Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a cicada
    • ex. I shut my window because the cicadas were too loud.
  2. a mate
    • ex. Many penguins only have one mate for their whole life.
  3. ruin
    • ex. I spilled wine on my dress, and now it’s ruined.
  4. take advantage of (something)
    • ex. I took advantage of the holidays and left town for a short vacation.
  5. harmless
    • ex. This plant looks harmless, but it’s actually very dangerous. Its leaves have poison.

Article

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

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Trillions  of cicadas have appeared in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and other areas of the US. Cicada season is a yearly event in many parts of the world. However, the cicadas in central and eastern North America stay underground for a long time. They only appear once every 17 years to find a mate and lay eggs.

Because of the large number of cicadas, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Washington, D.C., decided to close for four weeks. The restaurant said that it didn’t want the noise from the cicadas to ruin the dining experience for its customers, so it offered to reschedule or move reservations to its sister restaurant . Other businesses took advantage of the rare event and released a variety of cicada goods, such as mugs and even chocolate-covered cicadas.

Experts say that people shouldn’t be afraid of cicadas because they’re generally harmless to humans. However, pets that eat too many cicadas can get sick, and cicada noise may be a problem for people who are sensitive to sound. Cicada noise can be over 90 decibels, which is louder than a motorcycle.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Cicadas

  • Are cicadas a big problem in your country too? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In some places, cicadas appear every year, but in other places they only appear once every 17 years. Which do you think is better? Why? Discuss.
  • What can pet owners do to keep their pets safe during cicada season (ex. keep their pets inside, use insect spray)? Why? Discuss.

Businesses and Nature

  • Some businesses took advantage of the rare event and released cicada goods. Do you think a lot of customers will buy these goods? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What natural events in your country should businesses take advantage of (ex. cherry blossom season, the rainy season)? Why? Discuss.
  • Because of the large number of cicadas, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Washington, D.C., decided to close for four weeks. Do you think this was a good idea? Why or why not? Discuss.