Back to the story

A. How much did you understand?

In this story, everything happens for a reason.

In the first part of the story, the woman becomes angry with the bear.

Match these beginnings of sentences with endings from the list below, to show the reasons for the actions in the story.

1. The woman went to the river because……
2. The woman didn't want to give the bear her porridge because……
3. The bear began to feel hungry because……
4. The woman was angry with the bear because……
5. The bear was frightened of the woman because……

1. …… she was very angry.
2. …… he could smell the porridge.
3. …… he was eating the last bit of her porridge.
4. …… she needed more water for her porridge.
5. …… she was very hungry.

In the second part of the story, one action leads to another.

Match these beginnings of sentences with endings from the list below to show the reasons for the actions.

1. The donkey pulled and pulled at his rope because ……
2. The bees flew out of the beehive because ……
3. The chicken flapped her wings because ……
4. The cereals blew away because ……
5. The chief's dog barked because ……
6. The chief's wife came out of her house because ……

1. …… the bees had stung her.
2. …… the chicken flapped her wings.
3. …… he was frightened of the bear.
4. …… the chief's dog was barking.
5. …… the cereals were blowing away.
6. …… the beehive fell down, on to the ground.

In the third part of the story, all the animals explain the reasons for their actions to the chief's wife. Then they go to the chief, and he gives them his advice.

Match these beginnings of sentences with endings from the list below.

1. The chief's wife went to the chief because……
2. The chief said that the bear was greedy because ……
3. The chief said that the woman was selfish because ……
4. The chief told the bear to go away because ……
5. The woman is still frightened of the bear because ……

1. …… he could not live with the woman.
2. …… he liked to eat other people's food.
3. …… the bear is still angry.
4. …… she knew that he could find the answer.
5. …… she did not like to share her food.

B. Where, what, who?

Answer these questions.

1. What was the woman cooking in her pot?
2. What did she need to fetch from the river?
3. Where was the bear when the woman was cooking?
4. Who was tied to a tree outside the woman's house?
5. What fell out of the tree?
6. Who did the bees sting?
7. When the chicken flapped her wings, what blew away?
8. Where was the chief's wife when the dog began to bark?
9. Who found the answer to the problem?
10. Where did the bear go to live?

C. English expressions

Here are two English expressions for you to learn. This story is a good example of them.

A chain is made up of small pieces of metal linked to each other to make a long metal rope. "A chain of events" means that one event causes another, and the second event causes the third, and the third event causes the fourth, and so on.

Another way of saying this is "One thing leads to another".

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