A humanitarian is someone who:
· has concern for the welfare and happiness of others
· attempts to alleviate suffering in his/her community
· is actively involved in promoting human rights and freedoms
It is generally agreed that Mother Teresa fit the profile of a modern-day humanitarian. Her selfless work with the poor has impacted the lives of thousands of people throughout the world.
1. In your opinion, what qualities should a humanitarian possess?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Other than Mother Teresa, do you know of any one else who would be considered to be a humanitarian? Why?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
N Listening/Reading Exercise top
Instructions:
(1) As your instructor reads the following text, listen and replace the missing words. (2) When your instructor has finished reading the text, check your answers with a classmate.
(3) Read the article and complete the comprehension questions which follow.
I have learned that the process of teaching and learning, of communication, involves movement, back and forth: the one who is healed and the one who is healing constantly change places. As we begin to understand ourselves, we begin to understand others.
Jean Vanier Becoming Human
When we think about Canadians who have made their mark ______________, we often think of eminent scientists, famous writers and politicians who live their lives in the ______________. Notwithstanding the significance of these Canadians’ ______________to our lives, we really need to look no further than to the life of Jean Vanier to get a ______________of what true humanity is all about. For more than ______________years, Jean Vanier has developed a network of homes where people with developmental disabilities can live together in a supportive and ______________environment. According to Vanier, we are all “broken” in one way or other and it is only through learning from the ______________that we can ultimately discover our own weaknesses. Jean Vanier’s life is not one of glamour and ______________, but rather it is a life of devotion and caring.
Born on September 10th, ______________, Jean Vanier is the son of the late Governor General of Canada, Georges Vanier. Jean followed in his famous father’s ______________by pursuing a military career where he served in both the British and the Canadian navies during the Second World War. After resigning his commission in the navy in 1950, Jean decided to return to university and eventually ______________a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Toronto. After a short teaching career, Jean Vanier’s restlessness led him to France where he met up with Father Thomas Philippe, his spiritual mentor. In 1964, Vanier invited two men with mental disabilities to live with him in Trosly-Breuil, a small village in France. According to Vanier, for the first time in his life, he had found sustained ______________and happiness. Vanier named the house “L’Arche” or “The Ark” after Noah’s Ark in the Bible. This house was to represent a new beginning for people who society usually turns its ______________on. It would now be possible for these people to live a dignified and productive life. Eventually, six more individuals were invited to live at L’Arche which became known as a home for the disabled rather than ______________another institution. Vanier believes that by living with people with disabilities, one begins to recognize that through sharing our strengths and weaknesses we can bond together and strengthen our ______________. We no longer feel alienated or unique; what’s more, we begin to understand a sense of “community” that ties us together as humans.
Incredibly, within six years, L’Arche communities began to spring up in Canada and India. Today there are more than 100 communities in 29 countries. In the L’Arche homes, people live, work and play together as equals. ______________relationships such as parent-child, teacher-student and nurse-patient become replaced by a common premise of mutual trust. In Vanier’s philosophy it is by admitting our vulnerability that we ultimately gain the strength of trust in another. In our world of instability and uncertainty we should draw on some of the wisdom of a truly great Canadian, Jean Vanier. So much of our energy is ______________and so much of our fear is created by judging how we are different from other people. Accordingly, I think it is appropriate to end this article with the words of Jean Vanier: “To listen to someone means to become open and ______________to him/her and to allow them to disturb us, to change our habits and our ways of thinking and seeing things.”
1. The word “notwithstanding” (in the 1st paragraph) could be replaced by: (a) in addition to (b) despite (c) similarly (d) not including
2. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT: (a) Georges Vanier held an important governmental position. (b) Jean Vanier fought in the First World War for both Canada and Britain. (c) The name of Vanier’s organization comes from the Bible. (d) Jean Vanier has a graduate degree.
3. Find a word in the 1st paragraph that means: “a short look” ________________
4. In your own words, what do you think Jean Vanier means when he says we are all “broken” in one way or other?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. The word “restlessness” (in paragraph two) is: (a) a noun (b) a verb (c) an adjective (d) an adverb
6. According to the article, what is one benefit we can gain by living with people who have developmental disabilities? (Can you think of any other benefits we might experience?)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. Find a synonym in the 3rd paragraph for the word “weakness”. ________________________________________________________________________
8. Why do you think it may be important for us to “change our habits and our ways of thinking and seeing things”? (Provide specific examples in your answer.)
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
þ Grammar Exercise: top
Parallel Structure
Parallel Structure means using the same pattern of words to indicate that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. Parallel structure can occur at the word, phrase or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is by using coordinating conjunctions such as “and” and “or”. Your ability to avoid parallel structure mistakes will be invaluable in both academic English and in business English.
Try to remember the following patterns: (the series can be as few as two words)
(a) Word Forms -noun and noun -verb and verb -adverb and adverb
-adjective and adjective
{example} She speaks quickly and fluently.
(b) Verb Forms -gerund and gerund -infinitive and infinitive
{example} When I’m on holiday, I love to read and to relax.
I When using infinitives in parallel structure, you have the option of using the “to” with only the first verb, or repeating “to” before each subsequent verb.
(c) Phrase/Clause -phrase and phrase -clause and clause
{example} Angela enjoys singing French ballads and writing romantic sonnets.
I Do not mix phrases and clauses
(d) Correlative Conjunctions When using correlative conjunctions (both…and, either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also), it is important that you apply parallel structure after both units in the correlative.
{example} The following sentence is NOT parallel:
The students not only need to understand the requirements but also the regulations.
CORRECTED The students need to understand not only the requirements but also the regulations.
top
Exercise One
Correct the parallel structure mistakes in the following sentences.
1. He likes listening to music and to read science fiction.
________________________________________________________________________
2. Jean Vanier spends his time advocating for the rights of the disenfranchised, establishing new L’Arche communities and he makes public speeches.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. The cafeteria was filled with broken bottles, the chairs were turned over and empty juice containers.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. Last week, Cindy wrote to her parents, completed her English assignment and she saw the latest James Bond movie.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Jean Vanier has been a teacher, a naval officer and he is an advocate for the disabled.
_________________________________________________________________________
6. Jean Vanier is compassionate, people respect him and selfless.
_________________________________________________________________________
7. Either you will begin to study now or risk failing the TOEFL exam.
________________________________________________________________________
8. Canada’s GNP is smaller than the United States.
________________________________________________________________________
top
Exercise Two
Compose your own sentence using the cues provided. Remember to incorporate parallel structure in your writing.
1. swimming hiking canoeing
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. affordability reliability
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. to forget to remember
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
