Work in small groups. Make a list of words and word combinations which can characterize a snake. Compare your list with other groups

1. Work in small groups. Make a list of words and word combinations which can characterize a snake. Compare your list with other groups.

Reading

Once upon a time a certain woman had been on a visit to a distant village. As she was going home she reached the bank of a flooded river. She tried to wade across but soon found that the water was too deep and the current too strong. She looked about but could see no signs of a boat or any means of crossing. It began to grow dark, and the woman was in great distress at the thought that she would not be able to reach her home. While she thus stood in doubt, suddenly out of the river came a great snake and said to her, "Woman, what will you give me if I ferry you across the river?" She answered, "Snake, I have nothing to give you."

The snake said, "I cannot take you across the river unless you promise to give me something." Now the woman at the time was pregnant and not knowing what else to do, she promised that when her child was born, if it were a daughter she would marry her to the river snake, and if it were a son that, when the boy grew up he should become the name friend of the snake. The woman swore to do this with an oath, and the snake took her on his back and bore her safely across the flooded stream. The woman safely reached her home, and in a little time a daughter was born to her.

Years passed away, and the woman forgot all about the snake and her oath. One day she went to the river to fetch water, and the snake came out of the stream and said to her, "Woman, where is the wife whom you promised to me?" The woman then remembered her oath, and going back to her house she returned to the river with her daughter. When the girl came to the bank of the river, the snake seized her and drew her underneath the water, and her mother saw her no more.

The girl lived with the snake at the bottom of the river, and in the course of years bore him four snake sons. Afterwards the girl remembered her home, and one day she went to visit her mother. Her brothers when they came home were astonished to see her and said, "Sister, we thought that you were drowned in the river." She answered, "No, I was not drowned, but I am married and have children." The brothers said, "Where is this brother-in-law of ours?" Their sister said, "Go to the river and call him." So they went to the river and called, and the snake came up out of the water and went to their house with them. Then they welcomed the snake and gave him great quantities of rice beer to drink. After drinking this the snake became sleepy and went to sleep. Then the brothers who did not like a snake brother-in-law took their axes and cut off the head of the snake while he slept, and afterwards their sister lived in their house.

Comprehension check

Read the statements (1-8) that follow the text and decide if they are TRUE or FALSE according to what the text says. Mark your answers (x) in the table after the statements. An example has already been given for you.

Statements	TRUE	FALSE
Once upon a time a certain man had been on a visit to a distant village.		x
The woman promised that when her child was born, if it were a daughter she would become a sister to the river snake.
The woman was in great distress at the thought that she would not be able to reach her home.
One day the women went to the river to swim, and the snake came out of the stream.
Years passed away, and the woman forgot all about the snake and her oath.
The woman safely reached her home, and in a little time a daughter and a son were born to her.
The girl lived with the snake near the river.
The brothers welcomed the snake and gave him great quantities of wine to drink.

WRITIHG

Write what happened after the following:

a. It began to grow dark, and the woman was in great distress at the thought that she would not be able to reach her home.

b. Years passed away, and the woman forgot all about the snake and her oath.

c. The girl lived with the snake at the bottom of the river, and in the course of years bore him four snake sons.

Coyote and the Rock

Key words and expressions:

a blanket

to rumble

to stretch out

to squash

to howl

a witch

Make up sentences with new words

Pre-reading task

1. Tell what do you know about coyotes. Where do they live? How do they look like?

2. What are the differences between coyotes and wolves?

Reading

One sunny day Coyote and Fox were out walking up a hill together. They were warm and decided to stop for a rest. Coyote pointed to a large smooth rock in front of them and said, "that's a good looking rock. Let's rest there." He spread his blanket over the rock and they lay down. When they were ready to move on again, Coyote decided he was tired of carrying his blanket. It was too heavy on this fine day.

He spoke to the rock. "Thank you for letting us rest on you Rock. I'm leaving my blanket as a present, to protect you from the rain and the snow".

Coyote and Fox set off down the hill on the other side. They hadn't gone far when the Sun hid behind the clouds and large drops of rain fell.

Coyote said "Fox, go and get my blanket back from Rock. We need it now". Fox went back to Rock and asked for the blanket. "No!" said Rock in his deep voice. "This was a present and I need it to protect me from the rain".

Coyote was angry when Fox told him what Rock had said. He ran back up the hill.

"Rock, you are ungrateful and selfish. All these years you've been lying here with nothing to protect you - a few more drops of rain won't harm you. I am cold and getting wet and I need this blanket." And he snatched it back. Coyote and Fox sat under the blanket, keeping warm and dry. Rock was cold and wet. When the rain stopped, Sun peeked out from behind the clouds to see if anyone had missed him. Then the ground began to rumble and a crashing sound came from over the top of the hill.

"Fox, go and see what is making the ground rumble" said Coyote.

Fox rushed up to the top of the hill, then ran back down screaming "Coyote! Quick run! Run! Rock is coming to take back the blanket".

Fox leapt into a nearby Badger hole. But it was to small and the tip of his tail stuck out. Rock rolled over the hole and squashed the furry tip, turning it white. Even today Fox's tail still has a white tip. Coyote ran as fast as he could, his tail stretched out behind him. Reaching the river, he swam to the other side. "I'm safe now" he said. "Rock can't swim. He'll sink to the bottom if he follows me".

Rock rolled into the river and started swimming. Coyote's jaw dropped open in surprise. He scrambled up the bank and ran off again, heading for the forest.

"These big trees will protect me" he panted.

Rock smashed and crashed his way through the forest, knocking down trees in his path.

"Go away Coyote, before Rock kills us all," shouted the trees.

Coyote ran from the forest, down onto the prairie where he saw two bears.

"Help me! Help me!" he howled. "Rock is chasing me."

"We will stop him" growled the Bears.

The first Bear put out one paw to stop Rock, and his paw was broken.

"Yeeoow!" he cried in pain.

The second Bear put out both paws but Rock rolled right over him, squashing him as thin as a pancake. Coyote ran on until he saw some Buffalo grazing.

"Help me!" he howled. "Rock is chasing me".

The Buffalo lowered their horns and charged at Rock. Rock cracked their heads and kept rolling.

"Oooh! My head hurts" moaned one of the Buffalo. Coyote ran on until he saw two old women talking outside their lodge. They were holding stone hatchets.

"Help me!" he howled. "Rock is chasing me".

He ran up and hid behind the women and when Rock reached them they hit him with their hatchets, shattering Rock into thousands of tiny pieces. Coyote fell on the ground, exhausted. The two women started whispering, but he could hear what they said.

"Coyote is so plump and juicy, he will go well in our cooking pot".

Frightened, Coyote realised they were witches. He had to do something fast or they would eat him for dinner that night! Thinking that he was too tired to run again, the witches went inside their lodge to get their cooking pot.

Coyote noticed their water jugs outside the door. He jumped up, emptied the water out, then lay down again. When the witches came out again he said "I need a drink of water after all that running".

The witches pointed to the jugs.

"There's plenty there Coyote. Help yourself".

He turned one of the jugs upside down.

"They're empty. I'll go down to the river and fill them for you".

The witches believed him. When he was out of sight, Coyote laughed, dropped the jugs and ran away as fast as he could. When the witches realised they had been tricked, they became angry and blamed each other. They shouted louder and louder and finally hit each other on the head with their stone hatchets. They dropped down dead and that was the end of the witches.

Comprehension check

Some words are missing from the text. Choose the most appropriate answer from the box for each gap (1-6) in the text. Do not change the words. There is one word which you do not need to use.

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 them and 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

a sunbeam

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