Vocabulary

 

get off	head to	volunteer
lounge	swap (2)	find/found/found
munch	cuisine	lounge chair
join	custard	conversations
dine	exclaim	absolutely
poop	pudding	meet/met/met
honor	mention	guest of honor
recent	resume	fascinating
reply	passport	autograph
chance	response	teach/taught/taught
whole	coconut	through it all
curry

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

The Book Club

 
It was another Friday afternoon. Leaving the convenience store she worked, Jennifer decided to drop by the Book Club. It was situated in an annex room of her local library, where bibliophiles would gather there and swap book stories.

Upon arrival, Jennifer found her friends sitting on lounge chairs, drinking tea and coffee.

 

The Conference

 
Only this time, instead of the usual literary critiques, the discussion was about a conference to be held at a venue in Oxford that Saturday. The topic: travel literature.

The club president asked Jennifer if she would be coming along. This was news to her as it had been two months since she had last attended a meeting, owing to her schedule.

“I’ll pass this one,” she replied. “I’m totally pooped; the tourist season is in full swing now . . . and I just want to spend the entire weekend resting and relaxing at home while I can.”

Finishing her cappuccino, Jennifer got up to leave.
 

Thor

 
“Oh, and I almost forgot to mention,” said one of her friends. “Thor Henningsen is among the guest speakers.”
“THOR Henningsen!!! Now, why didn’t you tell me? Then count me in. I’m definitely coming tomorrow!”

A fan of Thor, Jennifer had read most of his articles and books, and watched his documentaries, with episodes ranging from climbing Mount Annapurna, to exploring Mayan and Incan ruins, to scuba diving with whales and sharks.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 

Saturday

And so the following morning, Jennifer and other Book Club members boarded a train at their city of Nottingham and headed for Oxford.

At a lecture hall, the audience listened to various guests give talks centered around the event’s theme, “traveling rough”, each covering a particular aspect such as street foods and bicycle touring.

For his part, Thor highlighted his journey through the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, as part of his retracing the footsteps of Marco Polo.

Following the lecture portion, the participants then mingled with the presenters in an informal setting.

At this point, Jennifer went over to Thor and introduced herself.
 

The Introduction

“Oh, Mr Thor. I’ve read so much about your travels and adventures,” said Jennifer.
“Yes, it’s been quite an experience,” said Thor. “And what about you? Have you done much traveling yourself?”
“Oh yes, I’m quite an avid traveler myself. You see, it all began when my parents took me to Liverpool. I was eleven years old. There we visited the Beatles Museum! And I saw John Lennon’s glasses.

After graduating from school, I worked as a farmhand at an organic farm near Bradford where they raised turnips, pumpkins, watermelons, and zucchinis.

I was a store clerk for five years near Coventry House, in Coventry. While there, I got to tour Leicester, Birmingham, Lincoln, Sheffield, and Stratford-upon-Avon. There I visited the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and watched some plays by Shakespeare!

And three years ago, I went to Scotland for the very first time. I’d really like to visit Ireland someday. Yes Ireland, the land of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, George Russell, William Butler Yeats . . . That’s my dream!”
 

Scotland

“Where did you stay in Aberdeen” asked Thor . . . “Did you happen to catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster? . . . Did you try hagis in Edinburgh? Was it delicious? . . . What did you do buy at the farmers’ market in Inverness?”

It went on like this for an hour-and-a-half.

Through it all, Jennifer spoke about 98% of the time, largely in response to Thor’s questions.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 

Monday Afternoon

 
The following Monday, Jennifer went to the Book Club.

“So how did you like the conference?” asked her friend.
“Oh, it was fabulous, just wonderful — and the best part was I had the most FASCINATING conversation in my whole life with Thor!!!”

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

 
 

Questions

Eiffel Tower. Having finished work that Friday afternoon, Jennifer went straight home. Is this correct or incorrect?

Statue of Liberty. What is the Book Club? Were the members engaged in a poetry recitation that Friday afternoon?

Great Wall of China. Did Jennifer’s friend remind her about having to pay membership dues?

Taj Mahal. At first, Jennifer was looking forward to the upcoming event at Oxford. True or false? Why wasn’t she looking forward to going there?

Machu Picchu. Did Jennifer change her mind? Why did she change her mind? What caused her to change her plans for the weekend?

Colosseum. What happened at the conference?

Christ the Redeemer. The following Monday, Jennifer met up with her friends at a shopping mall. Then they went to a pub. Is this right or wrong? Did she say anything?

The Pyramids of Giza. Do you think Jennifer’s friends and family were interested in her travels around the UK?
 
 
 

Angkor Wat. Is there a moral or lesson to the story? The moral or lesson of the story is . . . . . . .

Elaborate on the following sayings. You have two ears and one mouth. You can make twice as many friends in two month by being interested in others than you can in two years trying to make other people interested in you.

Disneyland. What do some or many people think, regarding conversations?

Grand Canyon. I know some people who like to talk . . . and talk . . . and talk. Yes or no? What do they talk about?

Venice. Are most people good listeners, good talker, both, or neither?

E. How could this apply to the following?
Chichen Itza. A patient and a psychiatrist.
Amsterdam Canals. A journalist and an interviewee.
The Louvre. A salesperson and a prospect or client.
The Acropolis. A teacher and students.
Great Barrier Reef. A politician and his or her constituents.
Times Square. A couple on a date.