The Fox and the Crayfish
The Fox was always leasing the Crayfish. One day he said: “You are so slow, Mr. Crayfish, you can only move backwards”.
The Crayfish thought a little, then said: “Let’s run a race, Mr. Fox”.
“How you can run a race with me, Mr. Crayfish?” said the Fox. “You don’t know how to run like a real animal”.
“Well, don’t talk about it”, said the Crayfish. “Let’s try and see. Let’s run as far as that tree over there, and see who gets there the first”.
“Very well, let’s run and see”, said the Fox.
As the Fox turns his back to the Crayfish, the Crayfish catches hold of the Fox’s tail with his claws.
The Fox ran as fast as he could. He ran so fast that his feet hardly touched the ground. And he said to himself: “How silly that Crayfish is! He thinks that he can win in a race with me”.
All the time the Crayfish was hanging on the end of the Fox’s tail. When they got to the tree, the Fox stopped and looked around for the Crayfish. Then the Crayfish let go the Fox’s tail and said: “Well, Mr. Fox, I am already here. I’m waiting for you”. The Fox was so tired that he did not say a word.
Footnotes
Crayfish – речной рак
slow – медленный
race – кросс
tail – хвост
tired – усталый
tease – дразнить
Кому принадлежат слова?
“You are so slow, you can only move backwards”.
“How you can run a race with me? You don’t know how to run like a real animal”
“He thinks that he can win in a race with me”.
“Well, I am already here.”
Ответь на вопросы.
- Why was the Fox always teasing the Crayfish?
- What did the Crayfish offer to the Fox? (offer - предлагать)
- What did the Fox think about the Crayfish?
- What did the Crayfish do?
- Who was the first?
Подбери другой заголовок к тексту.
Найди и переведи на русский язык предложения, в которых использован Past Progressive.
Найди английские эквиваленты следующих предложений:
Лис побежал так быстро, как только мог.
Он бежал так быстро, что его лапы едва касались земли.
Какая пословица (идиома) выражает основную идею басни?
- He laughs best who laughs last.
- All is well that ends well.
- A hard nut to crack.
The Sick Lion
A Lion grew very old and couldn’t provide himself with food by force. So he resolved to do so by artifice. He returned to his den, and lying down there, pretended to be sick, taking care that his sickness should be publicly known. The beasts expressed their sorrow, and came one by one to his den, where the Lion killed and ate them.
After many of the beasts had thus disappeared, the Fox discovered the trick. She came to see the Lion, but didn’t enter the cave and asked him how he was.
“I am very sick”, replied the Lion, ‘but why don’t you come in? Come in, please, and have a talk with me”.
“No, thank you”, said the Fox. “I notice that there are many prints of feet entering your cave, but I see no trace of any returning”.
He is wise who is warned by the misfortunes of others.
Footnotes
couldn’t provide himself with food by force – не мог обеспечить себя едой, пользуясь своей силой
taking care that his sickness should be publicly known – позаботившись о том, чтобы все узнали о его болезни
there are many prints of feet entering your cave – много отпечатков ног ведут в твою пещеру
I see no trace of any returning. – Я не вижу ни одного следа, который вел бы обратно.
- Translate the underlined sentence into Russian.
- Explain with the help of the text how you understand the meaning of this sentence.
- Act the conversation between the Lion and the Fox.
The Vain Crow
A Crow who thought that she was very beautiful – though really she looked just like any other crow – sat on the branch of a tree. She had a piece of cheese in her beak which she had stolen from a farmer’s house.
At the foot of the tree there sat a fox who saw the piece of cheese in the Crow’s beak and he wanted to get it.
The Fox stood up and cried to the Crow: “I am very glad to see you, my friend. You look very beautiful today”.
The Crow sat quietly and didn’t say anything, though she was very pleased.
“You are so beautiful that I think you must be our queen. Can you talk? I am sure that your voice is very beautiful too”.
The Crow still didn’t say anything, because she had the cheese in her beak.
The Fox was silent for a moment. Then he said: “Oh, I see. You can’t talk. And of course we can’t make you our queen, if you can’t talk”.
Now the vain Crow wanted to show that she could talk, and she opened her beak. The piece of cheese fell to the ground. The sly Fox rushed to it and began to eat it. The silly Crow looked sadly on him from the tree. And the Fox laughed.
“My dear friend”, he said, “now I see that you have a voice, but it is a pity that you have not got something more important. You have not got brains”.
Footnotes
vain – тщеславный
branch – ветка
beak – клюв
brains – ум, мозг
it is a pity – жаль
Ответь на вопросы
- What had the Crow stolen from a farmer’s house?
- Who wanted to get cheese?
- What did the Fox say to the Crow?
- Why didn’t the Crow answer anything?
- What did the Crow show when she opened her beak?
Отметь знаком “+” верные утверждения
- A Crow sat under the tree with a piece of cheese in her beak.
- A Fox saw the Crow.
- The Crow thought she was very beautiful.
- The Crow couldn’t speak to the Fox because of the cheese in her beak.
- The clever Crow didn’t open the beak.
- The piece of cheese fell to the ground.
- The sly Fox ate the cheese.
Какой совет вы бы дали вороне?
The Lazy Ass
Once a Tradesman had an Ass who was very strong animal but very lazy. The Tradesman was a kind man and fed the Ass well, but the animal was always displeased and grumbled that he had to carry heavy sacks.
The Tradesman travelled from town to town with all finds of goods and came home only late in the evening.
When the Ass was in the stable at night with the other animals, he always grumbled that he was very tired, and that the master made him carry very heavy loads.
And the other animals shook their heads in sympathy, and they believed the Ass.
One day the Tradesman bought two sacks of salt which he wanted to sell in another town. So he loaded the sacks on the Ass’s back and they started off.
On their way they came to a bridge across a river. Right in the middle of the bridge the Ass slipped and fell into the river. The master ran around to the bank and went into the water to help the animal back to dry ground.
Now the Ass noticed that his load was much lighter as the water had washed away part of the salt.
“Ah, that’s good”, thought the lazy animal. “Why did not I think of that before?”
As the salt was no good at all now the Tradesman returned to town and brought some other goods with which he loaded the Ass. Then they started again and when they came to the bridge the second time the Ass jumped into the water. As the sacks did not contain salt this time but cloth instead, they became very heavy. The master helped the silly Ass back to the road. Now the load was twice heavy because it was wet. But as nobody wanted to buy the wet cloth, the Tradesman could not sell it that day and the Ass had to carry the heavy sacks home again on his back.
Footnotes
lazy – ленивый
ass – осёл
wet – мокрый
cloth – ткани
tradesman – торговец
grumble – ворчать
tired – усталый
load – поклажа
Выбери окончание предложения
1. Once a Tradesman had
a) a horse b) an ass c) free time
2. The Tradesman travelled from town to town
a) to sell some goods b) to look for a good ass c) to buy food
3. One day he bought two sacks of
a) clothes b) cloth c) salt
4. In the middle of the bridge the ass
a) stopped b) slipped and fell into the river c) wanted to eat
5. The Tradesman couldn’t sell the wet cloth
a) and he was very angry with the ass b) and the ass had to carry it back c) and he decided to sell the ass
Установи правильный порядок предложений
At night the Ass grumbled that he was very tired.
The Ass jumped into the water the second time.
The water has washed away part of the salt.
The Tradesman bought two sacks of salt.
Once a Tradesman had an ass who was very strong and lazy.
The Tradesman went back to the town and loaded the Ass with cloth.
On the bridge the Ass slipped and fell into the river.
Now the load was twice heavy because it was wet.
The Fox and the Fish
Once a hungry fox looked into the river and saw some nice, fat fish. The fox hoped to have one of them for his dinner, but they swam about so fast that he couldn’t catch any.
“Why do you hurry so? What are you afraid of?” he asked the nearest one.
“I’m afraid of the net of the fisherman”, answered the fish.
“Then come on land and live in piece, as I do”, said the cunning fox.
“So you are called the wisest of all animals!” said the fish. “How foolish you are! If I’m not safe in water where I have spent all my life, surely I would be less safe on land, of which I know nothing”.
Footnotes
net – сеть
land – земля
peace – мир
wise – мудрый
safe – безопасный
Choose the right answer
1. Why didn’t the fox catch any fish?
- The fishes swam very fast.
- The fox didn’t want any fish.
- There were no fishes in the river.
2. Why did the fishes hurry?
- They liked to swim fast.
- They were afraid of the fisherman’s net.
- They didn’t hurry at all.
3. What did the fox say to the fish?
- The fox said that there were no fishermen.
- The fox told the fish to come and live on the land.
- The fox said that he was sorry of the fish.
Continue the sentences:
Once a hungry fox wanted …
He couldn’t catch any fish because they …
They were afraid of …
The fish has spent all his life in …
The fox said, “Come on …”
Choose a proverb suitable to the fable.
It is not difficult to say things but it’s more difficult to do them.
East or West, home is best.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
The early bird catches the worm.
The Bear and the two Travellers
Two men were travelling together, when they met a Bear. One of the Travellers climbed up quickly into a tree and hid himself in the branches. The other fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout, he held his breath, and lay still as if he were dead.
The Bear thought the Man was dead and soon left him, for bears never touch a dead body.
When the Bear was gone, the other Traveller descended from the tree, and asked his friend what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear.
“He gave me this advice”, his companion replied. “Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger”.
Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.
Footnotes
fell flat on the ground – упал на землю навзничь
felt him with his snout – потрогал его мордой
he held his breath – он задержал дыхание
branch – ветка
advice – совет
whisper – шептать
desert – покидать
at the approach of danger – при малейшей опасности
Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends – Друзья познаются в беде.
Choose the right ending:
1. Two men were traveling together when they met
a) a tiger b) a bear c) a fox
2. One of the travelers
a) climbed up a tree b) fell into the river c) run away quickly
3. The Bear thought that
a) the man was afraid of him b) the man would kill him c) the man was dead
4. When the Bear was gone, the other Traveller
a) ran after him b) climbed down the tree c) helped his friend
5. Never travel with a friend
a) who deserts you at the approach of danger b) who is afraid of a bear c) who can’t climb up a tree
Choose another heading of the fable:
- A man can die but once.
- A friend in need is a friend indeed.
- One man, no man.
- Where there is a will there is a way.
- He laughs best who laughs last.
Retell the fable.
The Sun and the Wind
When they met on a sunny but cool day in the sky, the mighty North Wind boasted to the Sun of great strength, saying, “I am the most powerful force in the world!” The quieter, but huge ball of Sun argued that there was great power, too, in gentleness.
“We shall have a contest to decide this question,” announced the Sun.
Far below them, a traveler on a road was walking. He was dressed in a warm winter coat and had a hat upon his head.
“As a real test of strength,” the Sun proposed, “let us see which of us can take that coat off the travelling man.”
“It will be quite simple for me to force him to remove his coat,” bragged the confident Wind.
So the Wind went first and began blowing so hard that even the birds clung to the trees. In fact, the world was filled with dust and leaves in the air from the powerful gusts. But the harder the wind blew, the tighter the shivering man clung to his coat.
Then, the modest Sun came out from behind a cloud. She began to warm the air and the frosty earth below. As the Sun heated the world, the man on the road first unbuttoned his heavy coat. The Sun grew slowly brighter and warmer. Soon the man felt so hot he decided to take off his coat and look for a shady spot under a tree.
“How did you do that?” asked the amazed North Wind.
“Oh, it was really quite easy,” replied the victorious Sun. “I lit up the day. Through gentleness and warmth I got my way.”
Footnotes
boast of great strength - хвастаться большой
силой
gentleness - ласка
began blowing so hard that even the birds clung to the trees – начал дуть
так сильно, что даже птицы крепко уцепились за
деревья
Illustrate the fable with cartoon speech bubbles.
Dramatize the story making use of the details and dialogue.