Sadako Sasaki: She Folded 1,000 Paper Cranes… Then the World Folded Them Too
In hospital, twelve-year-old Sadako Sasaki folded paper cranes because of an old Japanese story about wishes. Today, millions of paper cranes are sent to her statue in Hiroshima every year as a wish for peace. Learn five A2 words with the true story of Sadako Sasaki.
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
In hospital, a girl , one by one.
An old story said: 1,000, and your will come true.
Did she do it?
This is the story of Sadako Sasaki.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. A is a big with a long neck.
In Japan, the is a of good luck.
. When you , you bend one part over another part.
The past is .
She every day.
. is thin and flat.
We write on it.
She used the from her medicine.
. A is something you really want to happen.
Her was to get better.
. is a time with no war and no fighting.
Each is a for .
Now, one pattern: so, for a result.
So joins a reason and its result.
She wanted to get better.
She .
She wanted to get better, so she .
Ready? Let's begin.
Sadako was born in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1943.
In 1945, when she was two, an atomic bomb fell on the city.
Sadako was not hurt.
Everyone thought she was fine.
Sadako grew up strong and happy.
She loved to run.
She was one of the fastest girls in her class, so she ran for her class in the relay race.
But in 1954, she started to feel very tired.
In February 1955, she went to hospital.
She had a serious illness of the blood.
Her mother called it the atom bomb illness.
In the hospital, Sadako heard an old story.
In Japan, the is a of good luck.
If you 1,000 , your will come true.
Sadako wanted to get better, so she every day.
was hard to find, so she used the from her medicine.
Some were as small as a grain of rice, so she used a needle.
Did she 1,000?
Yes!
In less than a month, she 1,000 .
And she did not stop.
But her did not come true.
In October 1955, Sadako died.
She was only twelve.
Her classmates were very sad, so they had an idea: a for Sadako and for all the children of the bomb.
Children from all over Japan sent money.
In 1958, the was ready.
Today, the stands in the Park in Hiroshima.
A girl holds a golden high in the sky.
Every year, people send about 10 million .
Each is a for .
Let's review. In Japan, the is a of good luck.
She every day.
She used the from her medicine.
Her was to get better.
Each is a for .
And remember: she wanted to get better, so she .
Sadako Sasaki's story teaches us: even a small can carry a big for .
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
crane noun
a big bird with a long neck and long legs
“In Japan, the crane is a bird of good luck.”
fold verb
to bend one part of paper over another part (past: folded)
“She folded cranes every day.”
paper noun
thin, flat material; we write on it
“She used the paper from her medicine.”
wish noun
something you really want to happen
“Her wish was to get better.”
peace noun
a time with no war and no fighting
“Each crane is a wish for peace.”
bird noun
an animal with wings and feathers; most birds can fly
“The crane is a big bird.”
ill adjective
not well; sick
“Sadako was very ill, so she stayed in hospital.”
statue noun
a big model of a person or an animal, made of stone or metal
“In 1958, the statue was ready.”
Grammar in the story
so (result)
We use it for: to join a reason and its result: reason, so result
- reason + , so + result: She wanted to get better, so she folded cranes.
- Paper was hard to find, so she used the paper from her medicine.
- Compare: She folded cranes because she wanted to get better. (because + reason)
From the story
- She wanted to get better, so she folded cranes.
- Her classmates were very sad, so they had an idea.
Find it in the story 9 times
Your turn
Paper was hard to find, she used the paper from her medicine.
Some cranes were very small, so a needle.
She loved to run, she ran in the relay race.
Step 4
Story Challenge
10 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
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Take it further
Before you watch: Can you fold a paper crane, a paper plane or a paper boat? Who taught you?
After you watch: Write three sentences with so about your own life. For example: I was hungry, so I made some noodles. I want to travel, so I study English every day.
Think about it: Under Sadako’s statue, the words say: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.” Why do you think children all over the world still fold paper cranes for peace?
