III. Post-reading

3.1. Feelings.

Describe your usual feelings when you see birds fly to the south in the fall or come back in the spring. Have you ever paid attention to these natural phenomena?

3.2. Dreams, dreams, dreams...

There are dreams about and dreams of things and/or people. Which do you prefer? Have you ever had a REALLY weird dream? Together with your group mates, hold a session of dream interpretation.

3.3 ROLEPLAY.

'Birds of a feather flock together' says a proverb. This is absolutely true, as we all know. Yet different birds have different views, don't they? Dramatize a session of the Parliament of Birds discussing an environmental issue: How to prevent Man from destroying the beauty of nature? Choose your role mask wisely: wings, beak and all that.

3.4. Poetry corner.

Read the poem written by Richard Digance entitled The Duck. What do you think the message of the poem is?

When you're a Duck like me it's impossible

To make friends with humans like you.

We're friendly and don't cause any trouble,

But you're not and you certainly do.

We swim around, me and my family,

While you throw us old lumps of bread.

Your dog starts to run with the crack of your gun

And one of us loses his head.

And if that's not enough, then you cook us

With our legs sticking up in the air.

Try putting yourself into our place.

I tell you, it just isn't fair.

BEANS

I. Pre-reading

1.1. SHARE your ideas on some special weather days that are always meaningful to you. And what kind of meaning is that and what kind of weather — a summer thunderstorm, or a winter blizzard, or a soft spring breeze, or a howling fall wind?

1.2. DISCUSS the problem of giving something up for the sake of another thing. Did you feel very sorry for yourself when you had to do that? Did you feel proud?

1.3. ARGUE if it is worthwhile to care about stray animals like kittens or puppies.

II. Reading

2.1. Understanding the title.

The title of the story written by Pat Snell means it's about beans, right? What exactly is it about — cooking accidents or idylls on a farm? Give your ideas.

2.2. Reading for pleasure and enrichment.

Read the story and answer the question: Was buying Beans a great sacrifice or an absolute must for the girl? The following words will be useful for better understanding of the events.

Bin — a container for putting waste

Tug of war — a test of strength when teams pull against each other on a rope

Abuelita (Spanish) = GrannyShove — to push in a rough or careless way

Yank — to pull quickly and forcefully

Dumpster — a large metal container used for waste

Itty-bitty — very small

Mutt — a dog of no particular breed

I could tell you it started on a windy day. But in West Texas that doesn't mean a lot. Everything starts on a windy day. The meanest winds are on Thursdays. Cap-gloves-jacket-freeze-your-nose winds. Trash-day winds.

"Amelia, it's Thursday. Take out the trash," Mama says.

I fill my wagon with garbage bags and head to the bin. Head to. Not walk. You can't walk-head up, eyes open-in West Texas. I tried once. Got plastered with dirt, bugs, and forty kinds of trash. Nico, my older brother, swore he didn't know me.

Dumping the bags was like a tug of war with a tornado. As the last one thumped in, I shivered and reached over to grab the wagon handle.

Yip! Yip! Yip! With a howl I shot upright, cracking my head on the bin. "Yip, yourself!" I screamed.

Silence. I peeked around the corner. There, next to the cold metal, squatted a puppy, a dirty rag of a puppy.

'Jeez," I whispered. Spots, the exact color and size of pinto beans dotted his bony body.

"What are you doing here?"

In answer, he turned toward a stick that was shoved into the ground. From it, a rope trailed to his neck. He had no food, water, or shelter.

"This won't do!" Hugging the half-frozen puppy, I yanked up the stick and walked to the other side of the bin. Sitting down, I shoved the stick into a crack in the cement.

"You can get my coat dirty," I said as I placed him next to my shirt. "I'm gonna get a new one."

Forgetting the cold, I thought of the bright purple jacket with the green lining. A puffy green glove, attached by a button, hung from each sleeve. No more ugly, boring, brown coat, with sleeves

three inches shorter than my arms. Mama couldn't pay $49.95 for a jacket, so I asked her if $39.95 was too much. I showed her the ten dollars I'd saved from the birthday money Abuelita had sent me. Mama said $39.95 was fine. The next day she put the jacket on layaway.

Mama, I knew, would not take to a puppy. Slipping my hand under my coat, I could feel he was warm.

"I'll be gone for just a few minutes," I said, tying him to the dumpster.

In answer, he pulled hard against the rope, whining and pawing the air in panic. Wagon banging, I ran through the alley and charged up the dirt path leading to our door.

"Mama! Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?"

"Guess you better close that back door. Now."

"Mama! Guess what's at the trash bin!"

Nico looked up from his beans and rice. "Trash?"

"I'm serious. Somebody's tied up an itty-bitty puppy. No food. Nothing. He's freezing."

"No."

"But, Mama.

"If he's tied up, he belongs to someone."

"Who? Who'd be so mean?"

Mama and Nico looked at each other. "Sneeds."

I froze. Not good news. Why couldn't the Sneeds stick to col­lecting the trash they piled in their yard or the relatives who con­stantly pulled up to their house? All day long, people crawled out of pickups and cars with mismatched doors and cracked windows. Shouting, they'd rush to the front porch. A few minutes later, like overheated popcorn, kids would explode out the back door, red-faced and screaming.

Why the Sneeds? When they first moved in, I spoke to Mrs. Sneed, but she never answered. She-did holler a lot, especially at Mooney. Mooney of the pie-plate face and raisin eyes. The main thing I knew about Mooney was that stuff tended to disappear when he showed up.

"Mama, I gotta help. That puppy could die."

She sighed. "Heat some milk." Nico grinned and handed me two bowls. I filled one with water and the other with leftover rice. As soon as the milk was hot, I poured it over the food. Nico helped me make a house by taping up an empty cardboard box and cutting a hole in the side for an opening. Then I laid rags in the bottom.

Nice's smart. Knows all about fixing and building things. A couple years ago, when he got out of high school, Nico started fixing lawn mowers, televisions, all sorts of stuff. Now he's even got his own shop. He calls it a shed, to show he's not too proud of himself.

Mama shook her head. "This isn't your dog, Amelia. Don't get carried away."

Nico laughed. "Listen to Mamacita. Have you named him?"

Mama whacked him with a spoon.

"Beans."

"Beans?"

"Yeah. He's got brown spots and today's Thursday. We always have beans on Thursday."

That night, excitement kept me awake. I couldn't forget Beans and his joy at having a snug box and a bowl full of mush. He re­minded me of what we never talk about. When I was little, I didn't go to school. We followed the crops. Mama still feels bad about the way we lived. Sometimes we had no place to sleep but our old car. And I remember being cold, hungry, begging for food, and Mama crying. Cold is cold. Hungry is hungry. And to me, suffering is suf­fering. I had to help.

By morning, I had a plan. Get up. Feed Beans. Hurry to school. Find Mooney.

"Hi, Mooney." Mooney frowned. "Sure is cold. Anything happen­ing?" Mooney shook his head. "Guess what? There's a dog tied at the trash bin. You seen him?"

"Reckon so. He's mine."

"It's awfully cold. You gonna take him in?"

"Pa don't allow dogs inside."

And that became my routine, caring for Beans and bugging Mooney.

"Mooney, folks are talking about the pup. Say he's pitiful." "Mooney, puppy's got worms. He's gotta go to the vet."

Mooney, Mooney, Mooney. Besides being after Mooney, I stayed awake nights, worrying about Beans. It couldn't continue. One night, listening to the icy tap of sleet, I knew what to do.

It wasn't until lunch that I spotted Mooney. "Hey! Wait up! I've been looking for you. Doing O.K.?"

'Till you showed up."

"That's not friendly. Besides, I got something for you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. It's about the dog. I kinda like him and figured you might sell him."

Mooney's eyes glistened. I had him!

"How much?"

"It's not like I'm rich. Five bucks."

"Ten."

"Seven."

"Deal."

Beans was mine! Now all I had to worry about was Mama. She'd kill me when I got home. She met me at the front door. She was hiding her hands and smiling. "Righ hand or left?" she asked.

"Right."

She held out her hand, and I took the paper. "Jacket," I croaked. "$49.95 plus tax. Balance $ 10.00."

"Finish your chores and you can pick it up."

"Can't."

"Pardon?"

"I know you're gonna be mad, but I haven't got the money."

"What?"

"It's Beans. Something had to be done. I bought him. Nico could keep him at the shop until I find him a home."

"Amelia Maria Garcia! You needed that coat! That mutt can't keep you warm. If you think you've got ten dollars to waste, you can do without the coat!"

"I only paid seven."

"You and Nico can raise the dog. See how funny he thinks that is. Do your chores, then go to Stubblefields and get my money." After I finished my work, I took Beans and headed to Nico's shop. He turned as Beans bounced in with his nails clicking. Nico gasped when he saw him. I explained what had happened.

"This is your seven-dollar dog?" he laughed. "Looks like a rat with the measles."

I smiled. Nico didn't insult anything he didn't like. "Can he stay here?"

He smiled. "He's gonna die of old age before you find him a home."

"Thanks, Nico."

"Don't worry about Mama, she'll be O.K. Now get going."

The walk to Stubblefields took forever. The wind, no matter which direction I headed, blew into my face. Mrs. Carvey spoke as I opened the door.

"Windy day. You must be here for your jacket."

"Yes, ma'am. But I need a refund, not the jacket."

"Refund? I thought you were picking it up."

"Changed my mind."

As she counted Mama's money into my hand, I stared at the floor, trying not to cry. Then it hit. Without me, Beans would be dead. But I could live without the jacket. Stuffing the money into my pocket, I pushed open the door and ducked into the wind. But something was different. I felt the sun, soft and warm. For the wind, at that moment, had stopped. I'd never known such stillness. Taking a deep breath, I raised my head, gazed at the sky, and walked — not headed, walked — home.

2.3. True or false?

1. Amelia's family was for from being well-off.

2. Walking in West Texas meant struggling with the wind.

3. Amelia took to the puppy because it was a thorough — bred one.

4. Amelia didn't buy a new jacket, she chose another article of clothing instead.

5. The Sneeds were good neighbours, friendly and helpful.

6. Amelia bought the puppy from Mooney as it was the only way out.

7. Amelia's mother understood her daughter's feelings and bought her the jacket.

2.4. Points of view.

What did they mean by saying so?

"In West Texas everything starts on a windy day."

"This isn't your dog. Don't get carried away."

"Cold is cold. Hungry is hungry. And to me, suffering is suf­fering. I had to help."

"Mama'd kill me when I got home."

"Without me Beans would be dead — but I could live without the jacket."

2.5. Vocabulary in focus.

Study the following words and their definitions. Then do Part Two of the exercise.

Head (to) = to move in particular direction

Put on layaway = to keep the goods for you before you pay the full price

Take to = to start to like

Bug = to annoy

Stick to (doing) = to keep doing

Refund = a sum of money given back to one not satisfied with the goods

Fix = to repair

Garbage/trash = waste

Mean = unkind or nasty

Using the expressions above, paraphrase the following sentences.

1. This VCR works by fits and starts. I'd like my money back, please.

2. If you don't stop pestering me, you'll get it hot.

3. He is really a nasty type, never saying a kind word or as much as a hallo.

4. It's common knowledge that modern urban areas produce too much waste.

5. Keep doing your homework — it's none of your business what's happening outdoors.

6. I could never develop any sympathy towards rude and disre­spectful people.

7. I have never been good at repairing different electrical devices.

8. The student directed his steps towards the Headmaster's office.

2.6. Colloquial English in focus.

Put the colloquial phrases into standard English.

1. "Mama, I gotta help."

2. "Sure is cold. Anything happening?"

3. "Folks are talking about the pup. Say he is pitiful."

4. "You gonna take him in?"

5. "I kinda like him and figured you might sell him."

2.7. Grammar in focus.

Think of other scenarios according to which the story events could/might have happened.

e.g. Without Amelia, the puppy might have died.

2.8. Using words creatively.

Amelia never liked windy days. She had special vocabulary for them: mean winds, cap — gloves — jacket — freeze — your — nose winds, trash day winds. Think of other ways of calling winds bad names. You might as well think of creative ways to call winds in a more pleasing manner: jolly winds, news-bringing winds,_______________________________