1. R E A D I N G If you have the opportunity to travel abroad you should try to get the most out of your stay in a foreign country. To achieve this you must approach the people with a sympathetic attitude. As soon as you step off the plane or boat you will see different customs and different ways of life. These new experiences will help you understand your own country much better and humankind in general. Practically all people everywhere are peace-loving people; they want to be friends and share life with others. You can help to build a peaceful world by trying to understand other cultures and by helping them to understand your own culture. Don´t expect things to be the same as at home. Don´t think that your cultural way of life is the best. This may lead you to condemn other cultures because they don´t fit your own standars. If you have the sense of humor and welcome the unexpected you will enjoy travelling abroad. Try to get acquainted with people from many different walks of life and accept each one as an individual. Try to avoid generalizations. You will probably meet many people from your own country. Don´t try to associate yourself exclusively with them. If you do so, you will probably never learn the language of the other country. You must realize that language is the most important means for our understanding of other societies. R E A D I N G Who does not like to take a trip to the very heart of the city or town and spend some time shopping? Almost everyone can have an enjoyable time in the many shops and stores. On a pleasant day when when the weather is very comfortable, it is a pleasure to walk through a department store and inspect the fine items for sale. A stop at the bookstore is exciting for many people. How many worthwhile book fill the shelves. We shall be happy to take a look at them and perhaps buy some for our own library at home. A trip downtown is not only very interesting but it is very necessary at times. We sometimes must go to the bank and take care of our business with the clerk. We all enjoy a visit to the barber shop.
Haircut?
the man will say and as soon as possible we shall be sitting in a very long or short hair, or with a crew cut according to our request to the barber. A trip downtownis always a pleasant experience but of course upon arriving home we may realize that our pockets are empty and that we didn´t buy as many things as we expected. Yes, many is easy to spend but hard to come by. R E A D I N G Last month was Charlie´s birthday. He was fifteen.
Happy birthday, Charlie
cried Mr. Fisher and he pat his son on the back. Thanks, dad said Charlie, then he added with a smile:
Now that I´m old enough, the only present I want is a chance to use the car once in a while. I can get my driver´s license in no time at all. I already know how to drive
. Hold on a minute there, replied Mr. Fisher said, returning his smile.
You first have to master the fundamentals of driving
. Well, you´re a good driver how about teaching me these fundamentals yourself?
asked Charlie. No. I won´t do that, Mr. Fisher said. I learned to drive many years ago. I may have some bad driving habits and I might pass them on to you. You will learn faster and better if you take a regular driver´s course. O.K. said Charlie, and he took the driver´s course. It didn´t take him too long since he already knew quite well how to drive, but he had to take a written test and answer many questions about safe driving practices. These are some of the question he had to answer: If a person approaching from the rear wishes to pass, what should you do? What is the chief reason for having traffic regulations? If your car and another car coming from the right, reach an intersection at the same time, who has the right of way? Each one of these questions had several possible answer. Charlie had to choose the correct one each time. Last week Charlie finally got his driver´s license from the department of motor vehicles. He´s happier than ever before. Now he will be able to drive his father´s car. He believes he´s a safe driver. R E A D I N G I joined the boyscouts at the age of thirteen. I still remember the night of my investiture. It was a big moment in my life. Our troop organized a campfire on one of the hills near the city. It was 10:00 o´clock at night. I stood in front of the scoutmaster, the scout of the troop, and my parents. I raised my right hand in the scout sign and solemnly pronounced the scout oath or promise.
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the scout law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight
. Now I was a scout. From then on I was a member of the world brotherhood of scouting. Whith the scout I learned to overcome difficulties with a smile. As a student I had a very serious problem, the economical situation of my family. We had enough to eat but that was all. For books and other things I depended on one uncle. I worked hard in my spare time and saved any cent I could get. Two years before the end of high school my uncle died. A friend of my father offered me a full-time job. He wasn´t very enthusiastic about my studies. My scout friends on the contrary helped me a great deal. They collected money among themselves and got me a part-time job in a mechanical shop; with their help I was able to continue my studies. When I graduated from high school I got a scholarship to study at the university. Now I´m a professional and my parents have someone to look after them. I am still a scout at heart. I can never forget those long hikes, early rising, campfires and outdoor life. More than that, however, the scout movement was an inspiration in my life. It helped me in my studies and kept me optimistic in spite of the many difficulties of the environment. READING: In general, Americans eat a very hearty breakfast. This may include such things as: juice, cereal, bacon and eggs, toasts or rolls, milk, coffee and pastries. In the cities though, many people don´t usually have much time for beakfast. Government employees, factory workers, high school teachers and businessmen have to rush, however, they always have time to drink one or more cups of coffee. They never forget this. Most Americans drink several cups of coffe during the day too. The typical working day in the United States lasts from 9:00 to 5:00. At noontime Americans usually take a light meal. This is what we call lunch. The luch break lasts about half an hour. This means that people don´t have time to leave work or school. They eat luch at cafeterias located in the same building or in nearby restaurants. Many students and workers bring sandwiches in a luch bag when they leave home in the morning. Then, at noontime, they simply buy a soft drink or something else to go with the sandwich. The final meal of the day is supper. It usually takes place around 6:30 in the evening. It is the time when the whole family gets together. It is an important moment in family life: the children talk about their school subject and experiences during the day. The parents listen to them, ask them question and talk about their thier own experiences too. This meal is sometimes called dinner. But dinner may take place at noon time, or in the early afternoon. What is dinner then? It is always an important and hearty meal in the afternoon or in the evening. On Sundays and holidays, for instance, the family may have dinner around 1:00 o´clock in the afternoon or go out to have dinner in a restaurant. In conclusion let us make the following distinctions in order to be clear. Lunch is always a light meal around midday. Dinner is always an important meal at noon time, in the early afternoon or in the evening. The evening meal is usually called supper. The morning meal is always called breakfast. Iván. NARRATION: Cali is a large city. It has many boroughs some better than others. I like the place where I live. It´s difficult to find a neighborhood more interesting than mine. On Saturdays and Sundays there is baseball in the back yard: and of course the more baseball the fewer window panes in our house. I cannot understand how these boys enjoy baseball. They spend most of their time arguing. I guess this is part of the game. I like to see them playing and arguing anyway. I don´t play baseball but I like swimming. To me it is the most interesting sport. There are two beautiful swimming pools near my house; one of them is just around the corner. Most of our neighbors are very nice people. I specially like Maria Perez. She is a middle-sized girl, modest and kind. Her eyes are as brilliant as two diamonds. They are fascinating. The more I look at her the more I like her. She is the girl of my dreams. I can´t imagine this neighborhood without Maria. I realize now that I like this place because of her. That is the way things happen in life. It is mainly people and not places that keep our hearts warm and joyful. There are places more beautiful and more comfortable than others, it is true. Many of us, however, prefer those where our relatives or fiends live. Love and friendship are certainly the greatest things in life..