Listening
Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- federal / ˈfɛd ər əl / (adj.) – relating to the central government of a country, especially as different from state or local governments
Example:After reports of accidents, a new federal law focused on transportation safety has been introduced.
- house / haʊz / (v.) – to provide someone/something a place or space to live or stay
Example:The community center housed 50 people during the storm.
- costly / ˈkɔst li / (adj.) – having a very high price
Example:Medical care in other countries can be costly without insurance.
- infrastructure / ˈɪn frəˌstrʌk tʃər / (n.) – the basic systems and services, such as roads, power supply, etc., that a country needs to work or operate properly
Example:The city has strong infrastructure, making it an attractive place for businesses to start.
- potable / ˈpoʊ tə bəl / (adj.) – clean and safe to drink
Example:The scientists tested the water they collected from the river to ensure it was potable.
Article
Read the text below.
Alcatraz Landing is where tourists take a boat to visit Alcatraz Island, which was once a notorious federal prison that housed infamous criminals like Al Capone.
Today, it is a national park and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the San Francisco Bay.
“As I’m here today, looking around it seems like this is a great tourist attraction and it’s making a lot of money for San Francisco in the Bay Area and I’d hate to see that go away if… if there was a different option that might have been better than reopening this prison instead of closing it as a national park,” said Nick Pernell, who decided to go visit Alcatraz before it could be closed off to tourists.
However, President Donald Trump wants to, again, turn it into a federal prison to house the nation’s most violent criminals.
Alcatraz Prison closed in 1963 because it was falling apart, and it was too expensive to transfer prisoners there and to bring in supplies by boat.
President Trump has offered few details about the plan, which is likely to be costly and face local opposition.
“I think it’s a waste of money, way too expensive, hopefully it’s just all talk and not serious. Infrastructure, it’d be too hard to get potable water, infrastructure, sewer there, employees there to build it. It just wouldn’t be effective of use of the taxpayer’s money,” Randy Doolittle, who was visiting San Francisco from Portland, Oregon, said. “I like tough on criminals, but I don’t like wasting money on stupid ideas. Which is, I think, it would be a stupid idea to build out in the desert and be a little cheaper than building an island that people wanna use as tourist items.”
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- How would you feel if a tourist site in your country was changed into a prison or a government facility? What would you do (ex. write a letter to government leaders, join a protest)? Discuss.
- Which do you think is more important for a city: ensuring public safety or maintaining its tourism economy? Why? Discuss.
Discussion B
- Alcatraz was once a prison for violent criminals, but now it’s a national park that attracts many tourists. Would you visit Alcatraz? Why or why not? Do you think it’s okay to turn a place like an old prison into a tourist site? Why or why not? Discuss.
- What do you think people can learn when visiting places with a dark or bad history? Discuss.
