Learn English with The Hobbit

• ☐ ☐ ☐ gnaw [v] - chew on something hard continuously (A dog ☐ ☐ ☐ gnaws on a bone.)
• ☐ ☐ ☐ bare of meat [exp] - without meat
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a blade [n] - a sword
• ☐ ☐ ☐ elfish [adj] - made by elves
• ☐ ☐ ☐ an elf [n] - a tall thin humanlike creature that lives for 1000 years [image]
• ☐ ☐ ☐ the Shire [n] - Bilbo's home
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a goblin [n] - a dwarf-like, ugly, violent creature [image]
• ☐ ☐ ☐ Keep your distance! [exp] - Stay away from me!
• ☐ ☐ ☐ I'll be on my way. [exp] - I will leave now.
• ☐ ☐ ☐ roots [n] - the part of a tree that is underground
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a riddle [n] - a question that requires cleverness to answer, usually as part of a game
• ☐ ☐ ☐ finish (someone) off [phv] - kill (someone)
• ☐ ☐ ☐ Fair enough. [exp] - Okay. I agree.

[n] - noun,  [v] - verb, [phv] - phrasal verb,  [adj] - adjective,  [exp] - expression

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Bilbo	Gollum

• Bilbo fell into a cavern and hit his head while fighting a goblin.
• Bilbo has an elfish sword that glows blue when (living) goblins are nearby.
• Gollum often talks to himself.
• Gollum calls himself (or maybe his ring) precious.

1. Why is Bilbo's sword glowing blue?
   It is dark.
   Gollum is nearby.
   A goblin is nearby.
   Bilbo is in danger.
   
   
2. What does Bilbo find in the cavern?
   A ring
   A goblin
   Some gold
   A new sword
   
   
3. Why does Bilbo's sword stop glowing?
   Bilbo is lost.
   The sword is damaged.
   Gollum kills the goblin.
   Bilbo walks into the light.
   
   
4. Why is Gollum excited to see Bilbo?
   Gollum is lonely.
   Bilbo has found his ring.
   Gollum wants to play a game.
   Bilbo looks meaty and delicious.
   
   
5. What does Gollum know about Bilbo before they start talking?
   Bilbo is a hobbit.
   Bilbo has his ring.
   Bilbo is not an elf.
   Bilbo has an elfish sword.
   
   
6. Where does Bilbo say he is from?
   Mirkwood
   The Shire
   Rivendell
   Erebor
   Bree
   He doesn't say.
   
   
7. What does Gollum usually eat?
   Roots
   Bats
   Mice
   Fish
   Elves
   Goblins
   Hobbits
   Dwarves
   
   
8. What has roots, is taller than a tree, goes up, but doesn't grow?
   A mountain
   A dragon
   A tower
   Time
   Love
   
   
9. What TWO options is Gollum considering?
   Giving Bilbo to the goblins
   Talking to Bilbo
   Playing a game
   Running away
   Eating Bilbo
   
   
10. What do Gollum and Bilbo decide to do?
    Fight each other
    Find more goblins
    Play a game of riddles
    Compete to catch more fish than each other
    
    
11. If Bilbo wins, what will happen?
    Bilbo will kill Gollum.
    Bilbo can keep Gollum's ring.
    Gollum will help Bilbo escape.
    Gollum will give Bilbo some fish.
    
    
12. If Gollum wins, what will happen?
    Bilbo will give Gollum his sword.
    Bilbo will give Gollum the ring.
    Bilbo will stay with Gollum.
    Gollum will eat Bilbo.
    
    

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Directions: Write sentences about the video clip using the words given. You can change the word form or add words, but you cannot change the word order. Use a present time frame (tense).
( ) = optional   [ ] = necessary

Instrucciones: Escriba oraciones sobre el videoclip usando las palabras dadas. Puede cambiar la forma de la palabra o agregar palabras, pero no puede cambiar el orden de las palabras. Usa el tiempo presente.

Instrucciones: Escribe oraciones sobre el videoclip usando las palabras dadas. Puede cambiar la forma de las palabras o agregar palabras, pero no puede cambiar el orden de las palabras. Usa tiempo presente.

지시 : 주어진 단어를 사용하여 비디오 클립에 대한 문장을 씁니다. 어형을 변경하거나 단어를 추가할 수 있지만 어순은 변경할 수 없습니다. 현재 시제를 사용합니다.

Bilbo / wake / pick / sword / and / find / ring

Bilbo wakes up, picks up his sword, and finds a ring.

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Bilbo / hear / strange / voice / sing / so / he / careful / approach

Bilbo hears a strange voice singing, so he carefully approaches.

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Bilbo / see / strange / creature / sit / rock / middle / underground / lake

Bilbo sees a strange creature sitting on a rock in the middle of an underground lake.

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after / Gollum / kill / goblin / rock / Bilbo / sword / stop / glow

After Gollum kills [the/a] goblin with a rock, Bilbo's sword stops glowing.

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as / Bilbo / try / hide / behind / large / rock / Gollum / paddle / over / small / boat

As Bilbo tries to hide behind a large rock, Gollum paddles over in a small boat.

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Gollum / silent / drop / down / front / Bilbo

Gollum silently drops down in front of Bilbo.

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Bilbo / point / sword / Gollum / command / him / back

Bilbo points his sword at Gollum(,) and (he) commands him to stay back.
Bilbo points his sword at Gollum, commanding him to stay back.
(back up, back away, get back)

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Gollum / not / know / what / Bilbo

Gollum doesn't know what Bilbo is.

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Bilbo / tell / Gollum / he / hobbit / Shire

Bilbo tells Gollum (that) he is a hobbit from the Shire.

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Gollum / wonder / Bilbo / soft / juice

Gollum wonders [if/whether] Bilbo is soft and juicy.

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because / Gollum / argue / self / Bilbo / ask / what / kind / game / he / play

Because Gollum [is/keeps] arguing with himself, Bilbo asks (him) what kind of game he is playing.

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Gollum / announce / he / love / game / and / ask / Bilbo / riddle

Gollum announces (that) he loves games(,) and (he) asks Bilbo a riddle.

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Bilbo / suggest / they / game / riddle

Bilbo suggests (that) they [play/have] a game of riddles.

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if / Bilbo / win / Gollum / show / way / out

If Bilbo wins, Gollum will show [him/Bilbo] the way out.

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if / Gollum / win / Bilbo / let / Gollum / eat / whole

If Gollum wins, Bilbo will let Gollum eat him whole.

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The text below is from the [ original novel ]. You can also read a [ shortened version ] of the novel.

1. Which parts of the video are the same as the novel?
2. Which parts of the video are different from the novel?
3. Which parts of the novel are not in the video?

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When Bilbo opened his eyes, he wondered if he had; for it was just as dark as with them shut. No one was anywhere near him. Just imagine his fright! He could hear nothing, see nothing, and he could feel nothing except the stone of the floor.

Very slowly he got up and groped about on all fours, till he touched the wall of the tunnel; but neither up nor down it could he find anything: nothing at all, no sign of goblins, no sign of dwarves. His head was swimming, and he was far from certain even of the direction they had been going in when he had his fall.

He guessed as well as he could, and crawled along for a good way, till suddenly his hand met what felt like a tiny ring of cold metal lying on the floor of the tunnel. It was a turning point in his career, but he did not know it. He put the ring in his pocket almost without thinking; certainly it did not seem of any particular use at the moment. He did not go much further, but sat down on the cold floor and gave himself up to complete miserableness for a long while. He thought of himself frying bacon and eggs in his own kitchen at home—for he could feel inside that it was high time for some meal or other; but that only made him miserabler.

After some time, he felt for his pipe. It was not broken, and that was something. Then he felt for his pouch, and there was some tobacco in it, and that was something more. Then he felt for matches and he could not find any at all, and that shattered his hopes completely. Just as well for him, as he agreed when he came to his senses. Goodness knows what the striking of matches and the smell of tobacco would have brought on him out of dark holes in that horrible place. Still at the moment, he felt very crushed. But in slapping all his pockets and feeling all round himself for matches, his hand came on the hilt of his little sword—the little dagger that he got from the trolls, and that he had quite forgotten; nor fortunately had the goblins noticed it, as he wore it inside his breeches.

Now he drew it out. It shone pale and dim before his eyes. “So it is an elvish blade, too,” he thought; “and goblins are not very near, and yet not far enough.”

But somehow he was comforted. It was rather splendid to be wearing a blade made in Gondolin for the goblin-wars of which so many songs had sung; and also he had noticed that such weapons made a great impression on goblins that came upon them suddenly.

“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.

Now certainly Bilbo was in what is called a tight place. But you must remember it was not quite so tight for him as it would have been for me or for you. Hobbits are not quite like ordinary people; and after all if their holes are nice cheery places and properly aired, quite different from the tunnels of the goblins, still they are more used to tunnelling than we are, and they do not easily lose their sense of direction underground—not when their heads have recovered from being bumped. Also they can move very quietly, and hide easily, and recover wonderfully from falls and bruises, and they have a fund of wisdom and wise sayings that men have mostly never heard or have forgotten long ago.

I should not have liked to have been in Mr. Baggins' place, all the same. The tunnel seemed to have no end. All he knew was that it was still going down pretty steadily and keeping in the same direction in spite of a twist and a turn or two. There were passages leading off to the side every now and then, as he knew by the glimmer of his sword, or could feel with his hand on the wall. I do not know how long he kept on like this, hating to go on, not daring to stop, on, on, until he was tireder than tired.

Suddenly without any warning, he trotted splash into water! Ugh! It was icy cold. That pulled him up sharp and short. He did not know whether it was just a pool in the path, or the edge of an underground stream that crossed the passage, or the brink of a deep dark subterranean lake.

There are strange things living in the pools and lakes in the hearts of mountains: fish whose fathers swam in, goodness only knows how many years ago, and never swam out again, while their eyes grew bigger and bigger and bigger from trying to see in the blackness; also there are other things more slimy than fish.

Even in the tunnels and caves the goblins have made for themselves, there are other things living unknown to them. Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don't know where he came from, nor who or what he was. He was Gollum—as dark as darkness, except for two big round pale eyes in his thin face. He had a little boat, and he rowed about quite quietly on the lake; for lake it was, wide and deep and deadly cold. He paddled it with large feet dangling over the side, but never a ripple did he make. Not he. He was looking out of his pale lamp-like eyes for blind fish, which he grabbed with his long fingers as quick as thinking.

He liked meat too. Goblin he thought tasty, when he could get it; but he took care they never found him. He just hit them from behind if they ever came down alone anywhere near the edge of the water. They very seldom did, for they had a feeling that something unpleasant was lurking down there, down at the very roots of the mountain. They had come on the lake, when they were tunnelling down long ago, and they found they could go no further; so there their road ended in that direction, and there was no reason to go that way—unless the Great Goblin sent them. Sometimes he took a fancy for fish from the lake, and sometimes neither goblin nor fish came back.

Actually Gollum lived on a slimy island of rock in the middle of the lake. He was watching Bilbo now from the distance with his pale eyes like telescopes. Bilbo could not see him, but he was wondering a lot about Bilbo, for he could see that he was no goblin at all.

Gollum got into his boat and shot off from the island, while Bilbo was sitting on the edge of the water altogether confused.

Suddenly up came Gollum and whispered and hissed: “Bless us and splash us, my precioussss! I guess it's a choice feast; at least a tasty morsel it'd make us, gollum!” And when he said gollum, he made a horrible swallowing noise in his throat. That is how he got his name, though he always called himself ‘my precious'.

The hobbit jumped nearly out of his skin when the hiss came in his ears, and he suddenly saw the pale eyes sticking out at him.

“Who are you?” he said, thrusting his dagger in front of him.

“What iss he, my preciouss?” whispered Gollum (who always spoke to himself through never having anyone else to speak to). This is what he had come to find out, for he was not really very hungry at the moment, only curious; otherwise he would have grabbed first and whispered afterwards.

“I am Mr. Bilbo Baggins. I have lost the dwarves and I have lost the wizard, and I don't know where I am; and I don't want to know, if only I can get away.”

“What's he got in his handses?” said Gollum, looking at the sword, which he did not quite like.

“A sword, a blade which came out of Gondolin!”

“Sssss” said Gollum, and became quite polite. “Perhapses ye sits here and chats with it a bitsy, my preciousss. It likes riddles, perhaps it does, does it?” He was anxious to appear friendly, at any rate for the moment, and until he found out more about the sword and the hobbit, whether he was quite alone really, whether he was good to eat, and whether Gollum was really hungry. Riddles were all he could think of. Asking them, and sometimes guessing them, had been the only game he had ever played with other funny creatures sitting in their holes in the long, long ago, before he lost all his friends and was driven away, alone, and crept down, down, into the dark under the mountains.

“Very well,” said Bilbo, who was anxious to agree, until he found out more about the creature, whether he was quite alone, whether he was fierce or hungry, and whether he was a friend of the goblins.

“You ask first,” he said, because he had not had time to think of a riddle.

So Gollum hissed: What has roots as nobody sees, Is taller than trees, Up, up it goes, And yet never grows?

“Easy!” said Bilbo. “Mountain, I suppose.”

“Does it guess easy? It must have a competition with us, my preciouss! If precious asks, and it doesn't answer, we eats it, my preciousss. If it asks us, and we doesn't answer, then we does what it wants, eh? We shows it the way out, yes!”

“All right!” said Bilbo, not daring to disagree, and nearly bursting his brain to think of riddles that could save him from being eaten.

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[ printable .pdf ]

1. Describe Gollum - his appearance, his voice, his demeanor, his personality.
2. As the book mentions, the ring that Bilbo finds is very important. Do you know why it is important? Do you know what magic powers it has?
3. Gollum speaks in strange and broken English. Can you remember some examples? What does this strange way of speaking indicate about Gollum?
4. Bilbo watches Gollum kill a goblin. Why doesn't Gollum try to kill Bilbo? Why doesn't Bilbo try to kill Gollum?
5. Why does Bilbo agree to let Gollum eat him if he loses?
6. Do you know any riddles?
7. Below are some other riddles from the book. Can you figure out the answers?
   • Voiceless it cries,
     Wingless flutters,
     Toothless bites,
     Mouthless mutters.
     [ the wind ]
     
   • Alive without breath,
     As cold as death;
     Never thirsty, ever drinking,
     All in mail (armor) never clinking (making noise).
     [ a fish ]
     
   • This thing all things devours (eats):
     Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
     Gnaws iron, bites steel;
     Grinds hard stones to meal (sand);
     Slays king, ruins town,
     And beats high mountain down.
     [ time ]
     
   • What has Bilbo got in his pocket?
     [ a ring ]