Luyện nghe Tiếng Anh thụ động – ep 7 (Study with me)

The farm

My uncle is a farmer. He lives on a farm. He has many

different types of animals. In the barn, there are horses
and cows. The cows swish the flies away from
themselves with the tail. It sound very loud if a cow says
“moo” when you are standing there. The cows eat the
grass from my uncle” field. He gets milk form the cows. I
put a saddle on one of the horses and went for a ride.
There are pigs in the pigpen. He has goats. He says that
the goats will eat just about anything. He has a chicken
coop with chickens in it. The chickens lay eggs. Have you
ever seen baby chicks? They are very cute. My uncle
collects the eggs very morning. There is a rooster too.
The rooster crows when the sun comes up. My uncle also
has a goose. The goose makes a honking noise. I don’t
think that the goose likes me. It nips me when I go near
it. Many cats live in my uncle’s barn. They are stray cats,
but he lets them stay there because they keep the mice
away. My uncle feed the cats. My uncle says that he
would like to get some sheep for his farm. You can get
wool from sheep. There are a lot of animals on my
uncle’s farm.

Transportation

Every family that I know has at least one car. Some

families have two, or even three cars. Most people get
their licence to drive when they are sixteen. In my
house, we just have one car. If my father takes the car to
work, my mother will take the bus. I ride in a school bus
to school. My sister works in another town. She gets on
the train to go to work. The train station is not far from
my house. The train tracks run right by mu house. My
grandfather from Ireland came to visit us. He came over
by boat. He had to cross the ocean. We went to Florida
last year. We flew on a plane. The plane flew right
through the clouds. My friend’s brother drives a
motorcycle. He wears a helmet. I rode on his motorcycle
once. I had to sit on the back and hold on tight. I ride my
bicycle when the weather is nice. I also have a scooter
that I use to travel around. I took a helicopter ride once.
The helicopter’s propellers were going around when I got
on. It went straight up in the air. I enjoyed the ride. I
would like to learn how to fly a plane or a helicopter. I
like flying through the air.

Holidays

In Canada, we have many different days that we

celebrate. On the first day of January, there is New Year’s
Day. That is when we ring in the New Year and say
goodbye to the old year. In February, there is Valentine’s
Day. That is the day when you tell your girlfriend or
boyfriend that you love them. You can buy them flowers
or candy or take them out to dinner. In March, there is
Saint Patrick’s Day. Everyone pretends that they are Irish
on Saint Patrick’s Day. They all wear green. Easter comes
in the spring. Easter is a religious holiday. Some people
celebrate by going to church. Some people think that the
Easter bunny comes and leaves chocolate eggs for them.
In May, there is Victoria Day. We celebrate this day in
honour of England’s Queen Victoria. There are fireworks
on Victoria Day. July the first is Canada Day. In
September, there is Labour Day. This is the day that we
honour the working man or woman. In October, there is
Thanksgiving. We give thanks for all the things that we
are fortunate enough to have. We usually have a turkey
dinner on Thanksgiving Day. On last day of October,
there is Halloween. The children dress up in costumes,
and go from door to door collecting candies.
Rememberance day is in November. People wear red
poppies, and they remember all the people that died for
their country. Christmas comes in December. Christmas
is also a religious holiday, but many children believe that
Santa Claus arrives on Christmas Eve is a sleigh pulled by
reindeer. They believe that Santa Claus fills up their
stocking with toys and goodies. He gets in and out
people’s houses through their chimneys. We don’t get off
work or school for all of these day, but many of them are
holidays from work and school.

Diseases

Some diseases are very deadly, and some are not so

serious. Most people catch a cold sometimes. A cold
makes you cough and sneeze. Colds can be passed on
from person to person. Some people get the flu. With the
flu, you get chills and a fever. A fever is a high
temperature. If you have the flu, you will feel very bad.
You have to stay home in bed. There are diseases that
children get. The mumps makes you have lumps in your
neck. Chickenpox and measles leave you with red itchy
dots on your skin. Older people sometimes get arthritis.
Their bones get stiff and sore. There are people who get
heart disease. In many cases, a healthy lifestyle can
prevent heart disease. Cancer can attack different parts
of the body. Many smokers get lung cancer. Some
diseases are treated with pills or medicine. Other
diseases need to be treated in the hospital. Sometimes
doctors need to give you tests to find out what kind of
disease you have. The doctor might have to do a blood
test or an x-rat to find out what is wrong with you. Most
diseases can be cured by a doctor.

Jobs

There are many different jobs that you can choose from.
You can be a doctor or a nurse. You could work in a
hospital or doctor’s office. You might be a firefighter and
put out fire. A policeman enforces the law. An actor plays
roles on stage or in the movies. You could drive a taxi or
be the pilot of an airplane. What kinds of things do you
like to do? You might want to be a sales clerk in a store.
Maybe you are good at a sport. You could be a baseball
player or a hockey player. Being a dentist is a good job. A
dentist fixes teeth. If you are good at arguing, you might
want to be a lawyer. Do you like to fix people’s hair? You
could be a hairdresser or a barber. If you are good with
your hands, you might want to be a carpenter or a
mechanic. If you like to travel, you could be a stewardess
or a travel agent. You could be a teacher or a
photographer. Are you artistic or creative? You might
want to be an artist or a write. You could work on
construction and build houses. You could look after
animals and be a veterinarian. If you like to cook, you
could be a cook or a chef. There are so many places to
work, and so many jobs to do. Maybe you could fix
computers or work in a library. You could wash windows
or be the captain of a ship. There is no limit to what you
can be.

My body

On the top of my head, I have hair. Below my hair is my

face. I have two eyes. I have eyebrow and eyelashes.
Below my eyes, I have a nose. My mouth is below my
nose. I have lips. If I open my lips, you will see my teeth
and my tongue. Below my mouth is my chin. On the sides
of my head, I have two ears. My cheeks are on either side
of my nose. My neck holds up my head. My neck attaches
my head to my chest. On either side of my chest are my
shoulders. My arms hang down from my shoulders. I
have wrists on my arms. My hands are attached to my
wrists. My fingers are part of my hands. I have ten fingers
and ten fingernails. My back is at the back of me. Further
down, there is my waist. If I wear a belt, I put it on my
waist. My hips are below my waist. My legs come down
from my hips. My legs are made up of my thighs, my
knees and my calves. My knees can bend. My ankles are
below my legs. My feet are attaches to my ankles. My
toes are part of my feet. I have ten toes and ten toenails.
I am me from the top of my head to the tip of my toes.

Clothing

I change my clothes a lot. If I am going somewhere fancy,

I wear a dress. I wear stockings on my legs, and I wear a
pair of nice shoes. If I am going to play sports, I wear a
sweatshirt and jeans. If I am going to the beach, I wear a
bathing suit or a bikini. My brother wears swimming
trunks to the beach. At work, I wear a shirt and a blouse.
Underneath my clothes, I wear underwear. A lady wears
a bra and panties as underwear. A man wears boxer or
jockey shorts as underwear. Today, I am wearing a
blouse and a pair of jeans over my underwear. I have
socks and shoes on my feet. In the summer, I often wear
sandals on my feet. In the summer, the tops that I wear
are usually sleeveless. I usually wear shorts in the
summer. Sometimes, I wear a sweater or a jacket if the
weather is cool. I wear a cap or a hat on my head. I wear
a belt to hold up my jeans or my slacks. Women
sometimes wear a dress or a shirt. Some men wear a suit
and a shirt and tie. If it is very cold outside, I wear a
winter coat. If it is cold, I like to wear gloves or mittens
on my hands. Sometimes, I wrap a scarf around my neck
to keep warm. I wear a toque on my head in cold
weather. I wear boots on my feet in the winter. If it is
raining, I wear a raincoat. The way that I dress depends a
lot on the weather.

Colors

Red is a vibrant color. Roses are sometimes red. Blood is

red. White is the color of snow. Clouds are very often
white. Blue is the color of the sky and the ocean. Black
isn’t really a color at all. Tar is black. A crow is black.
Green is the color of grass. It is also the color of leaves on
the trees in the summer. Brown is the color of dirt. Many
people have brown hair. Yellow is a bright color. Most
people use yellow when they draw a picture of the sun.
Orange is an easy color to remember, that is because an
orange is orange. Pink is the color that we dress baby
girls in. we dress baby boys in blue. Purple is the color of
some violets. The Canadian flag is red and white. What
color in your flag?

Wild animals

Some animals are wild. They don’t live in home or cages.

They live in jungles or on plains. The lion is the king of the
beasts. He is very mighty. He roars loudly. The giraffe has
a long neck. He eats leaves from the tallest trees. The
elephant is very large. He has a trunk and two tusks. A
tiger has stripes. Some bears are black, and some are
brown. There are even white bears called polar bears. A
kangaroo lives in Australia. That is the only place that you
would find a kangaroo, expect in a zoo. It might be
frightening to run into a wolf or a fox. Monkeys run and
play in the trees. In Canada, we don’t see lions, tigers,
giraffe or monkeys running wild. There are squirrels in
my back yard. Sometimes, I see a raccoon or a chipmunk.
In northern Ontario, you might see a moose or a bear. I
have seen a deer in the forest. There are many wild
animals. You can see wild animals if you go to the zoo.

Months

There are twelve months in the year. January is the first

month of the year. It is usually cold in January. February
is the second month of the year. It is still winter when
February comes. They say that March comes in like a lion
and goes out like a lamb. That means that it is still usually
cold, and sometimes stormy when March begins. By the
time that March ends, the weather is staring to get a
little better. April is the rainy month. April showers bring
May flowers. Many of the spring flowers bloom in May.
The weather can be quite mind in May. June is usually a
nice warm month. Many people get married in June. Jujy
can be hot. People have vacations in July. It is a month to
do summer things. It is still summer in August, but the
summer is winding down. August is the time to have last
minute vacations. In September, we go back to school.
The autumn winds begin to blow. October really feels like
autumn. October is Halloween time. November is when
we really start to feel the chill. December is the
Christmas month. Most people do a lot of Christmas
shopping in December. They spend quite a bit of time
getting ready for Christmas. All of the months are
different. Which month were you born in?

Creative people

Some people are just born to create. That’s what I think.

Some people just have the need to write stories,
compose beautiful music, or paint pictures. Creativity
seems to be inside them, and they need to let it out. It’s
good that we have people like that. Composers like
Mozart and Chopin have given us music that is incredibly
beautiful. It’s not just the classical composers who have
given us great pieces of music, there are modern
composers who have written great songs also. Elton john
is an example of someone who has composed many
wonderful songs. Andrew Lloyd Webber has given us
some very popular musicals like Cats and the Phantom of
the opera. There are so many talented and creative
people in this world. When you visit an art gallery, you
marvel at how artists are able to recreate realism or
make up something that seems totally unreal yet
beautiful. The American artists Norman Rockwell painted
some pictures that actually looked like photographs. He
tries to portray life as it was in America. Through his
paintings, one can get a good sense of American life
through the year. On the other hand, artists like Jackson
Pollock did not portray realism. Jackson Pollock painted
abstract pictures. His painting are just as good as Norman
Rockwell’s, but they are entirely different. Some books
that we read are classics. Mark Twain portrayed
American life through his characters from Tom Sawyer
and Huckleberry Finn. Charles Dickens brought Victorian
England to life through his books. Most people are
familiar with his Christmas Carol where the mean and
miserable Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas.
People don’t have to read the classics. There are modern
write who entertain readers through their stories.
Stephen King has written a number of horror stories.
Some of his books have even been made into movies. We
are lucky to have creative people who share their gifts
with us. If you are lucky enough to be creative, you
should use your talents to create works of art that we all
can share.
 I need glasses

I have been having trouble seeing the blackboard. I keep

getting headaches. I told my mother about it, and she
made an appointment with the optometrist. I went to a
place where they made me read words and letters on a
chart. Some of the words were big, and some were very
small. I tried to read everything, but sometimes I couldn’t
see some of the small letters. The optometrist would
cover one of my eyes while I read the chart. Then, she
would cover my other eye. She even put some drops in
my eyes. I asked the optometrist if I had passed or failed
the test. She laughed, and said that it wasn’t the kind if
test that you passed or failed. She was just trying to find
out if I needed glasses. I did need glasses. My other and I
look around. There were many pairs of frames. I wanted
something that was in style. I tried on many pairs of
frames. Some of them looked good on me, and some of
them looked really funny on me. I finally choose a frame
that was my favorite. I gave them to a lady who did some
measurements. She told me to come back on Friday to
get my glasses. On Friday, I got my glasses. My friend
liked them. They said I looked smart in my glasses. I wore
them to school on Monday, and I was able to see the
blackboard clearly. I didn’t realize how much I hadn’t
been able to see. Now I don’t get headaches anymore.
I’m glad that I have my glasses. Everything is a lot clearer
now.

I am clumsy

My mother says that I am clumsy. I know that I am

clumsy. I do things all the time that are clumsy. I fall
down for no reason at all. If there is a crack in the
sidewalk, I will be sure to trip on it and fall down. If I
carry a plate of food in the cafeteria, I almost always
either drop it or bump into someone with it. I don’t try to
do these things, it just happens. When I drink juice, I miss
my mouth and get juice all over my shirt. I always have
something spilled on my clothes. Last week, I opened a
jar of peanut butter. The jar flew out of my hands and
landed upside down on the floor. There was a big glob of
peanut butter on the floor. Yesterday I knocked over the
sugar bowl. There was a big sticky mess on the floor. I
bump my head when I get into the car. I rip my paints on
thing. I lose my money out of my pocket. I step on the
cat’s tail. I always feel bad when I do that because the cat
thinks I don’t love her. I don’t mean to do these things. I
am just a clumsy person. My parents tell me to slow
down. I am always in a hurry, maybe that’s why I’m so
clumsy. Maybe it’s just a stage that I am going through. If
it is, I hope it is over soon. Being clumsy is no fun at all.

Home alone

I remember the first time that my parents left me home

alone. I was very grown up, and I thought that I would be
just fine. I was fine for a while. I watched television and
had something to eat. I called my friend on the phone,
and we talked for a while. Then, I sat down to read a
book. The house was quiet, very quiet. I found myself
listening very carefully. I heard a tap, tap tapping noise. I
wondered where it was coming from. It seemed to be
coming from the window. I turned out the lights so that
nobody would see me, and I peeked out the window
carefully. I was expecting to see a robber tapping at my
window. There was nobody there. It was just a tree
branch swaying in the breeze and tapping at my window.
I felt silly. I turned on the lights and sat back down to
read my book. A few minutes later, I heard some
creaking noise. I listened carefully. The, I heard a clunking
noise. I think it might have been the furnace. Then there
was a whirring noise. My imagination began to play tricks
on me. I was imagining that there were all kinds of
creatures in the house. I told myself to grow up. I
wouldn’t let my imagination run away with me. I was
glad when my parents got home. I told them about all
the noise that I had heard. My parents laughed and said
that all houses make noises. We’re usually just so busy
that we don’t hear all the noises that go on. I have stayed
home alone many times now. I just ignore all the little
creaks and noises that I hear. I am still alert and listen for
anything suspicious, but I know that there are lots of
noises that are harmless. That tree that taps on my
window still frightens me sometimes, but I’m a lot braver
now than I was the first time that I stayed home alone.

Family

What does the word “family” mean to you? The easiest

family is to talk about who you are related to. Usually,
there is a mom and a dad and children who are brothers
and sisters. This would be the “core” family. Then there
is the “extended” family which would include
grandparents, aunts and uncle, cousins, nieces and
nephew and in-laws (people married to your brothers or
sisters, husband or wife). However, I think the word
“family” has a much deeper meaning. The word “family”
brings words to my mind like: love, help, support,
kindness, fun, trips, closeness, understanding, sharing,
respect! You’ll notice one word that is repeated over and
over again. Love. I believe if a family has real love for one
another, they will be able to overcome any problems
they may have. Actually, they may not have too many
problems if they all love and respect one another.
However, there are things that cannot be helped, like
death, sickness or accidents. It is during those hard times
that a family’s love helps them to go through those
experiences. We had quite a few children in my family.
There were brothers and sisters which included an
adopted brother and a number of foster children, too. I
was also very fortunate that I had both my mom and dad
to live with and do things like vacations together. We had
a lot fun and there were some times of tears, too. Above
all, we love one another! Family is a wonderful thing! I
am so lucky!

My first job
My first “real” job was during my last year of high school.
I had taken cases in various business subjects. In that last
year of high school. We could do a “co-op”. That, meant
we could work part of the time instead of going to
school. It would count as a credit towards our diploma.
The place I got a job was at a men’s tailor chop. The
owners were a very nice older German couple. They had
two other men working for them, too. One of the men
had had brain surgery for cancer. He had a big, long scar
all around the top of his head. He told me all about it. He
was always happy and full of fun. I thought he was very
brave! The tailor shop made suits to order. One of the
salesmen would measure the man, and the customer
would choose a fabric and style he (or his wife) liked. The
people in the back of the shop would then cut and sew
the suit. The suits cost a lot of money. There were also
suits already made that the customer could buy instead if
they wished. They could also rent suits or tuxedos for
wedding or parties. I worked at a little desk. I answered
the phone, wrote letter, filed paper and did some
bookkeeping. It was about a mile walk from my school to
work. I passed many clothing shops. That wasn’t good
because I spent a lot of the money that I earned in those
shop! I worked at the tailor for almost a year. It was a
good experiences and helped me get the next job with
the United States Navy. That was fun, too!

First trip away from home

Today I am going to my friend’s house. Her name is

Valerie. This is going to be my first trip away from home,
without my parents. My dad is driving me to Valerie’s
house, and I’ll be staying there for two weeks. Her mom
will drive me back home. It takes abour1 ½ hour to get
there. I have to pack enough clothes for play, work and
church. I hope I’ll pack the right things. Of course, I have
to remember my toothbrush and hairbrush. Valerie lives
on a farm. I’ll be helping her dad with milking the cows…
I think. We’ll play up in the hayloft after we have helped
put the bales into the barn. We’ll be all itchy when that
job is done! There are a lot of things to do on a farm. Her
mom is a good cook and will feed us well! There is a nice
pond where we can go swimming. I mustn’t forget my
bathing suit. I wonder if the farm dog comes into the
pond, too. That would be funny! My dad and mom are
giving me money just in case we go shopping. I hope we
do go shopping because I want to buy lots of candy. (I
won’t tell my mom that!) Oh, dear! I hear dad yelling,
“Let’s go” I haven’t even finished packing my things yet. I
guess I better stop writing this now and get busy fast.
Bye!

My job

I work at a conversation park called Ball’s falls. I’ve only

worked there for three weeks now. I am a tour guide,
and I tell people the history of all the old buildings there.
Somebody told me that one of the houses I work in is
haunted. Mow I get chills every time I walk into that
house. My boss told me that the stories aren’t real, but I
have an active imagination! Ball’s falls is very beautiful. It
has two different waters falls, the upper falls and the
lower falls. There used to be tons of water cascading
over them, which turned a big water wheel to grind
grain. However, through the years the amount of water
has really lessened. I love working at Ball’s falls because I
get to work outside a lot. I am getting a tan! In July and
August, I will be working with kids there at a day camp. I
am getting ready now, making different crafts and
thinking up funny games to play. I can’t wait to start
working with them. I think that will be the best part of
summer. I will be going to work again tomorrow. I usually
have to work form 9 am to 4:30 pm. I also like people I
work with. They are very nice. Come to Ball’s falls, and I’ll
give you a tour!

My hobby

Let’s see. Today I might go fly a kite, or maybe go for a

swim. It is hot outside, and I don’t know what to do. My
mom tells me that I should do something that I like doing
on hot days. Since our house is nice and cool, I guess I’ll
stay inside and work on my hobby. My hobby is
something that not a lot of people do. I make and collect
bookmarks. To make my bookmarks I use stickers, and
special art pencils to draw. I buy the stickers at a mall,
usually in a card store. The art pencils are bought in an
art store. To make the bookmarks, I start with a piece of
paper. I measure out how big I want the bookmarks to be
with a ruler. I once made a bookmark so big, that it
couldn’t even be used in a very big book. After I measure
it, I draw lines so that I can cut it straight. Sometimes, I
use fancy scissors that cut zig-zags or frills. Then I start to
decorate them. I like to draw cartoons and flowers on my
bookmarks. Sometimes, I even put real flowers on them.
A lot of time I write little sayings on the bookmarks. I like
to give my bookmarks to friend and family. Sometimes, I
even sell my bookmarks to people. I like my hobby. I can
draw whatever I want on the bookmarks. Maybe
sometime in the future I will be a famous bookmark
maker and even have my own store!

Obesity and nutrition (chất béo và dinh dưỡng)

For people in many countries, one of the great triumphs

of modern life is that there is a great abundance of food.
In those places, problems such as starvation (đói) and
malnutrition (suy dinh dưỡng) are no longer prevalent,
and people do not worry about going hungry. Despite the
fact that, there is plenty of food in modern countries,
people still face many health problems that are related
to their diet. One problem is that modern technology has
made it possible to produce cheap and tasty food that is
not very healthy. This leads to problem that many people
are obese, or very overweight. One example of this is the
“fast food” that is served by many restaurants. This food
is often cooked by frying. Fried food contains a high
proportion of fat. Also, fast food meals are often very
large. When people frequently eat large amount of fried
“fast food”, they will likely eat too much fat. This excess
can lead to weight gain. Of course, many people enjoy
the taste of fried fast food and like to eat it occasionally.
However, eating this kind of food too often is bad for
one’s health. Another example of health problems
caused by modern food products involves soft drinks and
other sweetened beverages. These drinks, sometimes
called “pop”, have a sweet taste that many people enjoy
on occasion. However, these drinks contain large
amounts of sugar. When people drink soft drinks very
frequently, they consume a great deal of sugar. This
excess sugar can lead to weight gain. The weight gain
that can result from consuming too much fast food and
too many soft drinks can have several harmful effects.
For example, people who very obese have an increased
risk of heart disease and of diabetes. Of course, fast food
and soft drinks are not the only causes of obesity. Other
eating habits may be involved, and so are lack of exercise
and genetic factors. To avoid the health problems that
are associated with obesity, it is important that one does
not eat too much food. However, this does not mean
that one should try to eat as little as possible. People
need an adequate amount of food in order to stay
healthy. Also, it is important to avoid new “fad” diets
that become popular from time to time, because these
are often unsafe. Some of the diets that are
recommended in popular books do not contain adequate
amounts of nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals.
Instead, one should try to eat foods that are nutritious.
For example, foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and
lean meats have many vitamins and minerals that are
needed for good health. People whose diet consists
mainly of these foods will probably be much healthier, on
average, than people whose diet contains too many
foods that have high levels of fat or sugar. In addition,
many of these nutritious foods are also very tasty and
enjoyable to eat!

The protestant reformation

Until about 500 years ago, there was only one Christian
church in western and central Europe. People from
Portugal to Poland all belonged to the Roman Catholic
Church. However, soon after the year 1500, people in
many parts of Europe broke away from the Roman
Catholic Church and began their own churches instead.
This was known as the protestant reformation. The
leader of the early protestant movement was a German
theologian named Martin Luther. Luther believed that
many of the priests of the Roman Catholic Church had
become too concerned about wealth and luxury. Also, he
disapproved of some practices in the church. One such
practice was that protests allowed people to pay money
to the church exchange for committing various sins.
Luther believed that it was wrong to allow people to buy
the freedom to commit acts were against the teachings
of the church. Luther began to criticize the Roman
Catholic Church in public, and he refused to acknowledge
the authority of the church. He said that instead he
would follow the teachings of the bible as he understood
them. The officials of the church declared that Luther
was a heretic. However, the local German rulers did not
punish Luther. Many of them resented the power of the
church and welcomed his ideas. Luther and other
protestant leaders disagreed with the church on several
important issues. The protestant believed that priest
should be allowed to marry, whereas the Roman Catholic
Church believed that priest should remain celibate. The
protestant believed that people should read the bible for
themselves, whereas the Roman Catholic Church
believed that priest should interpret the Bible for the
people. During the decades that followed Luther, the
protestant movement spread throughout much of
Europe. Over time, many different protestant churches
were formed. During this period, many wars were fought
between local rulers who favoured Protestantism, and
other local rulers who supported the Roman Catholic
Church. In the end, many parts of Europe became
protestant, such as Scandinavia, England, and parts of
Germany, Holland, and Switzerland. However, the people
and rulers of many other areas of Europe preferred to
remain in the Roman Catholic Church. These areas
included most of southern Europe, as well as Poland and
Ireland. The Roman Catholic Church changed a few of its
practices in response to protestant criticism, but kept its
most important beliefs. In recent times, relation between
the Roman Catholic Church and the various Protestant
churches have become much more friendly. Some
discussions have been held between Catholic and
Protestant officials, in order to resolve some of their
disagreements.

Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller

The story of Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller is the story of
a dedicated teacher and an eager student. This story is
very remarkable and inspiring because the teaching was
done without sight and without sound. Helen Keller was
born in the American state of Alabama in 1880. She was
a happy and a healthy baby, but before she reached the
age of two, she was struck by a severe fever. As a result
of this fever, she became both deaf and blind. After her
illness, the young Helen Keller learned to use her other
sense. For example, she touched other people’s hand to
figure out what they were doing. In this way, she also
learned that people could communicate by moving their
lips. Helen could not talk, instead, she communicated
with her family by making sign movements with her
hands and body. However, Helen became very frustrated
by her inability to see, hear, and talk. She often became
very angry and had many “temper tantrums”. When
Helen Keller was six years old, her family took her to see
Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, who was an expert on
education deaf children (this man was also famous for
inventing the telephone). As a result of this visit, Helen’s
parents hired a tutor for their daughter. The tutor was a
very intelligent deaf woman named Anne Sullivan. At
first, it was difficult to teach Helen because she still made
many angry outbursts. Gradually, Anne Sullivan gained
Helen’s trust. One day, Anne began to teach Helen to
communicate. Anne took Helen to a well and pumped
some water into Helen’s hand. Then, Anne her finger to
write the letters w-a-t-e-r onto Helen’s hand. By
repeating this, Anne was able to teach Helen how to
write the word “water”. As soon as Helen learned that
things could be named in this way, she wanted to learn
the named of many other objects and actions. She was
curious about many things, and learned a great number
of words. She also learned to read by using the Braille
alphabet. This alphabet allows the reader to feel letters
and words, which are represented by bumps on a page.
Also, Helen learned to talk, by felling and then copying
the movement of people’s mouths. When Helen Keller
was 16 years old, Anne Sullivan went with her to college.
Anne acted as Helen’s interpreter, and Helen was very
successful in her studies. After her graduation, Helen
dedicated her life to improving conditions for the blind,
the deaf, and the poor. Anne Sullivan died in 1936 and
was remembered as the “miracle worker” for her
triumph in educating Helen Keller. After Anne’s death,
Helen continued to give lectures in countries around the
world, and was active in many political causes. She met
with president prime ministers, and helped to improve
conditions for people who were deaf or blind. At the
time of her death, in 1968, Helen Keller was one of the
most admired people in the world.

The automobile, or car

In many ways, the automobile has been one of the most

important inventions of the modern age. People have
been able to travel, much more freely, and across much
greater distances, than was possible in the past. The
automobile, which most people refer to as the “car”, has
also had some harmful consequences, such as pollution
and accidents. However, it is clear that life has changed
profoundly as a result of the car. Modern cars are very
complicated, but the basic idea of how a car works can
be described briefly. When the keys are turned in the
ignition of the car, this creates a spark that ignites some
gasoline vapor inside a cylinder. Then, the rapid
expansion of this vapor pushes against a part called a
piston. The movement of the piston then causes a
turning motion in a shaft that is connected to the wheels.
The wheels turn, and the car move. The invention of the
car, and the engines used by cars, happened gradually in
the late nineteenth century, mainly in France and
Germany. In the early twentieth century, an American
engineer named Henry Ford developed a new way of
making cars. Instead of having one worker produce an
entire, he had each worker perform one part of the
production of many different cars. This system was very
efficient and allowed the mass production of cars. The
first car to be produced in large numbers was called the
“model T”. The model T Ford and other cars that were
soon produced in large numbers were cheap enough that
many people could afford to buy them. Many new roads
were built and paved throughout North America to allow
cars to be driven from town to town. People were able to
travel much more easily and to visit places that had
previously been difficult to reach. Some problems also
came with the widespread use of cars. One of these
problems was air pollution because car engines burn
gasoline, which produces poisonous exhaust fumes.
Moreover, cars today are much more “fuel efficient”
than they were in the past, requiring less gasoline to
travel a given distance. However, this pollution is still a
problem because of the many millions of cars that are
used each day. Another problem has been car accidents,
which have caused many thousands of death each year.
During the 1960s, some journalists brought attention to
the unsafe features of many cars. As a result, the safety
of cars has been greatly improved. In addition, the use of
seat belts is now required by law. However, car accident
continue to be a serious problem. The future is likely to
bring many interesting new changes to the car.
Improvements in the safety of cars, in fuel efficiency, and
in the cleanliness of car emissions are continuing to be
made. Also, the increasing use of the car in economically
developing countries will probably have important
effects upon people’s lives around the world.

The Mississippi river

The Mississippi river is the longest river within the United

States, and the fourth longest river in the world. This
river holds a special place in American history and
literature, and in the imagination of ordinary Americans.
The Mississippi river begins in the hills of northern
Minnesota, near the Canadian border, and flows
southward about 3700 kilometers, through ten state,
before draining its water and silt into the Gulf of Mexico.
Traditionally, the river is viewed as a natural boundary
between the eastern and western halves of the United
States. Until the year 1803, the areas to the west of the
Mississippi river, and the areas around the mouth of the
river, were claimed by Spain and by France. In that year,
the French emperor, Napoleon, decided to sell this land
to the United States of America. This sale, which is called
the Louisiana Purchase, was very important for the
United States. By controlling the Mississippi river, the
Americans would be able to use it for transporting goods
and people in this rapidly developing area. For many
years, river-boats were the main method of long-
distance transportation for people living near the
Mississippi. Steam-powered boats, with large “paddle
wheels” that pushed the boat forward, were very
popular in the time before cars and airplanes. One of the
famous cities along the Mississippi river is St. Louis.
During the nineteenth century, St. Louis was the last
large town that people would pass through on their way
to new farmland farther west. Today, St. Louis is famous
for the “Gateway Arch”, a tall monument that welcomes
people to the west. St. Louis is also known as the city
where the music known as “the Blues” began. Near the
mouth of the Mississippi river is another famous city,
New Orleans. In terms of the style of buildings, New
Orleans is said to be the most unusual American city,
because it is influenced so strongly by Spanish and
French traditions. Even today, the traditional festival of
“Mardi Gras” is celebrated in New Orleans each year.
New Orleans and the surrounding areas of the state of
Louisiana are famous for spicy “Cajun” food. This style of
cooking was developed by the French-speaking settlers
of Louisiana. The Mississippi river is famous in many
stories of American literature. For example, the
adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, which
were written by the author Mark Twain, are both set
along the Mississippi river. Today, the federal and state
governments of the United States are working to
preserve the natural environment along the Mississippi
river. People recognize the important of keeping this
river healthy and clean.

Doctors without borders

In 1999, the Nobel Prize for Peace was born by the

organization known as “Doctors without Borders”. This is
the English name of the organization, based in Belgium,
which won the prize for its humanitarian assistance to
people around the world, in areas that have been struck
by disaster. The fundamental ideas of doctors without
borders is that people who suffer from a disaster have
the right to receive professional help as soon as possible.
The organization helps people regardless of their
nationality, race, religion, ethnicity, sex, or political
opinions. Also, the assistance provided by doctors
without borders is given in response to all kinds of
disasters, such as famines, earthquake, and wars. The
people who belong to doctors without borders are
experienced medical workers who volunteer their time
effort, and skills in an attempt to help people who are in
need. These volunteers include doctors, nurses,
surgeons, anesthetists, laboratory, technicians, and other
medical workers. There are also some non-medical
volunteers who work for doctors without borders in
positions of administration or logistics. Volunteers must
first take a course before participating in a humanitarian
mission. They promise to abide by a code of professional
ethics, and they promise to remain neutral in any
conflicts within a disaster area. A mission typically lasts
about six months, but the duration varies. The volunteers
are insured by the organization, but they are not paid in
any way for their work. When doctors without borders
began in 1971, it consisted of only a few French doctors
who wanted to provide humanitarian aid to people in
disaster areas. Over the years, it grew rapidly, and by
2001, doctors without borders had 2500 volunteers
working in 80 countries around the world. They have
helped people by providing emergency health care,
vaccinations, medicine, water, and basic food, and also
by developing improved water and sanitation systems. In
many areas, doctors without borders has also helped to
provide basic medical training to local people. Although
doctors without borders remains neutral in any conflicts
within a disaster area, the organization does speak out
against abuses of human rights. By remaining
independent of the influence of governments and
corporations, doctors without borders is able to criticize
the people and organizations who cause suffering. The
volunteers are witness who tell me world about the
cruelty that is inflicted upon innocent people. Obviously,
the work of doctors without borders is extremely
important. The volunteers of this organization are brave
and selfless people whose efforts have relieved the
suffering of millions of people.