Unheard Of Beasts Stage 3 Comp - Comprehension Pack.pdf

STAGE 3 Unit focus: Mythical Creatures Text focus: Information Text Unheard Of Beasts Throughout history, monsters and strange beasts have popped up in stories. Some of them are...

STAGE 3 Unit focus: Mythical Creatures Text focus: Information Text Unheard Of Beasts Throughout history, monsters and strange beasts have popped up in stories. Some of them are now well-known, such as vampires and werewolves. However, you may never have heard of some of the strangest of all. The Manticore In the 4th century BCE, the people of Europe first heard of the Manticore, a Persian beast with a head of a human and the body of a lion. According to legend, the creature had venomous spikes along its back which could be fired like arrows. It was also believed to have several rows of razor- sharp teeth and a lethal sting. Its frightening appearance made it a symbol of fear and bad luck. The Monocerus Most people have heard of the unicorn. Not many have heard of its close relative, the monocerus. Like the unicorn, the monocerus also has a single horn on its head. Instead of being a horse, the monocerus has the head of a stag. It does have the body of a horse, but the feet of an elephant. It was also said to have the tail of a boar. It is now thought that people were actually seeing a rhinoceros but didn’t know what it was. Talos Legend has it that Talos was a giant, bronze creature. It was made by the Greek god of fire and metal and given to King Minos. It is often called the first robot. It was said to walk around the island of Crete each day. It would throw rocks at invading ships and sink them. Eventually, it was tricked into sleep by Medea and was killed by a wound to its ankle. Centaurs Centaurs have the upper half of a man and lower half of a horse. They are often said to come from the imaginary land of Magnesia. Centaurs often make their homes in mountain caves. The legend of the centaurs became particularly popular in Ancient Greece, and they appear in many of their myths. all resources ©2020 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com The Wolpertinger This strange Bavarian beast was believed to be a mixture of rabbit, deer, squirrel, fox, duck, pine marten and pheasant. No two wolpertinger looked alike. It had fangs, antlers, wings and a tail and, allegedly, sprayed a stinky liquid when it felt threatened. According to folklore, the wolpertinger lurked in the forests of Bavaria, Germany. Legend also states that if their saliva touched human skin, tufts of fur would start to grow. The Kraken The mythical Kraken was a sea monster feared by many sailors for centuries. It was said to have the power to pull whole ships down in the depths of the sea. Believed to be something similar to a huge octopus or squid, the Kraken was supposed to be so big that it was the same size as an island. Sailors believed that it would attack ships by wrapping its tentacles around the hull and capsizing it. RETRIEVAL FOCUS 1. Which monster from the text had spikes along its back? 2. Which monster had antlers? 3. Who was perhaps the first robot? 4. Which creature was said to come from Magnesia? 5. Which mythical creature might actually have been based on a real animal? VIPERS QUESTIONS I Why do you think no two wolpertinger looked alike? S What was the main purpose of Talos? I The prefix “mono” means one. Why might the monocerus be called that? V Which word describes the action of a boat turning over? V What does the phrase “popped up” mean in this context? all resources ©2020 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com