EnglishStories

Princess Rose and the Creature

There was once a beautiful princess named Rose. Her mother, the queen,

however, was not as beautiful as the princess. The queen felt bad that she was not

the most beautiful woman in the kingdom anymore. She was tired of competing

with her daughter. She made a decision. She prepared a drink for the princess.

After the princess drank it, she fell asleep. Then the queen took the princess to

the forest. She left the princess there. It was a very serious thing to do. "Either

she will be killed by animals or she will get lost in the forest," the queen thought.

The princess had a dream. She dreamed about a man with brown hair and

brown eyes. It was the man she would wed.

The princess woke up. She saw a strange creature on the ground. It looked like

a man, but he was hairy and green. He had horns on his head and a pig's nose.

The creature said, "Did I scare you? I hope not. Let me introduce myself. I am

Henry."

"I am not scared. To tell you the truth, I think you are cute," said Rose.

Rose and Henry spent the day together. They collected

berries, caught fish, and had lunch. They had a very good day

filled with nice conversations.

"Rose, I have to go home," said Henry. "My ship will sail

home soon. I can't leave you here in the forest alone. Will you

come with me?"

Rose was very happy. She gave Henry a kiss right on his pig

nose. As soon as she kissed Henry, he began

to change. His pig nose turned into a man's

nose. His horns and green hair went away.

Standing in front of her was the man Rose

had dreamt about.

Rose and Henry were married, and

they lived happily.

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

1. What is this story about?

a. A strange creature that competes with a princess

b. Why a queen had a conversation with a princess

c. How a princess met a creature in a forest

d. A serious decision made by a princess

2. Which of the following is NOT true in the story?

a. The queen fell asleep in the forest.

b. The princess had a dream.

c. The creature wasn't mean or scary.

d. Henry said he was going to sail away on a ship.

3. What did the queen want to happen to the princess?

a. A creature would wake the princess.

b. A creature would prepare a drink for the princess.

c. An animal would kill the princess if she was left on the ground.

d. Rose and a creature would collect either berries or fruits.

4. Which of the following is true at the end of the story?

a. Rose introduces Henry to the queen.

b. Rose and Henry wed.

c. The queen learns the truth about Rose.

d. The queen sails away on a ship.

77

5. What did the princess dream in the forest?

73

UNIT 11 

anymore [ènimo:r] adv.

Anymore means any longer.

Her old pants don't fit her anymore.

ORADENS

asleep [ǝsli:p] adj.

When a person is asleep, they are not awake.

The baby has been asleep for hours.

-

berry [ber] n.

A berry is a small round fruit that grows on certain plants and trees.

The berry looked delicious.

-

collect [kelékt] v.

To collect things is to group them together all in one place.

-

→ I collected shells when I was younger.

compete [kampi:t] v.

To compete is to try to be better than someone.

He will compete with very good athletes.

conversation [känvərseiſən] n.

A conversation is a talk between people.

There were two conversations going on at once.

creature [krí:tſər] n.

A creature is any living thing.

The creature we saw today was either a dolphin or a porpoise.

-

decision [disizən) n.

A decision is a choice.

He made the wrong decision.

either [ber] conj.

Either is used with "or" to say there are two or more possibilities.

You can choose to be either white or black when you play chess.

forest [fɔ̃(:)rist] n.

A forest is a place with lots of trees and animals.

→ I love to go walking in the forest.

ground [graund] n.

The ground is the top part of the Earth that we walk on.

→

→ The ground under our feet was dry and brown.

introduce [intrədjū:s] v.

To introduce someone or something is to say who they are.

→ I introduced myself to our newest co-worker today.

marry [mæri] v.

To marry is to legally become husband and wife.

Rose and Henry were married, and they lived happily.

Oprepare [pripéər] v.

To prepare is to get ready for something.

I prepared my speech to the class.

sail [seil] v.

To sail is to move a boat on the water.

→ I love to sail my boat on the lake.

serious [siaries] adj.

When something is serious, it is bad or unsafe.

The accident was very serious.

->

$21319x3

spend [spend] v.

To spend is to use time doing something or being somewhere.

→ I like to spend my free time fishing.

strange [streind3] adj.

When something is strange, it is not normal.

→ Joe had a strange look on his face after he saw what happened.

truth [true] n.

The truth is a fact or something that is right.

-

▸ He was telling the truth about seeing a large green snake.

wake [weik] v.

To wake is to not be sleeping anymore.

He is always full of energy when he wakes in the morning.

Exercise 1

Choose the right word for the given definition.org

1. to marry

a. collect

2. a living thing

a. conversation

b. truth

3. to move a boat across the water

a. spend

b. berry

b. wed

4. one thing or the other

a. asleep

5. any longer

a. ground

b. compete

b. strange

Exercise 2

W

4. I stop sleeping when the dog barks.

c. prepare

c. creature

5. The area was full of trees and plants.

f

c. forest

c. either

3. He loved to travel in his boat to many islands.

sa

c. wake

d. introduce

d. decision

Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.

1. The doll broke when it fell onto the floor.

gr

2. I like to use my time taking long walks in the forest.

sp____ time

HITT

d. sail

d. serious

d. anymore

The First Peacock

Argos lived in Ancient Greece. He was a husband and a proud father. He

worked hard and did well at his job. But one thing about him wasn't normal. He

was born with 100 eyes. Having many eyes was usually a benefit to him. He had

a chance to see many things.

Also, since he had so many eyes, he was very good at guarding things. While

sleeping, he only rested a few eyes at a time. The others stayed awake. He worked

for Hera, a great goddess. His primary function was to guard a special cow. The

cow was very important to Hera. It was her favorite pet. The most essential part

of his job was to keep the cow alone. It had to be kept separate from all the other

cows and far away from people.

This was an easy job for Argos. The cow just ate grass all day. But the god Zeus

wanted the cow. He wanted to take it away from Hera. He had a plan. He found a

great music player. He asked the man to play a beautiful song for Argos. Zeus was

certain Argos would go to sleep.

The song had an immediate effect. Argos couldn't focus on his job. He fell

asleep. Zeus saw this, and he took the cow.

Hera was very angry with Argos. She turned him into a peacock. She put his

many eyes on his tail. Argos was very sad.

Zeus saw how much trouble he had

caused Argos. He made another

plan. He turned Argos into a

group of stars. He wanted

Argos to remain in the

sky forever. Even today,

Argos' image remains

there, above the

site where all his

problems began.

We can still

see him in the

night sky.

:

Answer the questions.

1. What is this story about?

a. Why it is essential to guard cows

b. How to play beautiful music

Reading Comprehension

c. How the image of a peacock in the sky came about

d. How being born with 100 eyes benefited a man

2. Why was guarding Hera's cow easy for Argos?

a. All it did was eat grass all day.

b. It was kept separate from all the other cows.

c. He had a chance to listen to music.

d. He was able to sleep instead of focusing on it.

3. Why did Zeus turn Argos into a group of stars?

a. He wanted Argos to see the site of his trouble.

b. He was certain that Argos would fall asleep.

c. He wanted to make Argos remain in the sky forever.

d. He wanted to cause Argos immediate trouble.

4. What was the primary function of Argos' job?

a. To make sure the cow was never sad

b. To keep the cow far away from people

c. To see the effects of music on the cow

d. Work for a proud goddess named Hera

5. How did Argos sleep?

UNIT

10

62

Word List

benefit [bénəfit] n.

A benefit is a good thing.

-

→ Being able to fly is a good benefit to birds.

certain [sərtən] adj.

If you are certain about something, you know it is true.

→

I am certain that zebras have stripes.

chance [tæns] n.

A chance is an opportunity to do something.

→ I had a chance to see the Roman Coliseum last summer.

effect [ifekt] n.

An effect is a change made by something else.

The medicine had a good effect on the boy.

essential [isenfǝl] adj.

If something is essential, it is very important and necessary.

→ It is essential to have oxygen when you scuba dive.

far [fa:r] adj.

If something is far, it is not close.

→ It's far going from the east coast to the west coast of America.

focus [foukǝs] v.

To focus on something is to think about it and pay attention to it.

→ My mom always helps me to focus on my school work.

function [fankən] n.

The function of something is what it does.

-

→ The function of a flashlight is to help you see in the dark.

grass [græs] n.

Grass is the green leaves that cover the ground.

The grass looked so soft and green.

-

guard [gard] v.

To guard something is to take care of it.

The police officer will guard us from any harm.

Page 63

image [imidz] n.

The image of something is a picture of it.

The image of her eye was very clear.

immediate [imi:diət] adj.

If something is immediate, it happens quickly.

An immediate response came from the pizza place.

primary [praimeri] adj.

If something is primary, it is the most important thing.

His primary thoughts are about money.

proud [praud] adj.

If someone feels proud, they are happy about what they have done.

→

She is proud of the picture she drew of her house.

remain [rimėin] v.

To remain somewhere is to stay there.

→ My sister had to remain home since she was sick.

Crest [rest] v.

To rest is to stop being active while the body gets back its strength.

→

I rested on the couch after work.

separate [sepereit] adj.

If two things are separate, they are not together.

New York and Los Angeles are in two separate parts of America.

site [sait] n.

A site is a place.

› We found the perfect site for our picnic.

tail [teil] n.

A tail is a part of an animal's body, sticking out from its rear or back.

Our dog wags its tail when it's happy.

-

trouble [trábǝl] n.

Trouble is a problem or a difficulty.

→ I have trouble working with my boss.

Exercise 1

Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.

1. It is very important that you call your mother soon.

essen

2. The good thing about being old is that you know many things.

bene

3. I have problems with my science homework.

tro

4. I am sure that she will come to his party.

cer

5. The job of the stove is to cook.

fun

6. That is the place where they met.

si _______

7. I saw his picture on TV.

8. The twins don't like to be apart.

S

9. I like to stay at home on the weekends.

r

10. His part that comes out of his rear was shaking because he was happy.

t___

The Starfish

Last summer I took a trip to an island. I had a lot of fun. I sat and watched the

waves and listened to the ocean. I learned to identify birds. I discovered pretty

things and enjoyed the taste of new foods. It was a very nice time.

One evening I took a pleasant walk by the ocean. When the waves came in,

many starfish* fell on the beach. Some starfish went back into the water, and

they were safe. But other starfish were still on the sand. They would die if they

did not get into the water. There were many starfish on the beach that night. It

made me sad, but I knew I could not fix the problem. I stepped very carefully so

I did not damage them.

Then I saw a little girl. She was also sad about the starfish. She wanted to

prevent all of them from dying. She asked me if I could perhaps help her.

"To be frank, I don't think we can do anything," I said.

The little girl started to cry. She sat back against a rock and thought for a

while. Finally, the emotion was gone. She stopped crying and stood up. Then

she picked up a starfish and threw it into the water.

"What are you doing?" I asked her. But she did not answer me. She just threw

as many starfish as she could. "You cannot save all of them!" I said.

She stopped to look at me. "No, I cannot save them all," she replied. Then

she picked up a very big starfish and said, "But I can save

this one." And then she smiled and threw the starfish as

far as she could into the ocean.

*starfish - an animal shaped like a star that lives in the water

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

1. What is this story about?

a. A girl who wants to save starfish

b. How to throw starfish

c. A girl who is too frank

d. Birds and animals at the ocean

2. What causes the little girl's emotion?

a. She cannot fix the damage she finds to homes.

b. She cannot prevent starfish from dying in the sand.

c. She discovers starfish in the water.

d. She steps on a rock and hurts her foot.

3. What does the man think is NOT good about the island?

a. Watching the waves

b. Identifying birds

c. The starfish dying on the sand

d. Tasting new food

4. What does the girl think the man can perhaps do?

a. Identify birds

b. Take a walk on the beach

c. Discover something pretty

d. Help her save starfish

5. Which starfish were safe on the beach?

UNIT

9

Word List

against [agenst] prep.

To be against something is to be touching it or opposed to it.

They both leaned against the wall.

→

beach [bitn.

The beach is a sandy or rocky place by the ocean.

The little girl built a sandcastle on the beach.

damage [dæmidz] v.

To damage something is to break it.

The car was damaged in the accident.

-

discover [diskávər] v.

To discover something is to find it for the first time.

→ I discovered some new information in this book!

emotion [imouſən) n.

An emotion is how you feel.

Anger is a common emotion that we all feel.

-

fix [fiks] v.

To fix something is to make it work.

My dad has many tools to help him fix broken things.

frank [frænk] adj.

If you are frank, you are being very honest.

The teacher had a frank discussion with her students.

identify [aidentəfai] v.

To identify something is to be able name it.

→ I used the file to identify his name.

island [ailand] n.

An island is land in the middle of water.

→ Japan is a group of islands.

ocean [oufan] n.

The ocean is all of the salt water that surrounds land.

The ocean can make powerful waves.

perhaps [perhaps] adv.

happened

Perhaps is used when you say that something could happen.

→ Perhaps I will eat an apple for lunch.

pleasant [pléznt] adj.

If something is pleasant, you enjoy it.

→ The character had a pleasant look on its face.

prevent [privent] v.

To prevent something is to stop it from happening.

The handcuffs prevented me from moving my hands.

rock [rak] n.

A rock is a hard thing in the dirt.

→ I stacked rocks on top of one another.

save [seiv] v.

To save something is to keep it from being hurt.

→ I want to help save the world.

step [step] v.

To step is to walk.

→

Be careful where you step.

still [still adv.

Still is used when you say that a situation keeps going on.

→ They are still waiting in line to get tickets.

taste [teist] n.

A taste is the flavor something makes in your mouth.

The taste of the fruit was sweet.

-

9

throw [erou] v.

To throw something is to use your hand to make it go through the air.

The pitcher can throw the baseball very fast.

wave [weiv] n.

A wave is a line of water that moves higher than the rest of the water.

The water was filled with large blue waves.

-

How the Sun and

the Moon Were Made

Do you ever wonder where the moon and the sun came from? The Inuit people

of Alaska have a theory.

They tell a story about a beautiful girl. She was very nice. In contrast, her brother

was a mean little boy. One day he proposed something. "We should go to a party,"

he said. The girl accepted. First, it was necessary for her to prepare. She arranged

her hair and put on nice clothes. This required a lot of time. But the girl worked hard,

and soon she had success. She looked perfect.

They attended the party together. The girl was having fun. Later, she walked

into the bathroom. Suddenly, the lights were turned off! Someone grabbed her

hair and tore her clothes. She ran out of the bathroom. She wanted to know who

did this to her.

Then she had an idea. She fixed her hair again. This time it was even more

beautiful. She even balanced beautiful jewels in it. She wanted to encourage the

person to grab it again. She put black dirt in her hair. The purpose of this was

catch the person.

She went to the bathroom again, and it

was the same pattern. The lights went

off, and someone grabbed her hair.

When he released it, his hand

was black. The girl returned to the

party. She knew there was only a

single person with a black hand.

When she saw that person, he

was very familiar. It was her

brother!

He ran into the woods.

The girl ran after him. They

both carried fire so they could

see in the dark. The smoke

went into the air. As they ran,

they grew. They became huge.

Then they went into space. When

the girl's fire went out, she hung

in the sky. She became the moon,

and her brother became the sun. They

chase each other forever.

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

1. What is this story about?

a. The contrast between the sun and the moon

b. A theory of how the moon and the sun were made

c. The purpose of the sun and the moon

d. Why it is necessary for the moon to balance in the sky

2. Why does the girl encourage someone to grab her hair?

a. She doesn't want him to tear her dress.

b. She wants to become huge and hang in the sky.

c. She wants to know who grabbed her hair.

d. She wants the party to be a success.

3. What was true of the boy in the story?

a. He accepted the invitation when his sister proposed a party.

b. He didn't want to attend the party.

c. He was the only person with a black hand.

d. He wore a shirt with a beautiful pattern.

4. Why does the girl become angry?

a. The boy doesn't release her hair.

b. She is required to arrange her hair.

c. The smoke from her fire went into the air.

d. She sees someone familiar with a black hand.

5. How does the girl get ready for the party?

UNIT8

50

Word List

accept [æksept] v.

To accept something that is offered is to take it.

-

I accepted the girl's very nice gift.

arrange [ǝreindz] v.

To arrange things is to put them in the right place.

→ Please arrange the bowling pins in order so we can play.

attend [etend)] v.

To attend something is to go to it.

→ My sister and I attend the same school.

balance [bælans] v.

To balance something is to keep it from falling.

We saw an elephant balance itself on a ball.

contrast [kantræst] n.

A contrast is the sharp difference between two things.

The contrast between my parents is very noticeable.

encourage [inkə:ridz] v.

To encourage someone is to make them want to do something.

→ My football coach will encourage us when we are losing.

familiar [familjər} adj.

If someone or something is familiar to you, you know them well.

The two friends were very familiar with each other.

grab [græb] v.

To grab is to take a hold of someone or something suddenly.

-

I grabbed a pear from the tree.

chang [hæn] v.

To hang something is to keep it above the ground.

→ I drew a picture of my family, and my mother hung it on the wall.

huge [hju:d3] adj.

If something is huge, it is very big.

→ At work, my father drives a huge truck.

necessary [nėsəsèri] adj.

If something is necessary, you must do it.

→ It is necessary to have a passport when you travel to a foreign country.

pattern [pætern] n.

A pattern is a way in which something is done or organized.

→

My pattern of brushing my teeth is the same as most people's.

propose [prepouz] v.

To propose something is to say that it should be done.

-

→ Santa Claus proposed that I try to be a good boy all year.

purpose [parpəs] n.

A purpose is the reason that you do something.

The purpose of exercising is to get into shape.

release [rili:s] v.

To release something is to stop holding it.

She released the bird from her hands.

→

require [rikwaiǝ:r] v.

To require something is to say that it is necessary.

-

→ We require teachers to have a university degree.

single [singǝl] adj.

If something is single, then there is only one.

→ I have a single key in my hand.

success [sǝkses] n.

Success is doing something well that you choose to do.

My daughter was a big success at school.

→

tear [tear] v.

To tear something means to pull it apart.

→ It is easy to tear paper.

theory [:ari) n.

A theory is an idea about how something works.

We talked about Einstein's theory of relativity in class.

Exercise 1

Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.

1. She looks like someone that I know well.

fami

2. Drinking water is something that she must do.

neces

3. He has an idea of how the machine works.

the_.

4. The reason that I am doing this is to help children.

pur

5. My teacher will make me want to get good grades.

enc

6. I agree with your idea. I think it will work.

ac

7. It is difficult to keep from falling when you stand on one foot.

ba

8. Her routine of exercising after work is common for many people.

pa

9. There is a big difference between day and night.

с

10. The Earth has a solitary moon.

S

The Best Prince

King Minos was very sick. His condition was getting worse. He had three sons.

He loved them all. He had to announce who would become king.

Two of the princes stood waiting outside the king's room. Theseus was the

oldest and strongest. He thought his father would make him king. Pelias, the

second son, thought differently. He was an expert with weapons. He thought the

king would choose him.

"When I'm king," Theseus told Pelias, "I'll let you contribute to the defense of

our country. You can lead the army."

Pelias became angry. "Father knows I'm famous for my sword skills. He'll make

me king."

"You?" Theseus yelled. "He won't choose you!"

"The kingdom is mine!" Pelias claimed. "Father will give it to me-or I'll use

force to take it!"

Theseus made a sudden move to take out his sword. Then Pelias did the same.

"Beating me will be a challenge," Theseus said. "Fight me now. The

winner gets the kingdom!"

Pelias agreed.

King Minos could hear his sons fighting. The youngest son, Jason,

stood beside him. He sensed his father's sadness. The king laid his

hand flat on Jason's arm.

"Your brothers fight too much," the king told him. "I must

protect my kingdom from all harm. They'll divide it between

them. The people won't know what to do. There'll be war. I can't

allow either of them to be king. Therefore, I'm making you king.

Your kindness has always made you special. It's the difference

between you and your brothers. You can bring peace. They

can't."

Then the king died. Theseus and

Pelias heard that their youngest

brother was king. They were surprised.

They realized that their fighting was

wrong. It had kept them from saying

goodbye to their father. They agreed to

have Jason as their king. He was the

best choice.

TH

A

Word List

allow [ǝlau] v.

To allow something to happen means to let it happen.

→ Having a ticket will allow you to enter the show.

announce [ǝnáuns] v.

To announce something is to make it known.

He announced to everyone his new idea for the company.

beside [bisaid] prep.

When someone or something is beside you, they are next to you.

The two brothers stood beside each other.

challenge [tælind3] n.

A challenge is something difficult to complete.

->

It was a challenge to climb to the top of the mountain.

phibp98

claim [kleim] v.

To claim means to say that something is true.

He claimed to know why the country's laws were weak.

→

condition [kəndiſən] n.

The condition of someone or something is the state that they are in.

The patient's condition was very good.

-

contribute [kantribju:t] v.

To contribute to something means to do something to make it successf

We decided to contribute money to the new hospital.

→

difference [difərəns] n.

A difference is a way that something is not like other things.

The biggest difference between the birds is the color of their feathers.

→

divide [divaid] v.

To divide something is to make it into smaller parts.

We divided the pizza.

expert [ekspert] n.

An expert is someone who is very good at doing something.

The wizard was an expert at magic.

famous [feimas] adj.

If someone or something is famous, they are known to many people.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is very famous.

force [fors] n.

Force is a person's strength or power.

He used all his force to try and open the door.

→

harm [harm] n.

Harm is hurt or problems caused to someone or something.

A hot iron can cause great harm if you are not careful.

lay [lei] v.

To lay means to put or place in a horizontal or flat position.

Don't lay your socks on the floor.

peace [pi:s] n.

Peace is a time without war.

A white dove is a symbol for peace.

prince [prins] n.

A prince is the son of a king.

→

→ The prince and the princess were married.

protect [pretékt] v.

To protect someone is to stop them from getting hurt.

→ Firemen protect us from fires.

→

sense [sens] v.

To sense something is to know about it without being told.

→ I could sense that he was watching me.

sudden [sádn] adj.

When something is sudden, it happens very quickly.

He felt a sudden pain in his chest.

therefore [oca:rfb:r] adv.

Therefore means for this reason.

He is fat. Therefore, he will go on a diet.

Exercise 1

Part A Choose the right word for the given definition.

1. something difficult that you have to do

a. condition

b. sense

2. the son of a king

a. prince

b. expert

3. to do something to help succeed

a. contribute

b. sudden

4. for this reason

a. allow

b. therefore

5. to stop someone from getting hurt

a. claim

b. protect

1. Sarah let Tim go to the game.

allo

c. challenge

2. The child promised not to hurt our cat.

har_

c. famous

c. harm

c. announce

c. lay

3. She was a well-known writer in our town.

fam

4. You should say it's true that you never lie.

cl___

d. divide

Part B Write a word that is similar in meaning to the

underlined part.

5. The food was cut into smaller parts so we could all eat.

d

d. force

d. peace

d. beside

d. difference