Hello, I’m Mariam Barseghyan, and already passed a year that I became Sebastatsi. I met a lot of problems in «Mkhitar Sebastatsi» educational complex, because the system is very hard for me, but during months  I learnt everything, and now I’m starting to learn very good. Now I can work with computer. This year I am learning new subjects automatically, it is true that the subjects are difficult, but the teachers are very kind with me, and they teach me everything. If I have any questions, immediately I ask about that to my teachers and they answer me with pleaser.  This year, English is more deeply studied, the language is more open than in previous years. I am very grateful to all my teachers.

Hello, I’m Mariam, my future profession is dog hairdressing. I love animals, especially dogs. I try to help the animals as much as possible. I often feed them, give them water and make them happy. I can’t imagine my life without animals.

Honesty is a very important trait that every person should have. There are many dishonest, bad people in the world, because of whose actions very often fair and honest people suffer. I try to surround myself with as honest and kind people as possible, who give me positive emotions and fill my day with joy. I consider myself an honest person, because my parents raised me that way and taught me that honesty is a sign of characterization.

Honor and Help Your Parents

Emily is a teenager and lives with her parents. She and her best friend, Kim, find out that their favorite band will give a concert in their town on Friday night. They really want to go, but they do not think their parents will let them.

Emily always asks her parents about the things that she wants to do, and they listen to what she has to say, so she decides to do the same thing this time. She explains that she wants to go to the concert with Kim, but her parents think that she is too young to go without an adult.

Emily tells Kim that she cannot go to the concert, but her friend’s answer is a real surprise to Emily. Kim tells her that she should just lie to her parents. «I asked my mom for permission to go and study with friends on Friday. But I will really go to the concert! She does not need to know,» Kim says.

Emily does not know what to say. She is always very honest with her parents, and they are fair in their decisions. Emily has never felt comfortable lying, and her parents always tell her that it is wrong.

«I really do not want to be dishonest with my parents,» Emily tells her friend.

«Oh, stop acting like a little kid! Everyone lies,» Kim replies.

But Emily is not so sure. She thinks that honesty is very important.

On Thursday, Kim invites Emily over to her house to watch a movie after school. When they get there, Kim and her mother get into a fight. Emily realizes that Kim lies to her mother all the time, and her mother does not trust her. Emily thinks this is terrible. She sits uncomfortably on the couch as Kim and her mother fight most of the afternoon.

As she sits there, Emily remembers that Kim always tells her how terrible her relationship with her mother is. Kim thinks her mother does not understand her, but Emily thinks maybe Kim’s mother is just tired of Kim being dishonest with her.

As she walks home, Emily decides she will not lie to her parents about the concert. There will be lots of concerts in the future, but these are the only parents she will ever have. She knows it is better to honor them and help them so that they can have a good relationship. Because her parents trust her, they let her do most of the things that she wants to do, and she really prefers it that way.

Exercises

Vocabulary Questions

1. What does «crowd» mean?

2. What does «lie» mean?

3. What does «honor» mean?

Grammar Questions

1. Kim tells Emily that she ________ lie to her parents.

2. Kim’s mother is just tired ________ Kim being dishonest with her.

3. ________ Thursday, Kim invites Emily over to her house.

Comprehension Questions

1. Why do Kim and her mother fight all the time?

2. What does Emily decide not to do to her parents?

3. In your opinion, why is it important to honor and help your parents?

In my opinion it is important to honor and help my parents, because we must love them, and be indebted them, they do everything for us.

Love and Help Children

In a busy bus station, there is a little girl sitting all alone on a bench. She stares at the floor as all the busy travelers rush around her. She does not move.

Some of the people are in such a big hurry that they do not notice her. Other people look at her, but they think, «She is not my daughter. She is someone else’s responsibility. I am sure her mother and father must be close.» They continue running to where they need to go.

After some time, a man stops next to the girl. He is very tired after a long day of work, and he just wants to get to his home as quickly as possible so that he can be with his family. But he cannot just leave this little girl alone. He cannot see her parents anywhere. The little girl is no older than his own little daughter!

The man walks up the girl. «Hello,» he says. «Are you all right? Are your parents here with you?»

The little girl does not even look up at him. He gently sits down next to her and touches her shoulder. Now she lifts her head, and he can see that she is crying. He feels terrible!

But he gives her a very warm smile and holds out his hand. She looks scared, but she takes his hand and lets him lead her to the bus station information desk. He helps her sit down on a chair next to the desk and explains the situation to the security guard.

The guard makes an announcement over the speakers. «Attention: a young girl is waiting for her parents at the information desk. If you are looking for your daughter, please come immediately! Thank you.»

A couple of minutes later, a woman comes running toward the desk. As soon as she sees the little girl, she shouts and runs up to her. She lifts the girl into her arms and holds her very tight. Then she separates herself from her daughter and looks at her face while she says, «I am here, Andrea. Everything is okay. I love you, honey.»

Then she turns and greets the man. «Thank you so much, sir,» she says. «We got separated in the crowd earlier. My daughter is deaf, so I could not make an announcement over the speakers for her. I was looking for her everywhere. I was so worried!»

Now the man understands why the little girl did not look at him until he touched her shoulder. He feels happy that he has helped. It must have been very scary for little Andrea and her mother! He smiles and thinks of how he will tell his family about this. He is a father, too. He knows how important it is to love and help all children.

Exercises

Vocabulary Questions

1. What does «gently» mean?

2. What does «deaf» mean?

3. What does «help» mean?

Grammar Questions

1. The people in the bus station are ________ a big hurry.

2. Thank you ________ much.

3. He cannot see her parents ________.

Comprehension Questions

1. Why doesn’t the little girl answer the man when he talks to her?

2. How do the man and the security guard find Andrea’s mother?

3. In your opinion, why is it important to love and help children?

In my opinion, it is important to love and help children, because children are small angels.