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The four seasons

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Cloze procedure exerciseChoose the correct word from the box below.

Falling leaves

The leaves were falling from the great _1_ at the edge of the forest. They were falling from all the trees and made a thick yellow, red and brown carpet on the _2_. One branch of the oak reached high above the others and stretched far out over the forest. At its very tip there were only _3_ leaves left. “It is not the way it used to be,” said one leaf to the other. “No,” the other leaf answered. “So many of us have fallen off tonight that we are the only ones left on the _4_.”

summer and the sun _5_, a storm would come sometimes and many leaves were torn off though they were still young. You never know who is going to go _6_.” “The sun hardly shines now,” the second leaf sighed, “and when it does, it gives no

comfortingly. “Let’s remember how beautiful _7_ was, how wonderful it was when the sun came out and shone so warmly we thought we’d burst with life. Do you remember the morning _8_ and the lovely hot nights?” Then they both became _9_ as they remembered. Hours passed. A cold wind blew through the forest. “Ah, now,” said the second leaf. “I...” then its voice broke off. It was _10_ from its

Winter had come.

silent oak shone torn branchnext dew summer two ground

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Spelling, dictation and language

Spelling

summer winter autumn springseasons colour earth yellowbrown orange leaves branches

cold young fresh life

Dictation

What makes the weather change? Three things work together. They are the sun, the air around the earth and the water in the sea, lakes, rivers and clouds.

Unlike the earth, the moon has no climate. There is sunlight on the moon. It has no air or water to produce wind and rain.

Language

Every day the wind blows. Does the wind blow everyday?Yesterday the wind blew. Did the wind blow yesterday?Tomorrow the wind will blow. Will the wind blow tomorrow?

Do the same with the following:

1. The sun shines.2. It is hot.3. Leaves change their colours.

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Useful things to knowRead the following again and again.

Small quantitiesA touch of fever A gleam of hopeA blade of grass A dab of colour

SoundsThe rumble of thunder The slam of a doorThe slap of a twig The beat of a drumThe rattle of cups The pop of a cork being drawnThe rustle of leaves The click of a latch

More soundsA school bell rings Steam hissesThe screech of brakes The telephone ringsAn aeroplane’s engine drones The clatter of horses hoofsThe crack of a whip The church bell tolls or pealsThunder rumbles or rolls The hoot of a carFrying sausages sizzle A motorboat tugsThe creaking of a door The patter of rainThe beat of a drum The tinkle of bells

Describing wordsA dripping tap A barking dog

Salty sea water The roaring thunderThe clattering hail

IdiomsEvery dark cloud has a silver lining.Save it for a rainy day.To cast one’s bread upon the water.In deep waters.It never rains but pours.To keep one’s head above the water.To be in smooth water.Still waters run deep.

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Comprehension

Why do leaves change colour in autumn?

In spring and summer, most leaves are green. A special pigment called chlorophyll gives them their green colour. When autumn comes, the leaves are ready to fall from the trees. Their stems begin to break away from the branches. Then the leaves cannot get much of the water that comes up from the roots of the trees. Without water, the green colour of the leaves fade away, then other special colours (pigments) hidden in the leaves can be seen. The leaves turn from green to brown. Some leaves turn a bright red or orange. Some leaves turn yellow, gold and then brown. The dry, dead leaves then fall to the ground. They become a blanket that protects the roots of the tree against the cold and change into compost for new growth in Spring.

Test

1. When are leaves green?2. What makes them green?3. When are the leaves ready to fall from the trees?4. What breaks away from the branches?5. Where does the water for the leaves come from?6. What fades from the leaves, without water?7. If the green is gone, what can be seen in the leaves?8. Name the colours the leaves change to.9. What fall to the ground?10. What do the dead leaves protect?

ApostrophyRewrite the following sentences in your exercise book, using the shortened form of the underlined words. See to it that you put the apostrophy (‘) in the right place.

Example: She is dancing. She’s dancing.

1. It is raining outside.2. She is not coming home this summer.3. I am going home; it is too cold here.4. They are always late on winter mornings.5. We do not have a real Spring season in South Africa.6. Shelley cannot reach the beautiful red and brown leaves.7. It is not the right time to buy summer clothes.8. It does not matter when Mother does her Spring cleaning.

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Read aloud

If you are lucky you might one day spend a winter or summer holiday in a hotel. In the paragraph

need to know if you do! Read the paragraph aloud to a friend and pay special attention to the pronunciation and the spelling of the words printed in bold. (Look up any of the words you don’t know in your dictionary.)

The day school started again after the summer holidays, Anne spent the whole of second break telling Dianne about the exciting time she had had.

“When we arrived at the Summer Sun Hotel, our luggage was carried into the foyer bythe porter. We waited in the lounge while Father booked us in. The kind lady behind the reception desk smiled and asked him whether he had a reservation. Dad gave her the receipt to show that he had paid a deposit. She took the keys to our rooms from the boardrooms had television sets and a view of the sea. When we had unpacked, ...

Pretend that you are Anne and tell your friend how you spent the rest of that day. Use 25 words.

Write down

words from the paragraph.1. You usually have to send a sum of money as a ... when you ... a room at an hotel.2. We ran upstairs to our room but Mother took the ....3. A ... carried our suitcases to our room.4. We pack warmer clothes for a winter holiday so our ... is heavier.5. Dad collected our key from the board behind the ...6. After dinner we used to have coffee in the ...

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Spelling crossword puzzle with ‘ai’

will give you a copy of the blank crossword puzzle. Choose the correct words from the word bank below to complete it.

Word bankpainnailssnailmain

stainsaidaidagain

drainpaintafraidraise

laiddrainpaidrain

praisetraintailmaid

1 2 3

4 5 6

7

8

9

10 11 12

13 14

15

16

Across1. Your house looks new this summer. Did you p___ it?5. One has to r___ the alarm quickly when one sees a suspicious looking parcel.7. A horse has a bushy t___.

9. Water is caught up in the dr__ on the roof.10. Keep your n___ nice and short for your piano lessons.13. I can not hear you properly. Say it a___ please.15. Daniel got a lot of pr___ from his teacher for his good work.16. In summer mother often catches a sn___ on one of her rose-bushes.

Down1. I p___ R360 for a plane ticket to Cape Town.2. Last June holidays we travelled to Durban by tr___.3. I am af___ I don’t like winter. It’s too cold.4. Penny spilt her tea and left a st___ on the tablecloth.6. Father s___ he would help me tonight.11. The duck l___ two eggs near the pond.12. I have a p___ in my stomach from the green apricots I ate.

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DialogueLearn this dialogue by heart and say it to each other. (If you are Steven, pretend your nose is blocked!)

It is winter and very cold.Harry: Hello Steven, I’m sorry to hear you have a bad

cold.Steven: Yes, it’s horrible. I get one every winter. My

mother made me stay in bed all day yesterday and it’s still not better!

Harry: Your voice sounds very hoarse.Steven: I know; and I have a headache as well.Harry: Well, cheer up. I’ll bring you a video to watch

this afternoon.Steven: Thanks. That will be fun.

Complete

Exercise 1

Work in pairs and complete the following dialogue in the same way; then say it to each other.Susan: Hello, Karen. I’m ... you have broken ... (arm).Karen: Yes, it’s most ... My mother won’t let me ... (ride bicycle).Susan: You sound very ... (unhappy, bored)Karen: I know; and I ... as well. (scratches, cuts)Susan: Well, I hope you’ll soon ... (better). I’ll bring ... this afternoon. (books, videos,

games)Karen: Thank you. That ... (fun, nice of you)

Exercise 2

Now work out a short dialogue with your friend to say you are sorry and offer to help to:• a friend who is ill with measles• a friend who gets hayfever every summer• your sister who has hurt her hand• your mother who has a bad headache.

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Opposites

When it is hot! When it is cold!

Read the short passages below about Tania

words you would like to discuss with your partner.

The temperature is 10 degrees. It is overcast and a cold wind makes us shiver. Our hands and feet are freezing! When it is so cold, Thandi puts on her jersey, her hat and her scarf. She likes to drink some hot soup to keep herself warm. She doesn’t like very cold weather.

hot and humid. Everyone is perspiring. When it is so hot, Danny takes off his jersey, his hat and his scarf because he is boiling. He likes to drink some cold water to keep himself cool. He doesn’t like the very hot weather.

The opposite of hot is ...

Copy this table into your activity book, and complete with words from the passages that are opposite in meaning.

overcastcold

freezinglikesputs onwarm

Summer is hot but winter is ...

Use the opposites from your completed table to make sentences. Use but in your sentences. Here is an example for you:

It is hot during summer but in winter it is cold.

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Language

Punctuation

Exercise 1

All the capital letters, full stops and commas have been left out of these sentences. Write them out correctly.

last wednesday ms carr took us out to look at the trees it is september now and the new leaves are beginning to grow she taught us the names of the oak the camelfoot the bottlebrush and the plane trees

One and many

Exercise 2

We say one leaf and many leaves. Can you see how the spelling of leaf has changed? Write the following sentences correctly by paying attention to the words in bold. Change the verb where necessary

a. There are three shelf in my wardrobe.b. The cake was cut in two half.c. The thief was arrested by the police.d. We bought two loaf of bread.e. They had the time of their life at the party.

Exercise 3

Make the following phrases opposite in meaning by changing the words in bold. Use them in sentences of your own.

cloudy sky heavy rain a stormy nighta day scorching hot light mist

Exercise 4

Choose words from the brackets which have similar meanings to the word in bold. (You may use your dictionary.)

a. Overcast (sunny, cloudy, dull, bright)b. Foggy (misty, hazy, dull, cloudless)c. Downpourd. Wet (damp, moist, parched, dusty)e. Hot (cool, sweltering, chilly, sizzling)f. Storm (breeze, wind, typhoon, tornado)

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PoemsHere are some poems about the four seasons. Read the poems to each other in your groups then choose two to discuss and answer questions on.

Spring

In spring there’s a warmingthat blows in the air.In spring there’s a greeningof trees that were bare.In spring there’s a reddeningon tips of apple trees.In spring there’s a showing

a breezing, a sneezing,a blowing, a growing,

for spring’s in the air.

Mills McKay

Questions

1. What 4 things happen in spring?2. Make a list of all the things the poet makes you

a. seeb. hearc. feel

3. Is this poem about things which happen in a city?

Summer

Lazy days, heat-hazy days,six weeks summer holidays.Lying around keeping cool,swimming at the local pool,long, cool drinks at people’s places,cool cream put on sunburnt faces,warm brown earth on bare brown toes,ointment plastered on my nose.Lazy days, heat-hazy days,four weeks summer holidays.

Dorothy Mills

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Questions

1. What does this person do during her summer holidays?2. Summer makes her feel quite a few things. Mention at least three.3. Do you think she enjoys summer time? Give a reason.

Autumn Circus

Cartwheeling leaves

the circus of autumnis coming to town.

Robyn Barwood

Questions

1. Why does the poet call autumn a circus?2. What causes this circus?3. Mention four things which make autumn special where you live?

Winter

Runny nose,cold toes,walking in the rain,sniff, snort!I’ve caughtanother cold again.Freezing air,wet hair,

Damp coat,sore throat,listen to my cough.

Roger Pelletier

Questions

1. What has happened to make the poet so miserable?2. How did this happen?3. What parts of his body are uncomfortable and why?

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AdjectivesA poet is good at describing things. He uses words to describe feelings, nature, people - anything, so that you can see them through his eyes. Here are some examples of descriptive words from the four poems about the seasons.

You know they’re not growing neatly in a garden.

sunburnt faces (Summer):You know the faces are brown or perhaps red and sore.

cartwheeling leaves (Autumn Circus):You can see the leaves turning like wheels in the air.

cold toes (Winter):You know what cold feels like!

Write a paragraph of no more than 4 sentences on each of the four seasons. Say what you see, smell, feel and hear and try to use good words to describe these things. Illustrate each paragraph.

Exercise 1

Choose a word from the word bank to describe the following everyday things.

Word bankwaggingclosed

beautiful pearlaching

cleanshiny

loudrunning

1. a ___ book. 6. ___ music.2. a ___ bicycle. 7. An ___ stomach.3. a ___ tail. 8. a ___ voice4. ___ water. 9. a ___ necklace.5. a ___ tablecloth. 10. a ___ rosebush

Exercise 2

When something is very cold we say it is as cold as ice. Something which is very light is said to be as light as a feather. A brave person is sometimes described as being as brave as a lion.

Think of interesting ways to complete these sayings:a. as happy as ... d. as green as ...b. as smooth as ... e. as white as ...c. as strong as ... f. as hungry as ...

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Language

Pronouns

1. Fill in the correct word from the following in each of the spaces:

myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

a. Baby Jane is too young to feed ___.b, Children, you must do your homework ___.c. I did these sums by ___ . Nobody helped me.d. The girls made ___ new dresses.e. John, behave ___.f. Sam hurt ___ when he fell off his bicycle.g. Mother says we may help ___ to the cake.

2. Give the opposite of each word in bold.a. I was but Tom was ___.b. Yesterday it was cold. Today it is ___.c. The girl is beautiful. Her dress is ___.d. The tortoise is slow. The hare is ___.e. Father is strong and Mother is ___.f. My pencil is long and yours is ___.g. We are late for school. They are ___.h. The baby is tiny and the room is ___.

3. Fill the most suitable of the following words in each of the spaces:

often, early, never, slowly, softly, well

e.g.Mary got up ___ but Susan got up late. Mary got up early but Susan got up late.

a. Mother always goes to town on Saturday but I ___ go on Saturday.b. John does his work ___ but Sam does his badly.c. I left home ___ but David left home late.d. Jane reads ___ but Dora reads quickly.e. I sometimes go swimming but Eric ___ goes.f. Miss Jones speaks ___ but Miss Clarke speaks loudly.

4. Complete these sentences with the help of the following words:

tiny, blue, lovely, happily, hills, branches, trees, brightly, green, bare

It is a ___ spring day. The sun is shining ___ in the ___ sky. The birds are singing ___ in the ___. On the ___ the grass is turning ___. In the winter the trees were ___ but now there are lots of ___ leaves on the ___.

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Negatives

1. Read the following sentences with your teacher:a. I shall not (shan’t) go to school tomorrow.b. Mary will not (won’t) be at home this afternoon.c. I am not going to watch the builders.d. Uncle Tom is not (isn’t) going to drive the lorry.e. The men are not (aren’t) going to paint the roof.

2. Build sentences by using the following:a.IWe

shall notshan’t play games

ride on the lorrypaint the gateget up earlyvisit the zoosleep late

tomorrownext Saturday .

TomHeElsieSheThe childrenThey

will notwon’t

b.I am notI’m not

going to

clean the vanpaint the fenceplay gamesget up earlyvisit the zoobe busy

tomorrownext week .

TomHeJaneShe

is notisn’t

WeYouThe girlsthey

are notaren’t

3. Change the following sentences into the negative:e.g.We shall visit you next Sunday.

We shan’t visit you next Sunday.

Jim is going to drive the van tomorrow.Jim isn’t going to drive the van tomorrow.

a. I shall be on the farm next week.b. Jim will give us a ride in the lorry tomorrow.c. The man will work late next Friday.d. John is going to wash the van tomorrow.e. We shall meet you in town next Saturday.f. I am going to bed early tonight.

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Questions

1. Read the following questions with your teacher:a. Shall I clean the van tomorrow?b. Will you see Mary soon?c. Will Jim drive the lorry next week?d. Shan’t we paint the fence this afternoon.e. Will it rain tomorrow?

2. Build sentences by using the following:a.ShallShan’t

Iwe paint the gate

wash the carclean the brushesride in the vantidy the classroomdust the deskswater the garden

tomorrownext Friday ?

WillWon’t

DavidheStellashethe boystheyyou

b.

Am I

going to

paint the fencewater the plantsclean the brusheswash the vanvisit the zooplay games

tomorrow?

IsIsn’t

JimheStellashe

AreAren’t

weyouthe girlsthey

3. Turn the following sentences into questions:e.g.The builder will fetch the bricks tomorrow.

Will the builder fetch the bricks tomorrow?

Father is going to paint the roof soon. Is Father going to paint the roof soon?

a. The boys are going to clean the van tomorrow.b. Father won’t paint the house tomorrow.c. I am going to get a new reader soon.d. Sam will be eleven years old next term.e. Jim is going to drive the lorry tomorrow.f. The men aren’t going to work next Saturday.

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Creative writingWriting a postcard

Imagine you are on holiday. Make a picture postcard to send to a friend, describing the weather and the things you have been doing.

Picture poems

This is a picture poem. The lines of the poem form part of the picture.

Draw the following pictures and write short poems on the subjects. Write your poems on the dotted lines so that they become part of the picture. you may want to use the

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ApostrophesAn apostrophe has two functions: to indicate possession and to indicate contraction. We will look at indication of contraction later. First we are going to pay attention to indication of possession.

When we read that “The stranger’s hat slipped off”, the apostrophe s (‘s) tells us that the hat belonged to the stranger.

1. Write these sentences, adding apostrophes where necessary.a. The wind blew the mans hat off.b. The womans umbrella was blown inside out.

d. My neighbours tree was damaged in the storm.e. The hailstorm ruined the farmers crops.

2. Rewrite the following phrases, as shown in this example:

the hat belonging to the man - the man’s hat

a. the raincoat belonging to my sisterb. the cat belonging to Monjac. the car belonging to my fatherd. the pen belonging to Chandrée. the book belonging to Simonéf. the bicycle belonging to Jamieg. the glasses belonging to Rhyno

3. “The wind grabbed hold of the ladies’ skirts.”The word ladies already ends in s, we use only the apostrophe and not ‘s.Write these sentences, putting apostrophes in the correct places.a. The boys mothers were watching the game.b. The babies prams were outside the shop.c. The pupils satchels were outside the classroom.d. The teachers cars were parked in the shade.e. The girls raincoats were in their bags.

4. Use the following phrases in sentences of your own. This could be done orally.