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Unit 6 Poem
*The Comet
Norman Littleford
Warm up
Fill in the crossword puzzle using the clues given below.
2 3
6 7
10
11 12
ACROSS DOWN
2. Earth's only natural satellite 1. Smallest planet in the Solar system
3. Morning star 2. Our Galaxy
6. Titan is the largest moon of ____ 4. Seventh planet from the sun
9. Smaller bodies in orbit around the Sun 5. Distance travelled by light in a
10. The star at the centre of solar system vacuum in one tropical year
11. The Blue planet 7. Farthest planet in the Solar system
12. Largest planet in the solar system 8. The Red planet
n
Su
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Rampaging through the heavens
Never stopping day or night,
A spectacle of a lifetime
A comet in full flight.
Faster than a cheetah
With a tail that’s miles long,
Bigger than a mountain
So powerful and strong.
The outer ice is melting
Causing vapor from the force,
And leaves a trail behind it
As it travels on its course.
If one should come too close to earth
The atmosphere will shake,
With shockwave reaching to the ground
Causing the land to quake.
Scientists say the chemicals
In the dust they leave behind,
Could have started life on the earth
Which resulted in mankind.
I cannot say if this is true
I do not have the right,
But I know no better spectacle
Than a comet in full flight.
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About the Author
Norman Littleford (18 May 1889 - 20 May 1947) was an American poet, born in
Maryland, USA. Most of his works focused on life and nature. His poems are simple
but deep in thought and provoke the readers to absorb the ideas beyond the usual.
Glossary
rampaging (v) - going through an area making a lot of noise and causing damage
spectacle (n) - an unusual or unexpected event or situation that attracts
attention, interest
comet (n) - an icy small Solar body, which when passing close to the Sun,
warms and begins to release gases that are seen on rare
occasions from the earth as a bright line in the sky
trail (n) - a path often made or used for a particular purpose
quake (v) - a sudden violent movement of the earth's surface, some times
causing great damage (short form of earthquake).
A. *Memorise the first three stanzas of the poem.
B. Read the following lines and answer the questions.
1.
Rampaging through the heavens
Never stopping day or night,
a. How does the comet travel?
b. Which word could you replace 'rampaging' with?
a. charging b. rolling c. speeding d. flying
2.
Faster than a cheetah
With a tail that’s miles long,
a. Why is the comet compared to a cheetah?
b. Whose tail is compared here?
3.
With shockwave reaching to the ground
Causing the land to quake
a. What is reaching to the ground?
b. What is causing the land to quake?
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4.
In the dust they leave behind,
Could have started life on the earth
Which resulted in mankind
a. What does the word 'they' refer to?
b. According to scientists, how did life start on earth?
5.
But I know no better spectacle
Than a comet in full flight.
a. Who does 'I’ refer to?
b. What is the best spectacle mentioned in the above lines?
C. C
omplete the summary by filling in the given spaces with suitable words/
phrases given below
a trail spectacular spectacular scene outer ice a cheetah
day or night emerging of life powerful and strong shock wave scientists
The poet describes a moving comet which speeds through the heavens and never
takes a break by ____________. When a comet is in full flight, it gives a ____________
which can never be compared to anything else for a lifetime. The comet is compared to
____________ for its speed and a mountain as it is ____________. The ____________
melts which causes a vapour from the force and leaves behind _________ as it
travels on its way. If it comes very close to the atmosphere, it causes a shake which
in turn produces a ____________ that reach the Earth’s surface. According to the
______________ the comets leave behind chemicals in the form of dust which resulted
in the ____________ on earth and mankind came into existence. But the poet is not
sure whether this principle is true or not but he knows for sure that whatever the truth
may be, the sight of the comet in full flight is ____________.
D. Poem appreciation
If one should come too close to earth
The atmosphere will shake,
With shock wave reaching to the ground
Causing the land to quake.
1. Pick out the rhyming words.
2. Mention the rhyme scheme of the stanza.
3. When you read the poem aloud, you can feel/hear a rhythm. What according to
you gives rhythm to the poem- the rhyme or the words in a line? Support your
answer with examples from the poem.
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E. Answer the following questions in about 80-100 words.
1. Narrate how the poet describes the comet.
2. Give a detailed account of the various effects caused by the comet to the earth.
*LISTENING
F. *Listen to the passage on 'Comet' and fill in the blanks by choosing the
correct answer.
1. Comets are believed to be remnants of the materials created by the _____.
a. Moon b. Sun c. star d. asteroids
2. Comets are mostly made of _______.
a. dust b. ice c. sand d. snow
3. The _______ can be seen in the night sky as a bright, quickly-moving light.
a. head b. star c. tail d. wings
4. Comets orbit at the very edge of the galaxy, past the _______.
a. Earth b. Neptune c. Pluto d. Saturn
5. State whether the statement is true or false.
The melting process causes bits of dust and debris to trail behind the comet.
SPEAKING
G. Imagine you are interviewing an astronaut about his/her experiences in
space. Select a partner to be an astronaut and present the interview as a
role-play in front of the class.
WRITING
H. Imagine that you and your friend get a chance to visit another planet.
There, you befriend an alien who takes you around the planet. After
reaching the earth, write a letter thanking him for all the help he did.
*Listening text is on Page - 213
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