Question

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

My husband Pele and I were staying in a holiday house overlooking the beautiful, lush rainforests of Indonesia. The glass walls framed a fine view across the Bagon Valley to what had been the summer palace of President Suharto.

The first morning we strolled hand in hand up a winding pathway, heading to the main building for breakfast. But once we arrived at the dining room, I realized we’d forgotten our money, so I volunteered to run back to the house.

Making my way down the path, I turned the last corner only to find a giant bird, similar to an emu, standing outside our front door. “Hey baby, what are you doing?” I cooed, moving slowly so as not to frighten it.

Having a deep, abiding fascination with all creatures great and small, I wanted a closer look. This was my first mistake. As I came within a few meters, he took a big breath and let out a nasty hiss, stopping me in my tracks. “That‟s not very friendly,” I said, clueless.

He hissed again and I promptly made the second mistake of turning and running, instead of backing away slowly. As I rounded the corner I heard his razor-sharp claws scrabbling on the cobblestones.

“Oh!”

His steps sounded like a drum as they hit the ground, quickly coming too close for comfort. I suddenly changed direction and headed into the trees. Dodged in and out of the foliage. I hoped my tactic would fool him. A crash behind me indicated no such luck.

Jumping over a small bush, I found myself out in the open and not far from the dining room. Picking up speed, I bolted over the plants and rockeries surrounding the perimeter and dashed through the gate. When I turned to close it, the bird was nowhere to be seen.

I didn‟t realize it at the time, but I had just come face to face with a cassowary, a bird also found in Australia‟s north Queensland rainforests. Cassowarys weigh 55 kilos or more, stand about 180 centimeters tall and have saber-like toenails that can open a human from chin to groin like a zipper and kill humans.



“What‟s wrong?” Pele asked as I stumbled back into the dinning room. “A big bird chased me all the way from the house,” I replied.

“What?” he asked incredulously. “You‟re scared of a bird?”

“It‟s as big as me and very mean,” I said in a rather sulky voice.

“Oh, all right,” he laughed. “I‟ll come with you.”

Much to Pele‟s amusement, I stayed behind him on the path and held onto the back of his shirt as we approached the corner of the house. “See! There it is. Look at the size of the thing!” Pele chuckled at the hysteria in my voice. “It‟s all right,” he soothed.

Calmly and confidently he walked toward the cassowary. “Shoo! Go on, get out,” he said. He made actions with his arms as if it were a pigeon on a window ledge. The response of the cassowary was the same as before: a big hiss and a step forward.

“Hmm,” said Pele and stopped, not so sure of himself. He tried again. “Go on.” The cassowary then ran a few paces at us, hissing aggressively, so we quickly retreated around a corner of the house.

Pele picked up a rock the size of his hand and threw it hard, hitting the bird squarely in the chest. It didn‟t budge. “What are we going to do?” I pleaded. This time, Pele picked up a cane chair.

“Stay behind and I‟ll keep him back. When we get to the door, open it.” Again I held on to the back of his shirt and we started towards the door. This greatly displeased the already annoyed cassowary. Charging at us he ripped at the chair with those lethal claws.

Pele stopped to steady the chair – and possibly his resolve. Pele threw the chair at the bird and slammed the door shut. Ducking the flying cane, the bird ran straight at the glass wall, only to bounce off. But it didn‟t slow down at all. Pecking and scratching at the glass, it continued the assault with a sickening ferocity.

It was another 15 minutes before the bird weakened and slowed its attack. Thirty minutes later, we quietly opened the door and crept back to the main building.



(a) Give the meanings of the following words as used in the passage. One word answers or short phrases will be accepted.

(i) strolled

(ii) fascination

(iii) foliage



(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.

(i) What was Pele‟s wife‟s first mistake when she saw the bird?

(ii) How did the bird react to the lady‟s third mistake?

(iii) What did she do after this reaction of the bird?

(iv) Describe the Cassowary.

(v) Why did Pele find the situation amusing at first? Why did he change his attitude?

(vi) In not more than 50 words write down how the couple got into their room.

Answer 1

Answer:

i.walk in a lush way

ii. attract something

iii.plants leaves

b.

I.Having a deep abiding fascination with all creatures great and small,I wanted a closer look.

that was the first mistake .