Egypt Secondary 1 English (Connect), Week 3: Reading closely: comparisons and evidence

Unit 1 Egypt’s Heritage: comparison, essay shape and story clues

Week 3 · Unit 1 Egypt’s Heritage (B) and the first chapter of the novel: a text that compares pride to a growing thing (reference only), civilization / monuments / inspire, a speaking task with an imagined meeting, essay shape (introduction, body, conclusion), reading the novel’s introduction and Chapter 1 (reference only) · 3 lessons

Reading closely: comparisons and evidence

English Secondary 1 Term 1, Unit 1 Lesson 4: pp. 19–21

GoalRead a text with a comparison and answer why-questions with a reason from the text; find a synonym and match words.

New words

compare · to show how two things are alikeevidence · a fact or example in the text that proves your answerachievement · something good that you have done with effortinspire · to make someone want to do something goodinfluence · the power to change what other people think or dosynonym · a word with nearly the same meaning as another word

Explanation

Writers often compare one thing to another to help us see an idea. In the sentence A club is like a garden, the writer compares a club to a garden. The question Why does the writer compare …? asks for the reason. To answer it, do three things. First, name the two things. Second, find what they share in the text, for example both need care and both grow slowly. Third, write the answer in a full sentence with because and give the evidence from the text. A good answer does not only say what the text says; it explains the link. For a synonym question, read the whole sentence and choose the word with the same meaning and the same kind of word. Check that only one word in the text fits, because two words may look similar but have different meanings. Your book has a longer text on pages 19 and 20 about how pride grows from history. Read it after this lesson and try the same steps.

Step	Example
Name the two things	a school club and a garden
Find what they share	both need care and time to grow
Give evidence	“Nobody can rush the first flowers.”
Write a full answer	The writer compares them because both grow slowly with care.

Worked examples

A school club is like a garden. In September the ground is empty, and nobody can rush the first flowers. A few students arrive with ideas, like seeds, and the teacher gives them water and light, which means time and attention. Some seeds do not grow, but this is normal, and the gardener tries another place. By March the club has its first achievement: a small show that the whole school comes to watch. Parents say that the show is impressive, and younger students say that it inspires them to join next year. A garden does not become beautiful in one day, and a club does not either. Both need care, patience and people who return every week.

Read the text. A grown-up can read it aloud first.

Why does the writer compare a club to a garden? Because both need care and patience and grow slowly. Evidence: “nobody can rush the first flowers” and “both need care, patience”.

Synonym: “impressive” in this text means so good that people admire it. A word with a similar meaning is admirable. A word like “large” does not fit, because the show was small.

Cause and effect: the show is an achievement, and it inspires younger students to join next year. Inspire means to make someone want to do something good.

Class activity

Compare and explain. Choose a pair such as a library and a river or a team and a family. Write two sentences: “A … is like a … because …”. Give one piece of evidence for each sentence and read them to a grown-up.

Practice

Why does the writer say that the club is like a garden? Answer with a reason from the text.

What does the writer compare to seeds?

What was the club’s first achievement?

Choose the best meaning of “inspire” in the last part: (a) to make someone want to join (b) to give a prize (c) to stop an activity

Match: achievement / patience / evidence — (1) waiting calmly without getting angry (2) something good that you did with effort (3) a fact or example that proves an answer