S e c o n d e d I t I o n 1 Reading for the Real World 1

Gi as a Weapon?
Discussion
Discuss the following questions.
1.
Do you believe in gi? Why or why not?
2.
If gi does exist, what are some ways that gi could possibly be used as a weapon? 
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Vocabulary Preview
 
Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.
1.
affirm 
a.
persisting; not stopping
2.
bribe 
b.
accepting of differences
3.
perseverance 
c.
to assert positively; to confirm
4.
priority 
d.
a tall building
5.
skyscraper 
e.
money or a favor given to get something you want
6.
tolerant 
f.
the most important thing
Pre-Reading Questions
Think about the following questions.
1.
Do you think America is the land of opportunity? Why or why not?
2. 
What social issues you are concerned about?
3. 
What are some ways individuals can help to solve these social 
issues?
Pre-Reading Questions
Barack Obama’s 
Keynote Address at the 
Democratic National 
Convention
 
P e o p l e & O p i n i o n s 1
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Barack Obama’s Keynote Address at 
the Democratic National Convention
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T 
onight is a particular honor for me because, let’s face it, my presence 
on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student, born 
and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats and 
went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a 
domestic servant to the British. But my grandfather had larger dreams for his 
son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in 
a magical place, America, that shone as a 
beacon
of freedom and opportunity to 
so many who had come before him.
While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on 
the other side of the world, in Kansas. My parents shared not only an 
improbable love; they shared an 
abiding
faith in the possibilities of this nation. 
They would give me an African name, Barack, or “blessed,” believing that in a 
tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success. They imagined me going to 
the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a 
generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential.
Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation not because of the 
height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the 
size of our economy; our pride is based on a very simple