Week 23

#. Viking Festival

 

York is a town in England.

In February, it holds a big festival.

Everyone dresses up as Vikings.

They put on Viking helmets and armors.

They get on Viking ships.

Vikings are warriors from the past.

They came from Northern Europe.

They also went to England.

The people in York are proud of their past.

So, they put on a Viking festival every February.

 

• armor ɑ́:rmər 갑옷, 철갑  warrior |wɔːriə  전사(戰士)

 

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#. Reduce Smartphone Use

 

Do you have a smartphone?

Do you use it too much?

If so, you may want to reduce your smartphone time.

Here are some simple ways to do it.

Smartphone apps send many notifications.

They make people check their phone.

Try turning off the notifications from most apps.

Then, you will pick up your phone less.

Many people check their smartphone before sleeping.

Because of this, they often fall asleep too late.

At night, try keeping your phone in the living room.

In bed, read a book instead.

Smartphone screens are very colorful.

This makes them too attractive.

You can change the screen to black and white.

You will feel less attracted by it.

 

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#. Christina Koch

 

Christina Koch has an incredible job.

She is an astronaut for NASA!

In university, Koch studied physics and electrical engineering.

In 2013, NASA selected her to become an astronaut.

For many years, she trained at the space agency.

Then on March 14, 2019, she rode a rocket to the International Space Station (ISS).

She returned to Earth on February 6 of this year.

In total, Koch lived in space for 328 days.

It was a new record for a female astronaut.

"I am glad to be back on Earth," she said.

"But I will miss the freedom of space."

@ Spacewalk Record

In space, Koch set another record.

On October 18, 2019, she and astronaut Jessica Meir did a spacewalk together.

It was the first time for two female astronauts to do this.

@ Koch's Hobby

Koch is interested in outdoor activities.

She especially likes rock climbing.

This hobby helped her when she became an astronaut.

 

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#. Corpse Flower

 

There is a very unusual flower from Indonesia.

It is called the corpse flower.

That is because it has a terrible smell.

It is similar to the smell of rotting meat.

Normally, the corpse flower is small and green.

But it changes when it blooms.

Then, the flower grows three meters tall.

It also begins to smell very bad.

This attracts many insects.

The corpse flower is popular with people, too.

There are curious about the smell!

 

• corpse kɔːrps 시체, 송장

 

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#. Bong Joon-Ho

 

Bong Joon-ho is a filmmaker.

Recently, he and his movie made history.

Last year, Bong made a movie titled "Parasite."

It was a big hit in Korea.

But it was also well-liked abroad.

In May 2019, "Parasite" won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in France.

He was the first Korean director to do this.

Then in February of this year, the movie set a bigger record.

It went to the Academy Awards in the United States.

For the first time, a Korean film won at the Oscars.

In total, "Parasite" received four awards, including Best Picture.

Bong even got the Best Director prize.

Bong has a special relationship with Song Gang-ho.

The famous actor starred in three of Bong's movies, including "Parasite."

Along with Korean films, Bong made two movies in English.

Both Korean and Hollywood actors are in the films, "Snowpiercer" and "Okja."

 

• Snowpiercer 스노피에르 , 설국열차

 

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