9.dancing, singing, gossiping,
10.and postponing the unfortunate necessity of undertaking a day’s work 11.in the fields after a sleepless night.
12.The evening party was to start at ten o’clock, 13.but many of the guests arrived earlier.
14.A few of the nearer male relatives were looking rather awkward 15.in evening suits with smart bow ties,
16.and the pleasant, unsophisticated countrywomen 17.appeared a little self-conscious in their Sunday best. 18.Two men squeezing accordions provided the music:19.
the old Irish tunes that have been played at weddings for many years.20. Half the people in the room were dancing the square dances21. which have been enjoyed even longer.22.
A score of men stood in the narrow dark hall leaning against the wall,23. drinking beer from bottles
24.and speculating about crops, cattle and the current political situation. 25.And whenever the dancing stopped,
26.somebody would start singing one of the sentimental, treasured Irish songs:
27.the exile longing for his home, the grief-stricken lover mourning his fate.
28.Sometimes we all joined in the chorus, sadly and solemnly,
29.before getting up to dance again.
30.Irish weddings are almost certain to have been celebrated in this way for generations.
31.I have been to wedding receptions
32.where champagne has been served to the accompaniment of soft unnoticed orchestral music;
33.I have listened to carefully prepared speeches
34.and eyed a little enviously the model gowns of women far more elegant
35.than I could ever hope to be.
36.I have been impressed, and a little bored.
37.I have just been sitting up all night in a small, uncomfortable Irish cottage
38.and I have been enjoying every moment of it. Passage 8 Challenges of School 2.Life is full of challenges.
3.School has to be the most challenging obstacle in the lives of youth today.
4.Elementary school brings about a few challenges characteristic of those years spent there.
5.There’s the challenge of coloring in the lines, 6.a very real problem to any youngster.
7.Or how about the challenge of remembering to raise one’s hand before one speaks?
8.There are hundreds of rules and regulations that govern these young children.
9.The one thing that keeps these children in line is the hope of reward. 10.Yes, this is the brass ring.
11.The reward for a clean desk is an extra five minutes of recess! 12.The prize for having all homework done, a shiny-new pencil topper! 13.These small wonders keep small people in line. 14.They make the children love challenge. 15.Middle school is not so easy.
16.It is not easy for the students, and it also isn’t easy for the teachers. 17.The challenge of staying out of trouble, or writing that research paper —
18.these are the new confrontations of an older, wiser group. 19.This clan has outgrown the recess and pencil-topper tricks. 20.They know that their efforts have to bring them something really useful,
21.so mom and pop are pulled onto the scene. 22.How does five, ten dollars for each “A” sound?
23.Or, how about no telephone if one doesn’t do good in school? 24.Need I say more?
25.By the time high school arrives, 26.a student’s place in academic excellence
27.or else their unlikelihood to even graduate has been established. 28.Little can be done now to make life’s challenges seem interesting, 29.especially where school comes in.
30.The slothful are rewarded with a nice job at a gas station, 31.a pregnant girlfriend, and a fifteen-year-old Ford. 32.The diligent are rewarded with an SAT score of over 1100, 33.acceptance into Yale University, and a ticket to life.
34.By meeting the challenges of school, sticking it out, and pulling through,
35.they are given their greatest reward: success.
Passage 9 Building Bridges
2.When you hear the phrase cultural heritage, what comes to mind? 3.Maybe you remember going to see ethnic folk dances with people wearing traditional costumes.
4.Perhaps you were exposed to the music and arts of this culture. 5.Most likely, however, what comes to mind will be the food. 6.It might begin with the recollection of your mother’s cooking, 7.or visiting grandma’s house and receiving a special treat as a reward for good behavior.
8.As you close your eyes, can you picture your favorite dish?
9.Is it a salad with a special dressing, or a scrumptious dessert? 10.Can you smell the aroma wafting through the house?
11.Maybe you’re far away from home and eating your favorite soul food 12.makes you feel closer to those you’re separated from.
13.Many of us have missed spending a holiday or two with our loved ones,
14.only to find ourselves calling to ask what they had for dinner. 15.It doesn’t matter if it’s the same thing that is served year after year. 16.There’s nothing like food to help us identify with our roots. 17.These recipes, cherished family favorites,
18.handed down from each generation to the next might undergo subtle changes,
19.but there still remains a cable of unity.
20.It is this unity which constructs the bridge between families and generations.
21.Food can be described as the building blocks of this cultural bridge. 22.Good food knows no boundaries.
23.It becomes the great equalizer between young and old.
24.Here, in the kitchen the old master works hand in hand with younger family members and friends,
25.passing on traditional skills used in the culinary arts.
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