READING

Aztec Creation Myth

This story is about the gods that the Aztecs believe in. In the beginning of time, the earth crumbled into ashes and all the living people were devoured by the jaguars. And after all the people were devoured, and gone forever, the horrible destruction ended with ferocious earthquakes, as the earth was dying, the sun was dying with it! One thousand years later, the god uetzacoatl, the god of the !eathered "erpent, a oke to find his beautiful earth turned into ashes. "o he created a new race of people from the grey of the ashes. These people would live on the fourth world in the age of the #water sun#. These people that uetzacoatl created were very !reedy, greedier than he wanted them to be. "o, as a "unishment all the people that lived on the fourth sun, were turned into fish, in a terrible flood!! $very one was turned into fish, e%cept for two people, these two people were s"ared by the gods. These two people were called Teta and &ena, they were husband and wife. These two were spared because before the floods the gods visited them with their voices when they were wor'ing in the fields. The gods told them that there would a flood, and that all the creatures would drown, and the people would turn to fish! Teta and &ena were very scared, and they as'ed what they could do to live. #!ind a tall hollo , and hide in it, if you do that you shall live! (ut if you should tell anyone else, you shall not be spared, and when the waters are gone, you may come out, and wal' on the earth once again. )hile you are hidin!, you must only ta'e one corn cob, do not be greedy, as your fello people are!# And with that the voices were gone! Teta and &ena did as the voice told them. They too' one corn cob, and found a hollow tree to hide in. One hour later, they loo'ed up into the s'y, and all they saw was dar' grey clouds, loo'ing as if they were about to burst. The !rounds were already flooded, and in the water they could see what used to be their villa!e!!! &ow since the fourth world was gone, the gods had to ma'e a fifth world. The *ods were very careful in ma'ing the fifth world. They did everything they could do to finish it, they had animals in the fields, they put Teta and &ena in the village, and they made more people with the bones of the drowned animal bones. All the gods needed to do was to ma'e a sun. They had to have a sun, as with no sun the seeds cannot grow into plants. "o they got together to discuss the ma'ing of a sun. +a'ing a sun ta'es a lot of time and effort. (ut it wasn#t only the gods# job to ma'e the sun, the gods had to have offerings from the people who they were ma'ing the sun for. They usually gave the gods dead branches, cactus needles, and hay. They gave them these gifts because the gods would ma'e the suns with these materials! Then one day later, the people of the fifth sun saw a fire ball shoot across the s'y. #,ooray,# the people cried, -the gods have made us a sun so we can grow our seeds, and ma'e them grow into plants, and we have light to wor' in the fields with!- And with that, you have the five worlds, and their five suns.
to crumble # to brea' down, venirse para abajo ashes # cremated remains, cenizas to devour # to consume, to eat, consumir ferocious # mean, fierce, feroz earthquake # seismic activity, sismo to a ake # to wa'e up, despertarse earth # planet inhabited by humans, tierra !reedy # wanting everything, avaro "unishment # treatment for an offense, castigo flood # e%cess of water, inundacin to s"are # to leave out, to save, salvar fields # place where crops are grown, campo hollo # empty space, hueco to hide # to try not to be seen, esconderse corn cob # edible part of a corn stal', elote de maiz fello # e.uals, mismo to burst # to e%plode, explotar !rounds # earth, tierra villa!e # small town, aldea seeds # material to grow plants with , semillas

C$M%RE&EN'I$N
(ork it out) ) )
/. 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. :. /;. //. /1. /3. /4. /5. )hy do you believe the Aztecs had so many deities or gods0 In ancient mythology, the weather always plays a large role in creation and guiding the decision2 ma'ing. )hy do you thin' that is0 As well as weather, the stars, or celestial formations also play a large role in creation and decision2 ma'ing. )hy do you thin' that is0 The stars also play a large role in geography and navegation. ,ow accurate do you thin' these systems were0 )hy is mythological history more significan in Aztec legends than factual history0 ,ow were records 'ept in those days0 ,ow much are stories distorted when they are passed on through oral history0 9o you 'now of other tales of Aztec history0 Are they similar to the one you read in this chapter0 9o you believe that Aztec myths were interpreted in the same way in the days when these stories began0 9o you feel a sense of understanding of the Aztec culture when you hear such stories0 )hy does Aztec history seem so barbaric in modern day0 )hy is there more popular mythology available about the Aztecs than there is about the +ayans or Olmecs0 ,ow is the social or political hierarchy of the Aztecs similar to systems we have in modern day0 )hy do you thin' the Aztecs believed in more than one sun, or more than one moon0

9escribe another Aztec myth or legend you have heard. . .

GRAMMAR, the necessary evil) ) )

%assive *oice and Active *oice There are 1 #voices# or forms for verbs< the active voice the passive voice

In the active voice, the object receives the action of the verb< subject = verb = object >ats eat fish.

In the "assive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb< subject = verb = object !ish is eaten by cats.

The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb< subject = verb = object $verybody drin's water. )ater is drun' by everybody.

,ow do we ma'e the ?assive0 )e ma'e the ?assive with the au%iliary verb to be plus the main verb. The main verb is the past participle< re!ular wash washed washed

irre!ular sing sang sung

@oo' at these e%amples< )ater is drun' by everyone. /;; people are employed by this company. I am paid in euro. )e are not paid in dollars. Are they paid in yen0

(hen do e use the %assive+ )e use the passive when< we want to ma'e the active object more important we do not 'now the active subject @oo' at these e%amples< ?resident Aennedy was 'illed by @ee ,arvey Oswald. +y wallet has been stolen.

&ote that we use #by# to introduce the passive object. &o do e con,u!ate the %assive+ To form the passive in the correct tense, we conjugate the au%iliary verb B($C. "o, for e%ample< present simple< It is made present continuous< It is being made present perfect< It has been made Chan!e the follo in! sentences from active voice to "assive voice/ +ary made the coo'ies. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD 1 3 4 5 Eohn has read both newspapers today. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD )ill "imon have finished his homewor' by tonight0 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD ,er brother would have made dinner, but he didnFt have time. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Our son painted the walls with crayons. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Chan!e the follo in! sentences from "assive voice to active voice/ 1 3 4 5 The damage has been done. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD This boo' was written in /:68. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD )as the mista'e made by both of them0 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD The project will have been completed by "aturday. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD The decision has been made. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Already and .et )hen the adverb already occurs in a verb phrase containing the present perfect tense, it usually suggests recent to fairly recent time in the past< Theyve already gone home Ban hour agoCG My birthday has already passed Ba couple of wee's agoC. ,owever, in some circumstances already may occur in statements about the distant past< I dont want to go to Mexico; Ive already been there Bfifteen years agoC. @i'e other adverbs Be.g., just finally notC already is inserted between the au%iliary and the main verb< Theyve already had three children but she wants one more; Theyve already done their homewor! so they can watch T"# In less formal usage, already occurs in the final position of a sentence< The mailman has come and gone already; The children have gone to bed already# The adverb yet usually occurs in the final position of a simple sentence or in the final position of a main clause in a comple% sentence< The rain hasnt started yet; I havent made a decision yet but I will soon# $et is used in negative verb phrases and yes%no .uestions only. Note- In more formal usage, and sometimes informal, one could say< &ain hasnt yet started; I havent yet made a decision# $et shows e%pectation Bsomething that we plan to doC and is closely related to a coming event in future time< 'e havent reached the top of the mountain yet but with luc! and determination we will soon; (ur child hasnt begun to spea! yet but he will soon# $et occurs in yes%no .uestions more fre.uently than the other adverbs of indefinite time< )ave you had lunch yet* )asnt your team won a game yet* (esides the usual no answers, the response +o not yet may occur in response to a yes%no .uestion.

Abridged BshortenedC main clauses containing will be going to and hope to often occur in sentences with yet< 'e havent done anything about the problem yet but we will ,so something-; They havent arrived yet but theyre going to ,arrive- soon; I havent seen that movie yet but I hope to ,see it-# This 'ind of abridgment also occurs with the verbs li!e and want. )er boyfriend doesnt li!e to dance but she likes to ,dance-; I havent gone to /apan yet but I want to ,go-# /se already in *erb %hrases 0ill in the blanks ith have (has) 1 already 1 a "ast "artici"le) / 1 3 BeatHleaveC The guests DDDDDDDDDDDDDD and DDDDDDDDDDDDDD BwriteHsendC I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD and DDDDDDDDDDDDDD the letter. BhaveC &o, than' you. I donFt care for another drin' because I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD four. BgetC I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD a little drun'. 4 BgoC Eac' is still here, but his wife DDDDDDDDDDDDDD home. 5 BseeC I donFt want to see that movie because I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD it. 6 BriseC ?lease letFs go home. The sun DDDDDDDDDDDDDD and IFm dead tired Bvery tiredC. BleaveC +ost of the other guests DDDDDDDDDDDDDD 7 BbeC )e DDDDDDDDDDDDDD for hours. 8 Bta'eC 9onFt worry about the problem because I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD care of it. Bspea'C I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD to my lawyer about it. : BhearC Iou donFt have to tell me about the scandal because I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD about it. BbeC It DDDDDDDDDDDDDD in all the newspapersG BcoverC even television DDDDDDDDDDDDDD it. /; Bspea'C I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD to her about the matter, and IFm not going to spea' to her about it again. Ne!ative *erb %hrases and Yet 0ill in the blank ith have (has) 1 not 1 a "ast "artici"le) /. BgetC ,e DDDDDDDDDDDDDD over his recent divorce yet, but he will. 1. BarriveC The guests DDDDDDDDDDDDDD yet, but I e%pect them any minute. B0ny minute means very soon#C 3. BsitC )e DDDDDDDDDDDDDD down to dinner yet, but weFre going to any minute now. B+ow may be added to any minute#4. BenterC Their son DDDDDDDDDDDDDD the army yet, but he wants to. 5. BgetC ,e DDDDDDDDDDDDDD over his last love affair yet, but he eventually will. BfindC ,e DDDDDDDDDDDDDD a new girlfriend yet. 6. BseeC I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD that movie yet, but I hope to. 7. BbeginC The movie DDDDDDDDDDDDDD yet, but it will any minute. 8. BcallC I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD my boss yet, but I will in a few minutes. :. BwriteC I DDDDDDDDDDDDDD my parents yet, but I will tomorrow. /;.BgoC +y headache DDDDDDDDDDDDDD away yet, but it will because IFve ta'en a few

aspirins. Bta'eC They DDDDDDDDDDDDDD effect yet.

2/'3 0$R 0/N

%roverbs4 / 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 : /; // /1 /3 /4 /5 /6 /7 /8 /: 1; 1/ 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 1: 3; 3/ 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 3: 4; @ove DDD blind. @ove ma'es the DDD go round. @ove sees DDD faults. @ove will DDD a way. +a'e hay while the DDD shines. +an cannot DDD on bread alone. +any hands DDD light wor'. +ind your DDD business. +oney is the root of DDD evil. +oney DDD everything. &ecessity is the DDD of invention. &ever judge DDD appearances. &ever DDD a gift horse in the mouth. &ever spea' DDD of the dead. &ever too DDD to learn. &ever too late DDD repent. &o news DDD good news. &o pain, DDD gain. &othing is certain DDD death and ta%es. &othing succeeds DDD success. &othing ventured, DDD gained. Old habits DDD hard. One DDD turn deserves another. One man#s loss is another man#s DDD. Opportunity seldom 'noc's DDD. Out of sight, DDD of mind. ?atience DDD a virtue. ?ractice DDD perfect. ?ractice what DDD preach. ?revention is better DDD cure. Jain, rain, go away, come DDD another day. Jevenge DDD sweet. Jobbing ?eter DDD pay ?aul. "cratch my bac' and DDD scratch yours. "eeing DDD believing. "ilence DDD golden. "omething is better DDD nothing. "pea' when you DDD spo'en to. "till waters run DDD. The best things in life are DDD.