教材试题 Unit 3 Reading Task (Workbook)

Unit 3 Under the seaREADING TASKBefore you read the story, look at the pictures on the next page. In groups, discuss the following questions. Picture1: 1 Which part of the world do you think this man is from? Give reasons. 2 What do you think his clothes are made of?Picture 2: 1 Have you seen pictures of a creature like this before? Where?2 Do you know any story that involves a creature like her? What is the story?THE INUIT LEGEND OF SEDNA THE SEA GODDESSedna was a beautiful young Inuit woman who lived alone with her father. There were many hunters wishing to marry her but she refused them all. Sednas father was getting old and would soon need someone to look after Sedna. So finally he told her that she must accept the next man who asked for her hand in marriage. The following day, a stranger approached in his canoe and Sednas father dragged his daughter down to the shore. He told the hunter that his daughter would make a good wife. The hunter replied that he had in fact come to ask Sedna to marry him. He promised to provide her with plenty of food, furs for clothes and blankets. Sedna looked at the man and, although his face was partly hidden in his furs, he appeared handsome enough. She agreed to marry him and he took her away in his canoe across the waters to his island. When they arrived at the island, Sedna looked around and could see nothing except bare rocks with a kind of nest made from animal hair and feathers. She looked at her husband, shocked. Then she discovered, as he pulled the furs away from his face, that he was not a man, but a sea bird. No matter how angry she felt, she had no choice but to stay with him. Time went by but Sedna never became used to the bird man. She felt very unhappy and spent her days crying and calling her fathers name. Her cries reached her father who had, all this time, felt guilty that he had forced his daughter to marry. He decided to go in search of her so he packed his canoe and paddled for days through the freezing waters to the island. When he arrived, the bird man was away hunting and Sedna was standing on the shore. He asked his daughter for forgiveness and helped her into the canoe. They set off for home. Later that day, the bird man returned from fishing and, finding that his wife was no longer there, he let out cries of anger and flew off in the direction of the canoe. He soon caught up with the canoe and ordered the old man to give his wife back. When Sednas father refused, he flapped his wings so hard that the calm water suddenly turned into huge waves. Sednas father was so frightened of the bird man that he grabbed Sedna and threw her into the sea, screaming, “Here she is, take her”. Sedna, terrified, tried to hang on to the side of the canoe. But her father would not let her get back in. Grabbing his knife, he cut off Sednas fingers. As her fingers were sinking to the bottom of the ocean, they turned into seals, whales and other large sea mammals. And Sedna, when she could no longer fight to keep herself alive, sank to the bottom too where she became the goddess of the sea. It is said that Sedna has power over all the animals in the sea and that when she is angry she keeps them away from the hunters. Because the Inuit depend on the sea for their survival, they believe they must show the sea goddess great respect. One of the ways a hunter does this is to drop flesh water into a seals mouth after he catches it. He believes that this is showing respect for the animal and is also thanking Sedna for her kindness in allowing him to feed his family. 1 Glance through the story quickly and match the paragraph with the correct sentence. ParagraphSentence1234567A Sedna discovers that her husband is a sea bird. B The Inuit believe Sedna has power over the animals in the sea. C The bird man is so angry at Sednas escape that he causes a sea storm. D Sednas father throws Sedna into the sea and she becomes a sea goddess. E Sedna doesnt want to get married but her father tells her she must. F Sednas father helps his daughter to escape. G Sedna agrees to marry a stranger who promises her a good life. 2 Read the story again and answer the questions in pairs. 1 Why did Sedna need to have someone to look after her?2 Why did the bird man dress up as a human?3 Why did Sednas father throw Sedna into the sea?4 What do you think happened or should have happened to Sednas father? Give reasons. 5 Is Sedna very powerful? Give reasons. Answer key for Exercise 1：1 E 2 G 3 A 4 F 5 C 6 D 7 BAnswer key for Exercise 2：1 Because her father was getting too old to look after her. 2 Because he wanted to marry Sedna and he thought that she wouldnt marry him if she knew he was a bird. 3 Because he was very frightened of the bird man and was probably afraid that the bird man was going to kill him. He probably thought that the bird man would stop the storm if he gave the bird man what he wanted. 4 Perhaps he died in the s