Listen to the extract from our story Sif’s Golden Hair
It is around five minutes long. You can also read along with the text, and answer the questions at the end. The passage is about the ancient gods of Scandinavia in Northern Europe otherwise known as the “Norse” gods

Extract

What do Thursdays mean to you? They are not gloomy like Mondays, or glorious like Fridays, or lazy like Sundays…. They seem quite boring really, unless, that is, you know about Norse mythology. But once you have heard the stories of the Norse gods, you will realise that Thursdays are meant to be loud, thundero
us, stormy days, for they are named after Thor, the red-headed, hammer- yielding, thunder-clapping god of the Norse people.

Although Thor was a raucous fellow, he did, underneath it all, have one soft-spot – and that was for his beautiful wife, whose name was Sif, and whom he loved tenderly and dearly. She had long, thick wondrous golden hair, that flowed down her back like a field of corn. In fact, it was Sif who made the Norse people’s crops grow, and their fields yield long heavy ears of corn that would keep people well fed and happy. She travelled over the Northern world, and wherever there were families, farms and people tilling the land, Sif was sure to be near at hand smoothing their path against the cruel winds, cold and winters of the North.

Of course as every lady knows, beautiful hair does not take care of itself. She was very proud of her hair, and did not allow herself to have a bad hair day – especially as she knew she was not the only one who was very proud of her hair, Thor her husband was very proud of it too, and often boasted of it when he was drinking his mead to anyone who was around to listen. Morning, noon and night, Sif combed her wondrous hair with a jewelled comb, and she often washed in pure sparkling streams, and lay it out in the sun to dry on a rock. As you can imagine, with hair as thick as hers, it took quite a while to dry.

One day, while she was sitting on a bank of the softest moss outside her house in Asgard, where the gods live, drying her golden hair in the sun, Sif went to sleep. It’s easy to go to sleep in the sun when you’re not doing much. And it’s especially easy, if another god puts a spell on you so that nothing can wake you.

It was Loki, the god of fire and mischief, who cast this sleeping spell on Sif. He found her dozing with her gorgeous hair flowing all around her, and his evil mouth smiled at this chance to make trouble in the Thunder-God’s household. He knew that Sif’s hair of gold was Thor’s greatest treasure – and he was determined to take it away from him.

And while she was asleep, Loki took his shears and chopped off Sif’s hair, every single lovely lock! One by one they tumbled onto her shoulders and down her dress. Her head was bare, as if she’d had a haircut in the army or become a convict on a prison ship – the poor thing!

A while later, Sif woke up. Her head and neck felt cold and light, – she looked up and saw the sun was still shining. Then she felt for her hair, – there was nothing there! Looking down, she caught sight of the clusters of curls that lay all around her. Horrified, she rushed inside and burst into tears … and rain fell in bucketfuls on all the corn in the north, so the people asked “What in heaven’s happened to Sif?” She continued to cry and cry.

Comprehension Questions

1. Why should you think of Thursdays as noisy days?
2. What did Sif spend much of her time doing?
3. Describe Loki’s character.
4. How did Sif realise that she had lost her hair?
5. How did people know that Sif was upset?

Vocabulary and Grammar

1. “Although Thor was a raucous fellow”
   What does “raucous” mean?
   a) fierce
   b) brave
   c) tough
   d) noisy
2. A “bad” hair day”" can mean a day when your hair is a mess,but what is its other meaning?
   a) A day when you are untidy
   b) A day when everything seems to go wrong
   c) A day when you get up late
   d) A day when you miss an appointment
3. “beautiful hair does not take care of X..” What is the missing word?
   a) themselves
   b) tidiness
   c) itself
   d) own
4. “X hair of gold”. What is the missing word?
   a) Sif’s
   b) Sifs’
   c) Sifs’s
   d) Sifs
5. “She burst into tears”. What is another word for “burst”
   a) shed
   b) cried
   c) broke
   d) wept

Assignments

Describe how you feel about each of the days of the week.

What is the meanest trick that anyone has ever played on you? Describe it in writing, or discuss mean tricks in class.

If you could choose, what sort of hair would you like to have? Thick, long, dark, blond, curly, short, neat, straight…?

Few people believe in the Norse gods these days – but why do you think we find their stories so appealing? Do we relate to their characters? Do we like the explanations they give for things like the weather? Do they shed light on our own beliefs? Or do we just find them funny? Write down your thoughts or discuss in class.

Listen to the extract from our story Awaking Beauty.
It is around four minutes long. You can also read along with the text, and answer the questions at the end. The passage is about a student who is starting her first day at a college in Oxford University. The student (Sally) speaks with an accent from the City of Liverpool.

Extract

Sally was just longing for her parents to leave. It had been very kind of them to drive her up to her new college, but now she had been smothered and mothered quite enough. After 18 years, she had received all the advice she needed about hot her water bottle, her vitamin pills, and her beauty sleep.

“And just one word before we go,” said Mum as she held both her daughter’s hands tightly: “Don’t ever turn down an invitation to a party, You never know who you might meet, especially in a place like this.”

When her parents stepped out through the door of the Porter’s Lodge, and back into the real world of light, noise and pollution, Sally turned around and looked at the honey coloured stone of Westerly College. For almost 800 years, students had walked around the quadrangle, past the dining hall, the chapel, and the doors that opened onto creaky staircases. Very little had changed down the centuries. The only discernible evidence of the modern world was the faintest rumbling of traffic from the street beyond the college walls.

“It’s just like a fairy tale,” thought Sally to herself, “Like a castle in an enchanted wood, that has been asleep for centuries.”

She went back to her room and lay on her narrow, lumpy bed. Suddenly she felt restless. Was her new life to consist of these four oak panelled walls? The spirits of all the students who had lived in this room down the centuries were not much company. For a moment or two, she even missed her parents. She resolved not to be lonely. She got up, went out of her room, and tapped on her neighbour’s door.

“This is the knock of destiny,” she said to herself, “Perhaps the door will be opened by an Arabian prince, or perhaps by the daughter of a postman. Either way, I have this feeling that we will be life-long friends.”

But no reply came from within. Whoever he or she might be was out, no-doubt hobnobbing with brilliant and fascinating friends. Sally went back to listen to The Killers on her mp3 player.

The next day, she knocked on the door of her tutor, and as it was half open already, she entered his room. She saw two boys sitting on chairs, and a girl stretched out on the sofa with her nose buried in a cushion. The boys were in jeans and t-shirts, that hardly matched the black academic gowns draped on their backs. The sleeping girl wore a purple velvet dress, embroidered with a rich pattern of leaves and exotic birds. Her auburn hair rolled down her face in ringlets. Her arm dropped limply down to the floor. A bracelet clustered with jewels dangled on her wrist. Her expression was of serene innocence.

One of the boys smiled at Sally and put his finger over his lips to say “Shshsh.”

Comprehension Questions

1) What kind of advice does Sally’s mother like to give her?

2) What impression does Sally have of Westerly College?

3) Who is living in the room next door to Sally?

4) Why does Sally feel lonely?

5) Why does the boy “Shshsh” to Sally?

Vocabulary and Grammar

1) “Don’t ever turn X an invitation.” What is the missing word?

a) up
b) at
c) around
d) down

2) “The only discernible evidence.” What does “discernible” mean?

a) can be seen
b) can be proved
c) can be refuted
d) can be said

3) What does “It’s” mean?

a) it has
b) it is
c) Many types of it
d) It has been

4) “X he or she might be was out”. What is the missing word?

a) whoever
b) soever
d) who
d) whose

5)”Her auburn hair”. What colour is “auburn”?

a) reddish-brown
b) bright red
c) black
d) blond

Assignments

Is somebody who is 17 or 18 years old, and starting university, grown up? Or are they still a child? Write down your views or discuss in class.

What institutions more or less never change, even in the modern world? You might mention
university, school, parliament, churches, law courts, families, kings and queens… anything you think never changes. Write down your ideas or discuss in class.

Is there such a thing as a “modern fairytale”? Or do fairytales have to be set long long ago, in a far faraway land..?

Listen to the extract from our story Katie’s Invisible Umbrella. You can also read along with the text, and answer the questions at the end. Katie is a schoolgirl who comes from a family of witches who have magical powers.

Extract

Katie’s grandmother had all sorts of beautiful, but rather old-fashioned, magical things. Many of them weren’t so useful these days, because science has caught up with magic in so many ways. For instance, before electric kettles were invented, witches had magic cauldrons that boiled the water without any need to put them on the fire. Well Katie’s Grandma still used one of those to make her tea and coffee. Before phones were invented, witches used to call one another using crystal balls, and Katie’s Grandma absolutely refused to get a mobile phone or a computer, so if you wanted to send her a text message, you had to use a crystal ball. And of course she still kept a witch’s broomstick, though these days most witches prefer to drive a car or take the bus, because broomsticks are not very comfortable, and it’s all too easy to slide off them and hurt yourself.

One of Grandma’s most beautiful possessions was her umbrella. It had a golden handle that was shaped like the head of a griffin. The fabric was decorated with old fashioned magic symbols, which Katie could not understand, because these days most witches learn to do spells in modern languages like English or French. But they were very beautiful and Katie loved looking at them.

Grandma was always a little scatty, even in her younger days, but as she got older, she became more and more forgetful. One day she left her umbrella in the patisserie. She only realised that she no longer had it when it rained the following Wednesday. She remembered that it had been raining when she visited the patisserie. The shop was near to where Katie lived, and so Katie went to fetch it. As Katie left the shop, it began to rain, and naturally, she opened the umbrella.

Other people on the street were turning up their collars or dodging into doorways to avoid the downpour. Katie ambled along enjoying the dryness of her umbrella. But as she was passing the mobile phone store, a man barged into her.

“Oy, you could say ‘sorry’, or ‘excuse me!’” exclaimed Katie. The man turned around and stared at her blankly like she wasn’t there.

Katie continued home, but it wasn’t long before she collided with a traffic warden and then was nearly run-over by a woman with a pram.

“Aren’t people rude these days?” thought Katie, “It’s just a little bit of rain. They are all in such a hurry, you would think they were all running away from a rampaging elephant or something.”

Comprehension Questions

1) Why are magical things not so useful these days as in the past?

2) Does Katie’s grandmother like to use modern things?

3) Why does Katie go to the patisserie shop?

4) What is the weather like?

5) Why do people keep bumping into Katie when she is walking under the umbrella? (you might have to guess the answer)

Vocabulary and Grammar

1) “Many of them X so useful these days”. What is the missing word?

a) weren’t
b) wasn’t
c) isn’t
d) haven’t

2) “Grandma was always a little scatty”. What does “scatty” mean?

a) stupid
b) clever
d) good at remembering things
e) forgetful and absent-minded

3) “Katie ambled along”. What does “ambled” mean?

a) walked in a relaxed way
b) ran
c) skipped
d) looked like an ambulance

4) “X she was passing the mobile phone store, a man barged into her.” What is the missing word?

a) just
b) like
c) as
d) if

5) “They are all in such a hurry, you X think they were all running away”. What is the missing word?

a) should
b) will
c) would
d) can

Assignments

Do you think that older people can keep up with modern things like mobile phones and computers? What is your experience from your own family and people you know. Write down your thoughts or discuss in class.

What is your favourite possession? Describe it and say why you like it so much.

Are people on the street generally rude or polite? Do they bump into others as they pass them? Do people say “sorry” these days? Are people good at queuing up and waiting their turn? Write down your thoughts or discuss in class.

Comprehension

1) What kind of person is a Samurai?

2) What do you understand by the phrase “distilled essence of violence” ?

3) What are the ways in which a tea master is similar and different to a Samurai?

4) What did the tea master do when he met the two Samurai warriors?

5) What does the second Samurai think about the way the tea master is dressed?

Vocabulary and Grammar

1)”his sole focus”

What is another word for “sole”?

a) foot
b) spirit
c) only
d) fishy
3) strong

2)”The odds, the dangers and the enemies may be massively against him….”

The word “odds” comes from the world of

a) betting
b) war
c) cooking
d) astrology
e) sailing

3) Which is the correct sentence?

a) He did not quite know what to take of the fellow who dressed like a fellow Samurai
b) He did not quite know what to make with the fellow who dressed like a fellow Samurai
c) He did not quite know what to make of the fellow who dressed like a fellow Samurai
e) He did not quite know what to make off the fellow who dressed like a fellow Samurai
d) He did not quite know what to break off the fellow who dressed like a fellow Samurai

4)”They found themselves face X face with two Samurai warriors.”

What is the missing word?

a) with
b) by
c) to
d) in
e) on

5) “He was an impostor”

What is another word for impostor ?

a) thief
b) enemy
c) spy
d) faker
e) tea-maker

A Samurai warrior is as spiritual as a monk. He is the ruler of of his mind as much as of his body. He trains his spirit through the form of meditation known as zen. He can sit still for hours on end, gradually reducing his thoughts until his sole focus is on his breath. No base passion, fear, discomfort or excitement shall control him even for a single second. He can endure the bitterest cold or the fiercest heat. When faced with death itself, his mind is perfectly still. The odds, the dangers and the enemies may be massively against him and yet his concentration, as sharp as his sword, may cut through them all.

Yes he is a spiritual being indeed. But his spirit is the distilled essence of violence.

But such self-control is not confined to the fighters of Japan. The Master of the Japanese Tea ceremony performs his peaceful duties with just the same concentration and focus of attention, as this story from Ancient Japan shows.

Several centuries ago, a tea master worked in the service of Lord Yamanouchi. No-one else performed the way of the tea to such perfection. The timing and the grace of his every move, from the unfurling of mat, to the setting out of the cups, and the sifting of the green leaves, was beauty itself. His master was so pleased with his servant, that he bestowed upon him the rank and robes of a Samurai warrior.

When Lord Yamanouchi travelled, he always took his tea master with him, so that others could appreciate the perfection of his art. On one occasion, he went on business to the great city of Edo, which we now know as Tokyo.

When evening fell, the tea master and his friends set out to explore the pleasure district, known as the floating world. As they turned the corner of a wooden pavement, they found themselves face to face with two Samurai warriors.

The tea master bowed, and politely step into the gutter to let the fearsome ones pass. But although one warrior went by, the other remained rooted to the spot. He stroked a long black whisker that decorated his face, gnarled by the sun, and scarred by the sword. His eyes pierced through the tea maker’s heart like an arrow.

He did not quite know what to make of the fellow who dressed like a fellow Samurai, yet who would willingly step aside into a gutter. What kind of warrior was this? He looked him up and down. Where were broad shoulders and the thick neck of a man of force and muscle? Instinct told him that this was no soldier. He was an impostor who by ignorance or impudence had donned the uniform of a Samurai.

Assignments

What is more important, to be strong in mind or strong in body? In a conflict, who is more likely to win, the person with the most concentration and self-control, or the person with the most strength? What will see you through troubles and dangers, your mind or your body? Write down your thoughts or discuss them in class.

Comprehension Questions

1) This story is told in the “first person” – what does that mean?

2) Why are the villagers angry with the boy?

3) How does the boy improve his trick when he does it a second time?

4) Why do the villagers not believe the boy the third time he “cries wolf”?

5) What do you suppose the phrase, “cry wolf” means in general English?

Grammar and Vocabulary

1) “It was boring work X a lad”

What is the missing word?

a) for
b) to
c) if
d) at
e) in

2) “I must keep my eyes X for the wolf”

What is the missing word?

a) folded
b) peeled
c) shorn
d) torn
e) opened

3) What is another word for “unmolested”?

a) unseen
b) unheard
c) unharmed
d) unalarmed
e) unfeeling

4) “I put on an even X act.”

What is the missing word ?

a) improved
b) more good
c) best
d) better
e) gooder

5) What does a blacksmith do?

a) Make shoes
b) Sell fish
3) Sell meat
4) Work with iron
5) Make bread

Assignments

Write a short story about somebody who told a lie. The person could be a child, a parent, a politician, somebody at work, or anyone you like.

Write a short story in which something happens three times, each time slightly differently. For example it could be about three warnings, three accidents, three jokes, three birthdays, or three misunderstandings.

Listen to the extract from our story Swan Lake. It is just under four minutes long. You can also read along with the text, and answer the questions at the end. The passage is about Prince Siegfried.

Extract

That evening, he was greeted by mouths that were toothy and grinning, others that were delicate and demure, and still others that were luscious and red. He could choose from eyes that were feline green, chocolate brown, sky blue, or owl grey. There certainly was no shortage of princesses in all shapes sizes and complexions. But the whole situation seemed to him quite unbearable. Even a prince cannot be pressured into falling in love right on cue. As darkness fell, he slipped away from the crowd and retrieved his horse. By the time his birthday fireworks were lighting up the sky, he had reached the edge of the forrest.

Very little light from the stars of the moon came through the canopy of trees, but he and his horse knew the track well. They trod carefully, but he may have taken a different turning from usual, because he soon came across an unfamiliar clearing in the forrest, which, as he soon found, opened up onto a lake. The prince sat down on a tree stump not far from the water’s edge and listened to the gentle lapping of the waves. His thumb stroked the silver handle of his crossbow. When a group of swans came gliding across the moonlit water, he recalled that swans are said to mate for life. That, he thought, is because their love is natural and sincere. No-one tells a swan when he or she is supposed to marry.

One of the swans rose out of the water onto the bank, where she stretched her long neck and flapped her wings. Prince Siegfried raised his crossbow and took aim. His finger felt the trigger, but although hunting was one of the keenest pleasures of his gilded life, he could not bring himself to shoot a creature so peaceful and beautiful. He lowered the weapon and put it on the mossy ground beside him. As he did so, his eyes grew a little misty.

“Dash it. Not tears,” he thought. His finger wiped away a salty drop from the corner of his eye. Now, he saw that that a star was shining directly onto the swan. But she was no longer quite a swan. Her feathers were fading, and she was undergoing some sort of magical moonlit transformation. He stood up and walked towards the remarkable vision. By the time he reached the spot where she stood, she was more woman than a swan, and then she fell gently backwards into his arms.

Comprehension Questions

1) What celebration is taking place on the day that the passage describes?

2) Why is Prince Siegfried upset at the start of the passage?

3) What does Prince Siegfried admire about the swans?

4) Describe the emotions of Prince Siegfried when he sees the swans.

5) What do you understand by the phrase, “magical, moonlit transformation”?

Vocabulary and Grammar

1) “That evening, he was greeted by mouths that were toothy and grinning, others that were delicate and demure, and still others that were luscious and red.”

What is another word for “demure”?

a) fine
b) modest
c) beautiful
d) soft

2) “Even a prince cannot be pressured X falling in love right on cue.”

What is the missing word?

a) into
b) for
c) toward
d) with

3)”When a group of swans came gliding across the moonlit water, he recalled that swans are said to X for life.”

What is the missing word? (hint: the most correct word for animals and birds)

a) marry
b) mate
c) befriend
d) engage

4) “Although hunting was one of the keenest pleasures of his gilded life, he X not bring himself to shoot a creature so peaceful and beautiful.”

What is the missing word?

a) can
b) could
c) will
d) does

5)”Her feathers were fading, and she was X some sort of magical moonlit transformation.”

What is the missing word?

a) going
b) undergoing
c) over-going
d) through-going

Assignments

Do you think people should marry for love only? Or do you think they should consider other things, such as the opinion of parents, age, social background, religion, and money. Write a short essay and try to consider both sides of the argument.

Describe a ballerina dancing like a swan. Describe her costume, the stage scene, the movement of her arms and feet, and the music. If you need inspiration search for a video of “Swan Lake” on a site like YouTube, or listen to the song that goes with this passage.

Comprehension Questions

1) This story was told by the Cherokee Indians of North America – in another tradition, such as the Bible, what would be the equivalent story?

2) What kind of world do the man and woman live in?

3) How does the man feel when the woman leaves him?

4) What part does the sun play in this story?

5) What does the woman feel when she tastes the strawberries?

Vocabulary and Grammar

1) “They lived as happily X any man and woman have ever lived together, until they began to quarrel.”

What is the missing word?

a) like
b) with
c) as
d) to

2) “She walked and walked, always X straight ahead of her, and not once turning back.”

What is the missing word?

a) looked
b) look
c) looks
d) looking

3) “It saw that there was sadness on the face of an otherwise pristine and perfect world.”

What is another word for “pristine” ?

a) Shining
b) untarnished
c) wonderful
d) beautiful

4) “And the sun took pity X the first man, and decided to help him.”

What is the missing word?

a) to
b) at
c) on
d) with

5 “His gentle rays touched the ground along the woman’s path, and a huckleberry bush sprang up. X fruit was shiny and enticing.”

What is the missing word?

a) its
b) it’s
c) its’
d) it

Assignments

Write a short creation myth, such as the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, in your own words.

Write about an argument between a boy and a girl, or a man and a woman, or even between the sun and the moon, and mention some of the silly things that they say to each other. Use speech marks (inverted commas like this ” “). Try to make it funny.

Comprehension Questions

1) Why is the Emperor surprised that the old man is planting a fig tree?

2) Why does the old man think it is worth his while to plant the fig tree?

3) Why does the crafty woman tell her own husband to take figs to the emperor?

4) Why is the Emperor not pleased with the woman’s husband?

5) Why would it have been worse for the husband if the story had been about coconuts, not figs?

Vocabulary and Grammar

1) “When the old man XXX departed, the courtiers said to the emperor:”

Is the missing word:

a) is
b) will
c) has
d) had

2) “She filled an immense basket with figs”.

What is another word for “immense”?

a) small
b) big
c) enormous
d) heavy

3) “Ten years went XX, the tree bore fruit, and the old man enjoyed its figs for his breakfast.”

What is the missing word?

a) on
b) over
c) by
d) away

4) “When she heard of her neighbour’s good fortune, she was filled with envy.”

What is the alternative (American) spelling of “neighbour”?

a) neighber
b) nieghbour
c) neighbor
d) neybour

5) “Never you mind, you should look XX the bright side”

What is the missing word?

a) in
b) on
c) towards
d) for

Assignments

Describe some various types of fruit, such as figs, strawberries, apples, oranges, lemons, grapes etc. Write about how they look and taste, their size and shape, how you choose the best ones to buy, where they grow, and any associations they have for you.

Write about the moral of the story, “The Old Man and the Figs”. You might mention envy, spirituality, old age, providence, and just deserts.