living her dream

Meet CHHORB Sarea, a 19-year-old from Angkor Thom District, Siem Reap. Her family is very poor. Her father works as a farmer and a construction worker. He earns only 10 USD a day. Her mother makes baskets to help the family. They live in a small house made of leaves and zinc. It is not strong, and they often do not have enough food.

Sarea has a hard life, but she does not give up. She studies every day and becomes the first person in her family to finish high school. She wants to go to university, but she has no money. She feels sad and thinks her dream is over. Then she learns about the Shinta Mani Foundation.

She joins the Culinary Arts Program and finds her love for cooking. The Foundation gives her help and hope. Today, she works as a casual staff for three months at Shinta Mani Hotel. She is very happy and thankful to the Foundation and the kind donors who support her.

___________________________

Vocabulary:

a role model – a person who is a good example for others.
to meet somebody – to see and talk to someone for the first time or again.
a construction worker – a person who builds houses, roads, or buildings.
to earn money – to get money by working.
10 USD a day – ten US dollars for one day of work.
a basket – a container made of bamboo or plastic to carry things.
a house made of leaves – a house built using leaves for the roof or walls.
zinc – a metal used for the roof of a simple house.
food – things we eat to live.
a hard life – a life that is not easy.
to give up – to stop trying.
to study hard – to learn a lot and try your best in school.
to finish high school – to complete the last year of school.
to have no money – to not have any money.
to feel sad – to not feel happy.
a dream is over – the hope or wish is finished.
to learn about something – to get new information.
to join a program – to become part of a course or group.
culinary arts – learning how to cook.
to find one’s love for cooking – to see that you really like to cook.
a foundation – an organization that helps people.
hope – a good feeling about the future.
a casual staff – a person who works for a short time.
to be thankful – to feel happy and say thank you.
kind donors – good people who give money to help others.
to support somebody – to help a person.
to discover = to find out – to learn something new.

####################

Multiple-choice, one answer correct

A role model is …
a) a good example for others b) a kind of food c) a type of house
A construction worker …
a) cooks food b) builds houses c) sells clothes
To earn money means …
a) to sleep at home b) to play a game c) to get money by working
A basket is …
a) a kind of roof b) a container to carry things c) a type of car
Zinc is …
a) a fruit from a tree b) a kind of animal c) a metal for roofs
To give up means …
a) to eat food b) to walk fast c) to stop trying
To study hard means …
a) to learn a lot b) to travel far c) to sleep late
To finish high school means …
a) to go on holiday b) to complete school c) to start a job
To have no money means …
a) to not have any money b) to work in a hotel c) to buy food
To feel sad means …
a) to draw a picture b) to not feel happy c) to run fast
A dream is over means …
a) the hope is finished b) the sun comes up c) the school starts
To learn about something means …
a) to eat with friends b) to get new information c) to go to sleep
To join a program means …
a) to become part of it b) to buy a house c) to leave a job
Culinary arts is …
a) learning to cook b) building a road c) making clothes
A foundation is …
a) an organization that helps b) a kind of animal c) a place to eat
Hope is …
a) a long road b) a kind of food c) a good feeling about the future
A casual staff is …
a) a rich person b) a big boss c) a short-time worker
To be thankful means …
a) to run fast b) to feel happy and say thank you c) to paint a wall
Kind donors are …
a) people who play football b) people who sell clothes c) people who give money to help
To support somebody means …
a) to cook rice b) to read a book c) to help a person

________________________
Answers:
1a, 2b, 3c, 4b, 5c, 6c, 7a, 8b,
9a, 10b, 11a, 12b, 13a, 14a,
15a, 16c, 17c, 18b, 19c, 20c

________________________

Correct version:

A role model is a good example for others.

A construction worker builds houses.

To earn money means to get money by working.

A basket is a container to carry things.

Zinc is a metal for roofs.

To give up means to stop trying.

To study hard means to learn a lot.

To finish high school means to complete school.

To have no money means to not have any money.

To feel sad means to not feel happy.

A dream is over means the hope is finished.

To learn about something means to get new information.

To join a program means to become part of it.

Culinary arts is learning to cook.

A foundation is an organization that helps.

Hope is a good feeling about the future.

A casual staff is a short-time worker.

To be thankful means to feel happy and say thank you.

Kind donors are people who give money to help.

To support somebody means to help a person.

#################

Gap-Fill Exercise (A1)

Sarea is a ________ for other children.
a) role model b) basket c) zinc
Her father works as a ________.
a) construction worker b) casual staff c) foundation
She wants to ________ money to help her family.
a) cook b) earn c) join
Her mother makes a ________ to sell.
a) basket b) house c) hope
Their roof is made of ________.
a) food b) dream c) zinc
Sarea never wants to ________ even if life is hard.
a) give up b) study c) feel sad
She likes to ________ hard every day.
a) study b) support c) help
She finishes ________ school first in her family.
a) casual b) high c) culinary
Sarea has no ________ for university.
a) basket b) money c) donor
Sometimes she feels ________ when she has no money.
a) hope b) sad c) zinc
Sarea keeps her ________ even when things are hard.
a) role model b) dream c) hope
She wants to ________ more about cooking.
a) learn b) eat c) paint
She decides to ________ a program at the foundation.
a) build b) give up c) join
Culinary arts is learning to ________.
a) cook b) study c) build
A ________ helps children like Sarea.
a) food b) basket c) foundation
She feels ________ for all the help she gets.
a) casual b) thankful c) zinc
Some kind ________ give money to help the foundation.
a) donors b) food c) baskets
The foundation helps Sarea to ________ her dream.
a) eat b) support c) give up
She works as a ________ staff at the hotel for three months.
a) role model b) zinc c) casual
She wants to ________ other children in her village.
a) learn b) cook c) help

—————————–
Answers:

1a, 2a, 3b, 4a, 5c, 6a, 7a,
8b, 9b, 10b, 11c, 12a, 13c,
14a, 15c, 16b, 17a, 18b, 19c, 20c
—————————

Correct answers:

Sarea is a role model for other children.
Her father works as a construction worker.
She wants to earn money to help her family.
Her mother makes a basket to sell.
Their roof is made of zinc.
Sarea never wants to give up even if life is hard.
She likes to study hard every day.
She finishes high school first in her family.
Sarea has no money for university.
Sometimes she feels sad when she has no money.
Sarea keeps her hope even when things are hard.
She wants to learn more about cooking.
She decides to join a program at the foundation.
Culinary arts is learning to cook.
A foundation helps children like Sarea.
She feels thankful for all the help she gets.
Some kind donors give money to help the foundation.
The foundation helps Sarea to support her dream.
She works as a casual staff at the hotel for three months.
She wants to help other children in her village.

#####################

Match the words with their correct definitions:

Words:

role model
construction worker
earn money
basket
zinc
give up
study hard
finish high school
money
learn about something
join a program
culinary arts
foundation
help

Definitions:

A. to become part of a course or group
B. a container to carry things
C. a person who is a good example for others
D. a metal used for the roof of a house
E. to stop trying
F. to get new information
G. to work to get money
H. to complete the last year of school
I. a person who builds houses or roads
J. a good organization that helps people
K. to study a lot and try your best
L. a unit used to buy things
M. learning how to cook
N. to help someone

_________________________
Answers:
1C, 2I, 3G, 4B, 5D, 6E, 7K, 8H,
9L, 10F, 11A, 12M, 13J, 14N

_________________________

Correct version:

help – to help someone

role model – a person who is a good example for others

construction worker – a person who builds houses or roads

earn money – to work to get money

basket – a container to carry things

zinc – a metal used for the roof of a house

give up – to stop trying

study hard – to study a lot and try your best

finish high school – to complete the last year of school

money – a unit used to buy things

learn about something – to get new information

join a program – to become part of a course or group

culinary arts – learning how to cook

foundation – a good organization that helps people

##################

True or false:

Sarea is 19 years old.
Her father earns 50 USD a day.
Her mother weaves baskets to help the family.
Sarea was the first in her family to finish high school.
She had enough money to go to university.
She discovered the Shinta Mani Foundation.
Sarea hates cooking.
She joined the Culinary Arts program.
She works as a casual staff at Shinta Mani Hotel for three months.
Sarea lives in a big apartment in the city.
Her family lives in a house made of leaves and zinc.
The foundation does not help children.
Sarea wants to give up her dreams.
She is thankful to the foundation and donors.
Her father works only as a teacher.

——————————-

True: 1,3,4,6,8,9,11,14

——————————-

Correct version:

Sarea is 19 years old.

Her father earns 50 USD a day. True is: He earns 10 USD a day.

Her mother weaves baskets to help the family.

Sarea was the first in her family to finish high school.

She had enough money to go to university. True is: She had no money for university.

She discovered the Shinta Mani Foundation.

Sarea hates [does not like at all] cooking. True is: She loves cooking.

She joined the Culinary Arts program.

She works as a casual staff at Shinta Mani Hotel for three months.

Sarea lives in a big apartment in the city. True is: She lives in a small house made of leaves and zinc.

Her family lives in a house made of leaves and zinc.

The foundation does not help children. True is: The foundation helps children.

Sarea wants to give up her dreams. True is: She never gives up her dreams.

She is thankful to the foundation and donors.

Her father works only as a teacher. True is: He works as a farmer and construction worker.

##################

Basics:

Personal Pronoun	am / is / are
I	am	8 years old
You	are	8 years old
He	is	8 years old
She	is	8 years old
It	is	8 years old
We	are	8 years old
You (plural)	are	8 years old
They	are	8 years old

Negation:

Personal Pronoun	am not / is not / are not
I	am not	8 years old
You	are not	8 years old
He	is not	8 years old
She	is not	8 years old
It	is not	8 years old
We	are not	8 years old
You (plural)	are not	8 years old
They	are not	8 years old

Questions:

Question Word	Personal Pronoun
Am	I	8 years old?
Are	you	8 years old?
Is	he	8 years old?
Is	she	8 years old?
Is	it	8 years old?
Are	we	8 years old?
Are	you (plural)	8 years old?
Are	they	8 years old?

Statement:

Personal Pronoun	Verb
I	like	ice cream
You	like	ice cream
He	likes	ice cream
She	*likes*	ice cream
It	likes	ice cream
We	like	ice cream
You (plural)	like	ice cream
They	like	ice cream

Negation:

Personal Pronoun	Verb (negative)
I	do not like	ice cream
You	do not like	ice cream
He	does not like	ice cream
She	*does not like*	ice cream
It	does not like	ice cream
We	do not like	ice cream
You (plural)	do not like	ice cream
They	do not like	ice cream

Questions:

Do / Does	Personal Pronoun	Verb	Sugar?
Do	I	like	sugar?
Do	you	like	sugar?
*Does*	he	like	sugar?
*Does*	she	like	sugar?
*Does*	it	like	sugar?
Do	we	like	sugar?
Do	you (plural)	like	sugar?
Do	they	like	sugar?

##################

Correct the staments:

Sarea is 25 years old.

EXAMPLE:

Sarea is not 25 years old. She is 19 years old.
Her father earns 50 USD a day.
_____________________________
Her mother works in a restaurant.
_____________________________
Sarea already went to university.
_____________________________
She hates cooking.
_____________________________
She never finished high school.
_____________________________
Her family lives in a large concrete house.
_____________________________
The foundation does not help children.
_____________________________
Sarea works as a full-time manager at the hotel.
_____________________________
Her father works only as a teacher.
_____________________________

—————————–
Correct version:

Sarea is 25 years old → Sarea is not 25 years old → Sarea is 19 years old
Her father earns 50 USD a day → Her father does not earn 50 USD a day → Her father earns 10 USD a day
Her mother works in a restaurant → Her mother does not work in a restaurant → Her mother weaves baskets to help the family
Sarea already went to university → Sarea has not gone to university → She had no money for university
She hates cooking → She does not hate cooking → She loves cooking
She never finished high school → She did finish high school → She was the first in her family to finish high school
Her family lives in a large concrete house → Her family does not live in a large concrete house → Her family lives in a house made of leaves and zinc
The foundation does not help children → The foundation helps children → The foundation helps children like Sarea
Sarea works as a full-time manager at the hotel → Sarea does not work as a full-time manager at the hotel → She works as a casual staff at Shinta Mani Hotel for three months
Her father works only as a teacher → Her father does not work only as a teacher → He works as a farmer and construction worker

#########################

Correct the following statements:

Does Sarea live in a big apartment in the city?

YOU WRITE:

No, Sarea does not live in a big apartment in the city. She lives in a small house in the countryside.
Do her parents have a lot of money?
__________________________
Does her father earn 50 USD a day?
__________________________
Do her siblings [brothers or sisters] go to university?
__________________________
Does her mother work in a restaurant?
__________________________
Does Sarea hate cooking?
__________________________
Do her parents work in offices?
__________________________
Does she never finish high school?
__________________________
Does Sarea work as a full-time manager at the hotel?
__________________________
Do her grandparents live with them?
__________________________
Does she go to university every day?
__________________________
Do her friends work at the hotel?
__________________________
Does her family have a shop?
__________________________
Does her father only teach at school?
__________________________

———————————–
Correct answers:

Does Sarea live in a big apartment in the city? → No, she does not live in a big apartment in the city. She lives in a small house made of leaves and zinc.
Do her parents have a lot of money? → No, they do not have a lot of money. They have very little money; her father earns 10 USD a day.
Does her father earn 50 USD a day? → No, he does not earn 50 USD a day. He earns 10 USD a day.
Do her siblings go to university? → No, they do not go to university. Only Sarea finished high school.
Does her mother work in a restaurant? → No, she does not work in a restaurant. She works by weaving baskets to help the family.
Does Sarea hate cooking? → No, she does not hate cooking. She loves cooking.
Do her parents work in offices? → No, they do not work in offices. Her father works as a farmer and construction worker.
Does she finish high school? → No, she does not fail to finish high school. She finishes high school and is the first in her family to do so.
Does Sarea work as a full-time manager at the hotel? → No, she does not work as a full-time manager. She works as a casual staff for three months.
Do her grandparents live with them? → No, they do not live with them. She only lives with her parents.
Does she go to university every day? → No, she does not go to university every day. She cannot go because she has no money.
Do her friends work at the hotel? → No, they do not work at the hotel. Only Sarea works there.
Does her family have a shop? → No, they do not have a shop. They have a small farm.
Does her father teach at school? → No, he does not teach at school. He works as a farmer and construction worker.

####################

Interview with Sarea:

Interviewer: Hello! What is your name?
Sarea: My name is Sarea.

Interviewer: How old are you?
Sarea: I am 19 years old.

Interviewer: Where do you live?
Sarea: I live in Angkor Thom, Siem Reap.

Interviewer: Who do you live with?
Sarea: I live with my parents.

Interviewer: What does your father do?
Sarea: My father works as a farmer and construction worker.

Interviewer: What does your mother do?
Sarea: My mother weaves baskets.

Interviewer: Do you have brothers or sisters?
Sarea: No, I do not have siblings.

Interviewer: Do you go to school?
Sarea: Yes, I finish high school.

Interviewer: What do you like to do in your free time?
Sarea: I like cooking.

Interviewer: Do you have a job?
Sarea: Yes, I work as a casual staff at Shinta Mani Hotel.

Interviewer: How long do you work at the hotel?
Sarea: I work there for three months.

Interviewer: Do you like your job?
Sarea: Yes, I like my job very much.

Interviewer: Are you happy with your life?
Sarea: Yes, I am happy and thankful.

Interviewer: Who helps you in your life?
Sarea: The foundation and kind donors help me.

################

Rewrite the following story starting with…

Her name is Sarea. She is 19 years old………………….

and make all changes necessary:

My name is Sarea. I am 19 years old. I live in Angkor Thom, Siem Reap with my parents. My father works as a farmer and construction worker. My mother weaves baskets to help our family. We have a small house made of leaves and zinc.

I am the first in my family to finish high school. I have no money for university, but I never give up. I discover the Shinta Mani Foundation and join the Culinary Arts program. I love cooking and learn many new things.

Now, I work as a casual staff at Shinta Mani Hotel for three months. I am happy and thankful to the foundation and kind donors for helping me and giving me hope for the future.

_________________________

Correct version:

Her name is Sarea. She is 19 years old and lives in Angkor Thom, Siem Reap, with her parents. Her father works as a farmer and construction worker, earning only 10 USD a day. Her mother weaves baskets to help the family. They live in a small house made of leaves and zinc, and sometimes they do not have enough food.

Sarea never gives up on school. She is the first in her family to finish high school. She has no money for university, but she discovers the Shinta Mani Foundation and joins the Culinary Arts program. She loves cooking and learns many new skills.

Today, Sarea works as a casual staff at Shinta Mani Hotel for three months. She is happy and thankful to the foundation and kind donors for helping her and giving her hope for the future.

#############

Final vocabulary test, a challenge, yes, you can:

a person who is a good example for others :______________
to see and talk to someone for the first time or after a long time :______________
a person who builds houses, roads, or buildings :______________
to get money by working :______________
the amount of money someone gets each day (10 dollars) :______________
a container to carry or hold things :______________
a house with walls or roof made from leaves :______________
a metal used for roofs or other building parts :______________
something that people eat :______________
a life with many problems or difficulties :______________
to stop trying :______________
to try your best at learning :______________
to complete all years of school before university :______________
not to have money :______________
to be unhappy :______________
when a hope or plan cannot happen :______________
to get information or knowledge about something :______________
to become part of a course or group :______________
learning to cook :______________
to discover that you enjoy cooking :______________
a group or organization that helps people :______________
a feeling that good things can happen :______________
a worker who works for a short time or part-time :______________
to feel happy because someone helps you :______________
people who give money or help to others :______________
to help someone :______________
to find out something new :______________

—————————-
Correct version:

a person who is a good example for others : role model
to see and talk to someone for the first time or after a long time : to meet somebody
a person who builds houses, roads, or buildings : construction worker
to get money by working : to earn money
the amount of money someone gets each day (10 dollars) : 10 USD a day
a container to carry or hold things : basket
a house with walls or roof made from leaves : house made of leaves
a metal used for roofs or other building parts : zinc
something that people eat : food
a life with many problems or difficulties : hard life
to stop trying : to give up
to try your best at learning : to study hard
to complete all years of school before university : to finish high school
not to have money : to have no money
to be unhappy : to feel sad
when a hope or plan cannot happen : a dream is over
to get information or knowledge about something : to learn about something
to become part of a course or group : to join a program
learning to cook : culinary arts
to discover that you enjoy cooking : to find one’s love for cooking
a group or organization that helps people : foundation
a feeling that good things can happen : hope
a worker who works for a short time or part-time : casual staff
to feel happy because someone helps you : to be thankful
people who give money or help to others : kind donors
to help someone : to support somebody
to find out something new : to discover

#######################

APPENDIX – a mentor

if she had a mentor, he/she would write:

If she had a mentor, he/she probably would send her that message:

Dear Sarea,

You are an inspiration, blazing a trail as the first in your family to graduate high school and pursue your dreams through the Shinta Mani Foundation’s culinary arts program.
Your hard work and determination shine brightly, and I want you to know how incredible you are for pushing forward despite the challenges.
Stay focused on your goals, because every step you take is building a future filled with possibility.
Your passion for culinary arts is your spark—let it guide you, even when the path feels tough.
You have the strength to overcome anything, and the Shinta Mani Foundation believes in you, just as I do.
Keep dreaming big, because your dreams are valid, and they’re worth every ounce of effort. You’re not just creating a career; you’re creating a legacy for yourself and those who will follow in your footsteps.
Believe in yourself, stay true to your heart, and know that you’re capable of achieving greatness.
You’ve already come so far—keep going, and let your dreams carry you to places you never imagined.With admiration and encouragement,

you mentor

🍽 A tribute to a great lady:meet Sarea, a role model (A1, present simple)

APPENDIX – a mentor

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