未命名-1_工作區域 1

Unit 37 :
“Self-help is the Best Help”

Pre-advanced

Objective

To be able to know more about idioms and expressions.

material icon

Vocabulary

Read and know the meaning of the words used in the article.

1. inmate  /ˈɪn.meɪt/
a person who is kept in a prison or a hospital for people who are mentally ill

Women make up about 6 percent of all inmates in the U.S.

2. bungalow /ˈbʌŋ.ɡəl.oʊ/
a house that usually has only one storey (= level), sometimes with a smaller upper storey set in the roof and windows that come out from the roof

There were small, white bungalows dotted over the hillside.

3. convocation  /ˌkɑːn.vəˈkeɪ.ʃən/
a large formal meeting, especially of Church officials or of members of some universities in the UK

She was awarded an honorary degree at the spring convocation.

4. thunderous /ˈθʌn.dɚ.əs/
extremely loud

Then he proclaims a final breach in an almost tragicomic excess of wrath with thunderous imperatives.

material icon-03

Quick Reading

Read the short passage.

We must at all times try to help ourselves and not wait for others to come to our aid.

When we put in our best efforts, we can be rest assured that our problems will be surely solved through some good persons or external forces.

Instead, if we are lazy and expect others to understand our problems or come to our aid, we will never overcome our obstacles.

Suresh was a final year student of Engineering who was exceptionally brilliant in academics. He was a scholarship student since his parents who were tailors could not afford to pay for his studies.

Suresh also did part time jobs. He saved money and thus earned for his higher studies. He worked as a pizza delivery boy in the evenings.

One day he was delivering pizzas to the inmates of a huge bungalow when there was a power failure. Confusion prevailed and Suresh offered to check the fuse since he suspected a problem there.

In a few minutes he had the fuse wire changed and the inmates of the house were very happy and thankful to him for setting things right.

They struck a conversation with him and were surprised to find that he was an engineering student. He also told them that he was to receive a Gold medal for his academic performance at the convocation the following day.

The next day at the convocation, Suresh was called to the stage to receive his medals. The Chief Guest who was a very prominent industrialist came to the mike and had this to say…. “I am very inspired by the motivation levels of this young boy. Despite so many constraints he has had the will to work hard and achieve excellence. He is a brilliant example of how youngsters should be. As a token of my appreciation I have decided that I will undertake all expenses for his higher studies abroad and encourage him in whatever he wants to pursue in future.”

There was thunderous applause from the audience and Suresh’s parents were overjoyed on hearing this. It was only then that Suresh realized that he had delivered pizzas at the industrialist’s house the previous evening.

The industrialist had listened to Suresh’s conversation with his wife and it was a wonderful coincidence that he was to be the Chief Guest at the convocation function.

Someone came forward to help Suresh because he helped himself in his studies by taking a part time job.

material icon

Discussion

Answer the questions with your teacher.

  1. Do you agree with the proverb ” self-help is the best help”?
  2. In what ways do you need help?
  3. Do you extend help to other people?