Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- model /MOD-l/
- clarify /KLAR-uh-fahy/
- out of this world /out -uhv-this-wurld/
- trendy /TREN-dee/
- recreational /rek-ree-EY-shuh-nl/
[noun] – something that a copy can be based on because it is an extremely good example of its type
The educational system was a model for those of many other countries.
[verb] – to make something clear or easier to understand by giving more details or a simpler explanation
Could you clarify the first point, please? I don’t understand it completely.
[idiom] – extremely good
His house has an out-of-this-world interior design.
[adjective] – modern and influenced by the most recent fashions or ideas
He always wears trendy clothing whenever he goes to parties.
[adjective] – connected with ways of enjoying yourself when you are not working
Recreational fishing is allowed on the river.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
If you’re trapped at home during the pandemic and daydreaming about future vacations, why dream about the beaches of Bali or the canals of Venice when a holiday in space might be in your future? The Gateway Foundation, a Californian corporation, unveiled plans for a cruise ship-style hotel that could one day float above the Earth’s atmosphere in 2019. The Von Braun Station, a futuristic model consisting of 24 modules linked by elevator shafts to form a spinning wheel orbiting the Earth, was set to be fully operational by 2027.
After a few years, the hotel has a new name: Voyager Station, and it’s set to be designed by Orbital Assembly Corporation, a new construction firm led by former pilot John Blincow, who also serves as the chairman of the Gateway Foundation. In a recent interview with CNN Travel, Blincow clarified that there had been some delays due to Covid, but that construction on the space hotel is set to begin in 2026, and that a trip to space could be a possibility by 2027. “We’re trying to make the public realize that this golden age of space travel is just around the corner. It’s coming. It’s coming fast,” said Blincow.
The interior of the hotel appears to be similar to that of a budget Earth-bound hotel, but with some pretty spectacular out-of-this-world views. Tim Alatorre, a senior design architect at Orbital Assembly Corporation, told CNN Travel a few years ago that the hotel’s aesthetic was a direct response to Stanley Kubrick’s film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which he described as “almost a blueprint of what not to do.” “I think the goal of Stanley Kubrick was to highlight the divide between technology and humanity and so, purposefully, he made the stations and the ships very sterile and clean and alien.”
Rather, Alatorre and his team want to bring a piece of Earth to space in the form of warm suites, trendy bars, and restaurants. Even though guests are in a room, they can still use normal beds and showers. That’s not to suggest the hotel would completely disregard the excitement of being in space. In the hotel’s restaurant, there are plans to serve typical “space food,” such as freeze-dried ice cream. Plus there will be recreational activities on offer that “highlight the fact that you’re able to do things that you can’t do on Earth,” according to Alatorre.”Because of the weightlessness and the reduced gravity, you’ll be able to jump higher, be able to lift things, be able to run in ways that you can’t on Earth.”
After a few years, the hotel has a new name: Voyager Station, and it’s set to be designed by Orbital Assembly Corporation, a new construction firm led by former pilot John Blincow, who also serves as the chairman of the Gateway Foundation. In a recent interview with CNN Travel, Blincow clarified that there had been some delays due to Covid, but that construction on the space hotel is set to begin in 2026, and that a trip to space could be a possibility by 2027. “We’re trying to make the public realize that this golden age of space travel is just around the corner. It’s coming. It’s coming fast,” said Blincow.
The interior of the hotel appears to be similar to that of a budget Earth-bound hotel, but with some pretty spectacular out-of-this-world views. Tim Alatorre, a senior design architect at Orbital Assembly Corporation, told CNN Travel a few years ago that the hotel’s aesthetic was a direct response to Stanley Kubrick’s film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which he described as “almost a blueprint of what not to do.” “I think the goal of Stanley Kubrick was to highlight the divide between technology and humanity and so, purposefully, he made the stations and the ships very sterile and clean and alien.”
Rather, Alatorre and his team want to bring a piece of Earth to space in the form of warm suites, trendy bars, and restaurants. Even though guests are in a room, they can still use normal beds and showers. That’s not to suggest the hotel would completely disregard the excitement of being in space. In the hotel’s restaurant, there are plans to serve typical “space food,” such as freeze-dried ice cream. Plus there will be recreational activities on offer that “highlight the fact that you’re able to do things that you can’t do on Earth,” according to Alatorre.”Because of the weightlessness and the reduced gravity, you’ll be able to jump higher, be able to lift things, be able to run in ways that you can’t on Earth.”
Comprehension Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What plans did the Californian corporation unveil in 2019?
- According to the article, what was set to be fully operational by 2027?
- How were the views outside the hotel described in the article?
- What are they planning to serve in the hotel’s restaurant?
- What did Alatorre mention about recreational activities in the hotel?
Discussion Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What do you think the Gateway Foundation wants to achieve?
- Do you think this is feasible? Why or why not?
- Do you think “space food” is appropriate to be served in the hotel? Why or why not?
- How did you feel after reading the article?
- If you had the money to experience this out-of-this world hotel, would you want to go? Why?