Beckie Loewenstein

We read the article Apples, apples everywhere in The Economist. Reading comprehension questions: Why do the Poles make apple cider and perry? How do you upscale apple juice? What do apple cider and Bailey's Irish Cream have in common? What word most closely means 'brings to mind'? What word most closely means 'invent'? What word most closely means 'plan'? What word most closely means 'swallow'?   What word most closely means 'compete'?   What word most closely means 'drunk'? What word most closely means 'increase'?   What word most closely means 'extra'?   New vocabulary: be plastered cider concoct conjure up dust down gulp homebrew mask mop up orchard palate perry plot reek rival surge surplus tipple upmarket Summarize the article using the new vocabulary.

John Vernon Lord Read "The Frogs Desiring a King", an Aesop fable. Check out some of the illustrations. Here is the story illustrated by Heidi Finn of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Here are more illustrations in the Victoria and Albert Museum. What is the message of the story? The Frogs were living as happy as could be in a marshy swamp that just suited them; they went splashing about caring for nobody and nobody troubling with them. But some of them thought that this was not right, that they should have a king and a proper constitution, so they determined to send up a petition to Jove to give them what they wanted. "Mighty Jove," they cried, "send unto us a king that will rule over us and keep us in order." Jove laughed at their croaking, and threw down into the swamp a huge Log, which came down - kerplash! - into the swamp. The Frogs were frightened out of their lives by the commotion made in their midst, and all rushed to the bank to...