THE MOUSETRAP

THE SUNFLOWER

CHARACTERS:

NARRATOR

YELLOW FLOWER

SUN

SCRIPT:

NARRATOR: When plants started to grow on earth, many flowers also appeared. There were roses, dahlias, tulips, and a small yellow flower. One day all the flowers decided that the red rose would be the queen of all flowers because of her beauty and because she could grant wishes. They made a big party to crown their queen and each flower made a wish. Some asked to smell pretty; others wanted to have brilliant colors, and the small yellow flower asked to be the biggest of all the flowers.The red flower granted all the wishes, and that´s how the yellow flower grew, and grew, and grew. She grew so much that she couldn´t stand straight. The yellow flower then understood that she had to live bending on herself. She was so sad and decided to ask the sun for help. One day when the sun was shining up in the sky, he listened to someone call him from the earth.

YELLOW FLOWER: Mr. Sun, can you help me straighten up?.

SUN: Why? You can´t keep yourself straight?.

YELLOW FLOWER: Once when the red rose granted wishes, I asked to be the biggest flower of all. I never thought that I wasn´t going to be able to stand straight like the other flowers.

SUN: I think you learned your lesson. Sometimes we ask for wishes without thinking of the consequences. The only thing that I can do, is make you strong when I shine high in the sky. My sunshine will keep you straight.

YELLOW FLOWER: Thank you Mr. Sun! I will always follow you. Wherever you go, I will go.

NARRATOR: From that day the yellow flower always follows the sun. She turns herself to receive his sunshine. For that reason the other flowers decided to call her ¨Sunflower¨.

THE END

Phrasal verbs

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In modern English, it is very usual to place prepositions or adverbs after certain verbs so as to obtain a variety of different meanings: 

give away = give to someone/anyone 

give up = abandon (a habit or attempt) 

look after = take care of 

look for = search for, seek 

look out = beware 

The student need not try to decide whether the combination is verb + preposition or verb + adverb, but should consider the expression as a whole. 

It is also important to learn whether the combination is transitive (i.e. requires an object) or intransitive (i.e. cannot have an object): 

look for is transitive: l am looking for my passport. 

look out is intransitive: Look out! This ice isn't safe! 

take off can also mean 'rise from the ground' (used of aircraft). Here it is intransitive: 

The plane took off at ten o 'clock. 

With some expressions, however, they can be placed either at the end or immediately after the verb, i.e. before the short word. We can say: 

He took off his coat or He took his coat off. 

Pronoun objects are sometimes placed at the end of the expression: 

l am looking for them. 

But they are more often placed immediately after the verb: 

He took it off. 

This position is usual before the following short words: up, down, in, out, away, off and on (except when used in the expression call on = visit). 

go on can be followed by either infinitive or gerund but there is a considerable difference in meaning.

account 

account for (tr) == give a good reason for, explain satisfactorily (some action or expenditure): 

A treasurer must account/or the money he spends. 

He has behaved in the most extraordinary way; I can't account for his actions at all/I can't account for his behaving like that. 

allow 

allow for (tr) = make provision in advance for, take into account (usually some additional requirement, expenditure, delay etc.): 

It is 800 kilometers and I drive at 100 k.p.h., so I'll be there in eight hours. ~ But you'll have to allow for delays going through towns and for stops for refueling. 

Allowing for depreciation your car should be worth £2,000 this time next year. 

answer 

answer back (intr), answer somebody back = answer a reproof impudently: 

FATHER: Why were you so late last night? you weren't in till 2a.m. 

SON: You should have been asleep. 

FATHER: Don't answer me back. Answer my question. 

ask 

ask after/for somebody = ask for news of: 

I met Tom at the party; he asked after you. (asked how you were/how you were getting on) 

ask for 

(a) = ask to speak to: 

Go to the office and ask for my secretary. 

(b) = request, demand: 

The men asked/or more pay and shorter hours. 

ask someone in (object before in) = invite him to enter the house: 

He didn't ask me in: he kept me standing at the door while he read the message. 

ask someone out (object before out) = invite someone to an entertainment or to a meal (usually in a public place): 

She had a lot of friends and was usually asked out in the evenings, so she seldom spent an evening at home. 

back 

back away (intr) = step or move back slowly (because confronted by some danger or unpleasantness): 

When he took a gun out everyone backed away nervously. 

back out (intr) = withdraw (from some joint action previously agreed on), discontinue or refuse to provide previously promised help or support: 

He agreed to help but backed out when he found how difficult it was. 

back somebody up = support morally or verbally: 

The headmaster never backed up his staff, (backed them up) If a parent complained about a teacher he assumed that the teacher was in the wrong. 

be 

be against (tr) = be opposed to (often used with gerund): 

I'm for doing nothing till the police arrive./I'm against doing anything till the police arrive. 

be away (intr) = be away from home/this place for at least a night. 

be back (intr) = have returned after a long or short absence: 

I want to see Mrs Pitt. Is she in? ~ No. I'm afraid she's out at the moment or 

No, I'm afraid she's away for the weekend. ~ When wilt she be back? ~ She'll be back in half an hour/next week. 

be for (tr) = be in favor of (often used with gerund). 

be in (intr) = be at home/in this building. 

be in for (tr) = be about to encounter (usually something unpleasant): 

Did you listen to the weather forecast? I'm afraid we're in for a bumpy/light. 

If you think that the work is going to be easy you're in for a shock. 

be over (intr) = be finished: 

The storm is over now; we can go on. 

be out (intr) = be away from home/from this building for a short time-not overnight. 

be up (intr) = be out of bed: 

Don't expect her to answer the doorbell at eight o 'clock on Sunday morning. She won't be up. 

bear 

bear out (tr) = confirm: . 

This report bears out my theory, (bears my theory out/bears it out) 

bear up (intr) = support bad news bravely, hide feelings of grief: 

The news of her death was a great shock to him but he bore up bravely and none of us realized how much he felt it. 

blow 

blow out (tr) = extinguish (a flame) by blowing: 

The mind blew out the candle, (blew the candle out/blew it out) blow up (tr or intr) 

(a) = destroy by an explosion, explode, be destroyed: 

They blew up the bridges so that the enemy couldn't follow them. (blew the bridges up/blew them up) Just as we got to the bridge it blew up. 

(b) = fill with air, inflate, pump up: 

The children blew up their balloons and threw them into the air. (blew the balloons up/blew them up) 

boil 

boil away (intr) = be boiled until all (the liquid) has evaporated: 

I put the kettle on the gas ring and then went away and forgot about 

it. When I returned, the water had all boiled away and the flame had 

burnt a hole in the kettle. 

boil over (intr) = to rise and flow over the sides of the container (used only of hot liquids): 

The milk boiled over and there was a horrible smell of burning. 

Break 

break down figures = take a total and sub-divide it under various 

headings so as to give additional information: 

You say that lO.OWpeople use this library. Could you break that 

down into age-groups? (say how many of these are under 25, over 

50 etc.) break down a door etc. = cause to collapse by using force: 

The firemen had to break down the door to get into the burning 

house, (break the door down/break it down) break down (intr) = collapse, cease to function properly, owing to some fault or weakness: 

(a) Used of people, it normally implies a temporary emotional collapse: 

He broke down when telling me about his son's tragic death. (He was overcome by his sorrow; he wept.) 

(b) It can express collapse of mental resistance- 

At first he refused to admit his guilt hut when he was shown the evidence he broke down and confessed. 

bum 

bum down (tr or intr) = destroy, or be destroyed completely by fire (used of buildings): 

They burnt down the embassy, {burnt the embassy 

down/burnt it down) 

The hotel bumf down before help came. 

Situation: A concert organizer is talking to a member of a band about their

upcoming performance.

Harry, I’m sorry to bring this up again, but we might have to call off your

performance next weekend. Tickets just aren’t selling. We’ve even tried giving

some tickets away, but no one wanted them. I think your band just isn’t well

known enough in this city for people to come and watch you. Anyway, we’ll

wait for another few days before deciding for sure. I’ll keep you filled in about

everything as it happens.

“ Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom”.

Thomas Jefferson 

– When we say the truth, we are being honest.

– We are being honest when we think and act the same way. 

– Honesty is not to make promises that we are not planning to keep. 

– An honest person is somebody whom we trust because he or she doesn´t lie.

– We are being honest when we comply with rules. 

– We are honest when we pay what is fair and don´t steal somebody elses´s money.

– We need courage to be honest.

– We are honest when we tell the truth, even if other people don´t agree.

– Being honest is to keep our promises to our friends, our parents, and ourselves.

– We are honest when we help our friends to change what they did wrong even if they don´t feel good.

– We are honest when we do our own job. When we copy in a test we are being dishonest.

– We are honest when we do our teamwork.

– We are honest when we promise a friend to play with him or her during recess and we keep that promise. 

– We are honest when we return things that a friend borrowed us.

– We shouldn´t feel bad if people think that being honest is foolish.

– We should always be honest even if people don´t recognize it.

– To be honest we should report people who did something wrong.

– We should always tell the truth and not tell stories that could harm other people.

– We should accept our mistakes and correct them.

– We shouldn´t take anything that doesn´t belong to us. 

Honesty is a principle of human beings. If we learn to be honest since we are kids, we can be upright citizens, able to transform the world so that everybody can have a better life.

Live everyday with honesty, you will be happier and you will make happy everybody around you.

“ Honesty prospers in every condition of life” 

Friedrich  Schiller

“ Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure”.

Joseph Sugarman

“Honesty is the best image”.

Tom Wilson

THE BLACK PLATE

CHARACTERS:

NARRATOR

MERCHANT 1

MERCHANT 2

 GIRL

 GRANDMA

 SCRIPT:

NARRATOR: Once upon a time in India, there were two merchants who sold plates, pots, pans, brooms, mops, soap, jewelry, and clothes.  Each day, they took turns to sell.

MERCHANT 1:  Everybody come here!.  Come see our jewelry for sale, pots, pans.  We have everything you need!.

GIRL: Grandma, look at that beautiful bracelet!.

GRANDMA: How much is it?.

MERCHANT 1: More than what you can pay, old lady.

GRANDMA: At home we have an old black metal plate.  Do you want it for the bracelet?.

MERCHANT 1: I have to see it first.

GRANDMA: Let´s go home so you can see it.

MERCHANT 1: Fine, you lead the way, old lady.

NARRATOR: When they arrived to the old lady´s house, she showed the plate to the merchant.

GRANDMA: Take a look at the plate.

MERCHANT 1: Mmmm, let´s see.

NARRATOR: When the merchant saw the plate, it was truly black, but when he scratched it a little, he could see that it was a silver plate.

MERCHANT 1: This plate is worthless, old lady.  If you want to, I can take the plate with me and give you a broom.

GRANDMA: Thank you, but we prefer to keep our plate.

MERCHANT 1: It´s your decision.  I have wasted my time.

NARRATOR: But the merchant was thinking about going back the next day to try to convince her to give him the plate.  Next day, merchant 2 was selling in the street.

MERCHANT 2: Pot, pans, brooms, clothes, I have everything you need!.  Just come and get it!.

GIRL: Grandma, look, I still want that beautiful bracelet!.

GRANDMA: How much is it?.

MERCHANT 2: More than what you can pay, old lady.

GRANDMA: At home we have an old black metal plate.  Do you want it for the bracelet?.

MERCHANT 2: I have to see it first.

GRANDMA: Let´s go home so you can see it.

MERCHANT 2: I will follow you.

NARRATOR: When they arrived to her house,  she showed him the plate.

GRANDMA: Take a look at the plate.

MERCHANT 2: Mmmm, this is a silver plate.  It´s all black because it is dirty.  The things I have to sell are not enough to pay you.

GRANDMA: Oh, we didn´t know.  But we don´t have anything in this house!.  We don´t have any furniture, we are very poor.  Can you give us the bracelet and something else?.

MERCHANT 2: I will give you everything I have.

GRANDMA: Oh thank you, you’re so kind.

NARRATOR: When the merchant left the home, he went to see his friend.

MERCHANT 2: Take a look at this.  It´s a silver plate I got it from an old woman.  I gave her everything I had for this plate.  What do you think?.

MERCHANT 1: What?.  I saw that plate yesterday!  I lost an opportunity to have it without giving her anything in return.

NARRATOR: Then he stopped to think for a while.

MERCHANT 1: I have thought about it. If we join your honesty and the beautiful things that I still have, we can do  great businesses.  Can we work together from now on?.

MERCHANT 2: Sure!.

NARRATOR: Both men cleaned the silver plate until it was sparkling.  And both became very successful merchants.

THE END

 Author:  Buddhist Legend

Moral Value:  Honesty

–  When we say the truth, we are being honest.

–  We are being honest when we think and act the same way.

–  Honesty is not to make promises that we are not planning to keep.

–  An honest person is somebody whom we trust because he or she doesn´t lie.

–  Honesty means not to take what we didn´t achieve or that belongs to others.