Keiko the killer whale

Keiko the killer whale

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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 can go back and change answers as you go.

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

Question 1Change answer

Keiko the killer whale
 
Keiko the killer whale – star of the movie Free Willy – is heading home to Iceland after nearly a lifetime in captivity. He may even be set 1; the first killer whale to be 2 in this way. For two years, the 20-year-old whale has been nurtured back to 3 health at the Newport Aquarium 4 the Oregon coast. Now that 5 has regained a tonne of 6 and is obviously almost fully 7, the foundation that has sponsored 8 care is launching the final 9 of a $10 million rescue 10. On Wednesday, in the first week of his historic relocation, Keiko 11 swim into a giant sling 12 his aquarium home. The U.S. 13 Force will complete the operation 14 flying the killer whale to 15. If all goes according to 16 about 10 hours later Keiko 17 travel by barge to his 18 pen in the Westmann Islands. 19 spokeswoman for the American organisation backing the operation said they expected 20 to adjust quickly to an ocean environment, and rather than being 21 of waves and the presence 22 other whales, Keiko will probably 23 stimulated. Some experts, though, believe 24 he is too docile to 25 in the wild. They say 26 is too dependent on his human handlers and wonder if he 27 thrive in his floating ocean pen.
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online with auto-marking.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
English, Making meaning, Reading
Key Competencies: 
Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
cloze, comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, text features
Description of task: 
Students complete a cloze passage with 27 blanks on the release of a killer whale. A scoring guide with replacement words/synonyms and guidelines for interpretation are included.
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 5
Making sense of text: vocabulary knowledge, set 6
within the Reading Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
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27.		 free
released/freed/treated
good/perfect/great/normal/full
on
Keiko/he
weight/fat/blubber
recovered/fit/well
his/Keiko's
stage(s)/phases(s)/part(s)/step(s)
effort/mission/operation/exercise/scheme/plan/project/programme
must/will
at/in
Air
by
Iceland
schedule/plan
will
new/whale/ocean/sea/giant/holding/temporary
A/The
Keiko/him
frightened/afraid/scared/terrified
of
be/become/feel
that
survive/last/cope/endure/live/exist/be
Keiko/he
will/can

Click here for more information on Interpreting Cloze Results