Name:...Zinzi is fiercely independent / loves wild animals / is very knowledgeable about them. MARKING GUIDELINES: OLIVER STRANGE by Dianne Hofmeyr 4 4. You should now be able to relay

Name: …………………………………………………………

Grade 9A………………………

MARKING GUIDELINES: OLIVER STRANGE by Dianne Hofmeyr

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READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU START!

1. This project forms part of your FORMAL ASSESSMENT. 2. You will be examined on the contents of this project in PAPER 4 which you

will write during the JUNE EXAMINATION. 3. The entire project will be done IN YOUR OWN TIME! 4. Set aside at least 30 minutes every week to keep up with the reading and

filling in the worksheet. 5. You will be given DUE DATES when the work will be handed in to be marked

by your teacher. 5. You will use this worksheet to study for the examination. Therefore it is VERY

IMPORTANT that you keep up and do the work accurately! 6. Speak to your teacher if you need further guidance on how to complete this

task.


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CHAPTER 1: Mistaken Identity (p. 1-4)

1. Write down 5 things that Oliver brings with him on his trip. (3)

A black notebook / folded map / compass / slim-line torch / Swiss army knife.

2. What do these things tell us about Oliver’s character? (2)

He is someone who likes to be well-prepared; he thinks things through; he is independent.

3. Explain why it seems strange that the airport officials want to question

Oliver. (2)

Children (teenagers) travelling alone are not usually questioned by airport officials. / There does not seem to be a valid reason for them doing so.

4. Name the figure of speech in “a rat is still gnawing away at Oliver’s

stomach”.

(1)

Metaphor

5. Explain what this figure of speech means. (2)

Oliver is afraid / fearful / nervous that his plan to rescue his father with the help of his aunt is going to put him in danger.

= [10]

CHAPTER 2: Strange Travel Companions (p. 5-11)

1. How do we know that the girl on the platform knows the area? (2)

She knows the way things run / she is on her own, but confident / she knows where the train will be leaving from and how the train system works.

2.

Why does Ollie choose the top bunk?

(2)

He wants to be as far as possible from the snake / he feels he will be safe from the python there.

3.

Based on this chapter, what kind of person do you think Zinzi is? Name at least 2 characteristics that stand out.

(2)

Zinzi is fiercely independent / loves wild animals / is very knowledgeable about them.


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4. You should now be able to relay the plot of this book to someone. In no more than FIVE sentences, summarise the basic plot of the story.

(4)

Oliver Strange is a British boy.

He has come to Botswana to look for his father, a herpetologist/zoologist.

His aunt was supposed to meet him at the airport in Zimbabwe, but she did not turn up.

At the train station Ollie meets Zinzi, a girl his own age, travelling with a python and a bush baby.

As instructed by the note left by his aunt, Oliver travels by train to Victoria Falls Station, from where he will catch a bus to Kasane – where his aunt will meet him.

= [10]

CHAPTER 3: Mosi oa Tunya (p. 12-16)

1. Why had Ollie been put in a compartment with Zinzi? (2)

He was mistakenly listed as “Olivia” and so he was put in a cabin with a girl/

2. Why, according to Zinzi, is it important for Ollie to seem “local”? (2)

If he is seen as a foreign tourist, he will be charged a high tourist price to go into the Rain Forest.

3. Explain what it is about the man with the umbrella that makes Oliver

suspicious. (2)

The man seems to be hanging back / keeping his umbrella down low / does not seem interested in the falls / he does not have a camera like the tourists.

4. What is the last thing that Ollie notices as they cross the bridge? (2)

The man might be following them, since he has also crossed the bridge.

5. What do you think this means? Explain your answer. (2)

If he is following them they might be in some kind of danger.

= [10]

CHAPTER 4: A Whisper of Something Sinister (p. 17-19)

1. “An icy flash of lightning streaked up his spine” – What does this tell us about how Ollie is feeling?

(2)

Ollie is frightened / scared / afraid. Seeing the man again is a shock.


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2. Why does Ollie only “think” that his father is in Ilala? (2)

He cannot be sure because it has been a long time since he received a letter from his father.

3.

Explain why Zinzi does not share Ollie’s suspicions about the man in the dark sunglasses.

(2)

She has no reason to suspect anything / she is comfortable travelling on her own / she is used to people behaving strangely.

4. In your opinion, which parts of Ollie’s journey have been the

strangest? Name at least TWO things. (2)

(Learner’s own opinion BASED ON THE TEXT): e.g. being questioned at the airport / the sights, sounds and smell of the market / the train ride with a girl and a python / being followed by a dark stranger / etc.

5. Give reasons for your answer in question 4. (2)

(The reason must correlate with the answer given in nr 4)

= [10]

CHAPTER 5: Tooting, London – Wanted Alive (p. 20-25)

1. How do we know that Ollie is a very organised boy? (2)

Ollie planned his trip carefully / thought about what he would need / packed everything carefully / makes lists / labels the letters he receives from his father.

2. Ollie’s father is described as very “inexact” for a zoologist. Why would

a zoologist need to be exact? (2)

A zoologist (herpetologist) needs to keep accurate, scientific records of the behaviour, size, shape and colour and habitat of the frogs he finds.

3. What makes Ollie so sure that something has happened to his father? (2)

He is used to receiving regular letters from his father, but there has been no post for months.

4. Ollie decides to set up a “blog”. Why does he think this will help him

find his father? (2)

This will increase his chances to find his father because: people will be on the alert / they might send him any information they might have.


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5. What might make you suspicious about Aunt Hortense’s letter and her reply to the blog?

(2)

It seems too much of a coincidence that she should be the one to reply.

= [10]

CHAPTER 6: Danger! (p. 26-30)

1. What is odd about Aunt Hortense’s reaction when she meets Zinzi? (2)

One would expect her to be polite and to welcome Zinzi, instead she seems annoyed / irritated by her presence.

2. How does she react when she hears that Zinzi’s mother works for

CITES? (2)

She is not very pleased / seems even more annoyed.

3. Why is it odd that the strange man, now the co-pilot, is wearing lynx

skin? (2)

It is odd that someone who works for CITES (a conservation organisation) would be friends with someone wearing a hat made from an endangered animal’s skin.

4. Why does the co-pilot suddenly turn around to grab Zinzi and Ollie? (2)

He wants to tie them up and gag them.

5. Explain what he does to them when he has grabbed them. (2)

He sedates them / injects them with a drug.

= [10]

CHAPTER 7: No Escape (p. 31-34)

1. When do you first realise that the woman is not really Aunt Hortense? (2)

(Learner’s own opinion BASED ON THE TEXT): e.g. when he received the typed letter at the airport / when he met her face to face / when she does not stop Lynxman from gagging and drugging them/ …

2. What is this woman’s reason for bringing Zinzi along as well? (2)

Zinzi would have been able to give full and accurate descriptions of her and her accomplice to the police / they would realise that


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Oliver and his father were missing / she does not want her illegal activities to become known to the police.

3. Why does Molotse want to dump the children in the swamp? (2)

He wants them to DISAPPEAR WITHOUT A TRACE.

4. What will happen to the children if he does this? (2)

They will be eaten by crocodiles.

5. Why would “aunt Hortense” need them to be alive? (2)

She wants to use Ollie and Zinzi as bargaining tools to force Ollie’s father to give her the reed frogs she wants.

= [10]

CHAPTER 8: The Python (p. 35-44)

1. What makes Molotse scream? Give a reason why this would make him scream.

(2)

A snake tried to slither into his sleeping bag.

2. What opportunity does this situation offer Zinzi? (2)

Zinzi offers to catch the python. This will give them a chance to get out of their ‘prison’ and look at the area.

3. Explain the cunning way in which Alecto managed to fool Ollie into

coming to Africa from England and then into going to Kasane. (2)

Alecto pretended to be his “aunt” in the response to his blog / she invited him to come to Zimbabwe / she could not pick him up at the airport because she could not let the customs police spot her / she sent Molotse to deliver a note to the airport officials and then follow Ollie to ensure that he made it to Kasane.

4. How can Alecto feel confident that Zinzi’s mother will not be worrying

about her? (2)

Buses are often delayed in this part of Africa / Zinzi’s mother would not be too worried if she did not arrive on time.


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5. Why is not smart for Ollie to reveal that he knows about frogs? (2)

Alecto and Molotse would know that they have been eavesdropping / they might decide to force him to help them with their frog project.

= [10]

CHAPTER 9: Action (p. 45-50)

1. Explain what Alecto plans to do with the chunk of Ollie’s hair? (2)

Alecto will use this as evidence that Ollie is her prisoner (to force his father to co-operate with her plans).

2. What is Zinzi’s plan? (2)

Zinzi is going to put Acacia gum on the paper to entice Puku to put it in her mouth.

3. Where do you think Alecto disappeared to? Give a reason for your

answer. (2)

Alecto might have been to the swamp / on a boat / because she has mud splashes on her shorts.

4. What evidence is there, when Puku returns, whether she has found

Ollie’s father or not? (2)

Puku has found Ollie’s father: her cheek is puffed out / she has another page of his diary in her mouth.

5. Identify AND explain the literary device (figure of speech) found in the

following: ‘His tightly-filled pork sausage body.” (2)

Metaphor: he is fat – his body is compared to a pork sausage, which is a stuffed full of meat.

= [10]

CHAPTER 10: The Quest Begins (p. 51-55)

1. Explain why the criminals would want to freeze these frogs. (2)

They need to preserve the frogs (so they do not go off/rot) /they want to be able to use the flesh of the frogs to extract the poison.


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2. Why is Ollie’s father’s map almost useless? (2)

His father did not indicate where North is / this means that they do not know how to read the map / and the waterways in the swamps keep changing.

3. Why does Ollie set such store by his Swiss Army Knife?

NOTE: NOT because it was a gift from his father! (2)

It has a number of tools on it / these can be used to help them get out of all kinds of difficult situations.

4. Do you really think that Ollie will follow through with his threat to

abandon the search for his father? Give a reason for your answer. (2)

No. Ollie is tired and frustrated / so he says negative things / he loves his father too much to abandon the search.

5. Ollie decides to look for the boat. Do you think that this is a good

plan? Justify your answer. (2)

No. Ollie does not know the area at all / it is not very likely that he will find the boat / even if he does, he will not know what to do with it / he has no clear idea of where he should go then.

= [10]

CHAPTER 11: An Encounter (p. 56-60)

1. Why does Zinzi say that she must stay and help Ollie find his father? (2)

Zinzi sees Ollie as her friend / that is why she wants to help him / she can understand that he would want to help his father.

2. Explain why Zinzi thinks that Ollie is being quite brave. (2)

Zinzi knows how hard it is for Ollie to be in unfamiliar/hostile terrain / he finds it frightening / it takes courage to keep trying to save his father while they are in danger.

3. Ollie notes that it is too quiet. What does he notice as he looks

around? (2)

Ollie notices a hut that has been partially covered with leaves / presumably to camouflage or hide it from view.

4. How does Ollie know that his father has been in the hut recently? (2)

The clothes have a strong smell of being recently worn on an expedition / there are signs that the person has left recently: the sheet is turned back, the lamp is ready to be lit …


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5. What warns them of someone’s nearby presence? (2)

They hear the alarm cry of a bird.

= [10]

CHAPTER 12: Phyllobates Terribilis (p. 61-65)

1. Give TWO examples that prove that the rivermen are very eco-friendly in their way of life.

(2)

They use a pole to move their boats along and not engines – this reduces pollution / they catch only as much as they need / they cut reeds in a way that will allow them to grow again / they pick fruit without damaging the trees / they do not eat endangered animals, like monkeys.

2. Why do the rivermen dislike Alecto so much? Supply TWO reasons/

examples as proof. (2)

She has tried to bribe them to overfish / to kill elephants and monkeys and catch endangered frogs / she is an animal trafficker / she deals in rhino horns, elephant tusks and monkey heads.

3. What kind of poison does Dendrobates carry?

How does this affect people if they come in contact with it? (2)

Poison that attacks the nerves. People die quickly if they come in contact with it.

4. Where do most of its toxins come from?

How powerful are they? (2)

Toxins are found under the skin of the frogs. They are extremely potent.

5. Explain why the metaphor of the rat growing to the size of a hyena is

so effective. (refer to chapter 1) (2)

Ollie’s initial doubt and uncertainty about his situation (represented by the rat) has now grown into full-blown fear (represented by the hyena).

= [10]


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CHAPTER 13: Dynamite! (p. 66-69)

1. How will Fishbone be able to tell whether Alecto has made her escape?

(2)

He will know that she has escaped it they find that she has broken through the fish traps.

2. What does Alecto’s fishing methods tell us about her attitude to

wildlife and to life in general? (2)

Alecto does not respect life (human or animal) / she will kill anything or anyone to get what she wants/serve her own interests.

3. Why, do you think, does Fishbone want Alecto to think that there is

only one boat? (2)

He does not want her to know that there are many men who have come to help them / this will give them the element of surprise.

4. What do the words “come back while you have the chance” indicate

about her plans for them all? (2)

Alecto is ruthless / she will not hesitate to blow them all into the air with the dynamite / as long as she gets the toxins.

5. Write down an example of a rhetorical question from this chapter.

“Do you hear me? …” or “Are you out of your mind?”

= [10]

CHAPTER 14: The Battle (p. 70-77)

1. Why does Ollie imagine a danger sign in the river ahead? (2)

Ollie is really frightened about what lies ahead / his imagination creates an image in his head – DANGER.

2. Briefly explain how the motor boat is stopped. (2)

The rivermen stretch a rope across the river / the propeller gets stuck in the rope when the boat rides over the rope.

3. Why does the fire spread so rapidly? (2)

The fire ignited the dynamite on the boat / the petrol on the surface of the water also caught fire / there was no stopping the rapid spread of the fire.


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4. Ollie risks his life to save Alecto and Molotse. What small precaution does he take before attempting to save them?

(2)

Ollie wets his shirt and uses it to protect his face and nose.

5. Would you have done the same or not? Motivate your answer,

showing a clear understanding of the novel and its characters. (2)

(Personal response – answer must show understanding of the situation in which Ollie finds himself in the novel.)

= [10]

CHAPTER 15: Helicopter (p. 78-82)

1. How does Ollie try to stop Alecto? (2)

Ollie dives at Alecto and tries to grab her ankles.

2. Explain how the pilot manages to find Ollie and Zinzi. (2)

She saw the smoke (from the swamp fire) and followed it.

3. Explain what you understand by “illicit dealings in endangered

animals”. (2)

ILLEGAL trade (buying and selling) of ENDANGERED animals e.g. rhino horns, elephant tusks, monkey heads etc.

4. Why are the rivermen not afraid of pythons?

(Give a full answer, explaining their reasons.) (2)

They see pythons as their friends BECAUSE they eat the civets that steal their food. (snakes are therefore regarded as good luck in their villages).

5.

Why do they need to go to hospital?

(2)

They are all suffering from smoke inhalation and light burns / most of them have bad bruises / Ollie’s father has a nasty bump on his head.

= [10]

CHAPTER 16: My Dad, the Famous Herpetologist (p. 83-86)

1. Why does Alecto still scare Ollie even after he has saved her life? (2)

Alecto looks fierce/evil/like a witch. / Ollie knows what she is capable of / he fears she might get hold of a knife, free herself and take over the plane.


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2. Why does Ollie not regard what his father does as a “proper job”? (2)

Ollie wants his father at home / he would go to work and come home to him and his grandma every night.

3. What will happen if we do not treat nature with respect? (2)

Disrespecting nature will lead to: some species dying out / fertile land becoming desert / new conditions which allow diseases to develop etc.

4. Ollie says to his father “you do not understand the rules of a family”.

What is he trying to tell him? (2)

Ollie is trying to tell his father that he must consider the feelings of others more e.g. Ollie and his grandma who miss his father and worry about him when he is away.

5. Does Ollie really want his father to change? Discuss. (2)

Ollie wants his father to change in small ways e.g. to take better care of himself / to spend more time at home. BUT he also respects the work his father does as a herpetologist and would like him to carry on doing such a good job (helping to build a sustainable environment).

= [10]

THE END!

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Name:...Zinzi is fiercely independent / loves wild animals / is very knowledgeable about them. MARKING GUIDELINES: OLIVER STRANGE by Dianne Hofmeyr 4 4. You should now be able to relay