Texts for Reading and Retelling

3rd-4th Forms

I. I AM TOO SMALL

A little hare plays in the forest. He runs about and looks at trees and flowers. Suddenly he hears a noise. He looks up and sees a man with a gun. The little hare is afraid of the gun and wants to run away. The man raises the gun. He can kill the hare. Then the little hare cries out, “Don’t kill me; I’m too small to make a good dinner for you. You may come to the forest and catch me when I am big, and then you will have a good dinner.”
The hunter smiles and puts down his gun. And then he says, “Very well, I’ll come back to the forest when you are big. Only you must grow quickly!”
And the hunter lets the little hare go. The hare runs away and calls out, “Catch me now, if you can.”

1. Answer the questions:

1. Where does the little hare play?
2. What does he look at?
3. Does he hear a noise?
4. Whom does he see?
5. Is he afraid of the man?
6. What is he afraid of?
7. What does the hare want to do?
8. Does the hare ask the hunter not to kill him?
9. Is the hare a good dinner for the hunter? Why not?
10. When may the hunter come to the forest?
11. Does the hunter let the hare run away?
12. What does the hunter ask the hare?
13. Is the hare happy?
14. Is the hunter kind?

2. Put questions to the sentences:

1. A little hare plays in the forest.

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2. The little hare is afraid of the gun.

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3. The man can kill the hare.

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4. I am too small to make a good dinner.

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5. You must grow quickly.

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II. PINCO AT WORK

Dorina lives in Verona. Verona is a town in Italy. Dorina has got a canary. Its name is Pinco. Every time Dorina sits down to sew ( – шить). Pinco tries ([traiz] – пытается) to help her. The bird takes the needle ([‘nJdl] – иголку) with its beak ([bi:k] – клюв) and pushes it into the material (протягивает через материал). The girl says that the clever canary never hurts ( – не ранит) itself with the needle.

1. Answer the questions:

1. Where does Dorina live?
2. What pet has she got?
3. What is its name?
4. What can Dorina do?
5. Does Pinco try to help the girl?
6. How does the bird help Dorina?
7. Where does the bird take the needle?
8. Does the canary hurt itself?
9. Is it a clever bird?
10. What else can birds do?

2. Write all possible questions:

1. Dorina has got a canary.

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2. The bird takes the needle with its beak.

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3. Pinco is very clever.

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3. Write what this story is about.

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4. Describe a canary.

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5. Write the answers:

1. Do you believe that birds can sew?

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2. Do you like stories about animals? Why?

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III. TOM AND PATSY

There is a boy named Tom. He is clever. He is a pupil and goes to school. Tom has got a sister. Her name is Patsy. She is two. She does not go to school. She plays games, eats and sleeps. She likes apples and lemons. Tom does not like lemons. He likes bananas. Tom does not like to play with his sister, he likes to play with his friends at the sports ground. His favourite game is badminton. He is a good player.

Answer the questions:

1. Does Tom go to school?
2. What is the name of his sister?
3. What can his sister do?
4. Does Tom like to play with his sister?
5. What is his favourite game?
6. Is he a good sportsman?

IV. IN THE PARK

A man is walking in the park. He sees a girl. She is playing with a big dog. The man comes to them and asks:
“Does your dog bite?” (кусается)
“No”, says the girl. The man smiles at the dog and holds out (протягивает) his hand. The dog bites him and the man shouts:
“You say your dog does not bite!”
“It does not,” says the girl, “but that is not my dog”.

Answer the questions:

1. Where is the man walking?
2. Whom does he see?
3. What is the girl doing?
4. Is the dog big?
5. What does the girl say about the dog?
6. Does the dog bite the man?
7. Is it the girl’s dog?
8. Does the man shout?

V. IN THE EVENING

It is 7 o’clock in the evening. Lucy and Bob come into the room. They do not know what to do. Bob wants to watch TV. But their TV is broken (сломан). Mother does not want to play chess with Lucy, she is reading. Dad is busy too. Bob and Lucy have got a new set of Lego. They go into Bob’s room and make a spaceship. They are very happy.

Answer the questions:

1. What time is it?
2. Do Bob and Lucy know what to do?
3. Why cannot they watch TV?
4. What is mother doing?
5. Is Dad busy?
6. What do the children do in Bob’s room?

VI. LUCY

Lucy is in the third form. Her favourite subject at school is English. Mary is a good friend of Lucy. Her favourite subject is Reading. The girls go to school at 8 o’clock. They have 5 or 6 lessons every day. They like their school. They can read and write very well. They go home on foot. They like to talk about their school and their teachers.

Answer the questions:

1. Is Lucy a schoolgirl?
2. Does she go to school?
3. What is her favourite subject?
4. When do the girls go to school?
5. How many lessons have they got?
6. Does Lucy like her school?
7. Do the girls go home on foot?
8. What do they talk about on the way (по дороге) home?
9. What is your favourite subject at school?
10. How do you get to school?
11. Have you got many friends?
12. What games do you like to play?
13. How long does it take you to get to school?
14. What do you do in the evening?
15. Do you help your parents?
16. What books do you read?

VII. A LITTLE GREY BIRD

Once upon a time there was a little grey bird. She was not happy, because she was very small and she was not very beautiful. And she could not sing. All day she sat in the trees and only at nights she went out to fly. All night long the moonlight (лунный свет) sang about how wonderful it was to play with the waves (волны). And all night long the little bird listened. One evening the bird knew that she could sing those songs very well, too, so all the forest could hear it. And you can hear these songs, too, when the evenings are warm and the moon is bright. It is a nightingale ([naitingeil] – соловей).

Answer the questions:

1. What colour was the bird?
2. Why was not she happy?
3. Could she sing?
4. What did the bird do all day?
5. Whose songs did she listen at nights?
6. What did the moonlight sing about?
7. Who taught the little bird to sing?
8. What is the name of this bird?
9. When does the nightingale sing?

VIII. THE KIND WOODPECKER

Once upon a time it was very quiet in the forest and birds did not know how to sing. One day a fairy came to the forest and began to give out songs among the birds. Every bird wanted to get the most beautiful song. All the birds of the forest came to ask for songs. The woodpecker came later that day because he had much work in the forest. He asked for a song, too. But there was no song left for him.
“All right, I’ll listen to other birds when I want to hear a song”, he said. And so the hard-working woodpecker does not sing, but all the birds in the forest like him just the same.

Answer the questions:

1. Why was it once very quiet in the forest?
2. Who came to the forest?
3. What did she begin to do?
4. What song did every bird want to have?
5. Why did the woodpecker come later?
6. Did he ask for a song?
7. Why did not the fairy give him a song?
8. What does he do, when he wants to hear a song?

IX. THE BEAR GOES FISHING

A bear was sitting on a small spit of land. He was fishing. He put his paw in the water, caught something and threw it over his head. He saw a lot of fish in the river and was very glad. He worked and worked. Then he was tired and stood up to see the fish he caught. But he saw no fish. The bear was so angry and he could not understand what happened. He simply threw his fish so hard, that the fish flew back into the water behind him. The poor bear went to the forest still hungry.

Answer the questions:

1. Where was the bear sitting?
2. What was he doing?
3. How did he fish?
4. Where did he throw the fish?
5. Why was the bear tired?
6. What happened to the fish?
7. Why was the bear angry?

X. The Hare And The Tortoise

Once the Hare, who thought he could run very quickly said to the Tortoise: “Let’s run a race.” The Tortoise agreed. Of course the Hare ran quicker and when he looked back he did not see the Tortoise. “She cannot run quickly, so I can rest here”, thought the Hare. And he went down to rest. Soon the Hare fell asleep. But the Tortoise worked on and on. She did not rest for a minute. When the Hare got up, he ran quickly, but it was too late. The Tortoise had won the race.

Answer the questions:

1. Who ran quicker, the Hare or the Tortoise?
2. Why did not the Hare see the Tortoise?
3. Why did the Hare fall asleep?
4. Was the Tortoise hardworking?
5. Why do you think she was hardworking?
6. Who won the race and why?

XI. A FRIEND IN NEED

It was winter. The White Rabbit had nothing to eat. He opened the door of his house. How cold it was! Everything was white with snow.
“I must get something to eat”, said the White Rabbit to himself. He ran to the field ([fi:ld] – поле) to get some food. He saw two carrots in the field. The White Rabbit was very happy. He pulled out (вытащил) the carrots and ate one of them. He thought: “It is winter and the Donkey, my friend, has nothing to eat. I must take this carrot to him.”

Answer the questions:

1. What season was it?
2. Was it cold outdoors?
3. Who had nothing to eat?
4. Where did the White Rabbit run?
5. Why did he run to the field?
6. Was the field white with snow?
7. What did he see in the field?
8. How many carrots did he see in the field?
9. Prove that the Rabbit was a good friend.
10. Do rabbits eat carrots?
11. Is a donkey a domestic or a wild animal?
12. Where do donkeys live?
13. Do donkeys help people
14. Can donkeys carry carts?

XII. ELSA CAME BACK

The Adamson family lived in Africa. Mr. Adamson was a hunter. One day he found a lioncub in the jungle. He named the lioncub Elsa. She was very playful and clever. The family often played games and Elsa took part in them.
When Elsa was four, Mr. Adamson said: “It is time for Elsa to go back to the jungle”. Mrs. Adamson did not want it, because Elsa was their favourite pet. But Mr. Adamson said: “My dear, Elsa’s home is the jungle. She must go”.
And Elsa went. Some time later Elsa came back to the Adamsons. She came with a great big lion. He waited for her near the house. Soon they went away. Many months passed and Elsa returned again …with two lion cubs. The Adamson family was very happy that Elsa did not forget them.

Answer the questions:

1. Where did the Adamson family live?
2. What was Mr. Adamson?
3. Where did he find a lion-cub?
4. Was Elsa playful? Prove it.
5. Why did Mr. Adamson say that Elsa must go back to the jungle?
6. Why did not Mrs. Adamson want it?
7. Where did Elsa go?
8. Did she forget her masters?
9. Whom did Elsa bring to the Adamsons?
10. Why did she do it?
11. What do you like in this story?
12. Is the story interesting?
13. Do you like animals?
14. Where can we see a lion?
15. Is a lion an angry animal?
16. Can people keep lions as pets? Why?

XIII. A BEAR AND THE BREAD

It happened in a small town but nobody knows when. A bus stopped at this town every day at 12 o’clock. The town was near the forest. One day the driver of the bus saw a big bear near the bus-stop. The driver threw him a piece of bread. The bear took the bread and went away. From that time on, the bear waited for the bus every day. The people in the bus liked the bear very much, and they always had bread for him.

Answer the questions:

1. When did this story happen?
2. When and where did the bus stop?
3. Was the bus-stop near the river?
4. What did the driver see one day?
5. Was the driver afraid of the bear?
6. What did the driver throw him?
7. Why did the bear wait for the bus every day?
8. Did the people like the bear?
9. What did the people have for the bear?
10. Do you believe in this story? Why?
11. Is bear a domestic animal?
12. What do bears like to eat?

XIV. THE ROBOT

Albert and Elsie were ants. They did not like to work. So they bought a robot to do everything for them. Albert and Elsie did not read the instructions. They assembled (собрали) their robot in a hurry (в спешке). His name was Ronald. Albert pressed (нажал) Ronald’s start button (кнопка).
“Cakes, Ronald,” said Elsie. “I want you to make us some cakes.”
“Clunk, clunk,” Ronald went into the kitchen. “Clink, clink,” and soon he made some cakes.
“Not bad, Ronald,” Said Albert. “Cakes taste so much better when someone else makes them.”
Ronald went on making cakes. He filled the kitchen with cakes. Then cakes began to appear in the living room.
“Albert!” cried Elsie. “Press Ronald’s stop button.” But Ronald did not have a stop button. It was still in the box.
“We’ll have to wait for Ronald’s batteries to wear down (разрядиться),” said Albert.
It took a long time for Ronald’s batteries to wear down. And, by then, there were cakes everywhere, enough to feed an army.
Suddenly, from the street, they heard the sound of marching feet. “Left right, left right.” It was a whole army of ants. Albert rushed into the street, to speak to them. Then he rushed back to Elsie.
“Thank goodness!” cried Albert. “The army has arrived just in time and they have not eaten yet. Come on, Elsie. Operation – “Carry out the cakes!”

Finish the sentences:

1. Albert and Elsie did not like to work, that’s why _________________________________________
2. They assembled their robot in a hurry, thus _________________________________________________
3. Ronald made so many cakes, that they _____________________________________________________
4. Albert could not stop their robot because ___________________________________________________
5. Ronald did not have a stop button, because _________________________________________________
6. The ants had to wait ___________________________________________________________________
7. By the time Ronald’s batteries wore down __________________________________________________
8. There were enough cakes _______________________________________________________________

EASY TEXTS FOR READING

I. My friend Julia and I study English. Our teacher is very good. Her name is Tamara Nikolaevna. She gives us homework every day. Her son Igor is in our class. Her son is very good at English. We like English but it is difficult. Julia likes to read easy [‘izi] (лёгкий) books in English. The teacher gives them to Julia. Sometimes we ask Igor questions in English. He helps us with our homework. Igor wants to be a translator.

Write questions to the text.

1. General? _______________________________________________________________________
2. Disjunctive? ____________________________________________________________________
3. Special? _______________________________________________________________________
4. Subject? _______________________________________________________________________
5. Alternative? ____________________________________________________________________

II. We have got two cats and a dog at home. My parents love them very much. My favourite is the dog. Its name is Right. It is white and brown. Right is very clever and funny. I take him for a walk in the evening. We walk every day. It runs and jumps with pleasure. But Right does not like our cats. He never plays with them. When the cats run to him, Right begins to bark. The cats are afraid of Right and run away.

Write questions to the text.

1. General? ______________________________________________________________________
2. Disjunctive? ____________________________________________________________________
3. Special? _______________________________________________________________________
4. Subject? ______________________________________________________________________
5. Alternative? ____________________________________________________________________

III. Mobile Phone Conversation

Hi, Mum! I am at the Zoo. The weather is sunny. It is very warm. I am eating a sandwich and drinking a cup of cola. My friend is taking photos. Our teacher is telling us about animals. She knows so many interesting stories about animals. Mum, one boy is giving a banana to the kangaroo. Oh, no! A monkey is taking one of my sandwiches! Mum, I’ll call later! (позвоню попозже)

Write questions to the text.

1. General? _____________________________________________________________________
2. Disjunctive? ___________________________________________________________________
3. Special? ______________________________________________________________________
4. Subject? ______________________________________________________________________
5. Alternative? ___________________________________________________________________

IV. Sasha is a schoolboy. He is in the first form. One morning Sasha asks his mother to give him another pen before he goes to school. Mother does. The next morning Sasha asks for a new pen again. So it goes on and on (так продолжается) every day. Mother is surprised! “Sasha you have 5 new pens! What is wrong (что случилось) with them? Why don’t you want to write with your pens?” mother asks. “Those pens make too many mistakes”, Sasha answers.

Write questions to the text.

1. General? ______________________________________________________________________
2. Disjunctive? ___________________________________________________________________
3. Special? ______________________________________________________________________
4. Subject? ______________________________________________________________________
5. Alternative? ___________________________________________________________________