©REUTERS/Amel Emric
Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What are some famous parks in your city or country? What makes them unique?
- What do you know about Vincent van Gogh? Can you name some of his famous works or describe his style of painting?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- cottage /KOT-ij/
- pattern /PAT-ern/
- swirl /swurl/
- brushstroke /BRUSH-stroke/
- serene /suh-REEN/
[noun] – a small house, usually in the countryside
They spent their summer vacation in a cozy cottage by the lake.
[noun] – repeated decorative designs or arrangements
The blanket was made with colorful patterns and designs.
[noun] – patterns or shapes that move or curve in a twisting, spiral motion
The swirl of colors in the painting drew everyone’s attention.
[noun] – marks made with a paintbrush, often used to describe the technique or style of painting
The artist’s brushstrokes were bold and expressive.
[adjective] – calm, peaceful, and untroubled
The lake looked serene under the early morning sun.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
In central Bosnia, a businessman named Halim Zukic has made his dream come true by turning Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting, The Starry Night, into a nature park. Zukic, from Visoko, bought land and a cottage in a nearby village two decades ago. At first, there were no specific plans for the land. Six years ago, while watching tractors make spiral shapes in a field, Zukic noticed the patterns looked like the swirls in Van Gogh’s 1889 painting. This inspired him to create a nature park based on the artwork.
Zukic spent years designing and developing the 10-hectare park. He planted 130,000 lavender bushes in six different colors and added medicinal herbs like sage, echinacea, and chamomile, arranging them in circular patterns to resemble Van Gogh’s brushstrokes. The park also includes 13 lakes formed from natural streams, adding to its serene and artistic feel. Zukic, who was deeply involved in every part of the project, found that recreating The Starry Night gave him a greater understanding of the difficulties artists face. The completed park is now a cultural site, focusing on art programs and highlighting the cultural heritage of central Bosnia.
Zukic spent years designing and developing the 10-hectare park. He planted 130,000 lavender bushes in six different colors and added medicinal herbs like sage, echinacea, and chamomile, arranging them in circular patterns to resemble Van Gogh’s brushstrokes. The park also includes 13 lakes formed from natural streams, adding to its serene and artistic feel. Zukic, who was deeply involved in every part of the project, found that recreating The Starry Night gave him a greater understanding of the difficulties artists face. The completed park is now a cultural site, focusing on art programs and highlighting the cultural heritage of central Bosnia.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What famous painting did Halim Zukic use as inspiration for his nature park?
- Where is Halim Zukic from?
- How long ago did Zukic buy the land and cottage?
- What did Zukic notice in the field that inspired him?
- What is the main focus of the nature park now?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- If you were to visit the nature park based on Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, what would you hope to experience or learn there?
- Imagine you are given the opportunity to create your own nature park inspired by a piece of art. Which artwork would you choose, and why?
- Do you agree that Halim Zukic’s project, by combining nature and art, effectively promotes the cultural heritage of central Bosnia?
- How do you think creating a nature park based on a famous painting might affect people’s appreciation of the artwork?
- How can projects like Zukic’s contribute to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage in a region? Do you think they are effective? Why or why not?