Humanising Language Teaching
Year 4; Issue 5; September 02

Challenge to Think

This issue offers you two old exercises from Challenge to Think, Berer et al., OUP 1982. The book disappeared from the market place about five years ago.

The two exercises are: Two-in-one Stories and Contradictions

Intensive reading. Sort out the two stories as quickly as you can. Then re-tell them.

The stork
The company chairman

1. The cook stole a leg from a beautiful roast stork just before it was served to the king.

2. 'But, your Majesty, you didn't clap last night.'

3. He glowered at them, 'Gentlemen, I have something I must say: half of you are idiots.'

4. The king asked him angrily why the bird had only one leg.

5. One day a company chairman got very angry with his board of directors.

6. The king clapped his hands and the birds flew off. 'There,' he said, 'You see, they all have two legs the moment I clap.'

7. 'Very well,' the chairman said, 'I withdraw it -half of you are not idiots.'

8. Next morning the cook and the king went down to the river and saw the storks all standing on one leg.

9. One of the directors stood up and banged on the table. 'I demand that you withdraw that last observa- tion, Mr Chairman.'

10. The cook replied, 'Storks only ever have one leg - come to the river with me tomorrow and I will show you, Your Majesty.'

The farmer
The invitation

1. 'Well, 'said the farmer, scratching his chin, 'I'll tell you what we do.'

2. 'Why do I have to use my elbow and my foot?' asked his friend.

3. A man inviting his friend to his home explained to him where he lived.

4. The man went back to his car with a puzzled look on his face and said to his wife, 'I think he must be crazy.'

5. 'Come to the third floor,' he said, 'and where you see the letter E on the door, push the button with your elbow and when the door opens put your foot against it.'

6. 'We eat what we can and what we can't eat we can.'

7. A curious tourist, after passing a huge field of carrots alongside the road, stopped and asked the farmer what he did with his large crop.

8. 'He said they ate what they could and what they couldn't they could.'

9. 'Well,' exclaimed the man, 'You're not going to come empty-handed, are you?'

A stranger in London
The new hedge clipper

1. The stranger got out and ran up to a policeman.

2. He was about half way round his garden when his neighbour arrived.

3. Then he disappeared into Waterloo station.

4. 'Thanks very much,' was the grateful reply.

5. 'Would you mind paying my fare, officer?' he said. 'I've a train to catch.'

6. He called a taxi and asked the driver to take him to Waterloo, mentioning that he had a train to catch at three o'clock.

7. 'That's all right, at least I can now go back to bed and sleep in peace,' he said, walking back to his own house.

8. One Saturday morning a friend of mine decided to use his new hedge clipper.

9. The policeman told him and the stranger handed him the money.

10. The job was quickly finished and my friend thanked his neighbour for his help.

11. 'Can I give you a hand?' the neighbour asked my friend.

12. At half past two the taxi drew up at Waterloo, the driver smiling broadly.

13. 'What is the fare from Euston to Waterloo?' he asked the policeman.

14. A stranger arrived at Euston just before midday.

15. For two hours he sat back enjoying the sights of London

The railway ticket
Aesop's fable

1. There were eight of us in the carriage, and seven tickets were soon found and punched.

2. A few hours later a mean-looking travell- er came down the road, and he too stopped and asked Aesop, 'Tell me, my friend, what are the people of Athens like?'

3. Aesop, the Greek writer of fables, was sitting by the road one day when a friend- ly traveller asked him, 'What sort of people live in Athens?'

4. 'All tickets, please!' said the railway inspector, appearing at the door of the carriage.

5. Frowning, the man replied, 'I'm from Argos and there the people are unfriend- ly, mean, deceitful and vicious. They're thieves and murderers, all of them.'

6. 'Funny thing, absence of mind,' said the helpful traveller when the inspector had gone. 'Absence of mind?' said the old man.

7. But the old man in the corner went on searching through his pockets, looking very unhappy.

8. Aesop replied, 'Tell me where you come from and what sort of people live there, and I'll tell you what sort of people you'll find in Athens.'

9. So he was, and the inspector looked anything but pleased as he hastily punched the mangled ticket.

10. Smiling, the man answered, 'I come from Argos, and the people there are all friendly, generous and warm- hearted. I love them all.'

11. Again Aesop replied, 'Tell me where you come from and what people are like there and I will tell you what the people are like in Athens.'

12. 'I was chewing off last week's date!'

13. 'You haven't lost your ticket,' said the man next to him, helpfully. You're holding it in your teeth!'

14. At this Aesop answered, 'I'm happy to tell you, my dear friend, that you'll find the people of Athens much the same.'

15. 'I'm afraid you'll find the people of Athens much the same,' was Aesop's reply.

The loan
The burglar

1. 'That's not so hard, George,' said his father. 'Write to him and say you need the £1000 at once.

2. Among my best friends are Joe and his wife Alice, who live in a nice little house near Manchester.

3. 'You mean the £500,' George interrupted.

4. The friend proved to be untrustworthy, and as George thought he would lose the £500, he asked his father for advice.

5. The donor neglected to send his name, and all day the couple's question was, 'Wonder who it is?'

6. 'No, I don't!' Say a thousand pounds and he will write back he only owes you £500.'

7. There was a note from the burglar propped up on the pillow in the bedroom saying, 'Now you know.'

8. When, as a newly married couple, they had just returned from their honeymoon, they got a plea- sant surprise in the post one morning - two tickets to the best show in town.

9. George Smith had lent a friend £500 but he had nothing in writing confirming the loan.

10. They enjoyed the show; when they reached home they found that their house had been broken into and that all their wedding presents had been taken.

11. 'Then you'll have it in writing.'

The general's visit
No teeth

1. He immediately ordered a pool and courts to be built.

2. Some weeks later Peter met his friend in the street, and the friend asked him what had happened.

3. Peter had been called up, but he didn't want to join the army, so he asked his friend what he should do.

4. When he was asked why he would not give benches to primary children but wanted pri- soners to have a swimming pool, he replied, 'Do you think I will ever go back to primary school?'

5. His friend said, 'Well, why don't you have all your teeth pulled out? You won't get past the medical then.'

6. A general visited a primary school where the children said they had no benches to sit on.

7. Some time later he visited a prison. The men there complained they had no swim- ming pool and no tennis courts.

8. Peter, who had no teeth left, mumbled, 'The officer said I was no good to the army - I've got flat feet!'

9. He told the kids there were no benches - they must make sacrifices for their country.

( The "general " story originates in the long, dark Kissinger-Pinochet years in Chile )

CONTRADICTIONS

Intensive reading. Read one sentence of the stories at a time, and then comment on what you have read.