Narrative Text

The Great Fire and the Little Water

Among the Aztec people of Mexico it is said that a long time ago there was a great fire in the forest that covered our Earth. People and animals started to run, trying to escape from the fire. Our brother owl, Tecolotl, was running away also when he noticed a small bird hurrying back and forth between the nearest river and the fire. He headed towards this small bird.

He noticed that it was our brother the Quetzal bird, Quetzaltototl, running to the river picking up small drops of water in his beak, then returning to the fire to throw that tiny bit of water on the flame. Owl approached Quetzal bird and yelled at him: “What are you doing brother? Are you stupid? You are not going to achieve anything by doing this. What are you trying to do? You must run for your life!”

Quetzal bird stopped for a moment and looked at the owl, and then answered, “I am doing the best I can with what I have.”

It is remembered by our grandparents that a long time ago the forest that covered our Earth were saved from a great fire by a small Quetzal bird, an owl, and many other animals and people who got together to put out the fire.

1.     Who was trying to put out the fire?

a)        People                    d)     Quetzal

b)        Tecolotl                   e)     All animals

c)        An owl

2.     What was Quetzaltototl doing while the other animals were running away to save their life?

a)        He noticed them sadly

b)        He was struggling to put on the fire

c)        He was drinking some water

d)        He was hurried returning to the rivers

e)        He was crying for help

3.     At first an owl regarded the small bird …..

a)        Innocent                 d) Negligent

b)        Foolish                    e) Weary

c)        Frightening

4.     Who finally saved the forest from the massive fire?

a)        Quetzal

b)        All animals

c)        People

d)        Animals together with men

e)        An owl and a quetzal bird

5.     What can we learn from the story?

a)        Never mock something from this appearance

b)        Save our forest

c)        Little thing mean nothing

d)        Big things start a small case

e)        Give the best and never give up

The Story of Sugar Palm Tree

A husband and a wife lived happily in a village. They had two children, a son and a daughter. The son’s name was Tare Iluh and the daughter’s name was Beru Sibou. Their happy life ended when their father died.

Since then their mother worked hard for them. She worked so hard that it made her duffer for terrible illness. Their mother then died. Later, Tare Iluh and Beru Sibou stayed at their uncle’s house.

The days passed by and those kids had grown into adults. Tare Iluh decided to find a job in another village. He then left his sister and his uncle.

Tare Iluh wanted to make money in a short time. He thought gambling was the answer. He gambled using the money his uncle gave him. At first he won some money. He was so happy and used all the money. Sadly, he lost. All the money he had was gone. He was upset.

After that he borrowed money from the villagers, he lost again and he borrowed some money again. He kept on borrowing some money until he had a lot of debts.

When the villagers asked him to pay the debt, Tare Iluh could not pay them. He did not have any money. The villagers were angry. They put him in the jail!

In the mean time, Beru Sibou was waiting for his brother. She was worried because he had not given her any news. Finally she heard that his brother was in the jail. She rushed to go and wanted to meet her brother.

Beru Sibou did not know the way to the village. She was lost in the jungle. She met an old man and asked about his brother. The old man knew that there was a man in the jail because of gambling. He then suggested Beru Sibou to climb a high tree and sang a song about his brother. His brother might hear her song. Beru Sibou then climbed a high tree. She sang a song about his brother. She sang and screamed his brother’s name. “My brother Tare Iluh? Where are you? The villagers please release mu brother.”

Nobody listened to the song and that made Beru Sibou frustrated. She then prayed to God. “God, I’m willing to pay my brother’s debts. I will pay with my tears, my hair, and all parts of my body can be used by the villagers. But please free my brother.”

Right after she finishing praying, heavy storm attacked. And slowly Beru Sibou changed into a tree. It was just not an ordinary tree. All parts of tree were useful. Her tears changed into sweet water. Her hair changed into very strong leaves. People can use them as roofs of their house. The fruits of the tree named kolang kaling are very delicious.

People name it as a sugar palm tree or pohon enau. People in other villages name it as pohon aren.

6.     Their mother died because …

a)     She no longer loved her kids

b)     She suffered from a serious illness

c)      She couldn’t stand encounter her kids

d)     She was too sad to be left by her husband

e)     She knew that Tare Iluh made money from gambling

7.     We know from the story that Tare Iluh was imprisoned ….

a)     After he had gambled and lost many time

b)     As he couldn’t pay the money he had borrowed from the villagers

c)      Because he had earned money from illegal deed

d)     After he had gambled and lost many times

e)     Before he could pay his debt to the villagers

8.     How did Beru Sibou pay his brother debt?

a)        By praying that her whole parts of body could benefit the villagers

b)        By praying that her body could be changed into a certain tree

c)        She prayed she wanted to be a palm tree to the villagers

d)        She begged good to change her into a ordinary tree

e)        She plead that all the villagers’ bodies could be useful

9.     What the purpose of the text?

a)        To explain about Sugar Palm Tree

b)        To retell the story about Sugar Palm Tree

c)        To describe what Sugar Palm is

d)        To retell about Tare Illuh and Beru Sibou

e)        To inform the reader about Sugar Palm Tree

10.  “The villagers please release my brother.” The underlined word is closest to the following words, except …..

a)        Vent                       d) Redeem

b)        Truss                      e) Liberate

c)        Let out