the road to independence
In rural Cambodia, many families are poor. They have little education, healthcare, or jobs. Giving only charity does not fix the problem for a long time. People need a way to improve their lives by themselves. The Shinta Mani Foundation helps by giving small loans without interest. These loans are called micro loans.
Normal banks often ask for something valuable or charge high fees. But the Foundation gives loans to villagers who cannot get money from banks. They believe a little help and trust can help people succeed.
The loans are usually a few hundred dollars. People use the money to start or grow small businesses. Some buy animals like cows, buffaloes, or chickens. These animals give money and food. Others open small shops, buy sewing machines, or make crafts. Some buy bicycles or motorbikes to travel easier.
People must pay back the loans, but without extra money. This helps them feel proud and responsible. When loans are paid back, the money helps others in the village.
Because of these loans, families earn more money. They can send children to school, eat better food, and get healthcare. Small businesses help the whole community. The micro loans help people change their lives step by step, with respect and hope.
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Vocabulary:
- Rural: A place in the countryside, not a city or town.
- Education: Learning at school or from teachers.
- Healthcare: Help from doctors and nurses when people are sick.
- A charity: A group that helps people who need support.
- To improve: To make something better.
- A loan without interest: Money you borrow and pay back without extra money added.
- Valuable: Something worth a lot or important.
- To charge a fee: To ask for money to pay for a service.
- To believe: To think something is true.
- To trust people: To feel sure that people will do what they say.
- To succeed: To do well or reach a goal.
- To grow a business: To make a business bigger or better.
- A chicken: A bird people keep for eggs or meat.
- A sewing machine: A machine to make or fix clothes.
- To make a craft: To create something by hand, like art or useful things.
- To travel: To go from one place to another.
- To pay back: To return money you borrowed.
- To feel proud: To feel happy because you did something good.
- To be responsible: To do what you should and take care of things.
- To earn money: To get money by working or selling things.
- A community: A group of people living in the same place or sharing things.
- Step by step: Doing something little by little, slowly.
- Hope: Feeling that good things can happen in the future.
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Match the word with the correct definition
Words:
- Rural
- Education
- Charity
- To improve
- Loan without interest
- Valuable
- To charge a fee
- To trust people
- To succeed
- To grow a business
- To pay back
- To feel proud
- To be responsible
- Community
- Hope
Definitions:
a) A place in the countryside, not a city or town.
b) Learning at school or from teachers.
c) A group that helps people who need support.
d) To make something better.
e) Money you borrow and pay back without extra money added.
f) Something important or worth a lot.
g) To ask for money for a service.
h) To feel sure that people will do what they say.
i) To do well or reach a goal.
j) To make a business bigger or better.
k) To return money you borrowed.
l) To feel happy because you did something good.
m) To do what you should and take care of things.
n) A group of people living in the same place or sharing things.
o) Feeling that good things can happen in the future.
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1–a, 2–b, 3–c, 4–d, 5–e, 6–f, 7–g, 8–h, 9–i, 10–j, 11–k, 12–l,
13–m, 14–n, 15–o
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Gap-fill exercise, only one answer is correct.
- Many people live in __________ areas, not cities.
a) charity
b) rural
c) business - Children go to school to get __________.
a) education
b) fee
c) loan - A __________ helps people who need support.
a) charity
b) sewing machine
c) chicken - We want to __________ our health by eating well.
a) pay back
b) improve
c) charge - A __________ is money you borrow and pay back without extra.
a) loan without interest
b) fee
c) craft - A diamond is very __________.
a) valuable
b) responsible
c) proud - The bank will __________ a fee for the service.
a) trust
b) charge
c) earn - It is good to __________ people who help you.
a) trust
b) travel
c) pay - If you work hard, you can __________.
a) succeed
b) charge
c) travel - When you start a shop, you want to __________ your business.
a) grow
b) pay back
c) trust - You must __________ money after you borrow it.
a) pay back
b) charge
c) improve - When you finish a good job, you __________ proud.
a) feel
b) pay
c) trust - To be __________ means to do what you should.
a) responsible
b) valuable
c) hopeful - A __________ is a group of people living together.
a) charity
b) community
c) business - We have __________ that good things will happen.
a) money
b) hope
c) sewing machine
________________________
1 rural, 2 education, 3 charity, 4 improve, 5 loan without interest, 6 valuable, 7 charge, 8 trust, 9 succeed, 10 grow, 11 pay back, 12 feel proud, 13 responsible, 14 community, 15 hope
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Complete the sentences, words below:
- Many people in __________ areas live far from cities and towns.
- Children need good __________ to learn new skills.
- A __________ helps people by giving money or support.
- If you want to __________ your life, you must work hard.
- The Foundation gives a __________ to help people start businesses.
- Gold and silver are very __________ materials.
- Some banks __________ a fee for giving loans.
- It is important to __________ people who keep their promises.
- When you study and work hard, you can __________ in life.
- People try to __________ their businesses to earn more money.
- You must always __________ money you borrow on time.
- When you finish a difficult job, you __________ proud of yourself.
_______________________
1 rural, 2 education, 3 charity, 4 improve, 5 loan without interest, 6 valuable, 7 charge, 8 trust, 9 succeed, 10 grow a business, 11 pay back, 12 feel proud
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True or false?
- Rural areas are big cities with tall buildings.
- Education helps people learn and get better jobs.
- A charity gives help without asking for money.
- To improve means to make something worse.
- A loan without interest means you pay extra money.
- Valuable things are important and helpful.
- To charge a fee means to give something for free.
- To trust people means to believe they will do good things.
- To succeed means to do well and be happy with your work.
- To grow a business means to close it.
- To pay back means to keep the money for yourself.
- Feeling proud means you are happy about what you did.
____________________
False: 1,4,5,7,10,11
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Multiple choice gap-fill questions, one correct answer only:
- Many people in __________ areas live far from cities.
a) valuable
b) rural
c) proud - Good __________ helps children learn and grow.
a) community
b) chicken
c) education - The woman got a small __________ to start her business.
a) loan
b) sewing machine
c) hope - A loan without interest means you don’t have to __________ extra money.
a) feel
b) charge
c) pay - Cows and chickens can be very __________ to a family.
a) valuable
b) responsible
c) trust - They wanted to __________ their small shop and sell more things.
a) improve
b) succeed
c) grow - He wants to __________ people who work hard.
a) travel
b) believe
c) trust - The family felt __________ after they opened their own shop.
a) proud
b) rural
c) fee - A __________ helps people without asking for money back.
a) craft
b) charity
c) loan - She uses a __________ to make clothes at home.
a) chicken
b) sewing machine
c) market - It is good to __________ money if you borrow it.
a) pay back
b) improve
c) earn - They had no car, so they bought a bike to __________ to the market.
a) trust
b) travel
c) succeed
1 rural, 2 education, 3 loan, 4 pay, 5 valuable, 6 grow, 7 trust, 8 proud, 9 charity, 10 sewing machine, 11 pay back, 12 travel
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10 scrambled words – unscramble them:
- lurar
- noitaeduc
- ytirahc
- evoripm
- noal
- tusrt
- luveabla
- hicknec
- raelvt
1 rural, 2 education, 3 charity, 4 improve, 5 loan, 6 trust, 7 valuable, 8 chicken, 9 travel
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Complete the interview, words below:
Interviewer: Hello! Can you tell us about your foundation?
Representative: Yes! We are the Shinta Mani Foundation. We help people in the __________ of Cambodia.
Interviewer: What kind of help do you give?
Representative: We give small loans with no interest. People use them to start small __________.
Interviewer: What is a loan without interest?
Representative: It means people __________ money, but they do not pay extra money back.
Interviewer: Who can get these loans?
Representative: People in rural areas who need help to grow their business or earn __________.
Interviewer: What do people do with the loan?
Representative: Some buy animals like __________ or cows. Some open small shops or buy sewing machines.
Interviewer: Do people pay the loan back?
Representative: Yes, they pay it back __________. Then we give the money to someone else.
Interviewer: Why is this better than giving free money?
Representative: Because people feel proud. They are responsible and work __________ for success.
Interviewer: Does this help the community?
Representative: Yes! When people earn more money, their families live better, and the __________ grows.
Interviewer: What is your hope for the future?
Representative: We hope more people can __________ and help each other, step by step.
step by step – countryside – succeed – borrow – hard – businesses – community – chickens – money
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Correct version:
Interviewer: Hello! Can you tell us about your foundation?
Representative: Yes! We are the Shinta Mani Foundation. We help people in the countryside of Cambodia.
Interviewer: What kind of help do you give?
Representative: We give small loans with no interest. People use them to start small businesses.
Interviewer: What is a loan without interest?
Representative: It means people borrow money, but they do not pay extra money back.
Interviewer: Who can get these loans?
Representative: People in rural areas who need help to grow their business or earn money.
Interviewer: What do people do with the loan?
Representative: Some buy animals like chickens or cows. Some open small shops or buy sewing machines.
Interviewer: Do people pay the loan back?
Representative: Yes, they pay it back step by step. Then we give the money to someone else.
Interviewer: Why is this better than giving free money?
Representative: Because people feel proud. They are responsible and work hard for success.
Interviewer: Does this help the community?
Representative: Yes! When people earn more money, their families live better, and the community grows.
Interviewer: What is your hope for the future?
Representative: We hope more people can succeed and help each other, step by step.
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