Attack Stage 5 Comprehension - Comprehension Pack.pdf

STAGE 5 Unit focus: The Movies! Text focus: Narrative Attack! Sandy sat down and sighed; it didn’t matter where she sat, she always seemed to get the stickiest s...

STAGE 5 Unit focus: The Movies! Text focus: Narrative Attack! Sandy sat down and sighed; it didn’t matter where she sat, she always seemed to get the stickiest seat. Her questing fingers released a piece of old popcorn from the recesses of the faded red cushion and she flicked it into the heaving crowd with a sneer. Even though she hated other people’s filthy habits, going to the cinema was her absolute favourite thing to do. If at all possible, she preferred to go on her own. Her best friend, Sol, had joined her for the premiere screening of Alien Overlords 6 and he’d talked all the way through. Sandy was so annoyed that she told him she was never going to speak to him again - she changed her mind when he bought her an ice-cream to say sorry. Even then, she wasn’t sure he understood. Films were her life. Her dream was to direct a blockbuster one day, so she saw every screening as an education. Sol just liked to see things blow up. This was going to be something even more amazing than normal, she could tell. She hadn’t even heard of the film, so it was probably something really artistic and probably subtitled. Looking at her ticket after the bored sales clerk had scanned the code on her phone was the first time she’d seen the title of the film: Parasite. It sounded terrifying and right up her street. A familiar hush fell over the rest of the audience, the curtains parted and Sandy settled back into the chair. There was always half an hour or commercials and trailers before the film actually started, so she was taken aback when the speakers boomed and the screen lit up with the opening scene. In it, a vast silver orb floated effortlessly in the depths of space. Behind it, far in the distance, Sandy could just make out the familiar markings of Earth. “Cut to the bridge,” Sandy said, under her breath. She knew how these opening scenes worked; she’d studied them all. Sure enough, the screen cut to a vaguely humanoid creature with pallid grey skin and a flattened nose. It was sat in a high-backed chair and was staring straight out of the screen. all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com “Thank you for joining us,” the creature said. It’s voice was silken and thick like treacle. “This won’t hurt. We promise.” Sandy bit her lip, her eyebrows creased. It didn’t make any sense. She knew better than to give up yet, some of the best films started with a mystery. On the screen, the creature suddenly split in half, causing Sandy to shriek. From somewhere within its body, a strange, plant-like creature emerged. And then, it didn’t stop emerging until arms like vines were actually reaching out of the cinema screen. The audience screamed, but those at the front fell silent as the vines snaked around their bodies and slid into their open mouths. Sandy tried to run, but the only exits were at the front of the theatre, past the snaking tendrils. Taking her chances, she leaped down the steps, two at a time. Just as the fire exit seemed to be within reach, she stumbled. Something had a tight grip on her ankle. She spun around, just as the tip of a branch slid past her lips and into her throat. A sense of peace washed over her; she knew then that everything would be alright as long as she did whatever her new master wanted. All she had to do was to help it conquer Earth. INFERENCE FOCUS 1. Find evidence that Sandy goes to the cinema a lot. 2. How do you know that Sandy like ice cream? 3. A “parasite” is something that takes over the body of another creature. Why do you think the film was called this? 4. What type of film do you think Sandy likes? Why? 5. Why was Sandy surprised when the film started? VIPERS QUESTIONS R What did Sandy have to show to get her ticket? R What could she see behind the spaceship? V Which word gives you the impression that the alien’s skin was pale and weak? V What impression do you get of the alien’s voice from the word “silken”? S What happened immediately after Sandy was taken over by the parasite? all resources ©2021 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com