Sveta didn’t know what to do. Her best friends, Sasha and
Masha, had gotten into an argument. How could that happen?
And Sasha wanted her to choose between them!
It was unbelievable to Sveta. The friendship of the three
girls had been an example for other students. Most of the girls in
class envied their friendship.
But that day something happened to change all that. Sasha
and Masha were sitting in the classroom, talking with
enthusiasm. Sveta was reading her history book and at the same
time listening to her friends. Soon Sveta noticed they had started
to argue.
“Why are you always complaining?” Sasha said in an
irritated voice.
“What? I am not complaining! You are wrong! If you
don’t like what I say, just tell me. I won’t feel hurt.”
The quarrel went on for a long time. The rest of the day
Sasha and Masha wouldn’t talk to each other. Then something
more awful happened. Sasha came to Sveta and said, “As you know, Masha and I had an argument. She was so terrible. I can’t
stay friends with her because she doesn’t understand me. You
can’t be friends with both of us. You must choose: me or her.”
Sveta was shocked. “Sasha, you can’t ask me to choose
between my two best friends.”
“Well you have to; I can’t be friends with you if you stay
friends with Masha,” Sasha said. She turned into the classroom.
When Sveta got home, she went straight to her mother.“Mom, I need your advice. I’m in a difficult situation.”
“What happened?”
“Today Sasha and Masha quarreled. And now Sasha wants
me to choose between Masha and her. What should I do?”
“That is a strange thing for Sasha to ask you to do. You are
all best friends. You can’t break off your friendship that way.
What do you think you could do?”
“Maybe I could help them compromise.”
“That’s good. Explain to both of them how important it is
to be friends. You are right. Sometimes friends must
compromise. It isn’t a weakness. Maybe someone will have to apologize. Only a strong person is capable of understanding a
mistake and knowing when to admit this to another person.”
“Mother, you are so wise.”
The next day Sveta knew exactly what to do.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
She found Sasha and Masha in the classroom sitting on opposite sides of the room. Sveta asked Sasha to go into the hall
to talk. “I thought a lot about your quarrel. A wise person told
me ‘to make a compromise doesn’t mean to be weak.’ Remember that Masha and you are friends, best friends. After all
this time, you don’t want to destroy it in one moment, do you?”
Sasha looked down, “You’re right. What should I do?”
“Make up with her.”
“I guess I should apologize, but it is hard after all I said.”
Sasha kept her promise and the three of them saved their
friendship. They learned that sometimes we just have to give in
to someone else.
Exercises
I. Understanding the story
Discuss this story’s main idea with a partner.
II. Vocabulary
Match the words with their definitions.
A. compromise |
1. to have a disagreement with someone |
B. apologize |
2. to have great interest and excitement |
C. complain |
3. to voice a negative opinion, express
discontent |
D. advice |
4. two people giving in/up to solve a
problem |
E. quarrel |
5. suggestions on how to do something |
F. enthusiasm |
6. to say that you were wrong |
III. Now you Talk
1. Share a time when you had to apologize for something.
2. What advice would you give to the girls?
3. What was the argument between Sasha and Masha? Was it
important?
IV. Now you Write
1. The dialogue when Sasha apologizes to Masha.
2. The main idea/s of this story in 3 to 5 sentences.
3. Sveta writes an email about this to a friend in another city.
V. Role Play
1. Masha, Sasha, and Sveta: They are talking about going to the
movies.
2. Sasha and Masha: They have a big argument about a boy they
both like.
3. Sasha and her mother: They talk about her argument with Masha.
4. Sasha and Masha: Sasha is apologizing; Masha’s reaction.
|
