8-1 Taekwondo I

Taekwando is a martial art and a competitive sport. P

One doesn't learn Taekwondo in order to fight, P

but instead to build endurance and to strengthen control of both the body and the mind. P

Though it began as an art form, P

there are people all over the world who also learn Taekwondo as a competition sport. P

No one is sure when in history Taekwondo began, but it has been practiced for generations, P

each generation teaching the next. P

Drawings of Taekwondo practice have been found in old tombs going back as far as the Three Kingdoms Period. P

Taekwondo continued to be developed throughout the Koryo and Chosun eras, and up to the present day. P

Taekwondo has been widely practiced among the general population never since the National Liberation. P

8-2 Taekwondo II

Taekwondo technique can be divided into two different areas: P

Poomsae, or formal exercises, and Gyuhroogii, or sparring. P

Poomsae is a formalized sequence of actions using techniques of attack P

and defense together as building blocks to teach the basics of fighting. P

Through Poomsae, one person can practice without an opponent. P

Gyuhroogii is the practice in which two people compete using the techniques learned through Poomsae. P

Gyuhroogii is done by picking out specific attack and defense techniques in order to make a certain technique perfect. P

Taekwondo is a fighting sport, P

but it also trains the mind to love peace and to be considerate of other people. P

Today, there are international leagues for Taekwondo competition, P

in which many countries around the world participate. P

Korea has sent thousands of coaches to foreign countries all over the world to teach Taekwondo. P

Taekwondo has been an Olympic competition sport since the 27th Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. P

8-3 The Icicles I

I am a large snowflake. P

Ever since I was born, falling down from the sky, P

I have always wanted to become an icicle. P

The icicles that I have met have told me, P

"To become an icicle, you must land on the edge of a roof." P

As I was falling down from the sky, I was nervous that I would land on a mountain or a farm. P

But luckily, I landed on a roof. P

And I had many of my friends with me. P

We began to form a pile of snow on top of the roof. P

Soon, morning came, and the bright sun began melting us into little water droplets. P

As we melted into water, we slowly began to flow to the edge of the roof. P

We flowed slowly towards the edge of the roof, P

so that we wouldn't just drip over quickly and end up on the ground. P

As I slowly dripped over the edge of the roof, the cold wind hit and froze me solid. P

"Yes! I'm an icicle!" P

As I looked around, I saw a small glass window, and behind it, I saw a room. P

8-4 The Icicles II

Inside the room were two children playing next to a fire. P

The children were roasting marsh mallows in the fireplace. P

The older brother asked the younger sister, "Hey. Want to play riddle challenge? P

The winner gets to eat a marshmallow." P

Then, the younger sister agreed, and the older brother posed the first riddle. P

"What has a beard when you peel it?" P

The younger sister quickly said, "Haha! An ear of corn!" P

"Okay, how about this? What wears a hat when it's doing nothing, P

but takes it off when it's working?" P

"That's easy! A pen!" P

Each time the older brother asked a question, the younger sister answered it correctly, P

and this went on and on with no end in sight. P

Finally, an old woman sitting next to them said, "I have a riddle for you." P

"What gets longer as it goes down?" P

Stumped, the children weren't able to answer this riddle. P

"Do you give up? P

It's an icicle! It grows longer as it grows down from the edge of the roof!" P

The old woman laughed and smiled like a child, P

and when the children got it, they laughed with her. P

8-5 A Free Pigeon I

One day, a sparrow that was on a long journey, flew into a bird farm. P

The sparrow was hungry, so it began eating the seeds in the bird feeder. P

A Pigeon watched the sparrow quietly from the clothes rack. P

"Shoo! Get away from our food you shameless sparrow!" P

A black hen scolded in an angry voice. The sparrow was startled and flew away. P

The Indian peacock and the rooster woke up from their sleep from all the commotion. P

The black hen then said, "I can't believe that sparrow would just come in and steal our food! How rude!" P

The pigeon looked up to where the sparrow had flown away. P

8-6 A Free Pigeon II

Still looking into the sky, the pigeon said, "Sparrow, you might be hungry, P

but at least you have the vast sky to fly in." P

The pigeon had always lived in the bird farm, ever since he was little. P

He had many good days with his friends the Indian peacock, black hen, and the rooster. P

The pigeon and the other birds had always lived a very comfortable life. P

The owner would come regularly to feed them and clean their cage. P

The owner's children would often come in to play with them. P

But lately, the pigeon felt trapped in the farm. P

He always wished that he could fly in the sky with the other birds that were free. P

8-7 A Free Pigeon III

All of the birds used to be so lively, P

but now, the peacock won't even spread his beautiful tail for the children anymore. P

One lazy afternoon when everyone was gone, the pigeon was awakened by a muffled sound. P

The sparrow from before had returned again and was eating their cracker crumbs. P

The pigeon wanted to talk to the sparrow, and asked, "Hey, sparrow. P

Would you talk to me for a while?" P

The sparrow was busy eating, but turned his head to see who was talking, P

and approached the pigeon with his head tilted to one side. P

The pigeon then said, "You are so lucky, because you can go anywhere you wish." P

The sparrow was confused by this and replied, "Don't you like it here? P

You don't ever have to worry about food." P

"That is true, but I wish I could fly in the skies like you." P

8-8 A Free Pigeon IV

The sparrow stared at the pigeon and finally said, P

"That's not too difficult. You have wings, don't you? P

You just have to get out of this place." P

"Get out of the farm? Then fly with my wings?" P

The pigeon didn't understand. P

So the sparrow showed the pigeon how to get out of the cage, and also taught him how to fly. P

Soon thereafter, the sparrow flew away with a full stomach. P

Seeing how easy it was for the sparrow to get in and out of the cage, the pigeon said to himself, P

"Why haven't I thought of that before?" P

But before the pigeon left, he wanted to tell everyone else how to leave the farm as well. P

When the pigeon shared his plan with his farm family, the rooster shook his head and said, P

"You want to go to the outside world? Why on earth would you want to do that? P

Well, I don't want to leave. I'm afraid if I do, that people will try to catch me and eat me." P

8-9 A Free Pigeon V

The Indian peacock preened his feathers and said, P

"I like things just the way they are. P

I don't have to worry about dangerous animals and I don't have to work hard. P

All I have to do is exhibit my beautiful tail feathers." P

"But don't you want to fly in the sky? I do! No matter what might happen to me." P

From that moment on, the pigeon practiced flying to strengthen his wings. P

The next day, the manager came to do his daily clean up and pulled the iron ring out of the door. P

The pigeon was waiting for his chance, P

and he flew out through the opening of the door just as the sparrow had showed him. P

Then the pigeon began flapping his wings harder and harder and flew high into the sky. P

8-10 A Free Pigeon VI

The pigeon's lungs and wings started to hurt, but his heart was filled with joy at the cool, P

soft breeze blowing across his wings and embracing his body. P

He even began flying in circles, and soared as high as he could into the sky. P

The pigeon flew across the wind towards the mountainside where the sun was setting. P

He was having so much fun flying, that he didn't even realize that it was getting dark. P

Since it was his first time flying, he became very tired and fell asleep on the top of a tree. P

But the world outside the farm was not such a comfortable place. P

He looked for food when he became hungry, but it was not so easy to find. P

And he could barely get any sleep, because all the streetlights would stay on all night, P

and there were loud cars driving by all the time. P

8-11 A Free Pigeon VII

One day, the pigeon found a park. P

He ate some seeds that people offered him in front of a nearby store. P

After eating he soared up to the top of a cherry tree inside the park. P

But as he landed, his feet were caught in the string of a kite that had become stuck in the tree. P

The pigeon struggled to get out, but the more he struggled, P

the tighter the string tangled around his feet. P

For hours, the pigeon tried to get free, but he became so tired that he fell down into the street below. P

The owner of the store near the park saw him and rescued him from the street. P

If it hadn't been for her, people might have stepped on him or kicked him, P

and he would have never been able to fly again. P

The pigeon opened his eyes in the old woman's hands, and kept flapping his wings in fear. P

But the grandmother clicked her tongue to calm him as she examined the pigeon's feet. P

"Tsk, tsk! How did you do this to yourself?" P

Said old woman, and she cut the strings and applied balm to the pigeon's feet. P

8-12 A Free Pigeon VIII

"Don't you worry! You should be able to get well and fly again soon. P

I wish I had wings like you. I have no other wish but to see the sky and my hometown…" P

The old woman, whose hometown was in the North, P

treated his wounds as she stared far into the northern sky. P

The pigeon let go and cried in the old woman's caring hands. P

When the old woman put the pigeon on the grass, P

a group of other pigeons came and surrounded him and they welcomed him back to freedom. P

They rubbed his legs with their beaks, P

and asked him to go to their favorite river with them when he has recovered. P

The pigeon would sometimes remember the bird farm when he was very hungry, P

but would shake away those memories by soaring up high into the blue sky. P

8-13 I Will Walk I

One Sunday morning, Josh was letting himself sleep in, but he was awakened by a loud noise. P

Josh got up and came out to the living room to complain. P

"Mom! Why is it so noisy? What's going on?" P

"Someone is moving into the house next door today." P

Josh opened the window and looked out. P

Out in front of the house next door, there was furniture and boxes all over the lawn. P

Josh began to wonder who had moved in, and if there was a child his age in the family. P

The next morning, when he opened his window, Josh saw a girl in front of the house next door. P

As the girl was going in her house, Josh saw that she was limping. P

Josh thought, "I wonder if it hurts when she walks." P

8-14 I Will Walk II

After a few days, on his way to school, Josh met the girl. P

Josh was going to pass by and pretend that he didn't know her, but the girl spoke to him. P

"Hey! Don't you live next door?" P

"Yes, how do you know?" P

The day we moved in, I saw you looking out of your window." P

"Why were you pretending that you didn't know me just now?" P

"I guess I was just embarrassed to talk to you, because you're a girl." P

"Really? I thought you were avoiding me for some reason. P

My name is Beatrice. I have a limp because I had cancer when I was little. P

When they arrived at school, Josh went to the stairs to go to his classroom. P

8-15 I Will Walk III

Beatrice was also going up the stairs, so Josh offered to carry her backpack for her. P

"Thank you, but I can carry it upstairs on my own." P

Josh thought it was strange that she didn't want his help. P

After class, Josh saw Beatrice quarrelling with a woman. P

"Mom, just go! I can walk home alone." P

Stubbornly, Beatrice wouldn't get in the car. P

Finally, Beatrice's mother drove home alone. P

Josh then went to Beatrice and asked, "How come you didn't get in your car?" P

"Just because I limp doesn't mean I need help with everything. P

I like walking home, even though it's difficult for me." P

Josh blushed at her words. P

When Josh first saw Beatrice he wanted to avoid her, because she limped. P

Now he realizes that she's just another healthy girl who wants to live her own life. P

8-16 HanGua Story I

A long time ago, our ancestors made snacks called 'HanGua.' P

There are six kinds of HanGua, or traditional Korean cookies, including JungGua, YakGua, GanJung, DaSik, andYut. P

HanGua are all snacks that people made at home in the old days, but can now be easily bought in a store. P

To make JungGua, you boil the roots of plants and fruits, including ginseng, bellflowers and lotus root. P

You can make JungGua sweeter by boiling it with honey. That also makes it chewier. P

Not only is JungGua delicious, but it is also pretty to look at. P

Another type of snack is YakGua. You make it by kneading flour with honey and oil, and then frying it. P

After frying, you put it in honey water or grain syrup, and let it soak up the sweetness. P

Once it has soaked it all up, you just take it out and eat it. P

People used to mold it into a shape of a bird or a fish. P

To make a YakGua mold, wood is carved into the desired shape, and the dough is placed inside. P

GanJung is another type of Korean snack, which is made by kneading sticky rice with honey and wine, P

this is then cut into thin slices and laid out to dry. P

Once it is dry, it is fried, and then coated it with sesame, pine nut or bean powder. P

8-17 HanGua Story II

DaSik is made by kneading several grain powders together with grain syrup or honey. P

Then the dough is cut it into shapes with a DaSik cutter. P

Bean, sesame, or nut powders can be used to make DaSik. P

There are even DaSik that are made with pine tree pollen. P

These days, we make DaSik with grains and herbs. P

Yut is a snack made by boiling yam powder with malt. P

The grains used to make Yut are rice, sticky rice, corn, and millet, among others. P

It's even more delicious if you use walnuts, sesame seeds, or bean powder in Yut. P

In the old days, people would play YutChiGi. P

In this game, people break Yut sticks and whoever finds the biggest air-hole in their Yut stick wins. P

Now, in any market place in Korea, you can see people eating the same snacks that people enjoyed eating in the old days. P

So next time you are shopping, look around and see if you can find any other kinds of HanGua in your market. P

8-18 Emily and a Ginko Tree I

In Emily's backyard, there is a huge gingko tree. P

Her great-grandfather planted the tree, and the trunk is now so thick, P

that Emily can't hug it even when she spreads her arm as far as she can. P

This years, the gingko tree was full of fruit. P

Looking up at all the fruit on the gingko tree reminded Emily of something that had happened. P

One day Years before, there was a fruit lying around on the ground near the gingko tree, and Emily picked it up. P

The squishy peel of the fruit was cracked open, and the fruit gave off a foul smell. P

"Yuck!" P

Emily's grandfather said, "Smells bad, huh? You should go wash your hands to get rid of it." P

Emily washed her hands, and then sat by her grandfather. P

Her grandfather then picked up the fruit and threw it away. P

But before he did, he said, "Emily, look at this. A gingko nut is inside the fruit here." P

Grandfather showed her the light, yellow-colored gingko nut inside the fruit. P

8-19 Emily and a Ginko Tree II

It was round and bulgy and looked very sweet. P

"Grandfather, can you peel off this hard shell?" P

"Of course." P

As he cracked open the hard shell, a squishy gingko nut came out. P

Surprised, Emily fumbled with the slippery gingko nut. P

"Grandfather! There's another peel inside the first one." P

"Yes. That's the inner peel. To eat a gingko, you need to peel away the skin three times before you get to the edible part." P

Emily peeled off the inner peel that covers the gingko with her fingertip. P

Having peeled off the thin inner peel, a smooth, yellow skin was revealed. P

"This gingko nut was wearing a lot of clothes, huh, grandpa?" P

"Ha! You're certainly right, Emily!" P

And Grandfather and Emily looked at each other and laughed. P

8-20 Emily and a Ginko Tree III

Emily wanted to find out more about gingko trees. P

She went into her room, turned on her computer and opened the electronic encyclopedia. P

Then Emily searched for 'Gingko Trees.' P

Emily began taking notes on all she was learning about gingko trees. P

They are big, beautiful trees that produce wide areas of shade, and live very long lives. P

Its nuts, tree bark, roots, and even leaves are used to make medicines. P

Gingko tree nuts can also be eaten as food. P

While researching, Emily found out that gingko trees are very beneficial to humans. P

She had learned so many interesting facts, that she decided to share them with her friends. P

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