1.Read the following story and answer the questions. There are two short stories below.

1.The Cab Ride I'll Never Forget

Kent Nerburn on a Most Profound Cab Ride

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. One time I arrived in the middle of the night for a pick up at
a building that was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away.
But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of
transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be
someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked.

"Just a minute," answered a frail, elderly voice.

I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small
woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on
it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase.

The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a
cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist
the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my
kindness.

"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."

"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked,
"Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."

I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.

"I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once
worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived
when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a
ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the
darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two
orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every
move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The
woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers."

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of
the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I
could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his
shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to
think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us
unaware—beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

a. Write a summary of this story in brief (not more than 50 words and 7 sentences, if you write
7 words per sentence). Start from here.
 2. Keys to Life

Four Simple Keys to a Fuller Life

What's Best
The Power of Choice. Every one of us makes countless choices every day. Every choice we make has an
impact on our lives. Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel. When
hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food.

The more important the decision, the more profound its effect. For instance, how do I act towards that
person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and
create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way.

How Do You Make Choices? If you're interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon
which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those
around you. This foundation is to choose based on what's best – what's best for you and for all of us.
Imagine if every parent, spouse, friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to
choose what's best for all involved in every decision they made. We would certainly live in a more caring,
supportive world.

It's the Intention. "But how do I know what is really best?" you might ask. The answer is simple. It
doesn't matter. What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice.
What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on
what's best. If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there's no need for
guilt. Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what's best for all involved, your
conscience stays clear and open. This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live
with a clear heart and mind.

What's Best for Me, Too! Choosing what's best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for
others. An overly exhausted mother can lose her temper easily. Some time off for this mother might seem
selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children. So as we move through
each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as choose what's best.

Divine Guidance
Many Meanings for Divine. Guidance can come from many sources. Yet by opening to guidance from
the divine, we open to the support of powerful forces greater than ourselves. The divine has different
meanings for different people, whether it be God, Creator, Jehovah, Allah, or Great Spirit. Yet even if you
don't believe in any of these, consider the possibility that there is a very wise part of yourself – a higher
self or a deeper self – which can provide you with guidance. What is important is that we open to this
presence, however we choose to define the divine, and that we consciously invite this powerful guidance
into our daily lives.

All Requests Only if it's Best. When seeking divine guidance with a specific result, be sure to end with
"only if this is what's best." There are times when what's best is not what's easiest or most enjoyable.
Sometimes unwanted or unexpected challenges, difficult situations, and even pain can teach us important
lessons that in the long run help us to enjoy life more fully. When we choose to see all experiences as
gifts from the divine and opportunities for growth and understanding, we open to a deeper level of divine
guidance.

Acceptance and Compassion

Our Core Essence. Deep down we are all beautiful beings worthy of love and support. The sweet
innocence of babies and young children is a clear example of this. Yet for most of us, the shining essence
with which we came into this life became obscured over the years as our family and others were unable to
give us the kind of unconditional love and support we so craved. As children, when we were repeatedly
told that we were not good enough or were punished just for being who we are, thick layers of confusion
and doubt developed, clouding our divine essence. Layers of fear and insecurity were woven into our
personalities.

The Mask. By the time we are grown, most of us have developed a protective mask or persona to hide
these layers of fear and insecurity from others, and at times even from ourselves. Outwardly we might
appear happy or content, yet on the inside most of us to varying degrees feel unhappy with who we are.
Yet beneath it all, that shining essence is still there. No matter how much we may have forgotten, no
matter how thick those overshadowing layers may be, our beautiful core essence is and has always been
there.

Acceptance and Compassion for Myself. By choosing to accept and have compassion for all of who you
are – both your deep shining essence and the layers of dark clouds within – you can invite that beautiful
inner essence to shine through the clouds and to shine again in your life. When fears, dark thoughts, or
difficult emotions arise, first choose to accept that they are there. Then open to finding compassion for
these dark clouds and where they came from. Ask for divine guidance as you explore and transform these
dark places.

Courage. It takes courage to accept and have compassion for our fears and weaknesses. Yet by doing our
best to be fully ourselves in all our strengths and weaknesses, our relationships can grow richer, deeper,
and more meaningful. This may be challenging, as some people are unable or unwilling to accept certain
parts of us. Yet as those around us see us becoming more real and honest with them, many will also be
inspired to be more real and honest with us. Thus, instead of continually avoiding or denying those clouds
or dark layers in both ourselves and others, we open to a deeper, more authentic way of living and of
relating to others.

Acceptance and Compassion for Others. As you develop greater acceptance and compassion for
yourself, you will notice that others, too, have lost touch with their shining core essence. As you work to
accept and find compassion for yourself, it is most important that you choose also to give this gift to those
around you.Acceptance of what is, coupled with compassion and discerning what we can change and
what we cannot, allows us to find the courage to be all that we can be, and to empower others in doing the
same.

Love and Empowerment

Let me start with myself. I will do my best to love and empower myself to be the best I can be every day
of my life. By making this commitment to yourself, it becomes easier to love and empower those around
you. But do you really want to give this gift to all other people? What if you really don't like someone? In
this case, you can remind yourself that it is usually a person's personality that you don't like – the mask or
dark clouds blocking their deeper essence. Remember that beneath the mask is a shining divine essence.
While acknowledging those parts you don't like, do your best to empower the shining being hidden
beneath the mask or personality that you don't like. You can choose to love and empower the divine spark
within all.

Negative Judgment. Judging someone to be bad as a person does not empower or inspire anyone to be a
better person. When you find yourself feeling negative judgment, first acknowledge the part of you that
wants to judge – the part that wants to be right or better than others. Then do your best to learn from your
judgment and let it go. Open to finding first acceptance, and then compassion and love both for you and
for the person you judged. Choose to let your last thought always be that of love.

Stopping harm. What if someone does something that is clearly wrong or causes harm? In this case, be
firm and take whatever action you feel is best to stop harm. Enforcing a serious consequence with
someone who has acted out of extreme self-interest may be the most loving, empowering action you can
take. Yet even as you take action, open to seeing the inner turmoil that causes people to do harm. You can
act from a place of love and compassion, even while firmly stopping someone from doing wrong or
causing harm. Through choosing to see beneath all of the pain, suffering, and hatred, and to recognize
and connect with the divine essence within even those who would do us harm, not only do we heal the
world, we heal ourselves.

Imagine... Imagine a world where all people truly did their best to love and empower each other. Imagine
if a significant number of the people on this planet truly did their best to live by these simple keys. You
can choose to become one of those people right now. You can choose to make your life and our world a
better place. It is fully possible. There are people of all races, religions, and beliefs around the globe
already committed to living by these or similar ideals. Let us then choose with an open mind and heart to
add to their numbers. Let us choose every day of our lives to do what's best, to open to divine guidance, to
choose acceptance and compassion, and to love and empower ourselves and all in our lives to be the very
best that we can be.

i.Complete the following sentences with appropriate information

a. Whatever we choose that ………….. us in some way.

b. You do not need to always sacrifice …………………

c……………….. decides what is best.

d. There are ……………….of guidance.

e. We should feel the …………….of ……………….

ii. Put tick mark on either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If you agree with the following statements or if you think
they are true, then put tick mark on ‘Yes’. If you don’t, then choose ‘No’.

Statements Yes No
1. Judging someone to be bad as a person does not empower or inspire anyone
2. Only love and support are our core essence.
3. Self commitment is not enough to empower yourself.
4. A person can add to the numbers of those people who can make the world a better place.
5. we can accept our fear and weaknesses if we are stronger.

iii. Fill in the following sentences with appropriate forms of verbs.

a. We develop a protective musk because we don’t want a …………… life.

b. We cannot continuously ……………clouds or dark layers in ourselves.

c. A divine essence …………….beneath the mask.

d. Every time the best might not be……………….

e. Learning from mistakes is ……………………
2.Read the following quotes from various scholars. Write the name of the scholar, his/her country
and his field of expertise or specialty.

Name Country Field /Specialty

“The courageous do not lie down and Queen Elizabeth England Queen
accept defeat. Instead, they are all the II
more determined to struggle for a better
future
Everything negative, pressure,
challenges – is all an opportunity for
me to rise
Time goes on. So whatever you’re
going to do, do it. Do it now. Don’t
wait
Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine
I hated every minute of training. But I
said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live
the rest of your life as a champion
If you set your goals ridiculously high
and it's a failure, you will fail above
everyone else's success.
Spread love everywhere you go. Let no
one ever come to you without leaving
happier
Don't judge each day by the harvest you
reap but by the seeds that you plant
In the end, it's not the years in your life
that count. It's the life in your years
Life is either a daring adventure or
nothing at all

3.Read the following quote and explain it in your own language.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction
you choose." -Dr. Seuss.
Answer here:
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https://www.weboflove.org/inspiringstories

http://kentnerburn.com/about/