Why I'm Taking a Year Before the Army
An opinion article by a girl who explains why she is choosing a year of service before her army service.
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1When I tell people that I'm going to spend a year before my army service, the reaction is usually the same: "Why waste a year?" My grandmother worries that I will fall behind my friends. My uncle says that I should go to the army, finish my studies and get a job as early as possible. I understand their , but I believe that this year will be one of the most of my life.
2Next September, I will join a group of fourteen young people who will live together in an apartment in Kiryat Shmona, a town in the north of Israel. During the day, each of us will volunteer in a different place, such as a school, a youth club or a center for children with special needs. In the evenings, we will cook, clean and plan activities together.
3First, I want to give something back. I grew up in a comfortable home in the center of the country, and I have had many . Children in towns far from the center often have fewer. If I can help even a few of them believe in themselves, the year will be worth it.
4Second, I want to learn to live . For eighteen years, my parents have made most of my decisions. Next year I will have to manage a , solve with and take responsibility for the children I work with.
5Finally, many people say that a year of service helped them understand what they wanted to do with their lives. My cousin Shira planned to study law, but after a year of working with teenagers at risk, she became a social worker.
6A year is not a waste if you use it well. I am not falling behind. I am getting ready.
📘 Glossary
- volunteering - working to help others without being paid
- concerns - worries
- valuable - very useful or important
- opportunities - chances to do something good
- independently - without needing help from others
- budget - a plan for how to spend money
- conflicts - serious disagreements
- roommates - people who share a home with you
Questions
Finding details
1. How do people usually react when the writer tells them about her plan?Finding details
2. What does the writer's grandmother worry about, and what does her uncle advise?Reference words
3. In paragraph 1, the word "their" in "I understand their concerns" refers to…Finding details
4. Where will the writer volunteer during the day?Finding details
5. Give TWO of the writer's reasons for taking a year of service.Word meaning
6. In paragraph 4, "to live independently" means to live…Purpose and structure
7. Why does the writer mention her cousin Shira?Fact, opinion and stance
8. Which of these sentences is a FACT, not an opinion?Main idea
9. What does the writer mean by "I am not falling behind. I am getting ready"?
✍️ Writing task
Would you like to take a year of volunteering before the army or before university? Explain your opinion and give at least two reasons.
80–100 words
0 words
Answer every question to get a score (0/9)