The True Courage Learn English through story level 3
story seven
the true courage of aaron brockovich
aaron was worried
did pg and e want to hide something
were the people of hinckley safe
aaron brockovich is one of julia roberts
best movies
it follows the life of a smart young
american woman
with no husband and three young children
the movie has everything that a
successful story needs
lots of action
strong people and a happy ending
but most surprising of all
aaron’s story
is true
erin was in trouble she had no money no
job no husband and three young children
life is difficult when you are a single
mother
but aaron loved her young family and she
wanted to make their lives happy and
comfortable
day after day she read the local
newspapers and called for jobs
but every phone call and every interview
was unsuccessful
it was time to try something new
erin visited her lawyer ed massary
i’m smart i’m hard working and i’ll do
anything she told him
please give me a job
it was a strange way to find a job but
aaron did what she had to do
she wanted to be a good person and a
good mother
aaron was not like the other office
workers she did not always speak
politely she did not wear dark suits
and she gave her opinions fearlessly
she worked hard organizing papers into
piles and boxes every day
but the work was too boring for a smart
woman like aaron
soon she started reading some of the
letters and lawyers papers to make her
days more interesting
erin was a careful worker and she wanted
to do her job well
one day she found some people’s health
papers in the same box as their house
papers
this was unusual
why are these together she thought
maybe there’s a mistake
she started looking at the big box of
papers one page at a time
it seemed that a large electricity
company pacific gas and electric company
pg e
wanted to buy hundreds of houses in the
small town of hinckley close to their
electricity station
but why
more importantly
why were the homeowners health papers in
the same boxes
it was a mystery
erin could not sleep that night
she was worried
did pg e want to hide
something were the people of hinckley
safe
aaron was already a busy woman with her
own problems she had little time to
worry about other people
but deep inside aaron felt that
something was wrong
could she solve the mystery
she needed more information
the next day she spoke to her boss ed
with his help aaron started looking more
closely at the papers
aaron discovered more and more strange
papers in the hinckley box
she realized that there was a serious
problem
she loved her family and she wanted to
spend more time with them she wanted to
see her children grow up
but people in hinckley were very sick
and only aaron knew about it
she wanted to help
so she bravely decided to solve the
hinckley mystery
alone
aaron visited people in hinckley and
spoke to them about pg e their houses
and their health
she wanted to find the true story
erin was not a lawyer she was friendly
and interesting and the people of
hinckley liked talking to her
they told her that pg e was a good
company it made their water safe it paid
for their hospital tests and it offered
good jobs
but aaron was not so sure
aaron always got what she wanted
now she needed help and information
she was working alone but this did not
stop her
she called and visited scientists
doctors and lawyers
she talked to anyone who could help her
and every day she worked hard
at last she got the piece of information
that she really needed
pg e was poisoning the water near
hinckley
pg d is one of the biggest companies in
the u.s
and people liked and trusted it
but aaron realized that the company told
lies
the water was safe they said
but they were poisoning it
aaron was not important famous or rich
she was not even a lawyer
but she decided to fight against pg e
for the people of hinckley
she knew that she had to help in every
possible way
how many people were poisoned in
hinckley
was anyone in danger
aaron returned to the town to find out
people knew aaron now they trusted her
and they talked honestly about their
health problems
hundreds of people in hinckley had
terrible illnesses and some were dying
as aaron listened to the great problems
and worries in these people’s lives
she became very angry
pg e knew that it was killing people
it was expensive to clean the water from
its electricity station so the dirty
water ran into hinckley’s river and
drinking water
now the company wanted to buy the houses
and keep the secret
it was not worried about the people who
became sick it was worried about
possible payments to those people
money was a big problem for ed mastery
too at this time
aaron’s work was important he knew that
but lawyers only get paid when they win
it was almost impossible for a small
local law office to win against pg e
ed was afraid
but he was a brave man too
he trusted aaron
and aaron’s courage and hard work
carried them through the most difficult
times
from start to finish aaron’s work for
the people of hinckley took more than
five years
during that long and difficult time
aaron and ed made a great team
as aaron talked to different hinckley
people
her name and face became famous in the
town
she had to be careful though
she did not want pg e to know about her
work
as more people told their stories aaron
got the necessary information
she worked longer and longer hours
she still had a family to look after too
her body and mind were tired
but she knew that quick action was
important
finally it was time to fight pg e
aaron and ed sent 634
notices for lawsuits from their small
office to the large expensive offices of
pg and e
it was brave
but was it crazy
pg e was a dangerous enemy
was this the end for ed’s company
when pg e received the notices for the
lawsuits its lawyers immediately
realized the danger
the sick people of hinckley wanted a lot
of money from the company
more lawyers were brought in on both
sides
the lawsuits were too big for aaron and
ed alone
but aaron continued to work on them
the hinckley people were her friends now
she truly loved them and she knew more
about their lives and problems than
anyone
so aaron ed and the lawyers from other
companies work together to do their best
for the people of hinckley
after months of hard work
important lawyers in expensive clothes
filled a small courtroom
pg e bosses sat quietly in their chairs
trying not to look worried
erin was nervous and excited
she thought about her friends in
hinckley and she remembered the long
years behind her
as the judge spoke his final words she
listened silently
p g and e had to pay 333
million dollars to the people of
hinckley
it was the largest amount of money for
this type of lawsuit in the history of
the united states
this also gave hope to other ordinary
people and small law offices
and when pg e stopped poisoning the
water at hinckley
hundreds of people’s lives were saved
after their fight against pg e aaron and
ed had enough money to stop working
forever but today aaron is still working
for ed’s office
she is not a lawyer she always like to
do things her own way and she has not
changed
she says that she is proud of the movie
but her health her family and the people
of hinckley are more important
today she works for other ordinary
people who are fighting against big
companies
her courage and hard work continues to
help people
and save lives
you