A clever way out

A clever way out

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Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about adding words to a text so that it makes sense.
 
The following piece of writing has some spaces where words are missing.
 
First, read the whole piece of writing through to get an idea of what it is about. Then fill each space with ONE word so that the whole piece of writing makes sense. You are able to change answers as you go.

When you have filled in all the spaces, re-read the text to check that the whole piece of writing makes sense.

Question 1Change answer

A clever way out
 
One day aboard the Antelope, it happened that Sam, the Captain's servant, while emptying his master's valuable silver teapot, accidentally dropped it overboard. He was terrified as to what 1 happen when the Captain found out, 2 he made up his mind to 3 things easier for himself.
 
"Sir, is 4 lost when you know where it 5?" he asked the Captain.
"Of course 6 isn't," was the reply. "If you 7 where it is, it can't be 8, now, can it?"
"Are you quite 9 of that, Sir?" Sam asked anxiously.
"10 sure as I am that this 11 is sailing the wide, blue Pacific," 12 the Captain.
"Well, that makes me 13 happy indeed," said Sam. "Your silver 14 isn't really lost, because I know 15 it is. It is at the 16 of the ocean."
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online (without auto-marking).
Copyright: 

Source unknown

Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
English, Making meaning, Reading
Key Competencies: 
Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
cloze, comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, text features
Description of task: 
A tale about a character who resolves a problem creatively provides the context for this cloze exercise. Students use their vocabulary and knowledge of grammar to fill in the missing words.
Curriculum Links: 
Links to the Literacy Learning Progressions for Reading:
This resource helps to identify students’ ability to:

  • use comprehension strategies
  • monitor their reading for accuracy and sense

as described in the Literacy Learning Progressions for Reading at: http://www.literacyprogressions.tki.org.nz/The-Structure-of-the-Progressions.

Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Making sense of text: processing system, set 4
Making sense of text: vocabulary knowledge, sets 4-5
within the Reading Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
1.     would/might
2.     so
3.     make
4.     something
5.     is
6.     it
7.     know
8.     lost
9.     sure/certain
10.   As
11.   ship/boat/vessel/craft
12.   said/replied/answered
13.   very/really/feel/so/extremely
14.   teapot
15.   where
16.   bottom

Click here for more information on Interpreting Cloze Results

N.B. Every effort has been made to find the copyright holder of the text used in this resource.