U3

Charity Work Contents

3.1

Introducing vocabulary to do with charity work Practice reading autobiographical texts Revising common errors Practice completing the proof-reading exercise Practice writing texts based on information presented in tables

Vocabulary to do with charity work

The vocabulary about charity work is quite large, because charities are involved in so many different areas of life, from natural disasters to education and medical care. Check that you understand the words below. Use your dictionary to find out the meaning of the ones you do not know. raising money

providing help

problems

benefactor /«benWfæktW/ donor donation sponsor fund-raising campaign flag day Operation Santa Claus go on a sponsored walk hold a charity auction /«øÄkßn/ raise/collect money for sth give/donate money to sth beneficiary /benW«fˆßWrˆ/

aid agency NGO (non-governmental organisation) pressure group assistance support food relief /rW«liÄf/ food hand-outs emergency supplies / ˆ«m±ÄdΩWnsˆ/ shelter clean water medical treatment telephone helpline/hotline volunteer /vÅlWn«tˆW/ aid worker voluntary service/«vÅlWntrˆ/ community service education/training rebuilding/reconstruction look after sb take care of sb

poverty famine /«fæmˆn/ starvation natural disaster flood /fl√d/ earthquake tsunami /suÄ«næmˆ/ industrial accident war civil war terrorism /«terWrˆzm/ homelessness illness disease damage /«dæmˆdΩ/ crop failure illiteracy /ˆ«lˆtrWsˆ/ unemployment victim suffer from sth

3.2

Preparing to read

The passage you are about to read is called ‘A little charity goes a long way in the Ghurkas’ homeland of Nepal’. The Ghurkas are a group of people who have strong links with Hong Kong. To understand the article it helps if you know the answer to these questions: 1. Why do the Gurkhas have strong links with Hong Kong? 2. Where is Nepal, and what sort of country is it?

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3.3

Reading practice — autobiographical texts

This is an autobiographical text. In it a man is talking about his own life. The passage contains some new vocabulary, but it is fairly easy to understand from context. You can answer the questions without knowing the most difficult words. Read the passage and then answer the questions.

A LITTLE CHARITY GOES A LONG WAY IN THE GHURKAS’ HOMELAND OF NEPAL Douglas Maclagan tells how he set up the Child Welfare Scheme (CWS) thanks to the generosity of the people of Hong Kong Four years ago, I was sharing a small room in Chungking Mansions with two workers from Nepal. By night I worked at the Hard Rock Café. By day I met with Hong Kong movers and shakers, trying to persuade them to help me set up schools and child day-care centres in the mountain villages of Nepal. 5

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Four years on, CWS has eight marvellous child day-care centres in the Pokhara region of Nepal. Local women can leave their babies at the centres rather than have to tie them on their backs as they work under the hot sun. The villagers are running their own child day-care centres, and this model is being followed in other regions of Nepal. I thought Hong Kong was a sensible place to start. It’s in Asia, it has money, it is openhearted, and for reasons of history Hong Kong people know who the Gurkhas are. And Hong Kong donors are still our most generous sponsors. A school in Saimarang has a plaque naming it ‘The Jardine Security — Gurkha Services School’. Others are supported by The Body Shop Hong Kong, Samsung Hong Kong and the Ip Yee Hong Kong Rehabilitation Society. In the beginning, there was some criticism of us. People said, ‘Who are these amateurs?’ But we haven’t heard that for a year. Our organisation is very professional. We have produced a detailed 48-page brochure, kindly sponsored by Action Asia. It’s brilliant, but I’m a bit concerned that it’s too glossy. Maybe we should also have printed in big letters that the brochure’s production costs were donated. I wouldn’t want sponsors thinking their money was being spent on administrative costs. CWS’s first task is to ensure that the day-care centres actually work, by reducing child mortality rates and giving the women time to develop their own small businesses. Secondly, we are planning to run a vocational training centre in the town of Pokhara, to train former street children to do useful work. For example, Nepal has plenty of hydro-electric projects, but not enough electricians. International companies moving into Kathmandu need bilingual secretaries. We will provide them. Our third big plan is to build a city medical clinic for poor villagers who need hospital treatment — with a hostel, free food, and free medical advice. The idea for the clinic came when Gary Barnett, who is CWS’s construction manager, met a boy called Kumar. Kumar had fallen into a fire when he was six months old. His family had done their best, but they couldn’t afford medical treatment, and at the age of seven Kumar’s right hand was still useless. We brought him and his father to Pokhara, and gave them a room for three weeks. We helped them find their way to and around the hospital — not easy for them because they are illiterate. Kumar had three operations but now he has a straight arm. He can work in the fields and he can get married! We all became very fond of Kumar — he’s an entertainer, and a brave little kid. And for a HK$150 operation, he has a life. I invariably get cross when I see a Pajero jeep belonging to one of the international aid agencies. One Pajero costs US$60,000 [HK$467,000]. That could pay for eight schools. That’s education and self-empowerment for hundreds of people. All for the price of just one jeep!

1. In lines 2–3, ‘movers and shakers’ means .... A. earthquakes. B. construction companies. C. removal companies. D. important people.

1.

2. According to paragraph 2, the main purpose of the child day-care centres is to .... A. look after children who have no parents. B. look after children while their mothers work. C. cure children who are sick. D. give children food.

2.

3. Which of the following is the correct definition of ‘model’ in line 8? model n 1 a representation of sth, usu smaller than the original, e.g. a model of the proposed airport 2 a design or type of product, e.g. The latest model of X-box goes on sale next week. 3 a system used as the basis for a copy, e.g. In our organisation, we are following the model developed by Texaco. 4 a person employed to wear clothes, etc. for buyers to look at, e.g. She is a model for Dior.

3.

4. What does ‘Others’ in line 12 refer to?

5. According to paragraph 3, which of the following is NOT a reason why the writer decided to raise money in Hong Kong? A. Hong Kong is a Chinese city. B. It is a wealthy and generous place. C. It is in the same part of the world as Nepal. D. It has a historical link with Nepal. 5. 6. Using information from paragraphs 3 and 4, complete this diagram of CWS’s sponsors.

Jardine Security

CWS

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7. In line 15, what does ‘that’ refer to?

8. In paragraph 4, the writer is concerned that people might get the wrong idea about the brochure. a) What particularly does he not like about the brochure?

b) What opinion does he think people might therefore have about CWS?

9. Which word in paragraph 5 means ‘death’? 10. According to paragraph 5, Nepal does not have enough electricity. (Tick the appropriate box). True

False

Not stated

11. What word in paragraph 6 means ‘cannot read’? 12. According to paragraph 6, Kumar’s operation was .... A. paid for by the family. B. cheap and effective. C. expensive but worth it. D. something that CWS could not afford to do often.

12.

13. What is the writer’s attitude to Kumar? Give reasons for your answer.

14. According to paragraph 7, the aid agencies’ Pajero jeeps make the writer cross because ....

The writer is keen that the CWS and its donors are seen in a positive way. Which adjectives does he use in connection with the following to achieve this?

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the child care centres (para 2)

15.

Hong Kong donors (para 3)

16.

the CWS organisation (para 4)

17.

the brochure (para 4)

18.

Examination tips — understanding autobiographical texts Autobiographical texts are likely to include the following types of question: z questions about the writer’s purpose (e.g. questions 15-18) z questions about the writer’s opinion of events (e.g. questions 8 and 14) z questions about the writer’s opinion of other people (question 13) z questions about why the writer did certain things (e.g. question 5) z questions which ask you to extract information from different parts of the text (questions 15–18)

3.4

Reading practice

Read the following article about an educational charity in Hong Kong and then answer the questions. Small World makes a big difference Three-year-old James’s short life had been difficult. His father had personal problems and seldom saw his son, while his mother lived across the border in Shenzhen. He was looked after by his aunt. When he entered Small World Christian Kindergarten in 1996, he was unco-operative and miserable. 5

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With the help of his teachers, James began to feel better about himself. Ellen To Nga-ling, the headmistress, explained how the teachers work, “As we learn more about the children, we get to know the root of their bad behaviour, which is usually due to their family background. We give these children a lot of love which helps them build up their self-esteem.” Now six, James (not his real name) is happy and doing well in primary school. He maintains contact with his kindergarten teachers. He sees his mother three times a year and gets along well with her. Small World is situated in Palm Street, Tai Kok Tsui, which borders a neighbourhood of low-income families living in old, six-storey buildings with little light and no lifts. The occupants include taxi-drivers, night watchmen, construction workers, single parents, and immigrant families with mothers on the mainland or fathers working in Shenzhen. “Our mission is to help under-privileged children,” said Frederick Chan Hoi-kit, a school governor. “We’re not after profit.” Small World does not select its students based on their intelligence. It interviews every applicant’s family to understand their situation and find out what they need. “Since we are located in this area, most of the students we admit come from disadvantaged families,” Ms To said.” The origin of Small World Kindergarten can be traced back to 1995, when three teenage girls were being cared for by the St. Stephen’s Society, a Christian charity. The girls were poor, alone, unmarried and each had a baby. Workers at St Stephen’s realised that there was no provision for such women, so a year later they opened the kindergarten. “If these babies grow up without knowing what they can do with their lives, they may follow in their mothers’ footsteps,” Mr. Chan said. “We give them an education to help them to escape from the difficult situations their families are in.”

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Small World’s classes contain 24 children in the morning and 11 in the afternoon. The kindergarten employs the Montessori teaching method. “We allow the children to choose their own activities, learn at their own pace and develop their interests,” Ms To said. Children are encouraged to move freely and form their own friendships. Sometimes, they are taught in mixed-age groups. For example, a six-year-old may pair up with a three-year-old and guide the younger one. Small World not only helps disadvantaged children, but their parents too. In one case, a mother always used to shout at her four-year-old daughter and five-year-old son. Both had bad tempers when they first entered Small World. “I always argued with my husband and the children copied us,” the mother explained. She joined the Small World’s mum’s group and learned to control her own temper. After a year her children’s behaviour had also changed. “They love the kindergarten so much that they want to attend the afternoon session as well,” the mother said. Most graduates of the kindergarten are doing well in primary schools, . “Teachers in the neighbourhood’s primary according to Ms To, (a) . Their schools tell us the academic performance of our graduates (17) examination results are outstanding,” Ms To said. Graduates who come back on . Sunday tell the children (18) A third Small World kindergarten is due to open in Wong Tai Sin at the end ,” Ms To said. “We hope to have a of the year. “We plan to expand (19) .” fourth or fifth Small World kindergarten in other districts if it (20)

1. What is the meaning of ‘seldom’ in line 2? A. never. B. rarely. C. sometimes. D. often.

1.

2. Which of the following is the correct definition of ‘root’ in line 7? root n 1. the part of a plant that grows underground. 2. the part of a hair, tooth, etc. that attaches it to the rest of the body, e.g. pull hair out by the roots 3. [C esp sing] the origin or basis of sth, e.g. The root of his problem is that he spends too much money. 4. roots [pl] family origins or connections, e.g. Our family’s roots are in Fujian Province.

2.

3. According to paragraph 4, Small World does not make a profit. (Tick the appropriate box.) True

False

Not stated

4. When selecting children, Small World is most interested in .... A. the most intelligent children. B. the least intelligent children. C. the children’s family background. D. where the children live

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5. In line 29, ‘follow in their mothers’ footsteps’ means .... A. walk behind their mothers. B. make the same mistakes as their mothers. C. do better than their mothers. D. do worse than their mothers.

5.

Complete the notes below about Small World, based on the information given in the passage. Small World Christian Kindergarten 6. Date opened Address: 7.

Street

8.

District

9. Class size (am) 10. Class size (pm) 11. Religious affiliation

12. In paragraph 6, which word has the meaning ‘speed’? The sentences below are possible headings for paragraphs 4, 5 and 6. From the six headings (A–F) below, choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph and write the letter in the space provided. A. Location B. Teaching method C. Support for parents D. History E. Pupil achievements F. Admission policy

13. Paragraph 4 14. Paragraph 5 15. Paragraph 6

16. In line 41, what does ‘Both’ refer to? Phrases are missing from the last two paragraphs. From the seven phrases (A–G) below, choose the five which best complete the blanks 17–20 in the text. Write the letters in the spaces provided. One has been done for you as an example. (a) 17. 18. 19. 20.

D

A. B. C. D.

is above average. is possible. which will help to increase our profits. who sees them when they come to Small World’s Sunday school. E. are having trouble with the work. F. but we are not a rich organisation. G. what life is like in primary school.

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21. An alternative title for the article could be .... A. Pupil James learns to be happy. B. Small World Kindergarten in financial difficulty. C. Local kindergarten accepts only top class pupils. D. Kindergarten serves local community well.

3.5

21.

The proof-reading exercise — revision of errors identified as ‘wrong word’

In the proof-reading exercise, you are asked to correct a text containing mistakes which have been identified using a marking code such as the following. W = wrong choice of word or part of speech T = wrong tense S = incorrect spelling N = wrong number = missing word The wrong word Many different language errors can be identified by ‘W’, the symbol for ‘wrong word’. Here are the most common ones, with examples. In the sentences below, correct the underlined word by replacing it with ONE other word. 1. The appropriate item of vocabulary Jane got into the escalator and got off at the 15th floor. 2. The appropriate verb + preposition combination A football team contains of four types of player — defenders, attackers, mid-fielders and a goalkeeper. 3. The appropriate preposition with a phrasal verb Every day after school Emma looks for her baby brother until her mother comes home. 4. The appropriate preposition to complete an adjective or noun phrase Many people are afraid from spiders. 5. The appropriate connector I felt thirsty because I stopped for a drink. 6. The appropriate determiner Every of the rooms in the hotel has its own bathroom. 7. The appropriate relative pronoun She’s the actress which wore a spectacular dress at the Oscars ceremony. 8. The appropriate modal verb Do you think it can be a good idea if we went home now? 9. The appropriate part of speech Jan was bore by the film. 10. The appropriate verb to fit with the structure of the sentence She didn’t say me the truth.

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3.6

Proof-reading exercise — practice (wrong word and spelling mistakes)

In the exercise below the mistakes have been underlined. Write the correct answer in the ‘Correction’ column. Each answer is ONE word only. One has been done for you. To help you, the type of mistake has been written next to the underlined word. W = wrong choice of word or part of speech S = incorrect spelling The charity I would support if I won a lot of money W The charity I would support if I was lucky enough to win a lot of money can W be Friends of the Earth, Hong Kong. I think that pollution is the more S serious problem effecting Hong Kong, and I do not think that enough is W being done to control it. Despite the government has introduced quite a W few green measures in recent years, it still seems to do too many decisions W without thinking for the environment. W Even though everyone in Hong Kong says that they are worry about the W environment, in practice most people do not act sensible. They still litter W the streets, parks and beaches. Very little rubbish is being recycle. S Bus and car drivers create unneccesary pollution by always running their

Correction a.

would

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

engines while parked. W Friends of the Earth is the large and most effective green group in Hong W Kong. It runs active campaigns to education people about environmental S problems. The campains are fun, and people remember the message. The S organisation has done a good job of pressurising the goverment through W publicity campaigns, letters to the newspapers and give evidence to S government commitees. It has also started to get involved with W pollution problems in China, who are likely to be the biggest threat to the S global enviroment in the twenty-first century. W The charity also runs practical events for improve the environment, such as W beach cleaning days, so I think it is a very worthless charity and I am proud W to be a membership of it.

10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

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COMPOSITION 3.7

Task 1 (100 words)

Write a short report based on information in a table. Read the question, model answer and notes below. Typical question Write a short report (100 words) about Village Aid, using the information below. Village Aid 2005 — key data Purpose

Charity to raise funds for education, agriculture and small business projects in West African countries.

Location of projects

6 countries in West Africa, including Ghana Cameroon Gambia Sierra Leone

Income 2005 Income 2004

$1.3 million $1.25 million

Sources of income

55% Grants from government 31% Monthly donations 14% One-off donations and gifts

Expenditure

84% charitable projects 12% fund-raising and publicity 4% administration

Quotations from beneficiaries Farmer in Ghana: “Village Aid has helped us to get clean water for six villages. Now we do not worry about catching diseases from polluted water.” Teacher in Cameroon: “Thanks to Village Aid’s school-building programme, I am delighted that all the primary age children in my area are now going to school and learning to read and write.” Model answer Village Aid 2005 — a report Purpose of the organisation Village Aid is a charity which raises funds for education, agriculture and small business projects in six West African countries, including, Ghana, Cameroon, Gambia and Sierra Leone. Financial information In 2005 Village Aid received a total income of $1.3 million. This was a slight increase compared with the income for 2004 of $1.25 million. 55% of this income came from grants from government, 31% from monthly donations and 14% from one-off donations and gifts. Village Aid spent 84% of its funds on projects, 12% on fund-raising and 4% on administration. Response from beneficiaries Village Aid’s work is much appreciated by the beneficiaries. For example, one farmer in Ghana said that the villagers no longer worried about catching diseases from polluted water. A teacher in Cameroon was delighted that all the primary age children in his area were now going to school and learning to read and write.

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Notes on this composition Tips for this composition z use the Present Simple to describe the organisation and what it does z use the Past Simple to describe past events (e.g. what happened last year or how money was raised) z be careful to insert articles and verbs when transferring the notes in the table into written text z you may not need to use all the examples listed in the table z when including people’s comments, you can use reported speech or direct speech, or a mixture of both Useful words and phrases Village Aid is an organisation which… …including… This was a slight/large increase/decrease… … compared with… (money)… came from…(donors) It spent money on … Its work is much appreciated by beneficiaries…

3.8

Task 1 – practice

Write a short report (100 words) about Operation Santa Claus 2005, using the information below. Operation Santa Claus Appeal 2005 — key data Purpose

Appeal to raise funds for 12 different Hong Kong charities each year

Organisers

RTHK and ‘The South China Morning Post’

Money raised 2005 Money raised 2004

$12.18 million (a new record) $7.2 million

Number of beneficiary charities

12 organisations, including: HK Federation of the Blind Senior Citizen Home Safety Association St. Christopher’s Home Hans Andersen Club Arts with the Disabled Association St. James’s Settlement

Number of major donors

29 businesses, including: Morgan Stanley Cathay Pacific HK Disneyland Starbucks Hysan Property Sino Group Lan Kwai Fong Company

Other donations

$1 million donated by an anonymous donor on-line donations by members of the public thousands of fund-raising events

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Quotations from beneficiaries St James’s settlement worker: “We are very grateful that Hong Kong is blessed with so many people who have generosity and love.” Hans Anderson Club spokesperson: “It’s wonderful. But it’s not just marvellous about the money — people have also contacted us to volunteer.” Title:

Purpose of the organisation:

Financial information:

Response from beneficiaries:

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3.9 Task 2 (250 words) Complete ONE of these tasks. Write about 250 words. 1. One Saturday you see the scene in the pictures below. Describe the scene and what happened next.

2. Which charity do you most strongly support? Describe the work of the charity and explain why it is important. Describe work you have done for the charity, if any.

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3.10

Writing practice — question 1

One Saturday you see the scene in the pictures. Describe the scene and what happened next. Tips for this composition z decide whether the story is being told in the first person (‘I’) or the third person. z describe the setting (where? when? who with? doing what?) z use adjectives to describe how the person is feeling z think of a surprising ‘twist’ to the story z use dialogue to make the story real Useful words and phrases flag day collector collection tin sticker badge thief snatch run away run after

3.11

Writing practice — question 2

Which charity do you most strongly support? Describe the work of the charity and explain why it is important. Describe work you have done for the charity, if any. Tips for this composition z Follow the format of the proof-reading, Exercise 3.6 z Use the Present Simple tense to describe the charity and its work z First paragraph — introduce the charity and say briefly what it does and why this is important z Second paragraph — describe the problems that the charity deals with z Third paragraph — give examples of the charity’s work z Fourth paragraph — say what work you do for the charity (if any) and summarise your opinion about the charity Useful words and phrases The most serious problem facing Hong Kong is… not enough is being done to deal with… an effective group protest against something run a publicity campaign write letters to the newspapers pressurise the government give evidence to a committee contribute to the community a worthwhile/valuable organisation

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3.12

Vocabulary checklist

Check that you understand these new words and phrases in this unit, not already listed in the vocabulary section at the beginning of this unit. administration /Wd»mˆnˆ«streˆßn/ administrative /Wd«mˆnˆstrWtˆv/ admit sb (e.g. to school) /Wd«mˆt/ admission affect v /W«fekt/ amateur /«æmetW/ be appreciated by /e«priÄ߈eˆtˆd/ bilingual /»baˆ«lˆ˜˝wWl/ day-care centre disadvantaged /dˆsWd«våÄntdΩd/ effect n /W«fekt/ expenditure /eks«pendˆtßW/ generous /«dΩenWrWs/ generosity /»dΩenW«rÅsˆtˆ/ glossy

hydro-electric /«haˆdrW¨ e«lektrˆk/ illiterate /ˆ«lˆtWrWt/ jeep /dΩiÄp/ low-income night watchman open-hearted outstanding /»a¨t«stændˆ˜/ plaque /plæk/ profit religious affiliation /e«fˆlˆeˆtˆd/ seldom /«seldWm/ self-esteem /«self W«stiÄm/ vocational training /vW«keˆßWnl/ worthless /«w±Ä†lWs/ worthwhile /»w±Ä†«waˆl/

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