Exploring an Underwater World
by Penny Howard
Comprehension
A. Choose the correct answers.
1. A snorkel helps you _____ well.
a. swim. [ ]
b. breathe. [✓]
c. dive. [ ]
2. _______ help you swim faster and dive deeper.
a. Swim suits. [ ]
b. Flippers. [✓]
c. Swimming caps. [ ]
3. A big _______ can be as heavy as a log.
a. barracuda. [ ]
b. shellfish. [✓]
c. sea lion. [ ]
4. The Galapagos Islands have ______ animals on them.
a. angry. [ ]
b. wild. [ ]
c. tame. [✓]
B. Answer the questions.
1. Who taught Penny how to use a snorkel?
= Penny's Dad taught her how to use a snorkel.
2. Which sea creature looked mean?
= Barracuda looked mean.
3. Where are the Galapagos Islands located?
= The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean.
4. What inspired Penny to learn diving?
= To take a closer look at the fish and coral, inspired Penny to learn diving.
5. Why was Penny gasping for breath when she came up with the shell?
= Penny was gasping for breath when she came up with the shell because she had dived about eight metres of water to bring back the 'prop' of another boat.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. "But when I opened my eyes, I was in a different world."
a. Who said this?
= Penny said this.
b. Where was the speaker?
= The speaker was snorkelling on Bucco Reef in Tobago, an island in the clear, warm waters of the Caribbean.
c. Why did the world look different?
= It was the under water world. There were beautiful fishes. Red and orange and green and blue and gold and purple creatures swam past, with all kinds of spots, dots, stripes and squiggles.
2. "He had nasty scars to back up his story."
a. Who is he?
= He is a sea lion.
b. How did he get the scars?
= He got the scars when a shark had bitten him.
c. Whom is he telling his story?
= He is telling his stories to Penny and her brother Peter.
3. "It reminds me of great adventures in faraway lands."
a. What is it?
= It is a nice triton shell.
b. What was the great adventure?
= The great adventure was to dive into water about eight metres and bring back the 'prop' of another boat along with a triton shell.
c. Where is the speaker now?
= The speaker is now in Toronto.
D. Think and answer.
1. What made Penny overcome her fear of snorkelling?
= The beauty of the beautiful, warm, turquoise water made Penny overcome her fear of snorkelling.
2. How did the sea lions respond to humans around them? What do we learn from this?
= Sea lions responded in a friendly and playful way to humans around them. They were coming right up to them and then moving off at the very last minute, just centimetres away.
From this, we learn that sea lions are intelligent animals. They have good sensation and understanding ability.
3. Do you think Penny Howard is courageous? Give examples from the text to support your answer.
= Yes, I think Penny Howard is courageous.
First of all, she was scared of snorkelling, but she looked at the beauty of the water and she went for snorkelling. Then she wanted to take a closer look at the fish and coral. So, she learnt diving to do so. She was swimming side by side the sea lions. At the last of the story, we can see that she dives in about eight metres of water to bring back the 'prop' and the triton shell. She is definitely a courageous girl.