The two eighth-graders in a classroom in New York City's Spanish Harlem can barely suppress their giggles. "You are sitting on a stalled, crowded bus," their teacher tells them. "Start up a conversation." Esther, petite and pony-tailed, begins. "Well, this bus is really crowded!" "Yeah," says Luis. "I can't wait to get outta here--I'm gonna suffocate." Pause. Esther: "Nice day, isn't it? Where are you going?" Luis: "To take my girlfriend to the movies." Esther: "I have a date too." Painful pause. Luis: "The bus is certainly...stopped." The class cracks up, and the two scamper back to their desks.
Hard as...
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