TESTS

Lessons in Fables

I. THE LION AND THE MOUSE

1. Put the sentences in a logical order to make a fable.
a) This awakened the Lion and he caught the Mouse.
b) Some time after that, the Lion was caught by some men.
c) One day a Lion was sleeping and a little Mouse, thinking he was safe, ran across the Lion’s paw.
d) The Mouse cut the ropes one by one and freed the helpless Lion.
e) The Lion was going to kill the little Mouse, when the Mouse said, “Please let me go. Do not kill me. Maybe I can help you some day.”
f) The little Mouse came by and saw the Lion in the net.
g) The men caught him in a net.
h) The lion thought that this was very funny.
i) The Mouse wanted to help the Lion, so he cut the ropes with his teeth.
j) He couldn’t see how a little Mouse could help a great big lion, but because the Mouse had made him laugh the Lion let the little Mouse go.

2. Complete the sentences using “on one’s own”/“by onesself”, etc.
1. The Lion couldn’t free himself ______.
2. The Mouse could help the Lion _______.
3. Did you go to the forest ________?
4. My little sister doesn’t like playing ________.
5. I don’t believe that they have repaired their house _____.

3. Give Russian equivalents for the following English proverbs. Choose the best moral for the fable.
1. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
2. A man is known by the company he keeps.
3. Great oaks from little acorns grow.
4. Every little bit helps.
5. Little brooks make great rivers.
6. Better to do well than to say well.

acorn - жёлудь

Key:
1.

One day a Lion was sleeping and a little Mouse, thinking he was safe, ran across the Lion’s paw.
This awakened the Lion and he caught the Mouse.
The Lion was going to kill the little Mouse, when the Mouse said, “Please let me go. Do not kill me. Maybe I can help you some day.”
The lion thought that this was very funny. He couldn’t see how a little Mouse could help a great big lion, but because the Mouse had made him laugh the Lion let the little Mouse go.
Some time after that, the Lion was caught by some men. The men caught him in a net. The little Mouse came by and saw the Lion in the net. The Mouse wanted to help the Lion, so he cut the ropes with his teeth. The Mouse cut the ropes one by one and freed the helpless Lion.
2. 1. on his own; 2. by himself; 3. by yourself; 4. on her own; 5. by themselves
3. 1, 3, 4, 5

II. THE BUNDLE OF STICKS

1. Read the text and make the right choice.
A man had four sons who were always fighting with
(1)_______ (one another/ each other). One day the father decided to teach his sons a lesson.
The father took some sticks and tied them tightly together into a bundle, and sent for his sons. He gave the bundle to (2)_________ (each/every) son in turn and told (3)_______ (each/every) of the four sons to break the sticks. But (4)_____(nobody/ none) of the sons could break the bundle of sticks.
Then the father untied the bundle of sticks and gave the sticks to the weakest son.
“Now,” said the father, “see how easily you can break these sticks.”
This son had no trouble breaking the sticks one at (5)________ (a/the) time.
“See,” exclaimed the father, “when the sticks were tied in a bundle you could not break them, but now that they are separated they break easily. In unity is (6)__________ (strong/strength).”
 
2. Complete the sentences with each or every.
1. We use ______ when we think of things separately, one by one.
2. ________ is more usual for a small number.
3. We use _______ when we think of things as a group.
4. ________ is more usual for a large number.
5. The meaning “________” is similar to all.
6. We use ______ to say how often something happens.
7. I would like to read ____ book in the library.
8. ______ sentence must have a verb.
9. In a basketball match, ________ team tries to throw the ball into the other team’s basket.
10. I get my pocket money _______ week.
11. You don’t have to understand ________ word of the text to be able to answer the questions.
12. Read quickly and try to understand the general meaning of _________ part of the text.
13. None of the children is the same. _______ is different.
14. ______ man has his faults.

3. Give Russian equivalents for the following English proverbs. Choose the best moral for the fable.
1. What we do willingly is easy.
2. United we stand, divided we fall.
3. One for all and all for one.
4. A hard nut to crack.

Key:
1. 1. one another; 2. each; 3. each; 4. none; 5. a; 6. strength
2. 1. each; 2. Each; 3. every; 4. Every; 5. every; 6. every; 7. every; 8. every; 9. each; 10. every; 11. every; 12. each; 13. each; 14. Every
3. 2, 3

III. THE FARMER AND HIS SONS

1. Read the text and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space.
A rich farmer had three sons (1)_______ did not like to work. (2)_______ farmer who was dying (3)_________ much troubled about his three lazy sons.
The father called his three sons to his bedside and said, “ My dear sons, there is (4)_____ gold in our land.” Before he could say more (5)______ these few words, he died.
After the father (6)______, the sons lost no time in looking (7)________ the gold. The sons worked hard and they turned over all (8)______ ground.
The sons worked hard all spring. They worked hard (9)________ summer long and still they (10)__________ not find the gold. (11)________ the end of the autumn their harvest was rich.
It was this rich harvest (12)______ brought them gold.

2. Choose the correct adjective/adverb.
1. Ann always speaks very quiet/quietly.
2. I feel nervous/nervously.
3. Jim did very good/well in his exams.
4. Jane is studying hard/hardly for her exams.
5. Don’t eat so noisy/noisily.
6. Our team played bad/badly.
7. It’s raining heavy/heavily.
8. Do you take regular/regularly exercise?
9. I understand you perfect/perfectly.
10. Kate sounded really sad/sadly.

3. Give Russian equivalents for the following English proverbs. Choose the best moral for the fable.
1. The result tests the work.
2. Success follows earnest work.
3. The longest day has an end.
4. Nothing succeeds like success.

Key:
1. 1. who; 2. the; 3. was; 4. much; 5. than; 6. died; 7. for; 8. the; 9. all; 10. did; 11. at; 12. that
2. 1. quietly; 2. nervous; 3. well; 4. hard; 5. noisily; 6. badly; 7. heavily; 8. regular; 9. perfectly; 10. sad
3. 1, 2

By Youdif Boyarskaya,
School No. 814, Moscow