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Unit 19 :
“Despair gives Courage to a Coward”
Upper Intermediate
Objective
To be able to know more about idioms and expressions.
Vocabulary
Read and know the meaning of the words used in the article.
1. drowning /ˈdraʊn.ɪŋ/
death caused by being underwater and not being able to breathe, or a case when this happens
There were three drownings in the lake last year.
2. despair /dɪˈsper/
the feeling that there is no hope and that you can do nothing to improve a difficult or worrying situation
Their fourth year without rain drove many farmers to despair.
3. timid /ˈtɪm.ɪd/
shy and nervous; without much confidence; easily frightened
Kieran is a timid child.
4. swoop /swuːp/
to move very quickly and easily through the air, especially down from a high position in order to attack
The eagle swooped down to snatch a young rabbit.
5. quench /kwentʃ/
to drink liquid so that you stop being thirsty
When it’s hot, it’s best to quench your thirst with water.
6. desperation /ˌdes.pəˈreɪ.ʃən/
the feeling that you have when you are in such a bad situation that you are willing to take risks in order to change it
There was a note of desperation in his voice.
7. courageous /kəˈreɪ.dʒəs/
having or showing courage
It was a courageous decision to resign in protest at the company’s pollution record.
Quick Reading
Read the short passage.
Most of the time, we do not realize the talent that is within us. Certain situations help to bring out these special qualities to the fore.
Just as a drowning man tries to hold on to anything that comes his way to save his life, we too come up with remedies beyond our imagination in desperate situations.
We find the courage to do extraordinary things when we are in despair.
Even a coward can be turned into a brave warrior in a life-threatening situation.
Once there was an ant that lived in a tree by the side of a pond. He was very timid and was scared of even the slightest disturbance in the tree.
One day a heavy wind blew across the tree and the ant fell into the pond and was struggling to swim and stay afloat.
A pigeon that lived in the same tree broke a twig of the tree and threw it to the ant. The ant got on to the twig and the pigeon swooped down, picked up the twig and placed it back on the tree. The ant thanked the pigeon profusely for saving his life.
As the days went by the ant and the pigeon became good friends. The pigeon always told the ant that he should learn to be a bit braver and face life boldly. But the ant remained the same.
One day a hunter came to the pond to quench his thirst. As he was drinking water from the pond he noticed the pigeon sitting on the tree.
The hunter wanted to shoot the pigeon and got his bow and arrow ready. The ant noticed this and wanted to desperately save his friend.
The pigeon was fast asleep and there was no way to warn him since he was sitting a long way from the ant. The ant knew that it did not have much time and it had to act fast.
In desperation the ant jumped down from the tree and crawled as fast as he could and bit the toe of the hunter hard as he could. The hunter cried out in pain and missed his aim.
The pigeon woke up hearing the noise and noticed the hunter with his bow and arrow. It flew away to safety. The ant was very happy that it could save his friend and felt elated for having acted bravely for once in his life.
The story clearly illustrates that when placed in a desperate situation the ant could rise above its limitations and act bravely in order to save the pigeon’s life.
So when the situation demands even a coward can turn into a courageous person.
Discussion
Answer the questions with your teacher.
- What do people do when they are in despair?
- What situation di they use to explain the proverb?
Discussion for you
Answer the questions with your teacher.
- What are your talents?
- Do you think you are a coward person? Why or why not?
