Read the passage and follow the instructions:

The Khayelitsha Connection

A number of youngsters from the Western Cape will remember Friday, 3 May 2002 for a long time. On that day, 200 learners from 20 schools had the opportunity of communicating with Shuttleworth via an amateur radio station set up by Mr Gerald Klatzko, president of the South African Amateur Satellite Organization.

The learners got together in the Soloman Mahlangu Recreation Hall in Khayelitsha for the occasion. The International Space Station was in a position above the Western Cape for about 10 minutes, which made it possible for contact to be established for the duration of one “footstep”. A footstep is a period of 12-14 minutes during which the ISS is above a specific point on earth. Ms Miranda Myburgh, the programme manager of the University of Stellenbosch MTN Sunstep Programme, arranged this memorable occasion which would give all the learners who participated, an opportunity to get in touch with a modern role model who was a “super-inspiration” to them.

The Sunstep programme focuses on familiarizing learners with technology, maths and science. A total of 58 000 learners throughout South Africa are part of the programme.

(Source: Eikestadnuus, 26 April 2002)

They mean ________ and _________ .

What is a “role model”? Do you have any role models? Get together with four or five of your classmates and talk about your role models. Give reasons why you have chosen them.

On Thursday 25 April, when the Soyuz TM-34 was launched, learners at Bishops – Shuttleworth’s old school – sat with bated breath as they waited for the final countdown. All eyes were on the screen as the engines roared. At the moment of lift-off a collective sigh of relief could be heard, followed by an enthusiastic roar from all the boys.

“I think he is terribly brave. … I hope I will also be able to accomplish something like that one day,” said Jamie Stewart, a grade 8 learner.

Mark’s parents, his brothers, and some other family members were understandably anxious as they watched the launching. His father said that he could hardly bear it when he saw the flames under the rocket. His mother held her breath for so long that she must have set a new record. His brother Grant, an engineer and a singer in a rock band called Motion, had to fight back his tears. He and the rock group to which he belongs, had specially produced a song called “Dream” for the occasion. On the Wednesday just before the launching, when Mark received the CD with this song on it, he became quite emotional.

Here are some of the lyrics:

Dream

…

Through the silence I hear a voice I’ve heard before

It’s a voice that echoes my dream

I must listen, I know, and take careful note

For the message manifests clear

I know this voice

I know you know it too

It commands you to follow your dream

There’s no tension, no doubt

It’s written so clear

…

You’re a spaceman

Flying through the sky

On a silver bullet,

On the wings of my dreams

…

Do you have a dream?

Have you put it in motion?

…

You’re a spaceman

Flying through the sky

On a silver bullet

On the wings of my dreams

Put it in motion …

- Courtesy of Motion

At 13:29 on Thursday, 25 April 2002, after having orbited the earth five times, and five hours after becoming the first South African in space, Mark said his first words from space: “Everything’s fine.”

How would these two examples be written correctly?

Do you think it is an effective metaphor? Justify your answer.

Rituals

Before each launching at Baikonur, there are fixed rituals and traditions that have to be observed. Dr Wayne Derman, from the University of Cape Town’s Institute for Sport Science, was at Shuttleworth’s side in the days before the launching of the Souyus. His assignment was to prepare Shuttleworth medically for the flight, and he observed all these strange activities.

Before the launching of every manned Russian spacecraft, the crew watch a movie called Son of the White Desert. The reason for this is that the first Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, watched it on the eve of his historic flight in 1961. Since then it has become traditional for every cosmonaut to do the same.

Other traditions that were observed by the crew of Mission TM-34 in Baikonur, Kazakstan, were the following:

There are one or two other rituals that have not been mentioned here.

Finally they stand on the so-called “200 steps” that they will have to climb if the lift doesn’t work, and wave a final farewell.

When the traditions and rituals are all over, the pad is cleared and the time comes for the flight to begin.

Abridged and translated from Die Burger, 30 April 2002.

Activity 1

1. Any two suitable questions.

2. An amateur participates in some activity for the enjoyment value, or for the love of it, while a professional gets paid for doing something (e.g. in sport).

3. An inspiration (in this context) would be someone who inspires one, while a “super-inspiration” would be able to inspire one tremendously – to a very high degree.

4. A role model is someone whom you would emulate. You would try to be like that person. Learners discuss their role models and explain why they admire them.

Activity 2

1. Learners read lyrics and paraphrase the song.

2.

(a) the message manifests clearly.

(b) It’s written so clearly (These are adverbs and must have the –ly ending.)

3.

(a) manifest: show, display, reveal

(b) command: instruct, order

(c) tension: anxiety, nervousness

These words must be used in sentences of their own to illustrate that learners understand how they are used.

4.

(c) The spacecraft is like a silver bullet in the sense that it is

travelling at high velocity, and it is a metallic colour. Any other possible points of comparison to be considered.

(d) It is very effective, because it suggests power, streaming, aiming at a target (goal), and “something special” – a silver bullet is special, not everyday.