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ESL Worksheets

ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE

Geraldine McCaughrean

Greek Myths, Heinemann New Windmills (1992)

Before Reading

Work in a pair to find out what the following words or phrases mean. Be prepared to explain them to the class.

a lyre a soul a ferryman grief to glance

After Reading

    1. What three changes occurred in nature, proving that Orpheus’s music was special?
  • _______________________________________________
  • _______________________________________________
  • _______________________________________________
    2. What happened to Eurydice’s soul?
    3. When Orpheus said he was going to fetch Eurydice back from the Underworld, his friends "gasped with horror" and the ferryman asked him "Are you mad?" Why?
    4. Why did the ferryman agree to take Orpheus across the River Styx?
    5. How did Orpheus overcome Pluto?
    6. What bargain did Pluto make with Orpheus?

    He said that _____________________________________________ if _____________________________________________________

    7. How did Orpheus lose Eurydice as they returned to earth?
    8. How did his audiences react to Orpheus’s mournful music?
    9. Where can you see Orpheus’s lyre today?

 

Vocabulary

    1. a) Put these verbs in order from loudest to softest:

yelped barked whimpered

    b) Find two more animal sounds on Page 69.

     

    2. Think of as many additional animal sounds as you can. Now arrange all your sounds in a table like this:

SOUND

ANIMAL

bark

dog, wolf, fox, seal

yelp

 

whimper

 

squeak

mouse, bat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
    3. Arrange the following words in pairs. (The two words in each pair have roughly the same meaning.) Example: happy – jolly

happy glance spirit gloomy exclaim forbidden glimpse soul dreary cry jolly banned

 

Writing

With a partner, discuss a new ending for the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Then rewrite the ending.

 

Frankie Meehan