CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: TEACHER’S RESOURCE
Workbook answers
1 Nature and humans
1.1
1
I walked through the hills trying to find an
ancient temple. I came to a small river. On the
other side stood a leopard, quiet and proud.
I, too, stood quietly. I was amazed. I had never
looked on such an animal before and never have
since. Our eyes locked for a second and then it
vanished. I walked on, desperate to tell my story
to the next person I met.
Learner’s answers may include: the past tense
verbs allow the writer to show the different
stages of the action by contrasting movement
to stillness, for example. It also show show
emotional intensity builds up in the writer.
2
3
I walk through the hills trying to find an ancient
temple. I come to a small river. On the other side
stands a leopard, quiet and proud. I, too, stand
quietly. I am amazed. I have never seen such an
animal before and never have since. Our eyes
lock for a second and then it vanishes. I walk on,
desperate to tell my story to the next person I met.
Learners’ answers will vary, but ensure that
learners have used both past and present tense
effectively and in a way that makes sense.
1.2
1
3
‘Oh no, I forgot!’ exclaims Ravi. ‘Poor
Whiskers must be starving.’
‘Well, hurry up and feed him’, Mum urges.
‘It’s very late.’
‘I’ll do it straight away,’ promises Ravi.
1.3
The wildness of eagles
1
a
His father taught him.
b
Females are preferred because they
are larger and they can catch larger prey.
c
Trainers sing and talk to their birds.
d
Birds are released after ten years because
they need and deserve to be free.
2
•
•
Put punctuation such as commas, full
stops, exclamation marks or question
marks at the end of the spoken words
inside the speech marks.
Paragraph 1: how Arman catches a bird
to tame.
Paragraph 2: how Arman treats the bird and
communicates with it as part of its training
to hunt.
The mysterious figure
Use speech marks around the words that
are spoken.
Example answer:
‘Have you given the cat his dinner?’ asks
Mum. ‘He looks a bit hungry.’
Paragraph 3: the bond that they develop; why
he releases the bird after ten years.
Answers may include:
•
2
‘Sorry, miss,’ replies Tim. ‘I’ll hand it in first
thing tomorrow.’
The leopard
3
Answers may include some of the following
ideas:
•
In the first paragraph the writer focuses
on how Arman catches a young female
bird, and phrases such as a hood is put
over its head and tied down makes the
process seem a bit cruel and unkind
to the bird.
•
Arman later explains that he treats the
eagle like his own baby and wants it to be
happy. This makes it clear that he looks
after it carefully.
Start a new paragraph for a new speaker.
Example answer:
‘Why haven’t you handed in your homework?’
asks Mrs Smith.
‘I just forgot,’ mumbles Tim, quietly.
‘But you shouldn’t forget, scolds Mrs Smith.
‘You’re a clever boy.’
1
Cambridge Lower Secondary English 8 – Creamer, Clare & Rees-Bidder © Cambridge University Press 2021
CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY ENGLISH 8: TEACHER’S RESOURCE
•
1.4
In the final paragraph, this is developed
further as the writer discusses the respect
Arman had for this incredible bird and
explains that he releases them after ten
years because they are noble and need
freedom. This shows that he cares deeply
about them.
Learners’ answers will vary. Ensure that
learners maintain the meaning of the poem
when adding punctuation.
2
Learners’ answers will vary.
3
Example answer:
Swimming through the depths
Of the water is a bright fish.
Its colours glimmer in the sunlight
Bubbles rippling upwards.
I sit for a moment, taken by its beauty.
It pauses
Tail and fins paddling
A sound beyond the water troubles it
And with a dart, it’s gone.
I’m left with my thoughts again.
1
2
2
Example answer:
Tsunami
a
Usually = root word of usual from the
Latin ususualis – ‘ordinary’. Prefix ‘un-’
means not. Unusually = not ordinarily/
out of the ordinary.
b
Immediately = root word from Old
French immediate – ‘without anything in
between’. Means without delay/straight
away.
c
Electricity = from Greek elektron meaning
amber, but changed its meaning to define
the physical force that was generated by
rubbing amber. Now means a form of
static or charged energy.
Example answer:
Being caught in a
tsunami was the most
disconcerting event
I’ve ever been involved
in. As the water
crashed in, I froze,
immobile. My body
refused to move, but
then – miraculously –
instinct kicked in and
I ran. I found energy
from somewhere
and I found myself
ascending the stairs
of a large building,
seeking refuge from
the water.
Our planet is in a state of metamorphosis.
Although it’s probably that humans have
contributed to these changes, to claim we are
entirely responsible is not valid: there are
natural forces happening that homo sapiens
have no influence over and it is entirely governed
by the way Earth moves.
Our planet is changing – agreed? Loads of
people think we humans are to blame, but
that’s just not true! There is plenty of stuff
happening that we don’t control, like the way
Earth moves.
2
1
Destroying the planet
The effect these features have on you as a
reader: The formality of the text gives it
authority and emphasises what a serious
topic this is. Using complex sentences makes
it more serious too but also helps the reader
to understand what argument is being
emphasised, as it balances the claim that
humans are solely responsible for climate
change with the statement that the way that
the Earth moves is responsible instead.
Learners’ answers will vary, but should use
ideas from the previous questions.
1.6
The poetry of Tu Fu
1
1.5
3
3
sudden surge of
large wave
unsettling
motionless
amazingly
climbing up
a place of safety
disconcerting = from Old French disconcerter
meaning confused
immobile = from the Latin immobilis meaning
immovable or hard-hearted
miraculously = from the Latin miraculum
meaning object of wonder
ascending = from the Latin verb scandere
which means to climb
refuge = from the Latin refugium meaning a
place to flee to
Cambridge Lower Secondary English 8 – Creamer, Clare & Rees-Bidder © Cambridge University Press 2021