Paragraphs الجزء الثاني- أ/ أحمد البسيوني

Paragraphs

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The greatest events in human life are birth, marriage and death. They are marked by some kind of special ceremony. We can choose whether or not to marry; so marriage is our choice. But we have no choice in birth and death. Birth and marriage are times of joy, while death is a time of sorrow. The dates of all these three events are usually remembered.
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Life on a desert island is very tiring and difficult. There is nobody on it. There is nothing growing on it except a few bits of grass. On a desert island, money is useless because there is nothing to buy. The only food is fish; so fishing is the only thing one can do to eat. There is no hope of getting back home unless one might be saved by a passing ship or helicopter.
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My brother got married to Salwa last week. My brother is a doctor and Salwa is a doctor too. The wedding ceremony happened at our villa in Cairo. There were almost a hundred guests. We hired a band and some dancers, and we all sang wedding songs. We all enjoyed ourselves. The bride and groom were sitting on thrones at one end of the room and the guests were sitting down at tables covered with lovely things to eat. We had a huge meal with roasted chickens and lamb meat cooked with rice and almonds.
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When you are in Egypt, you must go shopping. You can get very nice souvenirs to take home, like leather goods, things made of copper and brass and pottery. A good place to shop in Cairo is the market of Khan Al-Khalili. This is a very big market in the middle of Cairo. There are lots of shops and stalls that sell many wonderful things.
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The cheapest means of transport is the taxi. It is possible to share a taxi with other passengers. You do not have to tip the driver. Buses are always over-crowded and people complain of their delays. People with small children need taxis because traveling by bus with children can be a problem. Some people can’t afford to buy cars; so taxis will do.
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Young children should have a lot of freedom. They should be allowed to eat when they are hungry. They should be allowed to sleep when they are tired and sleepy. They should not go to school when they are still very young. They should start school when they are five years old. They should not be treated severely. So, parents should not be strict with children. If they are good they should be given a reward. If they don’t behave well, they should be punished but not too severely.
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The Egyptians are hospitable by nature. They invite guests and foreigners and welcome them warmly. They do their best to prepare the most delicious food. Many kinds of foods are to be served at one and the same time. During the meal they insist that the guest should taste this or that sort of food. After the meal dessert and sweets are served. They do not let him choose what to eat.
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I was born in the country just outside Cairo in 1976. I grew up with my brothers and sisters. I have two brothers who are older than me and two young sisters. My father is an accountant. My mother looks after the house and the family. She used to be secretary at a bank. Now we live in Cairo in a flat. We moved there in 1983 so that my father can be near his office. My two elder brothers are engineers. My two young sisters are students at a secondary school.
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I visited my friends Ali and Samir. They live in a village about eight miles away. I went there by bus, and then Ali collected me from the bus stop in his car. We arrived at their house at about 6.30 in the evening. We had some tea in the garden. We had supper: roast lamb, roast potatoes and vegetables, followed by a fresh fruit salad. After that we had some coffee, and we sat and talked about our families. We had a very pleasant evening.
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At railway stations, we usually give a tip to the person who carries our bags. We might give a tip to a porter who shows us the way to the buses or the taxis, or who gets us a taxi. At a car-park, we usually give a tip to the person who looks after our car. If he does something else for us, for example, if he washes our car, we pay him and give him a bigger tip. At a cafe, we usually tip the waiter who brings us our food and drink. At the cinema, we usually tip the person who finds us a seat.

ردك يسعدنا وتجاهلك يحبطنا

واللبيب بالإشارة يفهم.