‘The Last Message’: Year 8 Sci-Fi
Reading Comprehension Activities
The observatory was silent except for the rhythmic hum of
the equipment. Ellie stared at the screen, unable to believe
what she was seeing. The message was clear: ‘We need
your help.’ The coordinates that followed pointed to a distant
planet orbiting a dying star. Ellie’s job had always been
routine, scanning for signals, logging anomalies and
reporting anything unusual. But this was far from routine.
The message was not random static or mathematical
patterns; it was written in perfect English. She glanced
around the empty observatory, half-expecting someone to
jump out and tell her it was a prank.
Her hands trembled as she typed a reply: ‘Who are you?’
The screen flickered, and a new message appeared almost
instantly: ‘We are your future.’ Ellie froze. What could that
mean? Before she could think further, the observatory lights
dimmed and a low
vibration coursed through the room. She felt the tremor in her chest, like the beating of a second
heart. Outside, the sky was no longer dark but illuminated by a faint green glow. The stars seemed to
retreat, swallowed by the unnatural light.
The vibrations intensified, rattling the equipment. Ellie grabbed her notebook and jotted down
everything she could: the message, the coordinates and the strange green light. The air seemed
charged, thick with anticipation. A metallic tang filled her nostrils and the vibrations now felt like an
unspoken command. As the vibrations reached a peak, the screen displayed one final message:
‘Prepare.’ The word blinked three times before the entire observatory plunged into darkness.
Ellie stood alone, clutching her notebook, her mind racing. Was this a warning? A plea? Or
something else entirely? The faint glow from the green sky outside was the only source of light,
casting long shadows across the room. For a brief moment, she thought she saw a figure in the glow;
tall, indistinct and otherworldly. But when she blinked, it was gone.
She took a deep breath and flipped open her notebook again. Her hand hovered over the pen.
Prepare for what?
‘We need your help’ ‘We need your help’
‘We need your help’
‘We need your‘Wehelp’need your help’
‘We need your help’
‘We need your help’
‘We
‘Weneedyourneedhelp’‘Weyourneed yourhelp’help’
‘We need your help’ ‘We need your help’
‘We need your help’
‘We need your help’
‘We need your help’
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‘The Last Message’: Year 8-9 Sci-Fi Reading Comprehension Activities
Questions
1. Describe the initial message Ellie received.
2. Explain how the observatory reacted after Ellie typed her reply.
3. Outline what Ellie wrote down in her notebook.
4. Discuss what the green glow in the sky might signify.
5. Analyse the significance of the final message, ‘Prepare.’
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‘The Last Message’: Year 8-9 Sci-Fi Reading Comprehension Activities
6. Examine how the repetition of ‘Prepare’ adds to the tension in the story.
7. Analyse the effect of describing the vibrations as ‘intensified’ on the reader’s perception of the
scene.
