8/3/2011

Lions of Darkness

Trivia
Did you know that female lions prefer dark-maned males? Studies suggest that the manes themselves are indicative of health, and that males with the darkest, most decadent manes are the worthiest suitors. "If a male goes through a rough period, his mane becomes lighter. If he becomes better nourished or lives in a different habitat, his mane may get a lot darker,

said Craig Packer, veteran lion researcher at the University of Minnesota

Images : Trigger
Watch the video Look out for these images
Woodlands Roar of the lion Pride warfare + rivals Cooperative lions http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=ZfJ18WfMt0

From Paragraph 3 1) Explain in detail why you think the author called the cloak of clouds a silver lining for the lions? [2]
Key words?
Cloak of clouds Silver lining for the lions

Question type?
Language Use Explain/paraphrase

What is a silver lining?

A hopeful or comforting prospect in the midst of difficulty

How did the clouds help the lions overcome their difficulty?

From Paragraph 3 1) Explain in detail why you think the author called the cloak of clouds a silver lining for the lions? [2]
How did the clouds help the lions overcome their difficulty? Context: When it was over, a silver lining remained for the lions a cloak of clouds. In near-total darkness, with no bright moonlight to reveal their presence, the lions swung to action. ANSWER: It cuts off the moonlight, [1] concealing the lions [1] and making it easier for them to hunt their prey.

From Paragraph 4 2a) What was the main difference between the work of Joubert and his team of lion researcher, and that of their predecessors? [1]
Key words?
M ain difference Predecessors a person who held the job previously

Question type?
Factual Close reading + sign posting (words: difference, past)

Context: Our task was to research, record, film and photograph every aspect of the lion behaviour. But how to do it at night, when the lions are most active? They are seen only by day, mainly by the hundreds of tourists who stop in Savuti each year. In the past, most lion researchers limited their work to daylight observation. Our challenge was to devise a means of witnessing lions nocturnal tactics without interfering with either the predators or their prey.

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From Paragraph 4 2a) What was the main difference between the work of Joubert and his team of lion researcher, and that of their predecessors? [1]
Close reading + sign posting (words: difference, past)

From Paragraph 4 2b) Why was it important to get the lions accustomed to their vehicle and filming lights?[1]
Key words?
Why? Accustomed : used to

Context: Our task was to research, record, film and photograph every aspect of the lion behaviour. But how to do it at night, when the lions are most active? They are seen only by day, mainly by the hundreds of tourists who stop in Savuti each year. In the past, most lion researchers limited their work to daylight observation. Our challenge was to devise a means of witnessing lions nocturnal tactics without interfering with either the predators or their prey. ANSWER: Jourberts team observed lions at night whereas their predecessors observed them by day.

Question type?
inferential Find clues in the context + create logical interpretation

Context: Our challenge was to devise a means of witnessing lions nocturnal tactics without interfering with either the predators or their prey. Very gradually we developed a way to accustom the lions to our vehicle and our filming lights. We also adopted a set of rules for ourselves that emphasised noninterference.

From Paragraph 4 2b) Why was it important to get the lions accustomed to their vehicle and filming lights?[1]
Clue? Reason? Context: Our challenge was to devise a means of witnessing lions nocturnal tactics without interfering with either the predators or their prey. Very gradually we developed a way to accustom the lions to our vehicle and our filming lights. We also adopted a set of rules for ourselves that emphasised noninterference.
INTERPRET: What would happen to the lions if they were aware of the lights from the camera and vehicle? They will be distracted from their hunt. ANSWER: To make sure that the vehicle and filming lights would not distract the lions when they were hunting for their prey.

From Paragraph 5 We had parts of our vehicle rubberised. (ln 26-27) 3) How do you think this would have helped the researchers observe the lions without interfering with either the predators or their prey? [2] Key words?
rubberised How in what way without interfering with predator or prey

Question type
Inferential Close reading + clues (function)

Context: We had parts of our vehicle rubberised to minimise creaks and groans ANSWER: It helped reduce the noise made by the vehicle [1] which would otherwise distract the lions or their prey. [1]

From Paragraph 7 4a) What two factors prompted the lions to hunt in the neighbouring woodlands? Number your answers 1 and 2. [2]
Key words?
Two factors Neighbouring woodlands

From Paragraph 7 4b) the hunting was more productive (ln 40-41) Explain the authors expression in your own words. Key words?
In your own words More better. greater Productive achieving a good result

Question type
factual Close reading + signpost (cause and effect)

Context: The open grasslands are their preferred hunting grounds. Occasionally, when the moon was too bright and the lions failed too frequently, they would disappear into the neighbouring woodlands, where the dappled shadows of the acacia and mopani trees camouflaged them, There they found the same prey as in the grasslands, but the hunting was more productive than in the bright moonlight. ANSWER: 1. The moon was too bright. [1]
2. The lions failed too frequently in catching their prey [1]

Question type
Language in your own words Explain/paraphrase

ANSWER: The lions had greater success in catching their prey. [1]

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From Paragraph 8 5) In your own words, state the biological explanation the author gives for the lions avoiding hunting during the day. [2] Key words?
In your own words Biological explanation reasons to do w the bodys behaviour

From Paragraph 8 5) In your own words, state the biological explanation the author gives for the lions avoiding hunting during the day. [2] CONTEXT: Often we dozed with a pride until the moon dipped below the horizon. A small, sudden temperature drop around 2.30a.m. usually seemed to rouse them. That they chose the coolest hours to hunt serves as an energy conservation measure, for lions have relatively small hearts that cannot withstand the demands of a long chase in the heat of day. In your own words ANSWER : The lions hearts are comparatively tiny,[1] and are therefore unable to cope with the stresses of marathon hunts when the temperatures are much higher. [1]

Question type
Language in your own words Explain/paraphrase

CONTEXT: Often we dozed with a pride until the moon dipped below the horizon. A small, sudden temperature drop around 2.30a.m. usually seemed to rouse them. That they chose the coolest hours to hunt serves as an energy conservation measure, for lions have relatively small hearts that cannot withstand the demands of a long chase in the heat of day.

From Paragraph10 6a) the doomed elephant was draped with tawny attackers (ln 62-63) What does the word draped suggest about the elephants situation? [1] Key word? Draped : to hang or cover Question type?
Language Use Explain and paraphrase

From Paragraph10 6b) What is the usual cause of death for the lions quarry? [1]

Key words? Usual: normally, usually Quarry: prey, kill, victim Question type?
Factual Close reading: Signpost

ANSWER : There were lions hanging all over its body, covering it completely. [1]

ANSWER : Lions usually cause death by suffocation. [1]

From Paragraph12 7) What two reasons are given to explain the conflict between lions and hyenas? [2]
Key word?
Two reasons Conflict: hostility, clash

From Paragraph13 8) They fought a three-hour marathon to kill a buffalo. What does the word marathon tell us about this particular hunt? [1] Key word?
Marathon: a long and difficult task

Question type?
factual Close reading + signpost (clash, disagreement,
cause)

Question type?
Language use

CONTEXT: Lions, and each species steals from the other. Although disputes sometimes arise over competition for food, they often spring out of pure aggression. ANSWER : They are pure aggression [1] and competition for food [1]. and hyenas are skilled hunters in their own right

How can you describe the hunt? ANSWER : It took a long time. [1]

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From Paragraph14 9) Using your own words, explain why the lions abandoned their buffalo feast when the hyenas attacked them. [1]
Key word?
Using your own words why

From the passage as a whole: 10) These lazy lions havent done a thing since we left, one remarked in disgust. Explain the irony here. [2]
Key word?
Irony (contradictions)

Question type?
Language use contradiction (yet, but, howev er)

Question type?
Language use Paraphrase/cause and effect, sequence?

Why did the visitors think of the lions?

Lazy, it looked as if they had done nothing at all since the sunset before.

Context: As the lions began their buffalo feast, they were charged by a clan of hyenas. Badly outnumbered, the lions abandoned their hard-won meal and climbed the dead trees nearby. We stayed until the horizon turned orange and we could see the lions silhouettes against the dawn. ANSWER : There were far too many hyenas than lions. [1]

So what is the contradiction? (line 95)

The lions had a long and exhausting night spent hunting a hare, a zebra
and a buffalo.

ANSWER : The lions had a long and exhausting night spent hunting a hare, a zebra and a buffalo [1] yet the visitors thought that they were lazy animals which had done nothing at all since sunset the day before. [1]

engulfed (line 7)
CONTEXT: A few yards away in our fourwheel-drive vehicle, we gazed up and saw that clouds had engulfed the moon. Lightning split the African sky and a blast of thunder startled both us and the lions. Pelted by a wind-whipped deluge, we struggled with canvas, in a vain attempt to keep our vehicle dry. What word form? Verb What is the situation? What action could the clouds do to the moon in that situation? ANSWER: Completely covered

nocturnal (line 19)

CONTEXT: But how to do it at night, when the lions are most active? They are seen only by day, mainly by the hundreds of tourists who stop at Savuti each year. In the past, most lion researchers limited their work to daylight observation. Our challenge was to devise a means of witnessing lions nocturnal tactics without interfering with either the predators or their prey. What word form? adjective What is the situation? Most times, lions are observed only in the day. What is the difference? ANSWER: occurring at night

adept (line 52)

CONTEXT: Elephants dominate the dwindling pools. But because they and the lions are sharing such a small space, the lions seem to lose the natural wariness they have for the much larger animals. Three lionesses in Maomes pride including Motsumi specialise in attacking elephants. We have seen such specialisation take many forms, with some lions adept at killing giraffes, others preferring warthogs, still others expert at tsessebes. What word form? adjective What is the situation? Talking about specialisation or skills ANSWER: highly skilled

chaos (line 75)

CONTEXT: The lions leaped on the backs of several adults feeding at the waters edge. Roaring, the hippos tried to twist their heads, apparently to bite their tormentors. When that failed, they ploughed toward the safety of the deep water, splashing thunderously. Once the hippos reached deeper water, the lions jumped off and swam to shore. Amid the chaos, they eventually managed to isolate a young hippo in shallow water. What word form? noun What is the situation? How would you describe the action in the text? ANSWER: pandemonium/catastrophe/turmoil/mayhem

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gruelling (line 94)

CONTEXT: We remember one particularly exhausting evening. It started, as always, at sunset, as vehicles full of tourists departing for their camp pulled away from the sleeping lions of Maomes pride. For us, work began. The pride awoke and throughout the night led us on a gruelling chase as they made a series of kills. First, they downed a small hare, then a young zebra; then they fought a three-hour marathon to kill a buffalo. What word form? adjective What is the situation? What were the other descriptions of the evening? ANSWER: extremely tiring or exhausting

New words Define them Marathon Relatively Quarry Biological Predecesso r Productive Silver lining Pride Indicative Comparatively

New words Define them Ploughed Deluge Dappled Tawny Keeled carcasses downed silhouettes dwindling nocturnal

Steps you and your team took to ensure that you did not interfere with the lions hunts and your findings on the lions hunting habits.
Steps: Duration 50 mins 10 mins 1. Box out the passage 2. Find out the demands of the question 3. Highlight 15 points 30 mins 4. Paraphrase 5. Organise into paragraph. Conjunctions 10 mins 6. Edit. Word Count. Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar

Steps you and your team took to ensure that you did not interfere with the lions hunts and your findings on the lions hunting habits.
1. Developed a way to 1. Devised a method to get the accustom the lions to our vehicle lions used to our vehicle and and our filming lights filming lights 2. Adopted a set of rules for ourselves that emphasised noninterference 3. Never turn on the lights during the initial chase, only after the lions have zeroed in on their quarry or are feeding on their kill 4. Keep the lights off whenever possible 2. Abided by rules stressing noninterference 3. Used lights only when the lions had almost caught their prey or were feasting on their catch 4. Minimised the use of lights

Steps you and your team took to ensure that you did not interfere with the lions hunts and your findings on the lions hunting habits.
5. Use special night-vision equipment that intensifies images 6. Parts of our vehicle rubberised to minimise creaks and groans 7. Maintain a minimum distance of 150 feet from hunting lions 8. Of the kills that took place at night, 85 per cent occurred when the moon was less than half full, or when it was below the horizon 5. night-vision equipment

6. Rubberising parts of our vehicle reduced noise 7. Observed the lions from at least 150 feet away 8. Savuti lions usually hunt in the Savanna when there is little or no moonlight

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Steps you and your team took to ensure that you did not interfere with the lions hunts and your findings on the lions hunting habits.
9. When the moon was too bright and the lions failed too frequently, they would disappear into the neighbouring woodlands 9. Sometimes hunt in the woodlands when there is too much moonlight

Steps you and your team took to ensure that you did not interfere with the lions hunts and your findings on the lions hunting habits.
13. Specialisation take many forms 13.Some lions specialise in hunting specific animals

10. Hunting was more productive 10. Which drastically reduces than in the bright moonlight their success rate 11. Dozed with a pride until the moon dipped below the horizon 12. A sudden temperature drop around 2:30 am usually seem to arouse them, coolest hours to hunt 11. Lions sleep until the moon sets 12. Awaken at 2.30am, the coolest part of the night to hunt

14. Following Maomes lead, four 14. They hunt as a group more lions hurled themselves into the fray 15. Suffocating their prey, clamped their jaws onto its mouth and throat 15. killing their prey by biting their mouths and throats to suffocate them.