LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School

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      Year 5 - Comprehension
Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes
                        e.book version

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LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School
YEAR 5 - Comprehension                                                                                                                        Contents
Fiction, Non-Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes                                                                                               Theme: Aztecs
                                                                                                                                              Aztec Attack                                      2
Introduction                                                                                                                                  How to Make a Model Aztec Temple                  4
Year 5 Comprehension is a collection of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts grouped in                                                      Aztec Food and Drink                              6
themes suitable for the age group. These exercises can be used to prepare children for SAT
                                                                                                                                              Theme: Water
style tests or matched to themes the class may be studying at the time. The question pages
                                                                                                                                              The Dive                                          8
are split into three sections. Section A gives an overview of the text with missing words or
                                                                                                                                              How Does Water Get to a Tap?                     10
phrases to find, Section B contains open-ended questions and Section C is a relevant written
                                                                                                                                              Water is Life                                    12
challenge for more able pupils or those who work quickly. All the pages have been printed
‘Landscape’ to make maximum use of the space on Interactive Whiteboards. Black and white                                                      Theme: Earth, Sun and Moon
images are used in the paper book; full colour images have been used in the e.book and                                                        Astronauts Return to Earth After Explosion       14
download.                                                                                                                                     The Solar System                                 16
                                                                                                                                              The Moon                                         18
Texts written by:
                                                                                                                                              Theme: Music
Peter Bell, Heather Bell, Stewart Bell, Kath Cope and Paul Cross
                                                                                                                                              The Lost Concert Tickets                         20
                                                                                                                                              How to Play the Recorder                         22
Topical Resources publishes a range of Educational Materials for use in Primary Schools and
                                                                                                                                              Beatlemania – the 1960’s Phenomenon              24
Pre-School Nurseries and Playgroups.
                                                                                                                                              Theme: Time Travel
For the latest catalogue                                Permission to use and reproduce the materials in this                                 The Accidental Time Traveller                    26
Tel 01772 863158                                        publication is on a non-exclusive and non-assignable                                  The Masters of the Universe                      28
                                                        basis. This licence only covers use of this Publication                               How to Operate a Timeship                        30
Fax 01772 866153                                        by the purchaser’s Educational Establishment for
Email: sales@topical-resources.co.uk                    educational purposes or for the purchaser’s personal                                  Theme: Pantomime
                                                        reference only. This permission terminates if you                                     Cinderella                                       32
                                                        breach these licence terms. Any other use (including
Visit our Website at:                                                                                                                         What is a Pantomime?                             34
www.topical-resources.co.uk
                                                        use for commercial purposes) is strictly prohibited.
                                                                                                                                              Come and See our Panto                           36
                                                        “Educational Establishment” means any school and
Copyright © Peter Bell                                  any other description of educational establishment as
                                                                                                                                              Theme: World War II
First Published April 2011                              may be specified by order of the Secretary of State                                   Evacuation                                       38
ISBN 978-1-907269-58-5                                  under s 174 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act,                                 Evacuees                                         40
                                                        1988 (as amended, modified or re-enacted from time to                                 The Evacuees                                     42
Illustrated by John Hutchinson, Art Works, Fairhaven,   time).
69 Worden Lane, Leyland, Preston                                                                                                              Theme: The Seaside
Designed by Paul Sealey, PS3 Creative, 3 Wentworth      Terms and conditions can be found at                                                  Tourist Information Letter                       44
Drive, Thornton, Lancashire                             www.topical-resources.co.uk/terms
Printed in the UK for ‘Topical Resources Ltd’ by                                                                                              There’s plenty to do in Blackpool                46
T. Snape and Co Ltd., Boltons Court, Preston,           Topical Resources is the trading name of Topical Resources Ltd,                       Seaside                                          48
Lancashire
                                                        registered in England number 8072582.

                                                                                                                                              Answers                                          50
                                                        Registered office: Jumps Farm, Durton Lane, Broughton, Preston, Lancashire. PR3 5LE

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LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School
Aztec Attack!
                                                                                                                                                       Back to Contents
    Theme 1 Aztecs       Fiction                                                                                    '    '        '   '   '   '   '    '

Izquixochitl stumbled across the field, the maize       Izquixochitl raced off towards the hill, stopping
                                                                                                                                                                              '
stalks were sharp and stubbly and cut her legs          now and again to look at the wild flowers. There
                                                                                                                                                                              '
and she could hardly see where she was going            was no sign of the jaguar but she saw a sleek
because of the large urn of water she was               brown lizard stretched out on a rock in the sun, it
                                                                                                                                                                        '
carrying. She felt the water splash down the front      seemed to be asleep but as soon as her shadow
of her dress and gripped the urn more tightly. She      fell across the rock it darted away into the
would be in even more trouble if there were no          undergrowth.
                                                                                                                                                                        '
water left in it by the time she reached her father
and brother who were working in the fields.             She was almost at the top of the hill when she
“Look who’s here,” said father when she finally         turned to look at the men and boys working in the
arrived at the place where they were harvesting         fields, it was just possible to pick out her father
the crop; he took the urn from her. “Now, what          and brother. The sun was beginning to sink in the       standing in the doorway of their house, she was
                                                                                                                                                                          '
have you done to earn such a harsh punishment?”         sky and she knew that she would have to run all         holding father’s  bow and arrows and the fearsome
“I broke the big red and black dish,” said              the way home but she couldn’t resist a peep at          eagle feather helmet he wore whenever there was
                                                                                                                           %
Izquixochitl, “I was helping Mother with the            what was on the other side of the hill. What she        a battle. Izquixochitl’s father dropped her to the
cleaning and I dropped it. She was very angry           saw took her breath away! There were hundreds           ground, accepted the weapons and with a grim
with me and said I had to bring some water to           of men marching towards her, some of them were          expression on his face he marched away to join
you.”                                                   wearing shiny, silver outfits and riding big animals    the rest of the men and boys who were gathering
                                                        with four legs. She had never seen anything so          in the centre of the village.
Her father smiled, “It was a gift given to us when      spectacular but instinctively she knew that it was
we were married, and quite precious, so that’s          serious trouble.                                        Pochotl was strapping his quiver of arrows to his
why she’s upset but we are very glad to see you.                                                                back as he emerged from the house, he looked
Let’s have a drink and then you and Pochotl can         She turned and ran down the hill as fast as she         very excited, “My first battle!” he screamed and
play for a few minutes while I have a rest.”            could go, dodging rocks and tree roots and              his face was alight with anticipation. Izquixochitl
The children chased each other around the field         trampling on the flowers that had attracted her         and her mother watched until the men marched
until they saw their father stand up and pick up his    only a few minutes earlier. As soon as she saw          away, then Izquixochitl clapped her hands to her
sickle once more.                                       her father she began to shout. He looked up             mouth, “Oh no! I’ve left the water urn in the field!”
Pochotl sighed, “I have to go back to work now.         curiously and after listening to the news of what       Her mother smiled, “Don’t worry about that. You’ll
Are you going home?”                                    she’d seen, he shouted instructions to the other        be remembered as a great heroine today. If you
Izquixochitl shook her head, “Not yet, mother will      workers in the field. Everyone immediately picked       hadn’t spotted the enemy marching this way who
find me another horrible job. I’m going to climb        up their tools and ran towards the settlement.          knows what would have happened. Now come we
that hill and see what’s on the other side.”            Izquixochitl ran as fast as she could but she could     must go and take shelter and pray to the gods that
Pochotl walked back to join his father, “Be             not keep up. Eventually, her father slowed and          our men will be successful.”
careful,” he called over his shoulder, “Father says     swept her into his arms as Pochotl raced ahead.
that someone spotted a jaguar on the hill last          News of the impending attack was spreading as
week.”                                                  they reached the village. Izquixochitl’s mother was

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LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School
Back to Contents
    Theme 1 Aztecs        Fiction
                                                                                          Section B

                                Aztec Attack!                                         1    Why did Izquixochitl stumble across the field?

    Section A
                                                                                      2    Why was Izquixochitl punished?
Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring
around your choice.
                                                                                      3    Why was Izquixochitl’s father pleased to see her?
Izquixochitl was carrying a large heavy urn of

1     milk             wine              water                beer
                                                                                      4    Why do you think ‘Pochotl sighed’ when he saw his father pick up his
to her                                                                                     sickle once more?

2     father         grandfather         uncle                aunt
                                                                                      5    How did Izquixochitl know ‘she would have to run all the way back home’?
and her brother who were working in the fields. Father asked why she had
been sent. “I’ve been punished for breaking the red and black

3     cup              vase              plate                dish                    6    What does the author mean by the sentence ’What she saw took her
                                                                                           breath away’?
when I was cleaning.” Father stopped to rest and the children chased each
other around the
                                                                                      7    Izquixochitl had never seen an army before. What do you think made her
4     road.             hill.            field.            river bank.
                                                                                           know ‘that it was serious trouble’?
When they started work again Izquixochitl climbed up the

5     rock              tree              cliff                hill                   8    What action of Izquixochitl’s mother suggests this was not the first time an
                                                                                           army had invaded the settlement?
to see what was on the other side. She saw

6     tens            armies          hundreds             thousands
                                                                                          Section C
of men marching towards her. She immediately ran to warn the others.
                                                                                      Briefly, write how you would feel if either:
                                                                                      You are a boy and you know you would be sent into battle or
                                                                                      you are a girl and you know you would be made to stay behind.
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LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School
Back to Contents
    Theme 1 Aztecs         Non-Fiction (Instructions)
                                                                             % %                                      %

                                                                                      %               %

    1    Enlarge each of the four pages using a
                                                            %            % %                  % %             % %

                                                                                                                                                              How to Make a
                                                    %           %           %                   %          % %

         photocopier, printing on thin card. The larger
                                                                    %            %                    %       % %
                                                %           %            %                %           % % % %      %
                                                    %                             %                    %       % %

         you can make each page the better your% model
                                                                        % %           %                  %

         will look. (If you can’t print on card, print on
                                                        %

                                                                                                                                                              Model Aztec Temple
         paper and glue this to the plain side of an old
                                                        %                % %                      %      % %         %
                                                                %         %                           % %      % % %
                                                                 %          %                          %     %      %

         dismantled cereal packet.)
                                                            %                 %           %            % % %
                                                                          % %                 %           % % %

    2    If the model is to be coloured this should be
                                                                        % %                   %             % % % %
                                                    %

         done before the parts are cut and folded. The
                                            %       %                        %        %       %           %       %       %

         ideal medium is coloured pencils.
    3    There are four tiers to the temple pyramid, one
         on each sheet. Each is progressively smaller.
         Grey marks show the position of the next layer.
                                                        %

         On the top are two turret-like buildings. Grey
         marks show where the ‘turrets’ are to be placed.
                                                                                                                                                                              top

    4    Carefully cut out all the parts on the sheet which
                                                                                                                                                          1

         is labelled ‘Part 1’.
    5    Score the dotted lines by dragging one point of
         ‘opened out scissors’ along the side of a ruler,
                                                                                                                                            lowest tier                                                           second tier

         which is held tightly in place alongside each line.
    6    Fold along the dotted lines until the first tier
         shape is made.
                                                                                                                                                                              bottom

    7    Glue the two ‘grass strips’ along the remaining
                                                                                                                                                                              Steps

         two sides.
    8    Use a glue stick to paste the first tier onto a
         suitable cardboard base.
    9    Repeat this process for the other three tiers.
         Make sure each tier is carefully glued to the one
         below.
    10   Carefully cut out the steps and score the dotted
         lines. Fold the steps to create the shape shown
                                                                                                                                                                               turret                    turret

         in the picture of the model.
                                                                                                                                                                                here                      here

    11   Glue the steps in place.
    12   Carefully cut out the turrets and score the dotted
                                                                                                                                                                                            top tier

         lines. Fold the turrets to create the shapes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                turrets
                                                                                                                                                                                        fix steps here

         shown in the picture of the model.
    13   Glue the turrets in place.
    14   Finally, colour any parts you have missed.                                                                            third tier

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LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School
Back to Contents
    Theme 1 Aztecs        Non-Fiction (Instructions)
                                                                                        Section B

How to Make a Model Aztec Temple                                                       1   What do these instructions help the reader to make?

    Section A                                                                          2   What can be found on the very top of this model?

Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring
around your choice.                                                                    3   On which part of the model are the steps situated?

Enlarge each of the four pages using a
                                                                                       4   On which diagram is the shape for the steps found?
1     magnifying glass.        camera.     scanner.        photocopier.

If the model is to be coloured this should be done before the parts are                5   On which diagram is the shape for the turrets found?

2     printed.       cut and folded.          lost.            bent.
                                                                                       6   Describe how to score a dotted line.
Carefully

3     cut out           fold                 rip               drop                    7   Why do you think the dotted lines need to be scored?

all the parts on the sheet which is labelled ‘Part 1’.
                                                                                       8   Why do you think it is best to colour the model before it is built?
4     Score             Bend                Cut               Colour

the dotted lines using scissors and a ruler. Fold along the dotted lines until the     9   The description of the different layers in this model states ‘each is
first                                                                                      progressively smaller’. What is meant by this?

5     tier             tear                level              shape
                                                                                       10 Why do you think enlarging the sheets will make the model look better?
is made. Use a

6     brush           stapler            glue pot            glue stick
                                                                                        Section C
to paste the first tier onto a suitable cardboard base. Repeat the process for
the other three tiers.                                                                 Write a brief set of instructions telling how to dismantle a breakfast cereal
                                                                                       packet and reassemble it inside out so the outside surfaces are completely
                                                                                       blank.

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LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School
Aztec Food
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Back to Contents
    Theme 1 Aztecs                                  Non-Fiction (Non-Chronological Report)

                        and Drink
                                                                                                                     !""#$3(#$>&4(?$B&"9                                    !""#$%&"'($)*
                                            $                     $                  $                               +,-$E3?-$3(#$F3(371                                    +,-$./+-01

                                  $         $                     $                                                  #9+")(@+"8(,"6-))"$6
                                                                                                                     7(31"5&66+.+34"41%+,
                                      $
                                                                                                                     $6"B41,"89&'9"8+.+"(
                              "         "       "            "                  "                                    8$35+.6-)",$-.'+"$6                                              $             $
                                                                                                                             $      $      $
                   "                  " "   $"                "   $         " "      $                               %.$4+&3"6$."49+":;4+',/
                                                                                                                             $             $          $
                                                                                                                                                                            234/-"8(,"49+"7(&3
                                                                                                                                                                                  $
                                                                                                                                                                            '.$%"6$."49+":;4+',/"
LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School
Back to Contents
    Theme 1 Aztecs       Non-Fiction (Non-Chronological Report)
                                                                                        Section B

                     Aztec Food and Drink                                           1    Complete the table.

                                                                                     A source of protein:
    Section A                                                                        A source of carbohydrate:

Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring             A source of minerals:
around your choice.
                                                                                    2    What was maize used for?
The Aztecs caught much of their food from lakes and canals. The lake
contained many different types of
                                                                                    3    What did Aztecs make stews from?
1     fish            plants             flowers            birds

which were a source of protein. A turtle could provide a family with enough         4    What did Aztecs chew for a snack?
meat for more than a

2     day.            week.             fortnight.         month.                   5    Which farm animals were used for meat?

Another source of protein from the canals were frogs and
                                                                                    6    How did the Aztecs feel about eating ‘hairless dog’?
3     mice.           snakes.            lizards.           rats.

The Aztecs used nets to catch ducks and                                             7    What is ‘pulque’ and what was it made from?

4     fish.          swallows.           geese.            turtles.
                                                                                    8    What is ‘chocolatl’ and what was it made from?
Smaller creatures such as grubs, snails, fish eggs,

5     fleas           worms             tadpoles            bats                    9    When were armadillos and tapirs eaten?

and insect larvae were also eaten. The lakes and canals also supplied a
constant source of
                                                                                     Section C
6     hot chocolate       fresh water        hot water      beer
                                                                                    Write a short menu to describe the different food courses to be served at an
to drink.                                                                           imaginary Aztec feast.

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LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School
The Dive
                                                                                                                                               Back to Contents
    Theme 2 Water   Fiction
                              Josh breathed deeply as he walked           representing his country. He lifted his    trained just as hard as he had and
                              along the diving board; every               eyes for a second and scanned the          were every bit as skilled and
                              measured step seemed to take an             sea of upturned faces. Although he         focussed. And the boy who had dived
                              eternity. He stood right on the end still   could not see his parents, he knew         first was obviously devastated that his
                              as a statue. Ten metres below him,          that they were out there in the            entry into the pool had been less than
                              the blue water sparkled slightly and all    audience, very nervous and very            perfect and he had been marked
                              around the packed Aquatics Centre           proud of all that he’d achieved so far     down. Josh pushed away the
                              there was a hushed sense of                 and no doubt wondering whether he          thoughts of what could go wrong.
                              expectation as stillness fell across the    would be the one who would stand on
                              audience.                                   the top of the podium with a gold          His dad’s words rang in his ears as he
                                                                          medal round his neck at the end of         flexed his muscles, bent his knees
                              He took a minute to compose himself.        the day.                                   and launched himself off the board,
                              He thought of all the events that had                                                  somersaulting and twisting through
                              led up to this moment and in his            With just half a minute to go, he          the air towards the blue pool.
                              mind’s eye he could see himself as a        thought of all the training that had       “Josh, you can only do your best.
                              three year old in red trunks and arm        gone into making this the biggest day      Nobody expects more than that. Just
                              bands thrashing around in the water         of his life. He recalled the gruelling     go out there and enjoy the
                              and loving every minute of his              routine of daily running and cycling       experience.”
                              swimming lessons.                           and exhausting work-outs in the gym        And as he broke through the
                                                                          when he had almost been reduced to         shimmering surface like an arrow he
                              His parents could not have foreseen         tears as his trainer Mike urged him on     knew that he had given his all, he had
                              that their enthusiasm for him to learn      and wouldn’t let him give up. He           done his best and it was the most
                              to swim would lead to them getting up       thought about the days when he had         wonderful moment of his life as he
                              at 5 am each day to drive him two           sometimes done one hundred dives in        emerged from the water to the sound
                              miles to the local swimming pool            a session, pushing himself to the very     of tumultuous applause from the
                              where he would perfect his strokes,         limits of his endurance until he barely    home crowd. People were standing in
                              build his strength and then develop a       had the strength to get out of the pool.   their seats and cheering as he made
                              passion for leaping off the diving          And he knew that he wouldn’t change        his way to the edge of the pool and he
                              board. It hadn’t always been easy,          a thing. There was nowhere in the          could not control the wide grin that lit
                              especially on icy winter mornings           world that he would rather be at this      up his face.
                              when it was hard to get out of bed and      moment. He curled his toes over the
                              sometimes when he arrived at school         edge of the board for a second and         He hauled himself out of the pool,
                              he felt as though he had already done       pulled his shoulders back, the tension     took the towel that Mike held out to
                              a day’s work. Some of the boys in his       was now almost unbearable and he           him and conscious that the TV
                              class teased him because he couldn’t        couldn’t wait to start.                    cameras were picking up every
                              stay out late and seldom went to            “Good luck,” his mum had said as           expression that crossed his face, he
                              parties. But it was worth every second      they parted at the door of the             pulled the towel tightly around him
                              of rigorous training and sticking to a      changing room. Yes, he would need          and waited for the judges to
                              sensible diet just to stand here            good luck if he was going to win a         announce his score.
                              drinking in the atmosphere and              medal, the other competitors had

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LICENCE TERMS Year 5 - Comprehension - Fiction, Non - Fiction and Poetry Texts in Themes - West End Primary School
The Dive
                                                                                                                                                        Back to Contents
    Theme 2 Water     Fiction
                                                                                      Section B
                                                                                     1   Why do you think Josh’s ‘every measured step seemed to take an
                                                                                         eternity’ as he walked along the diving board?

    Section A
                                                                                     2   ‘He took a minute to compose himself.’ What does this mean?
Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring
around your choice.
                                                                                     3   What evidence suggests Josh’s parents supported his efforts to win a
Josh walked along the diving board and stood as still as a statue above the              gold medal in diving?

1     still           blue               clear             choppy
                                                                                     4   Why did some boys tease Josh?
water. He thought of all the events that had led to this moment. He
remembered as a three year old wearing his
                                                                                     5   What does the ‘sea of upturned faces’ describe?
2     orange         black               red                green

trunks. He remembered getting up at                                                  6   Why was this ‘the biggest day of his life’?

3     4am             5am                6am                 7am
                                                                                     7   Why do you think Josh thought ‘There was nowhere in the world he would
each morning to train. He looked at the faces but even though he could not               rather be at this moment’?
see his

4     uncles         aunts          grandparents           parents                   8   Which two phrases best describe the audience’s reaction to Josh’s dive?
                                                                                         Give reason for your choices.
he knew they were in the audience. He thought of the exhausting workouts in
the gym when he had almost been                                                      ‘tumultuous applause’                         ‘stood up to see better’

5     ready to give up.         reduced to tears.        ready to get a job.         ‘standing in their seats cheering’            ‘clapped loudly’

He curled his toes over the edge of the diving board and pulled his

6     arms           knees              chest             shoulders                   Section C
back. He dived and broke through the water’s surface like an arrow. The              Imagine you have just competed in a challenging competition. Write a short
audience applauded.                                                                  account telling how you felt the few minutes before the start of the event.

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How Does Water
                                                                                                                                                        Back to Contents
 Theme 2 Water        Non-Fiction (Explanation)

     Get to a Tap?
                                                                        No matter how hard or for how long it           passing through pools and lakes on their
                                                                        rains, the amount of water on our planet        way. Eventually, every river runs into the
                                                                        never changes. This is explained by the         sea. This is called drainage.
                                                                        water cycle. The sun shines on the sea
                                                                        causing it to heat up. The warmer water         When the water returns to the sea the
                                                                        turns to water vapour, which is a gas. This     whole cycle can start again. Early man
                                                                        is called evaporation. The gas rises into       would go to a stream or river to collect
                                                                        the air carrying tiny particles of water with   drinking water. Nowadays, reservoirs
                                                                        it. Rising air currents take the water          (large man-made lakes) are made to
                                                                        vapour up into the atmosphere where             collect river water and store it for drinking.
                                                                        cooler temperatures cause it to form            Before it gets to your home it is filtered
                                                                        clouds. This is called condensation.            clean in a factory and then piped
                                                                                                                        underground to houses and flats across
                                                                        Air currents move clouds carrying water         the country.
                                                                        vapour around the globe. As clouds are
                                                                        blown over higher ground they are cooled        Water pipes are always run underground
                                                                        further forming large drops of water, which     to stop them freezing up. Even in the
                                                                        fall from the sky as rain. If conditions are    winter, the ground stores heat from when
                                                                        very cold the water can fall as hail or         the sun has been shining.
                                                                        snow. Some of the raindrops that fall
                                                                        collect on plants and in puddles while          Rain that falls as snow eventually melts
                                                                        others soak into the rocks and soil as          and runs away as groundwater. Rain that
                                                                        groundwater. The groundwater will               falls into puddles very quickly evaporates
                                                                        gradually move downhill to the nearest          again.
                                                                        stream. Streams feed into larger rivers,

           Reservoir collects
          water from streams,                                                  Filter House
            rivers and rain

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Back to Contents
    Theme 2 Water        Non-Fiction (Explanation)
                                                                                             Section B

     How Does Water Get to a Tap?                                                        1    Fill in the missing words:

 Section A
Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring
around your choice.

The amount of water on the earth never changes. The sun shines on the sea
causing it to                                                                                                          Sea

1     cool down.        bubble.            heat up.              boil.                   2    Where do raindrops collect when they fall?

The warmer water
                                                                                         3    What happens to rain in very cold conditions?
2     disappears       evaporates         condenses           floats away

into the air carrying tiny particles of                                                  4    Where did early man get drinking water?

3     cloud             mist                water                fish
                                                                                         5    Where does our drinking water come from?
with it. The cooler atmosphere causes the water vapour to form

4     wind.              rain.              sun.                clouds.                  6    How would you feel about getting your drinking water in the same way as
                                                                                              early man?
The clouds drop rain over high

5     mountains.          cliffs.          ground.              trees.                   7    Why do you think underground pipes do not freeze up in winter?

The rain finds its way into rivers which carry the water back to the
                                                                                         8    How does a puddle disappear after it has been raining?
6     coast.             sea.               lakes.             ground.

                                                                                          Section C
This is called the Water Cycle.

                                                                                         Annotate a simple diagram, which shows how drinking water gets to your
                                                                                         house.

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Water
                                                                                                                                           Back to Contents
 Theme 2 Water   Poetry

            is
              Life
Water - raindrops drip, drip, dripping on the window pane,
Rolling in, breakers on the sandy shore,
Frozen ponds where joyful children skate,
Icicles magically hanging like acrobats from the house eaves,
Water leaping and rushing over stones in the windy brook.

Water – empty cups belonging to sad-eyed children,
Deserts silent, parched, dry from lack of rain,
Crops shrivelled, brown and drying under a relentless sun,
Riverbeds barren, silent, empty,
A landscape eerie, all life gone.

Water is life!

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Water
                                                      Life
                                                                                                                                                             Back to Contents
    Theme 2 Water         Poetry
                                                                                             Section B

                                                    is                                   1    What is the first verse of this poem about?

 Section A                                                                               2    What is the second verse of this poem about?

Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring
around your choice.                                                                      3    Why is the word ‘drip’ used several times in the first line?

In verse one the water is dripping on
                                                                                         4    Why do you think the author describes icicles as ‘acrobats’?
1     the window pane.          the door.         the garden.       the roof.

On the pond there are                                                                    5    How can water leap over stones?

2     ducks swimming.               swans gliding.
                                                                                         6    Why do the children in this poem have sad eyes?
      children skating.             dogs splashing.

The icicles are compared to                                                              7    What do you understand by the term ‘relentless sun’?

3     fingers.      acrobats.           string.                 icebergs.
                                                                                         8    Why are the riverbeds silent?
In the second verse the children have

4     plenty to drink.                no water.                                          9    What would you say was the main difference between the first verse and
                                                                                              the second verse?
The desert is

5     noisy.          silent.           windy.                   rainy.                  10 Why do you think the author ends the poem with the statement ‘Water is
                                                                                            life!’?
The poem concludes that

6     it isn’t important to have water.
                                                                                          Section C
      it is vital to have water.
                                                                                         Write your own poem about ‘Water’.

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Evening News
                                                                                                                                                          Back to Contents
 Theme 3 Earth, Sun and Moon      Non-Fiction (Journalistic Report)

Astronauts Return
                                                                                                                                               Missing Panel

to Earth After
Horrific Explosion                                                                                  Lunar Module
                                                                                                     (Aquarius)
                                                                                                                         Command
                                                                                                                          Module
                                                                                                                         (Odyssey)
                                                                                                                                           Service Module

Apollo 13, the third moon mission, has    thought a meteorite had hit them.         Low power levels made radio contact         had blown off the side of the
successfully returned its crew of three   They radioed back to earth, “Houston,     with mission command in Houston,            spacecraft.
astronauts to the earth after an          we have a problem!” In fact, the          Texas, very difficult. Also, the Lunar
explosion wrecked their spacecraft.       number two oxygen tank in the             Module was only designed to keep            Next the Lunar Module, their ‘life
The command module splashed down          Service Module had exploded. This         two people alive for two days, not          boat’, was released into space,
in the Pacific Ocean four miles from      left the Command Module with limited      three people for four days. To keep         leaving the three men in the
the recovery ship, USS Iwo Jima, after    battery power. The crew had no            the radio and life support systems in       Command Module to commence re-
being lowered through the sky by          choice but to shut down the               the Lunar Module working everything         entry through the earth’s atmosphere.
three enormous parachutes.                Command Module and move into the          was switched to the lowest levels.          It was possible that the explosion had
Considering what they had been            Lunar Module and use it as a ‘life        This made the Lunar Module very cold        damaged the heat shield on the
through, the crew returned in excellent   boat’. The damage made a safe return      inside. For four days the astronauts        capsule. In addition, a normal lunar
condition.                                from a moon landing impossible, so        travelled through space in their            re-entry was accompanied by four
                                          the flight director immediately aborted   disabled spacecraft never sure that it      minutes of communications blackout.
Apollo 13 was the third Apollo mission    the mission. The problem was, how to      would function well enough to return
intended to land on the moon. On          get the men back alive!                   them to the earth. On the fourth day        The suspense was terrible. After four
April 11th 1970, at 13:13, the craft                                                they crawled back into the now almost       minutes and ten seconds, nothing was
was successfully launched towards         It was thought that the main engine       frozen up Command Module and                heard. Another ten seconds, still
the moon. On the way, approximately       had been damaged so the crew used         began the unpractised operation of          nothing. Finally, after 33 seconds
200,000 miles from the earth, mission     the smaller engine on the lunar           restarting the systems in the capsule.      longer than normal, Odyssey regained
control asked the crew to turn on the     module to change direction to a flight    Once power was restored, they               radio contact and splashed down
hydrogen and oxygen tank stirring         path that would ‘swing them’ round        released the damaged service module         safely in the Pacific. The ordeal for the
fans. Ninety three seconds later the      the moon and send them back in the        into space. As it floated away they         three men was finally over!
astronauts heard a loud ‘bang’ and all    direction of earth.                       saw for the first time that a large panel
the lights flickered. The astronauts                                                                                            Reported by: SPC Enthusiast

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    Theme 3 Earth, Sun and Moon    Non-Fiction (Journalistic Report)
                                                                                         Section B
Astronauts Return to Earth
After Horrific Explosion
                                                                                     1    Where was Apollo 13 heading for?

 Section A                                                                           2    Name the three parts of the Apollo 13 spacecraft.
Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring
around your choice.
                                                                                     3    What exploded in the Service Module?
On April 11th, 1970, Apollo

1     ten           eleven              twelve               thirteen                4    Why do you think that the Lunar Module was described as a ‘lifeboat’?

was launched towards the moon. After turning on the oxygen tank stirring fans
they heard a loud bang and all the
                                                                                     5    Which part of the spacecraft was the only part to return to the earth?
2     stars          dials             lights              instruments

flickered. The crew radioed to earth to say they had                                 6    What does the phrase ‘aborted the mission’ mean?

3     finished.     been shaken up.         a problem.       exploded.
                                                                                     7    How do you think the astronauts would have felt when they heard a large
The crew had to move into the                                                             bang?

4     Service Module                 Command Module
      Lunar Module                   Odyssey                                         8    What is meant by the sentence ‘Considering what they had been through,
                                                                                          the crew returned in excellent condition’?
and use it like a life boat. They changed direction to travel back to the

5     Earth.         Mars.             Moon.                   Sun.
                                                                                     9    Why do you think the astronauts had not seen that a panel was missing
                                                                                          until the Service Module was released into space?
To save power everything was switched to the lowest levels making the Lunar
Module very

6     hot.          warm.               cold.                 dark.                   Section C
On the fourth day they crawled back into the Command Module and                      Imagine you are on a space mission and something goes wrong.
parachuted back to earth.                                                            Write a short newspaper account telling what happened.

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Amazing Solar Syste
The Solar System
                                                                                                                                                           Back to Contents
 Theme 3 Earth, Sun and Moon       Non-Fiction (Explanation)

                                                                                                                                           m Facts
                                                                                                   • The solar system for
                                                                                                                          me   d around 4.6 billion ye
                                                                                                                                                     ars ago.
                                                                                                   • Venus is the hottest
                                                                                                                          planet in our solar syste
                                                                                                     surface temperature of                         m with a
                                                                                                                              over 450 degrees centi
                                                                                                                                                     grade.
                                                                                                  • Saturn isn’t the only
                                                                                                                          ringed planet. Other ga
                                                                                                     as Jupiter, Uranus and                       s giants such
                                                                                                                             Neptune also have rin
                                                                                                     are less obvious.                              gs, but they

                                                                                                   • Footprints left behin
                                                                                                                            d by astronauts on the
                                                                                                      there forever, as there                       moon will stay
                                                                                                                               is no wind to blow the
                                                                                                                                                      m away.
                                                                                                  • Halley’s Comet was
                                                                                                                            last seen in the inner So
                                                                                                     1986. It will be visible                         lar System in
                                                                                                                              again from Earth in 20
                                                                                                                                                     61.
                                                                                                 • Many scientists belie
                                                                                                                            ve that an asteroid im
                                                                                                     extinction of the dinos                       pact caused the
                                                                                                                              aurs around 65 million
                                                                                                                                                     years ago.
                                                                                                • The first man made
                                                                                                                           object sent into space
The solar system consists of the sun and everything which moves around the                          named Sputnik.                                 was a satellite
sun. This includes the nine major planets and their satellites. The planets orbit
the sun. Our sun is one of millions of stars. Stars are made of burning gases.

A satellite is the name given to an object that goes around, or orbits, a larger
object such as a planet. The earth’s only natural satellite is called the Moon.
The earth also has many man-made satellites such as the International Space
Station. The man-made satellites were put into orbit around the Earth using
rockets or the Space Shuttle.

Nine planets orbit our sun. They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Mercury is the planet nearest to the sun.
Pluto is furthest away. Mercury is the smallest planet. Venus is similar in size
to the earth. Neptune, Saturn and Uranus are larger than the earth. Other
objects found in the solar system are asteroids, comets and meteors.

Recently, Pluto was renamed a ‘Dwarf Planet’.

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Section B

                                  The Solar System
                                                                                                                                                            Back to Contents
    Theme 3 Earth, Sun and Moon      Non-Fiction (Explanation)

                                                                                         1     Fill in the table: Solar System Facts
                                                                                             When was the Solar System formed?

                                                                                             Hottest planet?
 Section A
Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring                     Planets with rings?
around your choice.
                                                                                             Halley’s comet next seen from earth?
The solar system consists of the sun and everything that moves around it.
This includes                                                                                First man made object sent into space?

1     seven           eight                nine                   ten                    2     Name the nine planets in our solar system.

major planets and their
                                                                                         3     What does the word ‘orbit’ mean?
2     moons.        satellites.          rings.                  seas.
                                                                                         4     What are stars made of?
Our sun is a

3     planet          star               moon                 meteorite                  5     What is the difference between a natural satellite and a man-made
                                                                                               satellite?
made of burning gases. A satellite is the name given to an object that

4     orbits         circles           flies about              rotates                  6     Which planets are larger than the earth?

a larger object. The earth’s only natural satellite is                                   7     Name three objects found in our solar system other than planets, moons
                                                                                               and the sun.
5     the moon.           the sun.          Mars.               Saturn.

Man-made satellites were put into orbit using                                            8     What do some scientists believe caused the destruction of dinosaurs on
                                                                                               the earth?
6     space ships            rockets        catapults            planes

or the Space Shuttle.                                                                     Section C
                                                                                         Research which planets in our solar system have moons and record your
                                                                                         results in a table.

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Back to Contents
 Theme 3 Earth, Sun and Moon   Poetry

       The Moon
           Through my bedroom window,
       Framed in the night’s sky sits the Moon,
        Like a giant white ball fixed and still,
          Watching over a sleeping world,
      Like an anxious parent watches its child,
             Still, I lie, sleep still distant,
     My mind wanders over the day just finished,
         Happy thoughts, regretful thoughts,
            Still nothing can be changed,
       But you, dear Moon, keep me cheered,
        Wrap me up in your warm bright light,
      Till sleep takes me on another adventure.

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    Theme 3 Earth, Sun and Moon    Poetry
                                                                                             Section B
                                                                                         1    Where is the person that is the subject of this poem?

 Section A
                                            The Moon                                     2    How is the Moon ‘Framed in the night’s sky’?

Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring
around your choice.
                                                                                         3    Why do you think the Moon looks as if it is ‘fixed and still’?
The poem is about

1     the Sun.     night time.           the Moon.             the stars.                4    Why does the author compare the Moon to an ‘anxious parent’?

The poet compares the Moon to
                                                                                         5    What does the author mean by the phrase ‘sleep still distant’?
2     a balloon.   a light bulb.   a giant white ball.         a globe.

The person in the poem is finding it
                                                                                         6    What does the phrase ‘My mind wanders over the day…’ mean?
3     easy to sleep.               difficult to sleep.

The thoughts that come into the persons mind are                                         7    Why does the author mention ‘nothing can be changed’?
4     just happy ones.                 just sad ones.

      happy and sad ones.              funny happenings.                                 8    How does the Moon ‘keep me cheered’?

The Moon makes the person feel
                                                                                         9    How can ‘sleep take me on another adventure’?
5     sad.             cheered.             tired.              awake.

The person looks forward to sleep to go on

6     a journey.                       an adventure.                                      Section C
      a magic carpet ride.             a journey through space.                          Write your own poem about one of the following:
                                                                                         The Sun, The Moon, The Earth, The Stars or Space Travel.

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   Theme 4 Music        Fiction (Playscript)

The Lost Concert Tickets                                  (They approach the turnstiles wh
                                                                                           ere the crowds             Mum: Thank goodness! Here it is!
                                                                                                                                                         It was under the
                                                                                                                                                        my pocket when I
(Jess is on her way to watch her
                                 first live band                                          orderly queues.)            seat. It must have slipped out of
                                presently                 are magically transforming into                             was concentrating on the traffic.
concert with her Mum. They are
crawling through a stream of traf
                                  fic.)                                                       e Mum?                  Jess: Phew!
                                                          Jess: Can I pay for the programm
                                                                                                                                                        in.)
Jess: How much further to the sta
                                    dium, Mum?                                             h her pocket         s.)   (Mum quickly locks the car aga
                                                          (Mum searches frantically throug

Mum: It’s just down this road, let’s
                                       hope we can find                                          be in this           Mum: Right! Off we go!
                                                          Mum: Where’s my purse? It should
a parking space.                                          pocket. I hope it hasn’t been stolen
                                                                                               !                                                            gig?
                                                                                                                      Jess: Will we miss the start of the
                                   time you saw a live
Jess: How old were you the first                          (Jess starts to get upset as she
                                                                                           thinks through                                               e. We might even
                                                                                             pened.)                   Mum: No, we’ve got plenty of tim
band?                                                     the consequence of what has hap                              see the warm up band.
                                  with my mum
 Mum: About nine, I think. I came                          Jess: You mean we can’t buy a pro
                                                                                                 gramme?                                                     mme?
 though we had to catch two buses
                                   to get here in                                                                      Jess: And can we still buy a progra
 those days.                                                                                  s and upset.)
                                                           (Mum also starts to get anxiou                              Mum: We certainly can!
 Jess: I can’t wait!Do you think Robbie will actually                                         can’t get into the
                                                           Mum: Worse than that Jess, we
 turn up to sing with them?                                ground unless I can find it. The tick
                                                                                                 ets are in my
                                                                                               back to the car
                                  more tracks than         purse, we’ll have to fight our way
 Mum: I should hope so, he’s sold                          and see if it’s there.
 anyone else in the band!
                                                                                              h the crowd to
                                      ’re nearly there.    (They push their way back throug
  Jess: I can see the floodlights! We                      the car as quickly as they can.
                                                                                            Mum fumbles for
                                                                                             open.)
                                   they rush to            the car keys. Finally the door is
  (Mum carefully parks the car and
                                 the stadium.)
  join the crowd surging towards                            Jess: Is it there, Mum?
                                       Mum?
  Jess: Can we buy a programme                              (Mum searches frantically around
                                                                                                    the car.)

                                          should have a
  Mum: Of course we can, everybody                          Jess: Mum?
                                       concert for the
  programme when they come to a
                                       n near the
  first time. We’ll buy it from the ma
  turnstile.

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    Theme 4 Music      Fiction (Playscript)
                                                                                           Section B

The Lost Concert Tickets                                                               1    What do you think went through Jess’ mind when she realised her mum
                                                                                            could not find the tickets?

 Section A
                                                                                       2    What does the phrase ‘crawling through a stream of traffic’ describe?
Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring
around your choice.
                                                                                       3    What is meant by the phrase ‘the crowd surging towards the stadium’?
Jess and her mum were on the way to a band concert. Mum said she was

1     seven           eight              nine                      ten                 4    What does the author mean when he/she describes the queues at the
                                                                                            turnstiles as ‘magically transforming’?
years old when she went to her first concert. She had to travel on
                                                                                       5    For what reasons was Jess upset?
2     several         two                three                     four

buses to get there. When they got out of the car Jess wanted to buy
                                                                                       6    What would have been the consequence of the purse not being found?
3     an ice cream               some sweets                a programme
                                                                                       7    What do you think Jess will remember most about her first live band
so mum searched in her pockets for her
                                                                                            concert?
4     handkerchief.           purse.            key.           phone.
                                                                                       8    Which two of the following phrases suggest Jess was excited about her
She couldn’t find it so they rushed back to the car. They found it                          first live band concert? Give reasons for your choices.
5     on the seat.        in a pocket.           under the seat.                       ‘I can see the floodlights.’               ‘we can’t buy a programme?’
They returned to the stadium. Mum said they might even be in time to see               ‘Will we miss the start of the gig?’       ‘Robbie will actually turn up’

6     the band playing.            the comedians.

      the warm up band.            the band mascot.
                                                                                        Section C
                                                                                       Write a short play script telling of the journey taken by Jess’ Mum to the first
                                                                                       live band concert she attended with her mum. Include an event which
                                                                                       interrupts their journey to the gig.

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 Theme 4 Music    Non-Fiction (Instructions)

                 front view                      How To Play The Recorder
                                                                                 Recorder Finger Chart

                                   How to get started with your new Recorder
                                   Your recorder has eight finger holes,     instrument with your thumb by             Blow gently into the mouthpiece to
                                   seven on the front, and one on the        resting it on the back of the recorder.   create your first note. With all the
                                   back. Place your left hand thumb on                                                 holes covered you should be able to
                                   the back hole and your left hand          Make sure that all the holes on the       produce the note, middle C.
                                   index finger (your first finger) on the   recorder are covered. If they are not
                                   top hole at the front.                    covered properly, it will affect the      Use the diagram above to practise
                                                                             sound made.                               changing your fingers to create
                                   Cover the next two front holes with                                                 different notes. The black dots show
                                   your second and third finger, again       To create your first sound, place the     the holes that are covered.
                                   with your left hand.                      tip of the mouthpiece in your mouth
                                                                             making sure that the sound hole just
                                   Next, place your right hand fingers       below the mouthpiece is not
                                   over the lower holes, supporting the      covered.
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    Theme 4 Music     Non-Fiction (Instructions)
                                                                                     Section B
                                                                                    1   How many holes need to be         Note          No. of holes covered
                                                                                        covered to play the following
                      How To Play The Recorder
                                                                                        notes?                            Middle C
 Section A                                                                                                                E
Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring                                                  F
around your choice.
                                                                                                                          C
Your recorder has
                                                                                                                          B
1     four            six              eight                  ten
                                                                                    2   Where can the eight finger holes be found on a recorder?
finger holes. Place your left hand

2     thumb         little finger         toe            index finger               3   What happens if you do not cover a hole properly?

on the back hole and your left hand
                                                                                    4   Where is the sound hole located?
3     thumb         little finger         toe            index finger

on the top hole at the front. Cover the next two front holes with the 2nd and       5   What is the name given to the hole on the back of the recorder?
3rd finger of your left hand. Next place your

4     right hand      left hand          right foot        left foot                6   Why is one part of the recorder called the mouthpiece?

fingers over the lower holes. To create a sound blow
                                                                                    7   How can different notes be played on the recorder?
5     hard           softly            gently              carefully

into the mouthpiece. With all the holes covered you should be able to make          8   What do the black dots represent in the ‘Recorder Finger Chart’?
the note, middle

6     A.                B.                 C.                  D.
                                                                                     Section C
Change the number of holes covered by your fingers to make different notes.
                                                                                    Write a short set of instructions describing how to get a sound out of another
                                                                                    instrument. (Hint, if you are not musical you could always describe a drum
                                                                                    kit!) It may help to draw a simple labelled diagram to go with your instructions.

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 Theme 4 Music         Non-Fiction (Journalistic Report)

Beatlemania
 Music Maker                                      January 2011 Edition - £3.50

The 1960’s Phenomenon
Beatlemania was the name given to         stories about The Beatles and             Beatles and for the first time in UK     The fourth UK tour took place in
the intense fan following and media       magazines for teenage girls regularly     history, the American stars were less    November. Three days before the tour
interest in the pop group ‘The Beatles’   contained interviews and colour           popular than a UK act.                   was to start The Beatles flew into
which performed during the 1960s.         posters. Nineteen sixty-three was also                                             Heathrow Airport to be greeted by
The band was made up of four              the year The Beatles started to tour      The third tour started in May and        thousands of screaming fans,
members, John Lennon, Paul                the United Kingdom.                       lasted for three weeks. This time the    journalists and photographers
McCartney, George Harrison and                                                      bill was headed by Roy Orbison, a        standing in pouring rain. The wild
Ringo Starr.                              The first nationwide tour started in      highly successful American singer.       scenes at the airport caused the
                                          February and lasted for four weeks. It    However, at the opening show, the        British Prime Minister to be obstructed
The unknown band started off playing      was headed by sixteen-year-old Helen      American star proved less popular        by the crowds and Miss World to be
in Hamburg, Germany and later in the      Shapiro and followed by five other        than the Beatles and very quickly the    completely ignored. An American TV
Cavern Club in Liverpool. They wore       acts, the last of which was The           souvenir programs were reprinted to      presenter, Ed Sullivan, was also held
suits and the same uniform distinctive    Beatles. A local journalist wrote,        place The Beatles above Orbison.         up at the airport. He was heard to ask,
‘Beatle’ hair cut. Their second single    ‘a great reception went to the                                                     “Who the heck are The Beatles?”
‘Please Please Me’ was recorded in        colourfully dressed Beatles, who          On October 13th 1963 The Beatles         Shortly after, he invited them to
1962 and shot to number two in the        almost stole the show, for the            appeared on ‘Sunday Night at the         America to appear on ‘The Ed
official UK charts.                       audience repeatedly called for them       London Palladium’, the UK’s top TV       Sullivan Show’, which was watched by
                                          while other artists were performing!’     variety show hosted by the young         73 million American viewers. This led
With the runaway success of ‘Please,                                                Bruce Forsyth. The show was              to The Beatles being recognised as
Please Me’ the Beatles found              The second tour lasted for three          broadcast live to 15 million viewers.    the founders of the live stadium
themselves in huge demand for the         weeks and began in March. American        One national newspaper reporting the     concert after they went on to perform
whole of 1963. They appeared on           stars Tommy Roe and Chris Montez          phenomenal nationwide interest in        in front of 55,000 fans in Shea
numerous TV shows as well as writing      led this tour. However, throughout this   The Beatles gave it the name             Stadium, New York.
and recording new singles and             series of concerts the crowds             ‘Beatlemania’, and from that day on
albums. The music papers were full of     screamed and screamed for The             the name stuck.

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    Theme 4 Music       Non-Fiction (Journalistic Report)
                                                                                            Section B

Beatlemania. The 1960’s Phenomenon                                                      1    What was ‘Beatlemania’?

 Section A                                                                              2    Name the four members of The Beatles.

Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring
around your choice.
                                                                                        3    What was their second single called?
The Beatles performed music during the 1960s. They wore

1     jeans           shorts                suits                caps                   4    What does the phrase ‘The Beatles found themselves in huge demand’
                                                                                             mean?
and the same distinctive hair cut. Their

2     first          second                 third               fourth
                                                                                        5    Why do you think The Beatles were the last act on the posters, which
single shot to number                                                                        described their first nationwide tour?

3     one               two                 three                four
                                                                                        6    Why were souvenir programs of their third tour reprinted?
in the UK charts. Newspapers and magazines were full of stories and
coloured
                                                                                        7    How did the name ‘Beatlemania’ come about?
4     pictures       articles              posters              images

of The Beatles. They started their first tour in February of
                                                                                        8    Which three famous people were held up at Heathrow airport by the
5     1961.           1962.                 1963.                1964.                       Beatles and how did this happen?

In October they were seen by
                                                                                        9    What is unusual about the spelling of the word ‘Beatles’?
6     5 million      10 million         15 million             20 million

people when they appeared on the TV programme ‘Sunday Night at the
London Palladium’ with Bruce Forsyth.                                                    Section C
                                                                                        Imagine you were at Heathrow airport when The Beatles flew in. Write a brief
                                                                                        newspaper article describing the scene you witnessed.

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The Accidental Time Traveller
                                                                                                                                                            Back to Contents
     Theme 5 Time Travel     Fiction

 James and Robert were staying at their         He couldn’t remember how he came to          “Who are you? What are you doing
 Granny’s house. It was raining too hard        be in the middle of a field or why he felt   here?” he said, “And why are you
 to go out anywhere and they’d spent the        so dizzy but as soon as the world            dressed so strangely?”
 whole morning playing games inside and         stopped spinning round, he rolled over       James looked down at his jeans and
 now they were bored. Granny had left           onto his side and cautiously got to his      trainers. He was too afraid to speak.
 them to clear up while she made lunch          feet. He looked around at the unfamiliar     The soldier looked at him curiously
 and they had spent several minutes             fields and woods.                            before he spoke. Eventually he said,
 falling out over who should pack up the                                                     “Now let’s start at the beginning with
 games. Eventually Robert gave in and           Something wasn’t right. He didn’t know       your name and where you come from
 began to collect up all the playing            where he was or what had happened but        because I’m beginning to think you’re a
 pieces, meanwhile James crossed the            some instinct told him that he needed to     spy from the tribe that lives on the other
 room to look out of the window. It was         be very cautious. In the distance he         side of the river.”
 still pouring down. He sighed and then         could see a plume of smoke and so he         “No,” shouted James as the memories
 he spotted an ornate little box on the         set off to see if he could find someone to   flooded back to him, “I’m not a spy! My
 windowsill. Without thinking, he flipped       help him find his way back to Granny’s       name is James and I was staying at my
 open the lid and there nestling in the         house.                                       Granny’s house with my brother Robert.
 velvet lined box was a shiny gold                                                           I found a bracelet and put it on my
 bracelet. He lifted it out and held it up in   He hadn’t gone very far when he heard        arm and woke up in this field. I
 the light. “Look at this Robert. I wonder if   the sound of approaching horses. Even        don’t know where I am and I
 it’s precious.”                                from a distance he could see the red         can’t explain what’s happened.”
 Robert looked up just as James slipped         plumed helmets and gleaming armour of        “Well that sounds very unlikely
 the bracelet on to his wrist. Suddenly the     Roman soldiers. He raced towards the         to me,” laughed the soldier,
 room was filled with a fierce wind, the        wood to find a place to hide. Before he      “where is this magical bracelet?
 curtains billowed around him, the              reached the trees he heard a loud shout      Show it to me!’
 bracelet tightened on his arm and his          of “Spy!” He glanced over his shoulder
 feet left the ground. Slowly the room          just long enough to see that one of the      James held out his arm, they both
 began to dissolve in a rainbow of              horsemen had changed direction and           looked at his wrist but there was
 whirling colours.                              was galloping towards him. There was         no sign of the bracelet. He pulled
                                                no way he was going to out run the           up his sleeve as the soldier raised
 When James opened his eyes, he was             horse so he stopped and held up his          his sword, “You’re under arrest,
 lying flat on his back in a grassy             hands as the man approached. The             young man. I’m going to take you to
 meadow; above him birds were soaring           soldier dropped down from his horse and      the garrison for questioning. Start
 high in a cloudless blue sky and               stared at James.                             walking!”
 somewhere close by he could hear the
 chirrup of a grasshopper.

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    Theme 5 Time Travel       Fiction

The Accidental Time Traveller
                                                                                           Section B
                                                                                          1   What did James and Robert fall out over?

 Section A
                                                                                          2   What does the phrase ‘ornate little box’ suggest about the container the
Choose the best word or group of words to fit the passage and put a ring                      bracelet was found in?
around your choice.

James and Robert were staying with their Granny. The weather was                          3   What happened when James placed the bracelet on his wrist?

1      dry                cloudy             wet                 snowy

and they felt                                                                             4   What is a ‘plume of smoke’?

2      happy.             bored.           excited.              sleepy.
                                                                                          5   How do you think James would have felt when he saw the Roman
James opened a little box and put on the shiny                                                soldiers?

3      silver             brass             metal                 gold

bracelet. Suddenly, the room disappeared and he found himself in a field                  6   Why do you think the Roman soldier thought James was a spy?
under a

4      cloudy             sunny           cloudless              windy                    7   Why did the Roman soldier ask James the question, “Why are you
                                                                                              dressed so strangely?”
blue sky. He couldn’t remember how he had got there. He saw

5      a shaft of light           a plume of smoke          a group of houses
                                                                                          8   ‘James held out his arm, they both looked at his wrist but there was no
                                                                                              sign of the bracelet.’ How do you think James felt when he realised the
so he set off to find his way back to Granny’s. He was stopped by a
                                                                                              bracelet was missing from his wrist? Give a reason for your answer.
6      horse       Roman soldier            a rider           a woodsman

who accused him of being a spy. James showed the soldier his arm but the
bracelet had disappeared!
                                                                                           Section C
                                                                                          Plan your own ending for ‘The Accidental Time Traveller’.

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   Theme 5 Time Travel      Fiction (Playscript)

The M aste r s o f the U n ive r se                                                                                 Roboid: Destroy! Destroy!
                                                                                           over the top.
                               ion, Dora, have             (Dora climbs the wall and peers
(The Professor and his compan                              She whispers loudly back to the
                                                                                           Professor.)                                               up those steps as
just carried out an emergency
                              landing following                                                                     Professor: This way Dora! Run
                                                                                                                                                      be masters of the
a narrow escape from an encoun
                                 ter with the                                                     they are firing   fast as you can. Roboids want to
                                                           Dora: Soldiers! British soldiers! And                    universe but they can’t even clim
                                                                                                                                                      b steps!
Solarmen.)                                                                                    pepper pot on
                                                           at what looks like a human sized
                                                                                             eye pieces sticking
                                                           wheels, a sort of robot with two                         (Dora races up the steps. The Ro
                                                                                                                                                     boid switches
Dora: Where are we Professor?                              out of its head. It’s amazing, the
                                                                                              bullets are just                                       r her.)
                                                                                                                    to hover mode and glides up afte
                                   I think. It’s hard to   bouncing off.
Professor: London, about 1955                                                                                                                             ldn’t climb steps!
tell. Not all the systems are functio
                                      ning correctly.                                         net Skar. They are    Dora: I thought you said they cou
                                                           Professor: Roboids, from the Pla
                                                                                               life in the
                                                           intent on destroying all non-roboid                      Professor: They didn’t used to be
                                                                                                                                                      able to! Quick,
Dora: What’s that noise?                                   universe to achieve total domina
                                                                                            tion.
                                                                                                                    over here, I’ve got an idea.
                                   nd of it. Look at the
 Professor: Gunshots by the sou                             Roboid: Destroy! Destroy!                                                                   r to some
 video screen to see if you can see
                                      what is going on.                                                              (The Professor and Dora race ove
                                                                                                                                                      ted. The
 I just need to reconfigure the sys
                                    tems to get                                             m the Roboid’s           railings, which are being repain
                                                            (An electronic beam shoots fro                           workmen had disappeared.    )
 everything working again.                                                                  se on the floor.)
                                                            arm and the six soldiers collap
                                                                                                                                                             en I count to
 Dora: No use, the video link is also
                                        down, I’ll open                                       , three, jump.         Professor: Grab a tin of paint. Wh
                                                            Dora: I’m going to help. One, two                        three aim for the left eye stick, I’ll
                                                                                                                                                            go for the right
 the door and have a look.
                                                                                             ds immediately          one. O.K.?
                                   ’t leave in the          (Dora jumps off the wall and lan
 Professor: Be careful Dora, I can                          behind the Roboid.)
 middle of this delicate process…                                                                                    Dora: Right.
                                                                                              ck! My sensors
                                     in trouble.             Roboid: Under attack! Under atta                         Professor: No, left!
  Dora: But it sounds like someone’s                         detect an alien presence.
                                                                                                                                                            an!
  (Dora opens the door, carefully
                                  steps outside                                                                       Dora: Right, left! I know what I me
                                 ip has landed               Dora: Try and catch me, tin man!
  and looks around. The Timesh
  close to a high wall near the ban
                                    k of the River                                                 n presence and     Professor: One, two, three…
                                   mu  ch clearer.)          Roboid: Rotate! Rotate! Detect alie
  Thames. The gunshots are now                               destroy! Destroy!                                                                         d vision! Destroy       !
                                                                                                                      Roboid: Impaired vision! Impaire
  Professor: What can you see out
                                        there?                                                er bin just as          Destroy! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
                                                             (Dora dodges behind a wastepap
                                                                                            fessor arrives to
                                       misty. I think        the Roboid opens fire. The pro
   Dora: Nothing as yet, it’s dark and                       help).
                                     other side of this
   something is going on just at the
   wall.

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