child. _________________________________________________________________________
The smartest student in the class has won the contest. __________________________________________________________________________
The children use Tik Tok all day. __________________________________________________________________________
The villagers gave the travellers plenty of water.
Are you the oldest, middle, or youngest child in your family? Explain what you like or dislike about your position. (150-175 words)
Comments
Post a Comment