2.1 Silent reading and written work

English first additional language

Grade 7

Module 4

Silent reading and written work

1. SILENT READING

(a) Read the following extract carefully, and answer the questions .

TRAINING YOUR CAT

Contrary to popular belief, cats can be trained - although it does take a little patience. The most important rule to remember is that rewards are much more effective than punishment. Your punishing her for misbehaviour can easily damage the delicate relationship between you and your kitten. A stern "No!" can be effective, but more physical expressions of disapproval are almost invariably counter-productive. You should approach training by taking a step at a time, continually rewarding desired actions and offering no encouragement for bad behaviour.

No kitten will come to an owner if she expects to be punished. Only love and reward can persuade your kitten to come when you call her name. Use your kitten's name regularly at mealtimes and play sessions. Once she begins to associate her name with pleasant experiences, try adding the word "come" just after it. Use this technique just before you set down her feeding dish. Once she has begun to grasp the meaning of the new command, reinforce her behaviour with a reward and affection.

Once a kitten learns to use furniture and curtains to sharpen her claws, it will be hard to convince her to stop. Start training her as soon as possible on a scratching post. As with litter tray training, the secret is to show the kitten what to do. Hold her near the post and scratch her claws on the surface. She'll soon form an attachment to her new exercise toy.

Although cats, unlike dogs, do not take naturally to walking on a lead, they can be trained to do so - provided you start while your cat is still a kitten. For this purpose, you'll need a lead and a harness (collars are too easily slipped off). Begin with short walks in you kitten's familiar surroundings before venturing out of doors. Let your kitten wander where she likes - provided she stays out of danger. Don't try to make her heel like a dog; let her follow along in your footsteps if she likes. With a few training sessions a week, you'll find that your cat will look forward to brief outings with you on a regular basis.

(b) Answer the following questions by underlining the correct answer.

(i) To train your cat takes

• a lot of hard work
• a little patience
• little time
• a long time

(ii) To punish a cat can

• help her to behave
• help her with effective training
• upset her
• easily damage your relationship

(iii) When you want to persuade your kitten to come to you

• reward and love her
• shout at her
• call her different names
• give her some snacks

(iv) To prevent your kitten from sharpening her claws on your curtains and furniture

• cut her nails
• punish her
• train her to use a scratching post
• keep her outside

(v) If you want to take your cat on regular outings

• use a collar
• train her with a lead and a harness
• put her in a basket
• try to make her heel like a dog

(vi) Find words in the extract with the same meaning as

• coaching
• destroyed
• vulnerable
• well-known
• taking a risk