Reading - Group 2
Week 9
Embedded Files
monday
monday
Taonga
by Kiwa Hammond
Mahi and Hani could see Nan waiting at the door. They waved and raced up the path.
“Kia ora, kia ora,” cried Nan. “Come inside and have some afternoon tea and tell me about your day at school.”
As they took off their school bags, Hani saw something small and red and shiny on the bench. “Hey, look at that. Is that a new phone, Nan?” he asked. “Yes,” laughed Nan, “but I’m still learning how to use it. This phone is so different from my old one. But it takes really good photos.”
“That phone is so cool!” said Hani. “If I had a phone like that, it would be my most favourite thing in the whole wide world!” “Really?” asked Nan. She smiled at him. “More favourite than your nan?” “No!” exclaimed Hani. His face went red. Nan laughed and hugged him. “Come and have something to eat,” she said. “I’ve made rēwana bread. And you two can tell me about your day.”
Mahi said, “At school, we were talking about favourite things and things that are special to us.” “What’s your favourite thing, Nan?” asked Hani. “Apart from whānau?” smiled Nan. Hani nodded and smiled back. Nan touched the pounamu hanging round her neck. “This is my taonga, my very precious treasure. My own nan gave it to me.” Nan took a photo off the shelf. The photo showed a kuia and a little girl. The kuia was wearing a pounamu. “That is my grandmother – taku kuia,” said Nan. “That little girl is me.” She put the photo back.
“We have to think about a taonga of our own and then write about it,” said Hani. “What are you going to write about?” asked Nan. “I’m not sure,” replied Hani. “There are lots of things that are special to me. I’ll need to think hard.”
Mahi finished her afternoon tea. She looked at Nan’s new phone. “Could we take some photos with that?” she asked. “Tino pai! That sounds like a great idea,” Nan replied. “Here you are.” Nan and the children looked at the photos. “You were right, Nan. This phone takes great photos!” said Hani. “Can we print some of these photos?” asked Mahi. “I’ve got an idea.”
Mahi held up one of the photos. “I’m going to write about you!” she said to Nan. “This photo is my taonga.” “Yes!” said Hani. “Now I know what I’m going to write about, too!”
Answer the following questions about the text.
What are the names of the boy and girl in the story?
What was good about Nan’s new phone?
What had Nan made for the kids to eat?
What was Mahi talking about at school that day?
What is Nan’s favourite thing?
What are Mahi and Hani going to write about at school?
Match the māori word, to the english translation:
tuesday
tuesday
The Gibbon Family
By Marie McLisky
Have you ever seen an ape? Have you ever seen a monkey? What is the difference? Which is the largest ape? Which is the smallest ape?
Gorillas
A gorilla is an ape. Chimps and orangutans are also apes. Apes don’t have tails. They are very clever. The gorilla is the largest ape.
Monkeys
Monkeys are not apes. They are not as clever as the apes. Monkeys have tails.
Gibbons
Have you ever seen a gibbon? Gibbons are apes. They are the smallest ape and they are rare. The places where they live are being taken by people for farm land. Gibbons have a small head, light bones and no tail. The males are bigger than the females. Gibbons live in the rainforests of southeast Asia. A gibbon’s arms are special. They have hands with four long fingers and a small thumb. They can grasp and carry things with both their hands and feet. Gibbons’ arms are longer than their legs. Why? Gibbons use their long strong arms to move through the tropical rainforest where they live. They swing their arms to move from branch to branch. They move one hand and then the other as they grip the branches. Which playground equipment does that remind you of? What other ways can gibbons move?
Movement
A gibbon can jump 15 metres at 56 kilometres an hour. They can walk on two legs on the ground and on tree branches. How do they balance? Gibbons use their arms for balance. There are 15 different species of gibbon. They can be light or dark colours. One female gibbon is a golden colour. Their faces are hairless. What do gibbons eat?
Food
Fruit is 75% of a gibbon’s diet. They eat fruit most of the time. They also eat insects, spiders and birds’ eggs. Gibbons drink water, scooping it up with their hands. At night, a gibbon finds a place in the branches. They can sleep sitting up. How do gibbons keep safe?
Keeping Safe
Every morning gibbons guard their territory with a hoot and angry movements. Male and female gibbons have different calls. It is hard for predators to catch them. Gibbons are so quick as they move through trees. Do you remember how they do this?
How to Save Gibbons?
Gibbons are in danger because of the things that people do. These include:
spoiling their rainforest,
setting fires to clear land for farming,
cutting down trees to build houses,
catching gibbons for pets.
We can help gibbons by:
looking after their rainforest,
making bridges in the forest for gibbons to move around a wider area,
educating people about looking after gibbons,
stopping people catching gibbons.
Answer the following questions about the text.
Which of the following is not an ape?
a. gibbon
b. monkey
c. gorilla
Which of the following statements is not true?
a. Gibbons are nocturnal.
b. Gibbons eat fruit.
c. Gibbons can walk on two legs.
How do gibbons guard their territory?
a. whistling
b. hooting
c. chattering
What do gibbons eat?
How far can gibbons jump?
What’s the difference between a monkey and an ape?
wednesday
wednesday
Letters for Mr James
By Joy Cowley
“Any letters for me today?” Mr James asked the postie.
The postie shook her head. “Sorry, Mr James.”
“I never get any letters,” said Mr James. “Never! Never! Never!”
The postie said to the man in the shop. “Poor Mr James. He never gets any letters.”
The man from the shop said to the woman in the bank, “That Mr James never gets any letters.”
The woman from the bank said to her children, “I feel sorry for Mr James. He never gets any letters.”
The children went to school and told their teacher.
The teacher said to the class, “Mr James never gets any letters. What are we going to do about it?”
That morning all the children wrote letters to Mr James, big letters and little letters, fat letters and thin letters, letters with pictures and letters with jokes, and letters with kisses at the bottom.
“Letters!” called the postie. “Letters, Mr James!”
“They can’t be for me,” said Mr James. “I never get any letters.”
“They’ve got your name on them,” said the postie.
“They are for me!” Mr James said. “Where did they all come from?”
“They are from all your friends, Mr James,” said the postie.
Answer the following questions about the story.
How does Mr James feel at the beginning of the story?
What does a postie do?
a. Brings letters
b. Posts letters
c. Writes letters
How does the woman from the bank feel about Mr James?
Why do you think the teacher got the class to write letters?
What sorts of things would the children have written in the letters?
How does Mr James feel at the end of the story?
thursday
thursday
I Can’t Wait for Summer
Kenn Nesbitt
I can’t wait for summer, when school days are done,
to spend the days playing outside in the sun.
I won’t have to study. No homework, no tests.
Just afternoons spent on adventures and quests.
Instead of mathematics and writing reports,
I’ll go to the park and play summertime sports.
Instead of assignments, report cards, and grades,
I’ll get to play baseball and watch the parades.
I’ll swing on the playground. I’ll swim in the pool
instead of just practising lessons in school.
The second the school year is finally done
I’ll spend every minute with friends having fun.
I hardly can wait for the end of the year.
I’m counting the days until summer is here.
It’s hard to be patient. It’s hard to be cool.
It’s hard to believe it’s the first day of school.
Answer the following questions about the poem.
What will the author not have to do in summer?
What will the author do instead of mathematics and writing reports?
Find 4 verbs in the poem.
Find 4 nouns in the poem.
What time of year is it in this poem?
What do you like to do during your summer holiday?
friday
friday
First Airplane Trip
by Sara Matson
Jake is going on a trip. He and Mum take a taxi to the airport.
“It’s my first plane trip,” he tells the taxi driver.
“That’s great!” the taxi driver says.
Jake rolls his suitcase onto the plane.
“It’s my first plane trip,” he tells the pilot.
“Welcome aboard,” the pilot says.
Jake finds his seat and buckles his seatbelt. The plane’s engines rumble and roar. Jake opens his backpack and pulls out Panda.
“It’s my first plane trip,” he whispers. He holds Panda’s paw.
The plane moves faster and faster. Then—Whoosh! On the ground, cars and houses look like toys.
Jake smiles. “Guess what, Panda?” he says. “Flying is fun!”
Answer the following questions about the story.
How do Jake and his mom travel to the airport?
a. in a plane
b. in their car
c. in a taxi
d. in a bus
What does a pilot do?
What does the pilot say to Jake?
Who is Panda?
a. Jake's brother
b. a large animal
c. Jake's pet
d. a stuffed animal
What does Jake whisper to Panda?
Read this sentence from the story: On the ground, the cars and houses look like toys.
What does this mean?
a. The cars and houses looked very big.
b. The cars and houses looked very small.
c. The cars and houses did not move.
d. Jake could not see the cars and houses.
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