unit 8 sh, ch /sh/ 101

Shaun and the chiffon shirts

1. What was Shaun’s profession?

2. What are ‘culinary skills’?

3. What does ‘to brag’ mean?

4. Do you think that Shaun knew much about how to wash things in the washing machine?

5. What is the connection between the chiffon shirts

and Shaun looking for lodgings?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 -ti /sh/ 102

National action

1. Why is ‘increasingly torrential rainfall’ a concern for the whole nation?

2. Give two contrasting examples of how changes in

climate can affect people.

3. What other words could you use instead of ‘initially’?

4. Why might people consider that the politicians

should concern themselves with the climate?

5. What does it mean to ‘put forward a motion in parliament’?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 -ci /sh/ 103

The ancient recipe

1. What does ‘essential’ mean?

2. What had the torrential rain to do with Patience being patient?

3. Why did Patience’s mother look at the list of

ingredients ‘with suspicion’?

4. Why did Patience’s mother say, “Artificial colouring would not be in an ancient recipe”?

5. How did Patience’s mother know that it would still

be a delicious cake without an ingredient that Patience considered to be essential?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 -ssi /sh/ 104

The admission

1. What had Julie lost?

2. Why was it so difficult for Julie to admit that she had lost them?

3. Was Julie’s brother, Mark, older or younger than

Julie?

4. What was Mark’s response to the news that Julie had lost the tickets?

5. How do we know that Julie’s father felt sorry for

Julie?

6. Why did Julie dread her mother’s comments about the lost tickets?

7. What do you think Julie’s mother finally decided

about the tickets?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 /zh/ 105

Television

1. Give reasons ‘for’ and ‘against’ the suggestion that watching television is a valuable pastime.

2. What problems are caused when there are a large

number of television channels?

3. Why might someone who admits that he, or she, enjoys watching television still prefer to go to the gym?

4. What do you think is the most important service

that television can provide?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 -ou /u/ 106

The limousine

1. As James drives people in his limousine, what job title could he be given?

2. How many people could James drive at any one

time?

3. Describe a problem with driving the limousine. What makes this problem worse causing ‘quite a rough ride’?

4. How are the two film stars described?

5. Were the film stars impressed with their ride in the

limousine?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 -ous /u+s/ 107

Ambitious salespeople

1. What does being ‘courteous’ mean?

2. Find another way of describing something which is ‘tedious’.

3. What is meant by the expression ‘sales patter’?

4. Is persistence a negative or positive quality or does

it depend on the circumstances?

5. What does it mean to change a phone number to ‘ex-directory’? Discuss the pros and cons of having an ex-directory number.

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 ph /f/ 108

What elephant?

1. This could be described as a ‘tall story’. What do you think it means to tell a ‘tall story’?

2. Do we know if the person who reported the

elephant is male or female?

3. Is the person who reported the elephant indoors or outdoors?

4. Do you think that the police sergeant believes that

there is an elephant? Why does he say, “…it’s that phantom elephant again”?

5. What is your interpretation of this story? Do you

think there was a real elephant - or no elephant at all - or a phantom elephant?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 gh /f/ 109

The cough remedy

1. What was causing Mohammad to sound ‘gruff’?

2. Why do you think that Mohammad’s grandmother laughed?

3. Do you think people would consider that the

grandmother’s suggestions were sensible remedies?

4. Why might the grandmother be in a position to know what is best?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 g, gg, gh /g/ 110

Gavin in ghost town

1. Give two reasons why Gavin likes to job early in the morning.

2. Why is the town described as a ‘ghost town’?

3. What is an ‘iPod’?

4. What advantages are there to Gavin listening to his

‘iPod’ whilst he jogs?

5. What does Gavin’s father do when Gavin gets home that benefits the whole family?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 ch /ch/ /sh/ /k/ 111

Choices

1. How are Christopher and Richard related to one another?

2. Do we learn who is the youngest boy?

3. What are the occupations of the parents?

4. What careers are the boys aiming for when they

leave school?

5. What reasons do they give for not rating each other’s choices?

6. What did they agree about their preferred careers?

7. Do you have any particular career ambition?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 wa /o/ 112

The swap

1. What is meant by a ‘swashbuckling’ film?

2. Why is the plot described as ‘hard to swallow’?

3. What is the basis of the plot between the two main characters?

4. What is a fugitive?

5. What is an impostor?

6. How do we know that Wanda enjoyed the film?

7. Have you ever watched a film that could be

described as ‘swashbuckling’?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 qua /o/ 113

The brothers’ quarrel

1. What was the relationship between Stephen and Gary?

2. What was the joint project of Stephen and Gary?

3. Who was the memorial garden for and what is

special about a ‘memorial’ garden?

4. What were Stephen’s professional qualifications?

5. What did Gary do instead of going to college?

6. What wise words did the mother say in an attempt to stop the brothers’ constant squabbling?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 war /or/ 114

The wardrobe

1. Why is the mother ‘on the warpath’ again? What does this expression mean?

2. How do we know that the bedroom is often messy?

3. What is the mother going to find when she reaches

the bedroom?

4. Where is the ‘favourite hiding place’?

5. What could you do to improve the situation if you were the mother of an untidy child?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 gn /n/ 115

Mr. Gnome

1. How can you find Mr. Gnome?

2. What is ‘a clearing’?

3. What is special about ‘designer’ clothes? Aren’t all clothes ‘designed’?

4. What does it mean, “Do not malign this little

fellow”?

5. Think imaginatively about ways in which there is more to Mr. Gnome than “meets the eye”. List your ideas.

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite

unit 8 -st- /s/ 116

The castle grounds

1. Where and when are the car-booting events (or car boot sales) held?

2. Why is it best to go early?

3. What do the car-booters use to lay out their

treasures?

4. Why are the items described as ‘treasures’?

5. List four things which are available for sale.

6. What time of year do you think it is and how do you know?

7. What makes the castle grounds ‘come alive’?

8. Have you ever been to a car boot sale?

9. Do you have sales of second-hand household goods

and personal treasures in your country?

Suggestions: These questions could provide a starting point for discussing the text. Teachers can decide how best to develop oral and written comprehension and vocabulary development according to the learners’ age, stage and needs. The text level passages ‘I can read’ provide cumulative decodable text and a means to link words together with the same spelling and sound patterns. Some passages may also provide suitable staring points for developing storylines orally and/or through writing.

Copyright 2007 Debbie Hepplewhite