HACHIKO.

In front of the enormous Shibuya train station in Tokyo, there is a life-size

bronze statue of a dog. Even though the statue is very small when compared to the huge
neon signs flashing, it isn't difficult to find. It has been used as a meeting point since
1934 and today you will find hundreds of people waiting there for their friends to arrive-
just look for the crowds. Hachiko, an Akita Inu dog, was born in 1923 and brought to
Tokyo in 1924. His owner, Professor Eisaburo Uyeno and he were inseparable friends
right from the start. Each day Hachiko would accompany his owner, a professor at the
Imperial University, to Shibuya train station when he left for work. When he came back,
the professor would always find the dog patiently waiting for him. Sadly, the professor
died suddenly at work in 1925 before he could return home. Although Hachiko was still a
young dog, the bond between him and his owner was very strong and he continued to
wait at the station every day. Sometimes, he would stay there for days at a time, though
some believe that he kept returning because of the food he was given by street vendors.
He became a familiar sight to travellers over time. In 1934, a statue of him was put
outside the station. In 1935, Hachiko died at the place he last saw his friend alive.

HITORIA 2

In 1994, an Italian policeman, Mauro Prosperi, miraculously survived for nine days in the
Sahara Desert. It is an incredible story of survival and endurance. The Sahara is the
world's second largest desert, and it occupies 10 percent of the African continent! There
is little water and food in the desert and temperatures are very high during the day, up to
50 degrees Celsius. It is not a place you want to be by yourself, but this is where
Prosperi found himself in 1994. He was a participant in an extreme sports competition
called the Marathon of the Sands. The competition takes a week to complete.
Participants cross 250 kilometers of the Sahara Desert carrying food and clothes on their
backs. The participants only receive nine liters of water each day and tents for sleeping.
During the race, a sandstorm hit the participants and Prosperi lost his way. He was lost
for nine days without a compass, a cell phone or sufficient food and water. Rescuers
found him in western Algeria. He was sick from dehydration and a few kilograms lighter.
He had survived on his own body fluids and by eating bats. Luckily, Prosperi recovered
well from the terrible experience. Amazingly, he entered the Marathon of the Sands
competition again a few years later!

HISTORIA 3
Dear Paco,Hello! My name´s David and I´m fifteen years old. My birthday is on the
thirteenth of March. My mother´s name is Christine and she works part – time as nurse.
My father´s name is Tedd and he works full – time as a company representative. I have
two sisters; one is called Sarah and she´s in her last year at school, and the other is
called Jenny and she´s very naughty. Sarah is seventeen and she has a boyfriend called
John. Jenny is only ten and she always annoys me when I´m studying.We live in a semi-
detached house with a little garden and we have a beautiful cat called Simon. I like
playing with my cat but I don´t like helping in the garden. Do you live in a house or a flat?
Do you have any brothers and sisters? Do both your parents work?In my next letter I´ll
tell you about my school.Write soon.David