Dry Tortugas National Park

Features Sand, Sea, Turtles

March 6, 2017
7 Advanced Culture & Entertainment USA & Americas

Exercise 1

Vocabulary
assortment /əˈsɔːrtmənt/ a collection of various kinds; a variety
Noun
Our store sells a wide assortment of luxury
watches.

shallow /ˈʃæloʊ/
Adjective with only a short distance from the top or surface to the
bottom

This pool is very shallow, so it's safe for the kids to

swim in.
This river is too shallow to swim in.
Sharks have been sighted in the shallow waters
around the beach.

nest /nest/
Verb to make and use a nest (a structure that some animals
make to keep their eggs and babies in)

A pair of swallows have nested in my backyard.

abundance /əˈbəndəns/ a very large quantity of something

Noun
There is an abundance of information available on
the web.

fulfill /fʊlˈfɪl/ to do or achieve what was hoped for or expected

Verb
He fulfilled his dream of opening his own bakery.
She needs to study harder to fulfill the class
 requirements.
After taking office, he quickly moved to fulfill his
campaign promises.
The Prime Minister promised political reform to
fulfill the country's need for democracy and
freedom.

deterrence /dɪˈtɜːrəns/
Noun the action of discouraging somebody from doing
something through instilling doubt or fear of the
consequences

The military exercise is viewed as an act of

deterrence.

Exercise 2

Article
Dry Tortugas National Park Features Sand, Sea, Turtles

Dry Tortugas is a chain of small islands about 113 kilometers (70

miles) west of Key West, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico.

Part of the National Park Service, the 259 square-kilometer (100

square-mile) park is mostly open water with seven small islands,
home to beautiful coral reefs, a vast assortment of bird and marine
life, and a magnificent 19th-century fort.

Mikah Meyer, who’s on a mission to visit all of the more than 400 NPS
sites, says the journey to the remote islands was as much fun as his
destination.

“It was really cool as we took off from Key West, first to be able to see
the city of Key West, then to see all these really interesting different
shades of blue.”
Flying over the shallow waters, Mikah also had an opportunity to spot
a variety of wildlife.

“Our pilot told us in a lot of places it's just 4 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters),

and so this makes it really great as you’re flying over because I saw
sea turtles, I saw the shadow of a giant shark, and sometimes you can
see dolphins.”

Dry Tortugas derives its name from the Spanish word for turtles,
which the park is famous for. Hundreds of the endangered reptiles
annually nest in the area. Its underwater treasures also include
beautiful coral reefs and an abundance of marine life.

Another popular feature of the islands is Fort Jefferson, a massive but

unfinished coastal fortress built in 1847. Made with millions of bricks,
it's one of the most ambitious and extensive fortifications
constructed in the United States.

Even though it was never attacked, Fort Jefferson fulfilled its intended
role: to protect the peace and prosperity of a young nation, through
deterrence.

It was used as a military prison during the Civil War, mainly for Union
deserters. And the conspirators who were involved in President
Abraham Lincoln's assassination were also held there.

Its most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who
set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln’s assassin.
 A wall of Fort Jefferson.

Exercise 3

Questions
1. What can tourists find in Dry Tortugas?

2. Where did Mikah Meyer arrive in Dry Tortugas from?

3. Where does the name Dry Tortugas come from?

4. What did Fort Jefferson serve as in the past?

Exercise 4

Discussion
1. Have you heard of Dry Tortugas before?

2. Do you think that Dry Tortugas would be a good place for a week-long
vacation? Why or why not?

3. Would you prefer vacationing on a sunny beach or skiing in the

mountains? Why?
Advanced Exercises

The following exercises are for an additional lesson.

Exercise 5

Summary
Please make a short summary of the article that you have just read. (1-2
minutes)

Exercise 6

For and Against

Bring arguments first in favor of, and then against the idea that people
generally spend too much money on vacations. (2-3 minutes each)

Exercise 7

Discussion
 1. How would you describe your ideal vacation?

2. Do you prefer vacationing abroad? Why or why not?

3. Can you remember your first vacation ever? Would you like to share
your experience?

4. Do you buy lots of souvenirs when going on vacation? Why or why

not?

5. A good vacation is over when you begin to yearn for your work. -
Morris Fishbein. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

6. A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in. - Robert

Orben. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Source
This lesson is based on a news article originally published by VOA
news

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