Beginner

  Pre-reading questions: Do you like to travel? Why? Where is your favorite place?   An island in Hongkong previously named as Yim Tin Sai or “Ghost Island” is slowly returning to life. Yim Tin Tsai means “Little Salt Pan” in Cantonese. The island is a salt pan in the past. When the pans shut down, people slowly fled to the city to seek education. Thanks to Colin Chan, the old village representative, the island is restored to its previous beauty.   Vocabulary: previous [adjective] – coming before something else pan [noun] – a flat expanses of ground covered with salt or other minerals flee [verb] – run away seek…
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  Pre-reading questions: Have you ever traveled by plane? Have you ever experience jet lag?   R.J. Deutschendorf, a chief pilot at Southwest Airlines, says that learning to handle jet lag is part of a pilot’s work. He advises pilots and passengers alike to always drink water while travelling. He emphasizes that it is important to have good eating habits and take enough rest or sleep before flight. He also adds that pilots should never drink alcohol before and during work.   Vocabulary: pilot- [noun] a person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft handle- [verb] manage jet lag- [noun] extreme tiredness and other physical effects felt by a…
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Pre-reading questions: Do you like going to tea houses or coffee shops? Why? Have you ever visited a Chinese tea house? A tea house is a place where people can get refreshments and pastries or even play a chess game. It started in Qing dynasty many years ago. They built tea houses in Chengdu, China as a place for relaxation or just to pass the time. However, it is now under threat because of the new cafes rising all over China. Modern Chinese people prefer new cafes such as Starbucks and Seattle’s best over traditional tea houses. Vocabulary: refreshment – [noun] a light snack or drink pastry – [noun] sweet…
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