The Ant and the Grasshopper
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Graded Readers Series Children read stories with the purpose of escaping into the world of imagination by meeting characters for the first time or those who have already established a place in their affection. By contrast, the adults supplementing the child with stories, have deeper and far-reaching purposes of developing moral and spiritual values in the child and stretching his/her intellectual capacities. In an attempt to encapsulate both these reading objectives, this graded reader series has been designed for children in grades 1-6. It brings together popular fairy tales and fables that will inspire both beginners and independent readers.
It was a bright and sunny summer’s day. All the plants and animals were happy! A grasshopper was walking around in joy. There were a lot of things for him to eat!
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He met an ant who was carrying a cob of corn. The grasshopper asked him, ‘Where are you going with this heavy load?’ The ant replied, ‘I am storing food for the winter season. You should also do so.’
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The grasshopper laughed and said, ‘Winter is far away. For now, just enjoy the food.’ But the ant did not agree and continued to carry his cob while the grasshopper was lazing in the sun.
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The next day, the ant was carrying a grain of rice on its back. The ant told the grasshopper the same thing as the previous day, but the grasshopper did not listen to him again.
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The grasshopper continued enjoying the summer. The hardworking ant however, kept on collecting and storing food.
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The next day the ant was carrying some straws on its back. Curious, the grasshopper asked him, ‘What are you carrying today?’ The ant replied, ‘These straws will help me keep warm. You should put them in your nest too.’
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But the grasshopper could not worry about the future. He was having so much fun eating and watching the colourful flowers in the summer that he couldn’t imagine what the winter would be like.
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Finally, it was winter. All the flowers and trees were covered in snow and it was very difficult to find food. But the ant had nothing to worry because as he had stored food and his house was warm.
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The grasshopper sat on a cold nest and was shivering in hunger. He remembered the ant’s advice and thought that he should have worked hard to prepare for the winter instead of just playing around.
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Activity Q1) Match the words in capital letters to the words in small letters. One has been done for you. ZEBRA
sky
DOOR
apple
BALL
pin
COW
zebra
PIN
door
CUP
cup
APPLE
ball
SKY
cow
GLASS
boy
BOY
glass
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Q2) Fill in the blanks with the correct vowels to complete the words below. One has been done for you. 1) t r e e
2) c l __ __ d
3) f __ r __
4) __ c __
5) g r __ s s
6) f l __ w __ r
7) m __ t h __ r
8) b __ s
9) g __ r l
10) j __ g
Q3) Colour the boxes that have special names in red and the boxes that have common names in blue. There is an example. Alex
Brian
zebra
plant
London
frock
bicycle
car
Eiffel Tower
cat
table
Spain
George
chair
Fluffy
cap
Taj Mahal
pen
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Q4) Number the words to form sentences. One has been done for you.
1 3 5 2 4 1) Ali / my / friend / is / best
2) live / we / on / Street / Park
3) a / has / the / lion / mane / golden
4) birthday / on / my / is / March / 4
5) eat / vegetables / to / sister / my / loves
6) sweet / girl / Tiasha / a / is
7) Bruno / my / pet / is / dog
8) fairy / listening / to / like / I / tales 21
Q5) Put a ‘.’ or ‘?’ as required after each sentence. One has been done for you.
Q7) Write ‘a’ or ‘an’ before these words. One has been done for you.
1) What is your name ?
1)
A sheep
2) My father works in an office ___
2) _______ bat
3) How are you ___
4) I have two new dresses ___
5) Can I play with you ___
6) My room is very clean ___
7) I listen to my mother ___
8) Will you help me ___
3) _______ igloo
Q6) Circle the describing words in the sentences below. One has been done for you. 1) Mary had a little lamb. 2) These apples are sweet. 3) The baby is cute. 4) The elephant is a big animal. 5) There is a small mouse under the table. 6) There are pretty flowers in the garden. 7) My mother is kind. 8) Paul has a red bag. 22
4) _______ girl 5) _______ jacket 6) _______ ant 7) _______ plant 9) _______ ear 10) _______ orange Q8) Fill in the blanks with ‘is’, ‘are’, or ‘am’. One has been done for you. 1) Matt
is singing.
2) I ______ a good girl. 3) They _________ dancing. 4) Mother _______ cooking. 5) I _____ reading my book. 6) James _______ my friend. 7) They ______ my neighbours. 23
Q9) Make more than one of these naming words by adding ‘-s’. One has been done for you.
ONE
MORE THAN ONE
toy
toys
cake
bed
lamp
book
pencil
day
girl
chair 24