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Unit 6
Activity 4a: Read the text silently and carry out the activity that follows.
Starlight School
Like a magician pulling objects out of a
hat, the glass blower*, Mr. Manuel, makes
different objects with his blowing pipe.
Sometimes it is a swan. Sometimes it is
a rabbit. It can also be a dodo or a horse.
Mr. Manuel does not need a drawing to
make objects. Like an artist, his hands
move quickly as he shapes these objects.
The Glass Gallery is one of the most
exciting places to visit. There, visitors can buy beautiful glass objects such as vases,
bowls, animal sculptures and lampshades. They can also visit the workshop to see
the glass blowers at work. Visitors stand behind a barrier and watch them in action.
Mr. Manuel holds a long tube called the blowing pipe and gets some red melted
glass from the furnace*. The temperature in there is above 2000 degrees Celsius!
Although he works with very hot glass, Mr. Manuel is not afraid of burning himself. He
blows into the pipe so that the glass inates like a balloon. He then shapes the glass
with precision using different tools. As soon as the glass starts to get cold, he puts
it into another furnace. There it is reheated and he gives it a nal shape. The glass
blower leaves the object to cool down until it becomes solid. The object is now ready!
Mr. Manuel has worked at the Glass Gallery for thirty years. Do you know what he
likes most about his job? This is what he told us during an interview: “I’m very proud
of my job as I create beautiful objects using broken glass. We recycle objects that
people have thrown away, like old bottles. We turn them into things that we can
use again.”
If you have not yet visited the Glass Gallery, you must ask your parents to take you
there soon.
Natasha and Melvin, Grade 5 Red
Activity 8: Activity 8: Reading for pleasure and appreciation.