Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. generous [JEN-er-uhs] (adj.) – kind or charitable
Example: The generous organization donated money to help improve poor people’s lives.
2. rural [ROOR-uhl] (adj.) – refers to the countryside
Example: Unlike cities, rural areas sometimes lack schools and other facilities.
3. operational [op-uh-REY-shuh-nl] (adj.) – working, functional or being used
Example: The new building is operational from morning until evening.
4. curriculum [kuh-RIK-yuh-luhm] (n.) – the set of subjects offered in a school
Example: The school’s curriculum includes foreign language courses.
5. inspirational [in-spuh-REY-shuh-nl] (adj.) – influential or leading to do good things
Example: Fans consider charitable celebrities as inspirational.
Article
Read the text below.
Nearly 5000 children in Malawi are able to go to 10 new schools this January, thanks to the generous efforts of Madonna, her charity ‘Raising Malawi’, and its partner ‘buildOn’.
The primary schools in Malawi’s rural villages might help address one of the country’s biggest problems—lack of education. According to UN’s Human Development Index, Malawi is one of the world’s 20 least developed countries.
Raising Malawi has been supporting orphanage services, clinics, girls’ scholarship programs, and schools while buildOn has been focusing on its build-a-school programs.
Raising Malawi announced this major project last year. The organizers planned to finish the project in 18 months, but were able to complete all ten schools in just a year. All ten schools are officially operational since January 2013.
The organizers decided the location of each school based on a list of communities lacking infrastructures. The Ministry of Education Office in Malawi’s Kasungu District also assigned the teachers and the curriculum in every completed school.
Upon finishing the project, Madonna expressed that she was happy to help buildOn give opportunities for the children of Malawi. She was also glad that more than half of the students are girls, who have fewer educational opportunities in Malawi.
buildOn praised Madonna’s deep concern for the Malawi children which they find very inspirational. With her and Raising Malawi’s help, buildOn believes more children will be educated.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
· Why do you think celebrities do charitable activities?
· Does a person need to be rich and famous to help others, especially the poor? Why or why not?
Discussion B
· Do you think charitable works can really inspire people to help others, too? Why do you think so?
· In your own way, how can you help people who are in need?