© BBC Travel
Pre-reading questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you enjoy viewing mystery films or reading mysteries? What can you say about them?
- What can you say about your city’s architecture?
Vocabulary
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- blazing /BLEY-zing/
- explore /ik-SPLAWR/
- tremendous /trih-MEN-duhs/
- colosseum /kol-uh-SEE-uhm/
- collapse /kuh-LAPS/
[adjective] – very bright and hot
We quickly became exhausted in the blazing heat.
[verb] – to search and discover (about something)
The best way to explore the countryside is by walking.
[adjective] – very great in amount or level, or extremely good
Tremendous damage has been done by the floodwater.
[noun] – a large amphitheatre (= a circular or oval area with seats around it for watching sports and entertainments), especially one built by the ancient Romans
Our visit to the Colosseum was the tour’s highlight.
[verb] – to fall down suddenly because of pressure or having no strength or support
The earthquake caused thousands of buildings to collapse.
Article reading
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
The huge, flaming hole that suddenly appeared in the northern Turkmenistan desert is believed to have been caused by a drilling accident that occurred more than 40 years ago. The blazing Darvaza Crater, commonly known as the Door to Hell, is a bizarre sight in the otherwise empty landscape today.
In November 2013, storm chaser and explorer George Kourounis went on an expedition to explore the crater’s 225-foot (69-meter) width and 99-foot (30-meter) depth for the first time. When he first sees the crater, it appears to be a scene from a science fiction film. In the middle of this vast desert, there lies a large, blazing pit with absolutely nothing else. When you’re downwind, you experience a tremendous heat blast that prevents you from even looking directly into the wind. You must use your hand to shield your face while standing at the edge of the crater. When you’re in the “colosseum of flames,” which Kourounis calls the crater, you feel incredibly small and defenseless.
Some say that the sinkhole was created by Soviet scientists, who set it on fire to release deadly gases when the ground beneath a drilling rig collapsed, though there are few facts on how it came to be. But the story that has been spreading online is slightly different from what the local geologists told Kourounis. Some of it remains a mystery.
In November 2013, storm chaser and explorer George Kourounis went on an expedition to explore the crater’s 225-foot (69-meter) width and 99-foot (30-meter) depth for the first time. When he first sees the crater, it appears to be a scene from a science fiction film. In the middle of this vast desert, there lies a large, blazing pit with absolutely nothing else. When you’re downwind, you experience a tremendous heat blast that prevents you from even looking directly into the wind. You must use your hand to shield your face while standing at the edge of the crater. When you’re in the “colosseum of flames,” which Kourounis calls the crater, you feel incredibly small and defenseless.
Some say that the sinkhole was created by Soviet scientists, who set it on fire to release deadly gases when the ground beneath a drilling rig collapsed, though there are few facts on how it came to be. But the story that has been spreading online is slightly different from what the local geologists told Kourounis. Some of it remains a mystery.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What is the Darvaza Crater also known as?
- When did George Kourounis explore the crater?
- How wide is the Darvaza Crater?
- What does Kourounis call the crater?
- According to the article, what did Soviet scientists do that caused the sinkhole?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you know any unsolved mysteries in your town, city, or country? Please tell me more about them.
- What is the most interesting or mysterious place you have been to? Please describe the place.
- Would you visit the Darvaza Crater? Why or why not?
- Can the Internet be a reliable source for providing information about mysterious places?
- How do you think mysteries such as the Darvaza Crater can be solved?