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| (Wikipedia) |
This article is designed for younger readers, with activities more suitable for children and young teens.
Once, six learned men went to visit an elephant to find out what it was like. All of these men were blind.
The first one felt its side and said, "It's like a wall!".
The second one felt its tusk and said, "It's like a spear!".
The third one felt its trunk and said, "It's like a snake!".
The fourth one felt its leg and said, "It's like a tree!".
The fifth one felt its ear and said, "It's like a fan!".
The sixth one felt its tail and said, "It's like a rope!".
They argued long and loudly, each one believing he knew what the elephant was really like. In fact, each one was a little bit right--and every one of them was wrong!
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SOME WORDS TO TALK ABOUT:
- blind: unable to see
- learned: well-educated (pronounced LEARN-ud)
- spear: a long pointy stick that can be thrown as a weapon
- trunk: an elephant's long nose
- tusk: one of the two long "teeth" next to an elephant's nose
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Questions to Answer:
Choose the best answer. Correct answers are in the first comment below.
1. How many men went to visit the elephant?
A. three
B. five
C. six
2. What was different about these men?
A. They couldn't smell.
B. They couldn't see.
C. They couldn't hear.
3. True or False: Each man felt a different part of the elephant.
A. True
B. False
4. The elephant's trunk felt like a:
A. tree
B. snake
C. wall
5. Why didn't they understand what the elephant was like?
A. Because each man touched only one part.
B. Because each man argued with the other.
C. Because each man was deaf.
Questions to Think About:
These questions do not have "right" or "wrong" answers. They only ask your opinion.
- Why did the men argue? Why didn't they just compare what they had felt?
- What things can the men never know just by touching the elephant? (For example, its color.)
- What would you say an elephant is like?
ANSWERS:
ReplyDeleteQuestions to Answer: 1. C; 2. B; 3. A; 4. B; 5. A
Questions to Think About do not have any single correct answer. However, any answers you give should be supported by what you read or by things you know ("I think... because...").