CHAPTER FOUR READING pages 58 and 59.
What should I do?
At Debbie's school,students can write to the teacher counsellor.
about their problems as well as speak to her.
Here are extracts from three letters she received recently.
1 One evening last month,
I was visiting a close friend in her new high rise flat.
when she accidentally knocked a flower pot from her window.
It smashed on the ground below,narrowly missing some children at play.
However,we could see that no one was hurt.
so we said nothing and left for the movies as planned.
Returning home later that evening.
my friend learned that the police had been to the flats.
and questioned all the tenants present.
They had even taken the son of one tenant to the police station.
After questioning him,they let him go temporarily.
Frightened of losing her job in the civil service.
my friend has said nothing to the police.
Although no one was injured,I have a guilty conscience and.
2 Late last night,while traveling home by train.
I saw three tough guys enter my almost empty carriage.
Sitting down beside a young boy who was travelling alone.
they began to tease and bully him.
Their behaviour was so bad that it made him move to another seat.
That did no good.
They just followed him and continued their bullying.
The boy was obviously frightened.
At this point,I got off at my station and walked home.
feeling sorry for the boy.
I wanted to help him,
but not being Superman and hating violence,what could I do?Should I.?
3 The check out assistant at my usual supermarket is always rude and unhelpful.
When I gave her a five0hundred dollar note to pay for an eight dollar purchase,
she was so busy grumbling.
that she accidentally gave me an extra hundred0dollar note in my change.
On discovering the error,I went back to tell her about it.
'Excuse me,'I said.
But before I could continue,she barked.
'Can't you see there's a queue?Go to the end and wait your turn.'
That did it!I left the shop with the hundred dollars and a clear conscience.
I had done my best,before leaving,to correct the error.But.
LISTENING page 61,
Recognizing and classifying a speaker's topic.
Exercise B,
Listen to each of the callers.
and decide which expert is the best one for each caller.
Write the expert's line number next to the caller.
The first one is done for you.Now,here is caller A.
Hello!I'm calling because I've just lost my job,and I don't know what to do.
I don't have any friends,I feel really unhappy with my life.
Caller B,
I'm calling because I'd like some advice about my cat.
She seems to be losing all the fur of her ears.
She scratches herself a lot.
So I'd like some advice about how to look after my pet.
Caller C,
Hello!I want to speak to someone about my savings.
I have some spare money,and I don't know whether to buy some shares.
or put it in a saving's accounts in a bank.
Caller D,
I'd like to speak to your doctor,please.
I've been having bad headaches for several months.
and I'm getting very worried about them.
Caller E,
Er.I have a question about a car.I bought this car last week but it won't work.
I think the engine is broken.
I went to the garage and asked for my money back,but they refused.
I need some advice about the law,I think.
Caller F,
Oh,hello!My son is two years old and we are wondering if it's better for him.
to go to a kindergarten or to stay home with me,which is best for his education.That's what I'd like to find out.
Caller G,
Hello!I'm getting married next year.
and I'd like to leave my parents'flat and get my own home.
I'd like some advice about renting or buying a flat.
because I don't know much about it.
Caller H,
Can you give me some advice about how to deal with my son?
He is eighteen and he behaves very badly.
He is rude to me and he doesn't come home until it's very late.
I just don't know what to do about him.
Caller I.
Well,I'm ringing up because I looked in the mirror this morningand I noticed that my hair is starting to get very thin.
I don't want to go bald,I'm only twenty0eight.
Is there any medicine I can get to stop my hair falling out?
Caller J,
Hello!Well,I'd like some ideas about how to lose weight.
Which types of food should I eat or not eat?
I need a good diet to help me lose a few kilos.
Caller K
Hello!I've just arrived in Hong Kong this month,
and I'm phoning to ask about the tax system.
Can you tell me how much tax I will have to pay?
Will it be taken out of my salary or do I pay tax once a year?
Caller L,
Ah!I'm a bit worried about my daughter's grades at school,they are rather low.
I'm thinking of getting her a personal tutor.
Is that a good idea?
I'd like some advice on this point,please.
SPEAKING page 67,
A TALK TIME.
Expressing gratitude (thanks) and regret.
Exercise A1,
DEBBIE:Good afternoon.
MISS WANG:Good afternoon.Can I help you?
DEBBIE:I'd like to see Mrs Chen,please.
MISS WANG:I'm afraid she's not available this afternoon.
Would you like to make an appointment for tomorrow?
DEBBIE:Tomorrow would be fine.
MISS WANG:What about three o'clock?
DEBBIE:I'm sorry,I can't make it at three,but I can manage four.
MISS WANG:Right.I'll put you down for four.
DEBBIE:Thanks very much.I appreciate it.
MISS WANG:Not at all.Now,if you'll give me your name.
MORE LANGUAGE INPUT (4) Reading.
page 70,
A letter from the teacher counsellor.
Dear Friends,
Thank you very much for your letters.
Since the three of you have expressed more or less the same problem of having a guilty conscience.
I would like to share with you some general view.
on the matter here in our Teacher Counsellor's Corner.
I expect to meet you each next week during my office hours.
I must say that I am pleased to read your letters.
And from what you have described about the flower pot that dropped accidentally.
from the high rise,
the ugly guys who teased and bullied the little boy on the train.
and the rude and careless cashier at the supermarket.
I have the sure feeling that you are all very honest and good students.
Clearly,you have a fair and sensible judgement,
about the things that happen around you.
And this is very important.
I understand that you were not quite sure about how to react properly in those situations.
and you still feel sorry for that.
In my opinion,your weakness may lie in a kind of hesitation.
and lack of courage in unexpected incidents.
In other words,if you had been a little more courageous.
and more confident about yourselves,
you would have shown more strength and wisdom.
Dear friends,if a guilty conscience has made you reflect upon your past failure.
I believe that careful thinking together with continuous effort.
will certainly bring you more positive and successful solutions in the future.
You are moving in the right direction.I look forward to seeing you in my office.
Sincerely,
Teacher Counsellor,
Listening page 71.
Listen to this talk by school counsellor and complete the outline.
My name is Peter Smith I've been a school counsellor for about twelve years.
It's my pleasure today.
to tell you a little bit about school counseling at the secondary level.
For counsellors,there are two main areas it focus.
One is personal counseling and the other is academic counseling.
First of all,personal counseling,
counseling of this kind aims at helping students to work out the personal problems.
if there are any.
Such as problems in their family life.
or in their relationship with others.
Programmes in smoking drunks,alcohol and driving.
are also run prevent the students from getting it's certain problems.
Now,the second area is academic counseling.
which are something to do with their studies or the further schooling.
If the students want to go for further study.
and counsellor made discuss with subjects.
and courses they should take and which they shouldn't.
or if they're interested in jobs,
and different kinds of workand also job preparation programme to be discussed.
It is always school counsellor's responsibility.
to give information and advice to students.
And to point out things they may not thought about before.
But decisions must be made by the students themselves.
In this way,all the students will be thinking.
and working very hard to solve own problem.