英语

ቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱ
Video Watching Warm-up Questions Listen and Think Background Information
It had been years since I laid my hand on my father’s shoulder last time as we drifted farther and farther apart while I was growing up. That night though, I sensed my father trying to control his pain and I wanted him to be able to let it out. We had all cried over what happened except him. All of us except him. The simple touch and my words, “Dad, it’s not your fault.” broke my father’s dam. In the darkness, he began to cry. I felt his shoulders shaking as he whispered, “Where did I go wrong? All I ever wanted was for my children to grow up right. Why couldn’t your sister wait?” I understood then why he preferred to be in the dark. By being there, he hoped to spare his family of a father’s pain. His tears, though we didn’t see them before that night, were there all the same. I saw his courage that night, when my father cried with my hand on his shoulder, and understood his pain.
1. “Chicken Soup for the Soul”
Video Watching Warm-up Questions Listen and Think Background Information
“Chicken Soup for the Soul” is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short, inspirational stories and motivational essays. Many have a short, simple story about an event, a person, or an everyday miracle that exemplifies the best of the human spirit. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. The first book sold over 2 million copies and launched the series. There are now over 100 million copies in print and in 54 languages world-wide.
The Day My Father Cried
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When I was young, I thought that boys and grown men shouldn’t cry. Tears were signs of being weak and sissy, which a man isn’t supposed to be. This was even reinforced in my young mind when the Cure came out with the song, “Boys Don’t Cry,” in the early 1980s. But just this last June, I discovered that courage isn’t all about trying to keep all the pain inside. Courage isn’t all about trying to hide tears. It’s the opposite — tears reinforce the heart’s courage. And I saw this in my father. My 18-year old sister died in a traffic accident. With it, I saw how vulnerable my father’s heart was. My siblings and I were used to seeing him as an iron-willed, authoritarian father. For three days after my sister died, he wouldn’t talk. He would just sit quietly outside our house in the dark. On the fourth night, I sat beside him and asked him to tell me what he feels about everything.
Video Watching Warm-up Questions Listen and Think Background Information
There have been numerous volumes of “Chicken Soup” issued. As of January 2006, there were over 105 titles. Many of the books are directed at specific groups of people, e.g. Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Pre-Teen Soul, Chicken Soup for the Prisoner’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Volunteer’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Grandparent’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover’s Soul, etc.
Directions: Here is an inspirational story about the love between fathers and children. Listen carefully and answer a few questions.
Video Watching Warm-up Questions Listen and Think Background Information
2. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Video Watching Warm-up Questions Listen and Think Background Information
Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. They have dedicated their lives to the personal and professional growth of others. Jack Canfield is one of America’s leading experts in the development of human potential and personal effectiveness. He is both a dynamic, entertaining speaker and a highly soughtafter trainer. Jack has a wonderful ability to inform and inspire audiences towards increased levels of self-esteem and peak performance.
Questions: 1. When the boy was young, why did he think that boys and grown men should not cry? 2. What kind of man had the boy thought his father was? 3. What incident changed his understanding of his father? 4. What did he realize after his talk with his father in the dark?
Video Watching Warm-up Questions Listen and Think Background Information
1. How did you feel about your parents when you were a child? Did your attitude towards them change when you grew into a teenager? Explain the change, if any. 2. Recall a conflict you once had with your parents. Explain why you were upset by your parents. 3. What would you do when you could not agree with your parents? Use an incident from daily life to support the description.