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 ____ beach and found a penguin that was injured and alone.
Michell decided ____ help the bird.
He cleaned it, fed it, and even gave it a name—Juan ____
From that day on, Juan Salvado lived ____ 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 boy at ____ school.
____ the first day that I brought a penguin to live at the school, one student in particular wanted to help with his care.
____ name was Diego Gonzales.
Diego was a shy boy who seemed to be frightened of ____ own shadow.
One of the best things that travel gives us is ____ memories of the places we've visited and the special experiences we had there.
In order to hold on to these precious memories, we often bring home ____
These souvenirs tend to be objects ____ postcards, fridge magnets, and key chains.
However, a souvenir doesn't have to be ____ purchased in a gift shop.
In fact, the word souvenir means "memory" in French, so whatever brings ____ memories could be called a "souvenir."
Then ____ can we keep as souvenirs to preserve our travel memories other than ordinary gift shop products?
Let's look into what other travelers do to make their travel ____ last longer.
He struggled with his classes, and none of the ____ activities seemed to suit him.
He ____ neither strong nor athletic.
On the rugby field, nobody passed the ball to him or involved him in the game, except ____ make fun of him.
Diego’s early education had ____ prepared him well for life at his new school.
His knowledge of English ____ limited, so he avoided conversation.
However, Diego enjoyed the company of ____ Salvado.
Indeed, ____ the terrace, Diego could relax.
He had some friends ____ also had trouble fitting in.
Looking after Juan Salvado was good for ____ boys.
They fed him fish, swept the terrace, ____ spent time with him.
Buying souvenirs and taking photos can be good ways to ____ a trip, but most of the time I would store these things somewhere and hardly ever look at them, and thus they would be slowly forgotten.
So I came up with my own method of ____ memories in a more interesting and visible way.
I started doing this ____ years ago when I got an opportunity to travel around Europe with one of my best friends.
It was a spontaneous trip, so we relied mainly on paper maps from hostels or tourist information ____
____ day, we planned our route and sightseeing stops on those maps.
When I returned home, I realized I had accumulated lots of these maps, and suddenly I ____ I could make a souvenir out of them.
I began by cutting out ____ landmarks from the map that showed the best parts of our trip, such as the Eiffel Tower, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Colosseum.
Then I got an ordinary plate ____ pasted the map pieces onto it using special glue.
Finally, I put a layer of sealant over the whole ____ so that the paper wouldn’t fade or wear out over time.
The result is a wonderful decoration that I can look at ____ day.
It is also a terrific reminder of ____ place I visited.
Can I Swim? Part 2
One ____ I took Juan Salvado to the school swimming pool with the boys.
As soon as the other swimmers left, we brought Juan Salvado to the ____ to see if he would swim.
Juan Salvado had been living at ____ school for several months by then.
However, in all ____ time, he had never been able to swim because his feathers had been damaged.
“Go on!” I said. The penguin stared at me and then at the pool, like he was asking, “Ah! Is this where the fish come ____
Without further encouragement, he ____ in.
With a single movement of his wings, he ____ like an arrow across the water and knocked into the wall on the opposite side.
Luckily, he was ____ hurt!
Shortly after my wedding 30 ____ ago, I went on a road trip with my husband.
We started in New York City and drove across the entire country to ____ Francisco.
There, at a tiny ____ shop, my husband found a bracelet charm in the shape of the Golden Gate Bridge.
When I saw this cute ____ charm, I thought it would be a great souvenir to remember the trip, so I bought it to hang on my silver bracelet.
This turned out to ____ the beginning of a lifelong tradition.
After a few months, my husband and I got a chance to travel ____ Moscow.
There, we happened to find a tiny St. Basil’s Cathedral charm and it ____ me of the first charm from San Francisco.
____ a moment’s hesitation, we bought it to add to the bracelet.
Since then, we have managed to find the perfect charm on every ____
We now have nearly ____ 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, they helped choose some of the charms, ____ our whole family can look back at every trip we’ve taken together.
I had never had the opportunity to study a penguin ____ the water before.
____ was familiar with the awkward way that Juan Salvado walked on land, but 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 ____ how much he was enjoying himself.
____ Aah!” The boys shouted, as though they were watching a fireworks display.
After a while, Diego came over and asked ____ “Can I swim, too?”
I was astonished. He had never gone near ____ pool before.
____ was not even sure if he could swim.
“The water is cold, and ____ getting late.
Are you sure ____ want to go in?” I asked.
“Please!” ____ right then,” I said, “but be quick!”
Whether it’s for uploading status messages and selfies on social networks or for looking up the best restaurants, staying connected online is not an option but a must ____ many travelers these days.
However, finding an affordable way to get a reliable connection when traveling overseas can be ____ challenging.
So I ____ a SIM card when I get to a foreign country.
At a reasonable price I ____ get the same connection speed as the locals.
That’s not all. Because countries all have different telecommunication companies, each SIM card ____ a unique souvenir of my trip to that country.
What’s more, as SIM cards don’t take up luggage space, they’re very ____ to take home.
I have a collection of nine already, and it’s growing ____
Another thing I collect ____ sound strange: Wi-Fi hotspots.
Whenever I’m in a place I want to remember, I ____ connect to the Wi-Fi.
Then, the hotspot name is automatically stored on my phone from that ____ on!
Occasionally I glance through the ____ of 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 ____ of one of their names on the list makes me excited.
All the memories from that place come flooding into my ____ 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 ____ actually there!
Can I Swim? Part 3
____ had never seen him so excited before.
His eyes were shining with joy, and he seemed ____ be truly alive for the first time.
Without hesitating, ____ dived into the cold water.
I was ready to jump in and rescue him if he could not ____
However, I soon realized that I did not ____ anything to worry about.
Not only could Diego swim, ____ he swam magnificently!
He chased after Juan Salvado, ____ they swam in perfect harmony.
It was like a duet written for violin and ____
Sometimes Juan Salvado took the ____ and Diego followed after him.
At other times Diego went ahead and the penguin swam around the ____
Occasionally they swam so close that ____ almost touched.
For me, the best souvenirs are new friends I make ____ traveling.
Obviously, I can’t ____ the people in my suitcase to take them home, but while we’re together, I can have conversations and laugh with them.
Sometimes I add ____ on social media or ask for their contact information so that I can stay in touch with them.
Two years ago I made friends with an ____ couple from Japan I met at the Jeonju Hanok Village.
While in the restroom, I happened ____ a woman’s bag.
Right away, I ____ it to a nearby police station.
When I got there, I met ____ elderly couple who had come there looking for their lost bag.
Happily, the woman was the owner ____ the bag that I had found, so I handed it to them.
They were so ____ that they treated me to dinner, and we had a great time together.
We still ____ in touch, and last year they even visited my home in Gyeongju.
For me, this proves that a good relationship is the best souvenir, because it can make the memories of a trip last for a long ____
____ Precious Memories with Your Own Souvenirs
In the end, travel is really about personal memories and unique experiences that ____ 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 captures your own priceless moments will be ____ than any souvenir you can easily buy with money.
____ was almost speechless.
Suddenly Diego was not the sad little boy we had become ____ to.
He ____ a very normal boy with a very special talent.
“Diego! You ____ swim!”
“Yes, I can ____
“I mean you are able to swim ____ well. Brilliantly, in fact!”
“Do you ____ so?”
He asked ____ looking directly at me, but I saw a smile on his face.
As we returned to the dormitory, ____ told me that his father had taught him how to swim in the river by their home.
It was the first time he had talked about ____ life.
I listened in silence, without making any corrections to his ____ as he talked nonstop all the way back to the dormitory.
Can I Swim? Part 4
The events of ____ day were extraordinary.
A child had gone down to the water to swim with a penguin, and shortly afterward, a young man ____ emerged.
The ____ duckling had become a swan.
It was definitely a turning ____
Diego’s confidence grew quickly ____ that day.
When ____ school had a swimming competition, he won every race he participated in.
The encouragement ____ acknowledgement given by the other boys was genuine.
He had earned the ____ of his classmates.
Over the next few weeks, his grades improved and he became ____ popular.
Thanks to a swim with a penguin, a lonely boy’s life was ____ forever.