Adventures Of Don Quixote (Prose)

Unit 1 – Prose

Adventures of Don Quixote

Warm Up

My Hand of Imagination
1. Trace around your hand on a white paper.
2. Make a list of your five choices.
3. Draw a picture to indicate what your finger would become.
4. Erase one finger at a time and draw your choice in its place.
5. Write and share in the class.

Once upon a time, in a village called La Mancha, in Spain, there lived a man who loved to read about knights. Every day he would read about courageous knights and the incredible adventures they had. He was so absorbed in these stories that he hardly remembered to eat or sleep.

The days of knights and squires, of exciting adventures and romances, come alive in the hilarious account of Don Quixote’s travels.

As years passed, Don Quixote imagines himself placed in the world of knights. He convinces Sancho Panza, a peasant from the same village, to be his squire.

Don sets on a journey in search of a squire. He meets Sancho Panza.

Don Quixote:
Sancho, how would you like to become my servant, and accompany me on a great adventure?

Sancho Panza:
Your servant? An island? Are you serious?

Don Quixote:
Yes, if you serve me faithfully and honestly, I will reward you with an island. I vow it upon my honour as a knight! So, will you come with me?

Sancho Panza:
Yes Master. I will come with you.

The two men set out on a journey together.

On the hill in front of them, they could see a large old windmill. When he saw it, Don Quixote’s eyes began to sparkle.

Don Quixote:
Look Sancho, how dare that hideous ogre block our path?

Sancho Panza:
What!? An ogre? Where, Master?… that’s a windmill.

Don Quixote:
I tell you these are ogres; and if you are afraid of them, go aside and say your prayers, while I engage them in combat.

Don Quixote flew towards the windmill and collided with it.

Don Quixote:
Huh? Prepare to face my spear, Ogre!

Unfortunately, Sancho’s shouts and warnings passed unheard. Don Quixote and Rocinante charged the windmill at full speed.

Sancho Panza:
Master, are you alright? See? I told you it was just a windmill. Did I not give you a fair warning?

Don Quixote:
Look Sancho! The ogre is more seriously wounded than I am!

Sancho Panza:
You are absolutely right. You are a great knight indeed, and you have defeated the fearsome windmill beast!

Don Quixote:
Listen to me, Sancho, someday people will write of our great exploits. But we must prove worthy of that honour by vanquishing villains and upholding justice. Do you understand?

In fact, the windmill was working perfectly fine. Sancho did his best to dissuade Don Quixote from attempting anything else reckless.

As Don Quixote and Sancho passed a farm, they saw a thick cloud of dust appeared.

Don told him that there was undoubtedly a prodigious army marching in their direction.

Don started to name the leaders and principal knights in each army and to describe the different nations represented.

Don Quixote:
How now! At least you must hear the neighing of steeds, the sound of trumpets, and the rattling of drums.

Sancho Panza:
I hear nothing, but the bleating of many sheep and lambs.

Don Quixote:
Your fears prevent you from hearing or seeing aright; but if you refuse to follow me to the battle, stand aside and I will go on alone.

Sancho Panza:
Hold, sir! Come back, I entreat! What madness is this! They are verily but sheep and lambs!

Don Quixote set spurs to Rocinante and charged into the midst of the sheep. At this the frightened animals fled helter-skelter.

The shepherds, seeing the cause of their disorder, pelting stones that soon he fell wounded to the ground.

Peasants:
Ha ha ha! Did you see those cowards run?
Look, it’s Don Quixote, the madman!
They are right to fear Don Quixote!

The local peasants all thought Don Quixote was crazy. They laughed and taunted as he passed.

Peasants:
What kind of beast did you defeat this time? Ha ha ha!
Did you finally get those evil sheep? Ha ha ha!

Sancho Panza:
Oh, no. Master, listen very carefully, they are not welcoming us, they are mocking you.

Don Quixote:
Sancho, look! See how the people welcome us! They must have heard of our great deeds!

Don Quixote did not understand and thought the people were cheering for him.

Don Quixote:
Very well, we shall speak no more of this today. But we need more adventures Sancho.

Sancho Panza:
Yes Master. We need more adventures.

Returned to his estate, Don Quixote realized that all his adventures were simply a product of his imagination. Don Quixote never embarrassed himself further by going on any more quests.

But his house would always be full of children to whom he would tell the most fantastic stories about Knights, Squires, and Noble quests, and all lived happily together, going on many more adventures in their imagination.

Glossary

• knight – a man who served his lord as a mounted soldier in armour
• incredible – unbelievable
• hilarious – amusing, entertaining
• ogre – monster, giant
• combat – fighting between armed forces
• prodigious – impressively great in extent
• steed – horse that is ridden
• spur – a device with a small spike or a spiked wheel that is worn on a rider's heel and used for urging a horse forward

Read and Understand

Answer the following questions.

1. What kinds of books did Don Quixote like to read? What were those books like?
2. What effect do the things Don Quixote reads have on him?
3. Why didn’t Don Quixote believe Sancho Panza when Sancho told him the ogres were actually windmills?
4. Why do you think Sancho continued to journey on with Don Quixote after the windmill incident?
5. When Don Quixote sees the cloud of dust on the plain in the distance, what does he think causes it?
6. Sancho sees two clouds of dust, leading him to conclude that there are two armies. What does Don Quixote think will happen next?
7. What is the reaction of the shepherds when they see that Don Quixote is attacking their sheep?

Think and Do

1. Most people associate windmills with Holland, rather than Spain. Use the encyclopaedia and any other sources you might have to find out more about windmills and their traditional and modern uses. Then, make a model of a windmill to display with the results of your research.

2. Draw a design of a boat that skims trash off the surface of a river, lake, or ocean. Label the parts and give your invention a catchy name.
   - What kind of vessel could do the job?
   - What parts would it have?
   - How would it move?
   - How could it tell the difference between trash and other objects, such as animals and seaweed?
   - How would it store and dump the trash?
   - Could your machine double as a beach sweeper, sifting trash from sand?

Discuss and Answer

To Dream the Impossible Dream

Don Quixote might be seen as not simply crazy in his refusal to see things as they really are but more like a person who wants to accomplish a greater good and so refuses to compromise his ideals. Examples of such people include Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Discuss (with examples and other evidence) whether or not they think Quixote deserves to be put in the company of real-world idealists or is merely delusional.

Vocabulary

A. Homophones

Explain the difference between these words by making sentences. One is done for you.

1. see/sea – Can you see the birds flying over the sea?
2. knight/night – __________
3. right/write – __________
4. arms/alms – __________
5. fair/fare – __________
6. here/hear – __________
7. heard/herd – __________
8. our/hour – __________
9. no/know – __________
10. not/knot – __________

B. Homonyms

Read the following sentences and write the meaning of the italicised words. One is done for you.

1. She rose up to receive the rose garland.
   - rose – got up
   - rose – a flower

2. There is a fair Arts and Craft fair this weekend.
   - fair – ____
   - fair – ______

3. The woodcutter saw a huge saw in his dream.
   - saw – ____
   - saw – ______

4. Write the right answers on the right side.
   - right – ____
   - right – ______

5. The well was dug by a well-known king.
   - well – ____
   - well – ______

6. We have march past in March.
   - march – ____
   - march – ______

7. Can you get me a can?
   - can – ____
   - can – ______

8. How long will the live fish live without food?
   - live – ____
   - live – ______

9. She has tears in her eyes as she tears old photos.
   - tears – ____
   - tears – ______

10. I will be second in line if I wait one more second.

    • second – ________
    • second – ________

C. Syllables

Divide each word by putting a slash (/) symbol between each syllable. On the space provided, write how many syllables each word has. Use a dictionary if you're not sure where to divide the syllables.

1. adventure – ad/ven/ture – 3 syllables
2. courageous – ______
3. incredible – ______
4. knight – ______
5. hilarious – ______
6. excitement – ______
7. peasant – ______
8. imagine – ______
9. shepherd – ______
10. entreat – ______

Listening

D. Listen to your teacher reading a passage on Adventure Trips. Visualize the activities. Draw the scenes in the given boxes.

• WATER ACTIVITIES
• BONFIRE
• ROCK CLIMBING
• MOUNTAIN BIKING

Speaking

E. Read the conversation of the simple machines. Take roles to play. Then discuss in pairs to describe any simple machine. Create your own storyboard and take roles to play.

Jack: Don’t you know how simple machines make your life easy?
Jimmy: Um... I don’t know what simple machines are.

Text for listening is in page 136

Practice Practice Exercises

1. Trace around your hand on a white paper.

2. Make list of your five choices.

3. Draw a picture to indicate what would your finger becomes.

4. Erase one to finger at a time and draw your choice in it’s place.

1. What kinds of books did Don Quixote like to read? What were those books like?

2. What effect do the things Don Quixote reads have on him?

3. Why didn’t Don Quixote believe Sancho Panza when Sancho told him the ogres were actually windmills?

4. Why do you think Sancho continued to journey on with Don Quixote after the windmill incident?

5. When Don Quixote sees the cloud of dust on the plain in the distance, what does he think causes it?

6. Sancho sees two clouds of dust, leading him to conclude that there are two armies. What does Don Quixote think will happen next?

7. What is the reaction of the shepherds when they see that Don Quixote is attacking their sheep?

Fair: .

Saw: .

Right: .

Well: .

March: .

Can: .

Live: .

Tears: .

Second: .

2. The man ever whose age has been verified is Jiroemon Kimura.

4. Antarctica is the continent in the world.

6. The elephant is the animal in the world.

8. Mount Everest is the mountain in the world.

1. Deserts are the places on Earth.

3. Russia is the country in the world.

4. Mercury is the planet to the sun.

5. Vatican City is the country in the world.

6. Diamonds are the material in the world.

7. The cheetah is the animal in the world.