Family Album USA 23 — The Community Center

paper: newspaper

vacant: empty; not occupied

was supposed to: was expected to

community center: a place where people of the same neighborhood meet for activities

as well as: and also

due to: because of

lack of: not having

funds: money for a certain purpose

repainting: painting again. The prefix re- means «again.»

Interior: the inside part of something. The outside part of something is the exterior.

furniture: things in a home or office that you can move and that make the place ready for living. Tables, chairs, a sofa, and a bed are pieces of furniture.

postponed: decided not to do until later; delayed

indefinitely: without a sure time or date in the future

primarily: mainly; especially

Ping-Pong: table tennis

take: to tolerate; endure; suffer with

interrupt: to stop something from continuing

getting down to: to start doing some difficult work

get a handle on: to find a way to understand

skip: not do something

hardware store: a store that sells items used to make and repair things around the house.

keep (you) from: stop (you) from (doing something)

tutoring: teaching students one at a time

excuse: an explanation given for not doing something

U.S. LIFE
The English word newspaper does not really describe everything that you can read in this kind of publication. In addition to stories about recent events (news), newspapers also include opinions, advertising, and other non-news items.

Newspapers in the U.S. are protected by the «Freedom of the Press» clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the basic laws of the United States. This amendment guarantees that the government will not interfere with the right of newspapers to print truthful statements.

There are about 2,600 newspapers published in the U.S. About 1,800 of these are daily papers. The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times are three of the most important daily papers for foreign and domestic news.

YOUR TURN

• Is there a «free press» in your country?
• Which newspaper is your favorite? Why?
• In your native language, does the word for newspaper include the meaning of the word news?

Activities

NEWSPAPERS IN THE U.S.A.

Grandpa read an editorial in a local newspaper. According to the newspaper, which of the following statements are correct? Put a check next to the number of each true item.

__ 1. There were plans to change a library into a community center.
__ 2. There will soon be enough money to paint the inside of the building.
__ 3. All the furniture for the new community center was bought more than a year ago.
__ 4. The new community center will be on Elm Street.
__ 5. No one is using the building right now.
__ 6. The new center will be used only by senior citizens.

PHRASES IN ACTION
Use a phrase from the box to complete each of the sentences below.

1. Robbie _____ study math. Instead, he is going to listen to Grandpa and Nat.

2. Robbie needs tutoring ______ his difficulties in math.

3. When Grandpa was in high school, he couldn’t _____ math, either.

4. Grandpa introduces Nat Baker to Robbie _______ to Alexandra.

5. In Act 2, Grandpa and Nat will probably be ________ a serious discussion about the new community center.

6. The new community center may never open because of a _______  financial support. 

fix (it) up: to make (it) ready to use

refurbishing: making a place like new again

come through with: to provide what is needed

backbreaking: needing great physical effort

ran: managed

drugstore: a store that sells medicines and other health items; a pharmacy

jazz: a kind of American music with strong rhythms. Jazz music was first played by slaves in the southern United States.

Danish pastry:

meant well: wanted to do well; had good intentions

structural: related to the way something is built

furnish: to put furniture in

intergenerational: for people of different ages, or generations

leave (anyone) out: not to include (someone)

I wonder what the problem is. This is an indirect information question. In a direct information question, an auxiliary, such as is, comes before the subject: What is the problem?

But in an indirect information question, if there is an auxiliary, it comes after the subject: I wonder what the problem is.

U.S. LIFE
Community centers are popular in the United States. These centers offer sports activities, social events, and educational classes.

In many communities, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), and the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA) provide large community centers. Even though the word young appears in the name of these organizations, a local «Y,» as it is usually called, serves people of all ages.

Other community centers may serve people of a particular age-group. Centers only for senior citizens or only for teenagers are also common.

YOUR TURN
Is there a community center in your area? If so, what kinds of activities does it offer?

Activities

INDIRECT INFORMATION QUESTIONS
A. A direct information question usually has an auxiliary, such as were, before the subject of the sentence:

What were Grandpa and Nat talking about?

In an indirect information question, after the question word {what), use the word order for statements, not for questions. If there is an auxiliary {were), it follows the subject (Grandpa and Nat):

I don’t remember what Grandpa and Nat were talking about.

In each picture below, the first sentence is a direct information question. The second sentence is an indirect information question, but it is incomplete. Complete the second sentence. Write the missing words on the blank line below each picture.

B. In a direct question with the auxiliary do, does, or did, the main verb is always in the simple form:

Where do we meet them?
Where does he meet them?
Where did you meet them?

When you change a direct question to an indirect one, do not use the auxiliary do, does, or did. In a question with does, the verb changes to the -s form in an indirect question. In a question with did, the verb changes to the past form:

I’d like to know where we meet.
I’d like to know where he meets them.
I’d like to know where you met them

Complete the second sentence in each of the following pictures. Write the missing words on the blank lines below.

 council: a group of people chosen to make rules or to plan something

inspection: a careful examination

scrub: to clean by rubbing hard

furnishings: furniture, rugs, and other objects for a home, center, or office

come by: to find

print: to publish

generous: happy to give to others

volunteers: people who do a job or service and do not receive money for it

stamina: ability to continue without getting tired

lived up to (his) word: did what (he) promised

transform: to change

tabled: postponed indefinitely

unity: being together, with one purpose

contributions: things that are given in order to help

et cetera: and others of the same kind; and so forth. This Latin phrase is written as the abbreviation etc. It is used quite often in English.

Activities

IDIOMS IN ACTION

The posters at the bottom of this page show different ways to ask people to volunteer to do some work. How did the characters in this episode help out? Complete the sentences below by writing the correct names on the blank lines. You may reread Acts 2 and 3 to find the answers.

1. ______ took Abe and Joanne to the Stewart 4. and took the home.

2. ______ agreed to supervise the work and to check that the building had no structural problems.

3. _____ said they had gotten permission to enter the building during the week.

4. _____and _____ took the newspaper editor to the Stewart home.

5. ______ convinced the community council to open the building for four weekends.

6. ______  provided a list of furnishings that they needed.

7. _____ printed an editorial asking for volunteers.

FIND THE SLOGAN

At the end of Act III, Grandpa reads Charles Maxwell’s editorial. It includes a two-word phrase that might be a good slogan for the new center. (Hint: The two words rhyme with each other.) Find that phrase and write it in the box below.