Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. make headlines
    • ex. The celebrity couple’s expensive wedding made headlines all over the world.
  2. luxurious
    • ex. They live in a luxurious home that cost more than $10,000,000.
  3. durable
    • ex. My old camera is really durable; I’ve dropped it many times, but it still works.
  4. last
    • ex. If you put apples in the refrigerator, they’ll last longer.
  5. maintenance
    • ex. If cars don’t have regular maintenance, they can break.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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A mattress owned by international rapper Drake recently made headlines because of its incredible price. The Grand Vividus mattress, which costs $390,000 (around ¥42,650,000), was first featured in a magazine along with Drake’s luxurious mansion. It was created by famous Swedish mattress-maker Hästens with the help of Ferris Rafauli, an interior designer popular among rich and famous people.

The Grand Vividus mattress is made from natural materials, including cotton, wool, leather, and even horse hair. It’s handmade and takes almost 600 hours to complete. Hästens claims that the mattress is very durable and can last for 50 to 100 years. To ensure this, the company provides free maintenance three to five times a year.

Drake is the first and currently the only person to own the Grand Vividus mattress. However, several other people have placed orders. At the moment, Hästens says that there’s a waiting list for people who want to own it, and ten mattresses have already been reserved.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Luxurious Things

  • Do you think that luxurious products are really better than cheaper products? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Should companies that sell luxurious products provide free maintenance for them? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Should celebrities and other famous people show their luxurious homes to the public? Why or why not? Discuss.

Sleep

  • Do you think $400,000 is a reasonable price for a mattress to sleep on? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, is it better to sleep on a bed or a futon? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think it's okay to sleep in public (ex. on the train, at a café)? Why or why not? Discuss.