Classwork
Read the below-mentioned story and complete the assignments.

THE STORY OF WILLIAM TELL (Swiss folklore)
The people of Switzerland were not always as free and happy as they are today. Early in the 14th century, the town of Altdorf in Switzerland was ruled by a proud tyrannical Austrian governor named Hermann Gessler. Baron Gessler ruled over the people of Switzerland and made their lot (destiny, fate) a bitter one indeed.

This tyrant set up a tall pole in the public square and put his own hat on top of it as a symbol of Austrian power. According to the legend, he gave orders that every man who came into the town should bow down before it as though it were the Duke of Austria.

(A) One day a man called William Tell came riding into Altdorf with his little son by his side. He came from the nearby town of Bürglen among the mountains and was reputed to be a skilled archer and the best handler of a boat in the region. William Tell refused to bow down. He stood up straight with folded arms and laughed at the swinging hat. He would not bow down to Gessler himself.

(C) When Gessler heard of this, he was very angry. He was afraid that other men would disobey, and that soon the whole country would rebel against him. He did not want this to happen! He wanted the townspeople to always show their respect to him! So he made up his mind to punish the bold man in front of all the townspeople to show that this disrespect would not be tolerated.

(A)William Tell was a famous hunter. No one in all the land could shoot with a bow and arrow so well as he.

(D)Gessler knew this, and so he thought of a cruel plan to make the hunter’s own skill bring him to grief. If William Tell is such a great hunter in all the land, he should be able to prove his greatness under any circumstance. He ordered that William Tell’s little boy should be made to stand up in the public square with an apple on his head, and then he made Tell shoot the apple with one of his arrows at 100 paces.

(E)Tell begged the tyrant not to have him make this test of his skill. What if the boy should move? What if the bowman’s hand should tremble? What if the arrow should not carry true? “Will you make me kill my boy?” he said. “Say no more,” said Gessler. “You must hit the apple with your one arrow. If you fail, my soldiers shall kill the boy before your eyes.” Then, without another word, Tell fitted the arrow to his bow. He took aim, and let it fly. The boy stood firm and still. He was not afraid, for he had all faith in his father’s skill. The arrow whistled through the air. It struck the apple fairly in the center and carried it away.

(D) As Tell was turning away from the place, an arrow which he had hidden under his coat dropped to the ground.
“Fellow!” cried Gessler, “What do you mean by this second arrow?” “Tyrant!” was Tell’s proud answer, “this arrow was for your heart if I had hurt my child.”

(B) Gessler’s face darkened with anger. Then he said, “Indeed? So long as you are at liberty I am at risk. I will spare your life, but you shall spend what is left of it in the prison across the lake. Guards, seize him!” The guards and Gessler tried to put him in prison on a deserted island, but William escaped while being transported. He killed the evil tyrant.

(C) When the townspeople heard this news, they knew that William had set their country free. William Tell had indeed freed the people of Switzerland from their oppressor, and townspeople hailed him as a hero.

(A)After the people had been freed, some of the townspeople wanted to make him king. William refused the offer. He never would want to live the lavish lifestyle of a king, so he returned to his peaceful cottage in the mountains.

Assignment 1
Read the sentences below and decide if they are true or false. Write “true” if the statement is correct and “false” if it is not. Correct it.

1. William Tell is a folk hero in France. -false
2. William Tell was known for being an excellent archer. – true
3. Baron Gessler set up a pole with his hat on it as a symbol of Austrian power.– true
4. Baron Gessler made everyone bow down to a hat in the town square.-true
5. William Tell willingly agreed to shoot an apple off his son’s head.-true
6. William Tell’s son was afraid when his father aimed the arrow at the apple on his head.- false
7. Gessler was pleased when William Tell successfully shot the apple off his son’s head.-false
8. William Tell used two arrows to shoot the apple off his son’s head.– false
9. Tell escaped from Gessler’s guards while being transported to prison.- true
10. After freeing the townspeople, William Tell became their king.– false

Assignment 2
Answer the multiple-choice questions

1. Who was Baron Gessler?
a) A Swiss hero
b) An Austrian governor
c) A farmer from Bürglen
d) A crossbowman

2. What did Gessler put on a tall pole in the public square?
a) A flag
b) His sword
c) His hat
d) A crown

3. Where was William Tell from?
a) Bürglen
b) Altdorf
c) Austria
d) Zurich

4. Why did Gessler want to punish William Tell?
a) For stealing his hat
b) For shooting an arrow at him
c) For refusing to bow down to the hat
d) For helping the townspeople escape

5. What challenge did Gessler give William Tell?
a) To shoot an apple off his own head
b) To shoot an apple off his son’s head
c) To duel with Gessler
d) To bow down to the hat

6. How far away was William Tell when he shot the apple off his son’s head?
a) 50 paces
b) 100 paces
c) 200 paces
d) 150 paces

7. Why did William Tell carry a second arrow?
a) In case he missed the apple
b) To protect himself from Gessler’s guards
c) To kill Gessler if he harmed his son
d) For a second challenge

8. What did Gessler do after Tell shot the apple?
a) Praised Tell
b) Tried to imprison him
c) Made Tell a knight
d) Let him go free

9. How did William Tell escape from Gessler?
a) He was freed by the townspeople
b) He escaped while being transported to a prison island
c) He bribed the guards
d) Gessler let him go

10. What did the townspeople want William Tell to become after they were freed?
a) A soldier
b) Their king
c) A duke
d) A farmer

Assignment 3

a know-knew
b order–ordered
c put–put
d cheer-բացականչություններով ուրախություն, հավանություն արտահայտել-cheered
e cross–crossed
f wait–waited
g walk–was walking
h jump–jumped
i kill–killed