Pre-Reading Stage.

 Study the wordlist for the story.

Weaver – ткач

Smith – кузнец

Woodcutter – дровосек

Suitor – жених

Moan — причитать

Sink (sank) – тонуть

 Insert the words in the appropriate form into the sentences.

1. A man who makes things out of metal by heating and hitting it is called a ___________.
2. The Titanic ________ in 1912.
3.  After falling off the bike Greg ________ with pain.
4. Mary can't make up her mind which of her numerous ____________ she should marry.
5. A ___________ makes clothes.
6. A _____________ cuts trees.

Reading Stage.

Read the text twice and try to memorize as much as you can.

An Ugly Princes.

The king of Spain decided to marry off his daughter Sarah, but not to a prince but to a working
man. Three hundred weavers, three hundred smiths, three hundred woodcutters and a sailor, Yen
by name, were brought to the palace. The princess came out before them, they looked at her and
they all said: «Oh!» The princess had grey hair, only one eye, there were no teeth in her mouth.
She was not a princess but a monster.

All the suitors run away. And Yen sailed to Greece. Sarah cried bitterly. She cried and cried and
couldn’t stop. By and by her moans turned into a song – a very sad, but beautiful song. Some
businessmen came from America. They recorded princess Sarah’s song, sold the records and
earned six million dollars.

Once Yen was caught in a storm at sea. There were large waves and he was thrown onto a desert
island. The ship sank but the waves threw a gramophone and a few records onto the land
together with the man. When Yen came to himself he put on one of the records and suddenly
heard Sarah’s  voice day and night and fell in love with the princess. Yen came back to Spain
and told the king he wanted to marry his daughter.

«I’m going to love her as ugly as she is», he said. Sarah came, wearing a mask on her face.
When Yen told her he loved her Sarah took the mask off and everybody saw that she was
BEAUTIFUL!!!
It was a custom in Spain that a young woman should wear a mask when she met her suitors. The
man who told her he loved her should become her husband. If Yen had known that, he would
have married her long time before that. But then the world wouldn’t have had Sarah’s beautiful
and sad songs.  

Past-Reading Stage.

Exercise 1. Which word from every group was not mentioned in the text? Cross out.

a)      Spain, Norway, Greece

b)      Woodcutter, smith, tailor

c)       Ugly, beautiful, pretty

d)      King, princess, tzar

e)      Mountain, sea, island.

Exercise 2. Who did it in the text: Sarah, Yen or the king?

1. Who decided to marry off his daughter?

2. Who had grey hair and only one eye?
3. Who cried bitterly?
4. Who was caught in a storm at sea?
5. Who sailed to Greece?
6. Who came in wearing a mask on the face?

 Exercise 3. Say if the statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.

1. The king of Greece decided to marry off his daughter Sarah.

2. All the suitors saw that the princess was beautiful.
3. By and by Sarah’s moans turned into a song – a very happy and beautiful song.
4. There were large waves and the king was thrown onto a desert island.
5. Yen came back to Spain and told the king he wanted to marry his daughter.

Exercise 4. Answer the questions.

1. Was Sarah really a beauty or a monster?

2. Who was Yen by profession?
3. Where did Yen sail after he saw Sarah for the first time?
4. What did Yen do on the island?
5. Why did Sarah put on a mask?

Exercise 5. What do you think is more important: inner or outer beauty? Write at least 5
sentences.