Two Feet Snow or Two Snow Feet

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/country/american+english.html
http://www.easyenglish.info/questions-about-the-bible/1sam-qbw.htm
http://www.eslfast.com/eslread/

WeChat ESL Class on Mar. 5, 2016

A. High Lights of your week

B. Breaking News in the world

C. Short Story: A Changed Man

He was a mean man. He treated people badly. He has no respect for anyone or anything. He spits on the ground. He sticks his gum on desks. He makes people cry. He makes his dates pay for dinner. He yells at his maid. His wife decided to leave him. This changed him. He wanted her back.

He became nice. He donated to the poor. He volunteered at the animal shelter. He gave compliments to people. He wrote a letter to his wife. He stuck pictures of himself doing good things on the letter. He sent it. Hopefully she would come back to him.

1. What do you think about this man?
2. Do you think his wife will come back to him?

D. Idioms: make a sentence with each idiom.

1. get going
2. get a kick out of
3. get real
4. in stock
5. in the red
6. in time
7. jump the gun
8. keep an eye on
9. keep one's chin up
10. keep in touch
    
    E. Bible Lesson: Proverbs 1

Proverbs 1New International Version (NIV)

Purpose and Theme

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

² for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
³ for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
⁴ for giving prudence to those who are simple,^[a]
    knowledge and discretion to the young—
⁵ let the wise listen and add to their learning,
    and let the discerning get guidance—
⁶ for understanding proverbs and parables,
    the sayings and riddles of the wise.

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

⁸ Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
⁹ They are a garland to grace your head
    and a chain to adorn your neck.

¹⁰ My son, if sinful men entice you,
    do not give in to them.
¹¹ If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
¹² let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
¹³ we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴ cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot”—
¹⁵ my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot on their paths;
¹⁶ for their feet rush into evil,
    they are swift to shed blood.
¹⁷ How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
¹⁸ These men lie in wait for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!
¹⁹ Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.

Wisdom’s Rebuke

²⁰ Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹ on top of the wall she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

²² “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
²⁹ since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
³⁰ Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

1. Who wrote most of the proverbs?
2. What do the wise and those of understanding do?
3. What will produce knowledge in someone?
4. Who and what are we to avoid?
5. What will happen if we refuse wisdom?

WeChat ESL Class on Feb. 27, 2016

A. High Lights of your week

B. Breaking News in the world

C. Special Holiday:

Presidents' Day in the United States

Washington's Birthday, also known as Presidents' Day, is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of February. The day honors presidents of the United States, including George Washington, the USA's first president.

What Do People Do?

Washington's Birthday officially honors the life and work of George Washington, the first president of the United States. The day commemorates past presidents of the USA. Washington's Birthday is sometimes known as Presidents' Day. This is because while most states have adopted Washington's Birthday, some states officially celebrate Presidents' Day.
Some states pay particular attention to Abraham Lincoln, as his birthday was also in mid-February. In the weeks or days leading up to the holiday, schools often organize events and lessons for students about the presidents of the United States and George Washington in particular. It is a popular day for stores to start their sales.
The US federal holiday is on the third Monday of February each year, but records show that George Washington's birthday is on February 22.

Public Life

Many businesses are open as usual and many stores hold sales on Washington's Birthday. Many delivery services, except for the Post Office, have a regular service and many, but not all, public transit systems operate on regular schedules. Some schools close for the whole week for a mid-winter recess. According to some government sources, Indiana observes the Washington's birthday holiday in December.

Background

George Washington was the first president of the United States of America. His first term as president was from 1789 to 1793 and his second term from 1793 to 1797. Before he became president, he played important roles in the military, leading the American Continental Army to victory over the British in 1783. Washington is often seen as the father of the United States and is probably the best known American politician ever.
The likeness and name of George Washington can still be seen in many places in the United States. There is the portrait of him and three other American presidents carved into Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. His image is also used on the one-dollar bill and the quarter-dollar coin. The capital of the United States, Washington D.C., Washington State and at least three universities are named after him.
Washington's Birthday was first celebrated as a holiday in the District of Columbia in 1880. It was made a federal holiday in 1885. The holiday was originally held on the anniversary of George Washington's birth, on February 22. In 1971, this holiday was moved to the third Monday in February.
This holiday is legally designated as "Washington’s Birthday". Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is the federal government’s policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.

D. Short Jokes:
a).
My five-year-old, Matt, worked with a speech therapist on the ch sound, which came out k. The 
therapist asked him to say chicken. He responded with kitchen. They tried again and again, but it always came out kitchen. Undeterred, she pushed him for one more try. Matt sighed and said, “Why don’t we 
just call it a duck?”
b).

I’m driving with this guy, and 
he runs right through a Stop sign. So 
I say, “Hey, that was a Stop sign.” And he says, “I drive like my brother!” A few blocks later, he plows right through a red light. I say, “You just ran a red light.” And he says, “I drive like my brother!” So now we’re coming up on a green light, and he slows down. I’m confused, so I say, “It’s green; why are you slowing down?” He says, “My brother might be coming.”

E. Bible Lesson:

Psalms, the Songs Sung to God A psalm is a song that is sung to God. Since the beginning of the world, people have done this. People look up and see how great the One True God is. They see the sky, sun, moon and stars God created. They see trees, mountains, rivers and valleys God created. They feel joy in their hearts that such a great God loves every person on earth. They want to sing to God. They want to thank Him and ask for his help. People have written and sung many songs to God. The Bible contains 150 of these songs to God.

Psalm 103

¹ Praise the Lord, my soul;    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹ The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
²² Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

PSALM 103 Study Questions

1. The psalm begins and ends with the words “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” What does it mean for us to bless the Lord?
2. Verse 2 tells us not to forget His benefits. What are those benefits according to the following verses?
3. In what way is our youth renewed like the eagle’s (verse 5)?
4. Verse 8 reassures us that the Lord is merciful and gracious. How?
5. Verses 11 and 12 use superlatives: high as the heavens, as far as the east is from the west. What do they describe?
6. Verse 14 gives a reason for God’s compassion to those who fear Him. Explain it.
7. What is the contrast between man and God in verses 15 -19?
8. Who and what is told to bless the Lord in the concluding verses?
9. What can I do to bless the Lord?

WeChat ESL Class on Feb. 20, 2016 Jesus Healed Many People.

A. High Lights of your week

B. Breaking News in the world
C. Special Holiday

Valentine's Day in the United States

Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14. It is a festival of romantic love and many people give cards, letters, flowers or presents to their spouse or partner. They may also arrange a romantic meal in a restaurant or night in a hotel. Common symbols of Valentine's Day are hearts, red roses and Cupid.

Valentine's Day February 14: one of the most romantic days of the year.

What Do People Do?

Many people celebrate their love for their partner by sending cards or letters, giving gifts or flowers and arranging meals in restaurants or romantic nights in hotels. People who would like to have a romantic relationship with somebody may use the occasion to make this known, often anonymously. Valentine's cards are often decorated with images of hearts, red roses or Cupid. Common Valentine's Day gifts are flowers chocolates, candy, lingerie and champagne or sparkling wine. However, some people use the occasion to present lavish gifts, such as jewelry. Many restaurants and hotels have special offers at this time. These can include romantic meals or weekend breaks.

Public Life

Valentine's Day is not a public holiday. Government offices, stores, schools and other organizations are open as usual. Public transit systems run on their regular schedule. Restaurants may be busier than usual as many people go out for an evening with their spouse or partner. Valentine's Day is also a very popular date for weddings.

Background

There are a number of Saints called Valentine who are honored on February 14. The day became associated with romantic love in the Middle Ages in England. This may have followed on from the Pagan fertility festivals that were held all over Europe as the winter came to an end. Traditionally, lovers exchanged hand written notes. Commercial cards became available in the mid nineteenth century.

Symbols

The most common Valentine's Day symbols are the heart, particularly in reds and pinks, and pictures or models of Cupid. Cupid is usually portrayed as a small winged figure with a bow and arrow. In mythology, he uses his arrow to strike the hearts of people. People who have fallen in love are sometimes said to be 'struck by Cupid's arrow. Other symbols of Valentine's Day are couples in loving embraces and the gifts of flowers, chocolate, red roses and lingerie that couples often give each other.

Talk About Valentine's Day in other countries.

D.  Complete each of the following sentences with the correct nationality. 

Ex: Mike is from Korea. He is Korean. 
1. Shahin is from Iran. He is . 
2. Billy is from China. He is . 
3. Yoko is from Japan. She is . 
4. Sarah is from Afghanistan. She is . 
5. Samir is from Lebanon. He is . 
6. Noa is from Israel. She is . 
7. Andy is from Thailand. He is . 
8. Rajiv is from India. He is . 
9. Mohammed is from Indonesia. He is . 
10. Betty is from Turkey. She is . 
11. Amira is from Pakistan. She is . 
12. Sako is from Armenia. He is . 
13. Joy is from Vietnam. She is . 
14. Omar is from Iraq. He is . 
15. Tom is from Sri Lanka. He is . 
E. Bible Lesson Jesus Healed Many People.
A). Discuss the following questions before reading. 
1. What promises did God make to Abraham? 
2. Did Abraham please God? How? 
3. How will God bless everyone through Abraham? 
4. Why did Jesus came? 
B). Read the following passage. 
     As Jesus came down the mountain, he was followed by large crowds. Suddenly a man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus. He said, “Lord, you have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to.”
     Jesus put his hand on the man and said, “I want to! Now you are well.” At once the man's leprosy disappeared. Jesus told him, “Don't tell anyone about this, but go and show the priest that you are well. Then take a gift to the temple just as Moses commanded, and everyone will know that you have been healed.” 
     When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, and an army officer came up to him and said, “Lord, my servant is at home with such terrible pain that he can't even move.” “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied. 
     But the officer said, “Lord, I'm not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, „Go!‟ and he goes. I can say to another, „Come!‟ and he comes. I can say to my servant, „Do this!‟ and he will do it.” 
     When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you that in all of Israel I‟ve never found anyone with this much faith! Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain.” Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.” Right then his servant was healed. 
     Jesus went to the home of Peter, where he found that Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever. He took her by the hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and served Jesus a meal. 
     That evening many people with demons in them were brought to Jesus. And with only a word he forced out the evil spirits and healed everyone who was sick. So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said, “He healed our diseases and made us well.”               Matthew 8:1-17 (CEV) 
C). Circle the letter of the best answer or answers for each blank according to the reading. 1. Jesus was followed by _______________. a. a man with leprosy b. a lawyer c. a prophet d. large crowds 
2. Jesus told the man with leprosy to _______________. a. tell everyone what happened b. go to the priest c. take a gift to the temple d. give money to the poor 
3. An army officer wanted _______________ . a. to be healed b. his servant to be healed 
4. The army officer had _______________. a. little faith b. great faith 
5. _______________ will enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven. a. Jacob b. Many people from everywhere c. Abraham d. Isaac 
6. The ones who should have been in the kingdom will ____________. a. be thrown out into the dark b. cry and grit their teeth in pain 
7. Peter's mother-in-law _______________. a. had a fever b. died from a fever c. was healed by Jesus d. served Jesus a meal 
8. Jesus forced out evil spirits with _______________. a. prayers b. a ceremony c. a drink d. a word 
D). Answer the following questions by writing a complete sentence. 
1. What did the man with leprosy want Jesus to do?  
2. What did Jesus tell the man with leprosy to do? 
3. How did the army officer show respect to Jesus?
4. What did Jesus say about the army officer's faith? 
5. Who will enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven? 
6. How did Jesus force out evil spirits? 
E). Answer the following questions by writing complete sentences. Then discuss your answers. 
1. Why was Jesus healing people and forcing out evil spirits? 
2. Where did Jesus get the power to heal people? 
3. Why was Jesus surprised by the army officer‟s faith? 
4. What is the “feast in the kingdom of heaven”? Who will enjoy the feast with Abraham? Why? 

WeChat ESL Class on Feb. 13, 2016 Jesus was Born.

A. High Lights of your week

B. Breaking News in the world

C. Complete the idioms:

1. Hanna is always up before the sun. She is an early _____________.
2. Vicki wouldn't speak to her friend Matt. She gave him the cold _______.
3. Martin was feeling _________ when his best friend moved away.
4. I think you will be eating your ________ when I prove you wrong.
5. When her team won the hockey championship, Reena was sitting on top of the _________.
6. Graduating from cooking school is a big ______ towards becoming a chef.
7. Jess and I will be ________ out at the park after school.
8. Billy is practical. He is a very down to _______ person.
9. Time _______ when you are having fun.
10. When my boss asked me at the last minute to prepare for a presentation, I was really under the ________ to finish it on time.

D. Bible Story : Jesus was Born
a). Discuss the following questions before reading.
1. What did God promise to Abraham?
2. How would God bless everyone on earth?
3. How was Jesus an answer to these promises? 

b). Read the following passage.
Jesus Christ came from the family of King David and also from the family of Abraham.
This is how Jesus Christ was born. A young woman named Mary was engaged to Joseph from King David‟s family. But before they were married, she learned that she was going to have a baby by God‟s Holy Spirit. Joseph was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding. While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” So the Lord‟s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.” After Joseph woke up, he and Mary were soon married, just as the Lord‟s angel had told him to do.
 
Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David‟shometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David‟s family. Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.
 
When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said, “Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard about this, he  was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?” They told him, “He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote, „Bethlehem in the land of Judea, you are very important among the towns of Judea. From your town will come a leader, who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.‟” Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.”
 
The wise men listened to what the king said and left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star. When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him.
                                                    (Matthew 1:1, 18-24; Luke 2:3-7; Matthew 2:1-11 (CEV))
c). Is the statement T (true) or F (false)?
1. Jesus was a descendant of Abraham and Sarah.
2. Mary became pregnant with Jesus by the power of God.
3. An angel told Joseph that his son will save people from their sins.
4. God‟s promise about a virgin came true just as the prophet had said.
5. King Herod was excited to hear about the baby born to be king.
6. The wise men wanted to see the baby born to be the next king.
7. The wise men brought gifts for Joseph and Mary.
 
d). Match the following words with their meanings. Write the correct letter on
the line.
1. kneel down                                 a. kind of grass that animals eat
2. dream                                          b. a person who takes care of sheep
3. virgin                                           c. hotel, place to sleep while traveling
4. save                                              d. rest your body on your knees
5. thrilled                                         e. a person who has never had sex
6. inn                                                f. group of thoughts while you are asleep
7. shepherd                                      g. very excited
8. hay                                               h. rescue, take away from danger
 
Use the words above to complete the following sentences.
1. A __________ named Mary was engaged to Joseph.
2. Joseph saw an angel in a __________.
3. The angel told Joseph that Jesus will __________ people.
4. Joseph and Mary could't find a room in an __________.
5. Mary laid the baby Jesus on ___________.
6. Herod learned that the Messiah would be like a ______________.
7. The wise men were _______________ to see the baby.
8. They __________________ and gave gifts to the baby born to be king.
 
e). Answer the following questions by writing a complete sentence.
1. How did Mary get a baby before marrying Joseph?

2. Why did Joseph decide not to call off the wedding?

3. What did Joseph learn from the angel about the baby?

4. Why did Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem?

5. How did King Herod know that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem?

6. What did the wise men do when they saw Mary with her child?
 
f). Answer the following questions by writing complete sentences. Then discuss
your answers.
1. How was Jesus‟ birth different from the birth of other people? Why was it necessary for Jesus‟ birth to be different?

2. How did God communicate to people that Jesus the Messiah was coming?

3. Why did God send Jesus?

4. Why was Jesus also called Immanuel?

WeChat ESL Class on Jan. 30, 2016 - God Chose Abraham.

A. High Lights of your week

B. Breaking News in the world

C. Short Story:

Chinese New Year

Written by Jason Cuce

Chinese New Year 2016 falls on Monday, February 08, 2016

Red Lanterns in an Alley

Photo © Morgane Constanty at SXC

The ancient Chinese calendar is a "lunisolar" calendar, in that it is a hybrid calendar based both on the location of the Moon and the location of the Sun relative to the Earth. In contrast, the Gregorian calendar that is widely used today is primarily a solar calendar, which is derived from the fact that it takes approximately 365 days for the Earth to make one complete orbit around the Sun. As Chinese New Year is an ancient Chinese holiday based on the lunisolar calendar, it doesn't fall on the same Gregorian calendar day each year - it falls within a range of Gregorian calendar days instead. This range spans from January 21 - February 20.
Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is one of the most important, if not the most important, celebrations in Chinese culture. The celebrations surrounding the holiday last 15 days, and there are a myriad of festivities and observed traditions that occur within those 15 days. Many of these festivities revolve around the origins of the holiday and the mythical beast called Nian, which means "year" or "years" in Chinese.

History and Mythology

A long time ago in China, a monster called Nian (?) came down from the mountains once a year and terrorized villagers - small children in particular. The villagers were very afraid of the Nian, so they attempted to use any method possible to frighten the monster away or get it to leave. One of the tactics involved making food for the monster and leaving it on the doorstep so that it would be full and go back to the mountains. At another time, the villagers noticed that it was afraid of a small child who was wearing red. They realized that the Nian was afraid of the color red, and began wearing red at that time of year to keep the beast away. In addition to wearing red, they found that loud noises and fireworks helped frighten the monster.

Celebrations

As legend has it, the Nian still lives in the mountains of China. It is customary to wear red and shoot fireworks each year during the Spring Festival, to help keep the Nian and other evil spirits away. The traditional "Lion Dance" involves several of these customs and many others. According to Wikipedia, each day has its own unique celebration. For example, on the first day of the Spring or New Year Festival, people will gather together for large feasts and spend time with family. On the fourth day, people begin returning to work. The eighth, ninth and tenth days involve celebrating the birth of the Jade Emperor, who is considered to be the head of the heavenly bureaucracy. The festival ends on the fifteenth day which is also known as the Lantern Festival.

D: Complete each idiom:

1. Kevin is coughing and sneezing. He is feeling under the _____________.
2. Kevin didn't finish his homework. When his teacher finds out, he will be in hot __________.
3. Do you need help fixing the car? I'd be happy to lend you a ____________.
4. I'd like to get started on this project. Would you please help me get the ball ____________.
5. Max's hamster is very old. I'm surprised it hasn't kicked the __________ yet.
6. I heard an annoying, slow dripping sound. The sound is driving me up a ______________.
7. All that glitters isn't ____________.
8. Easy come, easy _____________.
9. Hold your ____________ or you will eat crow.
10. You cannot have your __________ and eat it too.

E. Bible Lesson: God Chose Abraham.

a). Read the following passage.
After Terah was seventy years old, he had three sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran, who became the father of Lot. Terah‟s sons were born in the city of Ur in Chaldea, and Haran died there before the death of his father. The following is the story of Terah‟s descendants. Abram married Sarai, but she was not able to have any children.
The LORD said to Abram: Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.
Abram was seventy-five years old when the LORD told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had gotten while in Haran. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram went as far as the sacred tree of Moreh in a place called Shechem. The Canaanites were still living in the land at that time, but the LORD appeared to Abram and promised, “I will give this land to your family forever.” Abram then built an altar there for the LORD.
Later the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, don‟t be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly.” But Abram answered, “LORD All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own. You have not given me any children, and this servant of mine will inherit everything.” The LORD replied, “No, he won‟t! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his.” Then the LORD took Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That‟s how many descendants you will have.” Abram believed the LORD, and the was pleased with him.
Abram was ninety-nine years old when the LORD appeared to him again and said, “I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right, I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted.” Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said: I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That‟s why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham. I will give you a lot of descendants, and in the future they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings.
Although Abraham was very old, Sarah had a son exactly at the time God had said. Abraham named his son Isaac, and when the boy was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, just as the Lord had commanded. Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born, and Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Now everyone will laugh with me. Who would have dared to tell Abraham that someday I would have a child? But in his old age, I have given him a son.”
Genesis 11:26-29; 12:1-7; 15:1-6; 17:1-6; 21:2-7 (CEV)

b). Circle the letter of the best answer or answers for each blank according to the reading.
1. God told Abraham to leave ____________________.
a. his country
b. his relatives
c. Haran
d. Canaan
2. God told Abraham to go to ___________________.
a. Ur
b. his country
c. the land he will show him
d. the land he came from
3. God said he would make Abraham‟s descendants into __________.
a. a large army
b. a large country
4. God said he would ___________________ Abraham.
a. bless
b. curse
c. give many descendants to
d. bless others because of
5. When God spoke to Abraham, he _____________ God.
a. believed
b. doubted
c. trusted
d. had faith in
6. God declared Abraham right with him because Abraham _________ God.
a. believed
b. obeyed
c. listened to
d. doubted
7. God was good to Abraham and Sarah and kept his _____________.
a. son
b. promise
8. When Isaac was born, Sarah ________________.
a. was sad and cried
b. was happy and laughed

c). Answer the following questions by writing complete sentences. Then
discuss your answers.

1. Summary the part or the whole story in your own words. What do you like the most about this story?

2. What did God ask Abraham to do? Do you think that these were easy or difficult things for Abraham to do? Why?

3. God told Abraham that his descendants would be a great nation and that some of his descendants would be kings. Do you think it was easy for Abraham to believe this promise? Why or why not?

4. How did Abraham show that he believed God and trusted him?

5. Why did God choose Abraham and bless him? Was he good to Abraham because Abraham was a good man?

Gates of Paradise

WeChat ESL Class on Jan. 23, 2016 God Destroyed with a Flood.

A. High Lights of your week

B. Breaking News in the world

C. Short Story: New to America

Nancy was new to America. She came to America speaking only her native language. She brought her 8-year-old son with her. He was all she had in the world.

They found an apartment in Arcadia. They were there for only two months when a neighbor's dog jumped over the fence. The dog ran toward Nancy's son. Nancy put her body in between the dog and her son. The dog stopped when it saw Nancy screaming at it. She was going to punch it in the nose. The dog turned around.

Shaking, Nancy took her son upstairs. They stayed in the apartment all weekend. Then Nancy found another apartment, close to the school that her son was going to attend.

She and her son walked everywhere. One day her son started coughing badly. He had an asthma attack. All the walking was making his asthma worse.

Nancy knew that she had to buy a car. So she called up the Honda dealer. She talked to a salesman who spoke her language. She told him that she wanted to buy a new car if he could come over to pick her up. The salesman said he would be right over.

 
D. American Idioms 

Idioms - A (Don't) add fuel to the fire (Don't) add insult to injury (Don't) kick a man when he's’s down - Don't make a bad situation even worse. Absence makes the heart grow fonder - Being far away from a person you love makes your love even stronger. A penny saved is a penny earned - It's good to save money, rather than spending and wasting it. A picture is worth a thousand words - Pictures can give more information than words alone. Actions speak louder than words - What you actually do is more important than what you say you will do. (It's) all in your head - imagined, not real Around the clock - all the time; 24 hours Asleep at the wheel - not paying attention; not doing his/her responsibilities (Shout or yell) at the top of your lungs - (to shout or yell) as loud as you can

Idiom Advice Using the idioms, give advice to these people: Tom: I really want to go see a movie tonight, but I'm trying to save my money to buy a new watch. Advice:_____________________________________________ Julie: I just saw my brother's girlfriend with another boy, but he's in a really bad mood because he got fired this morning. Do you think I should tell him? Advice:_____________________________________________ Iris: Did you hear that? I think I heard something in the kitchen! Wait. . . . I'm not sure. There it is again! I think I heard something. Do you hear it? Maybe it's a ghost! Maybe it's a thief! Advice:_____________________________________________ William: My grandfather is so old that he's almost deaf. When I talk to him, he doesn't even notice that I'm talking. Advice:_____________________________________________ Rita: My sister always steals my money! I yelled at her, and she apologized and promised that she would stop, but I don't know if I should believe her. Advice:_____________________________________________ David: My girlfriend got a really good job offer in Taipei, but I’m afraid that if she moves away, she’ll forget about me and we might break up. Advice:_____________________________________________

E. Bible Lesson : Genesis 6, 7, 8  God Destroyed with a Flood
a). Discuss the following questions before reading:

1. What were the first people on the earth like ?
2. What is a flood?
3. What happens during a flood? 

b). Read the following passage:

More and more people were born, until finally they spread all over the earth. The Lord saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil. But the Lord was pleased with Noah, and this is the story about him.

Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God. He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. God knew that everyone was terribly cruel and violent. So he told Noah: Cruelty and violence have spread everywhere. Now I‟m going to destroy the whole earth and all its people. Get some good lumber and build a boat. Put rooms in it and cover it with tar inside and out. Make it four hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. Build a roof on the boat and leave a space of about eighteen inches between the roof and the sides. Make the boat three stories high and put a door on one side. I‟m going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive. But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law will be kept safe in the boat. Bring into the boat with you a male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, as well as a male and a female of every reptile. I don‟t want them to be destroyed. Store up enough food both for yourself and for them. Noah did everything the Lord told him to do.The Lord told Noah: Take your whole family with you into the boat, because you are the only one on this earth who pleases me. Seven days from now I will send rain that will last for forty days and nights, and I will destroy all other living creatures I have made.

Seven days later a flood began to cover the earth. For forty days the rain poured down without stopping. And the water became deeper and deeper, until the boat started floating high above the ground. Finally, the mighty flood was so deep that even the highest mountain peaks were almost twenty-five feet below the surface of the water. Not a bird, animal, reptile, or human was left alive anywhere on earth. The Lord destroyed everything that breathed. Nothing was left alive except Noah and the others in the boat. A hundred fifty days later, the water started going down. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was completely dry. God said to Noah, “You, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law may now leave the boat. Let out the birds, animals, and reptiles, so they can mate and live all over the earth.” After Noah and his family had gone out of the boat, the living creatures left in groups of their own kind. Noah built an altar where he could offer sacrifices to the Lord. Then he offered on the altar one of each kind of animal and bird that could be used for a sacrifice. The smell of the burning offering pleased God, and he said: Never again will I punish the earth for the sinful things its people do. All of them have evil thoughts from the time they are young, but I will never destroy everything that breathes, as I did this time.

c). Answer the following questions by writing complete sentences. Then discuss your answers.

1.What were most people in the world like during the time of Noah? Today what are most people like?

2. How did Noah show that he believed and trusted God?

3. Why does God have the right and power to destroy all the living things on earth?

4. Why did God show mercy to Noah and his family?