THE BOOK OF WORDS by Abai Kunanbaiuly WORD SEVEN From the moment a newborn baby comes into this world, it has two basic needs. One is for food, drink and sleep. Without these, the body cannot become a home for the soul because it will not grow and it will not get stronger. The other need is a desire to learn. Children are curious about every single thing they see and hear. They will touch and taste new objects, reach for the dombra or the wind pipe when they hear the unusual sounds, listen to the noises people and animals make. As they grow, they start asking a lot of questions: "What is this? What is it for? Why is he doing this?" A person finds their place in the world by learning and trying to understand the secrets of nature. This desire for knowledge is what makes humans different from animals. But why do people lose their curiosity when they get older? Why do adults focus on the needs of the body and forget about the needs of the soul? They continue to give food to the body, but they starve the soul. They only experience the world 1 Read the text. What makes people different from animals according to Abai? a the way they eat b their curiosity for learning C their ability to make unusual sounds 2 Read the text again. Are the sentences true or false? Abai says babies only need to eat and sleep. false 1 Children want to learn about everything around them. 2 It's important for people to try to understand nature. 3 Abai asks why people continue to learn as they grow older. Страница 43 Из Copyright Oxford University Press 745 D PMA ΙΓΕ АТТЫҚ БАНКО 20 AM5036745 АБАЙ-1845-1904 through their eyes, not their minds. But the eyes cannot see beyond the walls of the village. Only the mind can see the invisible. It is easy to become one of these people. This is the easier path and some believe it is the only one. Now they are no better than animals who also see the world and do not understand it. They say: "You live the way you want; let me live the way I want.' or 'I'd rather follow my own rules and be poor than follow yours and be rich. There is no warmth in their hearts and no faith in their souls. And the distant days of childhood seem like a dream to them now: the days when they were human beings with a desire for knowledge. They do not want to listen to the advice of wiser people. 3★★★ Match words 1-6 with definitions a-f. 1 desire 2 curiosity 3 faith 4 knowledge 5 soul 6 advice a to believe someone or in something b information, under-standing and skills c the spiritual part of a person d a strong wish for something e a suggestion about what someone should do f an interest in discovering information about something