Question
A1. Simple Factual Activities:
Complete the sentences:
(1) A tiny bird was rushing towards _________.
(2) A heavy fire had broken out in the _________.
(3) The speaker is appealing to globalise _________.
(4) The tiny bird was going to _________.
We can do it ...
You may ask that - what can one person do? I would recall a story of my childhood: A heavy fire had broken out in the forest. All the animals were running away, including lion, the king of the forest. Suddenly, then he saw a tiny bird rushing towards the fire. He asked the bird, “What are you doing?” To the lion’s surprise, the bird replied “I am going to extinguish the fire.” The lion laughed and said, “How can you do it keeping just one drop of water, in your beak?” The bird was adamant, and she said, “I am doing my bit.”
Eighteen years ago, millions of individuals marched across the globe. And demanded a new international law for the abolition of worst form of child labour, and it has happened, we did it, millions of individuals did it.
Friends! We live in an age of rapid globalisation. We are connected through high-speed Internet. We exchange our goods and services in one single global market. Thousands of flights every day connect us from one corner to another corner of the globe. But there is one serious disconnect and there is a lack of compassion. Let us inculcate and transform these individuals’ compassion into a global compassion.
Let us globalise compassion.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “If we are to teach real peace in this world... we shall have to begin with the children.” I humbly add, let us unite the world through the compassion for our children.
I ask - Whose children are they who stitch footballs, yet never played with one?
Whose children are they who harvest cocoa, yet have never tasted chocolate?
Whose children are they who are dying of Ebola?
Whose children are they who are kidnapped and held hostage?
They are all our children.
I remember an eight-year-old girl we rescued from intergenerational forced labour from stone quarries. When she was sitting in my car right after her rescue, she asked me: “Why did you not come earlier?”
Her angry question still shakes me – and has the power to shake the whole world. Her question is for all of us. What are we doing? What are we waiting for? How many girls will we allow to go without rescue?
Children are questioning our inaction and watching our actions. We need collective actions with a sense of urgency.
Every single minute matters, every single child matters, every single childhood matters.
Therefore, I challenge the passivity and pessimism surrounding our children. I challenge this culture of silence and this culture of passivity, this culture of neutrality.
A2. Complex Factual Activities:
Complete the following web:
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
(1) Use the word 'stitch' as a Noun and a Verb in separate meaningful sentences.
A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar:
Add a question tag:
(1) We are connected through high-speed internet.
(2) We exchange our goods and services in one single global market.
A5. Personal Response:
(1) What lesson does the story of the lion and the tiny bird teach us?
Complete the sentences:
(1) A tiny bird was rushing towards _________.
(2) A heavy fire had broken out in the _________.
(3) The speaker is appealing to globalise _________.
(4) The tiny bird was going to _________.
We can do it ...
You may ask that - what can one person do? I would recall a story of my childhood: A heavy fire had broken out in the forest. All the animals were running away, including lion, the king of the forest. Suddenly, then he saw a tiny bird rushing towards the fire. He asked the bird, “What are you doing?” To the lion’s surprise, the bird replied “I am going to extinguish the fire.” The lion laughed and said, “How can you do it keeping just one drop of water, in your beak?” The bird was adamant, and she said, “I am doing my bit.”
Eighteen years ago, millions of individuals marched across the globe. And demanded a new international law for the abolition of worst form of child labour, and it has happened, we did it, millions of individuals did it.
Friends! We live in an age of rapid globalisation. We are connected through high-speed Internet. We exchange our goods and services in one single global market. Thousands of flights every day connect us from one corner to another corner of the globe. But there is one serious disconnect and there is a lack of compassion. Let us inculcate and transform these individuals’ compassion into a global compassion.
Let us globalise compassion.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “If we are to teach real peace in this world... we shall have to begin with the children.” I humbly add, let us unite the world through the compassion for our children.
I ask - Whose children are they who stitch footballs, yet never played with one?
Whose children are they who harvest cocoa, yet have never tasted chocolate?
Whose children are they who are dying of Ebola?
Whose children are they who are kidnapped and held hostage?
They are all our children.
I remember an eight-year-old girl we rescued from intergenerational forced labour from stone quarries. When she was sitting in my car right after her rescue, she asked me: “Why did you not come earlier?”
Her angry question still shakes me – and has the power to shake the whole world. Her question is for all of us. What are we doing? What are we waiting for? How many girls will we allow to go without rescue?
Children are questioning our inaction and watching our actions. We need collective actions with a sense of urgency.
Every single minute matters, every single child matters, every single childhood matters.
Therefore, I challenge the passivity and pessimism surrounding our children. I challenge this culture of silence and this culture of passivity, this culture of neutrality.
A2. Complex Factual Activities:
Complete the following web:
A3. Activities based on Vocabulary:
(1) Use the word 'stitch' as a Noun and a Verb in separate meaningful sentences.
A4. Activities based on Contextual Grammar:
Add a question tag:
(1) We are connected through high-speed internet.
(2) We exchange our goods and services in one single global market.
A5. Personal Response:
(1) What lesson does the story of the lion and the tiny bird teach us?
