J1 Literature: “King Arthur”

This story is retold by Janet Hardy-Gould.

This story happens in the year 650. (Time setting)
This story takes place in England. (country)

king England Mordred knights sword

Merlin Lancelot Guinevere Arthur Morgan

Synopsis:

_________________ has no king and there is a lot of civil strife. _________________ - the magician
dreams of a future king named _________________. He sets up a magic stone with a _________________ in it.
The spell cast on that stone ensures that only the true _________________ can pull it out. Arthur eventually does
it and is crowned King Arthur of England.

Merlin helps Arthur to become a good, strong king who is well-liked by the people. King Arthur meets
_________________ and makes her his queen despite Merlin’s warnings. Merlin tells Arthur that he is losing his
magic and gives King Arthur a sword which will help him rule England well. King Arthur holds a jousting
competition to find the best _________________ in England for the Round Table. _________________ emerged
as the winner.

King Arthur gets to know Lancelot and they become great friends. Guinevere and Lancelot often ride
together. _________________ and Mordred take advantage of the situation and tell King Arthur that Guinevere
and Lancelot are in love. King Arthur believes them and drives Lancelot away. The king becomes sad and does not
look after his country. He goes after Lancelot for a fight and loses his throne to _________________. In the
ensuing battle with Mordred, Arthur is fatally wounded and Lancelot kills Mordred. Arthur’s last words to Lancelot
are to take his sword and throw it into the water. Merlin returns and takes Arthur away.
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Main Characters
(1) Arthur (“King Arthur”)

Guinevere Lancelot Morgan sword Camelot Mordred

The young Arthur is able to pull the _________________ out of the magic stone.
Arthur marries a pretty woman - _________________.
Arthur has an evil half-sister, _________________.
Arthur builds a castle for his queen, “_________________”.
Arthur is badly wounded by _________________ in a fight.
When Arthur is dying, he asks _________________ to throw his sword into the water.

(2) “Merlin”

dark future Guinevere magical power magician four years disappointed

What’s the occupation of Merlin? He is a _________________.

Merlin teaches Arthur for _________________ to be a strong and good king.
Merlin goes against / opposes Arthur’s intention 意图 of marrying _________________.
Merlin sees a _________________between Arthur and Guinevere.
Merlin feels _________________ on Arthur’s decision of marrying Guinevere.
Merlin said, “Arthur, I’m losing my _________________. I am going to leave you.”
Merlin told Arthur, “Take this magic sword. Remember, don’t break this sword or you will be nothing.”

Test Yourself!
1) Arthur builds a castle for his queen. What’s the name of the castle? _________________________.
2) Merlin tells Arthur not to marry with the girl. Who is she? _________________
True or False?
(1) Merlin teaches Arthur how to be strong, good king.
(2) Merlin wants Arthur to marry Guinevere.

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“Lancelot”

Lancelot Arthur Round Table First Knight Mordred Gawain

In the competition, ________________ wins all the other fighters, including of ________________, and earns
the title of “The ________________ of the ________________.”
________________ treats Lancelot as his best friend.
Mordred spreads rumour 散播谣言 to Arthur that ________________ has fallen in love with Guinevere /
Lancelot is having an affair with Guinevere.
Arthur banishes 驱逐 ________________ out of the country without hearing his explanation.
At last, Lancelot and his knights come to Arthur’s rescue and he kills the traitor - ________________.

Who says this?

“I see a dark future for you and Guinevere. Don’t marry her!” ________________
“I am King and I choose my Queen!” ________________

“Guinevere”
She is the daughter of a landlord.
Guinevere gives Arthur a ________________ and says it is only fit for the best ________________ of the
country.
________________ predicts / prophesises 预言 Guinevere will bring to Arthur’s downfall 没落.

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Minor Characters
“Morgan”

She is Arthur’s half-sister.

She has a son whose name is ________________.
She can see into the ________________.

“Mordred”

When Arthur leaves the castle, Mordred crowns himself as king and puts the queen Guinevere in prison.

At last, Mordred is killed by ________________.

“Gawain”

In the competition, he wins many good fighters but at last,

Gawain is defeated / is beaten 被打败 by an anonymous fighter 匿名的武士 – ________________.
At last, Gawain is killed by Mordred in the battle.

“The ________________” – makes Mordred’s followers misunderstand that Arthur starts the fight.

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Practice A
Part I: Fill in the blanks with THE BEST ANSWERS.
1. This story is retold by ________________________.
2. _______________________ makes a magic stone and impales 插入 a sword into it.
3. _________________ is the first knight of the Round Table.
4. Arthur builds a _________________ for his queen.
5. Who’s Arthur’s half-sister? _________________.

Part II: Write True (T) for correct statements OR False (F) for statements that are not true.

6. This story happens in the year 650 in Ireland. ( )

7. Merlin supports Arthur to marry Guinevere. ( )
8. Mordred makes Guinevere his queen when Arthur leaves the castle.
9. At last, Arthur is killed by Mordred in a fight. ( )
10. Arthur asks Lancelot to throw his sword into the sea. ( )

Practice B
Fill in the blanks with THE BEST ANSWERS (2 marks each)
1. In the year ____________, the people of _______________ are not happy as there is no king and there’s a lot
of fighting.
2. Arthur’s _________________ can see into the future.
3. She says that her son – ___________________, will be the king after Arthur.
4. Merlin goes against Arthur’s intention of marrying ____________ because he sees a dark future for them.
5. Only the best _________________ in the country are qualified to sit on that table.
6. In the competition, __________________ fights many different men and nobody can beat him until he meets
Lancelot.
7. ______________ is the first knight of the Round Table.
8. Arthur is badly wounded by _________________ in the last fight.
9. This story is told in the _________________ point of view.

Practice C
Write T for correct statements or F for incorrect statements.
1. ( ) Merlin wants Arthur to marry Guinevere.
2. ( ) Merlin builds a new castle for Arthur’s new queen.
3. ( ) Mordred puts Guinevere in prison and declare himself as king after Arthur leaves the country.

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4. ( ) Lancelot and his soldiers come to King Arthur’s rescue but by that time, King Arthur is seriously
wounded by Gawain.
5. ( ) The story ends with King Arthur being taken away by Guinevere and leaving words with Lancelot to
take care of his people.
6. ( ) Arthur insists on marrying Guinevere as he says that he is the King and has the right to choose his
own queen.
7. ( ) Merlin lies to Arthur that he is losing his money and asks to leave him.
8. ( ) In the competition, Gawain was beaten by an anonymous fighter whose name is Lancelot.
9. ( ) After Arthur heard the rumour, he threatened Lancelot to leave the country at once or he would be
killed.
10. ( ) After Guinevere leaves, Arthur feels depressed and loses interest in looking after his country.
11. ( ) Mordred provokes Arthur to find Lancelot and fight him.
12. ( ) The queen is imprisoned and Morgan is crowned as king after Arthur is tricked into leaving the castle.

Part A: Fill in the blanks with the best answers.

1. “King Arthur” is retold by ___________________.

2. The story happens in the year 650 in ___________________.

3. People in England hope to have a ___________________ so that there can be peaceful.

4. One day, Merlin places a sword in a ___________________ which can only be drawn out by the future king.

5. Merlin foresees a dark ___________________ for Arthur if he marries the woman he falls in love with.

6. ___________________, Arthur’s half-sister, has the ability to see the future.

7. Before Merlin goes, he brings Arthur to a ___________________. When Arthur looks into it upon Merlin’s

instruction, he sees a hand emerge from the water holding a sword.

8. Arthur’s queen gives him a large ___________________ and says only the strongest ___________________

from the country can sit with him there.

9. A messenger arrives and inform Arthur that the queen has been put in ___________________.

10. When Arthur raises his sword to kill a ___________________ on the ground, the opposition armies think the

fight is on and they attack.

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Part B: Fill in the blanks with the best answers.
1. This story is told in the ___________________ person point of view.

2. Arthur builds his queen a new castle called ___________________.

3. Merlin is a ___________________ who have magical power.

4. During the competition a talented fighter called ___________________ captures everybody’s imagination but

at last he was defeated by an anonymous fighter.

5. Who became the First Knight of the Round Table? ___________________

6. What’s the name of Arthur’s queen? ___________________

7. Merlin appears in a dream and warns Arthur that ___________________ is a bad man and hence not fit to be

king.

8. ___________________ poisons the King’s mind urging him to kill his best friend who is said to have an affair

with the Queen.

9. Arthur asks his most trusted knight to throw his broken sword into the ___________________.

10. At last, Arthur was taken away by Merlin and leaving words with ___________________ to save and care for

the queen.

Part C: State whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F) 20% (2marks each)

1. ___________ There is no fighting in England even though there is no king.

2. ___________ Arthur decides to marry Guinevere, ignoring Lancelot’s advice.

3. ___________ Merlin decides to stay in the country when Arthur goes against his advice and marries his dream

girl.

4. ___________ Merlin presents Arthur with a magic sword and urges him to protect it at all costs.

5. ___________ Everybody thinks Lancelot will be the first knight of the round table but at last he is defeated by

an anonymous fighter.

6. ___________ When Lancelot comes to his rescue, King Arthur has already been killed by Morgan’s son.

7. ___________ Morgan has evil ambitions to make her son the king.

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8. ___________ Morgan and her son creates a rift between Lancelot and Arthur by telling him Lancelot and his

wife are in love with each other.

9. ___________ Morgan is cold, calculating and vicious.

10. ___________ Arthur is betrayed by Morgan and Merlin.

Part D: State whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F) 20%
1. ___________ This story is retold by Roald Dahl.
2. ___________ Merlin becomes Arthur’s adviser and prepares him to become England’s ruler.

3. ___________ Arthur is away to fight Lancelot. Mordred takes over the kingdom and crowns himself king.

4. ___________ Arthur becomes depressed and neglects ruling the country well after Lancelot has left.

5. ___________ Arthur falls out with his good friend because of some rumours.

6. ___________ Arthur duels with Mordred but his sword breaks in the fight.

7. ___________ One night Merlin appears in a dream and tells Arthur wait for Lancelot before the fight.

8. ___________ Arthur is mortally wounded in the last fight.

9. ___________ Arthur intends to hand the throne to Morgan’s son after his death.

10. ___________ Arthur bestows the fate of Guinevere and England in the safe hands of Lancelot.

King Arthur, retold by Janet Hardy-Gould

1 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
a ______ Arthur pulls the sword out of the stone.
b ______ Merlin teaches Arthur how to be strong, good king.
c ______ Merlin wants Arthur to marry Guinevere.
d ______ Guinevere gives Arthur a round table.
e ______ Gawain fights Lancelot and wins.
f ______ Gawain is the strongest knight in England.
g ______ Lancelot is the first knight of the Round Table.
h ______ Morgan, Arthur’s half-sister, can see into the future.
i ______ Lancelot throws Arthur’s sword into the fire.
j ______ Mordred tells Arthur that Guinevere and Lancelot are in love.

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2 Put the following events in the story in the right order. Number them 1–10.
a _____________ Arthur becomes king.
b _____________ Merlin puts a sword in a magic stone.
c _____________ Arthur marries Guinevere.
d _____________ Many people want to pull the sword out of the stone.
e _____________ Arthur fights the lords from the North.
f _____________ Arthur meets Guinevere.
g _____________ Merlin gives Arthur a magic sword.
h _____________ Merlin dreams about a new king.
i _____________ Merlin leaves Arthur.
j _____________ Arthur pulls the sword out of the stone.

3 Who says this? Arthur, Gawain, Guinevere, Merlin, Morgan

a ‘I see a dark future for you and Guinevere.’ _____________
b ‘I am King and I choose my Queen!’ _____________
c ‘I am losing my magic!’ _____________
d ‘Can I fight first?’ _____________
e ‘You’re our best friend, Lancelot.’ _____________
f ‘You must be king, my son.’ _____________
g ‘Morgan and Mordred are nice people.’ _____________
h ‘Perhaps Guinevere and Lancelot are in love. . .’ _____________
i ‘Shall we fight Mordred today?’ _____________
j ‘Throw it into the water over there!’ _____________

4 Who or what in the story . . .

a dreams about a true king? _____________
b is Arthur’s half-sister? _____________
c teaches Arthur for four years? _____________
d does Arthur build at Camelot? _____________
e does Merlin give Arthur when he leaves? _____________
f do the knights sit around? _____________
g is Arthur’s first knight? _____________
h wants to be king? _____________
i leaves Camelot because Arthur wants to kill him? _____________
j kills Mordred? _____________

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Multiple-choice Test What’s the name of this sword?

_________________________
Setting

Choose the best answer.

1 The place setting of this story is in _____.
a [ ] America b [ ] Australia c [ ] Scotland d [ ] England
2 The time setting of King Arthur is in the year _____.
a [ ] 250 b [ ] 650 c [ ] 1250 d [ ] 1850
3 The true king must pull a sword from a _____.
a [ ] tree b [ ] table c [ ] stone d [ ] chair
4 Merlin teaches Arthur for _____.
a [ ] one day b [ ] two weeks c [ ] three months d [ ] four years
5 Arthur builds Camelot. Camelot is a _____.
a [ ] house b [ ] castle c [ ] prison d [ ] school
6 Merlin gives Arthur a _____.
a [ ] sword b [ ] house c [ ] dog d [ ] shirt
7 Guinevere gives Arthur a _____.
a [ ] beautiful crown b [ ] large sword c [ ] round table d [ ] new bed
8 Morgan and Mordred come to _____ at Camelot.
a [ ] stay b [ ] look c [ ] drink d [ ] sing
9 Arthur fights a battle against _____.
a [ ] Lancelot b [ ] Gawain c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Mordred
10 At the end, Arthur throws his sword into _____.
a [ ] the trees b [ ] the castle c [ ] the water d [ ] the Round Table

Characters

Choose the best answer.

11 Merlin is a _____.
a [ ] king b [ ] soldier c [ ] knight d [ ] magician
12 When Arthur pulls out the sword he is a _____.
a [ ] baby b [ ] boy c [ ] man d [ ] very old man
13 Morgan is Arthur’s _____.
a [ ] mother b [ ] grandmother c [ ] half-sister d [ ] friend

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14 Merlin _____ Arthur to marry Guinevere.
a [ ] wants b [ ] doesn’t want c [ ] tells d [ ] helps
15 Lancelot fights in the name of _____.
a [ ] Queen Guinevere b [ ] King Arthur c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Morgan
16 Lancelot is the _____ of the Round Table.
a [ ] king b [ ] first lord c [ ] first knight d [ ] first soldier
17 Morgan and Mordred are very _____ people.
a [ ] good b [ ] nice c [ ] unhappy d [ ] bad
18 In the future, Morgan wants her son to be _____.
a [ ] the king b [ ] a knight c [ ] a soldier d [ ] a magician
19 Mordred tells Arthur to fight _____.
a [ ] Guinevere b [ ] Gawain c [ ] Lancelot d [ ] Merlin
20 In the battle _____ wounds Arthur with a sword.
a [ ] Mordred b [ ] Lancelot c [ ] Gawain d [ ] Merlin

Dialogue

Who says or writes this? “Only the best knights are fit to sit on this table.”
21 ‘I see a wonderful king. His name is Arthur! How can I find him?’
a [ ] Morgan b [ ] Mordred c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Guinevere
22 ‘But I don’t know how to be king.’
a [ ] Arthur b [ ] Mordred c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Lancelot
23 ‘I must leave you now. I am losing my magic.’
a [ ] Morgan b [ ] Mordred c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Gawain
24 ‘When I look into the future I see King Arthur is dead.’
a [ ] Morgan b [ ] Guinevere c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Lancelot
25 ‘Don’t worry. It’s only a dream. Morgan and Mordred are nice people.’
a [ ] Lancelot b [ ] Arthur c [ ] Gawain d [ ] Guinevere
26 ‘Perhaps Guinevere and Lancelot are in love.’
a [ ] Morgan b [ ] Mordred c [ ] Arthur d [ ] Gawain
27 ‘But I don’t want to fight my best friend. Let’s talk.’
a [ ] Lancelot b [ ] Mordred c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Gawain
28 ‘Shall we fight Mordred today?’
a [ ] Guinevere b [ ] Morgan c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Gawain

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29 ‘Hello, old man! Do you want to give me your crown?’
a [ ] Lancelot b [ ] Mordred c [ ] Morgan d [ ] Guinevere
30 ‘You can’t help me now … I’m dying.’
a [ ] Arthur b [ ] Mordred c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Lancelot

Plot

Choose the best answer.

41 When the story begins, Merlin sees Arthur in _____.
a [ ] a window b [ ] a picture c [ ] a dream d [ ] the sky
42 Arthur _____ the battle against the lords from the North.
a [ ] loses b [ ] wins c [ ] stops d [ ] watches
43 Arthur builds Camelot for his future _____.
a [ ] son b [ ] daughter c [ ] queen d [ ] friends
44 When Lancelot fights in the competition, nobody can see his _____.
a [ ] sword b [ ] legs c [ ] hands d [ ] face
45 At first, Arthur and Guinevere are very _____ at Camelot.
a [ ] happy b [ ] unhappy c [ ] ill d [ ] hungry

46 When Morgan and Mordred arrive they are very _____ Arthur and Guinevere.
a [ ] angry with b [ ] friendly to c [ ] unfriendly to d [ ] sorry for
47 Arthur is very angry because Lancelot _____.
a [ ] loves Guinevere b [ ] wants to marry Morgan
c [ ] wants a lot of money d [ ] wants to be king
48 When Arthur goes to fight Lancelot, Mordred _____.
a [ ] kills Guinevere b [ ] makes Morgan queen
c [ ] makes Guinevere queen d [ ] puts Guinevere in prison
49 Arthur doesn’t want to fight Mordred on the day of the battle. He wants to _____ Lancelot and his soldiers.
a [ ] stop b [ ] wait for c [ ] look after d [ ] help
50 After the battle, Arthur goes away in a boat with _____.
a [ ] Guinevere b [ ] Lancelot c [ ] Merlin d [ ] Mordred

Bonus Question: Based on the short story, who is the man in this picture?
A. Mr Hew B. Merlin C. Arthur

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