[Challenge English Articles No. 810] A Mean Valentine's Gift
[About this article]
・Written by an instructor at the TOEIC specialty school 'Eigoya'
・We find and introduce topics from English articles and web pages that are 'TOEIC-like' yet interesting to adults.
・We have also prepared reading comprehension questions, so please give them a try.
・At the very end, there is a simple Japanese translation and explanation.
[Pre-Reading]
Valentine's Day is coming up soon. While chocolate is the standard gift in Japan, it seems there are more unique gifts around the world.
Today, I would like to introduce a story from Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States. The city's zoo is currently running a project called 'Dating or Dumping'.
Dating means 'to go out with someone,' and Dumping means 'to throw something away in a heap.' 'Dump' is used for both throwing things away and ending a relationship (breaking up with someone).
So, let's read about this project that pairs two opposite words and see what it's all about.
◆ Important vocabulary in advance:
ex: ex-boyfriend/girlfriend (plural is exes)
poop: feces (to defecate)
red panda: red panda
adorable: cute
munch on: to eat something noisily
[Try the question]
Q: According to this project, what do you get if you donate $10 to the zoo?
(A) A red panda stuffed animal
(B) Elephant poop
(C) A video featuring an animal
(D) A Valentine's card with a picture of an animal
↓ Click here for the article
Read the article and solve the question before moving on.
[Side stories]
A long time ago, when I was studying abroad, some American elementary school girls asked me, 'Hey, what would you do if your boyfriend cheated on you?' When I answered, 'I will dump him,' they were highly amused. They kept asking the same question over and over, and even though I just kept repeating, 'I will dump him,' they burst into laughter every time.
At the time, I wondered, 'What's so funny?' but perhaps they found it hilarious that an international student was using such a harsh word as dump.
By the way, the 'dump' in 'dump truck' is also dump. This is because, in addition to meaning 'to throw away,' it also means 'to drop or release in a heap.' In English, it is called a dump truck. If you see one in town, please take a moment to think about what 'dump' means.
[Answer & Explanation]
Q: According to this project, what do you get if you donate $10 to the zoo?
(C) A video featuring an animal
The Memphis Zoo in Tennessee is celebrating Valentine's Day
The Memphis Zoo in Tennessee is celebrating Valentine's Day by offering,
by giving fans the chance to send
providing supporters with a chance to send a message,
a cute red panda video to their sweethearts --
a cute red panda video to their loved ones,
or a video of an elephant pooping to their exes.
or a video of an elephant pooping to their ex-partners
👆 Up to this point, the purpose of the article has been introduced. Let's continue reading.
The zoo announced
that its "Dating or Dumping" promotion allows
followers to
exchange
a donation of $10
for a video to
pass along as a Valentine's Day gift. The options
are "an
adorable video of a red panda
munching on a grape" or "a stinky
video of an elephant poop hitting the pile."
Up to this point, it has been revealed that if you donate $10, you can get a video of a red panda or an elephant. The correct answer is (C) A video featuring animals.
But would you really go out of your way to send a video to an ex? For the purpose of harassment? Even after donating $10? Besides, if you like elephants, you should think that even the sight of them pooping is "adorable!" (I personally love watching cats poop). Thinking about it, it's probably not meant for genuine harassment, but rather just for fun.
Here is the actual zoo promotion site👇. The deadline is February 14th (Valentine's Day). It's a donation, so maybe I'll buy one.
https://www.memphiszoo.org/dating-or-dumping
For those who want to train in reading carefully while mastering grammar and vocabulary, I recommend the "Grammar & Reading/Writing" class. It's a waste to only have the grammar skills to solve fill-in-the-blank questions! Why not study with me to gain a higher level of proficiency?
◆ If you are looking for an English course that hits the spot
The school I, Furusawa, the author of this note, represent is "Eigoya," and it is recommended for the following people:
Those who want to improve both their scores and their actual ability
Those who want to overcome their dislike or weakness in grammar
Those who want to make home study a habit without strain
Those who want to be put under moderate pressure—not too weak, not too strong
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◆ "TOEIC® L&R TEST Impregnable Part 7 Article Questions: Complete Strategy"
This is one of the publications by Furusawa, the author of this note. With this one book, the way you read articles should change significantly.