Reading Made Easy for Foreigners - Third Reader

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Title: Reading Made Easy for Foreigners - Third Reader

Author: John L. Hülshof

Release Date: May 2, 2005 [EBook #15747]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK READING MADE EASY FOR ***

Produced by Al Haines

READING MADE EASY FOR FOREIGNERS

Third Reader

BY

JOHN L. HÜLSHOF

TEACHER OF MODERN LANGUAGES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

OF NEW YORK CITY

HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE

31-33-35 West 15th Street, New York City

COPYRIGHT, 1909,

BY

HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE

PREFACE

This Reader is intended more particularly for pupils in Class A of the public evening schools.

The pupils of this class may be considered as having passed the transition stage of which mention was made in the Second Reader, and as having entered upon the last stage in acquiring the English language.

They have not only acquired a considerable vocabulary, but have now a practical mastery of our vernacular. They use English in their conversation; in short, they have acquired the power of expressing their feelings and thoughts in the English language. Notwithstanding all this, they are conscious of the fact that their language is less idiomatic than that of the native born, and their power over the written expression is wofully weak.

To remedy these defects, they flock to the evening schools. They have decided to make this country their permanent home, and they are deeply interested in everything appertaining to our government, our institutions, our literature, in fact our civilization.

A glance at the contents of this reader will convince the experienced teacher that the reading material is many-sided enough to satisfy the demands of both teacher and pupils.

That this series of readers may become a powerful incentive in implanting right ideals of social conduct, and lay the foundation of true American citizenship, is the heartfelt wish of

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

REMARKS TO THE TEACHER

LESSONS.

I. FLAG DAY II. BREATHE PURE AIR III. COFFEE IV. OUR NATIONAL FLAG V. PRESS ON VI. RESIGNATION VII. STATUE OF LIBERTY IN NEW YORK HARBOR VIII. INDEPENDENCE IX. NEWFOUNDLAND X. THE USE OF TRIFLES XI. ROSA BONHEUR XII. ALEXANDER AND THE ROBBER XIII. THE AMERICAN INDIAN XIV. THE FIRST STEAMBOAT XV. KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION XVI. TACT AND TALENT XVII. GEORGE WASHINGTON, PART I XVIII. BEHAVIOR XIX. ESSENCE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES XX. THE ART OF OBSERVATION XXI. LETTERS XXII. REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES XXIII. ALI BABA XXIV. BIRDS XXV. SLEEP XXVI. CURIOUS BIRDS' NESTS XXVII. BUSINESS QUALIFICATIONS XXVIII. ABBREVIATIONS OF NAMES OF STATES XXIX. THE SUN XXX. IVORY XXXI. FLOWERS XXXII. THE MOSQUITO XXXIII. SELF-RELIANCE XXXIV. FRANKLIN'S TOAST XXXV. HUMANITY REWARDED XXXVI. WORK PROCLAIMS A WORKMAN XXXVII. REPUBLICS XXXVIII. FALSE NOTIONS OF LIBERTY XXXIX. THE VOICE XL. THE INTREPID YOUTH XLI. AUTUMN XLII. WORDS AND THEIR MEANING XLIII. HOW TO SELECT A BOY XLIV. SALT XLV. STUDIES XLVI. RULES OF BEHAVIOR XLVII. USING THE EYES XLVIII. THE AFFECTION AND REVERENCE DUE A MOTHER XLIX. WHEAT L. COUNTENANCE AND CHARACTER LI. THE VALUE OF TIME LII. THE STUDY OF CIVICS LIII. THE SEA AND ITS USES LIV. WONDERLAND LV. OUR COUNTRY TO-DAY, PART I LVI. OUR COUNTRY TO-DAY, PART II LVII. PICTURES FROM AMERICAN HISTORY LVIII. THOMAS A. EDISON LIX. ABRAHAM LINCOLN LX. ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE DEDICATION OF THE CEMETERY AT GETTYSBURG LXI. WAGES LXII. LOVE FOR THE DEAD LXIII. ECONOMY OF TIME LXIV. GEORGE STEPHENSON, THE ENGINEER LXV. GEORGE WASHINGTON, PART II LXVI. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN LXVII. NOBILITY REWARDED

POETRY

SELECTION.

I. A CITY STREET II. THE SHIP OF STATE III. BE TRUE IV. BRING BACK MY FLOWERS V. OLD IRONSIDES VI. TREASURE TROVE VII. THE HERITAGE VIII. THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER IX. THE SWORD OF BUNKER HILL X. THE HUNTERS XI. MY FATHERLAND XII. WOODMAN, SPARE THAT TREE XIII. PRAYER IN BATTLE XIV. THE RETORT XV. A PSALM OF LIFE XVI. THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET XVII. OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT XVIII. THE PICKET OF THE POTOMAC XIX. COLUMBIA, THE GEM OF THE OCEAN; OR, RED, WHITE, AND BLUE XX. RECESSIONAL XXI. HUMAN PROGRESS XXII. GIVE ME THE PEOPLE

MISCELLANEOUS

CHARACTERISTIC OF HEROISM CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FREEDOM OF THOUGHT USEFUL INFORMATION WISE SAYINGS

REMARKS TO THE TEACHER

Complete answers should be given by the pupils. The simple words yes or no do not constitute an answer in these exercises; such expressions give no practice in the use of the language.

The teacher should prepare himself thoroughly for each lesson in order to ask many pointed questions relative to the reading matter.

The entire time spent in reading the lesson and questioning the class should not exceed thirty minutes. Too much detail will only confuse and fatigue the pupils. Five or six words that present any difficulty either in spelling or pronunciation may be selected from the reading lesson for dictation. Such words should not be given singly, but rather in short sentences.

These sentences may first be read by the class from the blackboard and then copied. After new slips have been distributed, the same sentences should then be written from dictation (the writing on the blackboard being covered or erased in the meantime). The pupils are afterwards required to compare their work with that on the board and make the necessary corrections themselves.

READING MADE EASY FOR FOREIGNERS

THIRD READER

LESSON I

FLAG DAY

In this fair land of ours you can see the Stars and Stripes floating over every public school. This beautiful flag stands for our country. Every American is proud of his country's flag. It stands for all that is good and dear to an American. It stands for Liberty. It proclaims liberty to all. Every star stands for liberty. Every stripe stands for liberty. It stands for liberty of thought and liberty of speech as well.

The first American flag was made in June, 1777, by Mrs. Ross, in the city of Philadelphia. When General Washington saw the flag, he was delighted with it. Every American is not only delighted with it, but he loves the dear old flag. The fourteenth day of June of each year is set apart as Flag Day.

"I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ABOVE LESSON ACCORDING TO THE RATIONAL METHOD.

See Remarks to the Teacher, Page vii.

What kind of a land is ours? What is meant by the stars and stripes? Over what buildings do we see the flag floating? What kind of a flag is it? For what does our flag stand? For what else does it stand? What does our flag proclaim? Who is proud of the flag? What does our flag tell to all the people? How many stars are there in the flag? For what does each star stand? When was the first American flag made? By whom was it made? In what city was it made? What did Washington think of it when he saw it? How do we Americans look upon the flag? When is Flag Day? etc., etc.

DICTATION EXERCISES

See Remarks to the Teacher, Page vii.

Our country has a beautiful flag. This flag proclaims or declares liberty to the people. I am delighted with my country's flag. I pledge allegiance or fidelity to my flag. Our nation is indivisible; it cannot be parted.

SELECTION I

A CITY STREET

  I love the woods, the fields, the streams,

    The wild flowers fresh and sweet,

  And yet I love no less than these

    The crowded city street;

  For haunts of men, where'er they be,

  Awake my deepest sympathy.

  I see within the city street

    Life's most extreme estates;

  The gorgeous domes of palaces;

    The dismal prison gates;

  The hearths by household virtues blest,

  The dens that are the serpent's nest.

  I see the rich man, proudly fed

    And richly clothed, pass by;

  I see the shivering, houseless wretch

    With hunger in his eye;

  For life's severest contrasts meet

  Forever in the city street.

  Hence is it that a city street

    Can deepest thoughts impart,

  For all its people, high and low,

    Are kindred to my heart;

  And with a yearning love I share

  In all their joy, their pain, their care.

Mary Howitt.

Questions: Can you put this little poem in prose? Tell what you admire in nature. Then tell what you observe in the city. Tell about the rich and where they live. Also about the poor and how they are housed and clothed. Let us write a composition together.

LESSON II

BREATHE PURE AIR

Some boys were playing hide-and-seek one day, when one of their number thought it would be good sport to hide little Robert in a large empty trunk. He did so and then turned the key in the lock. The little fellow in the chest was very quiet indeed, and they almost forgot about him. After some time they thought of him and some one went to the trunk and asked: Hello, Robert. Do you want to come out now? No answer came. They opened the trunk and found poor little Robert nearly dead. The doctor had to be called, and he worked long and hard to restore the poor boy to health.

The air which we breathe out is not fit to be breathed in again. We soon use up, in this way, all the pure air about us. So we must have a fresh supply. As soon as Robert had breathed in all the good air that was in the trunk, there was nothing left but poisoned air. If fresh air had not been given to him by opening the trunk, he could not have lived three minutes longer.

Nothing is so needful to health as good, pure air. Whether you are in the schoolroom or in the house, remember this. Bad air is so much poison, and the more we breathe it the worse it gets. The poison is carbonic acid, and to breathe it long is certain death.

Not many years ago, during a storm at sea, a stupid sea-captain ordered his passengers to go below in the hold of the vessel. Then he covered up the hold, so that no fresh air could enter. When the storm was over he opened the hold, and found that seventy human beings had died for want of pure air.

Through his gross ignorance of the laws of life, he had done all this mischief. Remember what I say: insist on having good air; for impure air, though it may not always kill you, is always bad for your health.

LESSON III

COFFEE

Coffee is made from the berries of a tree called the coffee plant, or coffee tree. This tree grows in some of the hot countries of the world, as Brazil, Cuba, Arabia, and Java. The best coffee comes from Arabia. But most of the coffee that is used in this country comes from Brazil.

When first known, the coffee tree was a wild shrub growing among the hills of Caffa, in the northeastern part of Africa. But when people learned what a pleasant drink could be made from its berries, they began to take it into other countries, where they cultivated it with much care.

There is an old story told of a shepherd who, it is said, was the first to use this drink. He