EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• wardrobe: a closet where a person can hang their clothes
• throne: the position that a king or queen holds
• ruler: the person in charge of a place
• defeat: to beat someone in battle
• crown: to give someone the position of king or queen

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:19 — 1.2MB)

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Gapfill exercise

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy children’s novel written by British C. S. Lewis. The story is about four young who walk into a wardrobe and accidentally discover a magical world. This world is called Narnia, and it is under the rule of an witch. She has taken the throne from the rightful ruler, a named Aslan. The children have to help the citizens of Narnia defeat the witch. At the end of the story, Aslan crowns the siblings rulers of Narnia, and they grow up in the magical world. When they travel back home, they find that they are still children, and that no time has passed at all. After publishing The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in 1950, Lewis published six more books about the land of Narnia. The still has many fans today.

Comprehension questions

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Discussion/essay questions

1. Fantasy elements, like witches, kings, queens, and magical worlds, are very common in children’s novels. Why do you think children enjoy fantasy so much? Why is it less common in books for adults?

Transcript

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy children’s novel written by British author C. S. Lewis. The story is about four young siblings who walk into a wardrobe and accidentally discover a magical world. This world is called Narnia, and it is under the rule of an evil witch. She has taken the throne from the rightful ruler, a lion named Aslan. The children have to help the citizens of Narnia defeat the witch. At the end of the story, Aslan crowns the siblings rulers of Narnia, and they grow up in the magical world. When they travel back home, they find that they are still children, and that no time has passed at all. After publishing The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in 1950, Lewis published six more books about the land of Narnia. The series still has many fans today.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• protagonist: the main character of a story
• cyclone: a type of tropical storm
• fantastical: strange and unrealistic; something out of a story
• request: something that is asked for
• quality: a trait or feature that someone has

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:34 — 1.4MB)

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Gapfill exercise

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children’s novel written by American author L. Frank Baum. The story’s protagonist is a girl named Dorothy who lives in Kansas with her aunt, her uncle, and her dog. One day, a cyclone Dorothy’s house off to a magical land known as Oz – a place populated by witches, flying monkeys, and other fantastical creatures. Dorothy seeks the of a witch, who informs her that Oz is ruled by an all-powerful wizard who can send her back to Kansas. Eager to return home, Dorothy begins a journey to meet the wizard. On the way, she makes a few friends: a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion. Each one has a different request for the wizard – the scarecrow wishes for a brain, the tin man wishes for a heart, and the lion wishes for courage. The wizard, however, is not what they expected, and each character must gain the quality they wish for by finding it within themselves. Dorothy’s request is more , but with the help of a witch, she is eventually able to return home.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”19438″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. What do you think the most important message is in this story? Why is that message important to have in a children’s book?

Transcript

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic children’s novel written by American author L. Frank Baum. The story’s protagonist is a girl named Dorothy who lives in Kansas with her aunt, her uncle, and her dog. One day, a cyclone carries Dorothy’s house off to a magical land known as Oz – a place populated by witches, flying monkeys, and other fantastical creatures. Dorothy seeks the advice of a witch, who informs her that Oz is ruled by an all-powerful wizard who can send her back to Kansas. Eager to return home, Dorothy begins a journey to meet the wizard. On the way, she makes a few unusual friends: a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion. Each one has a different request for the wizard – the scarecrow wishes for a brain, the tin man wishes for a heart, and the lion wishes for courage. The wizard, however, is not what they expected, and each character must gain the quality they wish for by finding it within themselves. Dorothy’s request is more complicated, but with the help of a witch, she is eventually able to return home.