Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. dedicated
    • ex. The singer wrote a song dedicated to her mom.
  2. depend on (something)
    • ex. The farmers depend on the rainy season to grow their vegetables.
  3. hold
    • ex. The mall held a talent search event last weekend.
  4. a coat
    • ex. This shampoo is perfect for dogs with thick coats.
  5. unusual
    • ex. It snowed in April? That’s really unusual!

Article

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

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Turkmenistan has a new holiday dedicated to its national dog breed, the Alabai. The Alabai is one of the world’s largest dogs. It can weigh up to 80 kilograms and is known locally as the “wolf-crusher.” Many people depend on Alabais to guard their homes and other animals.

To celebrate the new holiday, a contest was held to find the best Alabai, and the winners received a medal and a car. Participants wore traditional Turkmen clothes and walked their dogs in a parade. The new holiday was celebrated on the same day as a festival for the Akhal-Teke [AH-kahl TEH-kee] horse breed, which is known for its elegant appearance and shiny coat. Dogs and horses are sources of national pride in Turkmenistan.

A 15-meter golden Alabai statue now sits in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. The Central Asian country is 70% desert and has large amounts of oil. Its president, Gurbanguly [ger-bahn-GOO-lee] Berdimuhamedow [ber-dee-moo-HAH-meh-dah], has been in power since 2006 and is known for making unusual laws such as banning all black cars. Turkmenistan is one of the least visited countries in the world.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

National Sources of Pride

  • In your opinion, what dog should be your country's national dog (ex. the Akita, the Shiba)? Why? Discuss.
  • What do you think is a source of national pride in your country (ex. traditional food, historical buildings)? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think there should be a holiday for the national sources of pride you discussed in #2? Why or why not? Discuss.

Turkmenistan

  • Would you like to visit Turkmenistan? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Why do you think the president banned all black cars in Turkmenistan (ex. he doesn't like the color, he had a bad experience with a black car)? Discuss.
  • Turkmenistan has a lot of unusual laws. Does your country have any unusual laws? Discuss.