The Explorer - Session 26 - Reading Comprehension

In "The Explorer" reading comprehension session, students delve into the chapters "Waiting for Dawn" and "Flight Home" to enhance their understanding of the text. The comprehension exercise includes a series of questions designed to test various reading skills (RS) such as inference, deduction, and summarisation. For instance, one question asks students to interpret Fred's emotions on the eve of their departure (RS3), while another requires them to determine the direction Fred should take (RS3). The questions encourage students to explore character motivations, such as why Fred desires to remain with the explorer (RS4), and to analyse the meaning behind phrases used by the characters, like the explorer's expression of feeling 'most honest' in a particular setting (RS2 & 7).

The exercise also prompts students to consider figurative language, asking them to explain the meaning of 'a heart with claws' (RS2 & 7). Another question gauges the mood within the plane as it takes off, seeking to draw out descriptions of the atmosphere from the students (RS4). Additionally, the comprehension session challenges students to condense the essence of "Waiting for Dawn" into a brief summary of no more than 50 words, testing their ability to extract key points and articulate them concisely (RS6). This reading comprehension activity not only assesses students' grasp of the text but also hones their critical thinking and writing skills.