Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. nonprofit
    • ex. My cousin works for a nonprofit organization that provides food to the homeless.
  2. restore
    • ex. The team of painters is restoring the painting to its original condition.
  3. a donation
    • ex. We always give donations to the local hospital.
  4. pediatric
    • ex. She is a pediatric nurse who takes care of babies and young children.
  5. affection
    • ex. The children showed their affection for their teacher by giving her a handmade card.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Hospital for Soft Toys, a nonprofit organization in Venezuela, is restoring old toys. Barbie dolls, teddy bears, and other toys that children no longer use are fixed and prepared. Then they are given as donations to different hospitals and schools. The project began when Lilian Gluck, a teacher, thought about what to do with her children’s old toys after they left the country.

Instead of throwing them away, Gluck decided to clean, repair, and give them to pediatric patients at the University Hospital of Caracas. After a few months, it became popular. Encouraged by the response, Lilian opened the Hospital for Soft Toys at her home. It became a nonprofit group that collects and fixes toys and educational games. Now, about 60 volunteers meet twice a week, restoring toys and educational games. In the past seven years, they have repaired around 70,000 toys.

The volunteers also experience something special from this work. Silvia Heiber said she likes the support that volunteers get from each other. She likes that the toys are given to anyone who needs a little affection. Mirna Morales called it “one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Restoring Things

  • Hospital for Soft Toys in Venezuela restores old toys and gives them as gifts again. How would you feel if you received a restored toy as a gift? Discuss.
  • Would you give a restored toy as a gift? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Aside from old toys, what other things do you think should be restored and not thrown away? Discuss.

Experience of Volunteers

  • The volunteers experience something special from working with Hospital for Soft Toys. What special thing do you think volunteers experience from doing such work? Discuss.
  • Imagine that you are going to volunteer. What organization would you choose to volunteer to? Discuss.
  • Mirna Morales described her experience as a volunteer as “one of the best.” What was one of the best experiences you had as a volunteer? Discuss.