2009 Naplan Writing Prompt

This is a great example of building tension at the start of a story.

 

 

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2009 Naplan Writing Prompt

via Cams English Blog by Campbell Fisher on 2/6/11

Discovery 

 "Good morniinnngg sunnyvile, today's weather, fine and…"

Another day had begun, Tim's radio alarm went off, and he was awake. He was awake and looking forward to the day ahead. It was the 3^rd day of his summer holidays. 3^rd day out of another 53 days to come of freedom. Although for the next 3 weeks he was to be traveling around Europe. His plane left in five hours, and he was so excited he had been packing for the past 3 weeks. He was flying solo for the first time, and although he had been flying everywhere with his family for the past fourteen years of his life, there was something about the thought of just flying by yourself, that is just thrilling.

Tim jumped out from his top bunk of his bunk bed that he was sleeping in and landed on the ground with a good solid thud. He looked around his bedroom knowing that this would be the last time he would see it for the next 3 weeks. He saw on his desk directly across from his bed, a compass, a gold exploration compass. The light from the little crack between where the curtains met, shown down onto and shined of leaving a gold light on the roof of his room. Tim walked over to take a closer look. As he picked it up he noticed the note underneath it. Once Tim had finished marvelling the stunning beauty of this amazing compass, he picked up the note that had been lying underneath it. It was address to Tim, as he unfolded it, he quickly looked down the bottom of the note to see whom it was from. But it didn't say.  Written on this piece of paper said, "Tim, I hope that this compass brings as much adventure, as it did for me. I know you will respect it, and take care of it, and I wanted to pass this down to you." Tim now knew who it was from. It was from his grandfather. He was an amazing man. He was the first man to climb mount Everest, he had sailed to Antarctica, he had travelled the world. Tim always wanted to be like his grandfather, and now that he had just recently passed away, he now strived to be more like him.

Tim ran downstairs and didn't mention a word about what he had just been given, but by the look on his mums face, he knew that she had left it there for him, as she knew it was a big day for him. He quickly rushed through his breakfast, and did the finishing touches of his packing. It was now time to head to the airport. Tims family lived reasonably close to the airport, as they did fly alot. and it was only a 15 minute drive until they arrived there. It was the longest fifteen minutes of Tims life, and he new that the 10 hour plane trip would be even longer. 

To be completed...

 

 

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2009 NAPLAN Language Test

2009 NAPLAN Reading Magazine (use to answer questions)

2009 NAPLAN Reading Questions

2009 Naplan Writing Prompt

Inserting Yourself in a Speech - 'Any Given Sunday'

Questions to answer in your blog: 
Title: Inserting Yourself in a Speech - 'Any Given Sunday'
1. How does Al Pacino's character talk about himself in his speech? 
2. What effect does this have on the speech? (Use Quotes in your answer).

Al Pacino's Inch By Inch speech from

“Any Given Sunday”

I don't know what to say really.
Three minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives
all comes down to today.
Either
we heal
as a team
or we are going to crumble.
Inch by inch
play by play till we're finished.
We are in hell right now, gentlemen
believe me
and
we can stay here
and get the shit kicked out of us
or
we can fight our way
back into the light.
We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.

Now I can't do it for you.
I'm too old.
I look around and I see these young faces
and I think
I mean
I made every wrong choice a middle age man could make.
I uh....
I pissed away all my money
believe it or not.
I chased off anyone who has ever loved me.
And lately, I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know when you get old in life things get taken from you.
That's, that's part of life.
But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff.
You find out that life is just a game of inches.
So is football.
Because in either game life or football
the margin for error is so small.
I mean, one half step too late or to early
you don't quite make it.
One half second too slow or too fast
and you don't quite catch it.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in ever break of the game
every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch.
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our fingernails for that inch.
Cause we know,
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the fucking difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.

I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.

That's a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
That's football guys.
That's all it is.
Now, whattaya gonna do?

The “Google Art Project” Is Amazing!

The “Google Art Project” Is Amazing!: "