77

Unit 3 - The sea

78

Cloze exercise

Theme: Secrets of the deep blue sea

The story of the Grosverner

Many years ago, in 1782, a trading ship sailing from Ceylon to England got into 1.___ off the coast of the Eastern Cape. The captain and crew of the Grosvernor thought that they were in deep water, far away from the coast. But they were actually much closer to land than they realised.Their problems had started a couple of days before when a cloudy sky prevented the sailors from seeing the stars. In those days sailors used the 2.___ to navigate. The sailors knew they were lost.One night a gale force wind started to blow. With a huge jolt, the ship smashed into the 3.___ near the shore. Almost immediately the ship started to break up and 4.___. They were quite close to land and many of the people on board were able to get to shore. But all of their belongings and the 5.___ went down with the ship.It was said that there was a 6.___ in gold on the Grosvernor and that it all sank with the

has discovered anything of much worth. The 8.___ says that chests full of gold, silver and jewels are buried under the sand. Over the years, treasure hunters have tried everything

people even started digging a 10.___ from the shore to where they thought the wreck was. Nobody succeeded. So, the Grosvernor’s treasure is still at the bottom of the Indian Ocean near the Eastern Cape.

Study the following wordsocean octopusfoam penguinswaves dolphinsbeach waddles

island oystersrock pools squirtsdunes creatureshigh tide pearlweather whales

blasted cargo fortune legend rocks

sink stars treasure trouble tunnel

79

DictationFrom Sea FeverI must go down to the sea againTo the lonely sea and the sky.And all I ask is a tall shipand a star to steer her by.

And the wheel’s kickand the wind’s songand the white sail shaking.And a grey mist on the sea’s faceand a grey dawn breaking.

Pronunciation1. She sells seashells on the seashore.2. Round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.3. In winter, the weather in Wales is wild.

Reading and understanding

Class reading

The sea

The restless ocean

Those of you who have seen the sea will understand why a poet once called the sea ‘the restless ocean’. The sea always keeps moving; it is never, ever still or quiet. If you watch the sea, you will see how the water rushes forwards onto the beach, then recedes again. As one part of the sea is lifted high into the air by waves, another part crashes back down onto the sand.

Vocabulary

restless: unable to rest or be still. recedes: pulls back again, moves backwards. crests: tops of waves. foam: white froth on fast moving water. blobby: shapeless and jellylike. tentacles: long ‘arms’ of creatures like the octopuses. squirts: sends out strong, thin stream of liquid. shore dwellers: people who live (dwell) along seashore. wreck: ships that have sunk to the bottom of sea or stranded. intact: complete, unbroken.

80

The waves in the sea look like sheets of water with the green part of the wave curling over and the white top falling under. At low tide, the waves are small and gentle as they run up along the shore.

At high tide, the waves are high and powerful. They rush up the beach with a roar like thunder. Some people call the waves ‘white horses’. This is because when it is high tide, the waves are so big and their crests are so white with foam that they look like white horses galloping towards the sand.

Creatures of the sea

How do you think it would feel to live in a place that is cold, wet and

interesting creatures live happily in the sea. The whale, which is the

like you and me. Dolphins and porpoises also live in the sea and they are mammals too.

stings the food so that it can eat it.

Another strange creature of the sea is the octopus. This sea creature has eight arms or tentacles. Each arm has many little suckers on it. The octopus uses its tentacles to help it catch its food. When an octopus is scared or angry, it squirts out a stream of black ink . The ink covers the octopus and hides it from its enemy, giving the octopus time to swim away from any danger.

and crabs.

The seashore at low tide

It is exciting to walk along the seashore at low tide. This is because when the high tide goes out, it leaves behind many different kinds of shells on the sand. It also leaves many small creatures trapped in the rock pools along the water’s edge. A rock pool could have

people are lucky enough to have found a pearl growing in the oyster they took out of a rock pool.

The earliest shore dwellers

in South Africa were the ancient San. These people were the ancestors of today’s San, who

from the seas, rivers and lakes. They ate sea creatures with shells, like crabs, that lived in the pools close to the water’s edge. The ancient San are sometimes called ‘strandlopers’. This is an Afrikaans word meaning ‘people who walk along the beach’. Scientists can tell us what these ancient South Africans liked to eat because they left behind scraps of the sea animals they caught and ate.

81

Mysteries of the sea

Although people have always been interested in the sea, there are still many mysteries about what lies at the bottom of the deepest parts of the ocean. Humans have sent people

deepest, darkest depths of the ocean.

There are many treausres in the sea. Oil, gold and diamonds are also found in the sea. Ships that sank many hundreds of years ago are still lying at the bottom of the ocean. Salt can also be taken from the sea.

the beautiful gold coins, porcelain, vases and expensive decorations still lying on the seabed.

tanks, a breathing tube and a strong knife are needed to keep the diver safe while he or she is under the water for long periods.(Taken from New Generation English Gr 6 by Botha, Constable, Lawrence and Kahimbaara)

Group reading

Each group member should read one part of ‘The Sea’ and then put the next questions to the group to answer.

Read ‘the restless ocean’ and ask:

What does ‘recede’ mean?What are the waves like at low tide?What sound do the waves make at high tide?Why do some people call the waves ‘white horses’?

Read ‘The seashore at low tide’ and ask:

Why can it be exciting to walk along the beach after the tide has gone out?

What is a pearl?Why would you be lucky if you found a pearl in an oyster?

Read ‘Mysteries of the sea’ and ask:

Why have people not yet explored the deepest part of the oceans?What precious stones and minerals are found in the seabed?Why do treasure hunters look for shipwrecks from long ago?What do divers have to wear when they go diving?Why can it be dangerous to dive down to the wrecks at the bottom of the sea?

Read ‘Creatures of the sea’ and ask:

Which animal is the largest on earth?

82

In what way are whales like people?

What is the name of the sea creature with eight tentacles?What does an octopus do when it is scared or angry?

Read ‘The earliest shore dwellers’ and ask:

What did they eat?Where do these people mostly live now?Where did the name ‘strandlopers’ come from?What does it mean?

Written comprehensionAnswer the following questions in your classwork book. Answer the questions in full sentences.

The Sea

1. Why did the poet call the sea ‘restless’?2. What are ‘white horses’?3. What is the difference between high

tide and low tide?4. What can you expect to see in the rock

pools at low tide?5. Name a mammal that lives in the sea.6. How does an octopus trick its enemy?7. How do we know that the ancient San

oyster?9. How does a diver’s equipment help

him or her to be safe under the water?10. Why is seawater so unpleasant to

drink?

83

Can you dress the diver?

body is designed for living in the water.

Our bodies are designed for living on the land. If we want to enter the watery world of the

Temperature

blooded; its body temperaturecan vary with the surrounding temperature. We must keep our temperature at ± 37ºC.

What can the diver wear to keep himself warm while under water?

Movement

swimming.

Give the diver something to make his movement in the water more effective.

Breathing

inside its body, which can absorb the oxygen dissolved in the water. We have lungs, and must thus breathe air.

Give the diver something to make this possible underwater.

Sight

adapted to see in the water. Our eyes are not.

Give the diversomething to overcome this problem.

84

Speaking and listening

Asking for assistance

Kim: Captain, please come and help the penguin.Captain: Let’s go and have a look right away.

Captain: Hmm, you’re right. I shall have to go into the water quickly and see if I can bring it back and untangle the line. You wait here and keep my jacket and cap.Kim: Oh, thank you, Sir! I just knew you would know what to do!

Pair work: Conducting an interview

Pretend that one of you is the old sea captain from Boulder Beach and one is a television reporter interviewing him. The reporter must think of some good questions to ask the sea captain about his life and the sea bird hospital. The old man must think of reasons why he likes to look after birds.

You can also pretend that one of you is the boy/girl who found the distressed penguin. The reporter must ask questions about how you came to help the penguin, what the old man did and how young people can help preserve our beaches and its natural wildlife.

Singing a sea song

The scuba diver went under the sea,under the sea, under the sea.The scuba diver went under the seaand saw a shark as big as me.

The scuba diver went under the sea,under the sea, under the sea.The scuba diver went under the seaand saw a whale as big as me.

85

Language

Vocabulary

Can you remember the words that mean:a. the ‘arms’ of a creature like an octopus?b. pulls back again, moves backwards?c. sends out a strong, thin stream of liquid?d. complete, not broken?

Nouns

A noun is the name of a person, place or thing. Some nouns tell us what work a person does. These nouns are often made from other nouns or verbs

Read the following passage. Write down the right noun for the person who does the work each time there is a blank space.

Last week, we were discussing with our teacher what work we want to do when we are grown up. Lindie said she likes inventing things and she would like to be an 1.___ one day. Peter said he loves to design new things and clothes and he would like to be a 2.___. Andrew’s father works in the mine and is a 3.___ but Andrew doesn’t want to work underground. He wants to sail away in a big boat and see the world. He wants to be a 4.___ one day.

Maria’s mother owns a farm and that is why Maria wants to become a 5.___ Rachel loves jewellery and how to make them so she wants to be a 6.___ Dobi said he hates seeing people living in shacks and wants to build good houses for people. So Dobi wants to become a 7.___

And me? Well, I love the sea. I want to learn how to dive and become a 8.___ so that when I study marine biology I shall be an excellent 9.___.

Collective nouns

Collective nouns are used to name collections or groups of things, for example a pack of

a. a ___ of shipsb. a ___ of birds

d. a ___ of bookse. a ___ of kittens

g. a ___ of sailorsh. a ___ of rocksi. a ___ of whales

pod crew pile bunch

litter

86

The apostrophe

We use the apostrophe to show that something belongs to someone. E.g. the girl’s bicycle; the children’s books.An apostrophe is also used when two words are joined together to show where a letter or letters has been left out to join the words - we call it contraction.E.g. did not = didn’t could not = couldn’t

she will = she’ll they are = they’re

Now rewrite these sentences joining the bold words together to make one word:

a. Cheryl does not want the penguin to drown.b. She should not try to rescue it by herself.c. She will call the old captain.d. Together they will rescue the penguin.e. “I could not help the penguin by myself,” she said.f. It is so lucky that he lives close by.g. He is always willing to help.h. Where is the wreck?i. The treasure was not in the wreck.j. We are unlucky this time.k. Yes, but I am lucky. I have found a beautiful shell.

Who and which

Use who in a sentence about a person.Use which in a sentence about an object or thing.

Example: The diver found two silver buckles. They were very alike. The diver found two silver buckles which were very alike. My mother has two sisters. They are very friendly. My mother has two sisters who are very friendly.

Now underline the correct joining word.

b. The scientists are looking for scraps from our ancestors (which/who) lived along the coast long ago.

foot.d. The octopus (which/who) was scared, scuttled away.

Similarities

We use and and both when we compare things with similarities.For example: Cars and motorbikes both have engines.

Now complete these sentences using and and both.a. Cats ___ dogs are ___ pets.

87

b. Whales ___ dolphins are ___ mammals.c. Gold ___ silver are ___ minerals.

e. The “Grosvernor” ___ the “Drommedaris” are ___ famous shipwrecks.

Differences

A good word to use when we look at differences between two things is but.

Example: Cars have four wheels but motorbikes have two.

Now complete these sentences using but:

a. Dogs can be trained ___ cats cannot be trained.

c. Gold never goes black ___ silver does.d. An ant has six legs ___ a spider has eight.e. The Indian Ocean is warm ___ the Atlantic is cold.

Comparisons

A good word to use for comparing things is “than”. Remember, if you are comparing two things you use a special form of the adjective, usually by adding ‘er’.

Example: faster - faster than cold - colder than

Whales are bigger than dolphins.

Complete these sentences by adding than and changing the adjective in brackets:

a. Sea-horses are (small) ___ octopuses.b. Cape Town is (windy) ___ Durban.c. Great White Sharks are (big) ___ hammerhead sharks.d. Kwa-Zulu Natal is (hot) ___ than the Western Cape.e. Sea crabs are (quick) ___ than sea snails.

But remember these rules:

If an adjective ends in ‘y’ like happy, we drop the ‘y’ and add ‘ier’, e.g. happier. If an adjective is very short like big, and ends in a consonant, we

double the consonant and then add ‘er’, e.g. bigger.

88

A poem full of adjectives

Choose words from the box below to complete this poem in your writing book:

scaly rusty broken iron heavy

scary lazy prickly stripy bright

One......wreckTwo......cannons on the deckThree......chests with locksFour......sharks behind the rocks

Down under the sea.

89

Can you remember the ‘every day tense’?

Look at the following sentences:

I always enjoy our holidays at the seashore.

We usually stay in a hotel or guest house when we are there.You also love the sea, don’t you?Children never get tired of sliding down the supertubes.Boys normally want to ride the waves and most girls bake in the sun when they are on holiday.I am fascinated by life in rock pools.My baby sister is still wary of the rolling waves.

Look at the following sentences and how they are used:

Statements

In the sea big creatures eat small creatures.

The octopus scares the diver.The law protects penguins.

Questions

Do big creatures in the sea eat small creatures?

Does the octopus scare the diver?Does the law protect penguins?

(You can also use question words like why, where, what and when in these sentences.)

Negatives

Big creatures don’t always eat small creatures.

The octopus doesn’t scare the diver.The law doesn’t protect all penguins.

••••

••••

••••

Time words: always, never, every month (or week, year, Saturday, holiday, etc.), usually, normally, often, are time

90

Tags

Big creatures eat small creatures, don’t they?Big creatures don’t eat small creatures, do they?

The octopus scares the diver, doesn’t it?The octopus doesn’t scare the diver, does it?The law protects penguins, doesn’t it?

Passives

In the sea small creatures are eaten by big creatures.Pearls are sometimes found in oyster shells.The diver is scared by the octopus.Penguins are protected by the law.

••••••

••••

Can you do the same with these sentences?

1. The old man saves the penguin. 2. Boys usually enjoy holidays. 3. The ink hides the octopus from its enemy. 4. The tide leaves many little creatures behind on the beach. 5. High rocks and boulders protect Boulder Beach.