The Peacock and the Crane

A peacock was teasing a crane about the dullness of her plumage. “Look at my brilliant colors” she said, “and see how much finer they are than your ugly feathers.”

The crane replied, “I am not denying that yours are far brighter than mine; but when it comes to flying, I can soar into the clouds whereas you are confined to the earth like any plain chicken.

The moral of the story is this: Looks aren’t everything.



VOCABULARY
In the first paragraph . . .
1. “A peacock was teasing a crane” “tease” is a verb, and it means
(a) was talking to (b) was making fun of (c) was testing
2. “the dullness of her plumage” “dullness” is a noun and means
(a) beauty (b) fluffiness (c) lacking in color
3. “plumage” means
(a) feathers (b) plums (c) body
4. “see how much finer they are. . .” “finer” is an adjective and means (a) more beautiful (b) very thin (c) much thinner

In the second paragraph. . .
5. “I am not denying” “deny” is a verb and it means
(a) not saying “no” (b) not doing anything (c) not telling the truth
6. “I can soar” “soar” is a verb and it means
(a) I am sour (b) I can fly (c) I can swear
7. “you are confined” “confined” means
(a) confused (b) foolish (c) cannot leave
8. “like any plain chicken” “like” means
(a) The peacock likes chicken. (b) Both the peacock and the chicken can’t fly. (c) The crane likes the peacock.
In the moral .
9. “Looks aren’t everything.” “Looks” is a noun and means
(a) Your appearance (b) Your eyes (c) You’re good-looking


GRAMMAR
A. Read the story again and identify the subjects, verbs, and tenses.
SUBJECTS VERBS TENSES INFINITIVE
1. peacock was teasing past progressive to tease
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
B. Comparisons of adjectives using MUCH
single-syllable adjectives big bigger than bright brighter than
fast faster than
small smaller than
I have a bigger apartment than you do.
I have a MUCH BIGGER apartment than you do.
She runs FASTER THAN her brother.
She runs MUCH FASTER THAN her brother.
14. Please write a sentence using MUCH + a single-syllable adjective



15. Comparison of MUCH + adjectives ending in y
Mary is much prettier than Brenda.
Her father was much angrier with his daughter than his mother was.
Please write a sentence using MUCH + an adjective ending in y

16. more beautiful than
more unusual than
Mary is much more beautiful than her sister
Her wedding dress is much more unusual than any I have ever seen.
Please write a sentence using MUCH MORE + a 2- or-more-syllable adjective

17. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
MY book or books OUR apartment
YOUR pen or pens YOUR keys
HIS car/s Her jacket/s Its leg/s THEIR child or children
MY OUR
YOUR YOUR
HIS / HER / ITS THEIR
Now, please write a sentence showing you can use a possessive adjective
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18. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS take the place of possessive adjectives and their nouns. For example: Your book is harder than my book.
YOURS is harder than MINE.
MINE OURS
YOURS YOURS
HIS/HERS/ITS THEIRS
Now please re-write the same sentence as you did above but replace the possessive adjective and noun with a possessive pronoun.
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CONVERSATION
1. What two kinds of birds were talking in this story?


2. Which of the two birds has the most beautiful feathers?


3. Which of the two birds cannot fly?


4. Please explain what “Looks aren’t everything” means.

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