Vocabulary Idioms & Phrases

Vocabulary Idioms & Phrases Reading -Paragraphs 3-11 Post-reading

Listen to paragraphs 3-11. Skip

Now, answer the following questions.

D _____ Why did the little frog run to his mother? (A) He had a fight with his brother. (B) He wanted his mother to fight the beast. (C) He wanted to ask his mother where the beast came from. (D) He was frightened when he saw his brother killed.

D ____ What did the mother frog do after hearing of the beast? (A) She protected her kids by swallowing the beast. (B) She told the beast that it was wrong to kill others. (C) She held her breath carefully when she saw the beast. (D) She blew herself up to show she could be as big as the beast.

B ____ The old frog said, “Even if she had made herself as big as her enemy, she would only have had air inside.” What did the old frog mean? (A) She became much heavier. (B) She did not become any stronger. (C) She would become weaker. (D) She became ever so much bigger.

Reading

The Frog and the Ox One day two little frogs were jumping and playing by the edge of a pond. In the meadow nearby a herd of cattle were feeding, and by and by a big young ox came down to the pond to drink.

His great foot landed right on one of the frogs and crushed the life out of him. His great foot landed right on one of the frogs and crushed the life out of him. → His huge feet fell exactly on one of the frogs and trampled him to death.

The other one hopped away in fright. in fright = in terror = in a frightened manner驚恐地 The other one hopped away in fright. → The one who survived/lived on was frightened and jumped away.

He cried out at the top of his voice, “Mother, a beast—such a terrible beast—has killed my brother! He had a foot as large as twenty frogs put together, and he put it on the top of his head.” He cried out at the top of his voice → He cried out as loudly as possible Next

He cried out at the top of his voice, “Mother, a beast—such a terrible beast—has killed my brother! He had a foot as large as twenty frogs put together, and he put it on the top of his head.” • put together 整合;把…加在一起 • Tom has more books than Ned's and • Bill's put together. 原句＝ His foot was the size of twenty frogs; he trampled on his head and crushed him to death.

“A beast with a foot as big as twenty frogs put together!” exclaimed the mother. “Such an animal cannot be allowed to come into our meadow. I’ll go and fight him!”

“Oh, Mother!” cried the little frog, “you cannot fight him! He is much too big!” • much可以和too、比較級，或最高級連 • 用，強調有很大的程度。 • It is much too cold here. • This is a much more interesting story. He's much too big! → He's a lot too big!

“Rubbish!” said the mother. “No matter how big he is, I can make myself bigger!” 句型 : No matter how + Adj/Adv + S + be/V..., S + V…. No matter how big he is, I can make myself bigger! → However big he is, I can make myself bigger than he!

With that she set to work to blow herself up with air. • blow sth up 有以下涵義： • The frog blew itself up with air. • (使…膨脹) • 2. The issue was blown up by the • newspapers.（誇大） • 3. The image is blown up on a large • screen.（放大） Next

With that she set to work to blow herself up with air. 而blow up sth則有以下涵義： 1. Be sure to blow up the tires before you drive off.（打氣） 2. The old man blows up over almost everything.（發怒） 3. He was jailed for 45 years for trying to blow up a plane.（炸毀） 4. A typhoon blew up over the country. （來臨，侵襲） Next

With that she set to work to blow herself up with air. With that she set to work to blow herself up with air. → After saying that, she began to make herself bigger by breathing in.

She swallowed mouthful after mouthful until she was twice her natural size. A的…是B的…倍 A+be +倍數+B所有格+N 原句＝She breathed in the air mouthful after another until she became two times bigger than she really was.

Then, holding her breath carefully, she asked, “Was that beast as big as I?”

“Oh, Mother,” cried the little frog fearfully, “he was ever so much bigger—nearly as big as a mountain. • ever用來加強so或such， • 有「非常地，相當」之意。 • Be it ever so humble, there's no place • like home. • He is ever such a nice man. He was ever so much bigger. → He was really much bigger. • nearly=almost 幾乎 • Nearly everyone knows the answer.

And please stop blowing yourself up with air or you will certainly burst!” you will certainly burst → you are certain to burs → certainly, you're going to burst

But she shut her eyes and swallowed more and more air, while the little frog looked on in fear. look on (v.) 旁觀 looker-on / onlooker (n.) 旁觀者 the little frog looked on in fear → in terror, the little frog looked at/watched his mother without doing anything

At last, she did burst. At last, she did burst. → Finally, she really broke (apart) and died.

“Foolish creature!” said a very old frog, shaking his head. “Of what use was it to blow herself up in that way? Of what use was it to blow herself up in that way? → It was no use blowing herself up in that way.

Even if she had made herself as big as her enemy, she would only have had air inside, after all. • Even if she had + V-en, she would have V-en. • 與過去事實相反的結構 • If he had not jumped away, he would have been killed. 原句＝No matter how hard she blew herself up, she was still smaller than her enemy. Even if she had become as big as her enemy, infact/as a matter of fact, she would have nothing but air inside her body.

And, as it was, she did not manage to do anything but burst!” • as it was/is常與假設語氣的句子連用。 • If she had studied harder, she would • have passed the test. As it was, she • didn't study hard enough. • I would not help you if you were not my friend. As it is, you are my best friend. Next

And, as it was, she did not manage to do anything but burst!” not do anything but + V = do nothing but + V 除了做…之外一事無成 She does not do anything but take care of the baby. → She does nothing but take care of the baby. Next

And, as it was, she did not manage to do anything but burst!” And, as it was, she did not manage to do anything but burst! → And, in fact/as a matter of fact, she did nothing but destroyed herself ! Back

Post-reading

Reading for Main Ideas 1. Check the main idea of the reading. ____ a. People are interested in listening to stories about animals. ____ b. It is important to learn the relationship between animals and humans. ____ c. Fables help us get a better understanding of ourselves. ____ d. Foxes and frogs are the animals mentioned most often in fables.

Reading for Main Ideas 2. What do you think is the moral of “The Fox and the Grapes”? _________________________________ What do you think is the moral of “The Frog and the Ox”? _________________________________ It's easy to despise what you can't get. Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction.

Topics for Discussion

What are “sour grapes”? • Share your “sour grapes” • experience with your • classmates.

Reference answer: “Sour grapes” is an act of pretending to dislike what one really wants but can't get. Once I wanted a fashionable cell phone but it was too expensive for me. I had to keep using my old, clumsy cell phone. One day, one of my friends proudly showed me her

Reference answer: new cell phone. It was exactly what I had in mind. However, at that time, after taking a short look at it, I said coldly, “Why waste money on a new phone?”

2. There are many expressions which come from fables such as “The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing,” “An Ass in Lion's Clothing,” or “Crying Wolf.” Do you know what these phrases mean? Are there expressions derived from the Chinese fables?

Reference answer: “The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing” means appearances are deceptive. We shouldn't be fooled by a person's appearance. A bad guy disguised as a kind person is a wolf in sheep's clothing. “An Ass in Lion's Clothing” also means appearances are deceptive. It also

Reference answer: means “Fine clothes may disguise but silly words will disclose a fool.” “Crying Wolf ” means telling lies. Sometimes we call a liar a shepherd boy. Yes, there are many Chinese expressions coming from fables such as「井底之蛙」,「自相矛

Reference answer: 盾」,「掩耳盜鈴」,「塞翁失馬」, 「愚公移山」, etc. Back

Vocabulary Idioms & Phrases