Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

    • ex. My brother recently moved to a luxury apartment. It’s really nice!
  1. accommodate
    • ex. Each room can accommodate three people.
    • ex. The International Space Station doesn’t have artificial gravity, so astronauts have to eat and sleep in special ways.
  2. gourmet
    • ex. My children prefer fast food restaurants over gourmet restaurants.
    • ex. Too much space radiation can make astronauts sick.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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A US company has announced plans to open two luxury hotels in space within the next few years. Orbital Assembly says that its first hotel, Pioneer Station, may be launched as early as 2025 and will accommodate 28 people. Its second hotel, Voyager Station, will follow in 2027 and is expected to accommodate about 300 guests and 100 crew members.

Orbital Assembly says that its space hotels will not be based on the alien look of sci-fi movie spaceships. Instead, their interior design will look similar to luxury hotels on Earth. Both Pioneer Station and Voyager Station will have artificial gravity in some areas so guests can take showers, eat and drink while sitting down, and sleep without being tied to their beds. There will also be a gourmet restaurant, bar, entertainment center, gym, and even offices to rent.

A three-day stay will cost around $5 million (about ¥745 million). In addition to the high price, safety is another issue. Orbital Assembly is currently researching how much artificial gravity will be needed and how much space radiation both guests and workers will receive.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Space Hotels

  • Do you think that Pioneer Station and Voyager Station will really launch in 2025 and 2027? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think that space hotels are really safe? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • A three-day stay will cost around $5 million. In the future, do you think that the price will become more reasonable for regular people? Why or why not? Discuss.

Regular Hotels

  • When choosing a hotel, what do you think is the most important thing (ex. price, location)? Why? Discuss.
  • In some countries, hotels usually charge per guest, but in other countries, hotels usually charge per room. In your opinion, which way is better? Why? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what kind of things should hotels offer for free (ex. pajamas, toothbrushes and toothpaste)? Why? Discuss.