Actividades de Lengua Inglesa

Reading.

From Santiago waking Manolin at the start of the eighty-fifth day since Santiago has caught a fish to Santiago’s promise to kill the marlin before the day ends

Summary

The old man hit him on the head for kindness and kicked him, his body still shuddering, under the shade of the stern.

(See Important Quotations Explained)

The next morning, before sunrise, the old man goes to Manolin’s house to wake the boy. The two head back to Santiago’s shack, carry the old man’s gear to his boat, and drink coffee from condensed milk cans. Santiago has slept well and is confident about the day’s prospects. He and Manolin part on the beach, wishing each other good luck.

The old man rows steadily away from shore, toward the deep waters of the Gulf Stream. He hears the leaps and whirs of the flying fish, which he considers to be his friends, and thinks with sympathy of the small, frail birds that try to catch them. He loves the sea, though at times it can be cruel. He thinks of the sea as a woman whose wild behavior is beyond her control. The old man drops his baited fishing lines to various measured depths and rows expertly to keep them from drifting with the current. Above all else, he is precise.

The sun comes up. Santiago continues to move away from shore, observing his world as he drifts along. He sees flying fish pursued by dolphins; a diving, circling seabird; Sargasso weed, a type of seaweed found in the Gulf Stream; the distasteful purple Portuguese man-of-war; and the small fish that swim among the jellyfish-like creatures’ filaments. Rowing farther and farther out, Santiago follows the seabird that is hunting for fish, using it as a guide. Soon, one of the old man’s lines goes taut. He pulls up a ten-pound tuna, which, he says out loud, will make a lovely piece of bait. He wonders when he developed the habit of talking to himself but does not remember. He thinks that if the other fishermen heard him talking, they would think him crazy, although he knows he isn’t. Eventually, the old man realizes that he has sailed so far out that he can no longer see the green of the shore.

When the projecting stick that marks the top of the hundred-fathom line dips sharply, Santiago is sure that the fish tugging on the line is of a considerable size, and he prays that it will take the bait. The marlin plays with the bait for a while, and when it does finally take the bait, it starts to move with it, pulling the boat. The old man gives a mighty pull, then another, but he gains nothing. The fish drags the skiff farther into the sea. No land at all is visible to Santiago now.

All day the fish pulls the boat as the old man braces the line with his back and holds it taut in his hands, ready to give more line if necessary. The struggle goes on all night, as the fish continues to pull the boat. The glow given off by the lights of Havana gradually fades, signifying that the boat is the farthest from shore it has been so far. Over and over, the old man wishes he had the boy with him. When he sees two porpoises playing in the water, Santiago begins to pity his quarry and consider it a brother. He thinks back to the time that he caught one of a pair of marlin: the male fish let the female take the bait, then he stayed by the boat, as though in mourning. Although the memory makes him sad, Santiago’s determination is unchecked: as the marlin swims out, the old man goes “beyond all people in the world” to find him.

The sun rises and the fish has not tired, though it is now swimming in shallower waters. The old man cannot increase the tension on the line, because if it is too taut it will break and the fish will get away. Also, if the hook makes too big a cut in the fish, the fish may get away from it. Santiago hopes that the fish will jump, because its air sacs would fill and prevent the fish from going too deep into the water, which would make it easier to pull out. A yellow weed attaches to the line, helping to slow the fish. Santiago can do nothing but hold on. He pledges his love and respect to the fish, but he nevertheless promises that he will kill his opponent before the day ends.

Vocabulary:

A)    Find 3 verbs related to water

B)     Find 3 nouns related to the sea.

C)     Find 3 fish names in the text.

Our ten tips for saving water

With smaller households and more water-using appliances, we use more water than ever before. It's important that we do not take it for granted and that we all learn to use water wisely to ensure there is enough for everyone in years to come. Water-saving habits started now will become a way of life for the future.

Follow our top tips on how to save water around your home.

	Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth A running tap uses six litres of water per minute
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	Keep a jug of water in the fridge Then there is no need to run the water until it gets cold
	Don't leave the tap running to clean dishes or vegetables Use a bowl of water instead
	Fix leaking taps A dripping tap can waste 140 litres of water per week
	Order a water butt Collect rainwater to use on your plants and lawn saves litres of treated tap water
	Use a bucket when you wash your car This uses up to 125 litres less water than a hosepipe does
	Water your garden in the early morning or late evening Minimising evaporation from the soil

A)    Give some advice to save water using you should/ you shouldn’t

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B) Write rules in order to save water at home using you must/ you mustn’t

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C) Write rules or give advice to save water using the imperatives

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