Comprehension Practice

B. Listen to the fable. State whether the sentences you hear after the text are true or false. Correct the false sentences. Do it in writing.

i) The manger had some food in it. (F);

j) One day a dog ran into a stable and jumped into the manger. (T):

k) When the horse and cow wanted to eat their hay, the dog let them do it. (F);

l) The cow and the horse wanted to eat the hay (T);

m) It was the dog’s dinner. (F);

n) The dog didn’t let them eat the hay because it didn’t like to see somebody eat what it couldn’t eat. (T);

o) So the horse and the cow didn’t go away hungry. (F);

p) Stop others having what you don’t need. (F).

PROOF POSITIVE

-A ci ^\ cada Þ sat _\ chirping in a ↑ tall _\ tree, |^▼ –and a ^|fox which ^|wanted to de ^\ vour it | ^|thought out a _\ plan. || ^▼ He ^|stood _/ facing it | and ^|spoke with ↑ admi _\ ration | of its ^|beautiful _\ voice. || ^▼

^|Then he ^|asked it to come _\ down. || He → wanted, he ^. said, Þ to ^|see how _\ big it was, | having ^|heard what a ^. loud _\ voice it _| had. || ^▼ -But the ci^\cada Þ did not ^|fall into the _\ trap. || ^▼ It ^|broke off a _\ leaf | and _\ dropped it, | and the _\ fox Þ ^|darted _\ forwards, | ^|never _\ doubting | that ^|it was the _\ insect. ||

“You were ^\wrong, _| my _| friend, ” said the ci_|cada, | “if you _\ thought I would _|come _/down. || -I have been ^Ê on my Ê guard against ^\ foxes | ^|ever since the _\day | when I _| saw ci_|cadas’ ^\ wings | in a ^|fox’s _\droppings.” ||

^|Sensible _\men Þ _|learn _\wisdom | from their ^|neighbour’s misad_\ventures ||

B. Listen to the fable again. Write downyour answers to the following questions revealing the plot of the fable.

a) Where did a dog run into one day?

b) What is manger?

c) What was there in the manger?

d) Who came to eat the hay?

e) What did the horse and cow say when the dog didn’t let them eat the hay?

f) Why did the horse and cow have for their dinner?

c) What didn’t the dog let the horse and cow eat the hay?

d) Why did the horse and cow have to go away hungry?

h) What is the moral of the fable?

C. Listen to the text, divide it into communicative blocks, entitle them.

D. Listen to the fable, find the logical centre of each communicative block and of the whole text. Write them down.

E. Listen to the jumbled sentences and put them in the right order to complete the fable.

a) But the cicada did not fall into the trap.

b) I have been on my guard against foxes ever since the day when I saw cicadas’ wings in a fox’s droppings.”

c) It broke off a leaf and dropped it, and the fox darted forwards, never doubting that it was the insect.

d) He wanted, he ^. said, to see how big it was, having heard what a ^. loud voice it had.

e) Sensible men learn wisdom from their neighbour’s misadventures

f) A cicada sat chirping in a tall tree, and a fox which wanted to devour it thought out a plan.

g) “You were wrong, my friend, ” said the cicada, “if you thought I would come down.

h) He stood facing it and spoke with admiration of its beautiful voice.

i) Then he asked it to come down.