THE TRAVELLERS AND THE BEAR
Read the story and answer the question:
Was the traveller who said everything was going to be all right a faithful friend?level IIt was a wonderful day. Through the thick leaves of the trees the sunlight played on the grass and flowers, on the bushes. But the two travellers who were walking through the forest were not happy at all. Their loud voices rang through the trees.
“Will you stop worrying?” cried one of the travellers in a loud voice. “Nothing is going to happen. I’ll look after you. Everything will be all right. So let’s try to enjoy the fine weather.”
His friend heard all this, but it didn’t help. He was so afraid that every little sound made him jump. He was sure that wild animals were waiting to jump at them.
A second later a great bear jumped out in front of the travellers. There was no time to think. It was too late to run away. The first traveller, who had promised so much, was light and quick on his feet. He climbed up the nearest tree as fast as he could and disappeared among the thick green leaves.
The second traveller was not so quick. When he saw that his friend had left him, he fell flat on the ground, held his breath, and lay very still.
The bear looked at him, quite surprised. This was something new and strange that the animal could not understand.
The bear moved slowly around the man, it sniffed him over, it touched the traveller’s ear with its nose. The traveller lay quite still, like a dead man. Was it true that bears didn’t touch dead bodies? Would the bear leave him alone?
Seconds passed. Each one seemed as long as a lifetime. At last the bear lifted its head. With an angry cry it left the man and ran off into the woods again.
The traveller in the tree climbed down. His face was white. “Tell me, my friend,” he said, “what did the bear whisper in your ear?”
“He told me,” answered the other, “to be careful with a friend who runs away when danger comes.”
1. Make the right choice.
The main characters of the text are:
a) a man, a woman and a bear
b) two boys and a fox
c) two men and a bear
d) two bears and a man
2. Number the facts below in the order in which they come in the story. You may look back at the story:
a) The man in the tree came down.
b) The bear sniffed around his head and then went away.
c) One of the travellers was very frightened as they walked through the forest.
d) A bear jumped out at the travellers.
e) The travellers were passing through the woods.
f) The first traveller climbed a tree.
g) The traveller who had been in the tree was curious to know what the bear had whispered in his friend’s ear.
3. Find the correct ending:
One of travellers promised to defend his friend if there was danger because . . .
a) he was a strong man.
b) he liked to boast.
c) he was not afraid of wild animals.
d) he did not think there would be any serious danger.
4. Choose the right form of the verb.
1. It ______ a wonderful day
a) be b) is c) was
2. The two travellers ___ through the forest.
a) walked b) were walking c) walk
3. Everything ______ all right.
a) will be b) is c) was
4. When he __1___ that his friend __2___ him, he __3___ flat on the ground.
1 – a) sees b) had seen c) saw
2 – a) had left b) left c) has left
3 – a) falls b) fell c) will fall
5. Which statement expresses the main idea of the text.
1. Two men were not real friends.
2. A true friend never runs away when danger comes.
3. Bears don’t touch dead bodies.
6. Find the derivational suffixes of the words and name their part of speech
traveller careful
slowly wonderful
7. Complete the summary of the text. Use the words from the list below:
late, fell, curious, wonderful, sniffed, travellers, bear, dead, woods, tree, frightened, forest, promised, still, head
It was a ______ day. The two _______ were not happy at all, as they were walking through the ______. One of the travellers was very ______. Suddenly a great _____ jumped out in front of the travellers. It was too ______ to run away. The first traveller, who had ______ so much, climbed up the nearest ______. The second traveller ______ on the ground. He pretended to be _______. The bear _____ him over. The traveller lay quite. At last the bear lifted its _____ and ran off to the _____ again. The traveller who had climbed the tree was _____ to know what the bear had whispered to his friend.
8. Answer the questions:
1. Why were the travellers talking in
such loud voices in the beautiful forest?
2. Why did the first traveller forget about his promise to defend his friend?
3. Why didn’t the bear touch the second man?
4. Did the second man understand what kind of man his friend was?
5. How can you tell (распознать) a true friend?
level II
1. Answer the question: “What are the main characters of the text?”
Name three of them.
2. Number the facts below in the order in which they come in the story.
a) The man in the tree came down.
b) The bear sniffed around his head and then went away.
c) One of the travellers was very frightened as they walked through the forest.
d) A bear jumped out at the travellers.
e) The travellers were passing through the woods.
f) The first traveller climbed a tree.
g) The traveller who had been in the tree was curious to know what the bear had whispered in his friend’s ear.
3. Finish up the sentence.
One of the travellers promised to defend his friend if there was danger, because . . .
4. Put the verb in brackets into the correct form.
1. It ______ (to be) a wonderful day.
2. The two travellers _______ (to walk) through the forest.
3. Everything _______ (to be) all right.
4. When he _______ (to see) that his friend ______ (to leave), he ______ (to fall) flat on the ground.
5. Choose the proverb that expresses the main idea of the text.
1. Barkers are no biters.
2. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
3. False friends are worse than open enemies.
6. Make up new words using the suffixes
-ful, -er, -ly
to travel __________________________
slow _____________________________
to wonder ________________________
to care ___________________________
7. Answer the questions:
1. Why were the travellers talking in such loud voices in the beautiful forest?
2. Why did the first traveller forget about his promise to defend his friend?
3. Why didn’t the bear touch the second man?
4. Did the second man understand what kind of man his friend was?
5. How can you tell (распознать) a true friend?
8. Use the plan to make up a summary.
level III1. The two travellers walked through the forest.
2. The bear jumped out.
3. The men saved their lives.
1. Name the main characters of the text.
2. Complete the sentences and number the facts below in the order in which they come in the story.
a) The ______________ in the tree came down.
b) The bear __________ around his head and went _______________ .
c) One of the travellers was very _______ as they walked through the _________.
d) A bear ________________ out at the ____________.
e) The travellers were __________ through the woods.
f) The traveller climbed _____________.
g) The traveller who had been in the tree has ____________ to know, what the _____________ had whispered in his friends’s ear.
3. Prove the statement.
One of he travellers promised to defend his friend if there was danger, because he liked to boast.
4. Translate into English.
1. Был чудесный день.
2. Два путешественника шли через лес.
3. Все будет хорошо.
4. Когда он увидел, что его друг бросил его, он упал замертво на землю.
5. Answer the questions:
1. Why were the travellers talking in such loud voices in the beautiful forest?
2. Why did the first traveller forget about his promise to defend his friend?
3. Why didn’t the bear touch the second man?
4. Did the second man understand what kind of man his friend was?
5. How can you tell (распознать) a true friend?
6. Give the main ideas of the text.
7. Use suffixes to make up new words.
to care – _____________ (Adj.)
to wonder – _____________ (Adj.)
to travel – ______________ (Noun)
slow – _________________ (Adv.)
8. Write a short summary of the text. The following words and phrases can help you:
Through the forest, loud voices, was so afraid, too late, jumped out, promised, claimed up, lay every still, strange, sniffed, with its nose, like a dead man, with an angry cry, was curious to know, whispered.
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Мезенина Л.М.,
Высшая Гимназия Лаборатория Салахова,
г. Сургут