I

The gifted man

Once upon a time there was a man who could understand the language of animals and birds. God had given him that precious science provided that he would die the day he said a word to anybody about what he had heard or understood. This man had an orchard where an ox worked a water-wheel and a donkey who manured the soil. One afternoon, the ox got fed up with his hard work. The donkey advised him to pretend to be ill then the master wouldn't make him work and he could rest. The ox followed the donkey's advice. The following morning it was the donkey who had to labour in his place the whole day in the orchard. That night he found the ox resting in the stable and crying mournfully. The donkey said our master wants to sell you to a butcher because you can't work. !f ! were you ! would stop looking ill and go back to my business. These were the words the donkey said so that he could avoid hard work. "anuring was easier. The ox panicked and started eating his barley again that very night. The master of both, the ox and the donkey understood what had happened between them, which made him laugh. #is wife wondered what he was laughing at but as he refused to tell her, she threatened to starve herself to death. The whole day and night the woman stuck to her threat. #er husband, who loved her a lot, promised to tell her. $s this meant his death he started making his last will. %hile doing so the cock crew and a dog near him scolded him. #ow could he crow when their master wished to die in order that his wife could live& The cock disagreed, the man deserved death since he had failed to be lord of a woman. %hile talking he called his ten hens and ordered them to sit on a particular place to show he was able to manage them. $ll this stuff was meant to console the dog on the master's death. The cock succeeded in consoling the dog. '"ate', the dog said, 'what would you do if you had such a stupid wife&' '! would take five sticks from a tree and strike her till the sticks were broken, and !'d also force her to eat and drink. !f she refused, ! would let her die.' The man understood these words, got up from bed and followed the cock's advice and his wife obeyed him ever since. ()*+T!O,+. -. .ould the man understand the animals& %hy& /. %hat happened between the ox and the donkey& 0. %hy couldn't the man tell his wife& 1. Tell the story in five or six lines. 2. +eparate the story into smaller parts. 3. Take out from the text all the conditional sentences and explain them. 4. 5ocabulary. *xplain the meaning of +ucceed +tuck 6eserve +cold "ournfully Orchard

II 6!$,$ .7)*8 .#$78*+ 9)T "* T#7O)G# #*88 The collapse of 6iana:s marriage left her feeling she had been ;battered, bruised and abused mentally< for -2 years by the 9alace. =or the first time, her private thoughts straight after her divorce are revealed in the explosive letter to 9aul >urrell , in which she targets 9rince .harles and ;a system< she says nearly destroyed her. .harles, 6iana wrote, put her 'through such hell< with the <cruel things< he had done to her. and she admitted she had ;cried more than anyone will ever know< during those dark days. $t one point, as 6iana struggles to explain her concerns, she says ;! am weary of the battles, but ! will never surrender. ;! am strong inside and maybe that a problem for my enemies.< *ach paragraph of the note, written less than two months after the finalisation of the divorce she never wanted, is filled with undisguised pain. 6iana says ;! have been battered, bruised and abused mentally by a system for -2 years now.< >ut the letter is also a testament of her strength in the face of such opposition, a characteristic which earned her worldwide praise. 6espite the abuse she says she suffered by the ;system<, a reference her 9alace enemies and the traditions that surround the 7oyal =amily, she adds ;! feel no resentment, ! carry no hatred.< $nd the princess even seems to say she has emerged stronger from her experiences. 6iana adds ;Thank you, .harles, for putting me through such hell and for giving me the opportunity to learn from the cruel things you have done to me. ! have gone forward fast. ()*+T!O,+ -. $nswer the following ?uestions using your own words. @/ pointsA a. #ow did 6iana feel when she got divorced& %hy&

b. %hy do we know what 6iana felt after her divorce&

/. $re the following statements True or =alse& @- pointA a. 6iana:s marriage with .harles lasted fifteen years. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB b. $fter her divorce, 6iana hated all the >ritish people. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 0. =ind a word or phrase in the text which, in context, is similar in meaning to @- pointA a. =ights BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB b. %orries BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB / 1. .hoose a, b or c in each ?uestion below. Only one choice is correct. @/ pointsA -. 6iana was destroyed by a. the (ueen and the system. b. the >ritish and the system. c. 9rince .harles and the system. /. 6uring the bad years, 6iana a. cried very much. b. did not cry at all.

c. cried a little. 0. $fter her divorce, 6iana a. hated the 7oyal =amily very much. b. hated the 7oyal =amily very little. c. did not hate the 7oyal =amily. 1. 6iana:s thoughts about .harles and the 7oyal =amily were written a. in an e-mail. b. in a message. c. in a letter.

III RD The funny professor

IVTH
George had stolen some money, but the police had caught him and he had been put in prison. ,ow his trial was about to begin, and he felt sure that he would be found guilty and sent to prison for a long time. Then he discovered that an old friend of his was one of the members of the Cury at the trial. Of course, he did not tell anybody, but he managed to see his friend secretly one day. #e said to him, ;Dim, ! know that the Cury will find me guilty of having stolen the money. ! cannot hope to be found not guilty of taking it Ethat would be too much to expect. >ut ! should be grateful to you for the rest of my life if you could persuade the other members of the Cury to add a strong recommendation for mercy to their statement that they consider me guilty.< ;%ell, George,< answered Dim, ;! shall certainly try to do what ! can for you as an old friend, but of course ! cannot promise anything. The other eleven people on the Cury look terribly strong-minded to me.< George said that he would ?uite understand if Dim was not able to do anything for him, and thanked him warmly for agreeing to help. The trial went on, and at last the time came for the Cury to decide whether George was guilty or not. !t took them five hours, but in the end they found George guilty, with a strong recommendation for mercy. Of course, George was very pleased, but he did not have a chance to see Dim for some time after the trial. $t last, however, Dim visited him in prison, and George thanked him warmly and asked him how he had managed to persuade the other members of the Cury to recommend mercy. ;%ell, George,< Dim answered, ;as ! thought, those eleven men were very difficult to persuade, but ! managed it in the end by tiring them out. 6o you know, those fools had all wanted to find you not guiltyF< ()*+T!O,+ -. $nswer the following ?uestions using your own words but taking into account the information in the text. @/ pointsA a. %hat had George been accused of& b. %hat would George appreciate& /. $re the following statements T7)* or =$8+*& !dentify the part of the text that supports your answer by copying the exact words. @-.2 pointsA a. George was a thief

b. Dim was the twelfth member of the Cury c. The Cury was very easy to convince - http GGwww.myownresources.com 0. =ind a synonym for each of the words below from these six options. @- pointA T7!$8 "$,$G* TO "*7.H +T$T*"*,T +T7O,G-"!,6*6 T!7* O)T To be able to +omething that someone says or writes officially =orgiveness +tubborn 1. .hoose a, b or c in each ?uestion below. Only one choice is correct. @-.2 pointsA -. George thought that he would have to be in prison a. for five years. b. for the rest of his life. c. for ?uite a long while. /. George was a reasonable person and said that a. he would understand if Dim could do nothing for him. b. he would give Dim part of the money if he could help him. c. he would give Dim a little money if he was found innocent. 0. The Cury spent a. five hours deciding whether Dim was guilty or not. b. five hours deciding whether George was guilty or not. c. five hours deciding whether Dim should help George or not

V th The $pes and the Two Travelers

T%O "*,, one who always spoke the truth and the other who told nothing but lies, were traveling together and by chance came to the land of $pes. One of the $pes, who had raised himself to be king, commanded them to be seiIed and brought before him, that he might know what was said of him among men. #e ordered at the same time that all the $pes be arranged in a long row on his right hand and on his left, and that a throne be placed for him,as was the custom among men. $fter these preparations he signified that the two men should be brought before him, and greeted them with this salutation '%hat sort of a king do ! seem to you to be, O strangers&' The 8ying Traveler replied, 'Hou seem to me a most mighty king.' '$nd what is your estimate of those you see around me&' 'These,' he made answer, 'are worthy companions of yourself, fit at least to be ambassadors and leaders of armies.' The $pe and all his court, gratified with the lie, commanded that a handsome present be given to the flatterer. On this the truthful Traveler thought to himself, '!f so great a reward be given for a lie, with what gift may not ! be rewarded,if, according to my custom, ! tell the truth&' The $pe ?uickly turned to him. '$nd pray how do ! and these my friends around me seem to you&' 'Thou art,' he said, 'a most excellent $pe, and all these thy companions after thy example are excellent $pes too.'The Jing of the $pes, enraged at hearing these truths, gave him over to the teeth and claws of his companions.