Jaime, a new immigrant (移民) , was attending his daughter's first show in a school play. His daughter, Carol, was eight years old. She was a student at a 1 school. Carol did not have a very big role in the school show. She was playing a rain cloud in a play about the dry weather in California. Carol had one line. Her line was, “I am sad enough to 2 about how dry the state is.”
Jaime and his wife made sure to arrive early 3 they could get a good seat in the hall. They found seats in the 4 row. The headmaster made a 5 before the show began. It was about how hard the students and teachers 6 together to make the play possible. At the end of the speech, the headmaster said, “Let's give them 7.”
Jaime was 8 good at English. He stood up when the headmaster said this. He knew that when people said “to give someone a hand " they 9 they needed help. Jaime always wanted to help. He thought maybe they needed help backstage.
Jaime's wife put her arm in front of her husband. “Where are you going?" she said in a 10 voice. “They need a hand, " Jaime answered gently. His wife 11 that “to give someone a hand” could also mean to praise someone. “They don't need help. They just want us to clap," Jaime's wife said. Jaime felt a little 12. Then he 13 and began clapping with other audience.
Jaime thought to himself that someone needed to 14 the English language a hand. How could one phrase mean 15 different things? He meant the English language needed help.
