Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. scenic
    • ex. The couple had their wedding in a scenic garden surrounded by flowers.
  2. have had enough
    • ex. Jessica has had enough of the rainy weather and wants to see the sun again.
  3. misbehave
    • ex. There are signs around the area that remind tourists not to misbehave in public places.
  4. overcrowding
    • ex. There was a lot of trash in the park over the weekend due to the overcrowding of tourists.
  5. worsen
    • ex. The traffic situation worsened during rush hour yesterday.

Article

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

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Recently, the town of Fujikawaguchiko decided to deal with rude tourists. Fujikawaguchiko is known for its many scenic spots that offer a great view of Japan’s Mt. Fuji. But the town has had enough of misbehaving tourists. It built a large black screen along the sidewalk to block the view of the mountain because many foreign tourists have been misbehaving.

Two years ago, a photo of foreign visitors with Mt. Fuji in the background became popular on social media. It attracted many tourists to Fujikawaguchiko. However, their presence has caused problems for people living in the area. Tourists would block narrow sidewalks, take photos on the busy road, and enter private properties. The overcrowding worsened recently, with tourists gathering and talking loudly around 4:00 to 5:00 a.m.

The town has tried other ways to solve these issues: putting signs written in different languages and even hiring security guards to control visitors. But none of these worked. Anthony Hok, a tourist from France, said the big screen is too much. He recommended using road fences for safety instead of hiding views for photos.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Blocking Mt. Fuji

  • Do you think blocking the view of Mt. Fuji will solve the problems tourists have caused for people living in the area? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think that blocking the view of Mt. Fuji with a black screen is too much? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • The town tried to put signs written in different languages and even hired security guards to control visitors. How does your city/country control tourists (ex. by punishing tourists who misbehave, by controlling the number of tourists)? Discuss.

Tourists’ Behavior

  • How do you think tourists should behave when they are in another country (ex. follow street signs, respect the local people)? Discuss.
  • Do you like how tourists behave in your city/country? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What do you think is the best solution to misbehaving tourists (ex. educating tourists about the culture of the city/country they’re visiting)? Discuss.