The passage describes the Great Buddha statue located at Kamakura, Japan. It is a huge bronze statue, over 120 feet tall and weighing over 90 tons. It has three eyes to represent seeing all, long ears to represent hearing all, and a bump on its head to represent knowing all. Its half-closed eyes and calm facial expression represent being at peace. The statue was built in the 13th century and withstood a major tsunami in 1945 that destroyed the surrounding temple. Looking at and sitting like the statue is meant to help people feel calm and peaceful.

1. Exercise ONEThe Great Buddha by Gery Greer<br />12345678 It has three eyes. It is as tall as a building with four floors. It weights more than ninety tons. What is it? The Great Buddha at Kamakura, Japan. The Buddha is a huge statue. You can go inside it. You can climb up and look out a window in its back. It is said that it is the biggest statue of its kind in the world.The Great Buddha is hundreds of years old. It was made in 1252. That was 240 years before Columbus reached America. In Europe, it was the time of Knights.The real Buddha was a holy Man. The Statue is meant to make people think of him. When it was new, it was in a temple. In 1945 a huge wave swept over the land. The wave knocked the temple down. Not one part of it was left. But the statue was not harmed. There it sat, under the sky. All the people could see it. It made them feel safe. It has sat there ever since. Why does it have three eyes? The third eye means that Buddha sees all. It just a round dot on the Buddha´s forehead. Other parts of the statue mean things too. It has long ears. They mean that Buddha hears all. It has a bump on its head. This means that Buddha knows all. The face looks very calm. The eyes are half closed. This means that Buddha is at peace. The hands are placed with the thumbs together. This shows faith. There is meaning, too, in the way the statue sits. It is supposed to help bring calm thoughts. You can try to sit this way yourself. Sit on the floor. Cross your legs. Your feet should be close to the floor. That´s not easy at first, but try. Half close your eyes. Rest your hands in your lap. Breathe slowly. Try not to think. Sit that way as long as you can. Do you feel peaceful? Looking at the Great Buddha makes many people feel at peace. So does sitting like him.<br />Reading Questions:<br />1. What does the third eye of the statue mean?<br />A) Buddha is blind B) Buddha sees everything. C) Buddha has three ways of looking at things.<br />2. What do the long ears of the statue mean?<br /> A) Buddha hears everything B)Buddha is deaf. C) Buddha is not human.<br />3. The statue´s eyes are half-closed.<br /> A) Buddha doesn´t like the bright light. B) Buddha is asleep. C) Buddha is at peace.<br />4. What does the bump on the statue´s head mean?<br />A) Buddha knows everything. B) Buddha has had many fights. C) Buddha fell and hurt himself.<br />5. How are people supposed to feel when they look at the statue?<br />A) AfraidB) PeacefulC) Angry<br />Vocabulary: <br />Context exercise (DIRECTIONS) Look at each number in parenthesis. Find the paragraph in the story with the same number. Then find the word that fits the given meaning. Write the word.<br />A person or animal carved in stone or wood (2)<br /> Soldiers in the Middle Ages (3)<br />Buildings used for the worship of a god or gods (4)<br />A moving swell of water (4)<br />The short, thick fingers of the hands (6)<br />Discussion:<br /> What is Buddhism? Where did it originate? Where is it practiced?<br />Who is Buddha? Is he a man or a god?<br />Compare Buddhism with other religions<br />What do you know of other statues or monuments in your country and the world? <br />