Myths and legends—Southern Africa

英国大使馆文化教育处供稿

此系列由英国大使馆文化教育处英语教育专家撰写，是以世界各地神话与传说为主题的拓展阅读训练，旨在帮助中等英语程度的读者在拓展文化知识的同时提高英语水平。

Activity 1 Before you read, decide which word goes with which meaning.1. wing 2. beak 3. lightning 4. hyena 5. destroy a. a bird’s mouth b. to break something as much as possible until it is no longer there c. the part of a bird’s body that it uses to fl y d. The light you see in the sky during a storm. It can hurt you.e. an animal from Africa that eats dead animals and makes a sound like a laugh

The Impundulu一种奇特的鸟

People from South Africa say that the Impundulu bird is as big as a person. Its legs and beak are red like fire.It moves its wings to make the noise you hear in a storm. You will also see lightning touch the ground when it fl ies down and leaves an egg.

People say that it is always thirsty for blood, which is why it kills humans and cows. People believe this strange bird can live forever, which means it never dies. It is very dif ficult to kill an Impundulu, because it can only be destroyed by fire.

This terrible animal normally works for a witch, a woman who does magic. A witch can ask her Impundulu to give someone bad luck or make them ill. She can give the bird to her daughter before she dies. Some people believe that witches can become hyenas. There are stories of people who have seen the Impundulu bird riding on the back of a hyena.

Activity 2.1

True or false (not true)?

1. People believe that the bird makes the light and noise you hear in a storm.

2. The bird only kills people.

3. The bird usually belongs to a witch.

4. Witches keep hyenas as pets.

Activity 2.2

Now write one, two or three words from the text in each sentence.

1. The bird’s mouth and legs are_______ .

2. It is _______ to kill this bird.

3. A witch can tell the bird to make someone _______ or give them bad luck.

4. People have seen the bird riding on a _______’s back.

Activity 3

Look at the sentence below and write a word in each space.

This bird is as big as a person.

1. Thing/person/place + be +…+ adjective + … + thing/person/ place. We use as …as to say something about two things that are the same.

Use the words to write other sentences using as.

Example:

my car / yours (fast) — My car is as fast as yours.

1. my brother / your sister (old)2. these shoes / that handbag(expensive)

3. this rat / a cat (big)

4. this chair / a bed (comfortable)

5. he / his mother (friendly)

Activity 4

1. Are there stories about witches where you are from?

2. What other animals do you think about when you think about witches?