Charity Work

Contents Introducing vocabulary to do with charity work

Practice reading autobiographical texts
Revising common errors
Practice completing the proof-reading exercise
Practice writing texts based on information presented in tables

3.1 Vocabulary to do with charity work

The vocabulary about charity work is quite large, because charities are involved in so many different areas
of life, from natural disasters to education and medical care.

Check that you understand the words below. Use your dictionary to find out the meaning of the
ones you do not know.

raising money providing help problems

benefactor /«benWfæktW/ aid agency poverty
donor NGO (non-governmental famine /«fæmˆn/
donation organisation) starvation
sponsor pressure group natural disaster
fund-raising campaign assistance flood /fl√d/
flag day support earthquake
Operation Santa Claus food relief /rW«liÄf/ tsunami /suÄ«næmˆ/
go on a sponsored walk food hand-outs industrial accident
hold a charity auction /«øÄkßn/ emergency supplies / war
raise/collect money for sth ˆ«m±ÄdΩWnsˆ/ civil war
give/donate money to sth shelter terrorism /«terWrˆzm/
beneficiary /benW«fˆßWrˆ/ clean water homelessness
medical treatment illness
telephone helpline/hotline disease
volunteer /vÅlWn«tˆW/ damage /«dæmˆdΩ/
aid worker crop failure
voluntary service/«vÅlWntrˆ/ illiteracy /ˆ«lˆtrWsˆ/
community service unemployment
education/training victim
rebuilding/reconstruction suffer from sth
look after sb
take care of sb

3.2 Preparing to read

The passage you are about to read is called ‘A little charity goes a long way in the Ghurkas’ homeland
of Nepal’. The Ghurkas are a group of people who have strong links with Hong Kong.
To understand the article it helps if you know the answer to these questions:
1. Why do the Gurkhas have strong links with Hong Kong?
2. Where is Nepal, and what sort of country is it?

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 3.3 Reading practice — autobiographical texts
This is an autobiographical text. In it a man is talking about his own life. The passage contains some new
vocabulary, but it is fairly easy to understand from context. You can answer the questions without knowing
the most difficult words.

Read the passage and then answer the questions.

A LITTLE CHARITY GOES A LONG WAY

IN THE GHURKAS’ HOMELAND OF NEPAL

Douglas Maclagan tells how he set up the Child Welfare Scheme (CWS) thanks to the
generosity of the people of Hong Kong

Four years ago, I was sharing a small room in Chungking Mansions with two workers
from Nepal. By night I worked at the Hard Rock Café. By day I met with Hong Kong movers and
shakers, trying to persuade them to help me set up schools and child day-care centres in the
mountain villages of Nepal.

5 Four years on, CWS has eight marvellous child day-care centres in the Pokhara region
of Nepal. Local women can leave their babies at the centres rather than have to tie them on
their backs as they work under the hot sun. The villagers are running their own child day-care
centres, and this model is being followed in other regions of Nepal.

I thought Hong Kong was a sensible place to start. It’s in Asia, it has money, it is open-
10 hearted, and for reasons of history Hong Kong people know who the Gurkhas are. And Hong
Kong donors are still our most generous sponsors. A school in Saimarang has a plaque naming
it ‘The Jardine Security — Gurkha Services School’. Others are supported by The Body Shop
Hong Kong, Samsung Hong Kong and the Ip Yee Hong Kong Rehabilitation Society.

In the beginning, there was some criticism of us. People said, ‘Who are these amateurs?’
15 But we haven’t heard that for a year. Our organisation is very professional. We have produced
a detailed 48-page brochure, kindly sponsored by Action Asia. It’s brilliant, but I’m a bit
concerned that it’s too glossy. Maybe we should also have printed in big letters that the
brochure’s production costs were donated. I wouldn’t want sponsors thinking their money was
being spent on administrative costs.

20 CWS’s first task is to ensure that the day-care centres actually work, by reducing child
mortality rates and giving the women time to develop their own small businesses. Secondly,
we are planning to run a vocational training centre in the town of Pokhara, to train former
street children to do useful work. For example, Nepal has plenty of hydro-electric projects, but
not enough electricians. International companies moving into Kathmandu need bilingual
25 secretaries. We will provide them. Our third big plan is to build a city medical clinic for poor
villagers who need hospital treatment — with a hostel, free food, and free medical advice.

The idea for the clinic came when Gary Barnett, who is CWS’s construction manager,
met a boy called Kumar. Kumar had fallen into a fire when he was six months old. His family
had done their best, but they couldn’t afford medical treatment, and at the age of seven
30 Kumar’s right hand was still useless. We brought him and his father to Pokhara, and gave
them a room for three weeks. We helped them find their way to and around the hospital — not
easy for them because they are illiterate. Kumar had three operations but now he has a
straight arm. He can work in the fields and he can get married! We all became very fond of
Kumar — he’s an entertainer, and a brave little kid. And for a HK$150 operation, he has a life.

35 I invariably get cross when I see a Pajero jeep belonging to one of the international aid
agencies. One Pajero costs US$60,000 [HK$467,000]. That could pay for eight schools. That’s
education and self-empowerment for hundreds of people. All for the price of just one jeep!

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1. In lines 2–3, ‘movers and shakers’ means ....
A. earthquakes.
B. construction companies.
C. removal companies.
D. important people. 1.

2. According to paragraph 2, the main purpose of the child day-care centres is to ....
A. look after children who have no parents.
B. look after children while their mothers work.
C. cure children who are sick.
D. give children food. 2.

3. Which of the following is the correct definition of ‘model’ in line 8?

model n 1 a representation of sth, usu smaller than the original, e.g. a
model of the proposed airport 2 a design or type of product, e.g. The
latest model of X-box goes on sale next week. 3 a system used as the
basis for a copy, e.g. In our organisation, we are following the model
developed by Texaco. 4 a person employed to wear clothes, etc. for buyers
to look at, e.g. She is a model for Dior.
3.

4. What does ‘Others’ in line 12 refer to?

5. According to paragraph 3, which of the following is NOT a reason why the writer decided to raise
money in Hong Kong?
A. Hong Kong is a Chinese city.
B. It is a wealthy and generous place.
C. It is in the same part of the world as Nepal.
D. It has a historical link with Nepal. 5.

6. Using information from paragraphs 3 and 4, complete this diagram of CWS’s sponsors.

Jardine Security

CWS

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 7. In line 15, what does ‘that’ refer to?

8. In paragraph 4, the writer is concerned that people might get the wrong idea about the brochure.
a) What particularly does he not like about the brochure?

b) What opinion does he think people might therefore have about CWS?

9. Which word in paragraph 5 means ‘death’?

10. According to paragraph 5, Nepal does not have enough electricity. (Tick the appropriate box).
True False Not stated

11. What word in paragraph 6 means ‘cannot read’?

12. According to paragraph 6, Kumar’s operation was ....

A. paid for by the family.
B. cheap and effective.
C. expensive but worth it.
D. something that CWS could not afford to do often. 12.

13. What is the writer’s attitude to Kumar? Give reasons for your answer.

14. According to paragraph 7, the aid agencies’ Pajero jeeps make the writer cross because ....

The writer is keen that the CWS and its donors are seen in a positive way. Which adjectives does he use
in connection with the following to achieve this?

the child care centres (para 2) 15.

Hong Kong donors (para 3) 16.

the CWS organisation (para 4) 17.

the brochure (para 4) 18.

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 Examination tips — understanding autobiographical texts
Autobiographical texts are likely to include the following types of question:
z questions about the writer’s purpose (e.g. questions 15-18)
z questions about the writer’s opinion of events (e.g. questions 8 and 14)
z questions about the writer’s opinion of other people (question 13)
z questions about why the writer did certain things (e.g. question 5)
z questions which ask you to extract information from different parts of the text (questions
15–18)

3.4 Reading practice

Read the following article about an educational charity in Hong Kong and then answer the questions.

Small World makes a big difference

Three-year-old James’s short life had been difficult. His father had personal
problems and seldom saw his son, while his mother lived across the border in
Shenzhen. He was looked after by his aunt. When he entered Small World
Christian Kindergarten in 1996, he was unco-operative and miserable.

5 With the help of his teachers, James began to feel better about himself. Ellen
To Nga-ling, the headmistress, explained how the teachers work, “As we learn
more about the children, we get to know the root of their bad behaviour, which is
usually due to their family background. We give these children a lot of love which
helps them build up their self-esteem.” Now six, James (not his real name) is
10 happy and doing well in primary school. He maintains contact with his
kindergarten teachers. He sees his mother three times a year and gets along well
with her.

Small World is situated in Palm Street, Tai Kok Tsui, which borders a
neighbourhood of low-income families living in old, six-storey buildings with little
15 light and no lifts. The occupants include taxi-drivers, night watchmen,
construction workers, single parents, and immigrant families with mothers on
the mainland or fathers working in Shenzhen.

“Our mission is to help under-privileged children,” said Frederick Chan

Hoi-kit, a school governor. “We’re not after profit.” Small World does not select
20 its students based on their intelligence. It interviews every applicant’s family to
understand their situation and find out what they need. “Since we are located in
this area, most of the students we admit come from disadvantaged families,” Ms
To said.”

The origin of Small World Kindergarten can be traced back to 1995, when
25 three teenage girls were being cared for by the St. Stephen’s Society, a Christian
charity. The girls were poor, alone, unmarried and each had a baby. Workers at
St Stephen’s realised that there was no provision for such women, so a year later
they opened the kindergarten. “If these babies grow up without knowing what
they can do with their lives, they may follow in their mothers’ footsteps,” Mr.
30 Chan said. “We give them an education to help them to escape from the difficult
situations their families are in.”

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 Small World’s classes contain 24 children in the morning and 11 in the
afternoon. The kindergarten employs the Montessori teaching method. “We
allow the children to choose their own activities, learn at their own pace and
35 develop their interests,” Ms To said. Children are encouraged to move freely and
form their own friendships. Sometimes, they are taught in mixed-age groups.
For example, a six-year-old may pair up with a three-year-old and guide the
younger one.

Small World not only helps disadvantaged children, but their parents too.
40 In one case, a mother always used to shout at her four-year-old daughter and
five-year-old son. Both had bad tempers when they first entered Small World. “I
always argued with my husband and the children copied us,” the mother
explained. She joined the Small World’s mum’s group and learned to control her
own temper. After a year her children’s behaviour had also changed. “They
45 love the kindergarten so much that they want to attend the afternoon session as
well,” the mother said.

Most graduates of the kindergarten are doing well in primary schools,

according to Ms To, (a) . “Teachers in the neighbourhood’s primary
schools tell us the academic performance of our graduates (17) . Their
50 examination results are outstanding,” Ms To said. Graduates who come back on
Sunday tell the children (18) .

A third Small World kindergarten is due to open in Wong Tai Sin at the end
of the year. “We plan to expand (19) ,” Ms To said. “We hope to have a
fourth or fifth Small World kindergarten in other districts if it (20) .”

1. What is the meaning of ‘seldom’ in line 2?

A. never.
B. rarely.
C. sometimes.
D. often. 1.

2. Which of the following is the correct definition of ‘root’ in line 7?

root n 1. the part of a plant that grows underground. 2. the part of a hair,
tooth, etc. that attaches it to the rest of the body, e.g. pull hair out by the
roots 3. [C esp sing] the origin or basis of sth, e.g. The root of his problem
is that he spends too much money. 4. roots [pl] family origins or
connections, e.g. Our family’s roots are in Fujian Province.
2.

3. According to paragraph 4, Small World does not make a profit. (Tick the appropriate box.)
True False Not stated

4. When selecting children, Small World is most interested in ....

A. the most intelligent children.
B. the least intelligent children.
C. the children’s family background.
D. where the children live 4.

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 5. In line 29, ‘follow in their mothers’ footsteps’ means ....
A. walk behind their mothers.
B. make the same mistakes as their mothers.
C. do better than their mothers.
D. do worse than their mothers. 5.

Complete the notes below about Small World, based on the information given in the passage.
Small World Christian Kindergarten

6. Date opened

Address:
7. Street
8. District

9. Class size (am)

10. Class size (pm)
11. Religious affiliation

12. In paragraph 6, which word has the meaning ‘speed’?

The sentences below are possible headings for paragraphs 4, 5 and 6. From the six headings (A–F)
below, choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph and write the letter in the space provided.

A. Location
13. Paragraph 4 B. Teaching method
C. Support for parents
14. Paragraph 5
D. History
15. Paragraph 6 E. Pupil achievements
F. Admission policy

16. In line 41, what does ‘Both’ refer to?

Phrases are missing from the last two paragraphs. From the seven phrases (A–G) below, choose the
five which best complete the blanks 17–20 in the text. Write the letters in the spaces provided. One
has been done for you as an example.

(a) D A. is above average.

B. is possible.
17. C. which will help to increase our profits.
D. who sees them when they come to Small World’s
18. Sunday school.
E. are having trouble with the work.
19.
F. but we are not a rich organisation.
20. G. what life is like in primary school.

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 21. An alternative title for the article could be ....
A. Pupil James learns to be happy.
B. Small World Kindergarten in financial difficulty.
C. Local kindergarten accepts only top class pupils.
D. Kindergarten serves local community well. 21.

3.5 The proof-reading exercise — revision of errors identified as ‘wrong word’

In the proof-reading exercise, you are asked to correct a text containing mistakes which have been
identified using a marking code such as the following.
W = wrong choice of word or part of speech
T = wrong tense
S = incorrect spelling
N = wrong number
= missing word

The wrong word

Many different language errors can be identified by ‘W’, the symbol for ‘wrong word’. Here are the most
common ones, with examples.
In the sentences below, correct the underlined word by replacing it with ONE other word.

1. The appropriate item of vocabulary

Jane got into the escalator and got off at the 15th floor.

2. The appropriate verb + preposition combination

A football team contains of four types of player — defenders, attackers, mid-fielders and a goal-
keeper.

3. The appropriate preposition with a phrasal verb

Every day after school Emma looks for her baby brother until her mother comes home.

4. The appropriate preposition to complete an adjective or noun phrase

Many people are afraid from spiders.

5. The appropriate connector

I felt thirsty because I stopped for a drink.

6. The appropriate determiner

Every of the rooms in the hotel has its own bathroom.

7. The appropriate relative pronoun

She’s the actress which wore a spectacular dress at the Oscars ceremony.

8. The appropriate modal verb

Do you think it can be a good idea if we went home now?

9. The appropriate part of speech

Jan was bore by the film.

10. The appropriate verb to fit with the structure of the sentence
She didn’t say me the truth.

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3.6 Proof-reading exercise — practice (wrong word and spelling mistakes)
In the exercise below the mistakes have been underlined. Write the correct answer in the ‘Correction’
column. Each answer is ONE word only. One has been done for you. To help you, the type of
mistake has been written next to the underlined word.
W = wrong choice of word or part of speech
S = incorrect spelling

The charity I would support if I won a lot of money Correction

W
The charity I would support if I was lucky enough to win a lot of money can a. would
W
be Friends of the Earth, Hong Kong. I think that pollution is the more 1.
S
serious problem effecting Hong Kong, and I do not think that enough is 2.
W
being done to control it. Despite the government has introduced quite a 3.
W
few green measures in recent years, it still seems to do too many decisions 4.
W
without thinking for the environment. 5.

W
Even though everyone in Hong Kong says that they are worry about the 6.
W
environment, in practice most people do not act sensible. They still litter 7.
W
the streets, parks and beaches. Very little rubbish is being recycle. 8.
S
Bus and car drivers create unneccesary pollution by always running their 9.

engines while parked.

W
Friends of the Earth is the large and most effective green group in Hong 10.
W
Kong. It runs active campaigns to education people about environmental 11.
S
problems. The campains are fun, and people remember the message. The 12.
S
organisation has done a good job of pressurising the goverment through 13.
W
publicity campaigns, letters to the newspapers and give evidence to 14.
S
government commitees. It has also started to get involved with 15.
W
pollution problems in China, who are likely to be the biggest threat to the 16.
S
global enviroment in the twenty-first century. 17.

W
The charity also runs practical events for improve the environment, such as 18.
W
beach cleaning days, so I think it is a very worthless charity and I am proud 19.
W
to be a membership of it. 20.

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 COMPOSITION

3.7 Task 1 (100 words)

Write a short report based on information in a table.

Read the question, model answer and notes below.

Typical question
Write a short report (100 words) about Village Aid, using the information below.
Village Aid 2005 — key data
Purpose Charity to raise funds for education, agriculture and small business
projects in West African countries.

Location of projects 6 countries in West Africa, including

Ghana
Cameroon
Gambia
Sierra Leone

Income 2005 $1.3 million

Income 2004 $1.25 million

Sources of income 55% Grants from government

31% Monthly donations
14% One-off donations and gifts

Expenditure 84% charitable projects

12% fund-raising and publicity
4% administration

Quotations from beneficiaries

Farmer in Ghana: “Village Aid has helped us to get clean water for six villages. Now we do not worry
about catching diseases from polluted water.”
Teacher in Cameroon: “Thanks to Village Aid’s school-building programme, I am delighted that all
the primary age children in my area are now going to school and learning to read and write.”

Model answer

Village Aid 2005 — a report

Purpose of the organisation

Village Aid is a charity which raises funds for education, agriculture and small business projects
in six West African countries, including, Ghana, Cameroon, Gambia and Sierra Leone.

Financial information
In 2005 Village Aid received a total income of $1.3 million. This was a slight increase compared
with the income for 2004 of $1.25 million. 55% of this income came from grants from government,
31% from monthly donations and 14% from one-off donations and gifts. Village Aid spent 84%
of its funds on projects, 12% on fund-raising and 4% on administration.

Response from beneficiaries

Village Aid’s work is much appreciated by the beneficiaries. For example, one farmer in Ghana
said that the villagers no longer worried about catching diseases from polluted water. A teacher
in Cameroon was delighted that all the primary age children in his area were now going to
school and learning to read and write.

36
Notes on this composition

Tips for this composition

z use the Present Simple to describe the organisation and what it does
z use the Past Simple to describe past events (e.g. what happened last year or how money was
raised)
z be careful to insert articles and verbs when transferring the notes in the table into written text
z you may not need to use all the examples listed in the table
z when including people’s comments, you can use reported speech or direct speech, or a mixture of
both

Useful words and phrases

Village Aid is an organisation which…
…including…
This was a slight/large increase/decrease…
… compared with…
(money)… came from…(donors)
It spent money on …
Its work is much appreciated by beneficiaries…

3.8 Task 1 – practice

Write a short report (100 words) about Operation Santa Claus 2005, using the information below.

Operation Santa Claus Appeal 2005 — key data

Purpose Appeal to raise funds for 12 different Hong Kong
charities each year

Organisers RTHK and ‘The South China Morning Post’

Money raised 2005 $12.18 million (a new record)

Money raised 2004 $7.2 million

Number of beneficiary charities 12 organisations, including:

HK Federation of the Blind
Senior Citizen Home Safety Association
St. Christopher’s Home
Hans Andersen Club
Arts with the Disabled Association
St. James’s Settlement

Number of major donors 29 businesses, including:

Morgan Stanley
Cathay Pacific
HK Disneyland
Starbucks
Hysan Property
Sino Group
Lan Kwai Fong Company

Other donations $1 million donated by an anonymous donor

on-line donations by members of the public
thousands of fund-raising events

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 Quotations from beneficiaries
St James’s settlement worker: “We are very grateful that Hong Kong is blessed with so many people
who have generosity and love.”
Hans Anderson Club spokesperson: “It’s wonderful. But it’s not just marvellous about the money —
people have also contacted us to volunteer.”

Title:

Purpose of the organisation:

Financial information:

Response from beneficiaries:

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3.9 Task 2 (250 words)
Complete ONE of these tasks. Write about 250 words.

1. One Saturday you see the scene in the pictures below. Describe the scene and what happened
next.

2. Which charity do you most strongly support? Describe the work of the charity and explain why
it is important. Describe work you have done for the charity, if any.

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 3.10 Writing practice — question 1

One Saturday you see the scene in the pictures. Describe the scene and what happened next.

Tips for this composition

z decide whether the story is being told in the first person (‘I’) or the third person.
z describe the setting (where? when? who with? doing what?)
z use adjectives to describe how the person is feeling
z think of a surprising ‘twist’ to the story
z use dialogue to make the story real

Useful words and phrases

flag day
collector
collection tin
sticker
badge
thief
snatch
run away
run after

3.11 Writing practice — question 2

Which charity do you most strongly support? Describe the work of the charity and explain why
it is important. Describe work you have done for the charity, if any.

Tips for this composition

z Follow the format of the proof-reading, Exercise 3.6
z Use the Present Simple tense to describe the charity and its work
z First paragraph — introduce the charity and say briefly what it does and why this is important
z Second paragraph — describe the problems that the charity deals with
z Third paragraph — give examples of the charity’s work
z Fourth paragraph — say what work you do for the charity (if any) and summarise your opinion
about the charity

Useful words and phrases

The most serious problem facing Hong Kong is…
not enough is being done to deal with…
an effective group
protest against something
run a publicity campaign
write letters to the newspapers
pressurise the government
give evidence to a committee
contribute to the community
a worthwhile/valuable organisation

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3.12 Vocabulary checklist
Check that you understand these new words and phrases in this unit, not already listed in the
vocabulary section at the beginning of this unit.

administration /Wd»mˆnˆ«streˆßn/ hydro-electric /«haˆdrW¨ e«lektrˆk/

administrative /Wd«mˆnˆstrWtˆv/ illiterate /ˆ«lˆtWrWt/
admit sb (e.g. to school) /Wd«mˆt/ jeep /dΩiÄp/
admission low-income
affect v /W«fekt/ night watchman
amateur /«æmetW/ open-hearted
be appreciated by /e«priÄ߈eˆtˆd/ outstanding /»a¨t«stændˆ˜/
bilingual /»baˆ«lˆ˜˝wWl/ plaque /plæk/
day-care centre profit
disadvantaged /dˆsWd«våÄntdΩd/ religious affiliation /e«fˆlˆeˆtˆd/
effect n /W«fekt/ seldom /«seldWm/
expenditure /eks«pendˆtßW/ self-esteem /«self W«stiÄm/
generous /«dΩenWrWs/ vocational training /vW«keˆßWnl/
generosity /»dΩenW«rÅsˆtˆ/ worthless /«w±Ä†lWs/
glossy worthwhile /»w±Ä†«waˆl/

41