Crow Commits Crime

CLEARWATER, FL, USA. One day, when Frank Landstrom was playing golf in Clearwater, Florida, something strange happened. His $450 gold bracelet was in his golf cart. All of a sudden, a big crow flew down out of nowhere and grabbed the bracelet. "What in the world?" Frank thought. He watched wide-eyed as the crow made off with his bracelet. Frank was in a bad mood because he was sure the bracelet was gone for good.




Later that day, a man named Tom Johnson pulled into a supermarket parking lot 35 miles from Clearwater. something shiny on the ground caught his eye. He picked it up. It was a gold bracelet!




The next morning, Tom saw a story in the newspaper about a crow and a gold bracelet. He put two and two together. Then he got in touch with Frank Landstrom to give the bracelet back. Frank couldn't believe his luck. He was thrilled to get it back.






About you:




1. Tell about a time when you lost something valuable. Did you ever get it back, or was it gone for good?




2. Have you ever found something valuable? Did you try to give it back to the owner?




3. Are you in a bad or a good mood today? Why?




4. Do you know an unusual story about an animal? If so, tell it.

Fish Turns the Table on Fisherman

KONAKOVO, RUSSIA. One day, a Russian man is fishing at a lake near Moscow. He is crazy about this sport. He catches a very large fish and is on cloud nine! when he begins to show off for his pals. He grabs the fish and kisses it right on the mouth. BUt the fish turns the tables on the fisherman and bites his nose. It won't let go. The poor fisherman is in hot water now. "Take it easy," his friends advise. Then they have an idea. They cut the head off the fish. But the fish still won't let go of the fisherman's nose. It has strong teeth! Finally, doctors in local hospital set the fisherman free. "play it safe," they tell him. "Don't kiss any more fish!"



About you:


1. Do you like to fish? If so, are you crazy about it? Do you clean the fish? Do you cut the head off?


2. What sports or hobbies are you crazy about?


3. Tell about a happy memory when you were on cloud nine.


4. Do you know people who show off? If so, what do they do?


5. Have you ever been in hot water? Why? When? Tell the story.


6. Are you the type of person who plays it safe, or do you like to take risks?

Man Dances in his Own Funeral

CAIRO, EGYPT. One day, the police see a body on a beach in Egypt. The man is dead as a doornail. The ID card in the man's wallet identify him as Ahmed Awadh, age 30.




A short time later, Ahmed's friends and relatives are sitting in a funeral tent. The feel blue and they're crying over Ahmed. All of a sudden the "dead" man walks into the tent, looking like a million dollars. His friends and family are dumbfounded. When they realize it's really Ahmed they go crazy. They laugh, they cry, and they kiss him. Ahmed explains, "A thief ripped me off and took my ID cards. So when the police found the dead man, they thought he was me!" When Ahmed's friends and family get over their shock, the funeral turns into a party. They're on the top of the world! Police are still trying to identify the dead man.






About you




1. Has anyone ever ripped you off? What did they take?




2. Tell about a time when you felt blue. How did you get over it?




3. Tell about a time when you were dumbfounded. What happened?




4. What are funerals like in your country?

Spaniards Paint the Town Red

BUNYOL, SPAIN. One a year, the town of Bunyol in Spain throws a big party. The festival is called "La Tomatina." To get ready, townspeople put big plastic sheets over their windows. By noon on the day of the festival, an enormous crowd gathers on the central square. People shout, "Tomato! Tomato!" at the top of their lungs. They're dying to see the tomatoes. Just after 12:00 noon, the tomatoes arrive- in five big trucks! Some people put on goggles. The trucks dump the tomatoes, and the party begins. People go bananas. They dive into the tomatoes and begin throwing them everywhere. Before long, the square is a red juicy pool. "It's wonderful to let loose and throw a big wet tomato at a neighbor," says Minerva Gonzales of Bunyol. "Everyone has a great time."






About you:




1. Whould you like to participate in La Tomatina? Why or why not?




2. Does your hometown have a festival where people go bananas? If so, tell the class about it. Does it happen once a year or more often?




3. Do you think it's a good idea for people to let loose sometimes? Why or why not?




4. Do you like to throw parties? Do your friends throw parties? Tell about a party you threw recently. How did you get ready for it?




5. What are you dying to do? Will you be able to it before long?

The Longest Hair in the World

MON NGA, THAILAND. Eighty-five-year-old Hoo Sateow lives in a small village in Thailand. He has very long hair. In fact, it's the longest hair in the world-more than 17 feet long! I cut my hair when I was 18 years old, and I got sick. So I'll never do it again," Hoo says. According to Hoo, his long hair allows him to talk to ghosts and help sick people. Hoo has something in common with his older brother, Yi. Both have long hair. Yi's hair is more than 14 feet long.




Hoo washes his hair only once in a blue moon. His friends usually give him a hand. The long hair takes ages to dry. Hoo hangs it on a fence in the sun. His hair is hard to take care of, but Hoo says it comes in handy in Thailand's cool mountain weather. "I wrap my hair around my head and then put my hat on. It keeps me warm."






About you:




1. Is your hair hard to take care of? Why or why not?




2. When do your friends give you a hand? When do you give them a hand?




3. What do you have in common with a member of your family?

A Heart of Gold

ORANGE COUNTY, CA, USA. Victor Cacelis is a California immigrant who grew up in a poor village in Mexico. He is used to working hard. He works more than 90 hours a week in three different jobs including McDonald's. He is saving up to buy a house.




One day, while Victor is cleaning the floor at McDonald's, he finds an envelope and picks it up. It contains $612 in cash! He gets in touch with the police to report the lost money. The police can't find the owner, so they give the money back to Victor.




Then Victor reads a story in the newspaper about Adrian Sandoval, a baby who is very sick. Victor decides to give the cash away to help pay for the baby's surgery. "Life has been nice to me," Bacelis said. "I'm healthy. I have enough money. Adrian is a little boy and his condition really touched me this is what i want to do." Vistor Bacelis trully has a heart of gold.




About You




1. Do you know anyone who has a heart of gold? How does this person act?




2. If you found cash on the floor at work, what would you do? Would you keep the money, get in touch with the police or your boss, or give it away?




3. Are you used to working hard? Tell about your weekly schedule.




4. How do you usually get in touch with friends and family who live far away: by phone, by email, by letter, or by fax?

Robber Chickens Out

PEARL RIVER, NY, USA. In New York, nothing is surprising anymore. A man went into a bank in a town just north of New York City. He had a plastic bag over his head. He approached a teller and handed her a note. The teller took a look at the note. But she couldn't make heads or tails of it. The handwriting was terrible. She excused herself and went to consult with her co-workers. No one could read the note. Finally, one of the clerks figured out part of it. It said, " I have a gun." The clerks realized at last that the man was trying to hold up the bank. But when they looked up, the man with the bag on his head was gone. Apparently, he lost his nerve and ran away.




Why didn't the teller react to the plactic bag on the man's head? She said only, " I thought maybe he had a skin problem." Police officers are still trying to make sense of the robber's note. "The note says he has a gun, but we have to spend more time studying the rest of it," said the officer.






About you:




1. Tell about a time when you wanted to do something but you lost your nerve.




2. What do you like to spend time doing?




3. Did you ever visit a foreign country? If so, what was especially difficult to make sense of?