Lesson 9 The Swan

1、The tame swan is a very gentle bird. It likes to swim on streams and ponds.When it is young it is gray and not at all a pretty bird;but when it is full-grown it is as white as snow.

2、Look at the swan in the picture. See how graceful it is as it sails along.

3、Among the bushes and high grass near the water the swan builds its nest. It is made of dry sticks or bushes, and is placed on the ground. Here the swan lays its eggs.

4、As soon as the young ones are hatched, away the little creatures run to the water!They need no school and no teaching, for God has made them so that they can swim at once, as well as the old birds.

5、Did you ever see the feet of a swan? They are made for swimming. All birds that love the water, and swim in it, have web-feet. Swans have web-feet, and so have ducks, and

a number of other birds.

6、They can all swim well; but hens and chickens andsparrows cannot swim at all,for they have not web-feet like the swan and the duck.

7、The swan has a long neck; and by means of  it, it can reachits food without diving as ducks do. The swan feeds on the seeds, leaves, and roots4 of water-plants.

(235 words)

Exercises

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. [Note the fact] Which of the following have web-feet?

A. Pigs and ducks.

B. Swans and ducks.

C. Goats and sparrows.

2. [Note the fact] Where does the swan build its nest?

A. Among the bushes and high grass near the water.

B. In the tall trees and high grass near the river.

C. On the ground and high grass near the river.

3. [Note the fact] What does the swan live on?

A. Things in the bushes and high grass.

B. Seeds, leaves and roots of trees.

C. Seeds, leaves, and roots of water-plants.

4. [Grasp the main idea] What’s the passage mainly about? It’s mainly about _____________.

A. where the swan lives

B. life of the swan

C. how the swan swims

5. [Check the details] From the passage we can know that _____________.

A. the swan is a born swimmer

B. the swan is born as white as snow C. the swan lays its eggs in the water

Ⅱ. Read for words.

Choose one best paraphrase or Chinese meaning for the underlined words.

1. See how graceful it is as it sails along. (Para. 2, line 2)A. careful B. useful C. easy and pretty

2. As soon as the young ones are hatched, away the little creatures run to the water!(Para. 4, line 1)

A. brought out of the eggs

B. given the food

C. strong enough

3. The swan has a long neck; and by means of it, it can reach its food without diving as ducks do. (Para. 7, line 1)

A. jumping go out of the river B. falling into the river

C. going under the water

Ⅲ. Writing practice.

Write a passage about what you know about the swan.

1. What do people think of the swan?

2. What does the swan look like?

3. Where does it live?

4. What does the swan feed on?