GRADE 10

Language Booklet:

CONTENTS
Contents Description Page
Section 1
1 Parts of Speech notes
2 Punctuation notes
3 Concord notes
4 Active and Passive notes
5 Indirect and Reported Speech notes
6 Synonyms Exercises
7 Homophones and homonyms Exercises
8 Editing exercises

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 Section 1: Notes: PARTS OF SPEECH
NAME FUNCTION CLUE EXAMPLE
Naming word, A, the ... There are desks and chairs
Common noun names of in every classroom.
ordinary,
everyday things.
Names of Capital letter Mrs Jones was born in
Proper noun people, places England.
etc.
Names a Replaces „lots of A staff of teachers. A class
Collective noun collection or ...‟ of students.
group.
Something You can give it John‟s intelligence and
Abstract noun which is not to someone but perseverance won him the
visible or not in a box. trophy.
tangible.
Stands in place Can replace a Mary is given homework
Pronoun of the noun. noun. every day and Mary (she)
does homework (it)
diligently.
Adjective Describing word The ... boy, girl. The pretty girl.
Doing word Can you...? We work in the mornings,
Verb (work, play, we play sport in the
study) afternoons, we study in the
evenings.
Modifies (tells Tells you when, He ran fast (how) at the
Adverb you more where or how athletics meeting (where)
about) the verb. something is yesterday. (when)
done.
Joining word Joins two words, She went to school
Conjunction phrases or although she was feeling ill.
clauses.
„Small words‟ Usually comes The teacher sat on the
which usually before nouns, chair behind her table in
Preposition relate two pronouns or the classroom and spoke
words or articles. to her students.
phrases to one
another.
The words „a‟, „a‟, „an‟ ... John won a prize for
„an‟ or „the‟ (indefinite) history. (indefinite – non-
Article which precede „the‟ ... specific)
nouns or (definite) John won the history prize.
adjectives. (Definite – specific.

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 Punctuation
 Shows possession/ownership
Apostrophe  Shows omission/contraction

 Separate items/phrases in a list

 Show additional information
 Separate introductory words or phrases from the rest
Comma of the sentence
 Beware of the comma splice error: Commas cannot
be used between complete sentences
 Balance 2 equally important, related or parallel ideas
 Shows opposite ideas
Semi-colon  Takes the place of a conjunction to join two main
clauses
 Shows that a list, explanation or example is to follow
 Introduces a quotation
Colon  Placed after a speaker in a dialogue
 Follows exclamations or interjections (expression of
strong emotion)
Exclamation marks  Used after sentences to show strong emotion
 Strengthens the tone of a statement
 Shows direct speech
 Shows someone‟s words are being quoted
 Shows titles of books, movies, songs, magazines etc
Inverted commas  Shows foreign words or slang have been used
 Shows metaphoric language
 Joins 2 words to make a compound word (new words)
Hyphen  Used after syllables of a word that has been carried
onto the following line
 Can be used in the same way as commas and
brackets to add additional information to a sentence
 Separates a comment or afterthought from the rest of
the sentence
Dash  Creates a dramatic pause leading to a climax or anti-
climax
 Can separate a part of a sentence to force us to
pause
Ellipsis dots  Shows words have been left out of a quotation
 Shows an interruption
 Shows a thought or statement that has not been
completed so the reader can fill it in for themselves
 Indicates a dramatic pause
Brackets  Show extra information in a sentence
(parenthesis)  Encloses an example

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  Are letters that cannot be pronounced as 1 word
Abbreviations  Abbreviations which show measurement have no
fullstop, e.g. mm
 Fullstops are usually left out of abbreviations of well
known places
 If the abbreviation ends in the same letter as the full
word there will be no fullstop.
 Are letters that can be pronounced as a word, for
Acronyms example COPE, for Congress of the People.
These are written in THREE ways only
Titles  Italics
 Inverted commas
 Underlined

Concord

A sentence must follow the rules to be consistent. Every verb in a sentence must agree in
number and subject. A singular subject must have a singular verb and a plural subject
must have a plural verb

Singular subject Plural Subject Singular verb Plural verb

I am
we are
You and I are
Bacon and Eggs is
The team has
The monkey swings
The monkeys swing

Sometimes it is difficult to know whether the subject is singular or plural especially when it
consists of more than one noun or pronoun.

Learn the following rules:

1.

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 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE
A sentence is made up of 3 parts:

• The subject is the main person or thing that is being spoken about
• The object appears after the verb in the sentence, and answers who or what
• The predicate contains the verb and the object

•
THE SUBJECT THE VERB THE OBJECT

John Lee Hancock directed the film ‘The Blind Side’ in 2009.

Look closely at the following two statements. What do you notice?

• John Lee Hancock directed the film „The Blind side‟ in 2009.
• The film „The Blind Side‟ was directed by John Lee Hancock in 2009.

GUIDELINES FOR ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE:

• In Active and Passive Voice, the information is the same but there are subtle
differences in the way that the information is written.

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• Active Voice: You use this the most when you write.

• Passive Voice:
1. Only sentences with a transitive verb can be written in the Passive Voice i.e. the
verb must have a direct object.
2. The verb changes its form.
3. The spotlight is taken off the subject and placed on the object.
4. The sentence sounds more impersonal.
5. This form is often used in official situations.
6. The sentence always has the word „by‟ in it.

Quick Tips:
 Identify the verb
 Identify the object after the verb.
 Begin your sentence with the object.

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 Direct and Indirect/Reported Speech
Direct Speech is when one person is speaking directly to another. Direct speech will
always be written in inverted commas. For example:

“I am going to the party and I hope it is exciting,” said the woman.

(Notice that the comma at the end of her speech is written INSIDE the inverted commas.)

Indirect Speech is sometimes called ‘reported speech’. This is because someone is

reporting what a person said at a different time. For example:

The woman said that she was going to the party and that she hoped that it was exciting.

Notice that when the speech is indirect, some important things change:

1.There are NO INVERTED COMMAS.

2. All PRONOUNS will change. 3. VERBS will change into the past tense.

4. Time and Place will change 5. The sentence will always begin with:
X said that... or … He told me that

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Section 2: Exercises

Question 1: Vocabulary
Synonyms: words of a similar meaning (when they come out of a comprehension
use the context if you are not sure what the word means.

Exercise 1: Provide 3 synonyms for the words below:

1. Big
2.Small
3.Good
4.Bad
5.Pretty
6.Ugly
7.Few
8.Thin
9.Fat
10.Happy
11.Sad
12.Clever
13.Stupid
14.Nice
15.Many

Exercise 2: Rewrite each of the following sentences using vivid and interesting descriptive
words:

1. The nice old lady was kind. ______________________________________________________

2. The small man ran quickly. _______________________________________________________
3. The fat, tall man walked slowly. __________________________________________________
4. The clever girl was pretty. ________________________________________________________
5. There were many bad things in the dirty water. ___________________________________

Antonyms: words of the opposite meaning.

Exercise 3: Give an antonym for the underlined word .
1.The walls were painted a bright green.

2. The geography lesson was really boring today.

3. This was the darkest green crayon I could find.

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4. My brother weighs 45kg and is the lightest in the family.

5. „Come in darling! I‟m so pleased to see you,‟ she said warmly.

6. „Dress warmly in cold weather,‟ mother said.

7. Did your team win the match?

8. His directions were quite confusing.

9. Taylor Swift sang a beautiful song.

10. It was a terrific day!

Exercise 4: In the table below provide a synonym and antonym for each word provided.
Word Synonym Antonym
1. Active
2. mean
3. Serious
4. duplicitous
5. Famous
6. Scarce
7. Join
8. Quick

Homonyms: Words that are spelt and pronounced in an identical way but
they have different meanings and functions.
For example: 1. He hit the ball over the net. 2. The prince met Cinderella at the ball.

Exercise 5: Explain the difference in meaning of the underlined words in the sentences
below:
1. He hit the ball over the net. The prince met Cinderella at the ball.

2. The dog has a loud bark. The bark of the tree showed its age.

3.The bat flew into the cave. His cricket bat was brand new.

4. It is cold in Alaska. I need medication for my cold.

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Homophones: Words that are pronounced in the same way but differ in spelling
and meaning.

For example: 1. She spoke aloud. 2. The girls were allowed to go shopping.

Exercise 6: Underline the correct homophone in the sentences below:

1. We talk (aloud/allowed).
2. The bride walked down the (aisle/isle).
3. Busy people are never (bored/board).
4. Gender refers to (mail/male) or female.
5. He booked a (sweet/suite) of rooms.
6. Cutlery is made of (steal/steel).
7. There is a (hole/whole) in the ozone layer.
8. Vegetarians do not eat (meet/meat).
9. He paid with a (check/cheque).
10. I (wonder/wander) about the future.

Question 2: Direct and reported speech

2.1 Change each of the following into Indirect/Reported Speech:

2.1 She said, “I am so nervous tonight and terribly afraid that I will let my fans down.”
(3)
_________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________

2.2. “I don‟t want to let anybody really great go because they are nervous,” said
Jennifer Lopez. (4)
_________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________

2.2 Change each of the following into Direct Speech:

2.2.1 Rihanna has said that she and her boyfriend are definitely in love and that she is
expecting him to propose at any moment. (3)

_________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________

2.2.2 Lady Gaga told reporters that she wants to tie the knot with her boyfriend and
that she sees her fairytale wedding taking place in London. (5)

_________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________
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Question 3: Active and Passive
These sentences are written in the Active Voice. Use the Quick Tips in the guidelines to
write them in the Passive Voice:

1. The South African government banned Steve Biko.

_________________________________________________________________________________
2. Steve Biko persuaded Donal Woods to meet him.
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. The security police arrested and killed Steve Biko in 1977.
_________________________________________________________________________________
4. The security police harassed Woods and his family.
_________________________________________________________________________________
5. The South African government unbanned the film „Cry Freedom‟ in 1991.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Question 3: Concord
Choose the correct answer.

3.1.1 Some members of the teachers‟ union (want, wants) to go on strike.

3.1.2 Jane‟s raincoat, with all the rips and tears, (provide, provides) little protection.
3.1.3 There (is, are) a lot of trees on our block.
3.1.4 Where (is, are) my keys?
3.1.5 In the background (was, were) a big yellow sun.

3.2 The following sentences contain compound subject. Choose the correct verb for each
sentence

3.2.1 A small black cat and a large yellow dog (sit, sits) on the front stairs.
3.2.2 The boss and her secretary (eat, eats) lunch at the same time.
3.2.3 For a delicious salad, fresh ingredients and a large bowl (is, are) essential.
3.2.4 Comfortable shoes and loose-fitting clothing (was, were) recommended by the
instructor.
3.2.5 Not only the students but also the teacher (was, were) anxious to finish the lesson.

3.3. The following sentences contain indefinite pronouns. Choose the correct verb for
each sentence

3.3.1 Neither of those hats (suit, suits) your face.

3.3.2 Somebody in the book club always (forget, forgets) to bring the book.
3.3.3 Something in that curry (make, makes) me sneeze.
3.3.4 One of those socks (is, are) lighter than the other.
3.3.5 Everyone (like, likes) Mary‟s key lime pie.

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 :
1. Identify the word classes of each of the following underlined words IN
CONTEXT.
Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on
the front step, but Pivet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy
front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursley‟s front door; it crept
gently into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the
night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Yet Harry
Potter was still there, asleep at the moment and in a state of peace, but not for long.
Although this could be disputed.

on – ___________________________ their - __________________________

Pivet Drive - ____________________
changed - _____________________
sun - ___________________________
same -_________________________
and - __________________________
gently - ________________________
was - __________________________
it - _____________________________
the - ___________________________
fateful - ________________________
at - ____________________________
peace - _______________________

2. Change „fateful‟ into a noun. _________________________________

3. Give a synonym for „exactly‟. _________________________________

4. „Passed‟ is an example of a
a. Homophone
b. Homonym

5. „Read‟ is an example of a
a. Homophone
b. Homonym

6. Change the following into the active voice:

Lindsey Lohan, a Hollywood actress was remanded into custody by Judge Elden
S Fox for failing a mandatory drugs test.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

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 Thompson: ‘Ain’t Youth Slang, Like, Awful’
Emma Thompson has said she fears for the future of the English language – with young
People’s slang talk making them “sound stupid”. 2

The actress, 51, who has penned a new version of the musical My Fair Lady, said she had
been driven “insane” by people who do not speak properly. She told the Radio Times: “We
have to reinvest, I think, in the idea of articulacy as a form of personal human freedom and
power.” 6

Thompson went on to admit she berated a group of students for using slang. 7

“I went to give a talk at my old school and the girls were all doing their ‘likes’ and ‘innits’
and ‘it ain’ts’, which drives me insane,” she said. “I told them: ‘Just don’t do it. Because it
makes you sound stupid and you’re not stupid.’” 10

She added: “There is the necessity to have two languages – one that you use with your
mates and the other that you need in any official capacity.” 12

The Oscar-winning star recently caused controversy when she said screen icon Audrey
Hepburn who played Eliza Doolittle in the original film version of My Fair Lady, was “not a
very good actress.” 15

British Actress Carey Mulligan is set to play Cockney flower girl in the remake of the
musical. 17

1. Explain the function of the colon in the title.

2. What is the function of the inverted commas in line 2?

3. Rewrite the following into indirect speech.

“I went to give a talk at my old school and the girls were all doing their „likes‟ and
„innits‟ and „it ain‟ts‟, which drives me insane,” she said.

4. Give the meaning of the word „controversy‟, line 13, in context.

5. Give the function of the commas in line 3

6. Create a noun from the word „insane‟.

7. Find one word in the text that is a synonym for „liberty‟.

8. Is „two‟ in line 11 an example of a homophone or a homonym? Explain your answer.

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 Fire on The Hobbit Set, Just as Studios Ready the Green Light
The Hobbit can’t seem to catch a break. 1

Despite long delays, money problems and last week’s dustup over actors unions, Peter Jackson’s $500
million Lord of the Rings prequel series is so close to getting the green light to start production in
January, the Los Angeles Times is reporting. 4

But then this happens: Jackson’s New Zealand workshop went up in flames yesterday, burning for
several hours. 6

Officials say the cause of fire is being investigated. “They have to sift through the rubble and work their
way to an area where they believe the fire started,” TVNZ reports. 8

The shop would have been used in production of The Hobbit films but no word on how extensive the
damage might have been. Setbacks won’t stop production though! Jackson is determined to get fans
back to Middle-earth and is finalising deals with the studios and unions and settling problems with
author J.R.R. Tolkien’s underlying rights. 12

The ‘possibly’ last obstacle? 13

Finding a way to finance the two-partner, which will cost half a billion dollars! (Small change, when you
consider The Lord of the Rings trilogy raked in $3 billion worldwide.) Warner Bros, and New Line Cinemas
are ready to fork over half of the money, but it’s taking a little longer for MGM to commit after
struggling with bankruptcy for more than a year. MGM is expected to give the OK within a few days, the
Times reports, and a deal with the Screen Actors Guild may also be close. 18

The prequels have been in preproduction for years, with $45 million already being spent. But if things
get moving in January, we may be seeing Gandalf, Bilbo and Gollum back on the screen in time for the
2012 holiday season, and then again in 2013. 21

1. Why is The Hobbit written in italics?

2. Give two other ways in which The Hobbit could be written.
3. What is meant by „catch a break‟, line 1?

4. What is the function of the colon in line 5?

5. What is the function of the apostrophe in line 5?

6. What is the function of the inverted commas in lines 7 and 8?

7. What is the function of the apostrophe in line 10?

8. What is the function of the hyphen in line 11?

9. Why is „possibly‟ written in inverted commas? Explain fully in your own words.

10. What is meant by „fork over‟ in line 16?

11. What is the function of the commas in lines 17-18?

12. What is the function of the commas in line 20?

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1. Identify the word classes of each of the following underlined words.
Riding down the dusty road, Russell scratched his hair lazily and realised that he
had finally experienced happiness.

Riding - ___________________ his - ______________________

down - ___________________ lazily - ____________________
the - _____________________ and - _____________________
dusty - ___________________ happiness - _______________
Russell - __________________ 9

2. Rewrite the following into indirect/reported speech:

“I think I might go to the store and I feel like eating a chocolate,” mentioned
Harold. 6
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3. Rewrite the following into the active voice:

At each concert, at least one tune from a well known opera was sung by the
lead soprano. 2
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

4. The word „practise‟ is an example of a:

a. Homophone
b. Homonym 1

5. Make use of the word „irritate‟ for the following questions.

a. Create a noun from the word.
____________________________
b. Create an adjective from the word.
____________________________
c. Give an antonym for the word.
____________________________ 3

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Read the joke and then answer the questions that follow:

A blonde cop stopped a blonde driver and asked her for her identification.

The blonde driver looked all around in her purse in despair and couldn’t find her license.
“I must have left it at home, officer,” she said.

“Well, do you have any kind of identification on you?” asked the cop.

The blonde took out a pocket mirror and said, “I do have this picture of me.”

“Let me see it,” said the cop. She help up the mirror carefully and looked in it. Then she
said, “Sorry. If I had known you were a police officer, I wouldn’t have stopped you.”

1. Identify the word classes of each of the underlined words in context.

blonde - ____________________ took - _______________________

her - ________________________
around - ____________________
despair - ____________________
officer - _____________________
the - ________________________
a - __________________________
pocket - ____________________
and - _______________________
carefully - ___________________
you - ________________________
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2. Is „Sgt‟ the correct abbreviation for „Sergeant‟? Explain.

1
____________________________________________________________
_____________

3. Change the following into the active voice:

The car, which was a bright red colour, was driven by the man‟s son.
1
____________________________________________________________
_____________
4. Change the following into indirect/reported speech:
“I love to go to the beach and I so enjoy the smell of the ocean,” said Megan. 5

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 ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
__________________________

COMPREHENSION SKILLS
1. Read through the passage carefully.
2. Read through the questions carefully.
3. Read through the passage a second time, keeping the questions
you‟ve read in mind.

:
1. Make sure you read through them carefully.

2. Check the mark allocation – use this as a guide to assess the length of your
answer.

3. Underline keys words in your question like „discuss‟, „support‟, „explain‟, „quote‟
etc.

4. Answer the question carefully, making sure that you use full sentences.
Address each aspect of the question separately. Often you can break your
answer down into:

Statement: This is an opening comment on the question.

Explain: This is where you continue to explain and expand on your
opening statement.
Example: This is where you provide an example from the passage in your
own words, or as a direct quote. Use the question to assess which form you
provide the information.

5. Check over your answer, making sure you have answered EVERY part of the
question, and that if you have quoted, you have done so correctly. Check
that you have written enough for the mark allocation provided.

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 :
You will often be asked about a writer‟s tone, or the tone of a particular passage or
paragraph. The tone is referring to the way something is being said. Normally we would
listen to a person‟s voice to determine the tone, whereas in writing we look at DICTION
and PUNCTUATION.

When answering questions on tone:

 Find a word that describes the tone adequately – stay away from the generic
„positive‟ or „negative‟ answer and rather think of an adequate synonym to
describe it like „sarcastic‟, „menacing‟, „upbeat‟ etc.
 Look at the DICTION and PUNCTUATION as these will help you to identify the tone.
 Always quote specific words or phrases from the passage that reveal the tone that
you have chosen and use them to support your answer.

Example:

Some teenagers today are different and cannot be trusted. It is torture for me to imagine
the consequences of a group of playstation-obsessed adolescents running the country
one day!

Comment on the writer‟s tone in this paragraph. Support your answer by referring to his
use of diction and punctuation. 3

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
Quoting correctly:

Quoting correctly can really improve your answering technique and the quality of your
whole answer. Use these tips to quote correctly:

 ALWAYS quote using inverted commas

 Never use long, extended quotes. Select only the words or short phrases you need.
 Do not quote at the end of your answer. Use the specific words that you have
selected within your answer to support each point that you make.
 Never use a quote without an explanation – always QUOTE and EXPLAIN

Look at the following example:

Some teenagers today are difficult and cannot be trusted. It is torture for me to imagine
the consequences of a group of playstation-obsessed adolescents running the country
one day!
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Question: Identify the writer‟s tone and attitude when it comes to the teenagers of today.
Discuss making reference to the passage.

Answer: The writer‟s tone is critical of teenagers and disdainful of their ability to run the
country in the future. He uses words like „difficult‟ and „cannot be trusted‟ to show how
little he thinks of teenagers and how suspicious he is of them. This is supported with
„playstation-obsessed‟ which shows that he feels they are unable to focus on anything of
importance in the world. „Torture‟ further indicates his contemptuous feelings towards
them and his own pain as he thinks of adolescents one day being in charge.

Comprehension exercises:
Read through the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

: '
At 13, Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a 14-foot tiger shark. Today she's a world-class surfer -- and the inspiration for a new
movie. (Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, May 2011)

1 Cheri Hamilton had no doubt her only daughter would grow up to become a professional
surfer. At age 4 Bethany was riding waves off the beaches of her home in Kauai. By the time she
was 8 she was competing in surfing contests. Taking on gigantic waves was Bethany's specialty,
and her parents, both surfers, would encourage her. "We'd tell her, 'You can win this because
you're strong. The other kids are going to run away from the big surf,'" recalls Cheri. And sure
enough, Bethany, who squeeled with delight when she caught a wave, would take home the
trophey.

2 But eight years ago Bethany's dream of surfing greatness nearly came to an end after she
was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark that tore off her left arm. That headline-making tragedy, and
her astonishing path to recovery, is the subject of a new movie, Soul Surfer.

3 Today, sitting with her mother in a Santa Monica hotel lounge, Bethany, 21, looks every bit
the Hawaiian beach girl, dressed in cutoffs, a Rip Curl jean jacket and bare feet. She smiles and
laughs easily but becomes soft-spoken when she recounts the events of that horrible day. Bethany
and some friends had gone to Tunnels Beach, one of her favourite surfing spots off Kauai's North
Shore. She was lying on her surfboard when she suddenly felt pressure on her arm and then a
back-and-forth tugging -- "you know, like how you eat a piece of steak," she says -- before noticing
that the turquoise water around her was quickly turning red from her own blood. "I just had a
sense of peace throughout it all," says Bethany, whose friends fashioned a tourniquet from a
surfboard leash once they paddled her to shore. "I think that was one of the key factors that helped
me -- if I had panicked I would have lost more blood."

4 When Cheri finally saw her daughter at the local hospital, "I was just thankful she was
alive," she says. "That was my whole focus -- we'll deal with whatever we have to deal with, but at
least she's alive."

5 Bethany's left arm was now a small knob of skin held together with stitches. As the wound
healed her focus returned to the water. Not only would she continue to ride waves, but she also
decided she would retrain herself. "To me it was like never getting in a car again because you're
afraid of having another collision," Bethany says. "Not surfing just didn't work for me." About a
month after the attack, around the time her doctor gave her the go-ahead to surf, Bethany stood up
20
on a board as her mother, her father, Tom, and her two older brothers, Noah and Timmy, cheered
her on.

6 In Soul Surfer, it's clear how much Bethany's family played a part in her comeback success.
One scene shows her brothers helping her rebuild her strength through vigorous weight training
and long runs on the beach. Another has her father installing a handle on the upper end of her
board so she could catch her balance. "Our goal was to help her be at the top of her game," says
Cheri, who nevertheless had reservations about her daughter's return to competitive surfing. Cheri
knew surfing is traditionally a two-armed sport: You need both arms to paddle, grab the sides of
the board and raise yourself from a prone position. Instead of cheering her on, she wondered,
should they be encouraging her to slow down? "I wasn't sure she should do contests. At one point I
told her, 'Just go and support your friends,'" says Cheri. "I didn't want to set her up for failure."

7 Cheri couldn't bring herself to go with Bethany to her first comeback competition on
Hawaii's Big Island two months after the attack. But when her daughter returned home with fifth
place, she shifted gears. Six months later Bethany won her division in a bigger contest in Waikiki.
At the time of her attack she was considered an amateur with signs of promise. Today she is ranked
among the top 25 female surfers in the world.

8 There have been moments when Bethany and her mother are haunted by that October 2003
morning. Out on the water, Bethany might think, was that a shark in the distance? Will it happen
again? But "I hardly ever get worried," she says, and she has ways of calming herself down. "I'll
pray," she says, "or I'll sing a song, like, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' or 'Somewhere Over the
Rainbow.'"

9 Mostly, though, Bethany uses her story to inspire people. She gives motivational talks and,
through her nonprofit foundation, Friends of Bethany, she works with other amputees and shark-
attack survivors. "I met one boy in Australia who was born with no limbs and I took him surfing
with me," she says. "We all have different challenges, but his attitude was so positive it was
infectious." The rest of the time she's traveling around the world, catching waves -- and trophies --
on the competitive surfing circuit. "People ask me if I'm excited about the movie," says Bethany,
who was on the Oahu set with her family and did most of the one-armed surfing scenes in the film.
"I am. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But I'm way more excited about surfing. Surfing is
what I do."

Questions:

1.1 Is the title “True Grit: Bethany Hamilton’s Story” effective? Discuss with reference to the title as well as
the entire passage. (3)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
1.2 Refer to paragraph one.
As a child, what type of surfer was Bethany destined to be? Quote to support your answer. (3)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
1.3 What tragic event nearly ended Bethany’s surfing career? (1)
_________________________________________________________________
_____________
1.4 Refer to paragraph 3.
Does Bethany fit the stereotype of a surfer girl? Use examples from the passage to support your
answer. (2)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________

1.5 Refer to paragraph 3.

After her shark attack, what two factors helped Bethany through this awful situation? (3)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
1.6 Refer to paragraph 5 and 6.
What played a big part in Bethany’s return to surfing? Discuss referring to specific examples from the
passage. (4)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
1.7 Refer to paragraph 9
How has Bethany used this experience in a positive way? Use examples from the passage to support
your answer. (2)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
__________________________
22
1.8 Select the word that best describes the tone of this passage:
1.8.1 Positive
1.8.2 Inspiring
1.8.3 Depressing (1)

1.9 What is your impression of Bethany Hamilton? In your answer make reference to the passage as well as
any personal experiences that you can relate to this story. (3)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
[TOTAL: 22]

2.1 Refer to paragraph one.

Identify and correct the two spelling mistakes. (2)
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
__________________________

2.2 Refer to paragraph three.

Identify the word class of the underlines words.
1. Santa Monica - ______________________
2. girl - ______________________________
3. bare - _____________________________
4. had - _____________________________
5. felt - ______________________________
(10)
6. a - ____________________________
7. the - __________________________
8. they - _________________________
9. if - ___________________________
10. would - _______________________

2.3 Explain the function of the following punctuation marks:

2.3.1 the hyphen in “soft-spoken” (paragraph 3)
_____________________________________________________________
____
1.3.2 the commas in “her mother, her father, Tom…cheered her on” (paragraph 5)
_____________________________________________________________
____
1.3.3 the apostrophe in “Hawaii’s” (paragraph 7)
_____________________________________________________________
____
1.3.4 the apostrophe in “wasn’t” (paragraph 6)

23
_____________________________________________________________
____
1.3.5 the inverted commas in “”you know, like how you eat…steak,” she says” (paragraph
3)
_____________________________________________________________
____

(5)
2.4 Refer to paragraph 6.
Rewrite the underlined sentence in indirect speech.
(2)
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__________________________________
2.5 Refer to paragraph 6.
2.5.1 Why is Soul Surfer written in italics?
(1)
_____________________________________________________________
_________________
2.5.2 Suggest two other ways this can be written.
(2)
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
__________________________________
2.6 Provide a synonym for “gigantic” (paragraph 1)
(1)
_____________________________________________________________
_________________
2.7 Add a prefix to the word “motivational” to create an antonym.
(1)
_____________________________________________________________
_________________
[TOTAL: 24]

24
 Read through the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Celebrity Obsession
By Anastacia Mott Austin

1 Come on, admit it. Unless you’ve been pushing up daisies for the last several
months, you know all about what has been happening with Paris Hilton. It’s
nothing to be ashamed of – in fact, coverage of the trials and tribulations of Ms.
Hilton have been inescapable. One literally cannot get away from the coverage of
her life, seen in American news outlets as the most important news of the day,
trumping trade relations, looming nuclear tensions between countries, political
drama, you name it.
2 And while you’ll find no shortage of folks bemoaning that very fact, the truth is
that whenever celebrity “news” is broadcast, there are far more viewers or readers
than for any other topic. Approximately 7 million celebrity gossip magazines are
sold weekly. Why? What is it about the bigger-than-life actions of Brad Pitt and
Angelina Jolie or Lindsay Lohan or Nicole Richie that make it so compelling for
Americans to drop everything and tune in?
3 First of all, they’re always there. With our ever-increasing access by virtual means
into the lives of just about anyone, celebrities’ every move is recorded and
broadcast into our homes as if we were right there with them. Privacy isn’t what it
used to be, so it’s easy to feel that we know all about the lives of Nick and Jessica,
Kate and Tom, Posh and Becks. “There is a sense of entitlement to celebrity lives,”
said Marc Lamont Hill, assistant professor of Urban Education at Temple
University. “That feeds the celebrity frenzy.”
4 They’re just like us – only better. They’re richer, shinier, more beautiful versions
of ourselves. With all the fancy dress-up occasions and flashbulbs popping like
crazy on the red carpet, it’s like the prom every day. The overwhelming media
attention given them informs us that they are what we want to be.
5 With all of our instant access and supposed need for more and more “stuff” of the
this-minute variety, we’re suffering from a low-level cultural depression. If we buy
this or that product, maybe it will turn us into someone special. “The notoriety of
the entertainer and the almost religious fervour of their most dedicated followers
is a symptom of self-imposed dissatisfaction with one’s own predicament,” writes
Makena Walsh, runner-up of the Textbookx.com’s fall 2006 essay contest about
celebrity obsession. “Star-worship is a religion of self-deception, one requiring its
participants to continually deceive themselves into believing the next product
they purchase will be the product that will enable them to finally start living a
meaningful existence.”
6 Previous generations may have been interested in the so-called fabulous life of
celebrities, but kids today believe fame is achievable. With reality shows and
Youtube creating instant fame for those who have no reason to be famous, there is
the belief that someday soon they could actually join the ranks of Brangelina and
TomKat. Celebrities are the new in-crowd, and we want to be with the popular
kids. The line between reality and fantasy has been blurred.
25
 7 But if we’re so attracted to celebrities, because they are supposedly better versions
of ourselves, why the excitement when one of them inevitably train-wrecks into
rehab? Apparently, that only makes them more accessible to us. “People can
relate to their mistakes said Janice Min, editor of US Weekly, to reporters.
Everyone wants to be sure their gods are real, or they seem less like real humans.
Total perfection is worse than off-putting; it’s boring.
8 An ironic twist to celebrity obsession is that the motivation for following the lives
of the famous – boredom, dissatisfaction, or loneliness in one’s non-virtual, real
life – often leads to increased isolation from the real world. To some, the troubles
of Anna Nicole Smith seem more real to them than their own mundane lives, and
by becoming overly involved with the lives of the famous, they lose touch with
their actual community. “We know everything about these phantom friends –
Britney and Nicole and American Idol rejects – at the expense of archiving our
own personal history,” said writer Jancee Dunn on Salon.com
9 “Now, we get everything we always wanted to know...and so much more. And all
of it’s a sad, painful, and sometimes embarrassing lesson about our stars,
ourselves, and the vapour trail of celebrity.”

Questions:

1. In your own words, explain what a celebrity obsession is. 1

2. Refer to paragraphs 1 and 2. What evidence is there that celebrity news is
becoming increasingly popular? Explain in your own words and quote to
support your answer. 4
3. According to paragraphs 3 and 4, why is celebrity obsession growing? Explain
in your own words and find evidence in the paragraphs to support your
answer (quote). 4
4. In paragraph 5, our celebrity worship is compared to a religion. Is this a good
5. Refer to the underlined text in paragraph 5. What does the diction in these
lines tell us about the speaker‟s attitude towards the worship of celebrities? 3
6. Do you think that society is too obsessed with celebrities? Explain your answer
by referring to the passage as well as your own opinion. 3
7. In the final paragraph, the writer refers to celebrity as a „vapour‟. Explain
what her use of this word says about fame. 2

[TOTAL: 20]

26