The Fox and the Spring Ice
Written by Studio AM.
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In the last week of winter, a young fox came to the wide pond. Home was on the far side. Walking around would take all morning. Walking across the ice would take ten minutes.
An old goose stood by the bank. "Spring is close," she said. "The ice is thin now. Go around."
"The ice held me all winter," said the fox, and he trotted out. Halfway across, the ice groaned. Then it cracked, and the fox dropped into the freezing water. He kicked his way back and climbed out. Then he walked around the pond after all, shivering, slower than ever.
An unsafe shortcut can become the longest way home.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the lesson of this fable?
The answer is B: An unsafe shortcut can take longer than the safe path.
The fox ignores a warning to save time, falls through the ice, and must take the longer route anyway.
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Question 2 of 4
What is wrong with the fox's reason, "The ice held me all winter"?
The answer is A: The season is changing, so past crossings do not establish that the ice is safe now.
The goose warns that the ice is thin now. The fox relies on conditions from earlier in winter.
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Question 3 of 4
In this fable, "groaned" means the ice:
The answer is D: made a low, deep sound as it strained
The ice makes a low sound under the fox's weight before it cracks.
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Question 4 of 4
How long would walking around the pond take?
The answer is C: All morning
The first paragraph gives both times: around takes all morning, across takes ten minutes. Ten minutes belongs to the ice route, not the safe one.
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