I live in a small street in Khasavyurt which is in the North of
Dagestan. We know everybody in our street and are always ready
to help each other in a difficult moment. Two years ago a new
family moved into a neighboring house. They were Russian and
came here from Rostov. There were three of them: a father, a
mother and an 11-year-old daughter, Natasha.
She didn’t go out often so she didn’t know any children in
our street. I decided to get acquainted with her. She was a good
girl and we started to meet regularly and speak about things we
were interested in.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Once she asked me if the boys in my school protected us
from other boys who were not nice to us. I answered that they
always protected us and were ready to help. I asked her why she
asked me about this but she didn’t answer.
One day she asked me to meet her at her school. When I
went to her classroom, the teacher said that all the students were
in the schoolyard. I went there and saw that two boys were teasing Natasha but her classmates pretended not to see this. I
started shouting at those boys to make them stop teasing Natasha.
At that moment some of the boys came to help and the mean
boys ran away.
Later I asked Natasha why she hadn’t told me about it
before. She said that those boys were mean to her because she
was the only Russian in the class. She was afraid to complain.
She thought that we wouldn’t be friends if I knew about that. I
said that I would never betray her because I was her friend and
friends were not left alone in trouble.
We are still good friends and always protect each other.
Exercises
I. Understanding the Story
What do you think is the main idea in this story?
II. Vocabulary
Complete the sentence with the best word in the list.
acquainted, teasing, pretended, mean, complain, betray
1. The two girls became ___________________ with each other.
2. The boys were _________________ the Russian girl.
3. If you __________________ a friend, it means you turn
against and hurt her.
4. She didn’t want to __________________ to the teacher.
5. The boys were _______________ and cruel, when they teased
Natasha.
6. The other children did not help and _________________ it
wasn’t happening.
III. Now you Talk
Share a time when you wanted to help a friend.
IV. Now you Write
1. Write an email from Natasha to the author, saying the situation
is now better.
2. Write a paragraph about the importance of helping friends.
V. Role Play
1. Natasha and the writer: They make friends.
2. The writer and her father: They talk about her new friend who
is Russian.
3. The writer and two boys: She tells them it is mean to tease.
They respond.
4. Natasha and the teacher: They talk about the situation in the
school yard.
5. Natasha and her mother: They talk about the situation in the
school yard. |
