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The Kites and the Swans (Aesop's Fables)

5/6/2015

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Kites of olden times, as well as the Swans, had the talent of song. But having heard the neigh of the horse, they were so enchanted with the sound, that they tried to imitate it; and, in trying to neigh, they forgot how to sing. 

(Moral) The desire for imaginary benefits often involves the loss of present blessings. 

Match these animals.
Picture
Picture
swan

kite

horse
Picture

Introductory Discussion Questions
What talents do you have? What are you good at?
Do you know how to sing?
Do you sometimes forget things? What things do you forget?
Do you imitate some people? 
What kinds of people do you like to imitate?

Matching Words and Definitions
moral                                                                                      a wise teaching
neigh                                                                                       not real
imitate                                                                                    the sound horses make
talent                                                                                      to copy someone 
desire                                                                                     a special ability 
imaginary                                                                               to want something

Synonym Matching
blessings                                                                              benefits
enchanted                                                                           can't remember
forgot                                                                                    long ago
olden times                                                                         contains
involves                                                                                delighted

Listening Blank Fill
Kites of olden times, as well as the _______, had the talent of song. But having heard _____ neigh of the horse, they were so enchanted ______ the sound, that they tried to imitate it; _____, in trying to neigh, they forgot how to ______. 

The desire for imaginary benefits often involves the ______ of present blessings.

Word Bank Fill in the Blank
Kites of olden (1)____, as well as the Swans, had the talent of (2)____. But having heard the neigh of the horse, they were so enchanted with the (3)____, that they tried to imitate it; and, in trying to neigh, they forgot how to sing. 

The desire for (4)____ benefits often involves the loss of (5)____ blessings.

a. song
b. times
c. sound
d. imaginary
e. present

Pair Work Discussion Questions
A:
Did you like this story? How did it make you feel?
In what ways can imagination be good?
What things are enchanting to you?
B: 
What do you think of the moral of this story? Is it true or not? Explain. 
Do you have any forgotten talents? What are they?
In what ways can imagination be bad?

Writing Activity
Use the internet to research your favorite bird. Write about your bird by describing its appearance and habits.

Exercise Answers
Picture Matching: brown bird-->kite, white bird-->swan, horse-->horse
Matching Words and Definitions: moral-->a wise teaching, neigh-->the sound horses make, imitate-->to copy someone, talent-->a special ability, desire-->to want something, imaginary-->not real
Synonym Matching: blessing-->benefits, enchanted-->delighted, forgot-->can't remember, olden times-->long ago,
involves-->contains
Listening Blank Fill: swans, the, with, but, sing, loss.
Word Bank Fill in the Blank: (1)-->b. times, (2)-->a. song, (3)--> c. sound, (4)-->d. imaginary, (5)--> e. present

Key Vocabulary
moral  教训
swan 天鹅
kite  鹰科
horse 马
neigh 嘶叫
imitate 仿效
talent  天才
desire 希望
imaginary  假想的
blessings  幸事
enchanted 使心醉
forgot  忘记了
olden times 往昔的
involves  需要
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    My name is Paul. I am from Michigan, USA. I am a perpetual language learner and teacher, trading my time between two continents. I obtained my MA in TESOL from Cornerstone University. 

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