Introduction
In this Aesop’s Fable, a hungry fox tries to hide his own failings by laying the blame on someone else.
A FOX was padding about a vineyard in the mountains, when he spotted some bunches of grapes hanging from a trellis. He scampered over to them, as they were ripe and deep black, harvested in peak condition by a farmer who evidently knew his business.
The fox leapt up at them eagerly, but found he could not reach them. Again and again he leapt, until he was worn out with effort, but it was no good. He was bitterly disappointed. ‘Of course,’ he said, by way of consoling himself, ‘the farmer’s a fool. I could see all along that he’d picked them before they were ripe.’ But it wasn’t true, and he knew it.
And the moral of that is, that some people disparage what they can’t have.
Précis
A hungry fox tried to help himself to a bunch ripe grapes. When he found they were out of reach, he hid his disappointment by telling himself the grapes were sour. Some people, when they can’t get what they want, make themselves feel better by pretending there is something wrong with it. (52 / 60 words)
A hungry fox tried to help himself to a bunch ripe grapes. When he found they were out of reach, he hid his disappointment by telling himself the grapes were sour. Some people, when they can’t get what they want, make themselves feel better by pretending there is something wrong with it.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, despite, or, ought, whereas, whether, who.
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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 Hang. No. Vineyard.
2 Before. Fox. Mountain.
3 Find. He. Moral.
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 ()
