The Big Hill Chapter 2

Category: The Big Hill

The next morning Mrs Gale decideddecided that she would like a quiet day at the cottage, so Mr Gale and the children packedpacked their lunch and set off in the boat.

The outboardoutboard motor went well, and they cruiseded alongalong until they came to a bay that seemedseemed to be right belowbelow the hill. They pulledpulled the boat up the beach and tiedtied the rope to a tree trunk, then lookedlooked for a track or path that might lead them where they wantedwanted to go. There was no track, but a small stream flowedflowed out of the bush and acrossacross the beach.

“We might find a way up by followingfollowing the stream,” said Mr Gale, and off they set. The stream was very shallow,shallow, and flowedflowed through a wide, stonestony bed. The banks were coveredcovered with thick bush, and so it was easyeasier to walk in the stream bed rather than alongalong the banks. “This would be a much largerlarger stream in winter,” said Mr Gale. “We could notcouldn’t  make this trip so easyeasily in July.”

Ivory Cascade 300px“I do notdon’t  think it is goinggoing to be easy now,” Mia calledcalled back. She had gone ahead,ahead, and was standingstanding at the bottombottom of a steep waterfall.waterfall. Very little water was tumbletumbling down it, but the rock was green and slipperyslippery and very steep indeed.

 

Comprehension

Summarise what has happened so far in this narrative.

Clarify these words: cruised, bay, stream bed, tumbling, slippery.

Retell what happens in this chapter.

Make inferences and give opinions about:

  • Why Mrs Gale might want a quiet day at the cottage.
  • Why they might pack a lunch.
  • Why they might pick a bay right below the hill.
  • Why they tied the boat to a tree trunk.
  • Why they would look for a track or path.
  • Why Mr Gale pointed out the stream.
  • What the stream was like.
  • Why the trip would be much harder in July.
  • What made Mia think the trip would be difficult now.
  • Why green rocks would be slippery.

 

What prediction can you make about what might happen next?

What question could you ask about this chapter?

Visualise these uses of descriptive language: a quiet day at the cottage; the outboard motor went well; cruised along; small stream flowed out of the bush and across the beach; stream was very shallow; flowed through a wide, stony bed; banks covered with thick bush; steep waterfall; water tumbling down; rock green and slippery. 

Make a connection with this chapter.

Word Study

Verb endings: What happens when we add s, ed or ing to: decide, cruise, tie, going.

Other affixes: What happens when we add other prefixes and suffixes like y, er, ly to these words: slip, stone, large, easy.

What two words make up these compound words: outboard, below, along, ahead, waterfall.

What two words are contracted here: couldn't, don't.