Lesson 1 A Spark in You
Can I Swim? Part 1
Tom Michell is a ____ teacher.
In the ____, he worked at an English language boarding school in Argentina.
____ day he visited a beach and found a penguin that was injured and alone.
Michell decided to help the ____.
He ____ it, fed it, and even gave it a name—Juan Salvado.
From that day on, Juan Salvado lived on the terrace of his ____ in the school dormitory.
The following is part of the story, written by Tom Michell, about the ____ and a boy at the school.
From the first day that I brought a penguin to ____ at the school, one student in particular wanted to help with his care.
His name was ____ Gonzales.
Diego was a shy boy who seemed to be ____ of his own shadow.
One of the best things that travel gives us is the memories of the places we've visited and the special ____ we had there.
In order to hold on to these precious memories, we often bring ____ souvenirs.
These souvenirs tend to be ____ like postcards, fridge magnets, and key chains.
However, a souvenir doesn't have to be something purchased in a gift ____.
In fact, the word souvenir means "memory" in French, so whatever brings back memories ____ be called a "souvenir."
Then what can we keep as ____ to preserve our travel memories other than ordinary gift shop products?
Let's look into what ____ travelers do to make their travel memories last longer.
He ____ with his classes, and none of the after-school activities seemed to suit him.
He was neither strong ____ athletic.
On the rugby field, nobody passed the ball to him or involved ____ in the game, except to make fun of him.
Diego’s ____ education had not prepared him well for life at his new school.
His knowledge of English was limited, so he avoided ____.
However, Diego enjoyed the company of Juan ____.
Indeed, on the terrace, Diego could ____.
He had some friends who also ____ trouble fitting in.
Looking after ____ 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 ____ 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 ____ 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 on paper maps ____ hostels or tourist information offices.
Every day, we planned our route and sightseeing stops on those ____.
When I returned home, I realized I had accumulated lots of ____ maps, and suddenly I thought I could make a souvenir out of them.
I began by cutting out some landmarks from the ____ 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 and pasted the map pieces onto it using ____ glue.
Finally, I put a layer of sealant over the whole plate so that the paper ____ fade or wear out over time.
The result is a wonderful decoration that I ____ look at every day.
It is also a ____ reminder of every 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 water to ____ if he would swim.
____ Salvado had been living at the school for several months by then.
However, in ____ that 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 ____, “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 and knocked into the wall on the opposite ____.
____, he was not hurt!
Shortly after my wedding 30 years ago, I went on a road trip with my ____.
We started in New York ____ and drove across the entire country to San Francisco.
____, at a tiny souvenir shop, my husband 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 ____ souvenir to remember the trip, so I bought it to hang on my silver bracelet.
This turned ____ to be the beginning of a lifelong tradition.
After a few months, my husband and I got a chance to travel to ____.
____, we happened to find a tiny St. Basil’s Cathedral charm and it reminded me of the first charm from San Francisco.
Without a moment’s hesitation, we bought it to add to the ____.
Since then, we have managed to find the perfect ____ on every trip.
We now have nearly 20 different charms―one from each ____.
We have a Taj Mahal charm from India, a Parthenon charm from Greece, and even an elephant charm ____ Kenya.
As my children grew up, they helped choose some of the charms, so our whole family can look back at ____ trip we’ve taken together.
I had never ____ the opportunity to study a penguin in the water before.
I was familiar with the awkward way that Juan ____ walked on land, but now I watched in awe.
Using only a stroke or two, he flew at great ____ 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.
“Ooh! Aah!” The boys shouted, as though they were watching a fireworks ____.
After a while, Diego came over and ____ quietly, “Can I swim, too?”
I was astonished. He ____ never gone near the pool before.
I was not even ____ if he could swim.
“The ____ is cold, and it’s getting late.
Are you ____ you want to go in?” I asked.
“Please!” “All right ____,” I said, “but be quick!”
Whether it’s for uploading status messages and selfies on social networks or for ____ up the best restaurants, staying connected online is not an option but a must for many travelers these days.
However, finding an affordable way to get a reliable connection when traveling overseas ____ be very challenging.
So I buy a SIM ____ when I get to a foreign country.
At a ____ price I can get the same connection speed as the locals.
That’s not all. ____ countries all have different telecommunication companies, each SIM card is a unique souvenir of my trip to that country.
What’s more, as SIM cards don’t take up luggage space, they’re very easy to take ____.
I have a collection of nine already, and it’s ____ fast!
____ thing I collect might sound strange: Wi-Fi hotspots.
Whenever I’m in a ____ I want to remember, I purposely connect to the Wi-Fi.
____, the hotspot name is automatically stored on my phone from that time 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 glimpse of ____ of their names on the list makes me excited.
All the memories from that place come ____ into my 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 ____, it’s almost like I’m actually there!
Can I Swim? Part 3
I had never ____ him so excited before.
His eyes were shining with joy, and he seemed to be truly alive for the ____ time.
Without hesitating, he dived into the cold ____.
I was ____ to jump in and rescue him if he could not swim.
However, I soon realized that I did not have anything to ____ about.
Not only could Diego swim, but he ____ magnificently!
He ____ after Juan Salvado, and they swam in perfect harmony.
It was like a duet ____ for violin and piano.
Sometimes Juan Salvado took the lead and Diego followed ____ him.
At other times Diego went ahead and the penguin ____ around the boy.
Occasionally they swam so close that they almost ____.
For me, the best souvenirs are new friends I ____ while traveling.
Obviously, I can’t put the people in my suitcase to take them ____, 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 ____ so that I can stay in touch with them.
Two years ago I ____ friends with an elderly couple from Japan I met at the Jeonju Hanok Village.
While in the restroom, I happened upon a ____ bag.
Right away, I took it to a nearby ____ station.
When I got there, I met an elderly couple who had come there ____ for their lost bag.
____, the woman was the owner of the bag that I had found, so I handed it to them.
They were so thankful that they treated me to dinner, and we had a ____ time together.
We still keep in touch, and last year they ____ visited my home in Gyeongju.
For me, this ____ that a good relationship is the best souvenir, because it can make the memories of a trip last for a long time.
Save ____ Memories with Your Own Souvenirs
In the end, travel is really about ____ 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 ____ of your trip, remember: whatever captures your own priceless moments will be better than any souvenir you can easily buy with money.
I was almost ____.
Suddenly Diego was not the sad ____ boy we had become used to.
He was a very normal boy with a very special ____.
“____! You can swim!”
“____, I can swim.”
“I mean you are able to ____ really well. Brilliantly, in fact!”
“Do ____ think so?”
He ____ without looking directly at me, but I saw a smile on his face.
As we returned to the dormitory, Diego told me that his father had ____ him how to swim in the river by their home.
It was the first time he had talked ____ his life.
I listened in silence, without making any corrections to his English, as he talked ____ all the way back to the dormitory.
Can I Swim? Part 4
The ____ of that day were extraordinary.
A child had gone down to the water to swim with a penguin, and shortly afterward, a young man had ____.
The ugly ____ had become a swan.
It was ____ a turning point.
Diego’s confidence grew quickly ____ that day.
When the school ____ a swimming competition, he won every race he participated in.
The encouragement and acknowledgement given by the other ____ was genuine.
He had ____ the respect of his classmates.
Over the next few ____, his grades improved and he became more popular.
Thanks to a swim with a penguin, a lonely boy’s life was ____ forever.