Week 22

#. AFC U-23 Championship

 

Recently, there was an important Asian soccer tournament.

It was the AFC U-23 Championship.

It was for under-23 men's teams.

Korea was this year's champion.

It beat Saudi Arabia in the final on January 26.

There was one more good news.

Because of the win, Korea qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Four countries Asia will play in the Olympics.

There are Korea, Japan, Iran, and Australia.

 

• qualify kwɑːlɪfaɪ 자격[자격증]을 얻다[취득하다]  qualified  kwɑːlɪfaɪd 자격(증)이 있는

 

---

 

#. Emoji License Plates

 

Every car has a license plate.

Usually, it has numbers and letters only.

In Australia, some cars have special license plates.

They have numbers and letters.

But they also have an emoji character.

These license plates use five different emoji faces.

For example, there is a smiling face, a winking face, and a face with heart-shaped eyes.

Soon, the United States will have emoji license plates, too!

 

• plate pleɪt 접시, 그릇 License Plate 번호판, [미] (자동차) 번호판([영] number plate),

 

---

 

#. Groundhog Day

 

Winter is almost over.

So, when will spring come?

One American town gets the answer in a funny way.

On February 2, it celebrates Groundhog Day.

On this holiday, people watch a groundhog come out  of its hole.

They say that it knows the weather.

If it stays outside, spring will come soon.

If it goes back inside, winter will continue for six more weeks.

This year, the groundhog played outside.

So, we will have an early spring!

 

• groundhog  ɡráundhɔ́:ɡ 마멋(woodchuck)

 

---

 

#. Korean Animated Characters

 

Korea has many popular animated characters.

There are funny and cute.

People in Korea and other countries love them.

Let's check out three famous character brands.

 

@ KaKao Friends

KaKaoTalk is Korea's most popular texting app.

Its eight animated characters started off as emoticons.

Now they're everywhere!

You can find Ryan, Muzi, and other Kakao Friends on school supplies, clothes, and credit cards.

 

@ Pororo

Pororo is a penguin with orange goggles.

He stars in an animated TV show.

He and his friends go on many adventures.

They teach life lessons to kids.

Children love Pororo.

So, he is called "The Children's President."

 

@ Line Friends

Line is another free texting app.

It's more popular outside of Korea.

The company has eleven characters, including Brown and Cony.

Recently, Line Friends worked with BTS.

Now, more people love them.

 

---

 

#. Austria

 

Austria is located in the center of Europe.

It's surrounded by eight other countries, including Germany and Switzerland.

In the past, Austria was one of the most powerful nations in Europe.

Its capital city, Vienna, was a cultural center.

It was especially known for classical music.

Austria is a very beautiful country with many mountains.

In fact, it's situated in the Alps.

Because of its natural beauty, Austria attracts many tourists.

They especially like to go skiing in the mountains.

Halstatt is a beautiful town with a castle.

It inspired the Arendelle Kingdom in the "Frozen" animated movies.

They look exactly alike.

Many famous classical musicians were Austrian.

They include Amadeus Mozart, Johann Strauss, and Franz Schubert.

 

• inspire ɪnˈspaɪə 영감을 주다 ,  (욕구·자신감·열의를 갖도록) 고무[격려]하다 ,  (감정 등을) 불어넣다[고취시키다]

 

---