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Year 7 English Home Learning Pack

Name:

Students should complete activities for each day in your

Home Learning exercise book.

Your work book will be checked by English teachers upon

return to school so ensure that you complete all given tasks.
All answers must be written in full sentences.

Three tasks should be completed per week. Each task should

take approximately 90 minutes.

If there are any issues or you don’t understand the work, please contact your English teacher by
email (parents or students).

Mr Kanu ​- kanu.a@chea.org.uk
Ms McGregor ​- mcgregor.a@chea.org.uk
Ms Colque ​- colque.a@chea.org.uk
Ms Conteh-Mosere ​- contehmosere.s@chea.org.uk

Head of English - ​johal.p@chea.org.uk

English second in charge - ​crosby.r@chea.org.uk
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Summary of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (sparknotes)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens with Theseus and Hippolyta planning their wedding, which takes
place in four days.

Egeus enters with his daughter, Hermia, and her two suitors, Lysander and Demetrius. Hermia is in
love with Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. He declares that if Hermia won’t
marry Demetrius, she will die. Lysander and Hermia decide to escape to Athens. Helena is in love
with Demeterius. Hermia and Lysander then tell Helena about their plan to leave. In a last effort to
gain Demetrius’ love, Helena decides to tell him of this plot.

Fairy Queen Titania and Fairy King Oberon are arguing because Titania refuses to give Oberon
custody of the Indian boy she is raising. Oberon sends Puck, his trouble-making jester, out to find a
plant called love-in-idleness, the juice of which makes any person dote on the next creature he or
she sees.

Taking pity on Helena for the terrible way Demetrius is treating her, Oberon instructs Puck to put
some love juice in Demetrius’ eyes at a moment when Helena will be the first person he sees upon
waking. Mistaking Lysander for the Demetrius Puck puts love juice in Lysander’s eyes. Still in pursuit
of Demetrius, Helena wanders past and awakens the sleeping Lysander; he immediately falls in love
with her.

When Titania falls asleep, Oberon squeezes the love juice in her eyes.

Puck, appalled by the awful acting of Bottom in the woods, gives him a donkey-head. Bottom is
unaware of the transformation and walks through the woods, waking Titania who immediately falls
in love with him. Titania willingly releases the Indian boy to Oberon because she only has eyes for
Bottom. Oberon’s plan is now complete so he releases her from the spell and has Puck remove the
donkey-head from Bottom.

Both Lysander and Demetrius are in love with Helena. Before a serious fight breaks out between
Demetrius and Lysander, Oberon has Puck create a fog that will keep the lovers from finding one
another. While they are sleeping, Puck reverses the spell on Lysander. He also casts a spell so none
of the lovers will remember what has happened in the woods. “Lord, what fools these mortals be!”

In the final scene, Demetrius and Helena are in love. Lysander loves Hermia again. The parents
accept that each couple will get married. The joyous lovers enter, and Theseus decides it is time to
plan the party for the evening.
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Character list - A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Puck​ - Oberon’s jester, a mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks on mortals. Though A
Midsummer Night’s Dream divides its action between several groups of characters.

Oberon​ - The king of the fairies, Oberon is initially at odds with his wife, Titania, because she refuses
to give him control of a young Indian prince whom he wants for a knight.

Titania​ - The beautiful queen of the fairies and Oberon’s wife, falls in love with Bottom as a result of
the love potion.

Demetrius​ - A young man of Athens, initially in love with Hermia and ultimately in love with Helena.

Hermia​ - Egeus’s daughter, a young woman of Athens. Hermia is in love with Lysander and is a
childhood friend of Helena.

Helena​ - A young woman of Athens, in love with Demetrius. Demetrius and Helena were once
betrothed, but when Demetrius met Helena’s friend Hermia, he fell in love with her and abandoned
Helena.

Egeus​ - Hermia’s father, who brings a complaint against his daughter to Theseus: Egeus has given
Demetrius permission to marry Hermia, but Hermia, in love with Lysander, refuses to marry
Demetrius. He is a strict father but has his daughter’s wellbeing at heart.

Theseus​ - The heroic duke of Athens, engaged to Hippolyta. Theseus represents power and order
throughout the play. He appears only at the beginning and end of the story, removed from the
dreamlike events of the forest.

Hippolyta​ - The legendary queen of the Amazons, engaged to Theseus. Like Theseus, she symbolizes
order.

Nick Bottom ​- Bottom is full of advice and self-confidence but frequently makes silly mistakes. Puck
transforms his head into a donkey’s. Titania falls in love with him.
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Task 1 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Running away

[Act 1, Scene 1 from line 202]

Hermia and Lysander love each other and after Egeus (Hermia’s father) says she must marry
Demetrius or be killed, they decide to run away.
Helena is a friend of Hermia’s; Helena is in love with Demetrius, who is the man Hermia is
supposed to marry and is upset because Demetrius loves Hermia and not her.
Helena bumps into Hermia and Lysander and they tell her their plan.

HERMIA​: Take comfort: he no more shall see my face;

Lysander and myself will fly this place.
Before the time I did Lysander see,
Seem'd Athens as a paradise to me:
O, then, what graces in my love do dwell,
That he hath turn'd a heaven unto a hell!

LYSANDER​: Helen, to you our minds we will unfold:

To-morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold
Her silver visage in the watery glass,
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass,
A time that lovers' flights doth still conceal,
Through Athens' gates have we devised to steal.

HERMIA​: And in the wood, where often you and I

Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie,
Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet,
There my Lysander and myself shall meet;
And thence from Athens turn away our eyes,
To seek new friends and stranger companies.

1. Look carefully at Hermia’s first speech; how did Hermia see Athens before she met
Lysander?
2. Hermia uses powerful language to explain how she feels about Athens; she describes it as
‘a hell’; write down all of the words and phrases this makes you think of.
3. Lysander tells Helena their plan- what are they going to do?
4. What are Hermia and Lysander going to ‘seek’ away from Athens? (read Hermia’s last
speech).
5. Imagine that you are Helena in this scene. Your best friend and the man you love have
decided to run away together. Write a diary entry of a page where you explain your feelings.
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Task 2 - Comprehension and writing task

1) Read the text on bullying and answer the questions

Half of UK teens say bullying is worse online (The Day, 2015) - theday.co.uk

The rise of social media has created new opportunities for those who wish to make their peers feel small. Is
online technology bad for today’s teenagers? Or can it also be used for good?

Carney Bonner was 14 years old when he began to receive nasty messages from an anonymous Facebook
account. ‘You’re nothing,’ they said. ‘You don’t mean anything to anyone.’

He was a loud and outgoing student, and at first he brushed the messages off. ‘I thought it was a joke,’ he
admitted. But as the abuse continued, it began to eat away at his confidence. When he received a message
telling him to kill himself, it was the final straw. He began to self-harm. It was only when a friend saw his
injuries and took him to see the school counsellor that things began to improve. ‘It was like learning to
walk,’ he said. ‘I had to work towards being myself again.’

Bonner’s story has a happy ending: he is now studying at the University of Gloucestershire, campaigning to
end cyberbullying and mental health stigma, and says he aims to be the UK’s first black prime minister.

But not everyone is so lucky. Research has found that around half of youth suicides in the UK are linked to
bullying. And a survey by the Vodafone Foundation discovered that one in five young people have suffered
online abuse, while over half said cyberbullying was worse than face-to-face abuse.

Charities and campaigners explain that the anonymous, 24/7 nature of social media can make bullying
worse for young people — but technology is also a useful way of fighting back.

In response to their research, Vodafone last month released a series of emojis to help teenagers support
each other when they encounter cyberbullying. The psychology professor Dacher Keltner explained that
images can be a more ‘powerful’ way of showing sympathy and compassion during hard times.

It is clearly not a matter of ‘better’ or ‘worse’, others reply. Technology does not have an essential
‘goodness’. Just like writing or money, it is simply a tool of modern life. It is the way we choose to use it that
gives it any value at all.

Tangled web

Mobile phones and the internet have made life far worse for teenagers, say some. Bullying no longer ends
at the school gates; for some people it can feel almost impossible to escape, and the potentially sinister
nature of anonymous accounts makes the experience even scarier. Online technology is damaging young
people’s wellbeing — it’s time to log off and reconnect with the ‘real world’.

But many argue that online communities can be a refuge for those going through difficulties. If there is no
one in that ‘real world’ teenagers feel they can talk to, they are more likely to find support from strangers
on the internet, especially on blogging sites like tumblr. And if things get critical, there are advice websites
and helplines which might just save their life. The online world is crucial.

Comprehension questions
a) What is the article about?
b) How did the bullying on social media affect Carney Bonner?
c) What is Carney Bonner doing now, after getting over the bullying?
d) Give three reasons why social media is a problem.
e) In your opinion, is social media good or bad? Explain your reasons.
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2) “Social media causes teenagers huge stress. We should ban all social media to help them to be
happier”

In your workbook, write an article for a newspaper to explain your point of view on this statement. It should:
● Be planned using a spider diagram
● Be at least a page
● Be set out like a newspaper article
● Include alliteration, facts, opinions, rhetorical questions, emotive language, statistics and triplets
● Include headlines and subheadlines
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Task 3 - Comprehension and writing task

1) Read the text on novels and answer the questions.

Eureka! Great novels really ARE good for us (theday.co.uk)

We have told each other stories for thousands of years.

Tales of strife, romance, and bravery have illuminated minds since the dawn of history.

In the centuries before Xbox and Netflix, novels provided us with distraction from the real world.

But a major, new book based on important new academic research confirms what many experts had long
suspected: a good novel is far more than simply escapism – it is a key part of leading an enjoyable existence.

Professor Philip Davis is the author of Reading for Life, published last week by Oxford University Press.

The book highlights studies showing that reading great novels can be better for mental health than reading
self-help texts.

By studying the behaviour of people’s brains while they were reading, Davis concludes that the complex
language involved in classic works of fiction can help to relieve depression, chronic pain, and dementia.

While self-help books might offer tips as to how better to manage one’s time, or how to avoid thinking of
upsetting situations, they do not trigger any new behaviours in our brains.

“If you’re just scanning for information, you go fast, it’s very easy, it’s automatic,” Davis says. “But when
literature begins to do something more complicated than that, the brain begins to work. It gets excited, it
gets emotional.”

Studies have shown that reading or hearing stories stimulates the parts of our brains which are involved in
social and emotional processing. Reading fiction makes it easier to understand what others are going
through.

Glossary
Strife ​- Difficulty, drama.
Self-help​ - Non-fiction books that focus on how to improve the reader’s life.
Chronic​ - That lasts for a long time or that keeps coming back.
Dementia​ - A disease of the brain which affects memory and reasoning, more commonly seen in
old age.
Invigorates ​- Stimulates, brings to life.

a) What does the article argue about reading novels?

b) What illnesses/mental health issues does reading fiction help, according to the article?
c) What is the best week you have read? Explain why you liked it.

2) In your workbook, write a short story that you think a student your age would like to read. It
should:
● Be 2 pages
● Use adjectives
● Make sure you are clear about characters, setting and events.
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Task 4 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream - In the forest: Puck

Hermia and Lysander arrive in the forest, where there is a different King and Queen. In
Athens, Hippolyta and Theseus rule. However, in the forest, it is Fairy King and Queen
Oberon and Titania.

Oberon's jester and servant, Puck, is a powerful supernatural creature, capable of circling
the globe in 40 minutes or of ​enshrouding​ unsuspecting ​mortals​ in a deep fog. Also known
as Robin Goodfellow, Puck would have been familiar to a sixteenth-century English
audience, who would have recognized him as a common household spirit also often
associated with travelers. However, he's also a "puck," an elf or goblin that enjoys playing
practical jokes on mortals. Although he is more ​mischievous​ than ​malevolent​, Puck reminds
us that the fairy world is not all goodness and ​generosity​.

1. Use google or a dictionary to define the words about Puck. Write the words and
definitions in your workbook.
2. Take notes in your book about what Puck does in the play (see box below)
3. Why is Puck an important character in the play? Write down three reasons.
4. Puck is a mischievous character. Write your own story about a mischievous
character, using the words that you found the definitions to. Your story should be:
a. Planned using a spider diagram: Who, What, When, Where, Why?
b. A page long
c. Written in third person
d. Use all the words on this page in bold
e. Have a beginning, middle and end

What Puck does:

● Puck goes to fetch the ‘Love in Idleness’ flower (the love potion he uses on the
other characters)
● Puck puts the juice of the flower on Lysander’s eye instead of Demetrius’ eye.
● Puck puts the juice of the flower on Demetrius’ eye too, so that both men are in
love with Helena!
● Puck has to correct his mistakes at the end of the play.
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Task 5 - Comprehension and writing task

1) Read the article and answer the questions

Fury’s triumph ‘the greatest comeback in sport’ (theday.co.uk)

Can boxing be a force for good? One man has shrugged off his demons to become
champion of the world. But the sport can lead to death and causes an alarming incidence
of chronic brain injury.

He was taking a lot of drugs. He was drunk most days. He weighed 27 stone (171 kg).

He said that no one would ever accept him because of his Irish Traveller background. He
opened up about suffering from bipolar disorder and said that he no longer wanted to
live.

But on Saturday 22 February 2020, Tyson Fury became the heavyweight boxing champion
of the world.

Under the bright Las Vegas lights, the self-styled “Gypsy King” overcame the American
boxing legend Deontay Wilder.

It was a bruising battle, with Fury on the front-foot throughout. In the seventh round,
Wilder’s team threw in the towel.

It was a fight which promoter Frank Warren dubbed, “The best performance I have seen
from a British boxer in the ring. It is the best comeback in sport, not [just] boxing.”

In 2015, the 6’9” fighter was on top of the world. He defeated Wladimir Klitschko and
became world heavyweight champion.

However, in the months that followed, he descended into a self-inflicted pit of despair
and lost all his titles. Unsavoury comments about women, same-sex relationships and
Jews became public. Drug addiction and binge drinking contributed to severe weight gain.
He thought about suicide.

In 2016, Fury gave a chilling interview to Rolling Stone magazine. He felt that he had been
unfairly persecuted because of his ethnicity. He thought that the boxing world was
corrupt and wanted to see him fail. He was considering retirement.

“It’s been a witch hunt ever since I won that world title,” Fury said, “because of my
background, because of who I am and what I do – there’s hatred for Travellers and
gypsies around the world.”

However, in a Hollywood-like transformation, Fury cut the drink and the drugs and started
training again. He mended ties with his family and set his sights on boxing glory once
more. Competitive success was the light at the end of the tunnel.
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This weekend, his story came full circle. He once again dominates the sport that almost
ruined him.

So, can boxing be a force for good?

Glossary

Irish Traveller ​- Ethnic minority with significant populations in the UK, Ireland, and the US.
Usually Catholic, small-tight knit communities, that are not tied to any one location.
Bipolar disorder
Mental health condition​ - formerly known as manic depression. A sufferer’s mood will
switch from one extreme to another, often for many days at a time.
Unsavoury - ​unpopular and unkind/controversial
Heavyweight​ - Category of boxing competition reserved for those who weigh more than
91kg.
Deontay Wilder​ - American boxer who was heavyweight world champion between 2015
and 2020.
Threw in the towel ​- In boxing, the fight ends when one fighter’s team literally throws a
towel into the ring. This means that they acknowledge that their fighter has lost.
Promoter​ - A boxing promoter is in charge of setting up and paying for everything
involved in a boxing match, and often makes a lot of money in the process.
Wladimir Klitschko​ - Ukrainian heavyweight boxer who dominated the sport for almost a
decade until his defeat to Fury in 2015. He won Olympic gold in 1996.
Maiming​ - Hurting, injuring.

a) How did Tyson Fury change his lifestyle to ensure success in his fight?
b) What reasons does Fury give about why people hate him?
c) How tall is Tyson Fury? Do you think this helps him in boxing?
d) What lessons can people learn about Tyson Fury’s transformation in boxing?
e) Can boxing be a good thing for people? Write three reasons for why it might be good
and three reasons against.

2) In your workbook, write a speech in which you argue your point of view on boxing. Do
you think it can be a good thing for people? You should:
● Plan your answer using a spider diagram
● Write at least a page
● Explain your point of view in your introduction
● Write two paragraphs explaining your reasons for your opinion
● Write a conclusion where you summarise your ideas about boxing.
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Task 6 - Comprehension and writing task

Read the article and answer the questions.

A football pitch of rainforest lost each minute

Who owns the rainforest? Deforestation in the Amazon has increased by 30% in the past
year, with many blaming Brazil’s president. Activists say the precious ecosystem is not his
to destroy.

The Amazon rainforest is home to 360 billion trees and one in 10 of the Earth’s known
animal species. Its dense canopy and winding rivers cover 5.5 million sq km of South
America. And, now, this rich ecosystem is being torn down at a rate of one football pitch
every minute.

According to the Brazilian space agency, INPE, deforestation has accelerated by 29.5% in
just 12 months, reaching its highest rate since 2008. Between August 2018 and July 2019,
almost 10,000 sq km of rainforest was lost.

While it sprawls into eight countries, the majority of the Amazon lies in Brazil, where it
covers an area half the size of Europe. This puts it at the mercy of Brazilian president Jair
Bolsonaro, whose commitment to development over conservation has drawn
comparisons with Donald Trump.

Nicknamed “Captain Chainsaw”, Bolsonaro’s government stands accused of undoing years

of work to protect the rainforest. Since he was elected in January, convictions for
environmental crimes have plummeted. Land-grabbers, miners, loggers and agribusiness
have capitalised as officials turn a blind eye.

The situation worsened in August, when vast areas of the rainforest were engulfed in
fires. Many of the blazes had been deliberately started on so-called “fire days” by groups
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of farmers, who wanted to use the land to graze cattle. The number of fires has risen 85%
since last year.

Often called the “lungs of the planet”, the Amazon rainforest absorbs millions of tons of
carbon dioxide every year and produces around 6% of the oxygen we breathe.

The recurrent fires are a particular concern for the global fight against the climate crisis.
Trees in a humid forest like the Amazon have not evolved to cope with fires. Once they
have burned, the forests hold 25% less carbon even after three decades of regrowth.

“Contrary to what Brazilians think, the Amazon is not their property, it belongs to all of
us,” said Al Gore, former US vice-president, in 1989 when he was a senator. Three
decades later, his words are more poignant and contentious than ever.

Who really owns the Amazon?

Glossary

Years of work​ - Deforestation slowed dramatically between 2004 and 2018, when past
governments introduced fines and protective policies.
Land-grabbers​ - Wealthy individuals from distant cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro
and Curitiba hire “grileiros” (land-grabbers) to invade and clear the forest, then bribe
officials to gain ownership of the land. The value of the land can rise up to 100 times its
original value. Most of it goes unused.
Agribusiness - ​Farming business, often large companies that farm livestock and crops on a
mass scale.
Poignant - ​Evoking sadness or regret.
Contentious - ​Likely to cause an argument.
Colonised ​- Brazil was first colonised by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Colonisation
is when one country takes over another country.

a) Where is the Amazon rainforest?

b) How much of the rainforest disappears every minute?
c) How many trees are there in the Amazon rainforest?
d) What are the threats to the Amazon rainforest? Give at least three.
e) Who does Al Gore say that the rainforest belongs to? Do you agree and why?

2) Create a poster to persuade people that saving the rainforest is important. It should:
● Be eye-catching
● Include key facts, figures and vocabulary from the article
● Include pictures.
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Task 7 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Lysander and Demetrius fall in

love with Helena

Lysander and Demetrius both get put under the influence of the love potion and both of
them fall in love with Helena. Helena is unaware that they have been put under a love spell
and she is confused about why the two men suddenly fall in love with her. She thinks they
are making a joke in order to make her look silly!

Read the extract below and answer the questions

A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Act 3, Scene 2

DEMETRIUS
[Awaking]​ O Helena, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!
To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyes?
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show
Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!
That pure congealed white, high Taurus snow,
Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow
When thou hold'st up thy hand: O, let me kiss
This princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!

HELENA
O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent
To set against me for your merriment:
If you were civil and knew courtesy,
You would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
But you must join in souls to mock me too?
If you were men, as men you are in show,
You would not use a gentle lady so;
To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts,
When I am sure you hate me with your hearts.
You both are rivals, and love Hermia;
And now both rivals, to mock Helena:
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
To ​conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes
With your derision!

Glossary
Nymph ​- a beautiful maiden
Divine ​- associated with God
Bent to set against me ​- determined to go against me
Merriment ​- enjoyment
Conjure ​- make something appear
 14

a) In line 1, how does Demetrius feel about Helena?

b) Who did Demetrius love before?
c) What made him change?
d) Does Helena believe him? Find a quote which supports your answer.
e) How does Helena feel about Lysander telling her he loves her?
Write a SQIZE paragraph answering the question. Use the quote: “O spite! O hell! I
see you are all bent to set against me in your merriment”
○ Statement - You should write a sentence which says how Helena Feels.
Helena is...
○ Quotation - use the quotation. ​This is made evident in the quote...
○ Inference - write a sentence which clearly says what the quotation tells the
audience. ​This quote instantly reveals...
○ Zoom - which words are important in the quote? ​In particular, the word ‘hell’
suggests that Helena feels…
○ Effect on the audience - how might the audience feel at this time? ​The
audience might feel sympathy for Helena because...
f) Write a diary entry imagining you are Helena, written just after this conversation
with Lysander. It should:
○ Be one page long
○ Four paragraphs
○ Explain how Helena feels
○ Use vocabulary from Act 3 Scene 2 (the box above)
 15

Task 8 - Comprehension and writing task

1) Read the extract and then answer the questions. As you read, underline words that
you are unsure of and look them up online/in a dictionary. Write the definitions in
your workbook.

I am not exactly in the Lake District by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Mum, Dad – if you're listening – you know I said I was going to the South Lakeland
Outdoor Activity Centre with the school? To be completely honest, I'm not exactly
in the Lake District. To be completely honest, I'm more sort of in space. I'm on this
rocket, the Infinite Possibility. I'm about two hundred thousand miles above the
surface of the Earth. I'm allright . . . ish. I know I've got some explaining to do. This
is me doing it. I lied about my age. I sort of gave the impression I was about thirty.
Obviously I'm more sort of thirteen-ish. On my next birthday. To be fair, everyone
lies about their age. Adults pretend to be younger. Teenagers pretend to be older.
Children wish they were grownups. Grownups wish they were children.

It's not like I had to try very hard, is it? Everyone always thinks I'm older than I
really am, just because I'm tall. In St Joan of Arc Primary the teachers seemed to
think that height and age were the same thing. If you were taller than someone, you
must be older than them. If you were tall and you made a mistake – even if it was
only your first day – you got, "You should know better, big lad like you." Why, by
the way? Why should a big lad know better just because he's big? King Kong's a big
lad. Would he know the way to the toilet block on his first day at school? When no
one had told him? No, I don't think he would. Anyway a few hours back the Infinite
Possibility was supposed to complete a routine manoeuvre and basically it didn't. It
rolled out of orbit, wrecking all the communication equipment, and now we're very
lost in space.

I've got this mobile phone with me – because it had pictures of home on it. It's got
an audio-diary function. That's what I'm talking into now. Unless you get this
message you won't know about this because we're on a secret mission. They already
told us that if it goes wrong they're going to deny all knowledge of it. And us.
There's five of us on board. The others are all asleep. Can you believe that, by the
way? We're in a rocket, spinning hopelessly out of control and into Forever, and
what is their chosen course of action? A nap.

When we got the manoeuvre just slightly wrong – just slightly enough to make us
completely doomed – they all screamed for about an hour and then they dozed off. I
 16

can't sleep. I can't get comfortable in sleeping bags because they're always too small
for me. Plus I think if I stay awake I might have an idea. And save us all. That's why
I'm recording this on my Draxphone. If I do get home, I'm going to give it to you
and then you'll understand how I ended up in deep space when I said I was going
pond dipping in the Lake District.

If you are listening to this though, and you are not my mum and dad, you are
probably a pointy-headed, ninety-legged, sucker-footed alien, in which case, can I
just say, "Hello, I come in peace. And, if you happen to have the technology, would
you mind posting this to: Mr and Mrs Digby – 23, Glenarm Close, Bootle,
Liverpool 22, England, The Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, et cetera. If it's not too
much trouble."

The slightly worrying thing is that I am sort of enjoying this. Being doomed is Not
Good. But being weightless is Outstanding. Every time I lean forward I do a perfect
somersault. When I stretch my arms in the air I levitate. Back on Earth my only
special skills are being above average in maths and height. Up here I've got so many
skills I'm practically a Power Ranger. Then there's the stars.

On Earth, our house is right next to the New Strand Shopping Centre. The
multi-storey blots out most of the sky. The only stars I ever really noticed were the
ones on the "It's Your Solar System" glow-in-the-dark mobile I got when I was nine.
And the only reason I noticed them was that they kept getting tangled in my hair.
Mobiles do not make good presents for persons of above average height.

The stars look different from here. There's a lot more of them, for one thing. Big
swirls and knots and clouds of them, so bright they hurt to look at. When you're in
it, space looks like the biggest firework display ever – except it's on pause. It looks
like freeze-frame fireworks. Even if you're Completely Doomed, you've got to be
impressed.

The only bad thing about the view is that it doesn't include Earth. We haven't seen it
since we rolled out of orbit. I said to the others, "Well, it must be somewhere. We're
probably just facing the wrong way. We'll find it. Definitely." But that didn't seem
to calm them down. One of them – Samson Two – drew me a diagram to prove that
even if we were facing the wrong way we should still be able to see it. I said, "So
what are you saying? That we've fallen into some magic wormhole and come out on
the other side of the universe?"
 17

"Possibly."

"That the whole Earth just vanished? That it's gone?"

"Possibly."

They all screamed until they wore themselves out, and then they went to sleep. At
least sleep uses less oxygen.

A. Where did Liam, the narrator, tell his parents he was going?
B. What is the name of the rocket in which Liam finds himself, and how far
above the Earth is he?
C. In the second paragraph, Liam sounds annoyed at the way he is
treated. Explain why.
D. How is Liam recording his diary, and what are the other four crew
members doing while he records it?
E. What problem does Liam have with sleeping bags? What do you think is
the reason that the writer gives us this bit of information?
F. Liam talks about his situation being ‘Not Good’, weightlessness being
‘Outstanding’ and the fact that he and the other rocket crew members
are ‘Completely Doomed’. Why do you think these words are in capital
letters?
G. In the seventh and eighth paragraphs, Liam tells us about the stars. Do
you think the writer describes them well? Explain why.
H. Find a sentence or paragraph in the passage intended to make the
reader smile, and explain why you think it is funny.
I. How would you describe the tone (mood/atmosphere) of the passage?
How do you think the writer wants the reader to feel at the end of this
passage (the opening chapter of the novel)?
J. Do you think that the writer gets Liam’s voice right: when you read the
passage, does it feel like you are listening to the voice of a twelve year
old boy? Write a few sentences in which you explain what you think
using short quotations or references to the passage.
 18

Task 9 - Comprehension and writing task

1) Read the extract from ‘The Selfish Giant’ by Oscar Wilde and answer the questions

Questions - answer in full sentences in your workbook:

a) Write down seven adjectives that the author has used in the second paragraph
b) Write down the true statements:
i) The garden had pear trees
ii) The children loved listening to the birds singing
iii) The children had got used to playing in the garden as the Giant had been
away for a while
iv) The Giant put up a sign that said, ‘Stay off the grass’.
c) How did the Giant make sure that the children could not get into the garden to play?
 19

d) What did the words on his noticeboard mean?

e) Find and copy the quotation that proves the road was not suitable for playing on
f) When Spring comes to the rest of the country, what happened to the birds, trees
and flowers in the Giant’s garden?
g) Find and copy a sentence that proves that the garden was covered in snow and ice
h) How was the North Wind dressed?
i) What damage was done to the Giant’s house?
j) Explain how the author has made the weather sound as if it was real people.
 20

Task 10 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Titania falls in love with a

donkey! (Act 3 Scene 1)

Due to the argument Titania and Oberon are having, Oberon wants to make Titania feel
embarrassed. He tells Puck to make her fall in love with a man with a donkey’s head called Bottom!
Puck uses the love potion to follow Oberon’s orders. Puck is so foolish (silly) that he doesn’t really
react to Titania falling in love with him.

She says to Puck: “Thou art as wise as you are beautiful”

1. Is it appropriate for Titania to fall in love with Bottom? Give three reasons.

If you were friends with Titania, what would you say to her about the fact she has fallen in love with
a donkey? Remember, you do not know she has been put under the spell of the love potion!

2. Write a letter to Titania explaining why you think she is making a mistake by falling in love
with Bottom. You should ensure that you:
i. Use a letter format
ii. Write four paragraphs (1: explain your shock, 2: explain why she is wrong,
3: explain what others will think and 4: explain what she should do next)
 21

Task 11 - Writing task

1) In your workbook, complete the exercise on similes: EG - 1. ​Andrew is being

compared to a fox.

2) Write a description of a busy train station and a journey based on this picture.

You should:
● Write one-two pages
● Create a character
● Write a description of the train station
● Write about where your character is going
● Use ten adjectives
● Use a simile
 22

Task 12 - Writing task

1) Use google/dictionary to define the following adjectives in your workbook:

○ Dank
○ Desolate
○ Bleak
○ Sinister
○ Ominous
○ Hazy
○ Petrified
○ Howling
○ Stealthily
○ Spectral
○ Acrid
○ Rancid

2) Imagine you are at the house in the picture. In your workbook, write what you
would:
○ Smell?
○ See?
○ Feel?
○ Hear?
○ Taste?

3) Write a description of the house in the picture. You must:

○ Write at least one page
○ Write in first person from a character’s point of view
○ Write about the five senses (smell/sight/touch/sound/taste)
○ Use at least six of the words from Question 1
 23

Task 13 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The happy ending

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy. That means it must have a happy ending!

At the end, we now have two couples who are happily in love with each other:
● Lysander <3s Hermia
● Demetrius <3s Helena

At the end of the play, the parents accept the new couples and their wish to be married.

1) Read this translation about what Demetrius says about his feelings towards Hermia
and Helena. He no longer loves Hermia. He is now in love with Helena.

My lord, Helena told me Hermia and Lysander left Athens

To escape through this wood.
I was angry so I followed them
And beautiful Helena followed me.
But, my good lord, I do not know what strange magic
(Because it certainly feels like magic) changed my love for Hermia.
It melted like the snow, and now feels like
Remembering a silly little toy
That I used to love as a child.
All of the truth and passion of my heart,
All of the desire of my eyes,
Is now only for Helena. To her, my lord,
I was engaged before I met Hermia.
When you are sick, you hate some food
And then, when healthy, wish for it again. This is how I feel for Helena.
Now I love her, long for her,
And will be true to her forever.

2) Answer the questions in your workbook:

a) How was Demetrius feeling when he followed Hermia and Lysander into the
forest?
b) What has happened to Demetrius’ feelings for Hermia?
c) Who does Demetrius dedicate his ‘faith’ and ‘virtue of heart’ to?
d) Why do you think Shakespeare created a happy ending to this play? How
would it make the audience feel?
 24

Task 14 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Quote focus 1

1) In this extract, Lysander is under the influence of the love potion. Hermia is confused
about why he is no longer in love with her.
Read the extract and answer the questions below.

LYSANDER
(to HERMIA) ​Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! Vile thing, let loose
Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent.

HERMIA
Why are you grown so rude? What change is this,
Sweet love?

LYSANDER
Thy love? Out, tawny Tartar, out!
Out, loathèd medicine! O hated potion, hence!

Glossary
Vile = disgusting
Serpent = a type of snake
Shake thee from me = get rid of you

a) What two animals does Lysander call Hermia?

b) What language device does Lysander use when he says “shake thee from me ​like​ a
serpent?”
c) How does Shakespeare present Lysander’s feelings towards Hermia in Act 3 Scene 2?
Write a SQIZE paragraph answering the question. Use the quote: “Hang off, thou cat,
thou burr! Vile thing, let loose or I will shake thee from me like a serpent.”
○ Statement - You should write a sentence which says how Lysander feels.
Lysander clearly feels...
○ Quotation - use the quotation. ​This is made evident in the quote...
○ Inference - write a sentence which clearly says what the quotation tells the
audience. ​This quote instantly reveals...
○ Zoom - which words are important in the quote? ​In particular, the word
‘serpent’ suggests that Helena feels…
○ Effect on the audience - how might the audience feel at this time? ​The
audience may feel…’
 25

Task 15 - Choose a task and complete it in your workbook!

1. Write a description 2. It was cold. The man 3. “School uniform should

suggested by this shivered. He was be banned because it
picture worried about what does not allow children
had happened. He to show their true
didn’t know what to do individuality”

Write the opening of a story Write the text of a speech for

about this man. What has an assembly to your peers in
happened to him? which you explain your point
of view.

4. The building started to 5. Create your own 6. Write a description

collapse as the storm superhero and write a suggested by this
continued. story with them in it. picture

Write a short story about a Finished? Draw a comic strip

storm. of what happened in your
story.