The hungry weasel

The hungry weasel

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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.
 
mustela erminea
Image source: Wikipedia (public domain)
 
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

The hungry weasel
 
One morning as the sun was rising, a weasel was hunting for something to eat. He had not eaten for more  1 a week and was thin and 2. Feeling too weak and tired to 3 any more he crept into a 4 kitchen. Carefully, he looked all around 5 he couldn't find any food. However, 6 smells came from the kitchen storeroom. 7 a few minutes he had wriggled8 the tiny space beneath the storeroom 9. Once inside the storeroom, the weasel 10, and ate, and ate. That evening, 11 he was full, he tried to 12 out again, but he couldn't squeeze 13 the door. He tried and tried. "14 trapped!" he cried. "Whatever shall I 15? When the farmer finds I have 16 his food, he is sure to  17 me!" "Ha-ha," laughed a mouse from 18 hole nearby. "Just look at you 19 the middle of all that food. 20 will have to starve if you 21 to get out again, won't you?"
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online (without auto-marking).
Copyright: 

Text source: Unknown
Image source: Wikipedia (public domain)

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: 
The context of this cloze task is a story about a hungry weasel. Students generate appropriate words to create well-formed sentences.
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.     than
2.     hungry/starving/bony/scrawny/sick/frail
3.     hunt/look/search/do/walk/move/forage
4.     farmer's/farmhouse/farm/nearby/dark/family's/warm/empty/person's
5.     but
6.     nice/strange/lovely/wonderful/interesting
7.     After/In/Within
8.     through/into
9.     door
10.   ate
11.   when/after/once/feeling/though
12.   squeeze/sneak/wriggle/get/creep/go
13.   under/underneath/beneath
14.   I'm
15.   do
16.   eaten/stolen
17.   kill/punish/shoot
18.   his/a/her
19.   in
20.   You
21.   want/hope/expect/are

Click here for more information on Interpreting Cloze Results

Acknowledgement
Every effort has been made to locate the source of this text.