1. Complete the following:
a. Spider is to fly as cat is to mice.
b. June is to July as April is to May.
c. Uncle is to nephew as aunt is to niece.
d. Finger is to hand as toe is to foot.
e. Here is to there as this is to that.
f. Day is to week as month is to year.
g. Eat is to ate as go is to went.
h. Food is to hungry as drink is to thirsty.
i. Picture is to painter as book is to writer.
j. Nose is to smell as mouth / tongue is to taste.
k. Hearing is to ear as sight / seeing is to eye.
2. Ask the following questions:
a. Do you know what a fable is?
A fable is a short story which tells a general truth or is only partly based on fact, or literature of this type.
b. Have you heard about any famous fabulist (a person who used to write fables)? What do you know about his / her life?
c. What characterizes every fable?
The fable contains, like the Tale, a short but real narrative; it conveys a hidden meaning, like the Parable, and it implies a skillful introduction of fictitious characters; and yet unlike to either Tale or Parable, the fable will ever keep in view, as its high prerogative, and inseparable attribute, the great purpose of instruction, and will necessarily seek to inculcate some moral maxim, social duty, or political truth.
Moral: (noun) [C] The moral of a story, event or experience is the message which you understand from it about how you should or should not behave. E.g. The moral of/to the story is that honesty is always the best policy.
d. Can you retell any fable you know?
3. Read the following text taken from Aesop’s Fables, and:
a. Write a suitable title for it.
b. Write its possible moral.
The Wolf and the Lamb
Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. “There’s my supper,” thought he, “if only I can find some excuse to seize it.” Then he called out to the Lamb, “How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?”
“Nay, master, nay,” said Lambikin; “if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to me.”
“Well, then,” said the Wolf, “why did you call me bad names this time last year?”
“That cannot be,” said the Lamb; “I am only six months old.”
“I don’t care,” snarled the Wolf; “if it was not you it was your father;” and with that he rushed upon the poor little Lamb and ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out: “Any excuse will serve a tyrant.” “The tyrant will always find a reason for his tyranny.”
Notes:
• Lap: [T] (of an animal) to drink a liquid by taking it in small amounts into the mouth with a lot of short quick movements of the tongue
Lap: [Countable noun – usually singular] the top surface of the upper part of the legs of a person who is sitting down. E.g. Come and sit on my lap and I’ll read you a story.
Laptop: a computer which is small enough to be carried around easily and is designed for use outside an office. E.g. A laptop is really useful for one’s work.
• Spring: [C] (ALSO springs) a place where water naturally flows out from the ground.
• Seize: [T] to take something quickly and keep or hold it. E.g. I seized his arm and made him turn to look at me.
• Call out: [I or T] to say something in a loud voice, especially in order to attract someone’s attention, or (of animals) to make a loud, high sound, especially to another animal.
• Muddle: (the water)
• Nay: (adverb) No.
• Muddy: (adjective) dirty; covered by or containing mud (= wet, sticky earth).
• To call someone bad names: to insult someone.
• Snarl: (verb I – T) (especially of dogs) to make a deep rough sound while showing the teeth, usually in anger or (of people) to speak or say something angrily and forcefully. E.g. The dogs started to snarl at each other so I had to separate them.
• Rush upon: to attack.
• Gasp: (Verb I) to take a short quick breath through the mouth, especially because of surprise, pain or shock. When she saw the money hidden in the box she gasped in surprise.
• Idiom with the word lamb:
like a lamb to the slaughter /ˈslɑtɚ/: If a person does something or goes somewhere like a lamb to the slaughter, they do it without knowing that something bad is going to happen and therefore act calmly and without fighting against the situation.
• Idioms with the word wolf /wʊlf/:
keep the wolf from the door: to have just enough money to be able to eat and live. E.g. As a student, he took an evening job to keep the wolf from the door.
a wolf in sheep’s clothing /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/: a person who hides the fact that they are evil, with a pleasant and friendly appearance.
4. Now read the text and answer:
a. Why are the words wolf and lamb capitalized in the fable?
b. How do dogs, wolves, and other animals drink liquids? Can you dramatize the action? What is the word in English for this action? (lap)
c. The word spring in the fable is associated with: ___ a season ___ a source of water ___ a curved metal.
d. The words seize (in the fable) and take are synonyms, because both imply removing something from a place; however, their connotation is different. What is the difference between “seizing something” and “taking something”?
Seizing implies “taking possession of something, usually by force, either with legal authority or not”, whereas taking implies “removing something, usually without permission”.
e. Which are the synonyms of the following words in the fable:
No – nay
Dirty – muddy
Attacked – rushed upon
Owner – master
f. Can you explain the difference between the three up’s that appear in the fable?
g. Can you explain the difference between the two for’s that appear in the fable?
h. Find the modal verbs used in the fable and analyze their meaning.
Should:
Can: Expressing possibility.
Dare: to be brave enough to do something difficult or dangerous, or to be rude or silly enough to do something that you have no right to do
[+ Infinitive without to] E.g. I wouldn’t dare have a party in my flat in case the neighbors complained; Dare you tell him the news? I daren’t/don’t dare think what his reaction will be.
[+ to infinitive] He was under attack for daring to criticize the Prime Minister.
Complete the following:
a. Spider is to fly as cat is to _________.
b. June is to July as ________ is to May.
c. Uncle is to _______ as aunt is to niece.
d. Finger is to hand as _______ is to foot.
e. Here is to there as _________ is to that.
f. ________ is to week as month is to year.
g. Eat is to _________ as go is to went.
h. Food is to hungry as drink is to ___________.
i. Picture is to painter as book is to ________.
j. Nose is to smell as ___________ is to taste.
k. Hearing is to ear as _________ is to eye.
Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. “There’s my supper,” thought he, “if only I can find some excuse to seize it.” Then he called out to the Lamb, “How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?”
“Nay, master, nay,” said Lambikin; “if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to me.”
“Well, then,” said the Wolf, “why did you call me bad names this time last year?”
“That cannot be,” said the Lamb; “I am only six months old.”
“I don’t care,” snarled the Wolf; “if it was not you it was your father;” and with that he rushed upon the poor little Lamb and ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out:
Complete the following:
a. Spider is to fly as cat is to _________.
b. June is to July as ________ is to May.
c. Uncle is to _______ as aunt is to niece.
d. Finger is to hand as _______ is to foot.
e. Here is to there as _________ is to that.
f. ________ is to week as month is to year.
g. Eat is to _________ as go is to went.
h. Food is to hungry as drink is to ___________.
i. Picture is to painter as book is to ________.
j. Nose is to smell as ___________ is to taste.
k. Hearing is to ear as _________ is to eye.
Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. “There’s my supper,” thought he, “if only I can find some excuse to seize it.” Then he called out to the Lamb, “How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?”
“Nay, master, nay,” said Lambikin; “if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to me.”
“Well, then,” said the Wolf, “why did you call me bad names this time last year?”
“That cannot be,” said the Lamb; “I am only six months old.”
“I don’t care,” snarled the Wolf; “if it was not you it was your father;” and with that he rushed upon the poor little Lamb and ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out:
