THE BEAUTIFUL HORSE

A cosmic god had a horse. The horse was beautiful and also it had many good qualities. But it wanted to be more perfect in every way. It especially wanted to become beauty unparalleled.

One day the horse said to the cosmic god, “0 Lord, you have given me beauty. You have given me other good qualities. I am so grateful to you. But how I wish you could make me more beautiful. I would be extremely, extremely grateful if you could make me more beautiful.”

The cosmic god said, “I am more than ready to make you more beautiful. Tell me in what way you want to be changed.”

The horse said, “It seems to me that I am not well proportioned. My neck is too short. If you can make my neck a little longer, my upper body will be infinitely more beautiful. And if you can make my legs much longer and thinner, then I will look infinitely more beautiful in my lower body.”

The cosmic god said, “Amen!” Then immediately he made a camel appear in place of the horse. The horse was so disheartened that it started to cry, “0 Lord, I wanted to become more beautiful. In what way is this kind of outer form more beautiful?”

The cosmic god said, “This is exactly what you asked for. You have become a camel.”

The horse cried, “Oh no, I do not want to become a camel I wish to remain a horse. As a horse, everybody appreciated my good qualities. Nobody will appreciate me as a camel.”

The cosmic god said, “Never try to achieve or receive more than I have given you. If you want to lead a desire-life, then at every moment you will want more and more. But you have no idea what the outcome will be. If you cry for a longer neck and legs, this is what will happen. Each thing in my creation has its own good qualities. The camel is not as beautiful as you are, but it carries heavy loads and has a tremendous sense of responsibility.

by STEPHEN on OCTOBER 14, 2008 · 

in MORAL STORIES

TALKING POINTS: 

1)	What do you think of cosmetic surgery?
2)	Do you think there’s a difference between cosmetic and plastic surgery?
3)	Would you consider having cosmetic surgery?
4)	Do you think cosmetic surgery is more popular with women or men?
5)	What do you think are the dangers of cosmetic surgery?
6)	What parts of your face / body would you like to change?
7)	Would you like to be a cosmetic surgeon?
8)	Why is cosmetic surgery so popular in some countries but not at all in others?
9)	What do you think of people who have cosmetic surgery?
10)	Do you think there should be an age limit for people to have cosmetic surgery? SOURCE: http://esldiscussions.com/c/cosmetic_surgery.html

STUDY SHOWS MONEY MAKES US WORRY

A new study from the BBC shows that looking after money isn't easy. Over 109,000 people took part in the BBC's Big Money Test. It was one of the biggest ever studies on the psychology of money. One of the biggest findings is that money makes many people feel bad. Researchers say over 40 per cent of us always worry about spending money; a third of us constantly worry about money; and the same percentage feel guilty when spending money on themselves. The study found that women like to go shopping to make themselves feel better about life, while men are more likely to save their cash. Women are more generous with their money and are also more likely to suffer from money problems.

The researchers also looked at ways shops try and make us spend our money. It showed how stores are continually looking at new ways to make us buy things on impulse. It asks why candies and chocolate are always by the checkout in supermarkets; why "everyday essentials like bread and milk are at the back of shop so you have to walk through as many aisles as possible to reach them;" and why the perfume and jewellery sections are always at the front of a department store. The test says that buying things on impulse can be bad for our finances: "People who bought goods impulsively were three times more likely to go bankrupt, and four times more likely to run out of money by the end of the week."

Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/21360144
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21537359

TALKING POINTS:

• About how much did you spend on presents last year?
• About how much do you usually spend each day?
• Are you a price conscious shopper?
• Are you good at saving money?
• Are you saving money to buy something?
  • If so, what are you planning to buy?
  • How much will it cost?
  • How much longer will you need to save before you can buy it?
• Do banks pay a higher percent of interest here or in your country?
• Do you compare prices at different stores when you shop?
• Do you enjoy shopping?
• Do you ever buy second-hand things? ("used things")
• Do you ever give money to charity?
  • How often do you give to charity?
  • How much do you give?
• Do you gamble?

SOURCE: http://iteslj.org/questions/money.html

A DISH OF ICE CREAM

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?”

“50 cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it.

“How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient.

“35 cents,” she said brusquely.

The little boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed.

When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw.

There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were 15 cents – her tip.

Author Unknown

Moral: don’t judge the book by its cover!

SOURCES: by STEPHEN on MAY 7, 2012 
in TOUCHING STORIES

TALKING POINTS:

• Do you usually leave a tip?
• How much are you suppose to tip different people?
• Is tipping common in your country?
• Why is it important to leave tips?
• Can you think of jobs where tipping is an important part of the salary?
• When are some times you shouldn't leave a tip?
• When was the last time you left a tip for someone?
• How much do you usually leave for a tip?
• Would you leave a tip even if you thought the waiter or waitress didn't seem to work for it?
• Do you depend on tips for your income?
• What is the largest tip you have ever left?
• What is the largest tip you have ever received?
• Do you feel uncomfortable leaving tips? Why?
• Can you think of some places where tipping is required?
• Can you think of some places where tipping is optional?
• Can you think of some places where tipping is not necessary?
• 
  

Source: http://iteslj.org/questions/tipping.html

HOW DID WE HAVE POTATO CHIPS?

Peru's Inca Indians first grew potatoes in the Andes in about 200 B.C. Spanish conquistadors brought potatoes to Europe, and colonists brought them to America. Potatoes are fourth on the list of the world's food staples – after wheat, corn and rice. Today, Americans consume about 140 pounds of potatoes per person every year while Europeans eat twice as many.

One of our favorite ways to eat potatoes is in the form of potato chips. While Benjamin Franklin was the US ambassador to France, he went to a banquet where potatoes were prepared in 20 different ways. Thomas Jefferson, who succeeded Franklin as our French ambassador, brought the recipe for thick-cut, French-fried potatoes to America. He served French fries to guests at the White House in 1802 and at his home, Monticello.

On August 24, 1853 at Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga, NY. A native-American chef, George Crum, created the first potato chips. He became angry when a diner complained that his French fries were too thick, so he sliced the potatoes as thinly as possible making them too thin and crisp to eat with a fork. The diner loved them, and potato chips were born. In 1860 Chef Crum opened his own restaurant and offered a basket of potato chips on every table.

In the 1950s, in Ireland, Joe "Spud" Murphy and Seamus Burke, produced the world's first seasoned crisps, Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar. In the United Kingdom and Ireland crisps are what we in the United States call potato chips while chips refer to our French fries. Ketchup flavored chips are popular in the Mid-East and Canada. Seaweed is popular in the Asia, and Mexicans like chicken flavored chips. Other flavors from around the world include: paprika, pickled onion, béarnaise, meat pie, Chili Crab, Salmon Teriyaki, Borscht, Caesar Salad, Roasted Sausage, Firecracker Lobster, Roast Ox, Haggis and Black Pepper, Olive, and Spaghetti.

About 27 pounds of potato chips are produced from 100 pounds of potatoes. Americans consume 2-4 billion pounds of potato chips every year, and spend more than $7 billion a year on them.

(Source: http://mrnussbaum.com)

READING COMPREHENSION:

1. What happened in 1950?
   1.   The world's first seasoned potato chips were produced
   2.   The world's first potato chips were produced.
   3.   The world's first french fries were produced.
   4.   The world's first seasoned French Fries were produced.
2. Europeans eat _______ potatoes than Americans.
   1.   the passage doesn't say
   2.   more
   3.   about the same amount
   4.   less
3. Who was Seamus Burke?
   1.   The customer who made George Crum angry.
   2.   One of the people who invented seasoned potato chip.
   3.   One of the French ambassadors
   4.   One of the people who invented the French fry.
4. Which of the following is a true?
   1.   Ketchup flavored Potato Chips are most popular in America.
   2.   Potato Chips are only popular in America.
   3.   Different flavored Potato Chips are popular in different parts of the world.
   4.   Potato Chips are not really eaten very much in Asia.
5. The first potato chips were made in....
   1.   Europe
   2.   New York
   3.   China
   4.   France
6. What does the word "consume" mean in the following statement?
   
   Today, Americans consume about 140 pounds of potatoes per person every year ...
   1.   play with
   2.   buy
   3.   eat
   4.   store
7. What question is answered in the second paragraph?
   1.   Who served potato chips in the White House?
   2.   Who invented the potato chip?
   3.   How many pounds of potatoes are eaten per person in America each year?
   4.   When were salt and vinegar chips invented?
8. Which happened last?
   1.   Europeans brought potaotes to America.
   2.   Conquistadors brought potaotes to Europe.
   3.   Benjamin Franklin saw how potatoes were served in different ways while in France.
   4.   Thomas Jefferson served potato chips at Monticello.
9. Potato Chips are called _________ in the United Kingdom.
   1.   crisps
   2.   potatoes
   3.   chips
   4.   fries
10. Based on the passage, it can be inferred that potatoes are _________ foods in the world.
1.   unimportant
2.   important
3.   average
4.   fun                                                                                     

THE BOY WHO RUNS AWAY FROM HOMEWORK

A 10-year-old boy stowed away on a train and ran away from home in China - because he had too much homework. Xu Zhiqiang, 10, from Hunan province, ended up thousands of miles away from home, reports Information Times.

He said he could not cope with the amount of homework he was expected to complete during the one month winter holiday. Xu said: “Each of us has to finish two thick books of homework. Take the mathematics homework as an example, it has 100 pages with all kinds of questions.”

To make matters worse, Xu’s mom found a mistake on one question and punished him by getting him to correct the mistake and copy the right answer 100 times. After copying it 50 times, an exhhausted Xu ran out of his home and hopped onto a train. Xu had reached Guangzhou station, thousands of miles from home, where a station policeman found him the next day. He could not remember his telephone number - or even his full address - but eventually the policeman managed to contact his worried parents. ananova

Source:  Ananova.com

Pre-Reading Questions

What would you do if homework became too difficult for you to handle?
Have you ever considered running away from home?

This is a true story about a boy who ran away to escape the stress of too much homework.

Talking Points

1. Do you think that kids nowadays have too much pressure to perform well in school?
2. Was this boy’s mother too harsh in giving punishment?
3. In your country, would it be safe for a child to travel alone on a train?
4. What would you do if your son/daughter ran away from home?
5. Describe a situation that was difficult for you to cope with. How did you handle it?
6. Tell about a time when you were lost. What did you do in that situation?
7. If you were lost in an unfamiliar city, how would you find your way home?

THE OFFERING

Two beggars were sitting on a busy street corner in the downtown section of the city. It was quite clear for a night in December, but the cold wind made them huddle together for heat and comfort. They watched helplessly as scores of people walked by, some purposely ignoring them and others too caught up in their own cares to even notice their existence. Every so often, a kind-hearted woman or a small child would drop a few coins in the hats which lay in front of them on the icy sidewalk. Some people, feeling particularly generous, would even pull out a bill or two from their wallets and stuff them into the beggars' hats, trying to be asinconspicuous as possible.Today was not a bad day for begging. The men were able to collect enough for a decent meal at the coffee shop down the street and a few candles to light up their lean-toshacks in the alley behind the train station. As the crowd began to die down, they started to pack up their bundles and head for their evening shelter. Just as they were getting ready to leave the street corner, they noticed a man walking toward them. He wasobviously a wealthy man--they could tell that from the finely tailored business suit he was wearing and the gold watch chain that adorned his left pocket.

The first beggar nudged the second and whispered with excitement, "He's coming our way!"The two tried not to look directly at the man as he stepped closer to them, but they couldn't help gazing up with anticipation as he reached into his pocket and took something out. "Thunk" was the only sound they heard as what looked like a piece of hard candy, wrapped doubly in tissue paper and cellophane hit each of their waiting hats. The rich man turned and continued on his way, not making a backward glance. "How insulting!" said the first beggar, as soon as the rich man was out of sound range. "He could have easily left us a few coins or a spare bill, but he mocks us with a piece of rock candy." He looked at the wrapped offering with disgust. "Who does he think we are--children? There's no way we can even eat this--we have no teeth." The beggar picked up the object with the very tips of his fingers and flicked it into thegutter. He watched as it floated a few yards in the stream of muddy water and disappeared into the drain at the end of the street. Then, he gathered up his things and walked away. The second beggar looked down at the morsel in his hat, then at his departing friend. His first impulse was to toss the donation in the trash can under the street light. But his second thought made him change his mind. "I haven't had anything like this for ages," he thought. "I can't chew it, but I can suck on it for awhile, and the sugary juices will stay in my mouth for a long time. How nice of that man to offer me something so sweet." He opened the cellophane eagerly, then paused as his hands touched the white tissue paper inside. "Maybe I should save it for another time," he thought. "It won't spoil, and I could eat it later when I'm really hungry." The beggar debated for a moment, then exclaimed aloud, "What the heck. He wanted me to have it anyway. I might as well enjoy it now." With that, he unfolded the white tissue paper, but to his surprise, there was no hard rock candy inside. Instead, into his fingers fell a shiny white pearl worth thousands of dollars.

Story information:

Copyright: Glen Penrod. 2009. Dymon Publications. American Fork, UT USA.
Picture source: "The Old Beggar" Lewis Dewis, Bordeaux France. (Wikipedia).

Questions to Think about:
 Were you surprised at the ending of the story?
Do you think the second beggar should tell his friend about the unusual gift?
How do you think the first beggar would feel if he found out the truth about the offering?
What do you think the beggars learned from this incident?
What do you think is the deep meaning of this story?