Unit 5 (Non-fiction: Explanation Text)

I. Explanation Text (Tb. P. 84)

1. What are the features of an explanation text?
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2. Label the text below with these features (numbers, heading, diagram, written in present tense)

3. Answer the questions based on the text above.

✔ Where is the liquid that can be made into silk for building webs?
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✔ What does a spider use to spin silk into a superfine thread?
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✔ What does a spider do if its bridge threat doesn’t make secure contact with something?
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✔ What is a bridge threat?
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 ✔ Why does a spider hold its spinnerets into a breeze?
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4. Find four adverbial phrases used in the explanation text.
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5. Sometimes explanation text will contain technical words. Find two technical words in the text
above.
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II. Connectives
A. Choose a suitable connective to add to each of the sentences below. Correctly add a comma to
each sentence. (Workbook P. 39)
1. _____________ you are asleep you can’t sneeze
2. _____________ sneezing can send germs out to other people it is helpful to catch a sneeze in a
tissue.
3. _____________ it was dark the girl decided to walk home alone.
4. _____________ you sneeze air can travel at up to 100 miles per hour (160 kilometres per hour).
5. _____________ I took a shower I got dressed and went to the party.
B. Tick the sentences that contain a connective and circle the connective. (Workbook P. 39)
1. Germs can spread unless you use something, such as a tissue, to ‘capture’ your sneezes.
2. Sunlight is unlikely to be a cause of sneezing.
3. Whenever I sneeze, my eyes shut tightly.
4. Dust can cause sneezing since small particles can enter your nose.
5. If your eyes see danger coming, they close automatically.
6. The information in the explanation text is linked together with connectives.

C. Rewrite these sentences using the given connectives and correctly add a comma to each sentence.
Workbook Page 39)
1. People blink every 2-10 seconds in order to wash out dust and keep the eyeball clean.
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2. Eyes blink more in strong winds so that the eyeball is protected.
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3. Our eyes close automatically if they see danger coming.
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4. Judy won’t come to your party unless you invited her personally.
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5. My eyes shut tightly whenever I sneeze.
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III. More about Explanation Text
A. Complete the paragraph below using the words in the box. (Workbook P. 40)

Diagrams bullet points facts sections pictures numbers headings how

An explanation text contains ___________________ and often tells you ___________________

something happens. It may be divided into ___________________ with ___________________ to show
the reader what they are about.
Sometimes ___________________ or ___________________ may separate the information into smaller
chunks.
The explanation text may have ___________________ or ___________________ to help the reader
understand.

B. Add two adjectives to describe each noun to help give a detailed description. (Workbook P. 40)
1. __________________, __________________ skin
2. __________________, __________________ flowers
3. __________________, __________________ insects
4. __________________, __________________ tail
5. __________________, __________________ legs
6. __________________, __________________ house
7. __________________, __________________ sky
8. __________________, __________________ bag

C. Write an explanation text at least two paragraphs about an imaginary insect pet. (TB P. 93)
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IV. Prefixes and Suffixes
A. Add the following prefixes to the following words. (WB P. 41)

trans- dis- re-

✔ Appointed ______________________________
✔ plant ______________________________
✔ port ______________________________
✔ do ______________________________
✔ regard ______________________________
✔ late ______________________________
✔ sit ______________________________
✔ gain ______________________________
✔ join ______________________________
✔ order ______________________________

Choose five words and make your own sentences.

1. _____________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________________

B. Words ending with suffixes -tion, -sion, and -ation. (Workbook P. 41)

Words ending with -tion Words ending with -sion Words ending with -ation

Choose five words and make your own sentences.

1. _____________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________________
C. Words ending with suffixes (-er, -est, -ing, -ful, - ly and -ness) (Workbook P. 41)

-er -est -ing -ful -ly -ness

Choose five words and make your own sentences.

1. _____________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________________