147 Ordinarily, no one would engage or even exchange a look with me4. I was a busker and this was London. I didn’t exist. I was a person to be avoided, shunned even. But as I walked down Neal Street that afternoon, almost every person we passed was looking at me. Well, more to the point, they were looking at Bob. One or two had strange, slightly confused looks on their faces, which was understandable, I guess. It must have looked slightly incongruous, a tall, long-haired bloke walking along with a large, ginger tomcat on his shoulders. Not something you see every day – even on the streets of London. Most people, however, were reacting more warmly. The moment they saw Bob, their faces would break into broad smiles. It wasn’t long before people were stopping us. ‘Ah, look at you two,’ said one well-dressed, middle-aged lady laden down with shopping bags. ‘He’s gorgeous. Can I stroke him?’ ‘Of course,’ I said, thinking it would be a one-off event. She plonked down her bags and placed her face right up to his. ‘What a lovely fellow you are, aren’t you,’ she said. ‘He’s a boy, isn’t he?’ ‘He is,’ I said. ‘Isn’t he good to sit there on your shoulders like that? Don’t see that very often. He must really trust you.’ What are the reasons why James Bowen became homeless? What are other possible reasons why people might become homeless? What can society do to help homeless people? Now read this extract from later in the book. How does Bob change James’ life? SPEAKING 26 READING 27 Strategies box When you explain the results, you describe them and give possible reasons for them. Imagine Bob, the cat, keeping a diary. Write a diary entry from Bob’s perspective about a typical day with James. Having read the extract from A Street Cat Named Bob, your class wants to organise a charity event to raise money for homeless people. Your English teacher has asked you to make suggestions and to hand in a report. You have decided to write the report based on a survey among the students in your class. WRITING 28 29 In your report you should: explain the results of the survey say how you could advertise the event suggest how everyone can help organise the event Divide your report into sections and give them headings. Write around 250 words. See Writing coach, Report, p. 186. 4 to not exchange a look with sb.: jmdn. keines Blickes würdigen cake sale charity run music concert quiz evening 25% 10% 10% 55% Students’ ideas for the charity event (n = 20) Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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