C
Ken was going to play football in the park with his best friend John. When they were about to leave, Ken's mum came back with a letter.
“Bad news,” she said. “The apartment managers want to build a fitness centre where the park is.” Ken's heart dropped. The park wasn't just their football field—it was also home to the ancient sandalwood trees. John complained, “They didn't even ask us!”
Determined, the boys wrote a letter that evening. “We'll explain how the park helps everyone!” Ken said, typing angrily. The next morning, they marched to the management office, hearts pounding.
The managers listened politely as they read their letter. “But more people will use a new fitness centre,” Ms Brown, one of the managers said, her smile not reaching her eyes. Then she walked the boys out.
“They didn't care at all!” Ken said as they walked towards the park. Then they stopped at the entrance.
A shiny new sign read: “Future Home of Fitness Centre”. Behind it, the grand sandalwood tree stood tall, its leaves rustling sadly in the wind. A wild idea came to Ken. “Let's make the tree SPEAK!”
They raced home, grabbed cardboard and markers, and created a sign:
“I'm a Hawaiian sandalwood. I don't grow anywhere else in the world. My family almost died out forever. Please save me!”
Hanging it on the tree, they stepped back. “Do you think anyone will notice?” John whispered.
The next afternoon, to their surprise, dozens of handmade signs were found all over the park!
One hung from a palm tree: “I clean air for people daily!”
Another stood beside a bush: “My flowers make Hawaiian leis—symbols of love!”
Even the grass had a sign: “I stop floods by holding the soil!”
People in the community crowded around, discussing. Ms Brown stared at a sign about heart medicine. “My grandma's pills... could they come from plants?” she wondered aloud.
Days later, Ms Brown invited the boys to her office, her strict face softened. “The voices of the trees are heard,” she said. “We decided to upgrade the old fitness centre and keep the park for outdoor yoga and tai chi.”
That evening, Ken and John played football under the sandalwood tree, its leaves now dancing happily. “Who knew trees could shout so loud?” John laughed.
理解
1. What was the key that helped change the managers' decision?
The voices of the community.
2. Share your story of dealing with problems in a creative way.
Once, my group had to present a history project, but our poster was ruined. Instead of panicking, we turned it into a game! We drew a blank timeline on the board and had our classmates guess the correct order of the events. Everyone participated and learnt a lot. It was more fun than a normal presentation!
