School ceremony

1. Recite the following poem and answer the questions that follow.

When I was in Standard One I thought I was the only one When I was in Standard Two I knew I was a pupil, too When I was in Standard Three I felt like a free bird on a tree When I was in Standard Four I was like a rock star on the floor When I was in Standard Five I was a bee in the beehive When I was in Standard Six I was as cunning as a fox But now I am in Standard Seven I feel like I am no more eleven I am so much driven To be the best among the chosen

Questions

1. Find the lines that have …as…as… and like in the poem.
2. Use …as…as… and like to construct three sentences for each.

My last day in primary school

One day, I woke up full of excitement. My heart rate started to increase as I thought of that day. Seven years of being a pupil in primary school had come to an end. The years of my schooling had been characterized by ups and downs.

When I came out of the house, heading to a bus stop, I felt that the sun was smiling at me. It was going to be a day filled with mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. It was a happy day because it marked the end of my seven-year journey of primary education. It was, however, a sad day because it meant parting from the friends that I had made at school.

At the bus stop, I met my classmates and other pupils. When we got into an old bus, it sputtered and coughed before starting our journey. We arrived at school and found everyone was as busy as a bee. It was our school's custom to conduct a farewell celebration, which is both enjoyable and memorable.

The school bell rang at 7:30 a.m. for the normal morning assembly. While on the assembly ground, our teacher on duty ordered other pupils to get ready to rehearse the songs, speeches, and poems they had prepared for us, Standard Seven leavers.

Around 2:00 p.m., the event began. We sang songs and gave our farewell speech. Then, it was other classes' turn to present what they had prepared for us. It was amazing. They gave a great performance. Standard Six pupils recited a poem which was rated the best. The poem read:

Life is like the sun; it sets and rises

To mark the new beginning

We would wish you to stay

But the new beginning matters the most

As we bid you goodbye

A piece of advice seems important

Be a good example wherever you are

That is the real value of education

Applause and ululations covered the whole school compound. We all clapped, and some clapped and ululated at the same time. Then, our head teacher, Ms Mnkonongo, stood up and gave a speech. She said, "Not so long, most, if not all, of you will move to other levels of education where studies will not be as easy as they were here. Nevertheless, your ambition should remain the same; that is, you should continue to the higher levels of education. On the way towards realizing your ambition, you will face some challenges. I bet you will work hard to achieve it. Therefore, dedication and determination are necessary." Her emotional speech made each one of us shed tears.

At last, the guest of honor stood up. He spoke at some length and finally said, "I wish each one of you a successful life. Wherever you go, make us proud of you." After the remarks, the head teacher, Ms Mnkonongo, said, "Let's go to the hall for a farewell party and have our last meal together." After the party, we all departed and went home happy.

Questions

1. What is the story about?
2. Why did the school leavers shed tears?
3. Suggest the title of the poem recited by the Standard Six pupils.
4. What is the value of education according to the poem?

I saw a little house Standing tall and still like a pole I saw the house opening its mouth And closing its eyes I heard the house whistling loudly I heard the house taking a breath I heard the house humming And clapping The house was feeling brave and strong The house was ready to fight The house had a fighting look And so the house waited

(a) Answer the following questions:

1. What is the poem about?
2. How was the house standing?
3. What do you learn from the poem?
4. What can you say about the house?

(b) Use a dictionary to find the meanings and examples of the following words:

1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Personification
4. Hyperbole/exaggeration

(c) Choose the right word to fill in the space provided.

1. I feel like a free bird on a tree. __________ A. Hyperbole B. Simile C. Metaphor
2. I felt that the sun was smiling at me. ____________ A. Metaphor B. Hyperbole C. Personification
3. It was a brave house. __________ A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Personification
4. Everyone was as busy as a bee. ________ A. Personification B. Metaphor C. Simile
5. I saw the house opening its mouth. ________ A. Simile B. Personification C. Metaphor
6. Standing tall and still like a pole. ________ A. Metaphor B. Hyperbole C. Simile
7. The camel is the ship of the desert. ____________ A. Metaphor B. Hyperbole C. Simile
8. Before it rained, the sky got as dark as the night.__________ A. Metaphor B. Hyperbole C. Simile

(d) Construct one sentence for each of the following figures of speech:

Metaphor: .......................................................................................... Simile: ................................................................................................ Personification: .................................................................................. Hyperbole: .........................................................................................

(a) Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the box to complete the story.

as as…as like

In a village, lived a man who was (1) ___ fat (2) ___ an elephant. In a fight, he was (3) ___ a lion. He was quick and dangerous (4) ___ a leopard. He would sometimes become (5) ___ small as a cat. He could jump (6) ___ high as a kangaroo to attack his opponents. Everyone loved watching him (7) ___ he fought.

(b) Compose a short poem on one of the following titles:

i) My mother ii) My school iii) My country iv) What I like most