Why Fir Tree Keeps His Leaves

Long ago, Mother Nature created many different trees.

She did not tell the trees why they were different.
Fir Tree had three friends --Maple, Oak, and Elm. In
summer, they enjoyed the sunshine in the forest. Their
leaves moved in the gentle breeze.
Then fall came. Maple, Oak, and Elm's leaves turned
orange, red, and yellow. Fir Tree's leaves
stayed green. He complained to
Mother Nature, "I want my leaves to
change, too."
"Just wait," said Mother Nature. "I
have a plan for you."
Winter came, and Maple, Oak, and Elm lost all
their leaves. Fir Tree complained again, "Why am I
still the same?"
"You must wait longer," said Mother Nature.
Just then, Squirrel arrived, looking for a place to
build a nest. She looked at Maple, Oak, and Elm.
Their branches had no leaves, so Squirrel couldn't
build her nest in them.
Squirrel asked Fir Tree, "Excuse me.
Can I build my nest in your
branches?"
Fir Tree agreed. Squirrel
climbed up and built her
nest. Soon she was warm
and comfortable.
At least, Fir Tree
understood. It was good to
be different. He felt proud of
his green leaves. They could provide
shelter in winter!

为什么冷杉树保留了它的叶子
很久以前，大自然创造了许多不同的树木。 她没有告诉树木们为什么它
们不同。 冷杉树有三个朋友——枫树、橡树和榆树。在夏天，它们在森
林里享受阳光。它们的叶子在温柔的微风中摇曳。 然后秋天来了。枫树、
橡树和榆树的叶子变成了橙色、红色和黄色。冷杉树的叶子保持着翠绿。
他向大自然抱怨道：“我也想让我的叶子变色。” “只需等待，”大自然说。
“我对你有一个计划。” 冬天来了，枫树、橡树和榆树失去了所有的叶子。
冷杉树再次抱怨道：“为什么我还是一样？” “你必须等待更久，”大自然
说。 就在这时，松鼠走了进来，寻找一个筑巢的地方。她看了看枫树、
橡树和榆树。它们的树枝上没有叶子，所以松鼠无法在它们那里筑巢。
松鼠问冷杉树：“打扰一下，我可以在你的树枝上筑巢吗？” 冷杉树同意
了。松鼠爬上去筑起了她的巢。很快她变得温暖舒适。 至少，冷杉树明
 白了。与众不同是件好事。他为自己的翠绿叶子感到自豪。它们可以在
冬天提供庇护！

Vocabulary:
 Fir Tree (冷杉树)
 Mother Nature (大自然)
 Maple (枫树)
 Oak (橡树)
 Elm (榆树)
 Leaves (叶子)
 Sunshine (阳光)
 Breeze (微风)
 Squirrel (松鼠)
 Nest (巢)
 Branches (树枝)
 Shelter (庇护)

Vocabulary Matching:
Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right. Write
the letter of the definition next to the corresponding word.
A) Complaint B) Shelter C) Gentle D) Nest E) Proud
The feeling or expression of dissatisfaction or discontent.
A place where birds or animals rest and raise their young.
Not harsh or violent; mild and soft.
Feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own
achievements, qualities, or possessions.
A structure or place that provides protection from bad weather or
danger.
Grammar Fill-in-the-Blanks:
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs provided in
brackets.
Fir Tree's leaves ____________ (stay) green even in the fall.
He ____________ (complain) to Mother Nature about his leaves.
Mother Nature told Fir Tree to ____________ (wait) because she had a
plan for him.
Maple, Oak, and Elm's leaves ____________ (turn) orange, red, and yellow
in the fall.
Squirrel ____________ (arrive) looking for a place to build a nest.
She ____________ (ask) Fir Tree if she could build her nest in his branches.
Fir Tree ____________ (agree) to let Squirrel build her nest in his
branches.
Squirrel ____________ (climb) up and ____________ (build) her nest.
Comprehension Questions:
Answer the following questions based on the text:
Why did Fir Tree complain to Mother Nature in the fall?
What did Mother Nature tell Fir Tree when he complained?
Why couldn't Squirrel build her nest in the branches of Maple, Oak,
and Elm?
How did Fir Tree feel after helping Squirrel build her nest?
What lesson did Fir Tree learn about being different?
Critical Thinking:
How did Fir Tree's attitude change from the beginning of the story to
the end? What caused this change?
Can you think of a time in your life when you wanted to be like
someone else, but later realized it was better to be yourself? What
happened?
How did Fir Tree's uniqueness benefit him in the end? Can you think of
a situation where being different was an advantage?
Why do you think Mother Nature didn't explain to the trees why they
were different? What might be the lesson in this?
How does Fir Tree's willingness to help Squirrel reflect on his character?
What values does this show?

Part 1: Verb Tenses and Forms

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs provided in
brackets. Choose the most appropriate form (present, past, present
perfect, present perfect continuous, past continuous, present
continuous).
Fir Tree's leaves ____________ (stay) green even in the fall.
He ____________ (complain) to Mother Nature about his leaves.
Mother Nature told Fir Tree to ____________ (wait) because she had a
plan for him.
Maple, Oak, and Elm's leaves ____________ (turn) orange, red, and yellow
in the fall.
Squirrel ____________ (arrive) looking for a place to build a nest.
She ____________ (ask) Fir Tree if she could build her nest in his branches.
Fir Tree ____________ (agree) to let Squirrel build her nest in his
branches.
Squirrel ____________ (climb) up and ____________ (build) her nest.
Part 2: Complex Sentence Structure
Complete the sentences by combining the clauses using appropriate
conjunctions (e.g., although, because, since, while).
Although Fir Tree's leaves stayed green, _______________________________.
Because Fir Tree complained, _______________________________.
While Maple, Oak, and Elm's leaves turned colors,
_______________________________.
Fir Tree's leaves stayed green, _______________________________.
Mother Nature told Fir Tree to wait, _______________________________.
Even though Squirrel arrived, _______________________________.
Fir Tree agreed to let Squirrel build her nest,
_______________________________.
After Squirrel built her nest, _______________________________.
Fir Tree understood it was good to be different,
_______________________________.
He felt proud of his green leaves, _______________________________.
Bonus: Advanced Grammar Concepts

Rewrite the following sentence using reported speech: Squirrel asked,

"Can I build my nest in your branches?"

Transform the following sentence into a passive voice sentence:

Mother Nature created many different trees.