Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- When was the last time you traveled?
- How does your family celebrate a special day?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- mark /mahrk/
- exhausted /ig-ZAWS-tid/
- leisure /LEE-zher/
- mount /mount/
- contemplate /KON-tuhm-pleyt/
[verb] – to show respect for or commemorate
Tomorrow’s party will mark their 25th wedding anniversary.
[adjective] – extremely tired
By the time they reached the location they were already exhausted.
[adjective] – relating to the the time when you are free from work or other duties and can relax
Most people only have a little amount of leisure time.
[verb] – to gradually increase, rise, or get bigger
Tension was mounting as the time went by.
[verb] – to spend time considering a possible future action, or to consider one particular thing for a long time in a serious and quiet way
They were contemplating a move to California.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
The number of people traveling to mark Thanksgiving increased as new coronavirus cases reached 200,000 a day in the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided direction last November 19, 2020, urging Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving. However, many people still intended to travel over the holiday week. On November 20, 2020, the number of travelers screened at US airport security checkpoints surpassed 1 million for only the second time following March.
Many exhausted Americans wanted to spend their leisure time with their family and friends for Thanksgiving. However, they had encountered another risk as they thought of declining travel plans at the last minute or continuing as COVID-19 cases mounted. Gail Duilio, an ex-public health nurse in Portland, Oregon, had contemplated not flying to Minnesota for the holiday and her mother’s 93rd birthday. She said that, when she was making the arrangements several weeks ago, she felt the threat vs. advantages weighed on the side of going.
Many exhausted Americans wanted to spend their leisure time with their family and friends for Thanksgiving. However, they had encountered another risk as they thought of declining travel plans at the last minute or continuing as COVID-19 cases mounted. Gail Duilio, an ex-public health nurse in Portland, Oregon, had contemplated not flying to Minnesota for the holiday and her mother’s 93rd birthday. She said that, when she was making the arrangements several weeks ago, she felt the threat vs. advantages weighed on the side of going.
Comprehension Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- Who is Gail Duilio?
- How many people were screened at US airport security checkpoints?
- Where did Gail Duilio plan to go before cancelling her plan?
- What did the Americans encounter when they were contemplating traveling over the holiday week?
- What was the direction provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?
Discussion Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Would you listen to the direction provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Gail Duilio declined her plan going to Minnesota?
- Is this situation happening in your country right now? Please explain it further.
- What do you think about this situation?
- Do you have any plans on your vacation? Tell me about it.