Unit 8. The story of my village

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007
Unit 8:
READING
Many years ago, my village was very poor. The villagers had to work hard in the fields all day and could hardly make ends meet. Their lives were simple and they were in need of many things. Many people had to live in houses made of straw and mud, and few families had a radio or a TV set. However, in spite of the shortages, the villagers managed to send their children to school and college. They hoped that with an education of science and technology, their children could find a way of bettering their lives.
The children have met their parents’ wishes. When they came back from college or technical high school, they introduced new farming methods, which resulted in bumper crops. They also helped the villagers grow cash crops for export. Soon, the lifestyle of my village changed. Today, people live in brick houses. In the evening, they can listen to the news on the radio or watch TV for entertainment. Sometimes they go to town on their motorbikes to do some shopping or to visit their friends.
“Our lives have changed a lot thanks to the knowledge our children brought home,” said an old farmer, “and I always tell my grandchildren to study harder so that they can do even more for the village than their parents did.”
Words in the passage that are related to “Village”:
Fields
Villagers
Houses made of straw and mud
Crops
Expressions in the passage:
1. Make ends meet
2. In need of many things
3. Bettering one’s life
4. Bumper crops
5. Cash crops
Making one’s life better.
Have just enough money to pay for the things that you need.
Crops to be sold, not for use by the people who grow it.
Having to have many things that you do not have.
Good crops.
Many changes in the village:
made of brick
few families had a radio or a TV set
many families have a radio or a TV set
old
poor
new
good/ bumper
by motorbikes
How the village’s lifestyle has changed?
1. What was life like in the author’s village many years ago?
2. Why did the villagers want to send their children to school and college in spite of their shortages?
3. How did the children help improve the lifestyle in the village when they finished college or technical high school?
4. What did an old farmer say about the effect of the knowledge the young people brought home?
5. What exactly did he tell his grandchildren?
Answers:
1. Poor and simple.
2. Because with an education of science and technology  find a way of bettering their lives.
3. Introduced new farming methods  resulted in bumper crops.
Helped grow cash crops for export.
4. Their lives: changed a lot  the knowledge their children bad brought home.
5. “Study harder so that you can do even more for the village than your parents did.”
Take an overview of the life in the village