Two years ago a group of children from Khasavyurt went to
the holiday center, “Kaspy,” which is on the shore of the
Caspian Sea. I was among them. At first, we all tried to keep
together as we didn’t know anyone else there.
In the evening I liked to walk in a nearby park. Several
times I saw a girl sitting alone on a bench. I asked some girls
about her and they told me that the girl was blind. So the next
evening I went up to the girl and sat on the bench beside her.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
“Hi, what’s your name? My name is Elina.” “My name is
Kate. Are you from here?” she asked.
“I’m from Khasavyurt. Where are you from?”
“From Astrakhan. How do you like it here?”
“Great. I like the sea very much. Do you come here often?”
I asked.
“Every summer,” she said. “My mother says that it is good
for my eyes. I’m blind, but my mother still thinks that I’ll be able
to see some day. I have been operated on twice and the doctors
say there is one more operation to perform.”
I was very sorry for that nice girl and decided to make
friends with her. We met in the park every evening and walked
along the paths or simply sat on the benches, speaking about
different things. Kate taught me to read the books for the blind.
Kate had a great voice and we liked to sing together.
I like her very much. She is back in Astrakhan and is still
waiting for the next operation. We often speak to each other on
the telephone. I am glad I was “her eyes” that summer.
Exercises
I. Understanding the Story
With a partner, discuss the main idea of this story.
II. Vocabulary
With a partner answer the questions about the words in bold.
1. Where do you like to go on holiday?
2. When or where do you use or see benches?
3. What conditions cause people to be operated on?
III. Now you Talk
1. Talk about anyone you have known with a disability like
blindness or deafness.
2. Describe a time when you were kind to someone.
3. Talk about the Caspian Sea.
IV. Now you Write
1. A short summary of this story.
2. Email exchange between Elina and Kate a year later.
V. Role Play
1. The writer and her friend: They disagree about talking to the
blind girl.
2. The writer and Kate: They go to Kate's house to meet the
family.
3. The writer and Kate: They walk around the shore.
4. Kate and her mother: They talk about her new friendship.
5. The writer and her father: They talk about camp when she
returns home. |
