Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. pale
    • ex. I bought a pale green blanket for my friend because she likes pastel colors.
  2. scenery
    • ex. The scenery around the temple was beautiful, so I took lots of photos.
  3. a regulation
    • ex. After several people got sick, the government created new food safety regulations.
  4. blend in
    • ex. Oh, wow, I didn’t see you! You blended in with the wall perfectly.
  5. a landscape
    • ex. I prefer to paint animals and landscapes, not people.

Article

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

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One McDonald’s in Sedona, Arizona, is attracting tourists because of its unique sign: a pale blue M. The city of Sedona is known for its beautiful scenery, and it has strict regulations on buildings. Because of these rules, McDonald’s chose to use a pale blue logo instead of its usual golden arches.

According to Sedona’s regulations, the colors of buildings and houses should blend in with the city’s desert landscape. Sedona also bans tall buildings to protect the area’s beautiful views. In addition to the color change, McDonald’s agreed to make its sign much lower than usual.

The Sedona McDonald’s has no special menu items, but its unique blue logo is attracting a large number of tourists. Other McDonald’s branches are also popular with tourists for a wide variety of reasons. One McDonald’s in Monterey, California, is popular for having a black logo, while another in Long Island, New York, is known for being “America’s most beautiful” McDonald’s. The restaurant was an old mansion before it became a McDonald’s restaurant.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

McDonald’s

  • The Sedona McDonald’s is popular with tourists because of its unique logo. Do you think the logo is a good reason to visit this McDonald’s? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how often is it okay to eat at McDonald’s (ex. every week, once a month)? Why? Discuss.
  • McDonald’s often sells unique menu items in different countries. In your opinion, should people try McDonald’s when they travel abroad? Why or why not? Discuss.

Building Regulations

  • According to Sedona’s regulations, the color of buildings and houses should blend in with the desert landscape. Do you think that’s reasonable? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Sedona’s regulations also ban tall buildings to protect the area’s beautiful views. Do you think that’s reasonable? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, who should decide on building regulations (ex. the government, people who live in the area)? Why? Discuss.