Chinese zodiac

March 15

The story of Chinese Zodiac

A long, long time ago the Jade Emperor wanted to find a means of measuring time, and so he organized a race, and invited all the animals to take part. When they had all lined up on the bank of the river the Emperor explained that to win the big prize - a permanent place in the Zodiac - they would have to be one of the first twelve to cross the swiftly flowing river and reach a designated spot on the opposite shore. Their order in the cycle would be decided by the order in which they finished the race. And so the race began.

The cat wondered how she would get across if she was afraid of water. At the same time, the ox wondered how he would cross with his poor eyesight. The rat suggested that he and the cat jump onto the ox's back and guide him across. But as they were crossing the river, the rat snuck up behind the unsuspecting cat and pushed her into the water. Just as the ox came lumbering ashore, the rat jumped off and raced over the line first, closely followed by the ox. By the time the cat had managed to save herself from drowning and reached the finishing line it was too late for her to win any place in the calendar, and so she vowed to be the enemy of the rat forever after.

After the ox came the tiger, out of breath as she explained to the emperor how difficult it had been to cross the river with the strong currents dragging her downstream all the time. But because she was so strong she had eventually made it to shore and so was named the third animal in the cycle.
Just then there was a flash of fur and whiskers, and out of nowhere appeared the rabbit. He explained that he had crossed the river by jumping onto a floating log that had at first moved rapidly downstream, but had then suddenly been washed to shore. Thus he became the fourth animal in the zodiac cycle.

Coming in fifth place was the dragon, flapping his great wings and breathing fire into the air. The Emperor was very interested to know to why such a great creature like the dragon, who could fly, hadn’t managed to arrive first. The dragon explained that he had been close to finishing when he saw a poor helpless rabbit clinging to a log that was being washed downstream. He therefore stopped and gave a mighty puff of breath to blow the log to the shore. By the time this good deed had been done, four of the other animals had already arrived.

No sooner had the dragon reached the finish line than the sound of galloping hooves was heard and the horse appeared. Hidden in the horse's mane was the snake, who hissed and moved just before the horse crossed the line. The horse got such a shock that she reared up and before she could recover the snake had slithered off her back and crossed the line in sixth place, beating the horse into seventh.


Not long after that, the sheep, monkey and rooster reached the bank of the river together. These three animals had helped each other all through the race. The rooster had found some logs tied together, and invited the other two creatures to go with it. The sheep and the monkey had worked together to clear the weeds, pulled and pushed and eventually managed to get to the other side. This cooperation greatly pleased the Emperor and he promptly declared that the sheep was eighth, the monkey ninth, and the rooster tenth.

Some time later the dog arrived in eleventh place. The Emperor expressed surprise that it had taken her so long despite the fact she was a better swimmer than most of the other animals. The dog explained that it was precisely her love of the water that had delayed her – it had been so refreshing that she simply couldn’t resist playing around for a while. Just as the emperor was wondering if no other animal would reach the finish, an oink, oink, oink was heard and of the pig came waddling into view. To nobody’s surprise he related how he hadn’t been able to resist the temptation of stopping and filling his belly with acorns. After that he had felt the need for a nap, and had only woken up a short time before. And so the pig became the twelfth and last animal of the zodiac cycle.

A. Read the story and then answer the questions.


For each question decide on the best answer depending on the information in the story.

1. Why do cats hate rats?

a) Because the rat won the race

b) Because the rat pushed the cat into the river

c) Because they were once good friends

2. Why did the tiger have difficulty crossing the river?

a) Because the current was so strong

b) Because she was panting so much

c) Because she was so powerful

3. Put the pig’s actions in the correct order:

a) Waddled into view, stopped and ate, had a nap

b) Had a nap, stopped and ate, waddled into view

c) Stopped and ate, had a nap, waddled into view

4. Why did the Jade Emperor organize the race?

a) To find a way to calculate time

b) Because it was his birthday

c) Because he likes arranging contests

5. Why did the snake beat the horse?

a) Because he was hiding in the horse’s mane

b) Because he scared the horse

c) Because he was shrewd and slimy and sneaked out

6. The emperor was pleased with the sheep, monkey and rooster because:

a) They had worked well together

b) The rooster had picked up the sheep and the monkey

c) They had cleared the river of weeds

B. Write down in comments a short summary about what you understood in the story


C. Go to the following link and play with the story:

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/the-great-race 

March 20

When were you born?

According to the year you were born, choose your animal. 


1. Read the personality traits of your animal
2. Look up the unknown words in a monolingual dictionary
3. Write down a short description of your personality traits

Rat (1912 - 1924 - 1936 - 1948 - 1960 - 1972 - 1984)

Rats are both charming and aggressive. They appear calm and well balanced on the surface, but underneath, they are restless and a little nervous. Rats are compatible, hard working, and they know how to hang on to a penny. They are never without admirers. They are very appealing. They have a bright and happy personality, and this keeps them busy socially. They love parties and other large gatherings. They like belonging to exclusive clubs and will often have a close circle of fellow conspirators. They like involvement and are very outgoing. They are imaginative, charming, and truly generous to the person they love. However, they have a tendency to be quick-tempered and overly critical. They are also inclined to be somewhat of an opportunist. Born under this sign, they should be happy in sales or as a writer, critic, or publicist.

  

 Ox (1913 - 1925 - 1937 - 1949 - 1961 - 1973 - 1985 )

A born leader, they inspire confidence from all around you. They are conservative, methodical, and good with their hands. Guard against being chauvinistic and always demanding their own way. Oxes may appear docile, but watch out! They also have quite a temper. They are extremely determined and work tirelessly to get what they want. Step by step and piece by piece, they move steadily toward their goals. People born under the sign of the Ox are dependable and stick to a routine until the job is done. They are fair-minded and good listeners, but they can also be extremely stubborn. The Ox would be successful as a skilled surgeon, general, or hairdresser.

       Tiger (1914 - 1926 - 1938 - 1950 - 1962 - 1974 – 1986)

Tigers are rebels. They are both colorful and unpredictable. Their energy and love of life are stimulating. They love being the center of attention and never go unnoticed. Tigers are impatient and always look for action. They speak their minds when upset and have suspicious natures. They are sensitive, emotional, and capable of great love. However, they have a tendency to get carried away and be stubborn about what they think is right; often seen as a "Hothead" or rebel. Their sign shows them would be excellent as a boss, explorer, race car driver, or matador.

  Rabbit (1915 - 1927 - 1939 - 1951 - 1963 - 1975 - 1987)

Their sign is the emblem of long life and they possess the powers of the moon. Hares are very sensitive to beauty. They are gracious and soft spoken. Hares are the diplomats and the peace-makers. They enjoy a tranquil life and love a quiet evening at home. Hares are reserved and very artistic. They are thorough and good scholars. When Hares are moody, which is often, they will appear totally indifferent to the world.

Hares are lucky in money matters and great at finding a bargain. They may look easy-going, but they are actually quite cunning! Being a strong-willed person, they go quietly but determinedly towards their goals. They don't like making waves and find other means to get their way.

  

       Dragon (1916 - 1928 - 1940 - 1952 - 1964 - 1976 - 1988 )

Dragon people are balls of fire! They are full of vitality and love of life. Always on the run, they drag their faithful band of admirers behind them. Dragons are egotistical, eccentric, demanding, and giving. Full of vitality and enthusiasm, the Dragon is a popular individual even with the reputation of being foolhardy and a "big mouth" at times. They are intelligent, gifted, and a perfectionist but these qualities make them unduly demanding on others. They would be well-suited to be an artist, priest, or politician.

  

       Snake (1917 - 1929 - 1941 - 1953 - 1965 - 1977 - 1989)

Snakes are romantic and charming. They are deep thinkers and always mysterious. Snakes are graceful and soft spoken. They love a good book and appreciate all of the arts. They lean towards all of the finer things in life. Snakes trust themselves above all others and are seldom wrong; but behind a sophisticated front, Snakes are very superstitious! Rich in wisdom and charm, they are romantic and deep thinking and their intuition guides them strongly. Avoid procrastination and their stingy attitude towards money. Keep their sense of humor about life. The Snake would be most content as a teacher, philosopher, writer, psychiatrist, and fortune teller

     Horse (1918 - 1930 - 1942 - 1954 - 1966 - 1978 - 1990)

Horses are very appealing people. They are warm and friendly. They are perceptive and enjoy talking. They have a high spirited nature and are changeable. This makes them hot-tempered, rash, and headstrong. They are always falling in and out of love. Quick to warm to someone, they are just as quick to lose interest. Here today and gone tomorrow-these are the Horses. Then when you decide not to see them again, here they come ready to pick up where they left off! Their capacity for hard work is amazing. They are their own person-very independent. While, intelligent and friendly, they have a strong guard against being egotistical. Their sign suggests success as an adventurer, scientist, poet, or politician.

      Goat (1919 - 1931 - 1943 - 1955 - 1967 - 1979 – 1991)

Goat or Sheep are the good Samaritans of the Chinese zodiac. They are gentle mannered and on the shy side. Being very sincere they are easily taken by a sob story. Sheep people are compassionate, understanding of others' faults, and quick to forgive. Except for the knack of always getting off on the wrong foot with people, the Goat can be charming company. They are elegant and artistic but the first to complain about things. Put aside their pessimism and worry and try to be less dependent on material comforts. They would be best as an actor, gardener, or beachcomber.

     Monkey (1920 - 1932 - 1944 - 1956 - 1968 - 1980 – 1992)

Since Monkeys get what they want without too much trouble, they may not care about all their conquests. They lose interest quickly and must learn to finish what they start and take care of what they have. People always flock around Monkeys, but Monkeys don't trust very much. They know a select group of friends that they choose carefully. They are a very intelligent and a very lever wit. Because of their extraordinary nature and magnetic personality, they are always well-liked. The Monkey, however, must guard against begin an opportunist and distrustful of other people. Their sign promises success in any field they try.

 Rooster (1921 - 1933 - 1945 - 1957 - 1969 - 1981 – 1993)

Roosters are the most eccentric of the Chinese zodiac. They are full of dreams and romantic ideas. They are colorful and attractive, radiant and dashing, and they are quite proud of themselves. Roosters are organized, precise, and their sharp eyes seek out fine details in everything. They are perfectionists and leave no room for human error. To Roosters, a difficult task is a challenge. The Rooster is a hard worker; shrewd and definite in decision making, often speaking his mind. Because of this, they tend to seem boastful to others.

They are a dreamer, flashy dresser, and extravagant to an extreme. Born under this sign they should be happy as a restaurant owner, publicist, soldier, or world traveler.

    Dog (1910 - 1922 - 1934 - 1946 - 1958 - 1970 - 1982)

Dogs are honest, straight forward, and friendly. They are extremely protective of themselves and their loved ones. With a passion for fair play and justice, they never fail to rescue you time after time. The Dog will never let you down. Born under this sign they are honest, and faithful to those they love. They are plagued by constant worry, a sharp tongue, and a tendency to be a fault finder, however. They would make an excellent businessman, activist, teacher, or secret agent.

 Boar (1911 - 1923 - 1935 - 1947 - 1959 - 1971 - 1983)

Boars are self-reliant, very sociable, dependable, and extremely determined. Boars are peace lovers and don't hold grudges. They hate arguments, tense situations, and try to bring both sides together. In life they make deep and long-lasting friendships. Boars enjoy social gatherings of all kinds, and look for parties to attend. In fact, Boars must watch themselves so that their incessant pursuit of pleasure doesn't interfere with other aspects of their lives. They are a splendid companion, an intellectual with a very strong need to set difficult goals and carry them out. They are sincere, tolerant, and honest but by expecting the same from others, they are incredibly naive. The Boar would be best in the arts as an entertainer, or possibly a lawyer.

http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Haskell_EL/calendar%20past%20events/chinesenew%20year%20gifs/chinesenewyear.htm