Characters: Kelsey, Aristotle K: Sorry to bother you but... A: Hm? K: I said sorry to bother you but I'm looking for something of mine. A: Is that so? What is it you're looking for? K: Well... It's my cat, you see. My cat's missing and I'm very worried about it. A: And what does it look like?
K: White with orange stripes.
A: A white cat with orange stripes? Let me think for a moment... No, I'm sorry to say I haven't. Good luck finding it.
K: Yes...thank you.
A: Are you alright? You look troubled.
K: I'm fine, thank you. ...No, actually I'm not alright. A: What's the matter? K: It's my cat. You see, I really love my cat and I'm afraid I won't see her again. But I've also talked with a couple of people before you, and after talking with them, I'm not sure if I should be looking for her. A: I see. And what did these people say to you?
K: Well, let's see... The first man asked me what a cat is. I couldn't answer him, though. A: I see. I think that was maybe Socrates.
K: And then I met another man an hour later. He wanted to know if my cat was perfect. But I couldn't answer his question very well either. A: Yes, yes, I see now. That was probably Plato.
K: I'm so confused! Maybe they're right and I shouldn't be looking for my cat. What do you think about this?
A: The first man you talked to, Socrates, often asks questions like that. You see, he thinks that a person cannot really know anything, so it is almost impossible to answer his questions. And Plato is also difficult to answer, because he believes that there is nothing perfect in this world.
K: Oh dear. ...But their questions make me think. What if I shouldn't look for my cat? A: If you really must find your cat, I will give you this advice. To find your cat, you must understand her very well. If you understand her, you'll know where she is. And to understand your cat, you must know many things about her, like her past. The past makes us what we are. Understand your cat's past and you will understand your cat. Then you will know where she is.
K: The past? ...That's great! Now I know what I must do. I must go back in time!
Now listen to the questions. (Some of the questions are in Japanese.) If you don't understand something, ask either Kelsey or your tutor for help. Send your answers to Kelsey in the Writing Section at LingQ or tell Kelsey your answers in a conversation with him in the Speaking Section. You don't have to answer all the questions. Good luck!
