High School - Neung-rul R & W - 2nd Grade - Lesson 3

Lesson 3 Rebounding with Hope

 

Rebounding with Hope

 

Two elementary-school basketball teams consisting of only girls are playing in South Dakota. During the game, one of the players on the De Smet Bulldogs is fouled by a player from the opposition. Fouls are common in basketball games and are nothing to get excited about. But this time, the crowd goes wild as a young girl slowly walks onto the court. As the crowd cheers her name, 11-year-old Cylie Pastian stands alone and shoots the two free throws for her teammate. Then she goes back to her team’s bench and continues her role of keeping score and cheering on her team. If you’re a basketball fan, you might be thinking that this is against the rules. But thanks to something called Cylie’s Rule, it’s perfectly okay.

 

Cylie Pastian was just another happy, healthy young girl who liked to play basketball until she was diagnosed with bone cancer in her right leg. Cylie’s life was totally changed - instead of going to school and playing basketball with her friends, she was spending all of her time in a hospital room to fight the cancer. She had to undergo surgery many times, as well as several weeks of chemotherapy*, which made her weak. Part of the bone in her leg had to be taken out and replaced, but finally, after two years of battling, the doctors were able to remove 97% of the cancer, and Cylie was allowed to leave the hospital and return to normal life.

After having spent so much time sitting in a wheelchair and lying in a hospital bed, Cylie simply didn’t have enough strength to play basketball. To make matters worse, her doctors had instructed her to avoid heavy physical contact, which is impossible on the basketball court. So, instead of going back to play the sport she loved, Cylie had to settle for sitting on the bench and cheering her teammates. Of course, she would rather have been playing but she was satisfied just being with her friends again.

 

Cylie’s teammates were happy to have her back on the bench and cheer for them. But what they really wanted was to find a way for her to be on the court playing basketball with them. That’s when someone came up with the idea of having her shoot free throws.

This seemed to be the perfect solution to the problem. Nobody from the opposition is allowed to touch a person who is shooting free throws, which would enable Cylie to play basketball again and avoid physical contact at the same time. But according to the official rules of basketball, only the player who is fouled is allowed to shoot free throws. To get around this rule, Cylie’s teammates and coaches came up with a rule of their own. Called “Cylie’s Rule,” it simply states: “Anyone recovering from bone cancer is allowed to join in the game to shoot the team’s free throws.”

 

At first, Cylie was less than excited. It turned out that she was reluctant to enter the game simply to shoot her team’s free throws. The problem was that she was afraid of missing the shots and causing her team to lose the game. Encouraged by her friends and coaches, however, she spent a lot of time practicing her free throw shooting and soon built up enough confidence to take part in her team’s games.

Before each game, Cylie’s team would take some time to explain the special new rule to the opposition. To their credit, nobody complained that Cylie’s Rule was unofficial or unfair, and every opposing team allowed Cylie to come onto the court to shoot free throws. Even when Cylie’s team competed in a big league that featured 98 basketball teams from five different states, not a single team had a problem with following the strange new rule created to allow a brave young girl to play the game she loves.

 

Despite her initial hesitation, Cylie herself is now extremely happy about the rule that was designed especially for her. Now Cylie enjoys being part of a team again and is proud of her improving free throw shooting skills. She even set her new personal record of making eight successful shots in a row. But most importantly, she knows that none of this would ever have happened without the support and encouragement of her teammates, all of whom have grown particularly close to one another. “We’re all like sisters,” explained one. “We’re a big family.” So each time Cylie steps onto the basketball court to take free

throws, the spectators cheer wildly - not just for a brave young girl, but for an entire team.

 

 

High School - Neung-rul R & W - 2nd Grade - Lesson 2

Lesson 2 The Power of Hands

 

The Power of Hands

 

Two Amazing Machines

Have you ever stopped and spent some time thinking about the two amazing machines located at the ends of your arms? Your hands really are incredible: they work all day, hardly ever taking a break, but they rarely get tired. And not only are your hands strong, they are also versatile. Think about all the different things they do! They knock on doors and turn doorknobs. If you’re hungry, they’ll take the lid off a cookie jar and then put the cookies in your mouth! And if you are good at computer games, you can thank your hands for that, too. Whatever you are doing, your hands can help you.

Furthermore, your hands are very sensitive and can identify objects easily. We often think of our eyes as being the best way to identify objects around us, but try this test. Put the following objects in your pocket: a coin, some string, a key, and a small rock. Now put your hand in your pocket and see if you can identify each object. Of course you can! Your hands use your sense of touch just as effectively as your eyes use your sense of sight.

 

But your hands aren’t only good at identifying things; they can also help in learning. When you learn a skill that involves your hands, you can ensure that you’ll remember it for a long time by repeating it often. It’s hardly erasable. Think of a skill like typing on a keyboard. At the early stage of learning to type, you may pay attention to it. But after a while, it seems as though you stop using your brain and your amazing hands take over all on their own!

 

Thumbs Up

Take a long look at your thumbs. They’re shorter and flatter than your other fingers, and they stick out at a different angle. Some people consider thumbs to be a symbol of strength and superiority. The way we use them to express ourselves supports this. When someone performs very well or is thought to be the best, we give thumbs up to him or her.

 

But thumbs are more than just symbols. The movement of the thumb underlies all the skilled procedures of which the hand is capable. Scientifically speaking, our thumbs are opposable. This means they can swing around to face the palm of your hand. This enables the tips of our thumbs to touch the tips of our other fingers, which is the most important movement of our hands.

If you want to see just how important your thumbs are, try living without them for a little while. Tape both of your thumbs firmly to the sides of your hands to make sure you can’t use them, and then try going about your daily activities. Simple things like zipping up your jacket, removing the lid from a jar or catching a ball will prove to be nearly impossible. You’ll also have a hard time opening doors and won’t be able to write your own name. After this experiment, you’ll probably appreciate your thumbs.

 

Grip

Whenever you need to handle something, your fingers and thumbs need to work together. There are different ways to hold different things. To demonstrate this to yourself, gather together the following common household items: a hammer, a pencil, a key, a suitcase, and a jar with a screw top. Once you’ve done that, pick them up one by one.

First, hold the key as if you were going to unlock a door. Your fingers should be lined up on one side of the key with your thumb pressing against the other side to hold the key in place. This is the key grip.

Then, pick up the hammer and wrap your fingers around the handle with your thumb pressing down from the top. This position is known as a power grip, and it’s good for holding onto things tightly.

 

 

Next, pick up the pencil. It’s most natural to hold it between your index and middle fingers and your thumb. This is a precision grip, used for delicate work that involves fine detail.

If you need to pick up a suitcase, you’ll use something called a hook grip. It’s a strong grip that’s good for carrying heavy things for a relatively long time. Another use for the hook grip is supporting your body weight while hanging from the branch of a tree.

Finally, there’s what is called the ball-holding grip. This is used for unscrewing the lid of a jar. You start with a powerful grip and then switch the pressure to your fingertips to finish off the job.

If you want to understand how important these different grips are, try using the wrong grip for each object. You’ll see how lucky you are that your hands know how to handle different objects in different ways.

High School - Neung-rul R & W - 2nd Grade - Lesson 1

Reading Lesson 1 Lecture of a Lifetime

 

Lecture of a Lifetime

 

In 2007, Dr. Randy Pausch gave his farewell lecture at Carnegie Mellon University. However, the 46-year-old computer science professor was not retiring. The husband and father of three children was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer* and was told he only had a few months to live.

This lecture is about my childhood dreams. All of the things I loved were rooted in the dreams and goals I had as a child. I truly believe I am a lucky man because I have lived out these dreams. I hope you learn some lessons and use what you hear today to achieve your own dreams and help others achieve theirs. So what were my childhood dreams? Being in zero gravity, playing in the National Football League(NFL)*, and being an imagineer ... did anybody here have that childhood dream?

 

Let’s start with being in zero gravity. Now, it’s important to have specific dreams. A lot of kids want to become astronauts, but I wasn’t interested in the whole astronaut work. I just wanted the floating. Well, it turns out that NASA has something they use to train astronauts - the Vomit Comet. It’s an airplane that flies in great big arcs* - at the top of each arc, the people inside experience weightlessness for about 25 seconds.

My dream became a possibility when I learned that they had a program where college students could submit proposals, and the winners got to fly on the Vomit Comet. I was excited because I was going to go with our team of students as an advisor. And then I hit the first brick wall. Professors weren’t allowed to fly with their team. I tried to find a way around this brick wall. I carefully read all the documents about the program, looking for holes. And I found one: local journalists were allowed to come along for the ride. So, I went as a journalist instead and got to fly on the Vomit Comet. Childhood dream number one? Check.

OK, let’s talk about football. I love football. I used to dream of playing in the NFL. My love with football started when my dad dragged me to join a league. I had no desire to be there. I was naturally timid, and the smallest kid by far. Fear turned to awe when I met my coach, Jim Graham, a huge guy.

On the first day of practice, we were all scared to death. Plus, the coach showed up without any footballs. One kid finally spoke up for all of us. “Excuse me, Coach. There aren’t any footballs.” And Coach Graham responded, “We don’t need any footballs. Among the 22 players on the football field, how many people are touching the football at any given time?” The kid answered, “One of them.” “Right!” Graham said. “So we’re going to work on what those other 21 guys are doing.”

Fundamentals. That was a great gift Coach Graham gave us. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. As a college professor, I’ve seen this as one lesson so many students ignore. You’ve got to get the fundamentals down, because otherwise the fancy stuff is not going to work. Even though I didn’t make it to the NFL, I got more from pursuing that dream.

 

My next dream was being an imagineer. When I was a kid, my family went to a famous amusement park. It was the coolest place I’d ever been. I thought “I can’t wait to make stuff like this!”

Two decades later, when I got my Ph.D in computer science, I applied for a job with the amusement park’s imagineering department. And they sent me a letter saying they didn’t have any positions which require my particular qualifications. So that was a setback. But remember, the brick walls are there for a reason. They are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.

After I became a professor, I was involved with a virtual reality program at my university. Not too long after, I learned that the amusement park was working on a virtual reality project. I called the company and explained that I was a virtual reality researcher looking for information on it. I kept getting passed on and on, until finally I was connected to the imagineer running the team, and I managed to make an appointment to meet him.

Before going to see him, I did eighty hours of ‘homework.’ As a result, when I finally met the imagineer, he was impressed by how prepared I was and offered me a temporary job. I worked on a ride project where people got to feel like they were flying on a magic carpet. At last, I had achieved a childhood dream.

 

 

Here are some lessons I learned while pursuing my dreams.

 

Get feedback and listen to it.

It can just be a single person who tells you what you need to hear. The hard part is listening to it. Anybody can get criticized. But it takes a special person to say ‘you are right’ instead of making excuses. When people give you feedback, cherish it and use it.

Show gratitude.

When I got tenure, I took my research team to an amusement park for a week. One of the other professors asked, “How can you do that?” I said these people worked hard to help me get the best job in the world for life. How could I not do that?

Work hard.

I got tenure a year early. Other faculty members used to say to me, “Wow, you got tenure early. What’s your secret?” I said, “It’s pretty simple. Call me any Friday night in my office at ten o’clock and I’ll tell you.”

Be prepared.

Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity.

 

So today’s talk was about what I learned on my journey. It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. It’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life in the right way, everything will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you. Thank you and good night.

 

High School - Neung-rul - 2nd Grade - Lesson 4

Lesson 4 The World of Korean Food

 

Korean Food Goes Global

 

Rich in nutritional value and unique in taste, Korean cuisine has been embraced by diners across the world. According to a recent survey conducted by the Korean government, visitors to Korea cite the cuisine as one of the top three attractions, along with shopping and sightseeing. Another survey by the Korean Center in Los Angeles showed that about half of Americans surveyed picked “Korean food” as the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Korea.

 

Gimchi is the best known Korean dish. TIME magazine chose gimchi as one of its Top 10 Healthy Foods. There is so much more than just gimchi, though! There are over 2,000 types of Korean

dishes, each one unique in taste, presentation, and color. People worldwide are learning more about Korean food, as can be seen in the following stories.

 

Unique Twist on Traditional Rice Cakes

- By Eugene Oh (Staff Reporter)

 

While the steamer is heating up, all the ingredients show off their beautiful colors as they get mixed with the rice flour. An hour passes as taste and beauty blend together, and the small lump of rice becomes tteok (rice cake), a traditional Korean food, satisfying both the appetite and the eyes.

 

Recently, there has been an effort to promote and develop Korean tteok with exhibitions and contests. On May 9, the Tteok Exhibition and Beautiful Tteok Contest was held in Seoul. Nearly 120 people, including foreigners eager to learn about Korean traditional culture, took part in the contest. Carolyn Johnson, a food writer from Canada, was one of the participants. She said, “I’m inclined toward the taste of tteok. I used to eat it all the time when I first moved here.”

 

At the exhibition, you could see traditional tteok dishes from all over the nation and “fusion” tteok with

chocolate, strawberry syrup, and even fresh cream. Some were delicately carved into roses and some were stuffed with gimchi. New ways of keeping the best flavor of tteok, such as a new style of packaging, were also introduced at the exhibition.

 

According to the exhibit director, many foreigners and Koreans were stunned by the new look of the traditional food, and many now want to learn how to make it. Tteok may prove to be the key to focusing world attention on Korean cuisine.

 

“Tteok is about sharing,” one participant said. He added that he looked forward to the day when tteok becomes like “Korea’s donuts” to the rest of the world.

 

Korean Food’s Cultural Qualities Appeal to Global Tastes

- Interview with The Asia Director of Le Cordon Bleu

 

“Rice Pudding with Orange Flavored Gimchi” and “Chocolate Cake with Gimchi” might sound strange to many ears, but such menu items are being cooked up. In fact, they may be served to the public in the near future, along with the famous Korean barbecue and soybean paste soup.

 

Le Cordon Bleu, an international French cooking school, published Korean Gimchi & Le Cordon Bleu. Subtitled as A Meeting of Flavors, Tastes and Cultures, the book aims to apply modern cooking techniques to gimchi and show how it can be used in many ways. The Asia director of Le Cordon Bleu said, “It was an interesting and daring project to combine the traditional French approach with the symbol of Korean cuisine.”

 

The seemingly difficult project was made possible as the developers at Le Cordon Bleu kept one thing in mind: keep the fundamentals right. “As long as Koreans keep the fundamentals of their food right, they can apply any cooking technique to their food,” he said.

 

Citing the increasing number of Korean restaurants in Europe, he said the main factor of this recent trend has to do with the special cultural qualities of Korean food, which he called “the most outstanding features of Korean food.” “The delivery style of food - whether it’s multiple plates or barbecue on the table or sharing food - is the unique social factor that people enjoy. It’s something to have a good time with,” he said.

 

In closing the interview, he explained about the school’s next project which will focus on the development of traditional Korean drinks. “Korean drinks have a great potential that has not yet been fully developed. They’ll do well in the global market.”

 

As you can see, Korean food is gaining global popularity because of its freshness, taste, and well-known health benefits. In order to continue this trend, many people are promoting Korean food abroad. Three Korean cooking organizations chose 300 food items that can best represent Korean cuisine. They then developed standardized recipes and proper names for the items. These will be made into a new book, which will be translated into several languages and distributed at Korean restaurants in other countries. Also, many Koreans, from ordinary students to professional cooks, are actively posting video clips online that show people how to cook Korean food properly.

 

Moreover, the government is acknowledging the need to upgrade Korean restaurants abroad in order to project a better image of Korean food. It will offer consulting on how to successfully manage restaurants and how to cook delicious Korean dishes. It will also select institutions in Korea to train cooks and managers of Korean restaurants abroad. This plan to globalize Korean food is part of the continuing attempts to power a second “Korean Wave” through the promotion of things that are uniquely Korean.

High School - Neung-rul - 2nd Grade - Lesson 3

Lesson 3 Challenging New Worlds

 

Billy Elliot

 

Billy Elliot is a story about a boy who wants to be a ballet dancer despite society’s stereotypes, as well as the opposition of his family and friends. He has to overcome some major obstacles, including his own doubts, in order to realize his dream of becoming a ballet dancer.

 

In 1984, an eleven-year-old boy lived in a poor town in England with his father, his elder brother, and his grandmother. Billy’s father wanted his son to take boxing lessons. To Billy’s father, boxing was not only a family tradition; it was also the most masculine sport. Billy’s father was an admirer of the boxing champion, Ken Buchannan, and he hoped that his son would become a champion boxer as well.

 

Boxing didn’t appeal to Billy at all, however. After several visits to the local gym, where many boxers trained, Billy was sure that he had no interest in boxing, and it was obvious that he had very little talent for it. Instead, he became much more interested in the ballet classes which took place at the same gym. Something about the graceful, structured movements captured Billy’s attention.

 

At first, he felt uncomfortable about ballet because he thought it was just for girls. Like most boys, Billy had been exposed to many stereotypes about boys and even believed some of them himself: “Boys should wear blue and play with trucks, and girls should wear pink and play with dolls.” As he developed an increasing love of ballet, however, he forgot these prejudices and pursued his dream.

 

Following that dream, Billy began taking ballet lessons from Mrs.Wilkinson, who saw that Billy had real potential to be a great ballet dancer. Billy didn’t tell his father about these lessons, though. One day, his father discovered Billy’s secret. He was angry at his son for going against his will. As a working-class man brought up to believe in the traditional gender roles of men and women, it was hard for him to accept his son’s interest in ballet. He had been taught that dancing was a female pursuit and that boys should learn only “manly” sports. Billy argued with his father about it.

 

Billy: What's wrong with ballet? It's perfectly normal.

Father: It's for girls, not for lads, Billy. Lads do football or boxing or wrestling!

Billy:It is not just girls who do ballet, Dad. Some ballet dancers are as fit as the best athletes.

 

Billy went against his father’s order to give up ballet and started taking private lessons from Mrs. Wilkinson. Knowing Billy’s potential, she decided to encourage him to try out for the Royal Ballet School.

 

Wilkinson: I've been thinking of the Royal Ballet School. They hold auditions in Newcastle.

Billy: I'd never be good enough.

Wilkinson: That's not true. I think you're good enough to go for it.

 

After lots of training, Billy was finally ready to audition for the Royal Ballet School. However, Billy didn’t have the money to pay for the audition, and his father and brother didn’t support him. They continued to say, “Ballet is for girls!” Billy didn’t listen to this sort of talk any more, though. He was determined to achieve his goal, and things were about to turn his way.

 

Then on Christmas Eve, when Billy was performing, his father happened to see him. At that moment, Billy’s father realized how much hard work Billy had put into learning ballet. It was Billy’s enthusiasm and devotion that moved his father and finally convinced him to support his son’s decision to be a dancer. He knew this would require a big adjustment in his attitude because he was a traditional man not used to challenging society’s values. Nevertheless, he made up his mind to pay for Billy’s ballet lessons and to send him to the audition.

 

Billy’s father somehow managed to get the money together and the two of them went together to the Royal Ballet School audition. Billy was so nervous that he wasn’t able to perform his best. After the audition, Billy was interviewed by someone from the Royal Ballet School.

 

Interviewer: Can I ask you, Billy? What does it feel like when you’re dancing?

Billy: It is hard for me to say. It sort of feels good. It’s like I forget everything. It’s like there’s fire in my body. I’m just there, flying like a bird.

 

A few days after they returned home from the audition, Billy received a notice saying that he had been accepted by the Royal Ballet School, and soon he went off to London to continue his studies. He eventually became a wonderful dancer, and his father and brother came to see him in a performance of Swan Lake. The young lad from a poor coal-mining town, where he had been treated as an ugly duckling, had at last grown up to become a handsome swan.

 

High School - Neung-rul - 2nd Grade - Lesson 2

Lesson 2 Sports and Life

 

Winning is Not Everything

The world of sports is full of both dramatic victories and heartbreaking defeats.

 

 

Players constantly try to be fitter, stronger, and faster, performing their hardest for the masses of cheering spectators who come to support their favorite teams or players.

 

 

It seems that their ultimate goal is to win.

 

However, it’s important to remember that some of the greatest moments in sports have nothing to do with wins or losses.

 

The following two stories illustrate how good sportsmanship can touch our hearts more than a goal or a home run ever could.

 

“It’s not about winning and losing so much. She deserved a home run.” - Mallory Holtman

 

Sara Tucholsky was a softball player for Western Oregon University in the United States.

 

In 2008, while her team was playing a rival school, a display of sportsmanship took place that attracted admiration from people all around the world.

In the second inning, Tucholsky hit the first home run of her career.

 

As she watched the ball soar through the air, she mistakenly forgot to step on first base.

 

Realizing her error, she stopped short and quickly turned to touch the base.

 

Unfortunately, her right knee gave out, causing her to fall to the ground.

 

She managed to crawl back to first base but was in too much pain to go any further.

 

The umpire explained that the rules prohibited any of Sara’s teammates from helping her around the bases.

 

A new player could take Sara’s place, but the hit would be ruled a single rather than a home run.

 

While the Western Oregon coaches and players tried to decide what to do, the first baseman from the other team, Mallory Holtman, made a surprising request.

 

 

In a show of great sportsmanship, she found a solution for her opponent.

 

Mallory asked the umpire if she and her teammate could help Sara around the bases.

 

The umpire thought for a while and decided that there was no rule against it.

 

So Mallory and her team member, Liz Wallace, carefully lifted Sara from the ground.

 

Supporting her in their arms, they slowly made their way around the bases, allowing her to touch each base with her good leg.

 

“Thank you so much,” Sara said with tears in her eyes.

 

By the time they reached second base, the three young women were laughing together.

 

But the crowd wasn’t laughing.

 

The sight of the two women carrying a player from the opposing team lifted the spectators’ hearts, and they rose up to give the trio a big hand as they crossed home plate.

 

 

Sara’s team won the game by a score of 4 to 2, ending any chances Mallory’s team had of making the playoffs.

But that didn’t bother Mallory.

 

“In the end, it’s not about winning and losing so much,” she said. “It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run.”

 

 

By helping Sara touch home plate, Mallory and Liz touched the hearts of millions of people.

 

“I have never in my life taken advantage of someone who has crashed. That’s not the way I race.” - Jan Ullrich

 

Every July, millions of cycling fans eagerly watch the Tour de France, a three-week long, 3,607-kilometer bicycle race across the country of France.

 

 

The winner of the race is awarded with a yellow jersey, a 400,000 Euro prize, and the honor of being considered the best cyclist in the world.

 

 

In 2003, the award was presented to Lance Armstrong, as it had been every year since 1999.

 

The legendary American cyclist was praised as a hero for his triumph over cancer.

 

But there was another hero of that year, a German cyclist named Jan Ullrich.

 

For four straight years, Ullrich had finished second in the Tour de France behind Armstrong.

 

Ullrich was only 15 seconds out of the lead in the 12th stage of the 2003 race when Armstrong collided with a spectator’s bag and tumbled to the ground.

 

 

Only 9.56km from the finish line, it was a golden opportunity for Ullrich to take advantage of Armstrong’s misfortune and put an end to the previous four years’ defeats.

 

 

All he had to do to win was simply continue along without stopping.

 

Spectators around the world were sure that Ullrich had finally turned the tables on Armstrong and would win the Tour de France.

 

But instead, something totally unexpected happened.

 

Ullrich showed his respect for Armstrong.

 

He looked back several times, pulled over to the side of the racecourse and slowed down.

 

Other cyclists did the same, and they all waited for Armstrong to get back on his bicycle.

 

Ullrich didn’t speed up until Armstrong was back in the race; he took the lead for a while but eventually had to settle for second place once again, losing by only 61 seconds.

 

 

The next day, some German media criticized his behavior, but most of the mass media around the world praised Ullrich’s sportsmanship.

 

 

After the race, Ullrich said “I have never in my life taken advantage of someone who has crashed. That’s not the way I race.”

 

 

By sticking to his principles rather than yielding to the temptation of winning, Ullrich taught the sports world a lesson about honor and sacrifice.

 

 

Soon after, the Germans selected him as their “Sports Person of the Year.”

High School - Neung-rul - 2nd Grade - Lesson 1

Lesson 1 English and My Dreams

 

Learn English, Spread Your Wings!

 

Learn English, Spread Your Wings!

 

What is your reason for learning English? Do you want to be able to communicate with people from other countries? Are you hoping to improve your grades or get a better job? Maybe you have plans to move to an English-speaking country, or perhaps you just find English interesting. People all around the world learn English in order to achieve their dreams or goals. Here are several good reasons to learn English.

 

Get Access to Information

 

Kamil Kaloush (Czech Republic, 25)

I’m learning English because I need to gain access to a lot of information. As a student, I had little interest in English; it was science that appealed to me most. Once I decided to become a scientist, however, I quickly realized that I would need to improve my English. About 95 percent of the textbooks and papers I need to read for my job are written in English. It’s safe to say that English is the most important language in the world, especially if you want to be a successful scientist.

 

English is the most widespread language in the world. Despite the fact that less than 10 percent of people in the world speak English as their first language, it has become the global language of the information age. The majority of news and information is available in English, especially when it comes to the Internet. Air traffic controllers communicate with pilots in English, even in countries where it isn’t a native language. For many professions, English is a practical necessity.

 

Communicate with People

 

Kim Hanbin (Korea, 18)

The reason I’m learning English is pretty simple. I want to be able to make friends with people from various countries. It would be great if I could talk to them in Korean or their native languages, but it’s not possible for me to learn every language in the world. So when I email my foreign friends, or when they come to visit me in Korea, we communicate in English — the most widely used international language. Since English helps me make friends, I really enjoy learning it. My goal is to have a friend from every country on earth.

 

Most people in the world have decided to make English "the language of communication," using it to communicate with anyone who doesn't speak their language. It allows them to talk to people from other countries about all kinds of things. Even if you don't travel, you can use English to It's a great way to make interesting friends, learn about new cultures, and generally broaden your knowledge of the world. Diplomats from different countries use English to communicate with each other, as do people at most international conferences and competitions. Even the United Nations uses English as its main language!

 

Get Opportunities to Work Globally

 

Daniella de Souza (Brazil, 25)

One of the main reasons many people are learning English these days is to increase their chances of finding a better job. I know that’s my motivation. Globalization isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, which means there will soon be even more chances to work with people from various countries. I’m working in the trade business and many of the buyers I work with are from other countries. If I can master English, it’ll really help me achieve my goal of becoming an international businesswoman. If I want my dream to come true, I have to study English harder.

 

In the past, only people like diplomats and interpreters were required to learn English for their jobs. Because of globalization, however, people from all different kinds of professions now find themselves working with people from other countries. And when they do, English is the language they use to communicate. It doesn’t matter if you’re sending a simple email or putting together a legal contract — chances are, it’ll be done in English. It’s still possible to succeed in business without learning English, but doing so vastly expands your employment opportunities.

 

Introduce Your Culture to the World

 

Kim Hanbin (Korea, 18)

If I could choose any job in the world, I would be a translator. When I was younger, it occurred to me that no Korean has ever received the Nobel Prize in Literature. I think that’s because so little Korean literature has been properly translated into English. Of course, winning a Nobel Prize myself would be great. But my more realistic aim is to help my country’s writers have their literary works properly translated. That way, they can be read by people from other cultures, the same way we enjoy so many works of English and American literature.

 

English is a great way for us to express our thoughts and opinions to people around the world. Some see English as a means of acquiring information about other cultures, but we can also see it as an efficient way of sharing important information about our own customs and culture. That can be another motivation for learning English.

 

So, what's your reason for learning English? Is it the same as one of these people's, or is it something different? No matter what your motivation may be, English is a useful tool for achieving your goals, and you may find it can serve as "the wind beneath your wings."

High School - Doosan Kim - 2nd Grade - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 

The Fire on the Mountain (based on an Ethiopian folktale)

 

Characters

 

Arha A servant of Haptom

Haptom A wealthy merchant who is often bored because there is nothing

new for him to do

Abdu Arha's friend from another tribe who used to work for Hailu

Hailu A wise good man who tries to help others in need

Servant

Guest 1, 2, 3, 4

 

Scene I

 

One cold night, at Haptom's house in the city of Addis Ababa.

 

Haptom It sure is a cold night, Arha. Hmm, I wonder if anyone could spend an entire night on the highest peak of Mount Sululta without clothing or fire.

Arha Mount Sululta? That's crazy. In winter, people don't even go there in the daytime because it's so cold.

 

 

Haptom My thoughts exactly. It's probably impossible, right?

Arha I don't know, but it would be very foolish to try such a thing.

Haptom Perhaps. I'm sure that no man can live to tell the tale.

Arha I'm sure a courageous man could stand naked on Mount Sululta throughout an entire night and not die.

Haptom Well, I'll tell you what. If you can survive an entire night among the rocks on Mount Sululta without food, water, clothing, blankets, or fire, I'll give you ten acres of farmland with a house and cattle.

Arha (In disbelief) Do you really mean this?

Haptom I'm a man of my word.

Arha Then tomorrow night I'll do it!

 

Arha goes to Abdu for advice because he is very worried.

 

Abdu Tomorrow night, I will build a fire across from Mount Sululta. Whenever you are cold, look at my fire in the distance and think about its warmth and think of me, your friend. If you do this you will survive, no matter how bitter the night wind might be.

Arha Thanks for your advice. I'll do what you say.

 

 

Scene II

 

The next day, Arha goes to the top of Mount Sululta with Haptom's servant at night.

When he gets there, he takes off his clothes and stands in the damp, cold wind.

 

Arha It's getting colder and colder. The rocks that I stand on feel like ice. Oh, I see Abdu's fire several kilometers away. (After awhile) I can't feel my hands and feet. The wind pierces my skin like ice needles. (After a while) I feel ill. I think I'll never be warm again. But I will keep my eyes upon the light across the valley. My old friend is tending a fire for me there. (Arha sneezes, coughs, and shivers.)

 

Scene III

 

At dawn, Arha puts his clothes on and goes down the mountain back to Haptom's house.

 

Haptom (To the servant, very surprised to see Arha) Did he stay there all night

without blankets or clothing?

Servant Yes. He did as you said.

Haptom Well, you are a strong fellow. How did you manage to do it?

Arha I simply looked at a fire on a hill far away.

Haptom What! You watched a fire? Then you cheated. I cannot give you any land.

Arha But this fire was not close enough to warm me!

Haptom I won't give you the land. You didn't keep your end of the bargain.

 

 

Very sad, Arha goes back to Abdu.

 

Arha I risked my life to get the land. Yet, I have nothing to show for it.

Abdu Don't give up hope. Let's go to Hailu and ask him if something could be done.

 

Arha and Abdu go to Hailu.

 

Hailu Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it for you.

 

 

Scene IV

 

Many people including Haptom in the city are invited to a feast at Hailu's house. On the day of the feast, the hungry guests have been waiting for the food for a long time.

 

Guest 1 (Whispering)Wonderful smell of food is coming from the kitchen.

Guest 2 (Whispering) My mouth is watering already.

Guest 3 (Whispering) It's getting late. The food should have been served already.

Guest 4 (Whispering) I wonder why Hailu hasn't brought the food out.

Haptom (Speaking out) Hailu, why do you do this to us? Why do you invite us to a feast and then serve us nothing?

Hailu (Surprised)Why, can't you smell the food?

Haptom Of course I can. But smelling the food is not the same as eating it.

Hailu Then, is looking at a fire the same thing as feeling its warmth? If Arha was warmed by the fire in the distance, then you have been fed by the smell coming from my kitchen.

Haptom Ah, now I understand. You have opened my eyes, Hailu. (To Arha) I now declare you the owner of the land, house, and cattle.

Hailu (Smiling) Bring the food in.

 

The feast begins.