Worksheet 3B 1 Read the paragraph below. It is the opening to a short fable. Then answer questions a to d. It was a hot day and a traveller, after walking for hours, was almost fainting with hunger. He was just thinking to himself that any food would be acceptable to him when he saw some large, ripe apples hanging over a high wall enclosing an orchard. Below are four sets of statements about the fable. In each set a to d, circle ‘1’ for the statement you think is most likely to be true and ‘3’ for the statement least likely to be true, and circle ‘2’ for the remaining statement. a Here are three statements about what the traveller wants. Number them from most likely to least likely (where 1 = most likely and 3 = least likely). The traveller’s strongest desire is to sit down and rest. 1 2 3 The traveller’s strongest desire is to eat the apples he has seen. 1 2 3 The traveller’s strongest desire is get under the shade of the overhanging branch. 1 2 3
b Here are three statements about the traveller’s goals. Number them from most likely to least likely (where 1 = most likely and 3 = least likely). The traveller’s goals are to get and eat the apples. 1 2 3 The traveller’s goals are to rest and then get to the place he is travelling to. 1 2 3
The traveller’s goal is to carry on walking. 1 2 3
c Here are three predictions about what the traveller will do next. Number them from most likely to least likely (where 1 = most likely and 3 = least likely). The traveller will try to get the apples. 1 2 3 The traveller will lie against the wall and go to sleep. 1 2 3 The traveller will try to find the owner of the orchard. 1 2 3
d Here are three predictions about the consequences of the traveller’s actions. Number them from most likely to least likely (where 1 = most likely and 3 = least likely). The traveller will succeed in getting and then eating the apples. 1 2 3 The traveller will sleep, have an interesting dream, and then walk on with more strength. 1 2 3 The traveller will fail at getting the apples. 1 2 3
2 The title of the story is The Traveller and the Orchard. Now that you know the title, would you change any of your answers?
3 Now read the complete story. Update your answers now that you know the whole story. Then, work with a partner to fill in the table below.
The Traveller and the Orchard
It was a hot day and a traveller, after walking for hours, was almost fainting with hunger. He was just thinking to himself that any food would be acceptable to him when he saw some large, ripe apples hanging over a high wall enclosing an orchard. ‘That’s lucky!’ he said to himself. ‘If only they weren’t quite so high, I could grab one and have a nice meal. I wonder if I can get one or two. I can think of nothing better right now than to sink my teeth into some juicy apples.’ But the wall was very high and the traveller was not a great jumper. Nevertheless he took a short run at the wall and leapt as high as he could, his fingers almost reaching the apples. ‘I’ll try again,’ he said. He tried again and again, but did not manage to jump as high as he did at first. Finding that he was losing his strength and that he had little chance of getting the apples, he walked off slowly, grumbling as he did so: ‘The apples are probably bitter, and not at all fit for my eating. I’ll leave them to the worms. They eat anything.’
