Сanada and Australia in Focus (стр. 2 из 8)
| large, on, out, heavy, rock, warm |
One sunny day Coyote and Fox were _____ walking up a hill together. They were ______ and decided to stop for a rest. Coyote pointed to a _____ smooth rock in front of themand said, "that's a good looking rock. Let's rest there." He spread his blanket over the _____ and they lay down. When they were ready to move ______ again, Coyote decided he was tired of carrying his blanket. It was too ______ on this fine day.
WRITIHG
Into the box below write the words and word combinations which can characterize a rock and a coyote.
| a rock | a coyote |
Coyote Brings Fire
Key words and expressions:
to guard
to share
a fire being
a cunning smile
slyly
Make up sentences with new words
Pre-reading task
What legends about fire and Fire Beings do you know? Relate them to your classmates.
Reading
Long ago, the Fire Beings were the only people who had fire. They guarded it closely and wouldn't share it with other tribes or animals. This didn't matter so much in spring and summer, but in winter many young children and old people died from the icy cold. Just before the next winter, some of the animals called a meeting.
"We can't let our children and grandparents die from the cold this year," said Squirrel.
"We have to get fire from the Fire Beings to keep warm."
"How can we do that?" asked Chipmunk. "The Fire Beings won't share it with us".
"Let's ask Coyote for help" said Frog. "He's crafty and cunning, and he'll know how to get fire".
Coyote listened and thought about the problem. Then he smiled a cunning smile.
"There is a way to get fire from the selfish Fire Beings" he said.
"How? How can we do that?" asked Chipmunk
"We'll take it!" answered Coyote slyly. "I have a plan. Follow me!"
Coyote lead the animals to the Fire Beings' camp on top of the mountain. The others hid in the bushes while Coyote walked into the camp.
"Who's there?" screeched one of the Beings. "Someone's trying to steal our fire".
"It's all right," hissed another. "It's only an old moth eaten coyote".
"Huummph! Moth eaten indeed," thought Coyote, but he didn't say anything.
He lay down by the fire and pretended to go to sleep, keeping one eye half open. Three Fire Beings sat nearby. One was huge and ugly - with a small bald head and big rolls of fat around his stomach. Snot dripped in long slimy strands from his nose. The other two were old hags, with eyes like red stones and clawed hands like a vulture.
After a few minutes, a banging noise started in the bushes. It was Coyote's friends.
"What's that horrible noise?" cried the fat ugly Fire Being. "Who's there?"
The three of them went to investigate. Seeing his chance, Coyote snatched up a glowing piece of fire and ran off down the mountain as fast as he could. Realising they had been tricked, the two hags screamed and chased after him. The big fat bald Fire Being just stood there, with more snot dripping from his nose. The hags were old, but they could run like the wind. They nearly caught Coyote. One of them stretched out her claws and touched the tip of his tail. The heat turned the hairs white. Coyote threw the fire into the air towards Squirrel. She caught it in her tail and scampered off over stumps and boulders. The fire scorched her so badly, that her tail curled up over her back. She was almost caught, until Chipmunk bounded up beside her.
"Me! Me! Throw it to me!"
Catching the fire, Chipmunk turned to run. One of the hags clawed her back leaving three stripes down it. Chipmunk threw the fire to Frog, but one of the Beings grabbed his tail.
"Let me go!" yelled Frog.
He squirmed and struggled so much that his eyeballs bulged and he thought his heart would burst. With one last mighty leap he tore himself free, leaving his beautiful long tail behind, still wriggling in the hag's claw. Frog threw the fire to Wood and Wood swallowed it. The Fire Beings hit Wood and kicked him and cut him with their knives, but still Wood didn't spit out the fire. At last the hags gave up and went home, mumbling to themselves: "Oh dear, I think I broke a nail". "Never mind. We'll have frog's tail soup tonight." "Mmm! That sounds nice".
Coyote called all the animals together to teach them how to get the fire from Wood.
"Fire is a gift for everyone. If you rub two dry sticks of Wood together very fast Wood will get itchy and give you some fire. From now on you will be warm in winter".
"I told you Coyote was cunning" said Frog.
"Yes, but I wonder what frog's tail soup tastes like?" asked Squirrel.
And that is why today, Coyote's tail has a white tip, squirrel's tail curls around over her back, chipmunk's coat has white stripes and frog has no tail. But everyone is warm in winter.
Comprehension check
Some words are missing from the text. Choose the most appropriate answer from the box for each gap (1-8) in the text. Do not change the words. There is one word which you do not need to use.
| Chipmunk, fat, tricked, Squirrel, investigate, old, Coyote, claws |
The three of them went to ________. Seeing his chance, Coyote snatched up a glowing piece of fire and ran off down the mountain as fast as he could. Realising they had been _______, the two hags screamed and chased after him. The big ______ bald Fire Being just stood there, with more snot dripping from his nose. The hags were ______, but they could run like the wind. They nearly caught ________. One of them stretched out her ______ and touched the tip of his tail. The heat turned the hairs white. Coyote threw the fire into the air towards ________. She caught it in her tail and scampered off over stumps and boulders. The fire scorched her so badly, that her tail curled up over her back. She was almost caught, until _____ bounded up beside her.
WRITIHG
Work in pairs. Compose 10 questions on the text and ask your partner.
Why Bat Has no Friends
Key words and expressions:
a claw
a beak
vigorously
to hold a council
to nod in agreement
Make up sentences with new words
Pre-reading task
How do you think? What shall we do to have a lot of friends? Do you have friends? How to be a good friend? Share your ideas.
Reading
Many years ago there was a great war between the birds and the animals. No-one knows why. It just happened. The creatures with wings flew to the battle site and made their camp. Those who had legs, walked there. Bat joined the birds.
"Hey, I've got wings. So I must be a bird. And there are more of us, so we should win!" The first battle was long and hard, but gradually slashing claws and tearing teeth began to win over beaks and wings. Bat could see that the birds were losing so he hid behind a bush. When the battle was over the animals walked back towards their camp.
"Man, did we kick those birds' butts or what?" said Buffalo, spitting out a few feathers.
"Yeah! We kicked their butts" cried Bat in his high pitched voice.
The animals stopped. "What are you doing with us?" shouted Beaver, slapping the ground hard with his big, flat tail. "You've got wings. You're with the other side."
"Yeah, that's right" growled Bear. "And I'm going to eat you!"
"Guys! Guys! Get Real!" said Bat, pointing into his mouth. "When have you ever seen a bird with teeth? Of course I'm one of you!"
"I suppose so," grumbled Bear.
The next day there was to be another battle and Bat walked to the site with the animals.
"Let's rip their beaks off!" he yelled.
This time the birds flew as an army with the sun behind them, its bright light blinding the animals. Tearing talons and flapping wings tore into furry bodies. The birds were winning. Again Bat hid behind a bush. When it was all over and the birds started to fly back to their camp, Bat silently joined them.
"That was a good victory today", said Eagle.
"Yeah! We kicked their butts" shouted Bat.
"Hold on" said Crow. "You were with the other side."
"Guys! Guys! Get Real" said Bat. "When have you ever seen an animal with wings like mine? Of course I'm one of you." He flapped his wings vigorously.
"I suppose so", said Eagle.
And that's how it was in each battle. When Bat saw that the side he was on was going to lose, he pretended he was on the other side. Eventually the birds and animals got tired of fighting each other. They all came together while their Chiefs held a council of truce to decide how things would be settled. It was very difficult for Bat to pretend that he belonged to both sides. The Chiefs knew what he had done.
"Friends should always help each other and not pretend to be one thing when they are another" they said. "Bat has wings, but he is not a bird. He has teeth, but he is not an animal. From now on, Bat will only fly at night when other birds are asleep and the animals are hunting."
All the creatures nodded in agreement.
"You will always be alone, Bat. You will never have a friend among the creatures that fly or from those that walk!"
And that's why Bat always flies at night and doesn't have any friends.
Comprehension check
1. Give an outline of the legend.
2. Retell the legend as if you were a bat.
WRITIHG
Write what happened after the following:
1. The next day there was to be another battle ... .
2. They all came together while their Chiefs held a council of truce ... .
3. From now on, Bat will only fly at night ... .
Spider, Hare and the Moon
Key words and expressions:
to be afraid
a moonbeam
asunbeam
gloomily
a web
Make up sentences with new words
Pre-reading task
How do you think? What is the meaning of this sentence? «Spider is still carefully carrying Moon's message and spinning the web in the corner of our rooms - but how many of us listen?». Try to explain.
Reading
Moon was sad. She had spent many years looking at the people on Earth and she saw that they were afraid. They were afraid of dying. To make them feel better she decided to call on her friend Spider to take a message to them.
"Spider", She said, "The people of Earth are afraid of dying and that makes me very sad. Please tell them that they will all die sooner or later but it is nothing to be scared of."
So Spider slowly made his way back to Earth, carefully picking his way down on moonbeams and sunbeams. On his way he met Hare.
"Where are you going Spider?", said Hare.
"I am going to give the people of Earth a message from Moon.", he said.
"Oh, you'll be far too long. Tell me the message and I'll take it there for you", replied Hare.
"OK! Moon wants the people of Earth to know that they will all die......", Spider started.
"Right! Tell the people of Earth that they will all die", said Hare. And with that, Hare disappeared off to Earth.
Spider gloomily made his way back to Moon and told Her what had happened. Moon was very cross with Hare and when he came back to tell them that he had given them the message, she hit him on the nose! And that is why to this day, the Hare has a split lip.
"You had better take the message yourself", said Moon to Spider.
And to this day, Spider is still carefully carrying Moon's message and spinning the web in the corner of our rooms - but how many of us listen?
Comprehension check
1. Put the following events (A-D) in the right order/ Number them (1-4).
A. "Where are you going Spider?", said Hare.
B. Moon was sad.
C. And with that, Hare disappeared off to Earth.
D. She said, "The people of Earth are afraid of dying and that makes me very sad.
WRITIHG
Think a little and write your attitude to this myth.
The Crow and Its Ugly Fledglings
Key words and expressions:
a fledgling
a gift
one by one
a brood
Make up sentences with new words
Pre-reading task
How do you think what does it mean?
«Just so are all mothers. No other child is so beautiful in their eyes as their own».
Reading
Of all the birds the crow is considered the ugliest, especially its young fledglings. The legend tells that sometime after God had created all the living beings, he called everyone to see them and their offspring. He wanted to see how the young birds and animals looked, and then to give them suitable gifts, and food for their little ones.
They came one by one, and God looked at them, patted some and stroked others, and was very pleased with every one of them, for each one had something of beauty in it. And so he blessed them and gave them food by which to live. The last to come was the crow, bringing her little brood with her, very proud of them.
When God cast his eyes upon the young crows, he spat in astonishment, and said, "Surely these are not my creatures. I could not have made such ugly things. Every one of my creatures has such beautiful young ones that they are a pleasure to look at, but yours are so ugly that it makes one sick to look at them. Where did you get this one?"
"Where should I get them from?" replied the crow. "It is my very own young child," she added with pride.
"You had better go back and bring me another one. This is much too ugly. I cannot look at it."
Annoyed at the words of God, the crow went away and flew all over the earth to search for another young one that would be more beautiful than the one she had brought to God. But no other young bird appeared so beautiful in her eyes as her own. So she returned back to God and said, "I have been all over the world, and I have searched high and low, but young birds more beautiful and more dainty than mine I have not been able to find."
Then God smilingly replied, "Quite right. Just so are all mothers. No other child is so beautiful in their eyes as their own."
Then he blessed the little crows and sent them away into the world with his gifts.
Comprehension check AND WRITIHG
Making a spider. Find out as many words as you can to describe a crow and make the spider bigger.
Why Is there Enmity Between the Crow and the Hawk?
Key words and expressions:
to rear
a nest
tobeg
woe
Make up sentences with new words
Pre-reading task
Find out the differences between two words FRIENDSHIP and FELLOWSHIP. Try to explain them.
Reading
The crow was in very great distress, for however she tried and whatever she did, she could not rear a family. No sooner were the young hatched, than the hawk would come and pick them up. In vain did she try to hide her nest in the hollows of a tree or in the thickets of a bush. As sure as death would the hawk find them and eat them.
Not knowing what to do, she bethought herself and said, "How would it do if I try and get the hawk to be godmother? For then, being a near relation, she is sure to spare my little ones."
Said and done. She went out of her place to search for the hawk, and finding her, she said, "Good morning, sister."
"Good morning," replied the hawk.
"How pleased I should feel," said the crow, "if you would become godmother to my children."
"With pleasure," replied the hawk. "Why not?" And so they made up a covenant of friendship and of good fellowship between them.
Before leaving the hawk, the crow said to her, "Now, sister, I have one request to make."
"Granted," replied the hawk. "What is it?"
"I only beg of you to spare my children. Do not eat them when you have found them."
"All right," replied the hawk. "I shall certainly not touch them. But tell me how they look, so that in case I meet them, I may spare them."
"Oh," replied the crow, "mine are the most beautiful creatures in the world. They are more lovely than any other bird can boast of."
"Very well. Rest assured. Go in peace." And they parted.
The crow, being quite satisfied with the hawk's promise, began flying about the next day trying to find something with which to feed her children. The hawk the next morning went about her own business and tried to find some nice little young ones to eat. Flying about, she saw the young ones of the thrush, the blackbird, and of other beautiful birds, and she said to herself, "Surely these are the children of the crow. Look how lovely and beautiful they are. I am not going to touch them."