Сказки народов Севера
материал по английскому языку (7 класс) на тему

Сказки народов севера

Text 1. WHY THE RAVEN IS BLACK  (Mansi tale)

 New words and phrases:

 bog – болото

dry place - сухое место

send smb. on an errand - послать кого-либо с поручением

home-made food - домашняя еда

get away - уходи прочь

from now on - отныне и навсегда

therefore – поэтому

remnants – останки

doomed - обреченный

dead flesh – мертвечина

 Do you know, dear children, that once a Raven was white? He lived with an Old Man on a bog. The Old Man wanted to move from the bog to a dry place. He sent his Raven on an errand.

- Fly round the Earth and try to learn whether or not it has grown much. The Raven flew away, but soon he was back.

- The Earth hasn’t grown very much yet, so there’s no place for us to move to.

And he was right. It took him as much time as boiling a kettle of fish.

After a little while the Old Man sent the Raven again to see if the Earth had grown or not.

The Raven was flying for three days and nights and felt very hungry.

- The Earth has grown up a little, but still there is no place to move to yet. Give me something to eat, Old Man.

And once again the Old Man sent his white Raven on an errand and ordered him not to eat anything anywhere, he should wait for home-made food.

The white Raven flew away and was absent for one year… two years. On the third year some black bird suddenly came flying to the Old Man’s choom. The Old Man had a good look at the bird and recognized his white Raven, who had become black.

- What evil have you done? - the Old Man asked the Raven.

The Earth has grown very large, -the Raven answered. - I could hardly fly round it and felt hungry. Some man over there died and I ate him up.

- Get away! - the Old Man said. - From now on, you are doomed to eat only dead flesh. Since that time the Raven has been black. And he can’t find any food for himself. Therefore he picks up remnants of dead animals and birds.

Find the English equivalents to the following phrases:

 1. хотел перебраться в сухое место

2. облетел землю

3. намного ли она выросла

4. улетел

5 . за время, что он летал, всего один котел рыбы сварить можно было

6. через некоторое время

7. пригляделся

Answer the questions:

1. Where did an Old Man and a White Raven live?

2. Where did the Man want to move?

3. Where did the Old Man send the Raven? What for?

4. How many times did the Raven fly?

5. How long was the Raven absent each time?

6. Why didn’t the Old man recognize the Raven?

7. What color did the Raven become?

Text 2. THE POLAR BEAR AND THE BROWN BEAR

 New words and phrases:

 the Polar bear — белый медведь                             silently - молча

ice-floe — плавучая льдина                                     it appears - оказывается

seashore — берег моря                                             therefore - поэтому

rear up — вставать на дыбы                                   in the long run - в конце концов

kept fighting - продолжали бороться                       enormous - огромные

get tired — устали                                                     possession - владения

more than that — более того

Once the Brown Bear, who lived in the forest, went to the northern sea. At that moment the White Bear, who lived in the sea went to the southern lands on an ice-floe.

They met near the seashore.

The White Bear’s hair stood on end. He said:

—You, Brown Bear! What are you doing here in my land? The Brown Bear answered:

—You have never had any land of your own. Your place is in the sea. The ice-floe is your land!

The White Bear reared up. The Brown Bear reared up too. They began to fight.

They fought till midday, but nobody could win. They kept fighting till evening.

At last they got tired and sat silently to have a rest.

The Brown Bear was the first to speak. He said:

—It appears, White Bear, that you are stronger. But I am dodgy and more cunning. Therefore nobody will win. And in the long run we are brothers, — aren’t we?

The White Bear said:

—That’s right, we are brothers. We mustn’t quarrel about anything. We have enormous lands in our possession.

The Forest Bear said:

—Yes, my lands are large. I have nothing to do on your icy-field. The Sea Bear said:

— As for me, I have nothing to do in your forest. More than that, I haven’t ever been there. Let’s live on our own lands without disturbing each other.

The Forest Bear retired to the forest. The Polar Bear stayed on the seashore.

Since that time the Brown Bear has been the Master of the forest, the Polar Bear has been the Master of the Sea. They never disturb each other.

Find the English equivalents to the following phrases:

1. шерсть встала дыбом                               5. ссориться по пустякам

2. собственная земля                                   6. нечего делать в твоих льдах

3. боролись до полудня                               7. не мешая друг другу

4. ловчее и увертливее                                8. с тех пор

Answer the questions:

1. Where did the Polar Bear and the Brown Bear live?

2. Where did they meet?

3. Why did they fight?

4. Why could nobody win?

5. Why did they decide to stop quarrel?

6. Where did they decide to live?

7. Where and how do they live now?

Text 3. THE FALCON FIRE (Selkup tale).

 Unknown words:

 falcon — сокол                                  cedar branch — кедровая лапа

nest — гнездо                                    beak - клюв

nestlings — птенцы                            appear - появляться

to fall out — выпасть                         since then, time and again - с тех пор, раз за разом

trouble — беда                                   eager – сильно желать (чего-то)

return — возвращаться                     weep bitterly — горько плакать

injure — ранение                               wounded - раненный

In a fringe of trees, at the edge of the taiga a Falcon had built his nest. Soon there appeared his nestlings. Once one of them fell out of the nest. But there was a choom not far away, at the edge of the tundra, Grandfather Eio, his grand-son Ene and their dog Aija lived in this choom. Ene found the little Falcon, climbed the tree and put it back into the nest.

Later on trouble came to this choom. Grandfather Eio returned from hunting without their dog, without Aija. He said to his grandson:

— My dear grandson Ene. Our Aija is lost. A wolf injured him while Aija was saving me, and while I was driving the wolf away, Aija got lost. It is dark in the tundra now and we can’t find him.

Ene was weeping bitterly, but suddenly he heard the Falcon’s scream.

— Don’t weep any more, Ene, — the Falcon said to the boy. Once you have helped my little Falcon out of trouble. Now I shall help you. Take a cedar branch and light fire on the top of it.

Ene did as he was told. The Falcon took the burning branch into his beak and flew up as high as the sky. The night darkness retired. The Falcon was flying in circles, climbing still higher and higher, throwing light all over the tundra.

Ene with his grandfather were busy looking for Aija. Before the cedar paw was burnt to ashes, they found their wounded dog and brought him home.

Since then, time and again, if someone is eager to commit a good action, there appear in the northern sky flaming circles of fire.

People call these Northern Lights.

Find English equivalents to the following words and phrases:

 1. в гуще деревьев

2. на краю тайги

3. выручить кого-то из беды

4. возьми кедровую лапу и подожги ее кончик на костре

5. взмыть в небо

6. тьма расступилась

7. летал кругами, освещая тундру

8. кедровая лапа догорела

9. совершать хорошие поступки

Answer the questions.

1. Where did the Falcon live?

2. Who lived not far from the Falcon?

3. How did Ene help the Falcon?

4. What trouble came to the choom?

5. What did the Falcon do to help the people?

6. Why did he help the people?

7. Why do the Northern Lights appear in the sky?