Introduction
A jackdaw is a member of the crow family, with a little silver sheen to the back of its head. It is not one of the larger crows, but in this story, a jackdaw’s envy leads him to forget that.
ONCE upon a time, a mighty eagle swooped down from his lofty stone perch, and carried off a lamb.
A jackdaw watched it with rising envy, until he was so overcome with the desire to imitate him that, with a great whirring of wings, he landed on a full-grown ram, and promptly got tangled up in its fleece.
He fluttered and flapped, but could neither get free nor carry off his intended prey. At length, a shepherd came to see what all the commotion was.
Since evening was drawing on and it was time to go home, he caught the jackdaw, clipped his wings, and gave him to his children for a pet.
When they asked him what kind of a bird it was, he replied “Well if you ask me, I’ll tell you he’s a jackdaw.
“But if you ask him, he’ll tell you he’s an eagle.”
Précis
Deeply impressed by the sight of an eagle carrying off a lamb, a jackdaw thought he would snatch a full-grown ram. But it was much too heavy, and his feet got tangled in its fleece, and he ended up as a children’s pet. That’s the kind of risk you run if envy tempts you to forget your limitations. (58 / 60 words)
Deeply impressed by the sight of an eagle carrying off a lamb, a jackdaw thought he would snatch a full-grown ram. But it was much too heavy, and his feet got tangled in its fleece, and he ended up as a children’s pet. That’s the kind of risk you run if envy tempts you to forget your limitations.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: besides, may, must, not, or, unless, until, whereas.
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Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Down. Evening. Swoop.
2 But. Ram. See.
3 I. Full. Jackdaw.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
