Extensive Reading

Comprehending:

1. What is the main topic of the reading passage?

Some simple forms of English poems.

2. What five kinds of poems does the reading passage talk about?

Nursery rhymes, list poems, the cinquain, haiku and Tang poems.

Part 1

3. a) There are two poems that have a strong rhythm. Which ones are they? Listen again. This time try clapping the beat.

A and B.

Each poem has four beats a line.

Hush, little baby, don’t say a word,

Papa’s going to buy you a mockingbird.

If that mockingbird won’t sing,

Papa’s going to buy you a diamond ring.

If that diamond ring turns to brass,

Papa’s going to buy you a looking-glass.

If that looking-glass gets broke,

Papa’s going to buy you a billy-goat.

If that billy-goat runs away,

Papa’s going to buy you another today.

3. b) Which two poems have rhyming lines? Circle the pairs of rhyming words.

A and B.

Word/ mockingbird, sing/ ring, brass/ looking-glass, broke/ billy-goat, away/ today

4. Which poems give you one clear picture in your mind?

F, G, H

Part 2

Poem A

1. What is the baby’s father going to buy if the mirror gets broken?

He’s going to buy the baby a billy-goat.

2. What is the baby’s father going to buy if the goat runs away?

He’s going to buy the baby another billy-goat.

Poem C

1. What sports do you think the speaker is writing about?

2. Did his or her team win the game?

Football.

No.

3. Why didn’t the player win?They didn’t have enough time; they didn’t have thousands of fans screaming; they stayed up too late the night before; they ran out of energy…

4. Does the speaker really believe his or her own excuses? How do you know?

No, because at the end of the poem the speaker admits that they just did not play well enough.

5. Do you ever give excuses when you don’t win or do something?

Poem D, E

1. What subject is the speaker writing about?His/Her brother; Summer.

2. Does the speaker like the subject?PoemD. Yes. Although the speaker describes a couple of negative aspects of his/her brother, we can feel the affection that the speaker feels for his/her brother.

PoemE. No. We get the feeling that the speaker cannot wait until the summer is over.

Thank you