6.4.Discuss some questions:
Have you ever been assaulted?
Have you ever had some problems in the streets, with some gangs?
Do you believe that there are some easy drugs?
6.5.Read the text 5. Answer the questions:
1. What happened to Ann?
2. Has she overcome her problems?
3. Have you (or you friends) ever been in such situations?
4. What, as you think, was the most difficult to overcome in Anns situation?
Text 5
The Day I Saved My Life
I saved myself from a terrible life the day I moved 2,000 miles away from home. Had I stayed, I probably wouldn't be alive right now to tell you this.
It started in high school. I joined a gang because I wanted to be like my older brother. Before my first fight, I was so nervous, I was shaking. From then on, it was violence and more violence. My 'crew' became my life and I started to love it. Watching my back was something I got used to. Once, on the way home from school, I was jumped by seven girls who busted a bottle over my head and kicked me until they thought I was unconscious. Another day, I got punched and stomped on by 15 girls and guys on the bus. I was shot at too many times to count. Many nights, after driving in dangerous territory, we'd get out of the car to look at all of the bullet holes. It saddens right now to think about how many kids I know who've been killed. I look back and think, jeez, what if I'd been standing right there? Maybe it would have been me.
When I joined the crew, they asked if I wanted to try drugs. At first, I was like, 'Nah,' but then they said, 'Come on, try.' By the end of sophomore year, I was taking drugs in school. My grades dropped big time. We were basically at war with another gang, and between classes and after school I usually had a fight to look forward to. At the end of my junior year, we had this big, big fight. I kept hitting this girl in the ear until she pulled a knife on me. The next day when I got to school, I found out she'd gone deaf in that ear and I was arrested. Later, as I sat in the back of the cop car with my mom, I felt like a total disappointment. Getting arrested changed my life.
I quit my crew and started at a new school (because of my grades, I had to repeat a year), but that wasn't the end of my problems. I still hung with some gangbangers, and I became addicted to cocaine. Then one day I got greedy with the coke, sniffed too much and ended up on the floor, shaking and spitting. Even though I managed to graduate, I knew I really needed to start over. That's when I packed up and went to California to live with my sister. I got a job, opened a bank account and finally realised how much life had to offer me. Friends would write to me about who got shot. I didn't want to hear it. I wanted to leave it behind. Now I'm working and going to school. I have new friends, and I haven't touched coke in a couple of years. When I go back home, I see the old gang hanging on the comer and I wonder if I hadn't left, would I be there too? Would I even be alive? I thought I was so strong back then, but I was weak, a follower. Now I'm showing my parents that they raised a strong, intelligent woman who can overcome her wrong-doings and make something of her life.
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By Ann J., USA
VOCABULARY
gang -
from then on -
violence - ,
crew -
to watch one's back -
to bust -
to be unconscious -
to punch - ()
to stomp -
too many times to count - ,
dangerous -
bullet hole -
jeez -
drug -
It was like 'Nan' [:] - -
sophomore year ['sofermo:]- . ( )
grade - .
dropped big time -
had a fight to look forward to -
junior year - .
deaf [def] -
cop car -
I felt like a total disappointment - ,
to quit [kwit] - ,
gangbanger -
to be addicted -
cocaine, coke [kauk] -
I got greedy -
to sniff -
to spit (spat) -
bank account -
how much life had to offer me -
to leave it behind -
follower -
to raise -
to overcome (overcame;overcome) -
wrong-doing -
to make something of one's life - -, -
1.
6.6.Translate into English:
1. , , , , .
2. , .
3. .
4. , .
5. , .
6. .
7. , , .
8. .
9. .
10. , , , - .
6.7.Complete the sentences:
1. Before my first fight, I was so nervous, I was ...
2. My grades dropped big .
3. I still hung with some gangbangers, and I became addicted to ...
4. I got a job, opened a bank account and finally realised how much life had to ....
5. I thought I was so strong back then, but I was weak, a .
6.8.Give the equivalents of the following words:
violence, to raise, to bust, wrong-doing, cop car
