The Inchcape Rock class 5

 

The Inchcape Rock

In the North Sea near Scotland is a great rock under the water, called the Inchcape Rock. It lies twelve miles from land.

Many boats and ships have been wrecked on that rock, for it is so near the top of the water that no one can sail over it without striking it.

More than a hundred years ago there lived a kind man called the Abbot of Aber-brothock. The abbot tied a buoy to the rock with a large bell on top. The buoy floated back and forth in the shallow water. When the waves dashed against it, the bell would ring out loud and clear.

Sailors were no longer afraid to cross the sea at that place. When they heard the bell ringing, they knew where the rock was, and sailed around it.

'God bless the good Abbot of Aber-brothock!' they all said.

One calm summer day, a ship with a black flag was passing close by Inchcape Rock. It belonged to a pirate called Ralph the Rover.

Ralph looked out upon the sea. He saw the buoy floating above Inchcape Rock like a big black speck upon the water. 'Boys!' he cried, 'take out the boat, and row me to Inchcape Rock. We will play a trick on the old abbot.'

They reached Inchcape Rock and broke the chain that held the buoy. Ralph cut the ropes of the bell too. It sank into the water with a gurgling sound.

"The next man who comes this way will not bless the abbot, laughed evil Ralph, and sailed away in his black ship. For many days, Ralph travelled on the seas and looted many ships. At last, it was time to sail back home.

On the way back, the wind blew hard all day. But in the evening, it died away leaving behind a thick fog. Ralph walked on the ship's deck. He tried but could not see where the ship was going.

'I think we are not far from Inchcape Rock. I wish we could hear the good abbot's bell.'

The next moment there was a great crash.
'It is Inchcape Rock!' the sailors cried, as the ship turned to one side and began to sink.

'Oh, what a wretch I am!' cried Ralph the Rover. This is the result of the joke that I played on the good abbot!'

What did he hear as the waves rushed over him? Was it the abbot's bell, ringing for him from the bottom of the sea?

 

A Choose the correct answers.

1. The Abbot of Aber-brothock

a. tied a buoy to the rock

2. Ralph the Rover was

c. an evil pirate

3. Sailors blessed the abbot because

a. the buoy and bell he placed warned them of danger

4. Ralph broke the chain that held the buoy because.

b. he wanted to play a trick on the abbot

5. On his way back from the voyage, Ralph wished

a. he could hear the abbot's bell

6. The moral of the story is that.

c. we should not trick others as we could end up harming ourselves

Answer the following questions.

1. Where is Inchcape Rock?

 Inchcape Rock  is in the North Sea. It is near Scotland. It is twelve miles from land.

2. Why did boats and ships get wrecked at Inchcape Rock?

 Boats and ships  got wrecked at Inchcape Rock because it is very close to the water's surface. This made it hard for ships to see it.

3. How did the buoy work?

The  buoy  floated in the shallow water. It had a bell on top. When waves hit the buoy, the bell rang loudly.

4. What did Ralph do at sea before sailing back home?

Before going home,  Ralph  travelled on the seas. He looted many ships.

5. What happened to Ralph and his ship in the end?

In the end,  Ralph's ship  crashed into Inchcape Rock. The ship began to sink. Ralph realized his mistake and felt very sad.

Correct the spellings and rewrite these words from the story.

1.    striking  

2.    wrecked  

3.    dashed  

4.    speck  

5.    buoy  

6.    gurgling  

Find words from the story which mean the following.

1.    sail    - move a boat or a ship across the water 

2.    ringing    - the loud sound made by bells 

3.    shallow    - (of a waterbody) not deep 

4.    looted    - taking things from others forcefully 

5.    sink    - disappear below water 

6.    abbot    - a man similar to a priest or a monk

 

E Circle the subject and underline the predicate in the following sentences.

1.    The buoy       floated back and forth in the shallow water. 

2.    A ship      sailed close to Inchcape Rock on Monday. 

3.    Ralph      walked on the ship's deck. 

4.    The sailor      strained his eyes to see the rock. 

5.    The ship      belonged to an evil pirate and his crew. 

6.    (You)      Row me to Inchcape Rock.