Lesson 2
Fun with Proverbs
Let’s Talk 1
Minho: What would you like to have?
Sally: What do you suggest?
Minho: Why don’t you have Bulgogi? Bulgogi is barbecued beef.
Sally: That’s fine with me.
Let’s Talk 2
Yunju: Would you like to try some Kimchi?
Mike: OK. I’ll try some. you know what they say: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
Read and Think
Fun with Proverbs
1. The Early Bird Catches the Worm
Most people have goals. A goal is something we want to do, want to be, or want to have. A student’s goal, for example, may be to pass the tests with good grades. An athlete’s goal is to win the first prize in a competition. A businessman’s goal is usually to make a lot of money. Not all goals are about success. Some people just want to be good people or help others.
Ben’s goal is to be a football player. He likes most sports, but swimming and football are his favorites. Harry’s goal changes every day! One day he wants to be a pop singer. The next day he wants to be a computer programmer.
One problem is that Harry is lazy and slow. He always gets up late. So his mother tells him, “I would be happy if your first goal is to get up in time for school. Don’t you know the early bird catches the worm?”
2. You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
Three explorers, an Englishman, an American and a Korean went to the Amazon to explore the jungle. Before long, however, they were completely lost. They had no idea where they were or how to find their way out of the thick jungle. After a week they had no food left. And they were tired. They knew that if they didn’t find a village or get help soon, they would die. Then one night a jungle spirit visited them. “I feel sorry for you,” the spirit said. “I’d like to help, so I'll give you three wishes; one each.”
The three explorers drew straws to decide who should wish first. The Englishman drew the shortest straw and wished first. “My wish is simple,” he said. “I want to go back home to my family.” As soon as he made his wish, he disappeared.
The American drew the next shortest straw.
“My wish is the same as the Englishman’s,” he said, and he too immediately disappeared. The spirit turned to the Korean and said, “And what is your wish?”
The Korean was a friendly man who enjoyed the company of the others. He thought for a minute or two, then said, “I want to go back home, too. But I miss my explorer friends. I wish they were with me.” As soon as he said so, he found his explorer friends beside him. They were back! Then the spirit said, “Aha! You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”
3. When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do
All over the world, different people often have different ways of life or customs. Do you know how people take a bath, for example?
Most Americans rarely take a bath. They wash under the shower. The English usually take a bath. Frist, they sit in a bathtub full of warm water. Then they soap themselves and, finally, they wash, all in the same water. The Japanese, on the other hand, first wash with soap in the shower. Then they go and sit in a bathtub full of warm water for twenty minutes or more. Later others in the family use the same water to sit in.
The Thai do not get into a shower or a bathtub. They stand in a room or area of a house where there is a big jar full of water. With a bowl they pour water from the jar on themselves. So that other people do not see their bodies, the Thai always wear a long piece of cloth called a pasin around their bodies. They wear this when they are bathing.
Let’s take food for another example. In Korea and Japan, rice is an important food. In Britain and America, bread made from wheat is the most important food. In many African countries a kind of corn called maize is the most important. In China such dishes as sweet and sour pork, and fried rice are very common. In Thailand and India people eat many different curries. They like their food hot and spicy. The Italians eat pasta, which is a kind of noodle made from wheat.
Nowadays many people go abroad. Some people travel on business. Some people travel on vacation. One of the best things about visiting foreign countries is to meet people and learn about their way of life. If you understand their way of life better, it will broaden your mind. So when you have an opportunity to visit a foreign country, remember: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
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