Lesson

Here is the script of the recording. Without any help, fill in the gaps with these important words:

camp - conflict - countries - enemy - friend - goal - history - listen - problems - safe - sports - summer - violence - young

Peacemakers throughout _________ have faced huge _________ trying to solve international conflicts. A special _________ program in the United States teaches young people from areas of _________ how to understand each other. Mary Tillotson tells us more.

The program is called Seeds of Peace. Each summer, organizers hold three two-week meetings at a _________ in the state of Maine. The camp is for _________ people ages fourteen to seventeen. They come from many areas, including several _________ in the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Greece, Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia.

The camp provides a _________ and supportive place for young people to speak about conflict. They spend their time in classes discovering how to communicate and _________ to each other. They learn how to solve their conflicts through discussion instead of _________. They also live together, play team _________ and take part in art and music activities. The _________ is to help the students discover that the so-called _________ is human, and can even be a _________.

Peacemakers (1) throughout history have faced (2) huge problems trying to solve international conflicts. A special summer program in the United States teaches (3) young people from areas of conflict how to understand each other. Mary Tillotson tells us more.

The program is called Seeds of Peace (4). Each summer, organizers hold three two-week (5) meetings at a camp in the state of Maine. The camp is for young people ages fourteen to seventeen. They come from many areas, including several countries in the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Greece, Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia (6).

The camp provides a safe and supportive place for young people to speak about conflict. They spend their time in classes discovering how to communicate and listen to each other. They learn how to solve their conflicts through discussion instead of violence. They also live together, play team sports and take part in art and music activities. The goal is to help the students discover that the so-called enemy is human, and can even be a friend.

(1) "Peacemakers", not "The peacemakers": No definite article (THE) is needed before nouns representing general categories. Other examples: "I don't like animals." "Cats are nicer than dogs."

(2) present perfect (HAVE + past participle): the action began in the past and is still in progress. When did it start? years ago. Is it finished? No, it isn't. This tense puts the emphasis on the problems faced by these peacemakers. It is a very hard work.

(3) Be careful: "to learn" is different from "to teach". Teachers teach English. Students learn English.

(4) A passive voice. It is used in sentences where the object of the action is more important than the people who perform the action. We don't need to know who gave this name to this camp. This explains why this is not mentioned at the moment.

(5) There is no error. There is no "-s". The nominal group "three" + "weeks" is used as an adjective. It changes the meaning of "meetings": these meetings last for three weeks. Warning: don't forget the hyphen and the noun is not in the plural. Other examples: a twenty-story tower (a tower which has 20 stories), a three-stage rocket (a rocket with 3 stages)

(6) The definite article is not required before names of countries, states, cities, and regions: "France is seventeen times smaller than the United States." "California is larger than Brittany." BUT some names actually include the definite article, such as "The Hague", "the United States" (of America)... and "The Middle East." "The former Yugoslavia" is a bit different. Don't use "THE" with the name of the country: "Yugoslavia is a beautiful country." "THE" is used here ("the former Yugoslavia") because we add a piece of information: we are speaking of the country which was previously known as Yugoslavia.

Each two-week camp ends with a trip to Washington, D-C (1). The young people visit the White House and State Department. They also meet with members of Congress (2) and their own ambassadors to the United States. This part of the program teaches the students that world leaders value their ideas and want to learn from them (3).

Writer John Wallach (4) started Seeds of Peace in 1993. At that time, organizers brought only Arab and Israeli students together (5). Today the program has expanded to welcome students from many other parts of the world where conflict exists.

The students speak English at the camp. About 300 students are chosen (6) to attend the camp each year from more than 200 who ask to attend. They are nominated by their governments for their ability to lead and their good school performance. Their economic and social positions are not considered.

To find out more about Seeds of Peace, visit the organization’s Internet Web site at http://www.seedsofpeace.org/. Or you can write to Seeds of Peace, 370 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10017, U-S-A.

(1) Always put the state after the names of American towns. Example:"Phoenix, Arizona". Here, there is another piece of information: students go to Washington (the town), which is located in the District of Columbia (DC). The state of Washington is not mentioned here.

(3) A very interesting sentence, which illustrates the different meanings of "learn" and "teach".

(4) The definite article is omitted before titles or nouns indicating professions. Examples: "President Mitterrand completed two terms." "We saw Professor Miller at the restaurant."

(6) Another passive voice. You could have added: "are chosen by their governments".

2. What town do children visit at the end of the camp?
a) London
b) Sydney
c) Washington DC

4. What nationalities were the first students?
a) French and Spanish
b) Japanese and Chinese
c) Arab and Israeli

8. Why are these students chosen?
a) Because they are rich
b) Because they live in Japan
c) Because they are good at school

10. Where is located Seeds of Peace?
a) In Australia
b) In England
c) In the USA

III) VOCABULARY

A) to solve

B) a conflict

C) summer

D) to teach

E) to learn

F) a meeting

G) a country

H) a team

I) a goal

J) an enemy

H) a trip

1) A state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests.

2) A group on the same side, as in a game.

3) To provide knowledge of; instruct in.

4) To find a solution to.

5) To gain knowledge, comprehension, or mastery of through experience or study.

6) The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective.

7) An assembly or gathering of people, as for a business, social, or religious purpose.

8) The usually warmest season of the year, occurring between spring and autumn and constituting June, July, and August in the Northern Hemisphere.

9) A going from one place to another; a journey.

10) One who feels hatred toward, intends injury to, or opposes the interests of another; a foe.

11) A tract of land; a region; the territory of an independent nation.

Reading Comprehension: 1. (b) 2. (c) 3. (a) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (a) 7. (b) 8. (c) 9. (b) 10. (c) (These answers are explained on the site)