Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following
words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. summit (n.) – the highest point or the top of something (e.g., a hill or mountain)Example: He reached the summit of the mountain before nightfall.
2. in shape (idiom)
– healthy or fit; in good physical condition
Example: He is still in shape to work even after undergoing
surgery,
3. trekking (n.)
– an act of journeying or hiking through
mountainous areas by walking
Example: Trekking the highest mountains of the world requires strength.
4. scale (v.)
– to climb
Example: The climbers started
to scale the mountain three days ago.
5. limb (n.)
– a general term for the arms and legs
Example: Strong limbs are essential for swimmers.
Article
Read the text below.
Tamae Watanabe, 73,
reached the peak of Mount Everest for the second time, beating her own 2002 record
as the world’s oldest woman to climb the tallest mountain.
Watanabe climbed
the 8,850-meter summit from the
Tibetan side of the mountain with a Japanese partner and three Nepali Sherpa
guides.
Despite her old
age, she is still in shape to
climb the mountain, said Ang Tshering Sherpa who runs the Asian Trekking company. Watanabe told reporters
that during her most recent climb, she felt weaker and less powerful than in
her climb ten years ago. She also said the experience made her realize she
really is old.
Exactly 3,700
people in total have been able to climb Mount Everest after Sir Edmund
Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay first scaled it in 1953.
Other climbers
include a blind person, a man with an artificial limb, a 13-year-old American boy and a 76-year-old Nepali man.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
What are
some of the activities you wish you can still when you reach 70?
·
Should age be a limit to physical activity? Why
or why not?
Discussion B
·
Why do you think some people like climbing
mountains even if it is dangerous?
·
Would you like to try any risky sport or
activity? Why or why not?