Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. solo (adj.) [soh-loh] – done alone, without any other people
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. solo (adj.) [soh-loh] – done alone, without any other people
Example: Akiko’s parents wanted
to go with her but she wanted to be adventurous and went on a solo trip to Canada.
2. roll over (v.) [rohl oh-ver] – to turn in such a way that the bottom is on top or facing upwards
Example: The car rolled over the hill
3. leak (v.) [leek] – to go in or out through a hole
Example: Water leaked into the Titanic after the ship
crashed into an iceberg.
4. set out (v.) [set out] – to start a journey or long travel
Example: Matsuo Basho was a
poet who set out to explore Japan
while writing haikus.
5. safe and sound (idiom) [seyf and sound] – not hurt or in any danger
Example: After a long airplane
ride from England to Tokyo, I arrived home safe
and sound.
Article
Read the text below.
The Japanese Coast
Guard rescued the British solo
adventurer, Sarah Outen, who was caught in the middle of a tropical storm last Friday,
June 8.
The sea was so
rough that Sarah’s small boat rolled
over a few times. As a result, some water leaked into the cabin. But the tough adventurer stayed calm and
strong, tweeting and keeping her followers updated on her condition as she
waited for someone to rescue her.
A nearby merchant
vessel and a coast guard plane looked after Sarah and her damaged boat until
she was safely rescued by the coast guard ship. Upon rescue, Sarah asked for
orange juice, pancakes, and grapes. She arrived safe and sound in Japan on June 10, where she is currently resting
after being hospitalized.
Sarah set out from London in April 1, 2011
with a plan to circle the globe; a plan that covers about 32,187 km and takes
two and a half years to accomplish.
Currently, she has finished
about half of that goal, rowing, kayaking and cycling 17,700 km through
countries such as Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and China. Although
she travels on her own, she is supported by a team of doctors, a weather
forecaster, and a sports psychotherapist.
Her team reported
that another solo adventurer named Charlie Martell was also waiting to be
rescued 451 km northeast of Sarah’s location. Martell left Japan last month to
row 9 656 km across the Pacific.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Do you travel alone? Why or why not?
·
What do you think motivates solo adventurers to
travel alone?
Discussion B
·
Have you ever encountered problems while
traveling? What did you do at that time?
How
can people keep safe while traveling? What should travelers keep in mind?