Pig Hunt

Pig Hunt

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This task is about listening and recalling information.

Question

Your teacher will read you a text and the questions that go with it. Listen and follow your teacher's instructions.
 
a) Why didn't Gilbert leave the gully as soon as he saw the boar? 

    • He did not want to leave his dogs.

    • He planned to shoot the pig, no matter what.

    • He was trapped by the boar.

    • The writer does not say.

Question

b)  What allowed the pig-dogs to grab the boar's ears?

    • The boar had little freedom of movement.

    • The dogs' yelping confused the boar.

    • The dogs attacked it from both sides at once.

    • The boar was looking at Gilbert.

Question

c) Why didn't Gilbert shoot the boar when he first saw it? 

    • He was hemmed in by thick scrub.

    • The dogs were too close to it.

    • He could not aim the rifle from his cramped position.

    • He wanted to wait until the boar came closer.

Question

d) Gilbert first wanted to shoot the boar

    • in the eye.

    • behind the shoulder.

    • anywhere in the head.

    • anywhere at all.

Question

e)  Gilbert's aim was shaky because he was

    • confused by the movement of the dogs.

    • not sure of where to shoot the pig.

    • afraid of what might happen if he missed.

    • hemmed in by dense scrub.

Question

f)  After wounding the pig, Gilbert hoped to escape injury by

    • signalling his dogs to attack it.

    • clubbing it with his rifle.

    • lying flat on the ground.

    • leaping into the thick scrub beside the track.

Question

g)  What event do you think the author would have described immediately before this part of his story?

    • They had set out early on the pig hunt.

    • Gilbert had found clear signs of pigs.

    • The boar was seen to enter the patch of scrub.

    • They heard the dogs yelping excitedly.

Question

h)  The farmers' story suggests that Gilbert was

    • a very foolish man.

    • an experienced hunter.

    • easily panicked in threatening situations.

    • kind to his hunting dogs.

Question

i)  Which title best summarises what the story is about?

    • 'A Close Shave'

    • 'Dogs to the Rescue'

    • 'A Clumsy Shot'

    • 'How to Kill a Wild Pig'

Task administration: 

This task can be completed by pencil and paper or online (with auto-marking).

In order to follow the same procedure as the resource trial, and thereby ensure the reliability of the difficulty estimates, we suggest you follow these instructions.

  • Hand out the student sheets which should be turned upside down until you have finished reading the passage.
  • Say: "This is a test of your listening skills. I will read the passage and then you will answer questions about it. Listen carefully."
  • Read the introduction and passage. (Please note the suggested reading time of the text is 2 minutes, 10 seconds).
  • Say: "Now turn over your sheet. Listen to each question and circle the best possible answer. Circle only one answer per question. If you wish to change your answer, cross out your first answer and circle your new answer."
  • Read out each question and set of options with an approximately 10 second gap between each question.
  • Except in the case of a significant interruption, read each part of the passage and each question and its options only once.


In this passage, a back country farmer describes a pig hunt and how his companion Gilbert had a lucky escape from injury and perhaps death.

Pig Hunt

My mate Gilbert found a small opening between a couple of bushes and was able to get into the thick patch of scrub at the bottom of the gully. It was so dense that he had to crawl for quite a way, until he found a narrow track made by the pigs. Looking along it he saw, a little way away, a monstrous boar whetting its huge tusks and looking contemptuously at the pig-dogs which were still yelping and dancing around it. Gilbert's appearance on the scene distracted the boar, and straight away two dogs grabbed it by the ears. But the boar was able to shake them off easily, and at the same time trotted towards Gilbert, who felt pretty threatened, hemmed in as he was by the surrounding scrub. He was frightened to fire in case he hit the dogs. He knew that if either of them was put out of action, his own chances of getting out of the gully alive were pretty slim. And though he was tempted to beat a quick retreat, he didn't. Instead, he thought he'd risk a shot. From the position of the boar, Gilbert couldn't take aim at any place except its head. He waited for a bit in the hope that he might get a chance of shooting it behind the shoulder, but it was useless. He decided to aim at its left eye. He lay down and took a rather unsteady aim; he was dead scared of being ripped up by the savage-looking tusks if he missed. Gilbert fired; there was an almighty shriek from the pig and a sound of a rush and a great crashing of branches. Then, through the drifting smoke, Gilbert saw the huge boar hurtling towards him. He thought his number was up; there wasn't much he could do. He drew his hunting knife and lay flat on the ground hoping that the brute would charge right over him. Before he had time almost to do this the boar was on him. But, just as it reached him, it collapsed with its snout touching him; blood spurting from the wound in its head. It gave one convulsive heave, and then lay perfectly still. Talk about a lucky escape – Gilbert should take tickets in Lotto!

Text source: Unknown

Copyright: 
Acknowledgements
Text source: Unknown
Every effort has been made to source the origin of the text used in this resource.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
English, Making meaning, Listening
Keywords: 
listening comprehension, recall, inference
Description of task: 
A lively narrative about a pig hunt provides the context for this listening comprehension resource. Students recall information and make inferences.
Answers/responses: 

 

Y10 (08/2000)

a)

The writer does not say.

moderate

b)

The boar was looking at Gilbert.

moderate

c)

The dogs were too close to it.

easy

d)

behind the shoulder.

easy

e)

afraid of what might happen if he missed.

easy

f)

lying flat on the ground.

very easy

g)

They heard the dogs yelping excitedly.

moderate

h)

an experienced hunter.

difficult

i)

'A Close Shave'

easy