Lesson 16 A Walk in the Desert
Two friends were walking through the desert. During the journey they had an argument. One friend slapped the other one on his face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME ON MY FACE.
They kept on walking until they found an oasis. They decided to rest and take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but his friend saved him.
After he recovered from nearly drowning, he wrote on a stone: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand. And now, you write on a stone, why?”
The other friend replied, “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand. Winds of forgiveness can sweep it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone, where no wind can ever sweep it away.”
(A) Discussion on The Value of Friendship
- What does the story teach you?
- Do you have a best friend?
- Why is he / she your best friend?
- Have you ever had an argument?
- What was it about?
- Are you still friends?
(B) Vocabulary
Argument – (noun) – an angry disagreement
Oasis – (noun)– a fertile or green spot in a desert
Mire – (noun) – wet spongy ground
Recover – (verb) – regain
Engrave – (verb) – to impress deeply / cut or carve
(C) Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions
. Compare your answers___with__your partner.
- This key holder is very special________me.
- Apples and pears are_______the same box.
- Write _________me soon.
- Have you got a piece________paper?
- What’s the calculator for? It is_________ my exam.
- I’m tall_______ black hair and brown eyes.
- We have a small house _______a balcony.
- I come _______a big family.
- Is your house ______the city?