The Hospital Window

Warm-up question:
If your best friend becomes blind because of an accident, what will you do to help?
A. Buy him or her a pair of sunglasses
B. give him or her a walking stick
C. send him or her to a special school for the blind
D. get him or her a guide dog
E. keep him or her company 24 hours a day
F. others

Activity:
Take out a pen and paper. Draw out what the view is like outside the window according to the old man's description.


Reading:

A young man and an old man shared a hospital room. The young man was recovering well from eye surgery, but the old man was still quite ill. The two men talked for hours every day, and they became good friends.

Every morning, a nurse would bring them breakfast and open the window of the room. The young man always turned away from the window sadly because he couldn't see anything. The old man realized this, he he would try to describe all the things outside the window to his friend.

"It's a lovely day. Young couples are walking arm in arm around the lake. Some ducks and swans are swimming on the water. The kids are playing with their model boats. They are jumping up and down with joy. You'll get to see those beautiful things very soon," the old man encouraged him.

Day after day, the old man described the view in detail. The young man would then imagine the colorful world. Sometimes, he even smiled in his sleep.



Check point:
Now compare your drawing with your classmates. What are the differences and similarities between your drawing and the others?



Reading: (continued)

Days and weeks passed. It wad time for the young man to remove his bandage. He would finally be able to see the world again. Before he was wheeled out of the room, he turned around and said to the old man, "I will be right back. Let's enjoy the view together!" The old man gave him a smile.

When the young man returned, he was shocked because the old man was not there. He padded sways during his nap. The young man walked over to the old man's bed and looked out the window. Surprisingly, he saw nothing but a wall. "The old man couldn't even see this wall," the nurse said. "He was blind."

Tears fell from the young man's eyes. "Thank you," he whispered.


Question:

What is the main idea of "The Hospital Window"?
A. A white lie is always needed.
B. It is important to have an old friend when you are sick.
C. Love and care give people hope.
D. A wall is always there among modern people.

True or false?
____ The old man could see everything outside the window.
____ After eye surgery, the two enjoyed the window view together in the hospital.
____ The young man was pleased to find the wall behind the window.
____ The old man described things, such as couples, ducks, swans, and model boats. But none of them were real.


Reflection:
Write a reflection paragraph after reading this story. Also, write about what you think regarding the following passage:

The late world superstar Michael Jackson said: If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happen in between can be dealt with. What is the power of love and caring?

(Text source: 龍騰高職英文第ㄧ冊，龍騰文化出版，2013）

To find out what Jerry-sir saw when he opened the Hospital Window, click on the link:
media3.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/spiderman-window-washer2.jpg