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Unit 28 :
“He who Who Plays with fire Gets Burnt”
Pre-advanced
Objective
To be able to know more about idioms and expressions.
Vocabulary
Read and know the meaning of the words used in the article.
1. intensity /ɪnˈten.sə.t̬i/
the quality of being felt strongly or having a very strong effect
The explosion was of such intensity that it was heard five miles away.
2. arrogant /ˈer.ə.ɡənt/
unpleasantly proud and behaving as if you are more important than, or know more than, other people
I found him arrogant and rude.
3. vulture /ˈvʌl.tʃɚ/
a large bird with almost no feathers on its head or neck, that eats the flesh of dead animals
When a company is in crisis like this, the vultures are always hovering.
4. swoop /swuːp/
to move very quickly and easily through the air, especially down from a high position in order to attack
The eagle swooped down to snatch a young rabbit.
Quick Reading
Read the short passage.
Fire is a dangerous and powerful element that is to be dealt with cautiously.
Anyone who tries to play with fire or take it lightly is to be burnt or injured by its intensity.
Similarly in life too we must take proper precautions when we tackle dangerous situations.
We must be aware of our weakness and never try to be overconfident. And never underestimate the strength of the enemy.
Once there was a frog that always fancied itself to be a great singer and troubled everyone with his loud singing. No amount of advice from his fellow species would deter him from this activity which led to him making more enemies than friends.
His friends often wanted him that he would find himself in great trouble because of his arrogant attitude. The frog was foolish enough to think that he could get away with his mischief and would often proudly say. “I can jump into the pond and disappear instantly and escape from my enemies. So I will not stop singing.”
There was an old owl living on a tree near the pond who was not keeping good health. Owls normally hunt during the night for food and sleep all day long. The frog’s singing disturbed the owl so much that he could not sleep and was very irritated.
The owl requested, then pleaded and even begged the frog to keep quiet and allow him to sleep. But the frog rudely said. “I will do as I please.” and sang even more loudly.
Just then the owl saw a vulture hovering over the tree. The loud croaking seemed to have alerted the vulture of the frog’s presence.
The owl called out to the frog. “Dear friend… you better watch out! There is a vulture ready to swoop down on you. You better get back to the safety of your pond.”
The stupid frog thought that the owl was trying to stop it from singing and said, “Don’t think you can fool me by saying all this. I shall not believe you.” As the frog continued singing with his eyes closed, the vulture swooped down and grabbed the frog and flew high up into the sky.
It is always better to listen to those who are more experienced than us. The frog did not realize the danger that was in store for it despite being warned by the owl and paid the price for it.
The story clearly tells us that we must exercise caution while tackling dangerous situations.
Discussion
Answer the questions with your teacher.
- Did you try playing fire when you were a kid?
- Why did they compare fire to life in the article?
- How do you take precautions?
- Can you cite a situation wherein you have put extra precautions? Did you manage it properly?
- How important is precaution to you?
