Chapter twoA very sad life
The Fir tree was put into a large room.1
He looked around the room curiously.
Soon after, many servants and young girls came in.
They started to decorate the tree.
They hung many colored decorations on the tree.2
On the top, they put a large golden star.
The tree looked at his branches.
He was dressed in many colors.3
He looked very beautiful.
“Now my life will be wonderful,” thought the tree.
“I will live my life in this warm room.
The sunlight and the air were all wrong.4
Maybe the sparrows will come to see me.
Maybe they will tell other trees about my grand life.”
He was so happy now.
He felt very good about his future.5
Key Words
be put into: được đặt bên trong (put - put - put)
look around: nhìn quanh
curiously (adv): tò mò, hiếu kỳ
soon after: không lâu sau đó
servant (n): người hầu
come in: bước vào
decorate (v): trang hoàng, trang trí
hang (v): treo, mắc
(hang - hung - hung)
decoration (n): đồ trang trí
on the top: ở trên cùng
be dressed in: được trang trí đẹp với
grand (adj): vĩ đại, huy hoàng
Key Sentences
1 The Fir tree was put into a large room.
2 They hung many colored decorations on the tree.
3 He was dressed in many colors.
4 The sunlight and the air were all wrong.
5 He felt very good about the future.
A few moments later, the door to the room opened.
Many children came in.
They ran to the tree and stopped.1
Just after them, the adults walked in.2
Together, they all admired the beautiful tree.3
The tree felt so happy.
It was very noisy in that room that night.
The children screamed joyfully and danced around the tree.4
Later, all the people sang Christmas carols together.
The tree enjoyed watching all of this.
He thought, “This is all for me!5
I will enjoy this every night.”
He was very content.
Check up
Why is the Fir tree happy?
a. It becomes a Christmas tree just like its old wish.
b. The kids like it.
c. The other trees are jealous.
Key Words & Sentences
just after: ngay đằng sau
adult (n): người lớn, người trưởng thành
admire (v): ngưỡng mộ, ngắm nhìn
noisy (adj): huyên náo, ồn ào
that night: đêm đó
scream (v): hét lên
joyfully (adv): vui sướng
content (adj): hài lòng, mãn nguyện
1 They ran to the tree and stopped.
2 Just after them, the adults walked in.
3 Together, they all admired the beautiful tree.
4 The children screamed joyfully and danced around the tree.
5 This is all for me!
The next morning, the tree wanted to see the children.
But they did not come to see him.1
Instead, some servants came into the room.
He thought, “Yesterday, the servants decorated me.
Today, they will decorate me again.”
But this did not happen.2
The servants pulled the tree down.
They took him out of the room.
Then, they took him up many stairs and put him into a dark room.3
He was forgotten.4
Many more lonely nights passed.5
One night, there was a sound, “Squeak! Squeak!”
They were little mice.
The curious mice wanted to know about the tree.6
The tree told stories about the forest.
They were amazed.
They said, “Your life is interesting!
You were very happy in the forest!”
The tree replied, “Yes, I was happy there.
But my life is not interesting anymore.”7
Check up
Why was the Fir tree moved into a dark room?
a. He withered up.
b. Christmas was over.
c. The kids didn’t like him.
Key Words & Sentences
next morning: sáng hôm sau
instead (adv): thay vì
come into: bước vào
happen (v): xảy ra
pull A down (v): dỡ A xuống, hạ A xuống
take out of: đưa ra ngoài
(take - took - taken)
stairs (n): những bậc thang
be forgotten: bị lãng quên
(forget - forgot - forgotten)
pass (v): trôi qua
one night: một đêm nọ
squeak (n): tiếng chít chít
mice (số nhiều của mouse) (n): những con chuột
curious (adj): tò mò, hiếu kỳ
know about: biết về, nghe kể về
amazed (adj): háo hức
1 But they did not come to see him.
2 But this did not happen.
3 Then, they took him up many stairs and put him into a dark room.
4 He was forgotten.
5 Many more lonely nights passed.
6 The curious mice wanted to know about the tree.
7 But my life is not interesting anymore.
At night they went to hear his story.
He told them many stories about Christmas Eve.
This continued for a few more nights.1
Finally, the tree had no more stories and had to tell the same stories over.2
The mice thought, “Maybe the stories are not very interesting after all.”3
So, the mice did not go to the tree at night.
It became very lonely in that dark room.
“Why don’t the mice come to visit me?” he thought.
“It was better when the mice came to listen to me.4
I must enjoy those happy times more.
I will be careful next time.
When I leave this room,
I will really enjoy everything.
But when will that be?”5
Check up
How is the Fir tree feeling now?
a. Exciting
b. Angry
c. Regretful
Key Words
continue (v): tiếp tục, tiếp diễn
a few: vài
after all: cuối cùng, rốt cuộc
visit (v): ghé thăm
listen to + someone: lắng nghe ai đó
must + V (modal verb): phải làm gì
careful (adj): cẩn thận
leave (v): rời khỏi
(leave - left - left)
Key Sentences
1 This continued for a few more nights.
2 Finally, the tree had no more stories and had to tell the same stories over.
3 Maybe the stories are not very interesting after all.
4 It was better when the mice came to listen to me.
5 But when will that be?
One day, the door to that dark, lonely room opened.
Many people came in.
“At last,” thought the tree.
“They come to give me a new life.”1
One man came and pushed the tree down onto the floor.2
Ouch!! The tree landed very heavily.
Then two servants picked up the tree and took it outside.
Now the tree was lying in the sunlight.3
“This is wonderful. My new life is beginning.
It is spring now.
They will plant me and I will grow.”
The tree really enjoyed the fresh air.
He looked around at the garden.
It was so beautiful.
There were roses and carnations.
He saw many birds flying in the garden.4
It was a wonderful day for the tree.
Key Words
one day: một ngày nọ
push down: đẩy xuống, làm đổ xuống
onto (prep): bên trên
floor (n): sàn nhà
ouch (interjection): ối, ái
land (v): tiếp đất
heavily (adv): nặng nề
pick up: nhấc lên
outside (adv): bên ngoài
lie (v): nằm
(lie - lay - lain)
plant (v): trồng
garden (n): vườn
carnation (n): hoa cẩm chướng
Key Sentences
1 They come to give me a new life.
2 One man came and pushed the tree down onto the floor.
3 Now the tree was lying in the sunlight.
4 He saw many birds flying in the garden.
The tree relaxed in the sunlight, and spread out his branches.1
Just then, he discovered something terrible.
He couldn’t move his branches.
He looked at them and was shocked.2
They were all yellow.
His branches were weak.
He was a very sad tree now.
Some children were running around the garden.
They cried, “Look! It is the Christmas tree.
It is so old and ugly.
But look! It still has the yellow star on top of it.”3
One of the children took the star from the tree.
The children didn’t care about the old tree.
There was nothing beautiful about the tree anymore.4
Check up
Choose what does not match with the story.
a. The Fir tree turned yellow.
b. The Fir tree became much uglier when the children took away the star.
c. The fir tree did not lose its vitality.
Key Words & Sentences
relax (v): thư giãn, nghỉ ngơi
spread out: trải rộng, dang ra
(spread - spread - spread)
just then: ngay sau đó
discover (v): phát hiện, nhận ra
move (v): dịch chuyển, cử động
be shocked: bị sốc, hoảng loạn
(shock (n): cú sốc)
weak (adj): yếu
ugly (adj): xấu xí
care about: quan tâm đến
nothing (pronoun): không
1 The tree relaxed in the sunlight and spread out his branches.
2 He looked at them and was shocked.
3 It still has the yellow star on top of it.
4 There was nothing beautiful about the tree anymore.
“This is terrible,” he thought.
“I really am an old, ugly tree.
I want to go back to my dark, lonely room.
My life in the forest really was the best.
I wasted my life.
I always wished for something more interesting.1
I never enjoyed the simple things in my life.2
Now, it is over. There is nothing I can do.”3
Soon, the gardener came with an axe.
“This really is the end,” groaned the tree.4
He chopped the poor Fir tree into many pieces.
Then, he placed each piece into a fire.5
The poor tree burned in the flames.
As he burned, he could see the children playing.6
They were playing with his golden star.
But it was too late for regrets now.7
Key Words & Sentences
terrible (adj): khủng khiếp
go back: quay lại, trở lại
waste (v): lãng phí
wish for something: mơ tưởng về điều gì
over (adj): hết, kết thúc, không còn nữa
gardener (n): người làm vườn
groan (v): rên rỉ
chop (v): chẻ, bổ
place (v): đặt, để
burn (v): đốt cháy
flame (n): ngọn lửa
regret (n): sự hối tiếc, ân hận
1 I always wished for something more interesting.
2 I never enjoyed the simple things in my life.
3 There is nothing I can do.
4 “This really is the end,” groaned the tree.
5 Then, he placed each piece into a fire.
6 As he burned, he could see the children playing.
7 But it was too late for regrets now.
Comprehension Quiz
A. Fill in the blanks with the right adjectives.
(Use the antonyms given)
1. The Fir tree was put into a _______________ room.
⇒small
2. His branches were _______________.
⇒strong
3. I will be _______________ next time.
⇒careless
4. It was too _______________ for regrets now.
⇒early
B. Based on the story, mark ‘T’ if true or ‘F’ if false.
1. The mice never got tired of listening to his stories. T...F
2. The tree spent many lonely nights in a dark room. T...F
3. A child took the star from the tree. T...F
4. The tree didn’t want to go back to the forest. T...F