Stage 6 The Platypus - A Letter PDF

STAGE 6 Unit focus: Classification Text focus: Letter Dear Sir, The Platypus - A Letter I confess that I am writing to you in a state of some concern and confusion as, no doubt, the...

STAGE 6 Unit focus: Classification Text focus: Letter Dear Sir, The Platypus - A Letter I confess that I am writing to you in a state of some concern and confusion as, no doubt, the state of my penmanship will reveal. Already, I see that I have le no fewer than two thumb prints on the paper but, no matter, I must not trouble myself with such trivialities for I am in need of urgent advice. As a fellow man of science and one whom I hold in the highest regard, I could think of no better person to come to with my quandary than yourself. I hope you can help me make sense of the specimen which has arrived just today from the colony of New South Wales at the very furthest end of our known world. It has le me quite dumbstruck. The item arrived carefully-wrapped and it took some time for me to peel back the layers to what was underneath. You will know of course that in my role here at the museum, I am in receipt of a great many number of such packages. It is my job to make sure that London is home to one of the finest scientific collections that the world has to offer and, though I have seen many a curious specimen in my cataloguing duties, there was certainly nothing to suggest that I was to uncover something quite so extraordinary. You may well be able to appreciate my surprise when my eyes landed on something completely and utterly different to anything I have ever before seen. My first thoughts were of irritation: it seemed clear that this was a hoax. Someone, in a vain attempt to discredit me or to laugh at my expense, had sent me an ungainly-looking creature that had been pieced together from an absurd combination of others. It had a sleek, hairy body like an otter, a flat tail like a beaver, but with the webbed feet and bill of a duck! The whole thing seemed beyond belief and I felt sure that a closer examination would reveal tiny stitches holding the poor monster together. However, despite my considerable efforts, I found no such signs of deceit. Having ruled out some fiendish trick, I was le with only one remaining possibility: that this was indeed one of God’s creatures! My dear friend and esteemed colleague, this being seems neither mammal nor bird nor reptile. It has the beak of a bird but the fur of a mammal. It has features suggesting it is at all resources ©2022 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com home in both the water and on land. Whether it gives birth and nurses live young or lays eggs has not yet been determined so this cannot help us with our understanding. How then can I classify it according to the Linnaean system that has so recently revolutionised our understanding of the living world? And if I cannot, does that mean the world is not as accurately organised as we had hoped? What shall I make of this new find which seems to be so incompatible with all the careful classifications we have so far made? I welcome your thoughts on this matter at the soonest opportunity. I trust in God as I do in science not to allow such a monstrosity to escape our understanding. Yours Sincerely, George Shaw VOCABULARY FOCUS 1. What word is used to refer to things that are not very important? 2. Using the context, what do you think a ‘quandary’ is? 3. What word means a trick or lie? 4. What does discredit mean? 5. Find and copy a word which has a similar meaning to ‘cruel’ VIPERS QUESTIONS R Where had the package arrived from? R What feature suggests the creature is a mammal? S What is unusual about the specimen? E What words or phrases does the writer use to flatter the person he is writing to? Why does he do this? E What phrases in the letter are intended to encourage the receiver to reply quickly? all resources ©2022 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com