Every morning, Mr Leo goes to a small park near his home. He is 72 years old and lives alone. In the middle of the park, there is a large tree. Under the tree, there is a wooden bench. There are often a few people in the park, but the park is usually quiet.

Marco is 20 years old and is new in town. He is a university student. He does not know many people, so he often feels alone. One Tuesday morning, he walks through the park before class. He sees Mr Leo on the bench.

“Good morning,” Marco says. “Can I sit here?”

“Of course,” Mr Leo says with a kind smile. He moves his newspaper and makes space.

Marco sits next to him. At first, they are quiet. Then Mr Leo asks, “Are you from this town?”

“No, I’m from Naples,” Marco says. “I study here, but I don’t have many friends yet.”

They talk for ten minutes. Mr Leo tells Marco about the town, and Marco tells him about university. Before Marco leaves, he asks, “Can I come back tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Mr Leo says. “I come here every morning.”

The next day, Marco comes back. This time, he brings two cups of tea.

“One for you and one for me,” he says.

Mr Leo smiles. They sit together and talk. Marco comes back on Friday and again on Monday. Soon, they meet at the bench every week. Sometimes they talk about their families. Sometimes they watch the dogs and the people in the park. They both feel less alone.

One morning, Marco brings a small wooden sign. He puts it on the bench. It says:

“Kindness lives here.”

Mr Leo looks at the sign and smiles.

“That is perfect,” he says.

Other people see the sign. They stop and say hello. Some people sit with Marco and Mr Leo for a few minutes. The bench is now a friendly place. People talk, listen and feel welcome there.

Marco and Mr Leo still meet at the bench every week. One simple question starts their friendship:

“Can I sit here?”

Vocabolario Chiave

Parola/Espressione

• Bench

• Alone

• Make space

• Come back

• Quiet

• Sit next to

• Kindness

• Sign

Significato (English)

• A long seat for sitting

• Without other people

• To move for more room

• To return to a place

• With little or no noise

• To sit beside someone

• Friendly and helpful

• Aboard with words or pictures

Traduzione Italiana

• Panchina

• Da solo/a

• Fare spazio

• Tornare

• Silenzioso

• Sedersi accanto a

• Gentilezza

• Cartello

Grammatica utile nella storia

Present Simple - Routine e azioni abituali.

Uso: si usa per parlare di routine e azioni che si ripetono.

Struttura:

• I/You/We/They + verbo base

• He/She/It + verbo con -s/-es

Esempi dalla storia:

• “Every morning, Mr Leo goes to a small park near his home.”

• “Marco and Mr Leo still meet at the bench every week.”

There is/There are: descrivere luoghi e cose

Uso: si usano per indicare la presenza di persone o cose.

Struttura:

• There is + nome singolare

• There are + nome plurale

Esempi dalla storia:

• “In the middle of the park, there is a large tree.”

• “There are often a few people in the park.”

Can: chiedere permesso

Uso: si usa can per chiedere il permesso di fare qualcosa.

Struttura:

• Can + soggetto + verbo base…?

Esempi dalla storia:

• “Can I sit here?”

• “Can I come back tomorrow?”

Domande di Comprensione

Detailed Comprehension

1. Why does Marco often feel alone?

2. What does Marco ask when he first meets Mr Leo, and how does Mr Leo respond?

3. What does Marco bring the next day?

4. How often do they meet later, and what do they sometimes do together?

5. What words are written on the wooden sign?

Gist (General Understanding)

1. Where does most of the story happen?

2. How does the relationship between Marco and Mr Leo change?

3. What happens at the bench after Marco brings the sign?

Reader’s Reflection

1. Is it easy or difficult for you to talk to a new person? Why?

2. What small thing can you do to help someone feel less alone?

Soluzioni

Reflection – Possible Answers

• Possible answer: It is difficult for me because I am shy, but I can start by saying hello.

• Possible answer: I can say hello, listen to the person or ask them to have a coffee with me.

Detailed Answers

1. Marco feels alone because he is new in town and does not know many people.

2. He asks, “Can I sit here?” Mr Leo says, “Of course,” moves his newspaper and makes space.

3. He brings two cups of tea.

4. They meet every week. They talk about their families and watch the dogs and people in the park.

5. The sign says, “Kindness lives here.”

Gist Answers

1. Most of the story happens at a bench under a tree in a small park.

2. At first, they do not know each other. They begin talking, meet again and become friends.

3. Other people stop, say hello and sit with Marco and Mr Leo. The bench becomes a friendly place.