43540 (Сanada and Australia in Focus), страница 8

"It was a sign specially for us", the ___________ said.» You can see that the python is now our friend. From this day on no man, woman or _________ in our clan will ever ___________ or eat a python".

WRITIHG

Work in pairs. Compose ten questions on the legend and ask them your partner.

The Lion and the Goat

Key words and expressions:

a she-goat

a cave

boldly

Make up sentences with new words

Pre-reading task

Try to explain the expression «to be brave».

Reading

Once upon a time there was an old she-goat. One day, when it was getting dark, she was returning home with many other goats. As she was old and weak, she got tired and was left behind. It became quite dark, and as she couldn't find her way back, she decided to enter a cave that she saw near by. What was her surprise when she went in and found a lion sitting there! She was terribly frightened and stood still for a moment, then she thought of what she could do.

"If I try to run", she thought, "the lion will soon catch me, but if I pretend not to be afraid of him I may manage to save my life". She walked boldly up to the lion as if she were not afraid of him at all. The lion looked at her, looked and looked, not knowing what to think of this boldness on the part of the goat. He knew the goats had never dared to come near him. At last he thought she could not be a goat but must be some other strange animal which he had not seen before.

"Who are you, old one?" he asked her.

"I am the queen of the goats," she replied. "I came to eat up a hundred tigers, twenty five elephants and ten lions. I have already eaten the hundred tigers and twenty five elephants and now I am looking for the ten lions."

The lion was very much surprised to hear this, and believing the goat had really come to eat him up, he went out of the cave saying that he was going to wash his face at the river.

Comprehension check

1. Try to retell the legend in five simple sentences.

2. Give better title for the legend.

WRITIHG

Into the box below write the words and word combinations which can characterize a goat and a lion.

Why Cats Wash Themselves After Eating

Key words and expressions:

to jump aside

Make up sentences with new words

Pre-reading task

How do you think? Why do cats wash themselves after eating?

Reading

One day a bird flew into a farmer's yard. There was always something to eat for him there. He jumped around in the dust from one place to another picking up this and that from the ground and singing a loud song. The old bird, Tim by name, had a very good appetite and always ate a lot.

Old Tim was so busy that he did not look up or around and did not see a large black cat watching him from behind the farmer's house.

"How hungry I am!" thought the cat. "But soon I am going to have wonderful breakfast."

Soon old Tim finished his breakfast and was going to clean his leathers when the cat jumped at him and the bird was between the cat's teeth.

"What a fine breakfast I am going to have!" said the cat.

"Oh, no, Mr. Cat, you can't!" cried out Old Tim. "You are certainly not going to eat me up, are you?"

"But I am!" answered the cat. "Do you think I am going to look at you or to listen to your silly songs?" And the cat sat down ready to begin his breakfast.

"Oh, no, Mr. Cat, you can't do that."

"But why not? Don't get it into your head that I am going to let you fly away! Oh, no, you are wrong here," answered the cat.

"But have you already washed yourself?"

"No, I haven't. But what does it matter?" said the cat.

"Oh, Mr. Cat! What did your parents teach you? How can you have your breakfast without washing yourself first?" answered the bird.

"Do you think I can't? I don't see it your way."

"Of course, you can't!" repeated Old Tim. "Ask anybody and they are going to tell you that I am right. People never eat without washing themselves first," said the poor bird.

"Hm, well, I think you are right," said the angry cat. "All right, I am going to wash myself first and only after that have my breakfast."

And with those words the cat began to wash himself. The cat was so busy cleaning his coat that he did not see how Old Tim jumped aside and flew away.

When the cat finished his washing and wanted to begin his breakfast there was no Tim there – he was high in a tree singing his song. Old Tim knew how to fool cats!

The cat was very angry with Tim and with himself.

"Well, let people do as they like but I'm never going to wash myself before eating!" he said.

So from that day on all cats wash themselves only after and not before eating.

Comprehension check

1. Retell the legend as if you were a cat.

2. Give an outline of the legend.

WRITIHG

Make up a plan of the legend covering its main events.

How Animals Learned to Do Something

Key words and expressions:

man's early history

to be lazy

angrily

Make up sentences with new words

Pre-reading task

Do you have a pet? Try to describe it.

Reading

Many years ago, in the man's early history, when people and animals were great friends, a man called all the animals together. He got on a large stone for all the animals to see him and began to speak:

"My dear friends! Listen to me!" the man went on to say. "I am angry with you. You are very lazy, you do not do anything. You have learned nothing. You can't go on like this, it's time for you to learn to do something. In a month's time I want you to come here and show me what you have learned. I am sure you can learn a lot of things if you want to."

With these words the man got off the stone and said good-bye to the animals. The animals said good-bye to the man and to each other and left.

The animals thought and thought, they thought from early morning till late at night. In the end they thought of something and each animal began to learn to do something. The horse began to learn to run quickly and carry loads. The dog learned to bark, it wanted to help the man to watch his animals. The cow began to give milk. The cock learned to sing early in the morning and thus wake up the man. The cock's wife, the hen, began to lay eggs. The bee learned to make honey.

Many birds learned to sing beautiful songs, they had their singing lessons every day.

A month passed and the man again called all the animals together. "Well", he said, "I think you have learned to do something. It's time for you to show me what you have learned."

And the horse ran quickly, the cow gave milk, the hen laid eggs, the bees began to make honey, the cock sang and then the birds began to sing beautiful songs.

The man was very pleased with them all. To have milk, eggs and honey every day! It was wonderful.

"And what about you?" the man said to the fish. The fish stood behind the other animals and didn't do anything.

"What's the matter with you? Haven't you learned anything?" The fish only opened and shut its mouth – it didn't know what to say.

"So you haven't learned to do anything and you cannot say a word," said the man angrily. "Very well, then you must always be like that and I don't want to see you again."

And from that day on the fish has not said a word and has lived in l he water where nobody can see her.

Comprehension check

Complete the table. What can these animals do?

WRITIHG

Compose ten questions on the legend and ask them your classmates.

The Parrot

Key words and expressions:

no doubt about it

wise

to be rich

Make up sentences with new words

Pre-reading task

How do you think? What is the way to become rich?

Reading

A man who had a fine green parrot at home taught the bird to say, "No doubt about it".

One day the man buried some money in different places in the village. Next morning he went through the village with his bird. He sang, "My parrot is wise. He will show me where to dig for money..."

Whenever he came to any of the places which he knew very well because he always marked them secretly, he said, "Oh, wise parrot, if I dig here, shall I find any gold?"

The parrot answered, "No doubt about it."

Each time the man found some money in the places where he stopped with his bird, and each time he showed the money to the people who stood around.

One young man thought, "If I can get the parrot, I shall soon be rich."

So he said to the owner of the parrot," For how much will you sell your parrot?"

"For one thousand pieces of gold."

"But this is a great deal of money!" cried the young man.

"But my parrot is worth it!" answered the owner of the parrot.

The answer pleased the young man so much that he paid the one thousand pieces of gold and walked off with the parrot.

He took the parrot out to look for money at once. Many times he asked him, "If I dig here, shall I find some gold?"

Every time the parrot answered, "No doubt about it".

But though the young man dug and dug, he did not find any gold.

At last he understood the trick of the owner of the parrot and said to himself: "How foolish I was! How could I believe such a thing?"

He turned to the bird and said: "Oh, wise bird, I think I was foolish if I could give a thousand pieces of gold for you."

The parrot answered, "No doubt about it".

The parrot looked so funny as he said this that the young man laughed and laughed. "Well", he said at last, "you told the truth this time. After this I shall work. That is the only way to become a rich man."

"No doubt about it," agreed the parrot, and for the second time he told the truth.

Comprehension check

Give an outline of the legend.

WRITIHG

Write what happened after the following:

1. One day the man buried some money in different places in the village.

2. Whenever he came to any of the places which he knew very well because he always marked them secretly, he said, "Oh, wise parrot, if I dig here, shall I find any gold?"

3. At last he understood the trick of the owner of the parrot and said to himself:

4. The parrot looked so funny as he said this that the young man laughed and laughed. "Well", he said at last, "you told the truth this time.

The Fly Who Wanted to Have a Tail

Key words and expressions:

to hurry out

to make a nest

Make up sentences with new words

Reading

One day the Fly looked at the animals and birds round her and saw that they all had tails.

“It’s a good thing to have a tail,” thought the Fly. “What’s a pity I have not a tail! But I am going to have one. Yes, I shall have a tail!”

And she at once flew to the Man. “Please, Man, give me a tail,” she said to the Man.» All animals and birds have tails, only I haven t, I also want to be beautiful!”

“The trouble with you Fly, is that you are a fool. They all have tails because their tails help them to live. Look!” The Man pointed to the Monkey hanging by its tail from the tree. “You see, for him a tail is like one more hand. As for you, I don’t think you must have a tail”.

The Fly got very angry with the Man. “I want you to give me a beautiful tail,” she said angrily.

“You strange little thing,” laughed the Man. “All right, if you see in animal with a tail only to make it beautiful, you will have a tail.

“Well, “said the Fly, “I shall fly to animals and birds and ask them to give me a tail. But remember your words that if I see someone with I tail that doesn’t help him and only makes him beautiful, you will give me his tail!”

“All right, “said the Man and laughed again. The Fly was happy. “ I am sure some animal or bird will give me its tail,” she thought and hurried out of the room.