A peninsula is a tract of land almost surrounded by water. It is therefore almost an island. An isthmus is a strip of land joining two larger portions together. It is like a man's neck, which joins his head to his body. A cape is a pointed piece of land stretching out into the sea. It is like a man's nose, which stands out from the rest of his face. The coast or shore is that part of the land which borders upon the sea. A mountain is a very high hill. A chain or range of mountains is a number of mountains in a row. A volcano is a burning mountain. A valley is the low land lying between mountains or hills. A plain is a flat tract of land. DIVISIONS OF WATER. An ocean is a very large tract of water. There are five oceans-the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Arctic, and the Antarctic. A sea is smaller than an ocean. A strait is a narrow passage of water between two seas, or two large bodies of water. A gulf is a portion of the sea almost surrounded by land. A bay has a wider opening than a gulf, but in other respects is the same. A lake is a body of water surrounded by land. The water of a lake is generally fresh. GRAMMAR. MAN has the gift of speech. He can put his thoughts into words. By his words he can let others know what he is thinking about. All men do not use the same words for the same things: that is to say, they do not all speak the same language. The English language is spoken wherever Englishmen have settled. They do not, however, all speak exactly in the same way, for they have not all learnt the rules of our language. But all who have learnt English Grammar know how to speak properly, for they know the rules; and so they know what words to use, and how to place them in their right order. If any one wishes to be a good scholar, he must do all he can to learn grammar, and then he will know how to speak and write correctly. Our language contains thousands of words, but they are divided into nine classes; just as all the animals in the world are divided into four classes-beasts, reptiles, birds, and fishes. These nine classes of words are called Parts of Speech. The largest class of words contains the names of all things we can speak about. The names of things are A noun is the name of in grammar called NOUNS. anything. It may be the name of a person, like James; of an animal, like hog; of a place, like London; or of a thing, like house. DICTATION EXERCISES ON THE MORE DIFFICULT WORDS IN PRECEDING LESSONS. 29. 1. There is a marble statue on our staircase. 2. It is the image of a woman holding a lamp in her hand. 3. The children shrieked and struggled to escape. 4. One little girl sat quite still throughout the terror and confusion. 5. Many slipped downstairs and received severe bruises. 6. The page was asleep, and did not answer the prince's bell. 7. The prince stepped up softly to the youth, and slipped a packet of money into his pocket. 30. 1. A silkworm is a kind of caterpillar, that spins a silken thread. 2. It is fond of mulberry leaves, but will feed on lettuces. 3. Mary kept strict watch to see the silkworms change their skin. 4. The new skin is wrinkled all over, but as the worms grow bigger the puckers get smaller. 5. It is amusing to watch these queer little creatures. 6. Grammar teaches us to speak and write correctly. 31. 1. James bought his new jacket and trousers at the tailor's. 2. He was puzzled on hearing his teacher say that his new clothes had been worn before. 3. The other scholars guessed the teacher's meaning. 4. Wool is made into cloth for coats, into flannel for shirts and petticoats, and into worsted for stockings. 5. The sheep is a silly creature, but we cannot help admiring it for its usefulness. 32. 1. I like to see the ships upon the sea. 2. It is wrong to steal. 3. Steel is made from iron. 4. A bear is a wild beast with a shaggy coat. 5. The trees in winter are leafless and bare. 6. The apple trees in our orchard bear well. 7. My little sister cannot bear pain as well as I. 8. Our baby's legs and arms are quite bare. 9. A king or queen sits upon a throne. 10. A huntsman was thrown off his horse. CATECHETICAL LESSONS ON INFORMATION PREVIOUSLY GIVEN Silkworm.-What is a lady's Silk Dress made from? From silk spun in the first place by the silkworm. What sort of a Worm is it? It is a kind of caterpillar that changes into a moth after spinning its thread. What does it feed upon? It thrives best upon the leaves of the mulberry tree. How often does it change its Skin? Four times; and when the new skin comes, it is full of wrinkles to allow room for growing. Describe this Worm when full grown. It has seven small eyes on each side of its head, and eight legs on each side of its body. There are two little holes beneath its jaws through which the threads are drawn. In what form does it spin its Threads? It winds the thread around itself into a firm yellow ball in the shape of an egg. The little spinner is inside the ball or cocoon. Wool.-For what is Wool remarkable? For its warmth. What is made from Wool? Cloth for coats and trousers, blankets for beds, flannel for shirts and petticoats, and worsted for stockings, as well as stuffs for dresses. What is Merino? It is a fine wool obtained from the merino sheep of Spain. Does all our Merino Wool come from Spain? No: the merino sheep is now reared in Australia. Is all our Woollen Cloth made from the Fleece of the Sheep? No: the finest kind of woollen cloth is made from the woolly under-coat of the Cashmir goat, in Asia. What is Alpaca? It is a silky woollen cloth made from the long soft wool of the Alpaca, a kind of sheep which lives in Peru, in South America. Grammar.-What is meant by Language? It is the words wo speak in making known our thoughts. Do all Men speak the same Language? No: the people of most countries have a language of their own; thus, the Englishman speaks English, and the Frenchman speaks French. What is English Grammar? It contains the rules of our language, and enables us to speak and write correctly. Into what are the words of our Language divided? They are divided into nine classes, called parts of speech. Which is the largest Class of Words? That class which contains the names of things. What is that Class called? Nouns. What, then, is a Noun? A noun is the name of anything. Land and Water.-Is there more Water than Land? Yes; three times as much-the water covers three-fourths of the world. What is a Continent? A very large tract of land, containing many countries. In what Continent do we live? In Europe; and in this continent are many countries-as England, France, and Spain. What is an Ocean? A very large tract of water, with seas, gulfs, and bays running into the land on all sides of it. Compare a Gulf with a Bay. Both are arms of the sea stretching into the land, but a gulf is more shut in. What is the difference between an Island and a Peninsula? An island has water all round it, and a peninsula almost around it. Compare an Isthmus with a Strait. An isthmus is a narrow neck of land, and a strait is a narrow passage of water; both connect larger portions together. Name the parts of a River. The place where it begins to flow is its source, and where it flows into the sea is its mouth. |