3-7-1 A Good Scrooge I
One day, on our way home from school, P
my friends asked if I wanted to ride bicycles with them in an open parking lot. P
But they were only teasing me, because I didn't own a bicycle. P
Since I was not able to ride with them, I just went home. P
When I got there, my father was fixing something in the garage. P
Our garage was always full of old junk that my father would bring back on his way home from work. P
"Father, what are you doing?" P
"I'm fixing this washing machine. You know the old woman who sells grain in front of the pharmacy? P
She says that it's hard for her to wash her clothes because she doesn't have a machine at home." P
3-7-2 A Good Scrooge II
I quietly watched my father work, and my fingers fiddled with some nails on his workbench. P
My father could tell that something was on my mind and asked, P
"Do you have something you want to tell me, Nate?" P
"Dad, can you buy me a new bicycle? P
I'm the only one of my friends who doesn't have a bicycle!" P
"Do you really want a bicycle? If you do, then have a little patience, and I will get you one." P
"Thanks dad! That's so cool!" P
But I wasn't sure that I totally believed his promise. P
My father rarely ever bought things. P
He was always fixing old things to reuse them instead. P
3-7-3 A Good Scrooge III
Everything in my house is over ten years old. P
My father always taught me to take good care of my things and not throw them away if they could still be used. P
This was true of everything, even down to something as simple as the stump of a pencil. P
A few days had passed since we had talked about the bicycle, P
when I saw my father carrying a bicycle on his way home from work. P
"Father. Who is this bicycle for?" P
"Someone threw this bicycle away, so I thought I could bring it home and fix it up for you." P
When I realized that my father was just going to fix some old bike for me and not buy me a new one, I said, P
"I don't want that old bike! I already told all my friends that you were going to buy me a new one!" P
I was very upset, and I knew that my friends would tease me about only having an old, used bicycle. P
3-7-4 A Good Scrooge IV
"You're just a cheapskate!" P
I was so mad that my father was always giving me fixed-up used things instead of new ones. P
I kept staring at the sky to keep my tears from springing out of my eyes. P
"Son. Do you want to go somewhere with me? Won't you please come with me? P
Father held my hand and we rode on the village bus. P
We soon arrived at a garbage dump. P
There were piles and piles of old junk everywhere, P
everything from old refrigerators to bicycles was on those piles. P
But most of the things in the piles seemed fine. P
It just needed a little fixing up and they would work again almost as good as new. P
My father said, "Don't you think all of these things could be fixed easily and used again? P
Wouldn't leaving them here be a terrible waste? P
There is a saying: 'One man's trash is another man's treasure.' P
There is nothing wrong with fixing things up and reusing them. P
3-7-6 Various Stores
There is so much to choose from. I don't know what I want to eat! P
Why don't you try the new Japanese food? P
Where do you buy the vegetables? P
I usually buy them in the market. They are fresh and cheap. P
Let's come back to this store again when I have the money. P
Sure, just tell me when you are ready. P
Stationery is very helpful when I do my work. P
But those sharp objects look dangerous. P
Why is the guy happy? P
He just opened up his new business. P
Why is the boy nervous? P
He is about to take a test. P
Why is the little girl crying? P
Her older sister is teasing her. P
3-7-7 Wakeup Call
Hello. Front desk. May I help you? P
I would like a wakeup call, please. P
What time would you like your wakeup call? P
For 6:00 am. P
Anything else? P
Yes, I would like to order some breakfast for tomorrow. P
What would you like? P
I would like the fruit platter and a coffee. P
What time would you like your breakfast? P
7:00 am please. P
Blank P
3-7-8 Stores In the Mall
Do you know which stores are in the mall? P
Yeah, my sister was there yesterday. She said it has everything. P
As in, everything for you, or everything for everybody? P
Everybody! Children, men, women... there are clothes stores, shoe stores, stationery stores. P
How's the food court? P
All you ever think about is food. Well, my sister said it's really big, with a Fried Fries. P
Fried Fries? You sold me! I'll pick you up in one hour, at one, okay? P
Okay. Oh! She also told me there's a food and fruit market inside the mall! P
Why is the neighbor mad? P
The dog dug a hole in his garden. P
What are they eating for dessert? P
They are eating ice cream for dessert. P
What is the boy doing in the forest? P
He is canoeing in the forest. P
3-7-9 Gym And Spa
What kind of amenities does the hotel offer? P
We have a gym and a spa. P
Oh, what floor is the spa on? P
The spa is located in the north end on the 5th floor. P
Do they offer any massage treatments? P
Yes, we offer an assortment of massage treatments. P
Where is the gym located? P
The gym is also located on the 5th floor. P
Does it have a pool? P
I'm sorry there is no pool. P
3-7-11 A Good Scrooge V
On our way home, we met the old woman who sold grain in front of the pharmacy. P
"Hello, my friend! And thank you so much for the washing machine! P
It's so much easier to wash my clothes now. Thanks again!" P
And the old woman thanked my father over and over again. P
When I saw how happy the old woman was with her new old washing machine, P
I was ashamed that I wasn't more grateful for the bicycle my father had offered me. P
So I pulled myself together and said, P
"Hey, dad? I think I'd like to ride that bicycle you brought back after all. P
Only… could you at least paint it a bright new color so it doesn't look quite as old as it does?" P
My father smiled and said, "Of course, son." P
3-7-12 Puzzles
Puzzles are an activity that people can do at home. P
Puzzles can be completed alone or with another person. P
In a basic puzzle, a person needs to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with a solution. P
A puzzle is also a picture that has been cut into many small pieces. P
People put the pieces together to see the picture. P
Puzzles can have a lot of pieces or not very many pieces. P
Some puzzles are one hundred pieces and others are five hundred pieces. P
Puzzles with a lot of pieces may take a long time to do. P
Puzzles are a great way to have fun at home on a rainy day. P
Sometimes people do puzzles with each other to have fun together. P
3-7-13 Television
The history of television records the work of numerous engineers and inventors in several countries over many decades. P
Watching television can be a fun or relaxing activity. P
There are many things to watch on television. P
When you watch television, you watch a channel which broadcasts shows. P
Some channels have the news and some have movies. P
Some channels have television shows. P
Parents control what channels and shows their children watch. P
It is important to only watch the shows that parents say are acceptable to watch. P
Television is something that should be watched a little bit at a time. P
It is important to play outside and have fun with family, too. P
3-7-14 Astronauts
An astronaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft. P
Astronauts are brave and require lots of training. P
They go through many years of training where they learn everything they need to know to be a part of a flight crew. P
Many astronauts began their training as airplane pilots. P
Astronauts go through many physical, emotional and mental tests in training. P
There is no gravity in space so they practice by spending time in a gravity-free training area. P
Some astronauts are scientists. P
They go up into space to do research. P
Astronauts took the first steps on the moon back in the 1960's. P
Astronauts have helped us to learn so much about our planet and the universe. P
3-7-16 I Need To Buy Some
Hey, I need to buy a birthday gift for my little nephew. P
Look, there's a toy store! Do you want to stop by? P
What happened to this department store? Where is everyone? P
I don't know. Maybe it's a day off for the department store, too. P
I need to buy food for tonight. Let's go to the superstore. P
Okay, just don't forget to bring along the membership card. P
Is auto racing a sport, too? P
I guess so. P
What is the mother doing? P
She is cooking eggs for breakfast. P
What is the man wearing? P
He is wearing a polka dot shirt. P
What is man doing at the party? P
He is showing a card trick. P
3-7-17 Restaurants In the Hotel
What kinds of restaurants are in the hotel? P
We have three restaurants, but I recommend the Italian restaurant. P
Oh! Where is it located? P
It is located in the south end of the lobby. P
And what dish do you recommend? P
My favorite is the seafood pasta. P
Do they serve wine? P
Yes, by the bottle and the glass. P
Do I need a reservation? P
Reservations are not required, but you may make one if you wish. P
Oh, thank you. P
3-7-18 That Would Be Bad
Now that I think about it, the discount store may just be a toy store. P
I was wondering, if the equipment is discounted, maybe there's something wrong with it. P
If you want good prices, there's a secondhand store very close-by. They inspect everything. P
Do you mean a used goods store? No, thank you. Can you imagine how it might smell? Sports equipment? P
Ah, true. That would be pretty bad. Okay, do you want to go to a department store? P
No, they wouldn't have soccer equipment. P
True. Okay, we'll go to the sports store then. It's a bit far. P
Here, let's go to the superstore first. They have everything. It's worth a try. P
Did the man make it to the post office in time? P
No, he didn't make it to the post office in time. The post office was already closed. P
What happened to the flight? P
The flight already took off. The lady missed her flight. P
What happened to the train? P
The train already left. The woman was running after the train. P
3-7-19 Bar In the Hotel
Is there a bar in the hotel? P
Yes, we have a bar on the top floor. P
What floor is that? P
Take the elevator up to the seventeenth floor. P
Until what time is the bar open? P
It is open until 4:00 am. P
Is there an outside patio? P
Yes, there is a patio with seating available. P