  Lessons in Fables &
Lessons of Fables
I. THE DOG AND THE MEAT
1. Complete this text with a, the or put (–) where no article is needed.
One day (1) ____ dog found some meat. (2)____ dog took (3)____ meat in his mouth and started (4)____ home. On his way home (5)____ dog had to cross (6)____ small river. He looked into (7)____ water and saw himself.
He thought, “There is another dog with some meat. I must have that meat, too.”
(8) ____ dog opened his mouth to take (9)____ other piece of meat. His piece of meat fell into (10)____ water, and so, because this dog had wanted too much, he had nothing.
2. Give Russian equivalents for the following English proverbs. Choose the best moral for the fable. Explain your choice.
1. A close mouth catches no flies.
2. Want all, lose all.
3. All covet, all lose.
4. A good beginning is half the battle.
5. Wise after the event.
сovet — сильно желать, жаждать, мечтать
Keys:
1. 1. a; 2. the; 3. the; 4. –; 5. the; 6. a; 7. the; 8. the; 9. the; 10. the
2. 2, 3
II. THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG
1. Complete the text using these words.
satisfied, know, laid, will,
thinking, ago, found
A long time (1)______ a man had a goose. This goose (2)______ a golden egg every day. The man was not (3)_________ with one golden egg a day. He thought, “If I cut my goose open I (4) _______
get many golden eggs all at once.” So he cut the goose open,
(5)_________ he would find a great deal of gold. But he (6)________ no gold at all.
Only then did he (7)_________ that in killing the goose, he had lost all the gold.
2. Complete this table with the correct form of each word (lie* – lie down, lie** – not to tell the truth, lay – put/prepare).
3. Give Russian equivalents for the following English proverbs. Choose the best moral for the fable.
1. More haste, less speed.
2. You can’t eat your cake and have it too.
3. He who grasps too much holds nothing.
4. Ill-gotten, ill-spent.
haste — спешка, поспешность, торопливость
Keys:
1. 1. ago; 2. laid; 3. satisfied; 4. will; 5. thinking; 6. found; 7. know
2.
3. 2, 3
III. THE YOUNG CRAB AND HIS MOTHER
1. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space.
One day a Crab said (1)________ her son, “Why (2)_______ you walk crookedly? Why don’t you (3)_________ straight?”
The young Crab looked at his mother (4)_____________ was walking with him. He saw that (5)______________ mother walked crookedly too.
“Mother,” said (6)_________ young Crab, “if you can show me how, maybe I can learn to walk (7)__________.
2. Complete the table.
3. Give Russian equivalents for the following English proverbs. Choose the best moral for the fable.
1. If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.
2. Facts are stubborn things.
3. Don’t do as I do; do as I say.
4. A chip off the old block.
Key.
1. 1. to; 2. do; 3. walk; 4. who; 5. his; 6. the; 7. straight.
2.
3. 4
IV. THE HEN AND THE PEARL
1. Read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some have a word which should not be there. If a line is correct, put a tick (V). If a line has a word which should not be there, write the word.
1. A hungry Hen was looking for the food.
2. The Hen has found something that was hard and small.
3. She thought it was corn, but it was not corn. It was a pearl.
4. “I am being so hungry,” said the Hen. I wish this pearl
5. were corn: “What good is a pearl to me when I am so hungry?
6. A little corn would be more better than this pearl.
7. I can’t eat a pearl,” said the hungry Hen.
2. Write sentences beginning I wish …..
0. I am not on the beach now (and I’d like to).
I wish I were on the beach.
1. I can’t speak Spanish (and I’d like to).
________________________________________
2. I make a lot of mistakes speaking English (I’d like not to).
________________________________________
3. It’s rainy (and I hate rainy weather).
________________________________
4. I live far from my school (and I don’t like it).
_________________________________________
5. I don’t have enough pocket money (and I need it).
___________________________________________
3. Give Russian equivalents for the following English proverbs. Choose the best moral for the fable.
1. All that glitters is not gold.
2. Appetite comes with eating.
3. Appearances are deceitful.
4. To know what’s what.
Key.
1. 1. the; 2. has; 3. V; 4. being; 5. V; 6. more; 7. V.
2. 1. I wish I could speak Spanish.
2. I wish I didn’t make so many mistakes.
3. I wish it wasn’t (weren’t) so rainy. / I wish it was (were) sunny.
4. I wish I didn’t live so far from my school. / I wish I lived nearer.
5. I wish I had enough pocket money.
3. 1.
V. THE MAN AND THE LITTLE FISH
1. Complete the text using these words.
so; enough; rather; too; none; even (2)
A fisherman caught a little fish. The fish said to him, “You don’t want me. I am (1)_____small. I am (2) _____small you wouldn’t (3)______ taste me. Give me a chance to grow big.”
The man laughed and said, “you are big (4)_______, (5)_______ if you are only a little fish. I’d (6)________have only a taste now, than (7)________later.
2. Put in too or enough.
1. I can’t wait for them. It’s _____ late.
2. Can you turn the radio down, please? It is _____ loud.
3. You are pale. You don’t go out __________.
4. He didn’t have ________ money to buy that suit.
5. Do you have _________ time to prepare for your coming exams?
3. Give Russian equivalents for the following English proverbs. Choose the best moral for the fable.
1. It is good fishing in troubled waters.
2. A penny saved is a penny earned.
3. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
4. Easy come, easy go.
Key.
1. 1. too; 2. so; 3. even; 4. enough; 5. even; 6. rather; 7. none.
2. 1. too; 2. too; 3. enough; 4. enough; 5. enough
2. 2, 3
By Youdif Boyarskaya,
School No. 814, Moscow |