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The Dare: Judith Nicholls

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THE DARE

Go on, I dare you,


come on down!

Was it me they called?


Pretend you haven’t heard,
a voice commanded in my mind.
Walk past, walk fast
and don’t look down,
don’t look behind.

Come on, it’s easy!


The banks were steep,
the water low
and flanked with oozing brown.
Easy? Walk fast
but don’t look down.
Walk straight, walk on,
even risk their jeers
and run …

Never go near those dykes,


My mother said.
No need to tell me.
I’d seen stones sucked in
and covered without trace,
gulls slide to bobbing safety,
grasses drown as water rose.
No need to tell me
to avoid the place.

She ca-a-a-n’t, she ca-a-a-n’t!


Cowardy, cowardy custard!

There’s no such word as ‘can’t’,


My father said.
I slowed my pace.
The voices stopped,
Waited as a wavered, grasping breath.
My mother’s wrath? My father’s scorn?
A watery death?

I hesitated then turned back,


forced myself to see the mud below.
After all, it was a dare…
There was no choice;
I had to go.

JUDITH NICHOLLS
A. Read the clues on the IWB and find the answers in the poem, to complete the crossword below.

1 2 4

5 7 8

10

11

12

13

B. After reading the poem answer the following questions.

1. Who is the narrator in the poem? (1 mark)


________________________________________________________________________________

2. What was the narrator’s first reaction, when the bullies dared her? (1 mark)
________________________________________________________________________________

3. Quote two phrases to show why the narrator had to avoid the place. (2 marks)
a) _____________________________________________________________________________

b) _____________________________________________________________________________

4. What made the narrator change her mind and do the dare? Quote a phrase to support your answer.
(2 marks)
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

5. Onomatopoeia is when a word is formed to associate a sound with its name e.g. hiss.
a) Find a word in stanza 3 that is an example of onomatopoeia? (1 mark) _____________________
b) Can you write another two onomatopoeic words? (2 marks)
_____________________ ____________________

6. How many stanzas are there in the poem? _____________ (1 mark)

7. Is there a regular rhyme scheme? Yes / No. (1 mark)

8. Find three examples of rhyming words. (3 marks)


a) _________________ _________________

b) _________________ _________________

c) _________________ _________________
A. Below are thirteen words taken from the poem. Your challenge is to complete the crossword as fast
possible, by first reading the clues on the IWB and then by choosing the answers from the list of
words below. The first one has been done for you as an example. Are you up for it? (6 marks)

BOBBING DYKES GULLS SCORN WRATH


BANKS FLANKED JEERS STEEP
COMMANDED GRASPING OOZING WAVERED

2 4
1
W
3
R
5 7 8
A
6
T
10
H
9

11

12

13

B. After reading the poem answer the following questions.

1. Who is the narrator in the poem? (1 mark)


________________________________________________________________________________

2. What were the narrator’s first thoughts, when the bullies dared her? (2 mark)
________________________________________________________________________________

3. Write a phrase from stanzas 3 or 4 to show that the place was dangerous. (1 mark)
________________________________________________________________________________

4. What made the narrator change her mind and do the dare, what her mother said or what her father
said?
Quote a verse to support your answer. (2 marks)
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

5. Onomatopoeia is when a word is formed to associate a sound with its name e.g. hiss.
a) Which of these three words are onomatopoeic words? (1 mark)
jeers / bobbing / oozing

b) Can you write another two onomatopoeic words? (2 marks)


_____________________ ____________________

6. How many stanzas are there in the poem? _____________ (1 mark)

7. Is there a regular rhyme scheme? Yes / No. (1 mark)

8. Find three examples of rhyming words. (3 marks)


a) _________________ _________________
b) _________________ _________________
c) _________________ _________________
A. Below are thirteen words taken from the poem. Your challenge is to complete the crossword as
fast possible, by first reading the clues on the IWB and then by choosing the answers from the
list of words below. The first one has been done for you as an example. Are you up for it? (6
marks)

BOBBING FLANKED OOZING WRATH


BANKS GRASPING SCORN DARE
COMMANDED GULLS STEEP
DYKES JEERS WAVERED
2 4
W
1

3
R
5 7 8
A
6
T
10
H
9

11

12

13

DOWN:

1. Extreme anger (5)


2. The land alongside the river bed
4. Out of breath
7. Disgusting discharge
8. Challenge someone to do something
10. Boos and taunts

ACROSS:

2. Move up quickly to safety


3. Hesitating
5. Ordered
6. Ridicule due to pride
9. Vertical drop
11. Full of
12. Types of birds
13. River banks
1
W 2
B O B B I N G
4

R A 3
W A V E R E D
5
C 7
O M M A N D E D
8
A
6
S C O R N T K A S

Z H S R 10
J P

I 9
S T E E P I
11
F L A N K E D E N
12
G U L L S R G
13
D Y K E S

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