Listening
Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- sculpt / skʌlpt / (v.) – to make a shape or figure by cutting wood, stone, etc.
Example:The artists sculpted a bird out of ice for the winter festival.
- pageantry / ˈpædʒ ən tri / (n.) – a show of beautiful and exciting events, usually with special clothing, music, or traditions
Example:Even small towns can have surprising pageantry during their local festivals.
- in the wake of (something) / ɪn ðə weɪk ʌv / (idiom) – after something has happened, especially something bad or important
Example:In the wake of the accident at the factory, the company improved its safety measures.
- ephemeral / ɪˈfɛm ər əl / (adj.) – existing or lasting only for a short time
Example:Playing in the snow is fun, but the fun is ephemeral.
- stub / stʌb / (n.) – the short part that is left after the rest of something has been used or removed
Example:He has been drawing a lot; that’s why he is left with a tiny pencil stub.
Article
Read the text below.
More than 1,000 people gathered in a scenic Minneapolis neighborhood for an annual ritual—the sharpening of a gigantic No. 2 pencil.
The 20-foot-tall (6-meter-tall) pencil was sculpted out of a mammoth oak tree at the home of John and Amy Higgins. The beloved tree was damaged in a storm a few years ago when fierce winds twisted the crown off. Neighbors mourned. A couple even wept. But the Higginses saw it not so much as a loss, but as a chance to give the tree new life.
The sharpening ceremony on their front lawn has evolved into a community spectacle that draws hundreds of people to the leafy neighborhood on Lake of the Isles, complete with music and pageantry. Some people dress as pencils or erasers.
In the wake of the storm, the Higginses knew they wanted to create a sculpture out of their tree. Given the shape and circumference of the log, they came up with the idea of an oversized pencil standing tall in their yard.
“Why a pencil? Everybody uses a pencil,” Amy Higgins said. “Everybody knows a pencil. You see it in school, you see it in people’s work, or drawings, everything. So, it’s just so accessible to everybody, I think, and can easily mean something, and everyone can make what they want of it.”
John Higgins said they wanted the celebration to pull the community together.
“We tell a story about the dull tip, and we’re gonna get sharp,” he said. “There’s a renewal. … And that chance for renewal, that promise, people really seem to buy into and understand.”
Like a real pencil, this one is ephemeral. Every year they sharpen it, and it gets a bit shorter. They have taken anywhere from 3 to 10 inches (8 to 25 centimeters) off a year. They haven’t decided how much to shave off this year. They are okay knowing that they could reduce it to a stub one day. The artist said they will let time and life dictate its form—that is part of the magic.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- More than 1,000 people gathered in a Minneapolis neighborhood for an annual sharpening of a gigantic No. 2 pencil. Why do you think some small, local events grow into something big? What do you think makes people want to return every year? Discuss.
- What kinds of small events in your community do you think have the power to grow in popularity? What makes people care about them, even if they start small? Discuss.
Discussion B
- The Higgins family turned their beloved tree, which was damaged, into a giant pencil. If this were your tree, what would you have done with it? Would you try to make something useful, creative, or just leave it as it was? Why? Discuss.
- Do you think it’s better to create something practical, something beautiful, or something symbolic when reusing something meaningful? Why do you say so? Discuss.
