مکالمه ی فعالانه قسمت د

Active Speaking D

Aki Ra is unsure of his age, but he believes he was born in the early 70s.

Who is unsure of his age? Aki Ra is unsure of his age. When does he think he was born? He thinks he was born in the early 70s.

Like many Cambodians in that era, his parents were murdered by the Khmer Rouge.

What happened to his parents? His parents were murdered by the Khmer Rouge.

At the age of 5, he was made a child soldier.

What happened when he was 5? When he was 5, he was made a child soldier.

As soon as he was strong enough, he was put to work planting landmines and setting booby traps along the Cambodia-Thailand border.

Was he put to work planting landmines? Yes, he was put to work planting landmines. What was he setting along the Cambodia-Thailand border? He was setting booby traps along the Cambodia-Thailand border.

The small hands of children like Aki Ra were invaluable tools.

Why were children like Aki Ra so valuable? Children like Aki Ra were so valuable because of their small hands.

He served ten years with the Khmer Army, laying down countless numbers of landmines.

How many landmines did he plant? He planted countless landmines.

“Sometimes I would carry around 100 with me in a sack,” he explained. “Every week I would see someone hurt by them.”

How many would he sometimes carry in a sack? Sometimes he would carry around 100 in a sack. What would he see every week? Every week, he would see someone hurt by them.

Later, Aki Ra was captured by the Vietnamese army, and forced to fight against his own countrymen to avoid execution.

Who captured Aki Ra? The Vietnamese army captured Aki Ra. Who was he forced to fight against? He was forced to fight against his own countrymen.

“I had bad feelings, because sometimes we were fighting against our own friends and relatives,” he said. “I felt sad when I saw a lot of people were killed.”

Were they sometimes fighting against their friends? Yes, they were sometimes fighting against their friends. How did he feel when he saw people killed? He felt sad when he saw people killed.

“A lot of people were suffering from land mines.” Once, when he spotted his uncle in the enemy line, Aki Ra actually shot over his head to avoid killing him.

How did he avoid killing his uncle? He avoided killing his uncle by shooting over his head.

Aki Ra felt terrible about what he had done. When the United Nations came to restore peace to Cambodia in the early 1990s, he saw an opportunity for a second chance at life and at undoing the damage.

When did the United Nations come to restore peace to Cambodia? The United Nations came to restore peace to Cambodia in the early 1990s. What kind of opportunity did he see? He saw an opportunity for a second chance at life and at undoing the damage.

He spent a year defusing mines with the U.N.

How long did he work with the U.N.? He worked with the U.N. for a year.

Even though his birth name was Eoun Yeak, he was so skilled at clearing mines that his supervisors began comparing him to AKIRA, a heavy-duty appliance company in Japan.

Did they compare him to a company? Yes, they compared him to a company. What kind of company was Akira? Akira was a heavy-duty appliance company.

One said, “He works just like AKIRA.” The name stuck.

What stuck? The name Aki Ra stuck.

At this point, Aki Ra decided to dedicate his life to clearing landmines in Cambodia, so he started working alone.

What did he decide to dedicate his life to? He decided to dedicate his life to clearing landmines in Cambodia.

Over the years, he estimates that he has cleared more than 50,000 landmines, all with his bare hands.

How many landmines did he clear? He cleared 50,000 landmines. Did he do this with his bare hands? Yes, he did this with his bare hands.

Along the way, he built a museum in Siem Reap where tourists can touch defused landmines and learn about the situation in Cambodia.

What did he build in Siem Reap? He built a museum in Siem Reap. What can tourists do at this museum? Tourists can touch defused landmines and learn about the situation in Cambodia.

He and his wife have also started an orphanage for children injured by landmines.

What have they started? They have started an orphanage for children injured by landmines.

They’ve personally cared for over 100 children with missing legs and arms over the last decade.

Have they cared for over a dozen children with missing legs and arms? No, they haven’t cared for over a dozen children with missing legs and arms. They have cared for over 100 children with missing legs and arms.

Thanks to a man with a stick and no protective gear, the number of landmine casualties has dropped significantly in Cambodia.

What has dropped significantly in Cambodia? The number of landmine casualties has dropped significantly in Cambodia.

He now has a team of over 1,000 people working in de-mining operations throughout the country.

How many people work with Aki Ra? Aki Ra has a team of over 1,000 people working with him.