©BBC, David Perry
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- witch /wich/
- similarly /SIM-uh-ler-lee/
- historian /hi-STAWR-ee-uhn/
- timber /TIM-BER/
- isolated /AHY-suh-ley-tid/
[noun] – a woman who is believed to have magical powers and who uses them to harm or help other people
The witch turned the Prince into a frog.
[adverb] – in a similar way
The two boys dress similarly.
[noun] – someone who writes about or studies history
She was an art historian named Linda Nochlin.
[noun] – trees that are grown so that the wood from them can be used for building
The trees in that area are being grown for timber.
[adjective] – not near to other places
The farm was very isolated, but it had electricity.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
This charming community is stuck in a time warp that transports tourists back in time, yet the guiding ideals are as progressive as they come.
Half-timbered homes; a remote location in the wooded hinterlands of eastern Germany; scary rock pinnacles enclosing the town on one side and the raging Elbe River on the other—add an evil witch, and Schmilka looks like something out of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale from the 19th century. Or, at the very least, of that era: you have to run up and down the town’s one (cobblestoned) street looking for a Wi-Fi signal. The buildings date back about two centuries, and the food and beer are made using methods that are similarly old. Andrea Bigge, a local art historian, claims that Schmilka was a vacation destination 200 years ago. She said, “It is again, yet it still feels like that time period.” “You have time here,” added guest-house proprietor Ansgar Rieger. “No schedules, no lists. You come to Schmilka to “do nothing.”
Schmilka, a day trip from Dresden, is located just inside the German border with Czechia. A Slavic phrase that means “a site where timber is collected” inspired the town’s name, which was given to it by Czech lumberjacks who founded it about 1582. Technically, Schmilka isn’t really a municipality in and of itself; rather, it’s the southernmost outpost of the larger town of Bad Schandau downstream. However, it’s not too difficult to imagine a small, isolated country village, located in a park popular for hiking and mountain climbing, as a getaway for nature lovers.
Half-timbered homes; a remote location in the wooded hinterlands of eastern Germany; scary rock pinnacles enclosing the town on one side and the raging Elbe River on the other—add an evil witch, and Schmilka looks like something out of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale from the 19th century. Or, at the very least, of that era: you have to run up and down the town’s one (cobblestoned) street looking for a Wi-Fi signal. The buildings date back about two centuries, and the food and beer are made using methods that are similarly old. Andrea Bigge, a local art historian, claims that Schmilka was a vacation destination 200 years ago. She said, “It is again, yet it still feels like that time period.” “You have time here,” added guest-house proprietor Ansgar Rieger. “No schedules, no lists. You come to Schmilka to “do nothing.”
Schmilka, a day trip from Dresden, is located just inside the German border with Czechia. A Slavic phrase that means “a site where timber is collected” inspired the town’s name, which was given to it by Czech lumberjacks who founded it about 1582. Technically, Schmilka isn’t really a municipality in and of itself; rather, it’s the southernmost outpost of the larger town of Bad Schandau downstream. However, it’s not too difficult to imagine a small, isolated country village, located in a park popular for hiking and mountain climbing, as a getaway for nature lovers.
Discussion Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Could you tell me about your last vacation? Please elaborate on your answer.
- Have you been to a town with old buildings around it? If so, could you tell me about it? If not, would you like to have a vacation there? Why or why not?
- If you were to travel back in time, what would you like to change in your life?
- Do you believe that Schmilka is a good vacation destination?
- Do you think Schmilk could be a nice movie setting? Why or why not?
Summarization
Please summarize the whole article using your own words and expressions. You will have one minute to prepare before you answer.
Describe:
Please explain the definition of each word listed below based on your understanding. You can provide example sentences if needed.
- charming
- community
- date back
- century
- imagine