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2014 Test timetable Monday 12 May

Tuesday 13 May Official test date

Wednesday 14 May Official test date

Thursday 15 May Official test date

Friday 16 May

1. Language conventions Yr 5: 40 min

3. Reading Yr 5: 50 min

4.1 Numeracy Yr 5: 50 min

Catch up tests permitted

20 minute break

2. Writing Yr 5: 40 min

Catch up tests permitted

Catch up tests permitted

Catch up tests permitted

Catch up tests permitted

Monday 19 May

Tuesday 20 May

Wednesday 21 May

Thursday 22 May

Friday 23 May

Test security to be maintained to ensure tests remain secure for schools granted approval to vary test dates. Individual student catch-up tests not permitted.

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LITERACY

Year 4

What are the three content strands for English? 1. Language 2. Literature 3. Literacy

By the end of end of Year 4, students should have developed the skills to: Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing) • Understand that texts have different text structures depending on purpose and audience. • Explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to engage the interest of

audiences. • Describe literal and implied meaning connecting ideas in different texts. • Express preferences for particular texts, and respond to others’ viewpoints. • Listen for key points in discussions. Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating) • Create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. • Make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying language

according to context. • Demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use

accurate spelling and punctuation, editing their work to improve meaning.

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LITERACY

Year 5

What are the three content strands for English? 1. Language 2. Literature 3. Literacy

By the end of end of Year 5, students should have developed the skills to: Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing) • Explain how text structures assist in understanding the text. • Understand how language features, images and vocabulary influence interpretations of

characters, settings and events. • Analyse and explain literal and implied information from a variety of texts. • Describe how events, characters and settings in texts are depicted and explain their own

responses to them. • Listen and ask questions to clarify content. Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating) • Use language features to show how ideas can be extended. • Develop and explain a point of view about a text, selecting information, ideas and images

from a range of resources. • Create a variety of sequenced texts for different purposes and audiences. • Make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, taking into

account other perspectives. Demonstrate an understanding of grammar, select specific vocabulary and use accurate spelling and punctuation when writing, editing their work to provide structure and meaning.

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Some questions require you to demonstrate your understanding of the text, and often you will be asked to

locate and retrieve facts or information. These are often the easiest questions you will come across in a

reading exam. Nonetheless, when answering comprehension questions you can’t afford to miss any

details in the test - make sure you have read the passage twice or aloud, and refer back to the text when

answering comprehension questions.

Exercise:

“Avalon Bay, located in the northern suburbs of Sydney, is one of the most pristine beaches to be

found.”

Which of the following is correct? Avalon Bay can be found to the ________ of Sydney?

a) east

b) west

c) south

d) north

Making Inferences:

Finding information implicit in the articles can be more difficult. This requires you to look beyond what is

openly said in the text and make inferences, or assumptions, based on what information you have been

given. Sometimes a passage won’t explicitly make a point, but will subtley convey it through clues. This is

especially true of characters’ behaviour. For example, instead of a character being explicitly described as

being restless, the text might say that they were fidgeting and checking their watch.

Exercise:

James reluctantly shuffled across the hallway, his eyes frantically scanning his surroundings as he

walked towards the Principal’s office.

Which set of words best describes James at this current moment?

a) Obstinate, sulky and stubborn

b) Joyful, cheery and outgoing

c) Nervous, fearful and hesitant

d) Cold, calculating and careless

Interpreting Figurative Language:

Some passages will include figurative language and it is likely that you will be tested on your ability to

interpret these devices. The figurative language devices you will most likely come across are: similes,

metaphors, personification and idioms.

Similes: Remember, a simile is comparing something to something else using the words ‘as’, ‘like’ or

‘than’ for example, ‘my sister is as greedy as a pig.’

Exercise:

My stomach felt like a washing machine, but I still managed to mumble my thanks before running

out the door to vomit.

Why did my stomach feel like a washing machine?

a) Because my clothes were dirty.

b) Because it was churning and I felt sick.

c) Because it was beeping.

d) Because I had a white t-shirt on.

A STUDENT’S GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE READING – Year 9

• Do you think that an athlete would stay up till dawn eating fast food the night before a race? No way!

Similarly, there is a lot you can do to prepare yourself before and during the test to ensure that you

are performing at your peak.

• Try to have as much sleep as possible the night before. Studies have proven that minds and memories

are much sharper and more focused when they are well rested.

• Pack everything you need the night before the exam so that you are prepared. Do you need to write

in pencil or pen? Will you need highlighters or coloured pencils? A ruler? A calculator? A protractor or

compass? A dictionary?

• Don’t eat anything strange or new the night before – waking up to discover that curried sausages

don’t agree with you the morning of an exam would not be ideal! Eat a healthy meal, preferably

including some brain food like fish, protein and pasta.

• Set an alarm!

• Don’t eat too much sugar before the test! This will only give you a temporary burst of energy, and you

are likely to come crashing down just as you are about to attempt the hardest question!

• Go to the bathroom just before the test, so you don’t waste any time having to dash out of the room

in the middle of your exam or suffer by sitting with tightly crossed legs.

• Anxiety is contagious! If your friends are discussing the test with doom and gloom, steer clear of

them, and instead think about how well-prepared you are.

• Listen to the teacher’s instructions at the beginning of the exam. Ask a question if you need to clarify

anything about the test conditions so you are not left wondering.

• During the test, don’t rush! Read through everything properly – too many students make silly

mistakes because they missed a clue, word or sentence.

• Watch the clock – don’t spend all your time

lingering around the easy questions at the

beginning and then find you have no time to

tackle the harder ones. Pace yourself, and if

something is too difficult, put a star next to it

and come back to it at the end.

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1. Read the question first!

2. Underline important points and make notes to help

you understand questions and information.

3. Read the possible answers.

4. Eliminate any obviously wrong answers straight

away. For example, on the Literacy test, cross out

any answers that make the sentence’s tense sound

wrong.

5. For literacy items, if possible, look for the answer

that uses language that matches the question.

6. For numeracy items you may be able to use trial

and error and work backwards. This means that

because one of the answers must be correct, you

could substitute each one into the sum or pattern

to see which ones works out to be correct.

7. For numeracy items, it is very important to do all the

working out on the paper. This will make sure you

won’t make a silly mistake by missing something

out.

8. For literacy items, do your thinking on the test

paper, but not too close to where you place your

answer. Remember your working out does not have

to be neat or logical to anyone but you! Your

working out is not marked!

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9. You will often find that the last questions in a unit or

section are more difficult than the first, so you may

need to spend more time on them.

10. If you can’t work out the right answer, make a guess

in the answer space as you won’t lose marks for a

wrong answer. Then place a star next to the question,

so if you have time at the end you will remember to

come back to it and try again.

11. Don’t spend all your time on one question! Use your

time wisely so that you move through the test

answering all easy questions but still having time left

to work hard at the difficult questions and go back to

ones that confused you.

12. You must use a 2B or HB pencil to record answers in

the test booklets provided. Each item has only one

correct response and there is no penalty for a wrong

answer, so always have a guess even if you have no

idea! It is important that if you want to change your

answer to a question, use a rubber to remove the

incorrect pencil mark and then shade or write the

new response in the appropriate space provided.

13. With any left over time, go back and double check

your answers!

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READING TEST and answering questions in general

• Have I thoroughly read the question first ? Remember to ensure you

stop and understand each part of the question – you might need to go

read part of the stimulus to understand that part of the question.

• Have I underlined the important parts of the question?

• Do I understand what is being asked?

• Have I made notes next to the question to keep my brain focused and

to improve my understanding?

• Do I need to draw a diagram/ picture/ write a note to improve my

visual understanding of what I need to do?

• Have I determined the number of things/steps I should include/do in

my answer so that my response is of an A standard?

• Do I need to provide evidence in my response?

• Have I referred back to the text when answering the question to make

sure I’m right?

• If there is a word I don’t know the meaning of, can I work it out by

looking at the rest of the sentence?

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The NAPLAN reading tests require you to read a magazine full of different types of articles and then answer a series of questions based on these articles. The questions you will be asked tend to focus on certain skills, so if you brush up on these skills beforehand, you can ensure that you will do better in the test. There are usually about eight articles in the magazine, and they will be something like a short story, a reflection, a persuasive essay, speech or letter, a set of instructions or a newspaper article. You will have to answer between 5 and 8 questions about each article that test your literacy skills and your understanding of that article. The easiest questions you will come across will be simple comprehension questions – ones that ask you to find information that appears clearly in the article. This is just testing that you read the article properly. Finding information that does not directly appear in the articles can be more difficult, and will require you to make inferences. Making an inference involves coming to a logical conclusion based on the facts you are given. For example, if you are told that Rosie has lots of pets and wants to be a vet when she grows up, you could infer that she likes animals. This skill is often tested by asking you to work out the definition of a word that you probably wouldn’t know, which you can do by drawing on your vocabulary and looking at the sentence the word appears in. Some of the articles will contain figurative language, which are sentences used for descriptive or persuasive reasons that are not meant to be understood literally. The figurative language you will mainly come across will be similes and metaphors. Remember, a simile is comparing something to something else, for example, my sister is as greedy as a pig.’ ‘Like’ and ‘as’ are often words used in similes. A metaphor, on the other hand, is directly referring to something as something else, for example, I was melting in the heat. I wasn’t actually melting, but I can exaggerate and say that you was for dramatic effect. Sometimes you will be presented with an idiom, which is a popular saying or expression such as raining cats and dogs. Obviously cats and dogs aren’t literally falling from the sky – it’s just an expression to emphasise how heavy the rain is and to paint a clearer image for the reader.

The Reading Test will require you to read different articles and then answer

questions relating to the articles. Read the following page to get some tips for

successfully completing the Reading Test!

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Often you will be asked to sum up an article by determining its overall purpose or tone. To identify tone, look at the language used by the author: is it formal? Is it sad? Is it angry? Does it make someone or something look good or bad? Also, some of the questions require you to work out a character’s mood or their reason for behaving in a particular way. To answer these, look at the character’s language choices, the way they are described and the way in which they interact with others. There will generally be one article that features a map or a diagram such as a flow chart, and several of the questions will require you to read a map’s key or examine a diagram and combine your observations with whatever you have read in the text. Furthermore, as there is often a question that presents an argument, such as a debate, letters to the editor or a talkback radio show, you will occasionally be asked to compare and contrast two or more arguments to find similarities or differences. If you take all of these factors into account, and make sure that you thoroughly read each article and especially each question, you will find the NAPLAN reading test a lot easier. Good luck!

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In the reading test, you will be given a magazine that contains a collection of

colourful articles. These articles may be poems, short stories, instructions or non-fiction

and are known as the stimulus. After reading each one, you will need to answer a couple

of questions, mostly multiple choice. These questions will quiz how well you understood

what you read. Read about the different ways you may be asked to show your

understanding of what you read, then have a go at the questions based on each chunk of

text in the ‘example’ boxes.

Most of the questions on the test will be comprehension questions. This means they will ask you to explain what happened or what was said in the articles. Sometimes the question might be asking you what was said in different words to the ones used in the text. Once you have read a comprehension question, go back to the article it is asking about and find the answer. If you are having trouble locating the information you need, try reading the article out loud, because sometimes when you just read in your head, you can miss important or obvious facts. Question 1: Why do capuchin monkeys use tools?

a) To scare away predators. b) To look for food. c) To break open food that has a hard shell. d) To fix their homes.

Answer and Explanation: c) The stimulus directly says that capuchin monkeys [use] tools to crack open crabs and nuts to eat. Question 2: Why are capuchin monkeys seen as intelligent?

a) They choose to live in warm countries in Central and South America. b) They use tools, which is a very human-like behaviour. c) They spend a lot of time having naps. d) They know that crabs are good for them.

Answer and Explanation: b) The text explains why capuchins are considered intelligent in the second part of the last sentence. Using your comprehension skills, you should have linked the two ideas together and realised that the second thought explained the first.

Example Capuchin monkeys live in Central and South America. When they’re not napping, they spend all their time looking for food. Capuchins are considered one of the most intelligent species of monkeys, often using tools to crack open crabs and nuts to eat.

What the Text Said !

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Example Tips and rubbish dumps are filling up quickly, so we need to find new ways to get rid of our rubbish. One way you can do this in your home is by making a compost heap to recycle garbage from your kitchen – mainly food and vegetable scraps. Things like orange peels, eggs shells and rotten bananas can all be mixed together outside. Eventually, tiny living organisms like worms will help break the garbage down. Grossed out? Well you shouldn’t be, because soon you will have new, healthy soil you can grow things like flowers and fruit trees in. So not only do you get to help the environment - you also get to turn rubbish into treasure!

Scraps you can add to your compost heap

Sometimes to show off your comprehension skills and you might be asked to summarise or paraphrase an idea, paragraph or sentence. Summarising means writing a shortened version of something out, whereas paraphrasing means to write something out in different words. Some questions will ask you why the author has chosen to write such an article. To answer this type of question, think about what type of article it is and what it is doing. Is it a set of instructions teaching you how to wash your hands? Is it an article explaining the danger rhinos are in from hunters? Is it a funny story about a monkey and a banana? Then ask yourself why you would read it and what you have gained or learned by doing so. You might be asked why a picture has been included in the article. Look at the type of picture it is – is it a map? Is it a photo? Is it funny? Is it a labelled sketch? The image might have been used to show you what something looks like or where it is, to give an example or to be funny. Think about how the picture helps explain what is written in the article and what is happening in it. Occasionally, you may be asked to describe the reason behind a type of sentence, type of word or punctuation mark. Just ask yourself how it makes you feel or react. For instance, if a story about a noisy dog kept using the word woof, you would know the purpose being using the word would be to show what sound the dog made. If a sentence ends in ‘…’, it will usually be trying to create suspense or show that something will continue. If an article contains a question, it will probably be trying to get the reader to realise that the author’s point of view is correct. Question 3: What is the purpose of this text?

a) To entertain the readers by telling a story about worms. b) To encourage people to make compost heaps. c) To convince readers to love worms. d) To explain to people how to build a compost heap.

Purpose !

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Answer and Explanation: b) The article is informative, and it provides lots of reasons why you should make a compost heap. Therefore, it must have been written to encourage people to make one. It does not tell a story about worms and it’s main purpose is not to convince readers to love worms. Also, although it talks about what goes into a compost heap, it doesn’t explain exactly how to make one. Question 4: Why was the picture included with the text?

a) To show you what goes in to a compost heap. b) To guess what you might have had for lunch. c) To teach you what worms like to eat. d) To convince you to recycle your foodscraps.

Answer and Explanation: a) The matches the information in the text about what kinds of foods go in a compost heap. The caption also helps explain this as the reason for including the picture. Although you may have had those things for lunch, that is not why the image has been included; and although worms may enjoy eating some of these things, we cannot be sure, as the text doesn’t say. Also, the picture doesn’t help further convince you to recycle your food scraps – it just shows you what to recycle. Question 5: What is the purpose of the question Grossed out? and the sentence that follows it?

a) To make readers write their answer to the question on the page.

b) To convince readers that using worms and other organisms to break down food scraps isn’t gross – it’s rewarding.

c) To make readers blame themselves for not already having a compost heap.

d) To make readers realise how gross and smelly a compost heap can become.

Answer and Explanation: b) Including questions like this in your writing is a persuasive technique: a trick that makes readers agree with what the author is saying. By asking readers if they are grossed out and then telling them why they shouldn’t be, readers realise that recycling food scraps using a compost heap is a great ide and not gross at all. You may even be asked to explain the reason behind an arrow or a heading. Arrows can also be used in text to show the relationship between different ideas. For instance, the text you read could be teaching you about the life cycle of a frog. Each stage of its life, from frogspawn to tadpole to frog, could be joined to the next with an arrow.

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In some texts, the writing is organised into different heading to sort the writer’s ideas into categories. This can help the reader locate information and even understand it better, because they get a general idea of what the chunk of text is about before they’ve even read it. Some questions might ask you about different features of the writing, such as what tense or person it was written in or whether it was non-fiction or fiction. The tense of a story is the time it was written in, such as past, present or future. Look at the verbs (doing words) and ask yourself when they happened – could it have been yesterday, today or tomorrow? For instance, if I swam, I did it in the past. If I am swimming, I am doing it right now in the present. If I will swim, I will do it in the future - maybe tomorrow! The person something is written in means the voice the author has used. If they have talked about themselves as I or me or used words like us and we, it is in first person. If it talks to you directly as the reader, like instructions often do, it is in second person. If it only talks about people from a distance, calling them he, she or they, it is in third person. You will often find that you relate better to text written in first person. This is because you feel like the writer is talking directly to you. It’s also easier to empathise with and understand their behaviour, thoughts and points of view more so than if you were just reading about them written in third person. You should also try to remember that non-fiction means writing that is true, like a book full of facts about the Moon. Non-fiction writing is creative and made-up, like a story about being abducted by aliens from the Moon.

Question 6: Is this text fiction or non-fiction? a) Fiction b) Non-fiction

Answer and Explanation: a) The text is telling a story to entertain readers - it’s just a story about a girl and her pet bunny, and is not giving information or true facts. Therefore, it is fictional.

Example Chloe sighed as her school mates chattered around her. All she could think about was getting home to see if Flopsy had given birth yet. What are baby rabbits called again? she mused. Ah, that’s right, kitten! She wondered how many babies Flopsy would have, and if her mum would let her keep any of them. If only this day would hurry up and be over!

Writing Styles ! SAMPLE

Question 7: What person is this text written in? a) First b) Second c) Third

Answer and Explanation: c) The subject of the story is talked about from a distance, and Chloe is referred to as she and her. There is no use of first-person words like me, I and my and the reader isn’t talked to directly using words like you and your. Therefore it is in third person. Question 8: What tense was this story written in? a) Past b) Present c) Future Answer and Explanation: a) The story talks about something that has already happened. Although Chloe doesn’t know if her rabbit has had babies yet, it is written like it happened in the past, with verbs like sighed, chattered, mused and wondered. In the test, you may be asked to try and work out what a character is feeling, what they are like or what their future holds. To do so, you need to have a good understanding of the whole article and then make an educated guess. Make observations - look for clues about what they say, what they are doing, how they are interacting with other people and any adjectives (describing words) used to talk about them. If you are asked about their emotions, think about how you would feel in the same situation. If you are asked to describe someone, think about what their type of behaviour usually says about a person. For example, if a boy spent the morning madly rushing around his house packing things to take to the beach, but then it rained, it would be fairly safe to say that he was disappointed. If he then threw a massive tantrum and was rude to his parents, you could describe him as being badly behaved and spoiled.

Example Henry traced raindrops with his finger as they trickled down the car window. “You’ll make heaps of mates at your new school,” assured his dad. Henry tried to look hopeful, but his cheeks still ached from all the fake smiling he’d been doing that morning. He missed his friends already, and they’d only been on the road for six hours. Tears prickled in his eyes, but he cast them to the ground: he didn’t want his parents to see him crying. He didn’t want to let them down. But what if no one liked him?

Feelings and Observations !

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Question 9: What do you think Henry is doing? a) Going on a camping holiday b) Moving to a new town c) Going back to his old school d) Having a driving lesson

Answer and Explanation: b) Henry’s dad talks about him starting a new school. According to the story, he is in the car with his parents and has been driving for six hours. Henry said he already misses his friends, which suggests that he is leaving them behind. This implies that Henry and his family are driving to a new town that they are going to live in, where Henry will start at a new school. Question 10: Which word best describes Henry?

a) Deceitful b) Bratty c) Thoughtful d) Calm

Answer and Explanation: c) Henry says he doesn’t want to let his parents down, and doesn’t want them to see him crying. He has been fake-smiling all morning, which suggests that he is hiding his emotions in order to make things easier on his mum and dad and not make them feel guilty. This demonstrates that he is thoughtful – he cares about other people’s feelings. His behaviour is not at all bratty; he is crying, so cannot be described as calm; and he hasn’t really been lying, so can’t be called deceitful. Question 11: How do you think Henry is feeling?

a) Moody and resentful. b) Lonely and nervous. c) Happy and relaxed. d) Hungry and tired.

Answer and Explanation: b) Henry misses his friends, which suggests that he is feeling lonely. He is also clearly worried about starting a new school, as he is wondering whether people will like him or not. He is not in a bad mood, just a sad one; he is not currently happy and the story mentions nothing about him being tired or hungry. SA

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You use figurative language when you are describing something by comparing it to something else. It is never meant to be taken literally, and is just used to enrich your writing. You can do this using many different tools, including: • Similes: A comparison between two things using like or as, so comparing the first thing to a second

thing. Example: The princess’ eyes sparkled like diamonds.

• Metaphors: Directly referring to something as something else, so calling the first thing a second thing.

Example: I have a heart of stone • Idiom: Idioms are phrases in the English language that have nothing

to do with their literal meaning. Example: to say someone “has the blues” means that they are feeling sad; or to say that it’s raining cats and dogs means that it is absolutely pouring!

Another type of question you will come across are ones that test your knowledge of a word’s meaning or ask you to match it with a similar word. The best way to improve your vocabulary is by reading books, so you should be trying to do some every day! Reading before bed is an excellent way to relax and wind down, and when you sleep, your brain will convert some of the new words you have come across into your long term memory. If you come across that you don’t understand in any of the articles, don’t worry: you can probably guess it correctly! Read the sentence out loud to yourself and see if you can figure out the meaning of that word. If you can’t, try reading the sentence before and after it as well. Think about whether the word sounds nice or mean, positive or negative or good or bad. Also look at words that sound similar to it, as often words with similar beginnings or endings have the same kind of meaning! For example, an aerial view of a city means a view from the sky. Although you might not have known what aerial means, you know that an aeroplane flies. It’s no coincidence that these words start the same way: they both have the same meaning, and come from the Greek word for air!

Example The theme park’s admission fee is $60 per person. It’s so extortionate that we only go once a year at most.

Figurative Language !

Vocabulary !

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Question 12: What is an admission fee? a) The price of lunch. b) The cost of a taxi to the theme park. c) How much it costs to get in. d) The amount of money you need to

buy souvenirs. Answer and Explanation: c) Although you may not know the meaning of the word admission, you should know that a fee is money that you pay for a reason, like fees you pay to the government or the fee you pay if you get a fine for parking or speeding. The sentence tells you that this fee must be paid per person, is $60 and is related to a themepark, so you should have been able to deduce that it is the cost to get in. Question 13: Which set of words means the same as extortionate?

a) Expensive and too much. b) Funny and entertaining. c) Cheap and reasonable. d) Far away and distant.

Answer and Explanation: a) If the themepark was cheap, it is likely people would be able to afford to often. If it was expensive, they would go very rarely. The sentence says that because of the fee, the person only goes to the themepark once a year at most. Extortionate must therefore mean expensive or too much.

Sometimes you will be asked to describe how things in an article are alike or how they are different. This is known as comparing and contrasting. For instance, if you were reading two different arguments about whether or not humans should spend money exploring space, you might discover that they both believe exploration is very important. This would be a similarity. However, one person might argue that the money should be exploring space, whereas the other could say that more money should be spent exploring Earth’s oceans, which we still don’t know so much about. This would be a difference.

Example My dad just loves skydiving. He says that the adrenalin rush and freedom you get when jumping out of plane is unbeatable. Mum thinks he’s crazy, and asks him why he would risk his life for a bit of fun. She is scared of heights and prefers to spend her days reading magazines at home by the pool. I’m tempted to try it, but they both say I have to wait until I am at least 18.

Compare and Contrast !

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Question 14: In what way are the author’s mum and dad alike? a) They both enjoy reading. b) They both love adrenalin rushes. c) They are both concerned for their child’s safety. d) They are both very nice people.

Answer and Explanation: c) The only way the parents are described as being similar is in their concern for their child – they both say she has to wait until she is 18 before she can try skydiving herself. Although they may both be nice people and like reading, it isn’t mentioned in the text. Moreover, only the dad appears to like adrenolin rushes – the mum prefers to read at home, which suggests she doesn’t like them. Question 15: In what way are the author’s mum and dad different?

a) The dad is a risk taker whereas the mum is more conservative. b) The mum loves reading whereas the dad can’t read. c) The dad isn’t scared of heights whereas the mum is. d) The dad is very fit whereas the mum is lazy.

Answer and Explanation: a) The only way mentioned here that the dad and mum are different to each other is their view of taking risks. The dad thinks the experience of skydiving is so amazing that it outweighs any risks involved, whereas the mum thinks it is silly and prefers to stay home and read. Nothing is mentioned about the dad being able to read or not; the dad might be scared of heights despite his love of skydiving – he might just overcome his fear; and just because the mum likes reading does not necessarily mean she is lazy and unfit.

SAMPLE

Madagascar is a beautiful island off the coast of Africa. 10-year-old Aina is a local

Malagasy and lives on a farm with her parents. She has written a letter to her pen-pal in

Australia. Read it and answer all of the questions on the next page.

Height = 0.7cm

Height = 1.2cm

Height = 1.7 cm

Dear Megan, Hello and nice to meet you! Thankyou so much for your letter – it was so interesting to learn about your life in Sydney in Australia. I especially loved hearing about kangaroos and koalas. As you know, I live in Madagascar, which is a series of islands off the coast of Africa. Like you, we have many animals here that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. My favourite is the lemur, which is a type of primate. I think they look like a cross between a monkey and a possum! There are more than 100 different species of lemurs, and most of them have eyes as big and bright as light bulbs. We also have an animal called a tenrec, which is similar to an echidna. They are covered in sharp spines and will roll into a tiny ball if they get scared. Although they live in the wild, sometimes children here keep them as pets. Mum said you can’t have a pet echidna in Australia, but if you ever come and visit Madagascar you can see mine! His name is Andry, which in our language means warrior. Our country has lots of gorgeous scenery: hot deserts, active volcanos, green rainforests and golden beaches. I live on the coast in a village called Ifaty with my mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. To us, there is no difference between a cousin and a brother or a mother and an auntie. We are all family, and each child belongs to everyone. On the weekend, we often go to the graveyard to visit our ancestors and make their graves look nice. At home, I speak the language Malagasy, but at school we learn English and French. Can you speak any other languages? I think it’s so cool that we live on the other side of the world from each other but can still communicate in the same language! My parents make money by fishing. The men use spears, fishing lines and nets, whereas the women usually catch sea creatures in the shallow water with their hands. Us kids prefer to go swimming and snorkelling instead! I included some photos in this letter

to show you what Madagascar is like. Hope to hear from you soon Megan. I can’t wait to read your reply! Love from Aina

SAMPLE

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Simile

Metaphor

Synonym

Idiom

Madagascan scenery

Madagascan daily life

Madagascan wildlife

Madagascan pets

Madagascar

Ifaty

Tenrec

Malagasy

For Aina to introduce herself and Madagascan life to Megan.

For Aina to convince Megan to move to Madagascar.

For Aina to tell Megan a story about when she was little.

For Aina inform Megan about Africa.

What is the name of Aina’s village? Q1

! Which type of figurative language is the following sentence: most lemurs have eyes as big

and bright as light bulbs. Q5

How many languages does Aina speak? Q2

How is a tenrec like an echidna? Q3

What are the second and third paragraph mainly about? Q4

What is the purpose of this letter? Q6

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To show Megan what she looks like.

To instruct Megan how to get to Madagascar.

To help Megan understand what Madagascar is like.

To show Megan how a lemur is like a possum.

They care lots about material possessions.

They believe in ghosts.

They don’t like to talk about the dead.

They have lots of respect for their elders and ancestors.

Madagascan people don’t really have families whereas Australians do.

Madagascan children tend to be adopted more often than Australian children.

Families tend to be bigger in Madagascar than Australia and all relatives are equally as important.

Families in Madagascar are usually much smaller than Australian ones.

to talk on the phone

to come to something

to share thoughts and information

to be pen pals

What is the main reason Aina included photos in her letter? Q7

What tense is this extract written in: ‘I live on the coast in a village called Ifaty.’ Q8

What person is this letter written in? Q9

What is the difference between Madagascan family structures and Australian ones? Q11

What is the meaning of communicate in the second last paragraph? Q13

What inference can you make about the Madagascan people? Q10

Name one similarity between Australia and Madagascar. Q12 SAMPLE

Height = 0.7cm

Height = 1.2cm

Height = 1.7 cm

Simile

Metaphor

Synonym

Idiom

Madagascan scenery

Madagascan daily life

Madagascan wildlife

Madagascan pets

Madagascar

Ifaty

Tenrec

Malagasy

For Aina to introduce herself and Madagascan life to Megan.

For Aina to convince Megan to move to Madagascar.

For Aina to tell Megan a story about when she was little.

For Aina inform Megan about Africa.

They are both small animals covered in sharp spines

that are unique to the countries they live in.

Three

What is the name of Aina’s village? Q1

! Which type of figurative language is the following sentence: most lemurs have eyes as big

and bright as light bulbs. Q5

How many languages does Aina speak? Q2

How is a tenrec like an echidna? Q3

What are the second and third paragraph mainly about? Q4

What is the purpose of this letter? Q6

SAMPLE

Height = 0.7cm

Height = 1.2cm

Height = 1.7 cm

To show Megan what she looks like.

To instruct Megan how to get to Madagascar.

To help Megan understand what Madagascar is like.

To show Megan how a lemur is like a possum.

They care lots about material possessions.

They believe in ghosts.

They don’t like to talk about the dead.

They have lots of respect for their elders and ancestors.

Madagascan people don’t really have families whereas Australians do.

Madagascan children tend to be adopted more often than Australian children.

Families tend to be bigger in Madagascar than Australia and all relatives are equally as important.

Families in Madagascar are usually much smaller than Australian ones.

to talk on the phone

to come to something

to share thoughts and information

to be pen pals

Present tense.

First person.

They both have a lot of animals that don’t live anywhere else in the world.

What is the main reason Aina included photos in her letter? Q7

What tense is this extract written in: ‘I live on the coast in a village called Ifaty.’ Q8

What person is this letter written in? Q9

What is the difference between Madagascan family structures and Australian ones? Q11

What is the meaning of communicate in the second last paragraph? Q13

What inference can you make about the Madagascan people? Q10

Name one similarity between Australia and Madagascar. Q12 SAMPLE

Practice Questions

Question One:

To answer this comprehension question, students needed to locate and retrieve explicit information

located in the fourth paragraph: I live on the coast in a village called Ifaty with my mothers, fathers,

brothers and sisters. The correct answer is C – Ifaty.

Question Two:

This answer can be inferred from information given explicitly in the fifth paragraph: At home, I speak

the language Malagasy, but at school we learn English and French. The correct answer is three.

Question Three:

They are both small animals; they are both covered in sharp spines; they are both unique to the

countries in which they are found. Students should have been able to deduce at least one similarity

between the two species by combining explicit information splayed across the text with their general

knowledge and common sense. Having studied Australian animals extensively in year 2, students

should be well aware of what an echidna looks like. Tenrec are described as curling into tiny ball[s]

when they get scared, suggesting that they too are small. It is also said that they are covered in sharp

spines, much like an echidna. The final similarity is more difficult to ascertain, and comes from linking

a line in the second paragraph with one in the third: Like you, we have many animals here that can’t

be found anywhere else in the world and We also have an animal called a tenrec, which is similar to

an echidna.

Question Four:

Students level of comprehension and understanding of the text should have been substantial enough

for them to make a generalisation about the main topic two paragraphs concerned. The correct

answer is C - Madagascan wildlife

Question Five:

The comparison between lemurs’ eyes and light bulbs is made using as, making it a simile. The

correct answer is A – simile.

Question Six:

The letter is introductory, as indicated by Aina’s greeting at the beginning and the way in which she

describes Madagascar and her life as if Megan is learning about it for the first time. Although Aina

tells Megan she can play with her pet tenrec if she visits, Aina makes no effort to persuade Megan to

move there. The text is not narrative, and no mention is made of mainland Africa other than when

describing Madagascar’s geographical location. The correct answer is A - for Aina to introduce

herself and Madagascan life to Megan. This answer guide is continued on the next page...

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...This answer guide is continued from the previous page.

Question Seven:

Students should have been able to work out the reason for the inclusion of complementary images in

Aina’s letter by identifying what the images contained and linking them to their descriptions in the text.

Furthermore, Aina explicitly identified the reason for their inclusion in her final paragraph: I included

some photos in this letter to show you what Madagascar is like. The correct answer is C – to help

Megan understand what Madagascar is like.

Question Eight:

Live is a present tense verb, and the sentence demonstrates that Aina currently resides on the coast

in the village Ifaty. The correct answer is present tense.

Question Nine:

The letter is rife with Aina directly referring to herself, such as through the use of first-person

pronouns like I, my and our. The correct answer is first person.

Question Ten:

Aina explains how her and her family often go to the graveyard to visit their ancestors and decorate

their graves on the weekend. The frequency of these visits shows immense respect for the dead, and

students should have been able to make this inference themselves. The correct answer is D – They

have lots of respect for their elders and ancestors.

Question Eleven:

Students should have been able to infer this contrast by connecting explicit information in the text

about aunties/uncles being considered the same as parents and cousins the same as siblings with

their own knowledge about Australian family structures.

Model Response:

Families are bigger in Madagascar than Australia and everyone is equally as important.

Question Twelve:

They both have a lot of animals that don’t live anywhere in the world, gorgeous scenery, hot deserts,

green rainforests and golden beaches. They both learn English at school. Students should have been

able to identify at least one of these similarities between Madagascar and Australia.

Question Thirteen:

Students’ knowledge of vocabulary and particularly the meaning of the word communicate should

have allowed to identify its definition. The correct answer is C – to share thoughts and information.

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