Two friends, Eric and Wendy, are sitting in a café enjoying a coffee. They talk and look at the other people in the café. There is a rich-looking man in a business suit sitting at a table near them. As he stands up to leave, his cell phone rings. He answers it and walks away.
Eric and Wendy realize that he has left his briefcase. He was distracted by the phone call. They both look at the briefcase for a moment and wonder if it is full of money.
But they only hesitate for a moment. They know that the briefcase belongs to the man, and he will be very upset if he loses it. They both jump up from their chairs. Wendy runs after the man, shouting, “Hey, sir! Sir, you forgot your briefcase!”
Eric stands next to the briefcase and waits. He wants to be sure that nothing happens to it while Wendy goes to find the man.
When he hears Wendy, the man stops and looks at her. “I’m sorry, I have to go,” he says into his cell phone, ending the call. “My briefcase! I cannot believe I forgot it! Thank you so much!”
He follows Wendy back to his table in the café. He smiles at Eric, who is standing next to his briefcase without touching it.
“Thank you so much,” the man says. “This briefcase is full of important research papers and some pictures of my family. These things are very important to me, but they are not useful to anyone else. I am so glad I did not lose them
English Reading Practice
Moral Story Number 19:
Try Not to Do Things to Others That You Would Not Like Them to Do to You
1. Watch the video at the top of the page.
2. Read the story “Try Not to Do Things to Others That You Would Not Like Them to Do to You” just below it.
3. Do the exercises at the bottom of the page.
Here is the Try Not to Do Things to Others that You Would Not Like Them to Do to You video. You can watch it in your own language at The Way to Happiness Foundation. (Simply click the word “language” at the top right corner of that page.)
The Way to Happiness is a common sense guide to better living which has been distributed to more than 100 million people in over 100 languages. It describes 21 principles to a better quality of life.
Principle number 4 is “Try Not to Do Things to Others That You Would Not Like Them to Do to You.”
Now read the short story about this important principle.
Try Not to Do Things to Others That You Would Not Like Them to Do to You
Two friends, Eric and Wendy, are sitting in a café enjoying a coffee. They talk and look at the other people in the café. There is a rich-looking man in a business suit sitting at a table near them. As he stands up to leave, his cell phone rings. He answers it and walks away.
Eric and Wendy realize that he has left his briefcase. He was distracted by the phone call. They both look at the briefcase for a moment and wonder if it is full of money.
But they only hesitate for a moment. They know that the briefcase belongs to the man, and he will be very upset if he loses it. They both jump up from their chairs. Wendy runs after the man, shouting, “Hey, sir! Sir, you forgot your briefcase!”
Eric stands next to the briefcase and waits. He wants to be sure that nothing happens to it while Wendy goes to find the man.
When he hears Wendy, the man stops and looks at her. “I’m sorry, I have to go,” he says into his cell phone, ending the call. “My briefcase! I cannot believe I forgot it! Thank you so much!”
He follows Wendy back to his table in the café. He smiles at Eric, who is standing next to his briefcase without touching it.
“Thank you so much,” the man says. “This briefcase is full of important research papers and some pictures of my family. These things are very important to me, but they are not useful to anyone else. I am so glad I did not lose them!”
Wendy and Eric smile. They are happy that the man did not lose his documents.
“Let me pay for your coffee,” the man offers. “You have really saved me today!”
Wendy and Eric accept and say thank you to the man. They are glad no one took his briefcase. They know you should not do things to others that you would not like them to do to you. And no one wants to lose important work or special photos. They enjoy their coffee even more after helping the man.
And now, practice:
Exercises
Vocabulary Questions
1. What does “briefcase” mean?
a) a lady’s purse
b) a backpack
c) a big suitcase for traveling
d) a small bag for carrying papers
2. What does “hesitate” mean?
a) to do something immediately
b) to think for a moment before doing something
c) to do something very slowly
d) to rush as you do something
3. What does “glad” mean?
a) upset
b) happy
c) bored
d) interested
Grammar Questions
1. Let me pay ________ your coffee.
a) of
b) for
c) to
d) about
2. I am so glad I ________ lose them.
a) have not
b) does not
c) has not
d) did not
3. They know that the briefcase belongs ________ the man.
a) with
b) to
c) for
d) of
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