From: "Hariyali Bhatia" <hbhatia.rbs@gmail.com>
Date: Dec 9, 2015 5:12 AM
Subject: Fwd: Grade 6: Practice Comprehension for December
To: "Lata Gowda" <latagowda.gowda@gmail.com>
Cc:
From: "shivani bhagat" <shiv8378@gmail.com>
Date: 8 Dec 2015 22:48
Subject: Fwd: Grade 6: Practice Comprehension for December
To: "Hariyali Bhatia" <hbhatia.rbs@gmail.com>
Cc:
Please forward this to lLata miss . I may have wrong email id.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: shivani bhagat <shiv8378@gmail.com>
Date: Saturday, December 5, 2015
Subject: Grade 6: Practice Comprehension for December
To: latagowda@gmail.com
While many people dream of mermaids—mythological aquatic creatures, with the body of a human and tail of a fish—few people actually try to become one. How can someone become a mermaid if they don't exist? Just ask Dana Richardson, who is a professional mermaid in Hawaii!
"As a child, I always felt very connected to the ocean and played mermaids in the water," says Dana. "My love of the ocean took me to different types of work as a lifeguard, swim instructor, boat crew member, underwater photographer, snorkel instructor and safety swimmer, boat captain, surfer, and marine mammal naturalist. I just decided to take it to the next level and grow a tail!"
Dana doesn't mean literally. In 2008 she began making mermaid tails from sequins, fringe, and shiny fabric that she wears while free-diving in the waters around Kona, Hawaii. Free-diving means diving without any protective equipment. It requires you to hold your breath while swimming deep underwater. As she dives in, Dana not only looks like a mermaid; she experiences what it is like to swim like one too.
"Free-diving is all self-discipline and mind-over-matter," she says. "Breath is a big part of free diving, relaxing the body and lungs in order for the body to stay oxygenated longer. That ultimately takes practice, discipline, and patience." The waters around Dana's home in Kona are filled with wildlife, including dolphins and whales.
Kona is by a sheltered sea where the waters are calm for swimming. For ten years Dana has been swimming with the creatures of Kona. Some of them have even learned to recognize her. "When I'm swimming in the ocean I never touch or feed any of the sea life, and match whatever mood they are in out of respect. I let them come to me. I've had some amazing dolphin swims, and it's very cool since I know a lot of them. Many times they have rubbed against me. One time in particular, a dolphin and I were swimming, and he stopped next to me and came so close, he put his dorsal fin under my arm and glided with me down about 40 feet."
Dana knows how to swim with sea life because she is a trained marine naturalist. She understands the behaviour of sea life and knows how to safely interact with it. Every morning when she swims with sea life she gets to experience her other "home."
"The ocean beneath the depths really is another world. The waves, plankton, coral, fish, turtles, rays, dolphins, whales, and sharks are all co-related and need each other to survive. Watching how the world works so gracefully in that circle of life underwater is a beautiful thing."
Dana uses her platform as a mermaid to teach people to protect the ocean. Mermaids have appeared in folklore (which means traditional stories) from all parts of the world. In folklore they can be associated with goodwill and love, or with danger and shipwrecks. The most famous mermaid story may be Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid," which was adapted into a Disney cartoon in 1989. While mermaid sightings have been reported for centuries, the United States National Ocean Service stated in 2012 that no evidence of mermaids has ever been found. Some believe that the sightings have actually been of manatees, a marine mammal. Manatees are common in the Caribbean and are likely the creature Christopher Columbus reported as a mermaid.
For Dana Richardson being a mermaid just makes sense. "I've always felt more comfortable underwater than on land," she says. "As a child I felt a strong draw to the ocean, and dreamed of communicating with whales and dolphins. As a mermaid, I now get to share the undersea magic!"
Would you like to follow your dream, even if it seems outlandish? Dana reminds everyone, "One person can truly make a difference. By following your heart and offering the world your unique gifts, you will inspire others to do so. The world needs you!"
I) Questions:
1) What kind of work Dana has done before she became a professional mermaid?
2) What is free diving?
3) Who forms the part of the Dana's "other home?"
4) What is Dana Richardson's advice about following your heart?
II) Grammar
1. Give the synonyms for the following words from the passage
together - ______________________
conversing - _______________________
2. Give the antonyms for the following words from the passage
forget x __________________
discourage x _____________________
3. Give the noun form of:
dangerous - _________________
instruct - _________________
III) Directed Writing
Imagine you are Dana Richardon, based on your own experience, why do you believe it is important to follow your heart? Support your answer with evidence from the passage. Answer the following pointers:
· Your love for work
· Your experiences with the aquatic life
· How would you follow your heart?
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