2.5 Understanding poems

Tom is a short boy.

(‘short’ is an ordinary adjective)

‘short’ is used when no comparison is made.

Tom is shorter than his brother.

( ‘shorter’ is a comparative adjective)

A ‘comparative’ adjective is used when you compare two things.

Tom is the shortest in his family.

(‘shortest’ is a superlative adjective)

A superlative adjective is used when referring to at least three things.

1. clean
2. quick
3. strong
4. long
5. loud
6. rough
7. fast
8. bright

Language

1. Look at the words in bold. They are adjectives. Write them down and find their comparative and superlative degree.

ANEMONES : PLANTS OR ANIMALS?

In all seas and oceans, from the tidal zone to a depth of 10 000 metres, live animals that look so much like flowers that their common names include "sea anemone," "sea dahlia" and "sea chrysanthemum" are found. Scientifically they belong to the class anthozoa.

The primitive anatomy of these animals places them low on the scale of evolutionary development. They have only one body opening through which food is taken in and waste material expelled. The opening faces upwards and is surrounded by tentacles.

There can be a single ring of thick individual tentacles or several rings of feathery fine , often branched, ones. It is these tentacles that give the animals their flower-like appearance.

Below the oral disc with its mouth opening and rings of tentacles, are the main body stem and then a base, also referred to as the aboral disc or petal disc.

Sea anemones, dahlias, etc. are usually coloured in vivid yellows, reds, blues, greens or browns. Many species are multi-coloured.

Most catch their prey in an unusual manner. Their tentacles contain tiny stinging cells, scientifically called cnidoblasts. These have a bulbous appearance and each contains a spirally folded, hollow thread with a very small harpoon-shaped barb at its end. The entire structure is so small that it can only be seen under the most powerful microscopes.

When a victim comes in contact with the tentacles, the cnidoblasts literally explode and shoot out their miniature harpoons with considerable force. The harpoons penetrate the victim's skin and inject a potent poison.

Since the harpoons are microscopic in size their individual effect is minimal. However, hundreds of these harpoons, scientifically called nematocysts, are activated simultaneously. This multiplies the poison's effect so that a fish of the same size as the anemone is killed almost instantly.

Fortunately, most sea anemones are too small to have any effect on a human.

Adapted from: PERSONALITY , May 25, 1987

1. You have read the scientific information on the anemones. Is this fact or opinion?

Why do you say this?

1. Research Work

Look in encyclopaedias or reference books for information about animals and plants under the sea. Now write two scientific paragraphs describing any two animals or plants. You may draw pictures as well.

Assessment

Memorandum

Comprehension

(a) (i) Because the oily sludge has polluted it.

(ii) angry, roar, beating, bad (behaviour)

(iii) man

(iv) human waste (e.g. sewage)

industrial waste from factories (chemicals)

waste thrown overboard from / prumped out of ships

(b) (i) A deep-sea diving crew – investigating a shipwreck? They were in a craft

(i) No-one could have known that the crew wouldn’t survive (i.e. be destroyed by the cruel sea).

(ii) The person in charge of the team – the “boss” who stayed on board. It could also be the person who had planned it, but who was not actively involved (the person “at the top”).

(iii) It could break.

(iv) It is not perfectly clear, but there is a suggestion that the sea became rough (cruel power) and stormy and that the vessel (probe) was adrift / was tossed about causing the cable to snap and the oxygen pipe to break.

(v) serious

(c) (i) We should not pollute it.

(ii) We should know that it can be dangerous.

1. (b) strange, cruel

(c) a thin lifeline

(d)

3.

(a) his = possessive adj.

older = adj. of quality

(b) that = possessive adj.

(c) enough = adj. of quantity

(d) which = “asking” or interrogative adj.

4.

5. (a)

(b) Fact

• Because a number of facts are given. It is a description in scientific terms.