Dreadful by Shel Silverstein (1974) : Poems ESL Listening

(TESOL Worksheets--Poems ESL Listening)
Transcript: drive, docs, pub
Homework Worksheet: docs, pub  Quizlet HERE
Video HERE, 2nd Video HERE

Dreadful by Shel Silverstein (1974): poems

Video: https://youtu.be/WuYV8NeOT5U

Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/_5dg67c

Suggested Use:

Step 1: Look at the vocabulary. Check any words that you don’t know in your dictionary.

Step 2: Listen to the video. (Listen only.  Don’t look at the poem yet).

Step  3: Practice the vocabulary on Quizlet 

Step 4: Watch the video again.  This time look at the poem. Read and listen at the same time.

Step 5: Practice the vocabulary on Quizlet again 

Step 6: Listen one last time.  The last time, don’t look at the poem. 

Vocabulary

absolutely, baby, because, burp, clear, clothes, clue, dad, dreadful, feel, frightful, hear, heartless, imagine, nose, policemen, rather, sad, sweet, toy, whiny, wipe

Contractions

’cause=because

Dreadful by Shel Silverstein (1974): poems

Someone ate the baby.
It's rather sad to say.
Someone ate the baby
So she won't be out to play.

We'll never hear her whiny cry
Or have to feel if she is dry.
We'll never hear her asking "Why?"
Someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby.
It's absolutely clear
Someone ate the baby
'Cause the baby isn't here.

We'll give away her toys and clothes.
We'll never have to wipe her nose.
Dad says, "That's the way it goes."
Someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby.
What a frightful thing to eat!
Someone ate the baby
Though she wasn't very sweet.

It was a heartless thing to do.
The policemen haven't got a clue.
I simply can't imagine who
Would go and (burp) eat the baby

Match the missing words to the blanks.  Then watch the video to check your answers

Video: https://youtu.be/WuYV8NeOT5U

Word bank

clear, clue, dry, eat, here, nose, play, say, sweet

Dreadful by Shel Silverstein

Someone ate the baby.
It's rather sad to (1)_______________.
Someone ate the baby
So she won't be out to (2)_______________.

We'll never hear her whiny cry
Or have to feel if she is (3)_______________.
We'll never hear her asking "Why?"
Someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby.
It's absolutely (4)_______________
Someone ate the baby
'Cause the baby isn't (5)_______________.

We'll give away her toys and clothes.
We'll never have to wipe her (6)_______________.
Dad says, "That's the way it goes."
Someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby.
What a frightful thing to (7)_______________!
Someone ate the baby
Though she wasn't very (8)_______________.

It was a heartless thing to do.
The policemen haven't got a (9)_______________.
I simply can't imagine who
Would go and (burp) eat the baby

Answers:

Dreadful by Shel Silverstein

Someone ate the baby.
It's rather sad to (1)say.
Someone ate the baby
So she won't be out to (2)play.

We'll never hear her whiny cry
Or have to feel if she is (3)dry.
We'll never hear her asking "Why?"
Someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby.
It's absolutely (4)clear
Someone ate the baby
'Cause the baby isn't (5)here.

We'll give away her toys and clothes.
We'll never have to wipe her (6)nose.
Dad says, "That's the way it goes."
Someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby.
What a frightful thing to (7)eat!
Someone ate the baby
Though she wasn't very (8)sweet.

It was a heartless thing to do.
The policemen haven't got a (9)clue.
I simply can't imagine who
Would go and (burp) eat the baby

Vocabulary

absolutely - completely:

The food was absolutely delicious.

baby - a very young child:

Liz has had a baby.

because - used to give a reason for something:

I phoned because I needed to talk to you.

burp - to let air from your stomach come out of your mouth in a noisy way

clear - UNDERSTAND

easy to understand:

He gave very clear directions to his house.

clothes - items such as shirts and trousers that you wear on your body:

She was wearing her sister's clothes.

clue - a sign or a piece of information that helps you to solve a problem or answer a question:

Police are searching the area for clues to the murder.

dad - father:

My dad and I have the same curly brown hair.

dreadful - extremely bad or unpleasant:

It was a dreadful mistake.

feel - TOUCH

to touch something, especially with your hands, in order to examine it:

He had to feel her ankle to see if it was broken.

frightful - very bad:

The house was in a frightful mess.

hear - SOUND

to be aware of a sound through your ears:

I could hear his voice in the distance.

heartless - cruel and not caring about other people

imagine - CREATE

to create an idea or picture of something in your mind:

I can't imagine living with him.

nose - the part of your face through which you breathe and smell:

My nose is tickling.

policeman - a man who is a member of the police

rather - SLIGHTLY

slightly or to a degree:

I find her books rather dull.

sad - NOT HAPPY

unhappy or making you feel unhappy:

I was very sad when our cat died.

sweet - TASTE

with a taste like sugar:

It was covered in a very sweet chocolate sauce.

toy - an object for children to play with:

He was happily playing with his toys.

whiny - complaining a lot in an annoying way, especially in a high, sad voice:

The children were tired and whiny.

wipe - CLEAN

to clean or dry something by moving a cloth across it:

I had a job cleaning tables in a cafe.