English For Today chapter 10: Story Time

Lesson 1

The crow and the jar

A. Look at the pictures. What do you see?

Figure

Description: A crow sits on a bare branch of a tree under a bright red sun. Green leaves grow at the end of the branch.

It is a hot summer day. A crow is sitting on a branch of a tree. It is tired and thirsty.

Figure

Description: A crow with its wings spread flies away from the branch. A red sun is at the right edge and a small plant grows on the branch.

It flies here and there. It is looking for water.

Figure

Description: A round clay jar stands on the ground under a tree. Pebbles and small plants lie near the base of the jar.

The crow suddenly sees a jar. It is under a nearby tree.

Figure

Description: A crow with its wings spread flies low towards a small jar under a tree in the background.

The crow flies to it quickly.

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Figure

Description: A crow flies in the air above a round clay jar under a tree. Pebbles lie on the ground near the jar.

The crow flies down to it at last.

Figure

Description: A crow sits on the edge of a round clay jar. Its head is bent over the opening of the jar.

The crow sits on the edge of the jar. It looks inside the jar. The water is at the bottom of it.

Figure

Description: A crow stands on the rim of a jar with its beak in the opening. Pebbles lie on the ground beside the jar.

The crow looks around.

Figure

Description: A crow in the air is near a jar with a little water at its bottom. A cluster of pebbles lies on the ground next to the jar.

It sees some pebbles near the jar. The crow picks up the pebbles one by one with its beak.

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Figure

Description: A crow holds a pebble in its beak above the opening of a jar. Pebbles lie on the ground near the jar.

Then it drops them into the jar. The water rises to the brim of the jar.

Figure

Description: A crow stands on the rim of a jar and drinks from the water inside it.

The crow drinks the water.

Figure

Description: A crow flies in the sky under a bright red sun. A branch with green leaves is at the bottom of the picture.

Then it flies away happily.

Moral of the story: If there is a will, there is a way.

B. Work in groups and discuss what is happening in the pictures.

C. Listen to the story and repeat the sentences after teacher.

D. Look, listen and read one sentence each by turns.

E. Group work. Read individually the story in A above. Underline the difficult words. Discuss with your partner and try to understand their meanings in the sentences. If none of you know the meaning, ask your teacher.

Printed page 96

Lesson 2

The boys and the frogs

A. Look at the pictures. What can you see in them?

Figure

Description: A pond with water lilies, lily pads and rocks at the top. Several frogs sit on lily pads and one frog is jumping in the air at the right.

There is a pond in a village. Some boys are passing by the pond. They look at the frogs in the pond and stop there.

Figure

Description: Three boys stand on the bank of a pond with water lilies. Some frogs sit on lily pads in the water.

Some frogs are playing in the water. The boys find some stones near the road.

Figure

Description: Three boys stand on the bank and throw stones towards the pond. Frogs sit on lily pads, and one frog is jumping in the water.

Taking the stones they begin to throw them at the frogs. They are laughing and clapping.

Figure

Description: Three boys stand on the bank and watch the pond. One frog lies on a lily pad in the water and another frog is in the water near it.

But their cruel play kills one of the frogs. The other frogs shout against the killing.

Printed page 97

Figure

Description: A pond bank with three boys standing on the shore; several frogs sit on lily pads in the water, and one frog lies dead at the edge. The boys are holding up their hands as if throwing stones.

Figure

Description: The same pond and three boys; the boys stand sadly with their hands raised to their mouths or folded together. A brave frog stands up on a lily pad with its head raised.

A brave frog raises its head and cries out, “Stop! Stop!” The boys say, “We are just playing. ” The frog says, “Look at the dead frog. What is play to you is death to us.”

The boys become very sad. They say, “Sorry, dear Frog. We will never do it again.”

Moral of the Story: What is play to one can be death to other.

B. Look at the pictures again and answer the following questions.

1. What are the frogs doing in the pond?
2. What are the boys doing?
3. Why is one frog lying dead?
4. Why are the boys clapping?
5. What do the other frogs do?

C. Listen to the story, and repeat the sentences after your teacher.

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D. Group work: Read each sentence individually in your group. Help each other, if needed.

E. Tick the correct answers.

1. What do the boys see in the pond? (a) some stones (b) a dead frog (c) some frogs

2. What do the boys do when they see the stones? They begin to (a) clap their hands with joy. (b) throw the stones at each other. (c) throw the stones at the frogs.

3.When the boys kill a frog, the other frogs are a) silent. b) angry. c) afraid.

4.What do the boys do before leaving the place at last? They (a) clap their hands for the brave frog. (b) say that they will never play anymore. (c) say that they are sorry for killing the frog.

5.What is the moral of the story? (a) Honesty is the best policy. (b) Boys should not play any game. (c) A thing can be good to you but bad to others.

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F. Look at the pictures in A. Read the story again. Discuss the following questions in groups and write answers to them. One is done for you.

1. Where is the pond? Ans: The pond is in a village.

2. What do the boys do with the stones?

3. Why do the boys throw stones at the frogs?

4. What happens when the boys throw stones to the frog?

5. What do the other frogs do?

6. What does the brave frog say to the boys?

7. What do the boys say in reply to the frog?

G. Re-write the following sentences using proper capitalisation and punctuation marks.

at last the boys understand they become sad are you sad for the frogs what do you learn from the story

H. Look at the pictures again in A and choose any two. Colour the pictures and display them in the classroom.

The end