Αγγλικά - Προχωρημένοι (Β Γυμνασίου): Ηλεκτρονικό Βιβλίο

LESSON 20 • SEEING THROUGH A FRIEND’S EYES

Magazine: Disability

Lesson 20

Sounds of a day

1.1	Listen to the sounds and try to guess what is happening. Take notes as you listen and share your answers in class.

This text will be replaced

1.2	Now listen to a young boy talking about the beginning of his day. Do you notice anything unusual? How does he experience the world around him?

This text will be replaced

1.3	How is the boy’s life different from yours? Why are sounds and touching so important in his life?

2.1	Listen to an extract from the same story. How do the boy and Abram meet and how do they become friends?

This text will be replaced

Making a new friend

I am sitting on the bench tapping my good luck song
with my shoes when I hear the bells of an ice cream
truck. I feel the money in my pocket. I have the dime
and I also have a bigger one. I know I have enough for an
ice cream bar. I walk out to the curb, touching the cages
around the trees. I wait until the bells sound near, and
I wave. He stops. He is near enough to me to touch his
cart. Now I feel him seeing me.
"Here," I say, but he does not take my money. "Guess
what?" he says, and his voice is soft and kind as fur.
"Every tenth kid wins a free ice cream bar, and you’re
the lucky one today."
I can feel him getting off his cart and going around
to open the place where he keeps his ice cream bars. I
can feel him putting one near my hand and I take it.
I start back to my bench.
"You gonna be okay by yourself now?" the ice cream
man calls. I sit on the bench. I listen for the sound of
his cart starting up, and his bells ringing, but I can
only hear the other sounds, the regular ones. Then I
hear him walking over to my bench. I am sorry,
because I only want to feel the ice cream and see how
long I can make it last. I do not want anyone to sit
with me now. I may dirty my clothes and I am afraid
he will see me.
He starts to talk. His name is Abram. He tells me
about the park. My sister says the trees are in cages
because if they weren’t in cages they wouldn’t stay in
such a terrible park. Abram says the trees are in cages
to keep them safe so they can grow up to be big and tall

My sister says the park is ugly and dirty. Abram
says there are a few little bits of paper, and a couple of
cans and some bottles, but he says he can squint up
his eyes and all those things lying around shine like
flowers. Abram says you see what you want to see.
My sister says the park is just for poor folks, and
that no one would ever come here if they had a chance
to go anywhere else. Abram says the park is just for
lucky people, like him and me. He says the people
who come to this park can see things inside
themselves, instead of just what their eyes tell them.
After a while Abram goes away. He says, "I will
come back and look for you tomorrow". I hear his ice
cream bells go farther and farther away until I do not
hear them anymore. While I am waiting for my sister
to come for me, I fall asleep on the bench. I have a
good dream. I dream that Abram lifts me so I can
touch the leaves of a tree. All of the leaves are songs,
and they fall around me and cover me. I am warm and
soft under the songs. My sister shakes me awake.
"You’ll catch cold lying here," she says.
The next day while I am sitting on my bench, I hear
the ice cream bells and I walk out to the curb,
touching the cages of the trees as I go. Abram gives me
an ice cream bar and we walk together back to the
bench. I do not have to touch the cages because I am
with him. I have made a good friend.

Adapted from: "Sound of Sunshine,
Sound of Rain", by Florence Parry Heide

UNIT 7

LESSON 20 • SEEING THROUGH A FRIEND’S EYES

2.2	Work with your partner and answer the following questions. What kind of a person does Abram seem to be? “Abram says you see what you want to see”. Why do Abram and the boy’s sister ‘see’ the world around them differently? Whose view do you think the boy prefers and why?

What do you think?

3.1	Look at the photos. All of these people need help. What can you do to help them? Complete the table below. Add more ideas of your own.

People in need	Type of help
e.g. the disabled	doing the shopping

3.2	“Dogs are man’s best friend”. Discuss friendship between people and animals. Find a story that clearly illustrates the bond between man and animals or share your own experience with the rest of the class.

UNIT 7

LESSON 20 • SEEING THROUGH A FRIEND’S EYES

Language focus

4.1	Look at the following reported statements. Find the actual words of the boy and Abram in the text and complete the direct speech list below.

Direct speech

Reported Speech

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

(1) …………………………………………………

The boy said he had made a good friend.

will

(a) ………………………………

(2) …………………………………………………

Abram said he would come back and look
for him the next day.

may

(b) ………………………………

(3) …………………………………………………

The boy said he might dirty his clothes.

4.2	How have the verbs changed from direct to reported speech? Complete the table above.

4.3	The verbs ‘say’ and ‘tell’ are most commonly used as introductory verbs in reported speech. Other verbs that we can use are:

Reported statements	Reported requests and orders	Reported questions
• tell • say • add • reply • think • answer • explain	• tell • ask • warn • order • advise	• ask • wonder • want to know

4.4

Put the sentences from the text in reported speech using the introductory verb in brackets.
1. “Every tenth kid wins an ice cream bar” (explain)

Abram ...............................................................................................................
“You are the lucky one today” (add)
Abram ..............................................................................................................
“The park is just for lucky people” (think)
Abram ...............................................................................................................
“You will catch cold lying here” (warn)
His sister ...........................................................................................................

Grammar Reference, pp. 175-176

UNIT 7

LESSON 20 • SEEING THROUGH A FRIEND’S EYES

What do you think?

5.1	Read the poem below. Can you guess which word is missing from both the title and the poem? Listen to check your answer.

This text will be replaced

THE BLIND MEN AND THE …………………..
by John G. Saxe

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the .................
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the ......................,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the ..................
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ’tis mighty clear
This wonder of an ..........................
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the .........................
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;
" ’Tis clear enough the .........................
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an ..........................
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the .......................
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long.
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

5.2	What is the point the poet is trying to make? How does this point relate to the story of the blind boy?

5.3	Draw the animal described above based on the opinions of the blind men. What does it look like?

Play a game

Put on a blindfold or close your eyes. Describe the object your teacher gives you only by smell, touch
or taste. Reflect on what it felt like to be ‘blind’.

UNIT 7