Form 3 Literature Component.docx

Form 3 Literature Component ( 2017) 1. Poisoned Talk by Raymond Wilson Who killed cock robin? I, said the worm, I did him great harm. He died on the branch of a withered tree From the acid soil that poisoned me.

Who killed the heron? I, mouthed the fish, With my tainted flesh I killed tern, duck and drake, All the birds of the lake.

Who killed the lake? I, boasted Industry, I poisoned with mercury Fish, plant and weed To pamper mens’ greed.

Who killed the flowers? I, moaned the wind, I prowl unconfined, Blowing acid rain Over field, flood and fen.

Who killed the forest? I ensured that it died, Said sulphur dioxide. And all life within it, from earthworm to linnet.

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Meaning Meaning Who killed cock robin? I, said the worm, Stanza 1

I did him great harm. He died on the branch of a withered tree

The worm said the acid soil poisoned it and now it had poisoned cock robin after the bird ate the worm.

From the acid soil that poisoned me.

Who killed the heron? I, mouthed the fish, Stanza 2

With my tainted flesh

The fish said its poisoned flesh killed all the birds of the lake.

I killed tern, duck and drake, All the birds of the lake.

Who killed the lake? I, boasted Industry, Stanza 3

I poisoned with mercury Fish, plant and weed

Industry (factories) said it poisoned the lake with mercury. All fish, plant and weed died because men polluted the lake.

To pamper mens’ greed.

Who killed the flowers? I, moaned the wind, Stanza 4

I prowl unconfined, Blowing acid rain

The wind said it killed the flowers because it blowed acid rain over field, flood and fen.

Over field, flood and fen.

Who killed the forest? I ensured that it died, Stanza 5

Said sulphur dioxide. And all life within it,

Sulphur dioxide (from cars and factories) said it killed the forest and everything that lived in the forest.

from earthworm to linnet.

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Vocabulary Pictures to help you understand.

Cock robin

Heron

Tern

duck and drake

Lake

Fen

Earthworm

Linnet

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Themes: 1.

Environmental Pollution

Men are willing to destroy our mother nature for more money and power. The factories, cars, and other vehicles release poisonous gas and substances like mercury. This pollutes the lake and the flora and fauna in it. 2.

Destruction of nature

Nature has flora and fauna. They affect one another. When the lake gets polluted, the fish that lives in it will get poisoned. When the birds eat the fishes, the birds get poisoned. Also, if the wind is polluted, it brings the poisonous gas everywhere; all plants will wither and die. In the end, it destroys our mother nature. Moral Values: 1. We must be responsible for the things we do. 2. We must take actions to stop pollutions. 3. We must respect nature. 4. We must appreciate the Earth. 5. We must not be too greedy. (for money and power) 6. We must protect our environment. Model Questions 1. What is meaning of ‘pamper mens’ greed’? To satisfy humans’ desire for money 2. Explain the “great harm” (stanza 1, line 3) the worm did. The worm killed cock robin. 3. In stanza 4 (line 2), what does the wind feel about his crime? The wind feels sad and regretful. 4. What happened to the fish in stanza 2? The fish killed the heron, the fish might end up dying too. 5. How does the soil become acidic? It is polluted by toxic waste from the factories. 6.What is the meaning of ‘unconfined'(stanza 4,line 3) uncontrolled/freely 7.To what is the killer in stanza 4 compared? Which word in stanza 4 is evidence of it? The wind. ‘moaned’. 8.What is it in acid rain that is poisonous? Sulphur dioxide. 9. What is a linnet in stanza 5? A type of bird. 10. Who is the persona in poisoned talk poem ? The persona is the ‘I’ from the poem, including the flora and fauna, the wind, the factories from the industry, and the pollutants (sulphur dioxide) 11. I did him great harm, why was the worm responsible for the death of cock robin? The worm ate the soil that has poison. So when the cock robin ate the worm, the bird died. 12.How was the fish responsible for killing all the birds in the lake? AMANDA LO | PT3 BI

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The birds in the lake ate the fish that had been poisoned by mercury. 13. What caused the lake to become polluted? Mercury from the factories. 14. How were the flowers killed? The wind blowed acid rain to everywhere. 15. What is the meaning of ‘I prowl unconfined? The wind moves around freely. 16. What killed the forest and all life within it? sulphur dioxide 17. What are your feelings about pollution after reading this poem? Pollution can bring a lot of harms to the environment. 18. Why do you think Raymond Wilson wrote this poem? To bring awareness to his readers about the negative effects of pollution. 19. The poem aims is to make readers aware of the effects of pollution on environment. do yothink this situation affect people in any way Yes, people will lose clean water and fod. 20. In stanza 2, how could a fish cause the death of the birds in the lake? The fish has poison in their flesh. When the birds eat them, the birds die. 21.In stanza 4, which line shows that the wind is free- spirited? ‘I prowl unconfined’ 22. How does the wind carry out it’s destructive act? It blows acid rain over fields, flood and fen. 23. In stanza 3 ,’industry ‘ is said to have killed the lake . Why do you think the poet uses the word ,‘boasted’ ? People are proud of the factories they have built. 24. What caused the lake to become polluted? Mercury. 25. How does the killer feel about his crime? The killer feel proud / The killer is not sorry about it. 26. What is the weapon used by this killer? The killer builds factories and cars to pollute the environment. 27.Which word in stanza 3 tells you that the sulphur dioxide is very determined in killing the forest? ’boasted’ 28. If you can do one thing to save the environment, what will you do ? Reduce and recycle rubbish.

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2. The Day the Bulldozers Came by David Orme The day the bulldozers came Rooks were building Crazy egg baskets in the oaks; Green flies sizzled by the pond And a cold-eyed toad Waited for them.

The day the bulldozers came Squirrels were scattering Up tree trunks, And leapt from branches That were hardly there.

The fox Stirred in his sleep As the ground trembled. ‘Ha ha!’ he thought, ‘I’m quite safe, Deep down in the Earth, No one can get me here.’ Then the bulldozer came. Meaning The day the bulldozers came Rooks were building Crazy egg baskets in the oaks; Stanza 1

Green flies sizzled by the pond And a cold-eyed toad Waited for them. The day the bulldozers came Squirrels were scattering

Stanza 2

Up tree trunks, And leapt from branches That were hardly there.

Stanza 3

The fox Stirred in his sleep

When the bulldozers came to the forest, Rooks (a type of bird) were making nests (egg baskets) in oak trees. Green flies were buzzing around the pond while a toad was waiting to eat them. When the bulldozers came to the forest, squirrels were scared and they were running up the trees. They tried to leap from branch to branch, but the tree branches were no longer there. The bulldozers had knocked them down. The fox woke up from his nap but he went back to sleep. He felt the ground shake but he thought he was safe deep down in the AMANDA LO | PT3 BI

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As the ground trembled. ‘Ha ha!’ he thought,

foxhole. However, the bulldozers came and dug him out of the soil!

‘I’m quite safe, Deep down in the Earth, No one can get me here.’ Then the bulldozer came.

Pictures to help you understand

1. Bulldozers

2. Rooks A type of crow

3. oaks

4. Green flies

5. toad

6. squirrels

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7. branches

8. Fox

*photos credit:google Themes: 1. Destruction of nature The bulldozers are designed to knock down trees and flatten lands for development. However this has resulted in the destruction of nature. Many trees are knocked down. Animals lose their home and have no where to go.

2. Change is inevitable Life is always changing. Change cannot be avoided. For example, the bulldozers are invented to replace the animals and help human to develop new lands.

3. Alertness It is important to be alert to our surroundings. For example, the fox believes that as long as he hides in the hole, he will be safe. However he does not realise that the change that humans make is now able to harm him even though he is deep in the ground. He needs to be alert so that he can survive the change.

4. Disruption of life The lives of the animals in the forest are disrupted by human’s activities. For example, the bulldozers knock down the tree branches where the squirrels live. The bulldozers also disrupt the home of the foxes by digging up the foxholes.

Moral values: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

We should be alert to any threats and changes around us. We should be ready to face changes. We should respect the nature and the animals that depend on it. We should protect flora and fauna and the only Earth we have. We should understand that development projects can bring harm to the nature.

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