10 February 2012 / by Radmila Gurkova

Choosing to be homeless..?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvvjDOtS2sw

Becky Blanton was Homeless - but of her own volition – for one year. She is a journalist but decided, after her father died, to hide from the world, travel and become homeless.

She had camped her whole life so thought driving off into the sunset with her dog and cat, in a Chevy van would be undemanding!

At first living in the van was great – going from different campground, taking a shower in toilet blocks and having space to breath - but after a while the heat increased in a hot summer and living with animals in a van at 80 degrees Fahrenheit at night was extremely cumbersome.

At winter the temperatures plummeted below freezing and having to stay in a different place each night to avoid the police; she felt out of control of her life.

It wasn’t until a real homeless person told her she had hope, had a real job as a newspaper editor and could do something positive with her life, that she realize she wasn’t a real homeless person. Becky made a choice to take back her alternate life. Not as a homeless person but as a writer!

DEBATE

How many homeless people are there in Spain?

Do you give money to help the homeless?

Where do they get their food from?

KEYWORDS

Word	Image	Definition	Example	Listen
Homeless		People who live on the streets	Larger cities have more problems with homeless people than smaller towns.	Listen
Uncomfortable		To feel irritated, the opposite of comfortable	This seat is really uncomfortable	Listen
Life-Changing		Altering a person's life or circumstances in a substantial way	My new job is a life-changing experience	Listen
Cumbersome		Difficult to handle because of weight or bulk	Although the machine looks cumbersome, it is easy to use	Listen
Plummeted		To crash, to fall very quickly	The stock market plummeted during the Great Depression of 1929	Listen
Volition		The act of willing, choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing	She left of her own volition.	Listen
Hide		To conceal from sight; prevent from being seen or discovered	Where did he hide the money?	Listen
Sunset		The time when the sun goes down	It was a beautiful sunset	Listen
Choice		An act or instance of choosing	His parents were not happy with his choice of friends	Listen

GRAMMAR STRUCTURES:

Click here to see when we use the word 'Also'

Click here to read about the use of 'ly' endings in English

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10 February 2012 / by Radmila Gurkova

Choosing to be homeless..?

DEBATE

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