THE SKITBnh: B, Chin: C, o: D, Thoa: T, V: V

C and V are spending their summer at their grandfathers (B). One day, the boys accompany their grandpa to a local market. On the way, they see two women shoving each other by a well. They were fighting for the faucet.

T: What do you think youre doing here? I came here first!

D: No, you didnt! Stop jostling me!

T: You shut up, I have been waiting here for over an hour.

D: Get out of my way, you jerk!

D tries to snatch the faucet and keeps the bucket under the nozzle of the faucet, but T suddenly pushes her away. D slips and then fights back like a tiger. They start fighting very excitingly.

V: Oh no, weve got to stop them!

B: No my sweetheart. Those two women are too mean and obstinate. If we try to step in, the fight will get much worse. Let them resolve the issue themselves.

Sometime later

C: Look grandpa! Isnt that Ms. Flower? Why does she look so sad?

B: Mrs. Planter has been diagnosed with cholera. Shes a very close friend of Flower. Therefore, shes very worried now.

V: Mrs. Planter? The lady who used to give us candies whenever we visited her grocery?

B: Yes, poor her Shell soon get better, of course! But such disorder is a nuisance for someone of her age.

Just then, some friends of grandpa run into three of them.

T+D: Hey! Hi kids!

V+C: Hi Mrs. Thoa and Mrs. Dao!

T: Guess what Binh? The papergirl has been caught stealing from my shop!

B: The papergirl? Why, my goodness! She was such a kind and innocent girl the last time I met her

D: Really shock, isnt it? I would never have believed if I hadnt witnessed (sigh). I guess her destiny is at fault.

T notices a dreary look on the boys faces.T: Hey, whats wrong with you two?

C and V look at each other.

V: Its nothing Mrs. Thoa.

D: Okay. See you around, Binh. Goodbye boys!

D & T walks away. The three of them keep walking. Being tired, grandpa sits on the bench.

B: So whats the matter with you? Why the long faces?

V: Grandpa theres no peace, even no happiness here!

C: All we just saw are fights, diseases and thieves

D: Hes right. How can you even live here?

Grandpa smiles.

B: Once upon a time, all of this town would rejoice like every day is festival, people used to live in happiness and peace. But because of the ignorance and carelessness of the people, this place has lost its beauty.

V: But grandpa, how? I dont understand.

C: Me neither.

B: Oh my boys, there used to be a time when this town was covered with gardens and trees, not to mention a virgin forest. People used to pay respect for nature, they would nourished it.

V: But now?

B: But now, people have cut down all the trees and overused natural resources, then the peace that used to be here has gone.

C: Whats that got to do with everything we saw? The women at the water pump

B: They were fighting because they feared they might not get adequate water. Missing trees means rain becomes less frequent and it ends up in water shortage. And the reason why so many people have been suffering from cholera is

D: Pollution?

B: Exactly. So why do you think that poor papergirl chose to steal? Her family have been living in poverty since poor harvests plunged them into debt.

C: Poverty is the mother of all crimes.

V: But grandpa, does that mean theres no hope for this town?

B: Not really. If we could plant trees and save resources

C: Oh come on grandpa! There are thousands of people living here and wasting the resources a lot. Very few of them consider planting trees. What difference is it going to make if we plant a tree? Whatever we do, there are dozens of trees falling away out there.

B: Let me tell you a small story

Grandpa narrates the following story

One day, theres a little girl walking along the beach. There was also a young woman walking near her. The lady walks, then bends down, picks up a starfish and throws it to the sea.

D: Why are you doing that?

T: Because the starfish will die if it stays out of water too long, little girl.

D: But therell be billions of those creatures along this coastline. What difference is it going to make if you save just one or two?

The young lady smiles. She bends down, picks up another starfish, throws it to the sea and says

T: It makes a difference to that one!

Grandpa finished his story with a meaningful smile.

C: That was beautiful grandpa!

V: Yeah!

1. What were the two women fighting for?2. What caused Mrs. Planters cholera?3. What did the two little boys see in the town?4. What made the town lose its beauty?5. What did the grandpa suggest to save the town? THE VIDEOThe Netherlands: Rising Waterhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbed4igecVA1. What is expected to cause the sea level to rise?2. What preserves the Dutchs farmland?3. What will make the sinking become worse?4. How many people in the Netherlands live below sea level?5. What did people build to live near the water?