Unit 1: LIFE STORIES
LESSON 6: WRITING
WRITING A LIFE STORY
Answer the questions:
1. Look at the picture, what do you know about him?
2. How can we learn from other people’s lives?
Key:
He is a champion swimmer .
2. By reading reasons for a person’s failure or success may help us avoid similar failure or to adopt a new way of life so we can improve ourselves and become better human beings.
Activity 1.Read the story of a champion swimmer and complete the blanks. Use the words in the box.
VOCABULARIES
literacy /ˈlɪtərəsi/  (n): trình độ học vấn
 incredible /ɪnˈkredəbl/  (adj): phi thường, đáng kinh ngạc
 challenging /ˈtʃælɪndʒɪŋ/  (adj): đầy thử thách, thách thức
 poverty /ˈpɒvəti/  (n): sự nghèo đói
 defeat /dɪˈfiːt/  (n,v): đánh bại
 shame /ʃeɪm/  (n): sự xấu hổ
 acknowledge /əkˈnɒlɪdʒ/  (v): công nhận, ghi nhớ
 motto /ˈmɒtəʊ/  (n): châm ngôn


Activity 1.Read the story of a champion swimmer and complete the blanks. Use the words in the box.
Meaning of words
overcome (v) vượt qua
adopted (v) được nhận nuôi
competed (v)cạnh tranh
obsessed(adj) ám ảnh
Misfortune (n) bất hạnh
helpless(adj) vô dụng
Key
1. Thiếu 1 động từ : adopted
2. become + adj: obsessed
3. feel + adj : helpless
4. to + Vo : overcome
5. thiếu động từ : competed
6. cần phải cùng dạng với disabilities (n): misfortune
Activity 2. Put the following parts of the story in the correct order they appear in the story.
a. Writer`s name (Tên tác giả)
b. Writer`s ambitions and achievements (Hoài bão và thành tựu của tác giả)
c. Childhood (Tuổi thơ ấu)
d. Posting date and time (Thời gian và ngày đăng bài)
e. Story title (Tiêu đề câu chuyện)
f. Story`s message (Thông điệp của câu chuyện)
g. Turning point in writer`s life (Bước ngoặt trong cuộc đời của tác giả)

Activity 2. Put the following parts of the story in the correct order they appear in the story.
1 - e. Story title (Tiêu đề câu chuyện)
2 - a. Writer`s name (Tên tác giả)
3 - d. Posting date and time (Thời gian và ngày đăng bài)
4 - c. Childhood (Tuổi thơ ấu)
5 - g. Turning point in writer`s life (Bước ngoặt trong cuộc đời của tác giả)
6 - b. Writer`s ambitions and achievements (Hoài bão và thành tựu của tác giả)
7 - f. Story`s message (Thông điệp của câu chuyện)


Activity 3. Use the given information to write another story of 180-250 words. You can add further details to make your story more interesting.
OUTLINE
1. Story title:
Poverty is no shame
2. Writer`s name:
By Thu Ha
3. Posting date and time :
Published: 06:00 GMT, 20 September 
4. Childhood :
My parents died in a traffic accident when I was ten years old, so I grew up with my grandmother who was too old and weak to work. I had to leave school and did odd jobs to earn a living: selling lottery tickets, washing dishes and doing babysitting. When I was 15, my grandma encouraged me to attend evening classes, so I could improve my literacy and job prospects.
OUTLINE
5. Turning point in writer`s life :
After lots of hardship and effort, I completed secondary education and passed a challenging exam to enter Medical University, which is the dream of many students. However, I could not pay the tuition fees and had to reject the offer. The door to a new life was closed before me. I was completely disappointed and saw only gloomy days ahead. Then something incredible happened: I was awarded a scholarship from The Thanh Nien for college students from poor families. This was really a turning point in my life because I could start my university studies and hope for a better future.
OUTLINE
6. Writer`s ambitions and achievements :
Six years of hard work at the university and of trying to live on a very tight budget came to an end at last. Now I am working as a doctor at a hospital, but I will never forget those difficult days. I am planning to set up and run a charitable organisation to help poor students, as a way to acknowledge other people for supporting me.
7. Story`s message :
I`ve told my own story hoping to encourage other people like me to overcome hard times. Don`t let poverty defeat you and destroy your hopes for a better future. This is my motto: Poverty is no shame.

HOMEWORK
Write your own story or the story of a person who has overcome hardship to become successful.