Learn English with Wednesday

• ☐ ☐ ☐ a tale [n] - a story
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a tradition [n] - something people do the same way every year
• ☐ ☐ ☐ brilliant [adj] - very smart
• ☐ ☐ ☐ fragile [adj] - weak, easy to break, easy to hurt
• ☐ ☐ ☐ give (s/o) months to live [exp] - say (someone) will die in a few months
• ☐ ☐ ☐ dazzling [adj] - great, amazing
• ☐ ☐ ☐ an operation [n] - a medical surgery
• ☐ ☐ ☐ clockwork [adj] - mechanical, made of moving parts like a clock
• ☐ ☐ ☐ driven [adj] - very focused on a goal
• ☐ ☐ ☐ ambition [n] - a strong desire to succeed
• ☐ ☐ ☐ be hailed as [exp] - be praised as something great
• ☐ ☐ ☐ cost him his life [exp] - cause his death
• ☐ ☐ ☐ legend has it [exp] - the story says, according to legend
• ☐ ☐ ☐ be buried [exp] - be put under the ground after death
• ☐ ☐ ☐ at the foot of a tree [exp] - at the base of a tree
• ☐ ☐ ☐ an unmarked grave [exp] - a grave with no name or sign
• ☐ ☐ ☐ hollow [adj] - empty inside
• ☐ ☐ ☐ tick [exp] - the sound a clock makes
• ☐ ☐ ☐ venture [v] - go somewhere risky or dangerous
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a dare [n] - a challenge to do something dangerous

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

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Ajax

• Ajax is a second-year student at Nevermore Academy.
• He is helping first-year students in his dormitory.
• His dormitory is called Caliban Hall.

1. Where is Ajax when he is telling the story?
   In the brilliant boy's workshop
   Next to the Skull Tree
   In a city hospital
   At Caliban Hall
   
   
2. Why did the boy design a new heart for himself?
   His girlfriend loved another man and broke his heart.
   His doctors told him he was going to die soon.
   He wanted to impress his teachers.
   He loved building machines.
   
   
3. What was special about the boy’s new heart?
   It was controlled by doctors.
   It was powered by magic.
   It was made of stone.
   It was mechanical.
   
   
4. How did the boy change after the operation?
   He became smarter and more creative.
   He forgot how to build machines.
   He became cold and ambitious.
   He lost the ability to love.
   
   
5. How did the other students at Nevermore treat him?
   They often asked him for help with their problems.
   They teased him for not having a real heart.
   They thought he was a genius.
   They were scared of him.
   
   
6. How did he die?
   His one true love stopped loving him.
   One of his inventions killed him.
   His heart stopped working.
   He fell from a tower.
   
   
7. What do students dare each other to do at the Skull Tree?
   Write their name on the tree
   Listen to his ticking heart
   Take a piece of the skull
   Leave a gift at the grave
   
   

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Directions: What expressions from the video have the same meaning as the highlighted expressions in the sentences below?

1. Tonight, you're going to hear the [ story ] of the Skull Tree.

   [ tale ]

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2. There once was a [ smart ] boy with a [ breakable ] heart.

   [ brilliant ] [ fragile ]

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3. Now the doctors, they only [ said he would die in a few months ].

   [ gave him months to live ]

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4. When he arrived at Nevermore, he was [ called, considered ] the greatest mind to ever walk the halls.

   [ hailed as ]

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5. Until one night, his genius [ led to his death ].

   [ cost him his life ]

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6. Now, [ according to legend ], his body is buried [ at the base ] of the Skull Tree in an [ unnamed ] grave.

   [ legend has it ] [ at the foot ] [ unmarked ]

   Show Hide
   
   
7. Only the bravest in Caliban Hall have [ traveled ] out at night to take [ the challange ] to listen to the tick of the clockwork heart.

   [ ventured ] [ the dare ]

   Show Hide
   
   

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. (These are the most common answers. There may be other correct variations. Check with your teacher if you are unsure.)
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.

Instruções: 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.

Ajax / tell / tale / skull / tree / first / year / student / Caliban / hall

Ajax [tells/is telling] the tale of the Skull Tree to the first-year students at Caliban Hall.

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the / story / about / brilliant / boy / with / fragile / heart

The story is about a brilliant boy with a fragile heart.

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doctor / give / him / only / month / live / so / he / design / clockwork / heart / self

(The) Doctors gave him only months to live, so he designed a clockwork heart for himself.

Show Hide

operation / save / life / but / change / personality

The operation saved his life(,) but (it) changed his personality.

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he / become / cold / and / obsess / ambition

He became cold and obsessed with ambition.

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at / Nevermore / school / he / hailed / genius

At Nevermore school, he was hailed as a genius.

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however / he / begin / create / increasing / danger / invention

However, he began to create increasingly dangerous inventions.

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one / night / one / invention / blow / up / and / cost / him / life

One night, one of his inventions blew up and cost him his life.
One night, one invention blew up and cost him his life.

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he / bury / foot / skull / tree / unmarked / grave

He was buried at the foot of the Skull Tree in an unmarked grave.

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legend / have / it / if / you / listen / skull / hollow / left / eye / you / can / still / hear / tick / heart

Legend has it (that) if you listen to the skull’s hollow left eye, you can still hear his ticking heart.
Legend has it (that) if you listen to the skull’s hollow left eye, you can still hear the tick of his heart.

Show Hide

Directions: Play the audio clip and try to repeat what you hear. Click "Show" to see the text.

Instrucciones: Reproduce el clip de audio e intenta repetir lo que escuchas. Haga clic en "Show" para ver el texto.

Instruções: Reproduzca el clip de audio e intente repetir lo que escucha. Haga clic en "Mostrar" para ver el texto.

지시 사항 : 오디오 클립을 재생하고 들리는 내용을 반복해 보십시오. 텍스트를 보려면 "Show" 를 클릭하십시오.

Clip 1

Tonight, you're going to hear the tale of the Skull Tree.

Show Hide

Clip 2

It's Caliban Hall tradition to tell this story on the first night of school.

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Clip 3

He spent his days in bed, drawing all the incredible machines he planned to build someday.

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Clip 4

Now the doctors, they only gave him months to live.

Show Hide

Clip 5

So he decided to design his own heart so that his body could keep up with his dazzling mind.

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Clip 6

When he arrived at Nevermore, he was hailed as the greatest mind to ever walk the halls.

Show Hide

Clip 7

His body is buried at the foot of the Skull Tree in an unmarked grave.

Show Hide

Clip 8

But if you put your ear to the skull's hollow left eye, you can still hear his clockwork heart.

Show Hide

Clip 9

Only the bravest in Caliban Hall have ventured out at night to take the dare to listen to the tick of the clockwork heart.

Show Hide

1. In your opinion, why is Ajax telling this story?
2. Why do you think the boy’s new heart made him cold and driven by ambition?
3. If you could design one part of your body to be mechanical, what would it be and why?
4. Do you know any ghost stories? Can you tell one?
5. What is the bravest or scariest thing you have ever done at night?