Category: English

In a busy bus station, there is a little girl sitting all alone on a bench. She stares at the floor as all the busy travelers rush around her. She does not move.

Some of the people are in such a big hurry that they do not notice her. Other people look at her, but they think, “She is not my daughter. She is someone else’s responsibility. I am sure her mother and father must be close.” They continue running to where they need to go.

After some time, a man stops next to the girl. He is very tired after a long day of work, and he just wants to get to his home as quickly as possible so that he can be with his family. But he cannot just leave this little girl alone. He cannot see her parents anywhere. The little girl is no older than his own little daughter!

The man walks up the girl. “Hello,” he says. “Are you all right? Are your parents here with you?”

The little girl does not even look up at him. He gently sits down next to her and touches her shoulder. Now she lifts her head, and he can see that she is crying. He feels terrible!

But he gives her a very warm smile and holds out his hand. She looks scared, but she takes his hand and lets him lead her to the bus station information desk. He helps her sit down on a chair next to the desk and explains the situation to the security guard.

The guard makes an announcement over the speakers. “Attention: a young girl is waiting for her parents at the information desk. If you are looking for your daughter, please come immediately! Thank you.”

A couple of minutes later, a woman comes running toward the desk. As soon as she sees the little girl, she shouts and runs up to her. She lifts the girl into her arms and holds her very tight. Then she separates herself from her daughter and looks at her face while she says, “I am here, Andrea. Everything is okay. I love you, honey.”

Then she turns and greets the man. “Thank you so much, sir,” she says. “We got separated in the crowd earlier. My daughter is deaf, so I could not make an announcement over the speakers for her. I was looking for her everywhere. I was so worried!”

Now the man understands why the little girl did not look at him until he touched her shoulder. He feels happy that he has helped. It must have been very scary for little Andrea and her mother! He smiles and thinks of how he will tell his family about this. He is a father, too. He knows how important it is to love and help all children.

Exercises

Vocabulary Questions

1. What does “gently” mean?

a) in a confident way

b) in a fast way

c) in a soft way that will not scare someone

d) in a logical way

2. What does “deaf” mean?

a) that someone cannot hear

b) that someone cannot speak

c) that someone cannot see

d) that someone cannot feel

3. What does “help” mean?

a) to do something unpleasant

b) to make a plan for something

c) to try something new

d) to aid someone and make things easier for them

Grammar Questions

1. The people in the bus station are ________ a big hurry.

a) to

b) in

c) of

d) with

2. Thank you ________ much.

a) so

b) too

c) super

d) a lot

3. He cannot see her parents ________.

a) somewhere

b) everywhere

c) anywhere

d) where

Comprehension Questions

1. Why doesn’t the little girl answer the man when he talks to her?

Because she is very sad.

2. How do the man and the security guard find Andrea’s mother?

They make an announcement .

3. In your opinion, why is it important to love and help children?

Because they are still young and still have a lot to learn from you.

Valerie studies at a big university. At the same time, she maintains a full-time job so that she can pay for her tuition and her living expenses. So Valerie spends most of the day at the office, then goes to class three days a week. She also stays up late at night to study for her classes.

Valerie does not do any physical exercise. Between work and university, she is so busy that she thinks she does not have time for any physical activity.

Sadly, she rarely eats home-made meals. She usually just grabs a bag of chips or a hamburger as she leaves her office to take the bus to university. Since she is convinced that she does not have time to make a healthy dinner when she gets home, she eats lots of pizzas that she orders over the phone.

After dinner, she starts studying and preparing her assignments. Valerie does not sleep very much because of it. She feels grumpy when she wakes up early in the morning, and she is irritable at work. After her long day, she feels tired in class, and it is hard for her to concentrate.

To make matters even worse, Valerie keeps getting sick. This makes her miss work and class. She is miserable! She just wants to feel good. Her grades start to go down because of her illnesses. As she thinks about her whole life situation, she gets so frustrated that she does not even want to study anymore.

During her mid-year break, Valerie decides to make some big changes. First, she learns how to make some easy, healthy recipes. She actually finds that she saves a lot of money by preparing her food herself, and the food tastes much better too! After an early dinner and some quiet reading, Valerie goes to bed early every night. Now she really feels refreshed in the morning.

Then she decides to give something else a try. Her office is not really so far from her university, so one day after work she tries walking there. As she walks down the street, looking at all the people, the shops, and the movement in the city, she remembers how much she hates being stuck on the bus in traffic. In fact, she finds that she can get to class almost as fast by walking. And she is so much happier when she arrives!

When the semester begins, Valerie maintains her healthy habits. She sets time aside on the weekends to study and do her assignments. Because she is sleeping and eating better now, she can finally concentrate and needs to spend much less time studying.

It is a huge improvement. Valerie saves money on food and transportation, she has much more energy, she feels less stressed, and her grades are better. She is glad she finally started to take care of herself. Now she finally enjoys all of her different activities and feels happy about her life.

Exercises

Vocabulary Questions

1. What does “tuition” mean?

a) the money you pay to live in an apartment

b) the money someone pays you to work for them

c) the money you pay to a university to study there

d) the money a university gives you to help you study

2. What does “grumpy” mean?

a) upset and irritable

b) confused

c) energetic

d) tired

3. What does “healthy” mean?

a) good for your body

b) good for your emotional state

c) good for your mental state

d) all of the above

Grammar Questions

1. She decides ________ to class.

a) to walk

b) walking

c) walk

d) walked

2. Valerie keeps ________ sick.

a) having

b) getting

c) being

d) doing

3. She is so much ________ when she arrives.

a) happy

b) happiest

c) more happy

d) happier

Comprehension Questions

1. Why does Valerie always feel frustrated and irritable?

She does not sleep very much

2. What healthy changes does Valerie make in her life?

She makes healhty food, walks to the university, sleeps a lot and etc

3. In your opinion, why is it important to take care of yourself?

To be happy, for your body, for your emotional state, for your mental state and ect

Primary Education
Schooling is mandatory in Kazakhstan and this reflects in a national literacy rate of over 99%. The 5 grades of primary school begin at age 6. Two groups of children attend morning and afternoon shifts respectively per school, in order to share facilities. The ministry of education prescribes the curriculum, and this applies to both private and public schools.

Middle Education
Students continue with their education program at lower secondary school for 4 years through to grade 9. A general academic curriculum includes Russian or Kazach depending on location, plus biology, chemistry, history, mathematics, physics, and a foreign language.

Secondary Education
There are three options for the concluding 3 years at secondary school. These include general education at a lyceum or gymnasium, vocational education at a professional lyceum or vocational school, and professional education at a professional college. Education costs continue to be largely funded by the state.

Vocational Education
An ad-hoc training company is being established to oversee the development of vocational training in Kazakhstan through an unfolding network of institutions to complement current structures. It is intended that this become a kingpin in the nation’s emerging industrialization program.

ԵՐԻՏԱՍԱՐԴ ԽԵԳԵՍՏԸ ԵՎ ՆՐԱ ՄԱՅՐԸ
«Ինչու՞ ես այդպես կողք-կողքի քայլում»: ասաց մի
մայր խեցգետին իր որդուն. «Միշտ պետք է ուղիղ առաջ
քայլել՝ ոտքի մատները շրջված»:
-Ցույց տուր ինձ ինչպես քայլել, մայրիկ ջան,- հնազանդ պատասխանեց
փոքրիկ Խեցգետինը,- ես ուզում եմ սովորել։
Այսպիսով, ծեր խեցգետինը փորձեց և փորձեց ուղիղ առաջ գնալ: Բայց
նա կարող էր միայն կողք-կողքի քայլել, ինչպես իր որդին։ Եվ երբ նա
ուզում էր ոտքի մատները դուրս շրջել, սայթաքեց և ընկավ քթի վրա:
Մի ասեք ուրիշներին, թե ինչպես վարվեն, քանի դեռ չեք կարող լավ օրինակ
ծառայել:

The fox and the grapes

ԱՂՎԵՍԸ ԵՎ ԽԱՂՈՂԸ
Աղվեսը մի օր տարվել է հասած խաղողի մի գեղեցիկ փնջով,
որը կախված էր ծառի ճյուղերի երկայնքով կախված որթատունկից:
Թվում էր, թե խաղողը պատրաստ է պայթելու հյութից, և Աղվեսի
բերանը ջրով էր լցվում, երբ նա նայում էր նրանց։
Փունջը կախված էր բարձր ճյուղից, և Աղվեսը ստիպված էր ցատկել
դրա համար: Առաջին անգամ, երբ նա ցատկեց, չկարողացավ հասնել:
Այսպիսով, նա մի փոքր հետ գնաց և վազելով ցատկեց
դեպի այն, բայց ևս մեկ անգամ ընկավ: Նա նորից ու նորից փորձեց,
բայց ապարդյուն։
Հետո նստեց ու զզվանքով նայեց խաղողին։
«Ինչ եմ անում ես»,- ասաց նա։ «Այստեղ ես տանջվում եմ, որպեսզի մի
փունջ թթու խաղող ստանամ, որի համար չարժե տանջվել»։
Եվ նա քայլեց շատ, շատ արհամարհանքով:
Շատերը կան, ովքեր ձևացնում են, թե արհամարհում և նսեմացնում
են այն, ինչ իրենց հասանելի չէ: