Activity 1
Unlocking of difficult words
Directions: Choose the correct meaning of the underlined words. Use contextual clues in finding their exact
meanings.
1. The chieftain of the village decided the case of the two thieves.
a. leader
b. follower
c. employee
2. The troops invaded at dawn and defeated the enemies.
a. conquered b. protected
c. defended
3. I felt sorrow at the death of my dog.
a. joy
b. delight
c. grief
4. Please accept this parting gift as a token of our lasting affection.
a. souvenir
b. logo
c. clue
Activity 2
One-minute reading
THE FLOWER OF LOVE
Once there loved a chieftain who had a beautiful daughter name Liwayway. One day Liwayway went
into the woods to gather fruits and flowers but unfortunately lost her way. She became unconscious when a wild
beast ran after her. When she came to, she saw a young man bending over her. He was the son of another
chieftain. When they parted, each one knew they were in love with each other.
One day the young man was going away to fight the white men who had invaded their land. The lovers
promised never to forget each other saying “Sumpa kita.” But the warrior never came back. In sorrow, the
maiden killed herself. Sometime later, shrubs with fragrant flowers grew on her grave. People believed that
Liwayway’s love grew and bloomed. It became a custom for young lovers after that to exchange garlands of
these flowers as a token of their faithful love. They whispered “I promise” (Sumpa kita) to each other. In time
the flowers became known as sampaguita. It is adopted as our national flower because of its fragrance and
simplicity.
Activity 3
Comprehension check:
1. Who was Liwayway?
a. She was a mermaid.
b. She was a goddess of dawn.
c. She was the daughter of a chieftain.
2. Why did she go to the woods?
a. to chase birds
b. to take a bath
c. to gather fruits and flowers
3. What happened when a wild beast ran after her?
a. She played with it.
b. She climbed a tree.
c. She became unconscious.
4. What did she see when she regained consciousness?
a. a fairy bending over her
b. a wild beast bending over her
c. a young man bending over her
5. Who was the young man the maiden saw?
a. a hunter
b. a warrior
c. son of another chieftain
6. Why did the young man leave?
a. to go with his father
b. to fight the invaders
c. to live in another land
7. What did they promise each other?
a. to write each other
b. to love each other forever
c. never to forget each other
8. Who killed herself?
a. the fairy
b. Liwayway
c. the maiden
9. What grew on her grave?
a. shrubs with fragrant flowers
b. shrubs with yellow flowers
c. shrubs with thick leaves
10. What does the sampaguita symbolize?
a. loyalty
b. bravery
c. honesty
Activity 4
Timed repeated reading
Directions: Read the same passage for 1 minute three times. The partner counts how many words the pupil read
correctly in 1 minute. Have your partner do the same procedure and record your progress on the chart.
Food and Drinks of the Ancient Filipinos
Rice was the staple food of the ancient Filipinos. They cooked it in pots and in bamboos. Our forefathers’
diet included also various species of fish caught in rivers and lakes; meat from carabaos, deer, hogs, chickens and
edible birds; vegetables, tubers like sweet potato; spices like pepper and garlic; and fruits like bananas, oranges,
guavas and mangoes.
There were also many kinds of wine and drinks on the islands. The tuba which was taken from the coconut
palms was the champagne of the early Filipinos. Among the popular wines were the Visayan pangasi, fermented
from rice; the Visayan gauilang distilled from sugar cane; and the Igorot tapuy, taken from rice.
Although the early Filipinos were heavy drinkers, they seldom lost their senses when drunk. They only
became lively, talkative and witty when intoxicated. Even after a heavy drink, their hands never trembled and
they could manage to weigh their gold correctly.