Lesson 1 A Spark in You
Can I Swim? Part 1
Tom Michell is a ____ teacher.
In the 1970s, he worked at an English language boarding school ____ Argentina.
One day he visited a beach and found a penguin that was injured ____ alone.
Michell decided to help the ____
He ____ it, fed it, and even gave it a name—Juan Salvado.
From that day on, Juan Salvado ____ on the terrace of his room in the school dormitory.
The following is part of the story, written by Tom Michell, about the penguin and a ____ at the school.
From the ____ day that I brought a penguin to live at the school, one student in particular wanted to help with his care.
His name ____ Diego Gonzales.
Diego was a shy boy who seemed to be frightened of his own ____
One of the best things that travel gives us ____ the memories of the places we've visited and the special experiences we had there.
In ____ to hold on to these precious memories, we often bring home souvenirs.
These souvenirs tend to be objects like postcards, fridge magnets, ____ key chains.
However, a souvenir doesn't have to ____ something purchased in a gift shop.
In fact, ____ word souvenir means "memory" in French, so whatever brings back memories could be called a "souvenir."
Then what can we keep as souvenirs to preserve our travel ____ other than ordinary gift shop products?
Let's look into ____ other travelers do to make their travel memories last longer.
He struggled with his classes, and none of the after-school ____ seemed to suit him.
____ was neither strong nor athletic.
On the rugby field, ____ passed the ball to him or involved him in the game, except to make fun of him.
Diego’s early education had not prepared him well for ____ at his new school.
His knowledge of English was limited, so he ____ conversation.
____ Diego enjoyed the company of Juan Salvado.
Indeed, on the terrace, ____ could relax.
He had some friends who also ____ trouble fitting in.
____ after Juan Salvado was good for those boys.
They fed ____ fish, swept the terrace, and spent time with him.
Buying souvenirs and taking photos can be good ways to remember a trip, but most of the time I would store these things somewhere ____ hardly ever look at them, and thus they would be slowly forgotten.
So I came up with ____ own method of preserving memories in a more interesting and visible way.
I started doing this two years ago when I got an opportunity to ____ around Europe with one of my best friends.
It was a spontaneous trip, so we relied mainly ____ paper maps from hostels or tourist information offices.
Every day, we planned our ____ and sightseeing stops on those maps.
When I returned home, I realized I had accumulated lots of these ____ and suddenly I thought I could make a souvenir out of them.
I began by cutting out some landmarks from the map that showed the best parts of our ____ such as the Eiffel Tower, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Colosseum.
____ I got an ordinary plate and pasted the map pieces onto it using special glue.
Finally, I put a ____ of sealant over the whole plate so that the paper wouldn’t fade or wear out over time.
The result is a wonderful decoration that I ____ look at every day.
____ is also a terrific reminder of every place I visited.
Can I Swim? Part 2
One day, I took Juan ____ to the school swimming pool with the boys.
As soon as the other swimmers left, we brought Juan Salvado ____ the water to see if he would swim.
Juan Salvado had ____ living at the school for several months by then.
However, in all that time, he had never been able ____ swim because his feathers had been damaged.
“Go on!” I said. The penguin stared ____ me and then at the pool, like he was asking, “Ah! Is this where the fish come from?”
Without further encouragement, he ____ in.
With a single movement of his wings, he flew like an arrow across the water ____ knocked into the wall on the opposite side.
____ he was not hurt!
Shortly after my wedding 30 years ago, I went on a ____ trip with my husband.
We started in New York City and drove across the entire country ____ San Francisco.
There, at a tiny souvenir shop, my ____ found a bracelet charm in the shape of the Golden Gate Bridge.
When I saw this cute little charm, I thought it would be a great souvenir to remember the trip, so I bought it to hang on my silver ____
This turned out ____ be the beginning of a lifelong tradition.
After a few ____ my husband and I got a chance to travel to Moscow.
There, we happened to find a tiny St. Basil’s Cathedral charm ____ it reminded me of the first charm from San Francisco.
Without a moment’s hesitation, we bought it to ____ to the bracelet.
Since then, we have managed to find the ____ charm on every trip.
We now have ____ 20 different charms―one from each trip.
____ have a Taj Mahal charm from India, a Parthenon charm from Greece, and even an elephant charm from Kenya.
As my children grew up, ____ helped choose some of the charms, so our whole family can look back at every trip we’ve taken together.
I had never had the opportunity to study a ____ in the water before.
I was familiar with the awkward way that Juan Salvado walked on land, ____ now I watched in awe.
Using only a stroke or two, he flew at ____ speed from one end of the pool to the other, turning swiftly before touching the sides.
It was amazing! Everyone could see how much he ____ enjoying himself.
“Ooh! Aah!” The boys shouted, as though they were ____ a fireworks display.
After ____ while, Diego came over and asked quietly, “Can I swim, too?”
I was astonished. He had never gone ____ the pool before.
____ was not even sure if he could swim.
“The water is cold, and it’s getting ____
Are you sure you want to go ____ I asked.
“Please!” “All right then,” I said, ____ be quick!”
Whether it’s for uploading status messages and selfies on social networks or for looking up the ____ restaurants, staying connected online is not an option but a must for many travelers these days.
However, finding an affordable way to get ____ reliable connection when traveling overseas can be very challenging.
So I buy a SIM card when ____ get to a foreign country.
At a reasonable price I can get ____ same connection speed as the locals.
That’s not all. Because countries all have different telecommunication companies, each ____ card is a unique souvenir of my trip to that country.
What’s more, as SIM cards don’t take up luggage space, ____ very easy to take home.
I have a collection ____ nine already, and it’s growing fast!
Another thing I ____ might sound strange: Wi-Fi hotspots.
____ I’m in a place I want to remember, I purposely connect to the Wi-Fi.
Then, the hotspot name is automatically stored ____ my phone from that time on!
Occasionally I glance through the list ____ all the museums, resorts, restaurants, and other places I’ve visited in my travels.
Although I can’t connect to these hotspots when I get home, just catching a glimpse of one of their names on the list makes me ____
All the memories from that place come flooding into ____ mind, and I can remember exactly what it was like to be, for example, at that peaceful terrace near the shore in Bali.
For a moment, it’s almost like I’m actually ____
Can I Swim? Part 3
I ____ never seen him so excited before.
His eyes were shining with joy, and he seemed to ____ truly alive for the first time.
Without hesitating, he dived ____ the cold water.
I was ready to ____ in and rescue him if he could not swim.
However, I soon realized that I did not have ____ to worry about.
Not only ____ Diego swim, but he swam magnificently!
He chased after Juan Salvado, and they swam in perfect ____
____ was like a duet written for violin and piano.
Sometimes ____ Salvado took the lead and Diego followed after him.
At other times ____ went ahead and the penguin swam around the boy.
Occasionally they swam so close that ____ almost touched.
For me, the best souvenirs are new friends I ____ while traveling.
Obviously, I can’t put the people in my ____ to take them home, but while we’re together, I can have conversations and laugh with them.
Sometimes I add them on social media or ask for their contact information so that I ____ stay in touch with them.
Two ____ ago I made friends with an elderly couple from Japan I met at the Jeonju Hanok Village.
While in the restroom, I happened upon a woman’s ____
Right away, I took ____ to a nearby police station.
When I got there, I met an elderly couple who had come there looking for ____ lost bag.
Happily, the woman was the owner of the bag that I had ____ so I handed it to them.
____ were so thankful that they treated me to dinner, and we had a great time together.
We ____ keep in touch, and last year they even visited my home in Gyeongju.
For me, ____ proves that a good relationship is the best souvenir, because it can make the memories of a trip last for a long time.
Save Precious ____ with Your Own Souvenirs
In ____ end, travel is really about personal memories and unique experiences that will color your soul and enrich your life.
So the next time you think about grabbing a souvenir as a reminder of your trip, remember: whatever ____ your own priceless moments will be better than any souvenir you can easily buy with money.
I was almost ____
Suddenly Diego ____ not the sad little boy we had become used to.
He was a very normal boy with a very ____ talent.
____ You can swim!”
“Yes, ____ can swim.”
“I mean you ____ able to swim really well. Brilliantly, in fact!”
“Do you ____ so?”
He asked without looking directly at me, but I saw ____ smile on his face.
As we returned to ____ dormitory, Diego told me that his father had taught him how to swim in the river by their home.
____ was the first time he had talked about his life.
I listened ____ silence, without making any corrections to his English, as he talked nonstop all the way back to the dormitory.
Can I Swim? Part 4
The events of that day were ____
A child had gone down to the water ____ swim with a penguin, and shortly afterward, a young man had emerged.
The ugly duckling had become a ____
It was ____ a turning point.
Diego’s confidence grew quickly after ____ day.
When the school had a swimming competition, he won ____ race he participated in.
The encouragement and ____ given by the other boys was genuine.
____ had earned the respect of his classmates.
Over ____ next few weeks, his grades improved and he became more popular.
Thanks to a swim with a penguin, a lonely boy’s ____ was changed forever.