Scarlett by Chris Rose

Heres Scarlett, in the garden of a friends house in London on a sunny summer morning, the kind of mornings that
are unusual in England. Scarlett is twelve years old (thirteen in Novemer! she tells me", and is trying to understand
the world around her. She asks #uestions aout everything, all the time.
$ tell her that $ want to ask her a #uestion, and $ ask her why shes called Scarlett!, and what the name means, and if
it comes from anywhere in %articular, and she says&
No its 'ust a stu%id name my %arents chose ecause they liked it. $t doesnt mean anything.
$ wonder if her %arents named her after the heroine of a favourite film, %erha%s, ut then again, $ know her dad and
this sounds unlikely. $ think they %roaly chose it 'ust ecause they liked the sound of it.
Scarlett is worried aout changing school after the summer, she worries that shes too short for her age and that the
other children at the school will make fun of her. She shows me some %ictures of the school she is at now, and her
classmates. $ look at the %icture and it shows children of all heights and sha%es and si(es. Some are tall, some are
short, some are fat and some are thin. Some are lack and some are white, and most of them are somewhere in
etween. Some have red hair and some have lond hair, some have long hair and some have short hair.
$ tell her not to worry aout the new school, tell her that shell e )*, and ask her aout the new su'ects shell e
studying. She tells me that shes worried aout learning +rench, and $ tell her not to worry, that it isnt a very difficult
language. She tells me that she already knows five languages.
+ive languages,! $ shout. -hats im%ossile, How do you already know five languages.
/ecause $ve got five languages in my ody! she says.
$ ask her what she means, and she starts to tell me the story of her family. Some of the story $ already know. $ve
already heard stories aout her grandfather. He was from Scotland0 he was a sailor, ut not a very good sailor, so he
only got as far as 1ortsmouth, a ig navy town on the south coast of England, not very far from Scotland at all. 2hen
he got to 1ortsmouth, he sto%%ed there, left the navy and ecame a o3er. He lost fights and drank a lot. However, he
still managed to see the world y meeting a woman who came from Laos. Noody really knows how this woman had
ended u% in 1ortsmouth, ut she still lives there, and $ tell Scarlett that she should try and find out her grandmothers
story.
No, shes too old now! says Scarlett, and anyway, shes lived in 1ortsmouth nearly all her life.!
Scarletts grand%arents were only together long enough to %roduce a son, %roaly one of the only Scottish4Laotians
in the world. -hey called him /ill, which is usually short for 2illiam!, ut his name was 'ust /ill!. /ill inherited
his fathers %ersonality and his mothers looks, so the only thing he thought he could do was ecome a rock star. He
never really managed to ecome a rock star, though, so now he works as a gra%hic designer.
$ dont know Scarletts mum, so $ ask her to tell me aout her mum.
5y mums 1olish! she says, 2ell, not really, ecause she was orn in /righton, ut her mum and dad are from
1oland. /ut theyve lived there, like, for always. /ut $ know that her mum was from somewhere that was 6ermany,
and then ecame 1oland, so shes really 6erman, $ su%%ose. So thats another language that $ve got in my ody.!
$ ask Scarlett if she can actually s%eak all the languages that she says she has in her ody!, and she looks at me like
$m stu%id.
)f course not! she says. /ut $ve still got them in me,!
2e count u% her languages!& Scottish, Laotian, 6erman, 1olish.
-hats only four,! $ tell her.
No, theres English too,!
)f course there is! $ say. 7nd then $ look at Scottish8Laotian86erman81olish8English Scarlett, with her name that
comes from nowhere and $ ask her,
7nd you Scarlett, where are you from.!
She thinks for a long time, such a long time that $ think %erha%s she hasnt heard my #uestion. /ut then efore $ can
re%eat it she looks u% and at me.
$m from here!, she says. $m from London!.
-HE EN9
7nger
7nger is a natural emotion that everyone e3%eriences in life. Some researchers elieve the first
sound a ay makes when orn could e a sign of anger. 7nger may e the original or first
emotion we feel and res%ond to. $magine, efore hunger, thirst, love, desire or any other
descriale feeling, we may e3%erience anger. Not only is anger a natural emotion, it is in many
cases a %erfectly healthy emotion. 7nger can motivate %eo%le to make very %ositive changes in
their lives. 7nger can motivate individuals to do %ositive and memorale acts. Sometimes we
have to e angry at in'ustice, at evil, or even at nature, efore we can do what needs to e done to
correct wrongs or make things etter. /ut of course, that is not how we usually think of anger.
5ost %eo%le think of anger as an emotion we must kee% under control. :hildren are sometimes
sent to their rooms or %unished for e3%ressing anger in an e3cessive way. 1arents tell a child to
;get control; of himself when the child shows anger. 2e may e angry with friends or at work,
ut we know it is usually ina%%ro%riate to show it. 2e have to control the anger or suffer what
may e the negative conse#uences. <ery early in life, we learn that anger is something that must
e controlled. 2e learn this for a good reason.
2e know that uncontrolled anger can lead to fights, car accidents, ad relationshi%s with others,
unacce%tale social ehavior, and many other %rolems. 5any e3%erts say that if one holds his
anger in, it can even lead to severe mental and %hysical health %rolems. So what can we do to
understand and calm this natural emotion that we call anger.
E3%erts offer many solutions to e3cessive and harmful anger. Some of these solutions include
verali(ing and talking aout what triggers the anger with someone you trust and is a good friend,
leaving a situation that causes anger, eating on a %illow, e3ercising more in one=s daily life,
thera%y, medication, and many other methods. 2hatever solution one chooses, it is good to know
that y trying to find the solution to the %rolem of anger, the first ste% in the right direction to
solving the anger %rolem has een taken.
Answer a few questions about what you read.
7nger is an emotion that >>>>>>>>>>>> e3%eriences.
only a ay
everyone
only an adult
7nger can lead to >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
un'ust actions
inaction
%ositive actions
>>>>>>>>>>> %eo%le think anger should e ke%t under control.
7ll
5ost
7 few
2hen children show anger their %arents often tell them to >>>>>>>>>>.
get control
lose control
talk aout why they are angry
Some e3%erts think that >>>>>>>>>>>> can lead to health %rolems.
never getting angry
holding anger in
getting angry
-he author thinks that it is >>>>>>>>> to try to find a solution to anger.
useless
sim%le
necessary
:om%ulsive 6amling& 7n 7ddiction
5any %eo%le like to visit casinos, et on horses at the racetrack, uy lottery tickets, or %lay cards.
+or most %eo%le, occasion gamling is a safe and entertaining form of recreation. -hese %eo%le
gamle infre#uently with friends or family memers, and decide eforehand how much money
they are willing to lose. /ut some %eo%le ecome com%ulsive gamlers. :om%ulsive gamling is
a form of addiction, similar to alcoholism and drug addiction. Like these other more visile forms
of addiction, com%ulsive gamling can ruin a %erson=s life, sometimes even driving the gamler to
thoughts of suicide.
:om%ulsive gamlers generally go through %hases of addiction. Some %eo%le reak it down into
four distinct %hases. -he first is the winning %hase. 7t this %oint, the addiction may e very
difficult to identify. 6amlers have fun at this stage, %erha%s winning large sums of money.
Eventually, however, gamlers egin to et larger and larger amounts, feeling that they can=t lose.
-hey start to ecome more focused on gamling and are less interested in other things.
7fter the winning %hase comes the inevitale losing %hase. 9uring this %hase, com%ulsive
gamlers neglect and even ause %ersonal relationshi%s. -hey ecome irritale and may egin to
lie to friends and family aout gamling losses. -hey orrow money from friends and family to
cover their losses so they can continue gamling. -hey feel that they can #uit whenever they want
to, ut don=t see any reason to #uit. :om%ulsive gamlers really can=t sto% gamling at this %oint
and are osessed with winning ack the money they=ve lost.
7t this %oint, com%ulsive gamlers enter the des%eration %hase. 7lthough they may egin to
reali(e that they=re going to continue losing money, they kee% trying for the ig win that will solve
all of their gamling4related financial %rolems. -hey gamle with money that they orrowed to
%ay off %revious dets. -hey don=t care aout anything ut gamling at this stage and will even
reak the law in order to continue. -hey might steal from friends or from work, or write ad
checks to get cash. 5oney has no significance at this %oint e3ce%t that it enales the gamlers to
kee% gamling.
)nce com%ulsive gamlers have reached the des%eration %hase, they are not far from hitting rock
ottom. 7t this %oint, com%ulsive gamlers are in the hel%lessness %hase. -hey ecome de%ressed
and may even suffer emotional reakdowns. -heir marriages may fall a%art and they may consider
or even attem%t to commit suicide. -hey may reali(e at this %oint that they need hel%, and
fortunately, they have several o%tions. -hey can turn to 6amlers 7nonymous or to local or state
organi(ations that understand their addiction and know how to hel% them sto% gamling their lives
away.
eading :om%rehension
Answer a few questions about what you read.
:om%ulsive gamling is >>>>>.
a safe and entertaining form of recreation
an addiction, like alcoholism
a %hase that everyone goes through
$f a com%ulsive gamler starts to lie aout his gamling and thinks he can sto% at any time, he is
in >>>>>.
the des%eration %hase
the losing %hase
the hel%lessness %hase
$f a com%ulsive gamler is gamling with orrowed money and taking money from his wife=s
%urse, he is in >>>>>.
the hel%lessness %hase
the losing %hase
the des%eration %hase
$f a com%ulsive gamler is getting a divorce and is suffering from de%ression, he is in >>>>>.
the hel%lessness %hase
the losing %hase
the des%eration %hase
$f a com%ulsive gamler is having fun and starting to et more and more, he is in >>>>>.
the winning %hase
the losing %hase
the hel%lessness %hase
$f a com%ulsive gamler thinks of money only as something that will allow him to continue
gamling, he is in >>>>>.
the winning %hase
the losing %hase
the des%eration %hase
Extract
Six months ago I made a rash promise. The leader of the youth club in our village rang me in March
saying, Were thining of running a childrens playscheme for a day in !ctober half"term. Would you be
prepared to help#$ My response %as Sure, %hy not#$ In truth I %as a little flattered to be ased, even
though %oring as a care assistant %ith old people hardly &ualified me for the role. Still, I duly put the date
in my diary and of course I forgot all about it. I dont no% if youve noticed this but time has a habit of
speeding along faster than a police car chasing a robber and, before I ne% it, the day %as da%ning.
I arrived at the youth centre that morning feeling full of trepidation. There %as a gang of '( helpers
including me and each pair had been allocated a particular age group. Mine %as the ') to '' year olds.
*ven %ith the planning meeting I had attended the %ee before, I %orried about %hether I %as up to the
tas. Why hadnt I read through the copious lesson plans %e %ere given beforehand# +nd %asnt the
average ')"year"old more interested in the latest ,lay Station game than maing things %ith paper and
glue#
+ll too &uicly the children began arriving. The loo of relief on parents faces as they handed their
offspring over to us %as &uite comical. + handful of the children %ere already members of the club but the
other forty five or so %ere from the local primary schools. +gain I ased myself %hy I had elected to spend
a day %ith all these -little monsters especially %hen I have t%o all of my o%n to contend %ith.
I neednt have %orried of course as it turned out to be a marvellous day. We %atched entertaining dvd
clips, learned -action songs, made clay pyramids, decorated biscuits, played memory games and spent
some time in &uiet reflection. I say -%e because I rediscovered my inner child and /oined in all the
activities.
The particular highlight for me %as the final rendition of 0es got the %hole %orld in his hands$ in the
closing part of the day. The children ne% the %ords and actions off by heart and sang so loudly it %as
almost enough to bring the roof do%n. Its difficult to explain those moments1 only that the body tingles %ith
the pleasure of having %itnessed something so magical.
!f course there %ere also moments of great poignancy. I found it difficult to stop thining of one little girl,
%ho mentioned oh"so"casually that her mum %as in hospital and %ould be there for a long time. Its easy
for us adults to idealise childhood and forget that some children have their o%n burden of anxieties and
concerns. When I got home utterly exhausted, still %ith modelling clay under my fingernails, I reflected on
%hat a privilege it had been.
There %as one disappointment for the children and that %as that the playscheme %as only running for a
day, and not the %hole %ee. +s I said fare%ell to my group, one of the children turned and said 2an %e
do it again in the next holiday, Miss#$ My response %as, Sure, %hy not#$
Part 1: Multiple Choice
1 When the offer of the job was made the writer
felt she had made a mistake to agree.
thought she had a%%ro%riate e3%erience for the 'o.
elieved she shouldn=t have een asked.
gave the im%ression she wasn=t sure aout acce%ting the 'o.
2 When the day arrived the writer was surprised
that the day had come round so #uickly.
ecause she=d forgotten to write down the date.
ecause she witnessed a car chase on the way.
that she woke u% at dawn.
When the writer arrived to start her job she
%ut the children into %airs.
realised she should have done more %re%aration.
felt confident she could deal with ?@ and ?? year olds.
saw the children had rought their own electronic games to %lay
with.
! "ccordin# to the writer$ the parents were
ha%%y to stay with their children all day.
worried aout children from the other schools.
nervous that their children might not ehave themselves.
glad to leave their children.
% &he writer needn't have worried because
the children were #uiet during the day.
the children weren=t doing messy activities.
she had fun herself.
the time %assed #uickly.
( &he writer's best moment
occurred in the middle of the day.
took her y sur%rise.
was hard to %ut into words.
was when the day was over.
) "ccordin# to the writer$ adults
think that eing a child is a %rivilege.
sometimes forget that children have worries too.
are usually e3hausted y ringing u% their children.
don=t have a stressful life.
* 2hat is the writer=s attitude y the end of the day.
She could imagine doing the 'o again ne3t time.
She was sad to say good ye to the chidlren.
She was disa%%ointed with the e3%erience.
She ho%es the %layscheme will e longer in future.
Career success in the arts
John Prince, famous dancer and
choreographer, gives advice on how to
succeed in a career in the arts.
I ased 3ohn ho% he got started and %hat
re&uirements there are. 4Well, to be a
professional dancer it5s useful to have had
acting lessons or some bacground in
drama. If you %ant to succeed in musical
theatre you have to have a good singing
voice as %ell. When you approach an
agent you should tae a portfolio %ith your
26, your statistics sheet and some good
photos and revie%s of past performances.
7ou5ll need dance clothes, ballet shoes,
tap shoes, and even roller sates
depending on %hat ind of sho% you are
going to go for.4
1
4!f course, you need to be extremely fit if
you %ant to be a professional dancer. I
dance or move about for about six hours a
day. There are great health benefits to
being a dancer. I can eat a lot of pasta
%ithout gaining %eight because dancing
increases your metabolism so much.4
2
3ohn has a very busy schedule in the next
fe% months. 0e too time out to spea to
me today from the maing of a pop video
to promote 8"ergy5s latest record. 4I
choreographed the dance routine for the
boys and they only had ( days in %hich to
learn it. I am going to be %oring on a
video for another %ell no%n band " but
that5s top secret. 8ext month I5ll be touring
Spain in a production of a musical that
%as %ritten by a friend of mine, Michaela
*vans.

+s for the future, I5ve come to realise that I
%ould never be content to be /ust a chorus
dancer " I5m too much of an individual for
that. 9ie all artists I5d love to become a
household name by %riting and
choreographing my o%n musicals.4
3ohn %as born in 3amaica to a 3amaican
father and a Scottish mother but the family
emigrated to *ngland () years ago. 4I
have a little sister I adore, %ho is also
training to be a dancer.4 0o% does it feel
to have someone else follo%ing in your
footsteps#
!
0as he much more to learn, I %ondered.
4I5ve spent an incredible amount of my life
A It5s fine, but I try not to give out too much
advice as it gets irritating.
B +nd if nothing you lie comes out of it,
then come bac and be an actor or dancer.
C Without a strict daily timetable lie this
you find yourself %asting too much time.
D +fter that it5s bac to *ngland to start a
ne% term of dance classes.
E 0opefully this has enabled me to become
a better and more tolerant person as a
result.
F When it comes to coping %ith stress, I find
that exercise helps me to cope %ith my
problems, so I stay in good shape mentally
as %ell.
G 9ie any profession %here you5re al%ays
travelling, you tend to ac&uire something
ne% almost every day.
:eing fully e&uipped %ith all this stuff
beforehand maes it easier %hen you go for
auditions.
training to get %here I am. I %ent to
college for t%o years in *ngland, I trained
for six months in ,aris and about eight
months in +merica. :ut you never really
stop training or learning your art.4
%
So, %ould you say it5s been plain sailing#
4I feel I5ve been lucy to a degree1 many
people hit problems breaing into the arts.
It can be a vicious circle really. 7ou can5t
become a member of *&uity, %hich is the
actors5 and dancers5 union, %ithout good
contracts. and you can5t get good
contracts %ithout being a member of
*&uity. My advice to people %ho %ant to
get into the arts %ould be to go out into
the %orld, and try everything else first.
(
What has a dance career done for you as
a person# 4Thans to dancing, I5ve visited
and performed in (; countries so far. This
has opened my eyes to the %orld, and I5ve
been able to understand issues lie
racism and ine&uality from a %ider
perspective.
)
4So all in all I5m really happy to be a
dancer.4
7ou are going to read a selection of letters from a motoring maga<ine. =or &uestions '"'>, choose from the
people ?+"*@. The people may be chosen more than once.
!our "etters
This month %e feature your early driving experiences.
A
I5d been taing lessons for a year before I passed my driving test at the age of eighteen, but my dad never
gave me any help. *ven after I5d passed he never let me use the car. So I used to tae my dad5s eys
before leaving the apartment bloc %here %e lived and %ould run round to the car par at the bac %here
my father left the car at night. 0e hardly ever used the car after getting in from %or. I used to go and see
my girlfriend or /ust drive around and then come bac and leave the car in exactly the same place. !ne
night though, I got bac at around ten thirty only to find there %ere no paring spaces left. I suppose
because I %ent in and told my dad the truth straight a%ay he %as &uite good about it. +lthough he did stop
my allo%ance for four %ees.
#err$
B
My most unfortunate driving experience happened ages ago, before I5d actually passed my driving test. My
girlfriend5s father used to let her borro% his car %henever %e %ere going to the cinema or something.
+ny%ay, I5d been thining about learning to drive and I persuaded her to let me have a go. We too the car
do%n to the beach on the sand %here no one could see us and she let me tae the %heel. We %ere having
such fun that %e didn5t notice the tide %as coming in until the car %as actually s%imming in the %ater. We
had to leave the car %here it %as and catch the bus bac to tell her dad. :y the time the three of us
returned, the car %as almost covered in %ater. 8eedless to say, her father %asn5t too pleased. The funny
thing is her dad ended up selling me the car after I passed my test.
Car%
C
I %as teaching my mum to drive and %e %ere coming do%n a rather narro% road %hich had cars pared on
both sides. Suddenly, from no%here there %as a young man on a bie coming to%ards us. Mum slammed
the braes on but she crashed into us, landed on the car and then rolled off. My mother and I both /umped
out of the car to see if he %as all right. =ortunately, he stood up and said he %as !A, /ust a little shaen.
My mum offered to give him some money for the repair of the bie, and then an old lady came along.
When she sa% %hat had happened, she began shouting at my mother, saying she must have been driving
too fast and that it %as a bad example to set her young daughter. ,oor old mum didn5t say a %ord and I
had to explain that she %as still learning to drive.
&arah
D
My advice about learning to drive %ould be to have proper lessons from a &ualified instructor and never to
let a friend or family member try to teach you. It5s a guaranteed %ay to spoil a good relationship. *very
Sunday, %hen the traffic %as &uieter, my father %ould pic me up and tae me for a drive along the streets
of our hometo%n and give me a lecture on ho% to drive, explaining everything he %as doing and %hy.
*ventually it %as my turn to have a go. My dad %as so nervous that he paniced before I5d even started up
the engine. 0e used to shout at the slightest mistae, and %hen the lesson %as finally over he5d come
home and have a large glass of %hisy to calm do%n.
'aren
E
I didn5t start learning to drive until I %as t%enty one. I5d spent lots of money on lessons but I %as a terrible
driver, I must admit. The first time I too my driving test nobody expected me to pass. :ut after failing
another four times the pressure %as really on. I too my test for a sixth time and failed yet again, but I %as
too embarrassed to admit it to my family, so I /ust pretended that I5d passed after all. My family %ere
delighted and my mother %ent out and bought me a car the next day. I didn5t no% %hat to do so I /ust got
in and drove. I continued to drive " illegally " for three months. =ortunately I %as never stopped by the
police and the next time I too my driving test I passed.
(i)e
Which person+'s,
?" had a %arent who was accused of driving dangerously. A" ought a car. B" drove
his girlfriends dads car. C" drove alone without a license. D" had to defend one of
their %arents. E" drove the family car without %ermission. F" was teaching someone to
drive. G" %aid for driving lessons. H" had no driving instruction from their father.
?@" was %unished for their actions. ??" was given driving lessons y a memer of their
family. ?A" was considering taking driving lessons. ?B" advises against eing taught to
drive y a friend or family memer. ?C" was given a treat for %assing their test. ?D"
used to make their father nervous.