a young wolf cub who comes across a group of men. white fang · a young wolf cub who comes across a...

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This is an extract from ‘White Fang’, a novel by Jack London, written in 1906. It is set in the wild regions of Canada and is about a young wolf cub who comes across a group of men.

White Fang

The cub came upon them suddenly. It was his own fault. He had been careless. He

had left the cave and run down to the stream to drink. It might have been that he

took no notice because he was heavy with sleep. And his carelessness might have

been due to the familiarity of the trail to the pool. He had travelled it often, and

nothing had ever happened before.

He went down past the blasted pine, crossed the open space, and trotted in amongst

the trees. Then, at the same instant, he saw and smelt. Before him, sitting silently on

their haunches, were five live things, the like of which he had never seen before.

But at the sight of him the five men did not spring to their feet, nor show their teeth,

nor snarl. They did not move, but sat there, silent and ominous.

Nor did the cub move. Every instinct of his nature would have impelled him to dash

wildly away, had there not suddenly arisen in him another instinct. A great awe

descended upon him. He was overwhelmed by his own sense of weakness and

littleness. Here was mastery and power, something far and away beyond him.

The cub had never seen man, yet deep within him was the knowledge of his

ancestors, the eyes that had circled in the darkness around countless winter

camp-fires, and peered from safe distances at the strange, two-legged animal that

was lord over living things. Had he been full-grown, he would have run away. As it

was, he cowered down in a paralysis of fear, already half offering the surrender that

his kind had made from the first time a wolf came in to sit by man’s fire and be

made warm.

One of the men arose and walked over to him and stooped above him. The cub cowered closer

to the ground. It was the unknown, revealed at last, in flesh and blood, bending over him and

reaching down to seize hold of him. His hair bristled involuntarily; his lips writhed back and

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his little fangs were bared. The hand, poised like doom above him, hesitated, and the man

spoke laughing, “WABAM WABISCA IP PIT TAH.” (“Look! The white fangs!”)

The other men laughed loudly, and urged the man on to pick up the cub. As the

hand descended closer and closer he experienced two great impulsions - to yield and

to fight. The resulting action was a compromise. He did both. He yielded till the

hand almost touched him. Then he fought, his teeth flashing in a snap that sank

them into the hand. The next moment he received a clout alongside the head that

knocked him over on his side. Then all fight fled out of him. His puppyhood and the

instinct of submission took charge of him. He sat up on his haunches and howled.

The four men laughed more loudly, while even the man who had been bitten began

to laugh. They surrounded the cub and laughed at him, while he wailed out his

terror and his hurt. In the midst of it, he heard something. The men heard it too. But

the cub knew what it was, and with a last, long wail that had in it more of triumph

than grief, he ceased his noise and waited for the coming of his mother, of his

ferocious mother who fought all things and was never afraid. She was snarling as

she ran. She had heard the cry of her cub and was dashing to save him.

1. Who does the word them in the first sentence refer to?

Tick one.

the men

the trails

the trees

the wolves

1 mark

2. Circle the correct option to complete each sentence below.

(a) The cub had gone down to the stream for

1 mark

(b) The cub was careless because

1 mark

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(c) When the men first saw the cub they were

1 mark

3. Find and copy one word or group of words that show the cub was used to that particular trail.

______________________________________________________________ 1 mark

4. Look at the paragraph beginning: He went down past the blasted pine…

Give the two ways the cub first notices the men.

1. ____________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________ 1 mark

5. But at the sight of him the five men did not spring to their feet, nor show their teeth, nor snarl. (paragraph 2).

What does this show about the cub’s experience of men?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ 2 marks

6. Look at the paragraphs beginning: Nor did the cub move… and The cub had never seen…

Find and copy two groups of words that show that humans have total control over animals.

1. ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ 2 marks

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7. Use the text below to answer these questions.

Had he been full-grown, he would have run away. As it was, he cowered down in a paralysis of fear, already half offering the surrender that his kind had made from the first time a wolf came in to sit by man’s fire and be made warm.

1. Underline the group of words that show that the cub is too frightened to move. 1 mark

2. Find and copy the word that suggests the cub is giving up to the humans.

_________________________________________________________ 1 mark

8. In the final paragraph the cub’s last wail is described as having more of triumph than grief in it.

Explain why there is a sense of triumph in the cub’s last wail.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ 2 marks

9. Look at the final paragraph. Find and copy the sentence which is the turning point in this paragraph.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ 1 mark

10. Look at the last paragraph. Find and copy one word that means fierce.

___________________________________ 1 mark

11. Number the sentences below from 1 to 5 to show the order in which they happen in the story.The first one has been done for you.

The cub knew his mother was coming to the rescue.

The cub bit the man.

The men sat there quite still.

The cub moved freely through the trees.

The cub felt small and helpless.

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This text is about the way that humans have used animals for food and work, and what makes animals suitable or unsuitable for this.

Animal management

You might think that humans have conquered the globe thanks to our superior brain power. World-changing discoveries such as fire, inventions like the wheel and our ability to communicate through language have all certainly helped! However, another secret to humans’ success has been our ability to domesticate animals. Humans around the world have been doing this successfully for thousands of years. But what is domestication?

Domestication describes the process of changing animals over many generations so that they (and their descendants) can live with and benefit people.

Some animals – such as dogs, cats and rabbits – are domesticated as pets, whereas livestock animals are domesticated to provide food and clothing, or are used for work on farms.

Although small mammals, poultry, fish and even insects have been domesticated, historically the most important livestock animals have been the large mammals, those generally weighing over 45 kilograms. These provide the most food and can do the heaviest work. Of the large land-based mammals, only five have been successfully domesticated throughout the world: the sheep, goat, cow, pig and horse. Nine others, including the donkey, reindeer and camel, have been domesticated in certain parts of the globe only.

You will not see a gorilla or a hippo working on a farm, so why have some species of mammal been domesticated while others have not? Not all animals can be domesticated – and even those that have, can sometimes revert to their wild ways.

On the following pages, the internationally published biologist Jared Diamond proposes a list of characteristics that animals need to possess in order for them to be successfully domesticated. Lacking even one of these characteristics usually means that domestication fails.

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Requirements for Domestication

Diet – For an animal to grow to full size, it takes an awful lot of food. Domesticated animals need to eat food that is relatively cheap and easy to grow, such as grass or grain, so herbivores like cattle and sheep are ideal candidates. Animals that are finicky in their food preferences simply won’t do.

Facts about feeding

The elephant, rhinoceros and hippo are all

herbivores: they live on plant matter and lack the sharp teeth needed to tear meet.

We think of dogs as carnivorous, since they

mostly eat meat, but they are capable of surviving on grain and fruit products.

Growth rate – To be worth keeping, domesticated animals must grow quickly. That cuts out gorillas and elephants, for example, even though both are herbivores prepared to eat a wide range of foods. No farmer would be prepared to wait 15 years for their herd to reach adult size. Elephants are tamed for work in some countries, but they are usually taken fully grown from the wild.

Breeding in captivity – Domesticated animals need to breed easily in captivity. Cheetahs were much prized by the ancient Egyptians as hunting animals, but they were never successfully bred in captivity. It seems that cheetahs need an elaborate courtship ritual that involves running large distances, which is incompatible with being in a confined space.

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Character – A tendency to kill people causes immediate disqualification for many candidates that otherwise seem ideal. Think of the grizzly bear: it grows relatively quickly, to an enormous size, on a broad and mainly vegetarian diet, and thrives on human rubbish. If only they would do as they’re told! A hippo would be a great barnyard animal if it wasn’t so lethal. They kill more people each year than any other African mammal, including even the lion. Although you might expect zebras to behave like their equine relatives, horses and donkeys, in fact they grow consistently more vicious and likely to bite as they age.

Response to danger – When faced with a threat, some species, such as antelope, are nervous and inclined to flee immediately, while others stand their ground. The nervous ones are not suited to captivity: in an enclosure they are likely to panic, and may even die of shock.

Hierarchy – Almost all species of domesticated large mammals had wild ancestors that lived in herds, with a well-developed dominance hierarchy. This arrangement allows many animals to exist peacefully together without constant fighting. All humans need to do in order to control the animals is to become dominant in the hierarchy.

Animals used to being in herds can tolerate crowded conditions, and can be readily driven by a shepherd or a sheepdog. One domesticated animal is an exception to this: no-one has worked out how to herd cats. Their value to humans is as solitary hunters or pets.

You can see that domestication is actually a tricky business. Not all animals make the grade. So the next time you pass a herd of grazing herbivores stop and think: where would we be without them?

Being the boss

The head of a social group or dominance hierarchy is often described as 'top dog', the one who gets compliance - or obedience - from those below.

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1. Look at the first paragraph, beginning: You might think that humans...

Find and copy two phrases from this paragraph that suggest that humans have been successful as a species.

1. ____________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________ 1 mark

2. You will not see a gorilla or a hippo working on a farm...

What explanation is given in the text for why you don’t see gorillas on farms?

______________________________________________________________ 1 mark

3. How does the text suggest that we should accept Jared Diamond’s ideas?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ 1 mark

4. Complete the table below to show how the hippo appears both suitable and unsuitable for domestication according to the text.

a) Feature that makes the hippo suitable

b) Feature that makes the hippo unsuitable

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

2 marks

5. Look at the section headed Character.

Why does the text list so many of the characteristics of the bear?

Explain fully, referring to the text in your answer.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ 1 mark

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6. Draw a line to match each animal with the main reason given in the text that it is not domesticated.

1 mark

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Mark schemes

1 Award 1 mark if the correct answer is ticked.

the men

the trails

the trees

the wolves

1 mark

2 (a) The cub had gone down to the stream for

(b) The cub was careless because

(c) When the men first saw the cub they were

Up to 3 marks

3 Award 1 mark for either of the following:

1. (due to the) familiarity (of the trail to the pool)

2. (He had) travelled it often.

1 mark

4 Award 1 mark for reference to both sight and smell.

Also accept for 1 mark the quotation from the text, eg:

• (Then, at the same instant,) he saw and smelt.

1 mark

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5 Award 2 marks for a developed response that recognises that the cub has no experience of men and expects them to behave like animals (which can be implied), eg:

• that he’s never seen men before and thinks that they are like some sort of animal

• he has only ever encountered other wild animals that show teeth and snarl.

Award 1 mark for a simple response referring to the fact that the cub has never seen men before or that he expects them to behave like animals, eg:

• This shows he hasn’t seen man before

• the cub thought that the humans would show their teeth.

Up to 2 marks

6 Award 1 mark for any of the following, up to a maximum of two marks.

1. (Here was) mastery and power, (something far and away beyond him.)

2. (the strange, two-legged animal that was) lord over living things

3. (he) cowered down (in a paralysis of fear) / (he cowered down in a) paralysis of fear

4. (already half offering the) surrender (that his kind had made...)

5. (He was) overwhelmed by his own sense of weakness (and littleness.)

Also accept for 1 mark:

• (A) great awe (descended upon him.)

Up to 2 marks

7 1. Award 1 mark for:

• (he cowered down in a) paralysis of fear.

1 mark

2. Award 1 mark for:

• surrender.

1 mark

8 Award 2 marks for an explanation that shows he realises both:

1. that his mother is coming (this may be implied)

2. that he will be safe / rescued / get his revenge (this may be implied)

• because he knew his mother was coming to rescue him

• he heard his mother and she wouldn’t be afraid of the men

• the mother will scare the men away.

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Award 1 mark for reference to either the fact that his mother is coming or that he will be safe / rescued / get his revenge (this may be implied), eg:

• his mother was coming

• he heard his mother

• he’s going to get rescued

• the men will be frightened

• he will get his revenge.

Do not accept simple reference to the cub no longer being afraid, eg:

• because he wasn’t frightened any more.

Up to 2 marks

9 Award 1 mark for:

• In the midst of it, he heard something.

Also accept for 1 mark:

• The men heard it too.

1 mark

10 Award 1 mark for: ferocious.

1 mark

11 Award 1 mark for all four correctly numbered.

The cub knew his mother was coming to the rescue. 5

The cub bit the man. 4

The men sat there quite still. 2

The cub moved freely through the trees. 1

The cub felt small and helpless. 3

1 mark

1 Award 1 mark for any two of the following:

1. World-changing (discoveries such as fire)

2. (humans have) conquered the globe

3. (thanks to our) superior brain power

4. (our) ability to communicate through language

5. inventions (like the wheel)

6. (our) ability to domesticate animals

7. (another) secret to humans’ success

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8. (Humans around the world have been) doing this successfully for thousands of years.

1 mark

2 Award 1 mark for answers that identify that gorillas grow slowly, eg:

• they do not grow quickly enough.

Also accept quotations that meet the acceptable point, eg:

• No farmer would be prepared to wait 15 years for their herd to reach adult size

• Domesticated animals must grow quickly.

1 mark

3 Award 1 mark for answers that identify any of the following:

1. he is a biologist / scientist / expert

2. he is internationally known

3. he is a published author / has written books

4. he provides a lot of facts / examples

5. he gives examples to support his ideas / explains in detail.

1 mark

4 (a) Award 1 mark for answers that identify either of the following features:

1. it is a herbivore / it is easy to feed, eg:

• they live on plant matter

• it’s a vegetarian.

2. it is large, eg:

• it’s a really big animal.

1 mark

(b) Award 1 mark for answers that identify that hippos are dangerous / lethal / aggressive / violent, eg:

• they can attack humans

• ‘They kill more people each year than any other African mammal.

1 mark

5 Award 1 mark for answers that identify either of the following reasons:

1. despite the bear’s apparent suitability for domestication, it isn’t suitable, eg:

• because it starts off with them good, ‘It grows quickly’, ‘is a good vegetarian’ but ends with the real truth, they kill

• apart from being unruly (not doing as told) all other traits fit perfectly.

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2. despite the many positive characteristics of the bear, one failed criteria can rule it out, eg:

• it is a good example because it has so many of the good characteristics, but just one thing can make it impossible to domesticate.

1 mark

6 Award 1 mark for all boxes correctly matched:

1 mark

Up to 2 marks

a young wolf cub who comes across a group of men. white fang · a young wolf cub who comes across a...

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