Key words: humanitarian, disabled, plantation, communication, interpret

A Talk about the picture.
1 Who is the woman in the picture?
2 What is she famous for?

B Read about Helen Keller.
Helen Keller was a great humanitarian. She cared deeply for the sick, injured and disabled people. The disabled people have physical or mental problems that limit their activities or senses. Helen devoted her life to help them.

Helen was born in 1880 in Alabama, USA. Her parents were Captain Arthur Keller and Katherine Adams Keller. Her family was not rich. Their main source of income was cotton plantation.

Helen was born healthy, but in 1882 she became deaf, dumb and blind after a high fever. Her father heard about Perkins School for the Blind in Boston and contacted the Director there. In 1887 the Director sent one of his best students, Anne Sullivan, to help Helen. Anne worked hard to enable her to communicate.

In 1890 Helen's formal education started at Horace Mann School for the deaf in Boston. In 1892 she went to Wright Humason School for the deaf in New York. Helen improved her communication skills and studied regular academic sub-jects. She then decided to go to college, and attended Cambridge School for Young Ladies in 1896. Later she studied at Radcliffe College. Here she learnt Braille, which was a new technique for reading. She also learnt how to type. Anne Sullivan was always with Helen. She sat with Helen in class and helped her by interpreting lectures and texts. In 1904 Helen received her BA degree with Honours from Radcliffe College.

Helen spent her life helping disabled people to learn. She died on June 1, 1968.

Match the words with the meanings

D True or False? If false, give the correct answer.
1 Helen always helped the suffering people.
2 She came from a rich family.
3 Anne Sullivan was a good teacher of Helen Keller.
4 She died young.
5 Sullivan was taught by Helen.

D True or False? If false, give the correct answer.
1 Helen always helped the suffering people.
2 She came from a rich family.
3 Anne Sullivan was a good teacher of Helen Keller.
4 She died young.
5 Sullivan was taught by Helen.

E Answer the questions.
1 What did the Director do for Helen?
2 How did Helen increase her reading skills at Radcliffe College?
3 What is Helen famous for?

F Find a humanitarian lady in your locality. Write a paragraph in 50 words about what she does for others.