Do nothing competition in Seoul

Nick's ESL News Lessons

A printable worksheet for news-based English conversation classes.

Date: 2024/05/18

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: Do nothing competition in Seoul

Vocabulary Match

gathered -   - well-known
participants -   - people
stable -   - worried
famous -   - steady
stressed -   - ruled out
artist -   - creator
disqualified -   - met

Article

In Seoul, South Korea, over 100 people gathered to compete in doing nothing. This event, called the Space-out competition, happens every year. Participants sit on yoga mats for 90 minutes without sleeping, using their phones, or talking. Their heart rates are checked, and the winner is the person with the most stable heart rate.

A famous speed skater, Kwak Yoon-gy, joined and said, "This is what I needed so much." Many people in South Korea feel stressed from work and school, so this event helps them relax.

The competition started ten years ago by an artist named Woopsyang. She said, "Spacing out is not a waste of time but something you really need." This year, Kwon So-a won the contest.

Quiz

  1. What do participants do during the Space-out competition?
  2. Who joined the competition and said it was needed?
  3. Why do many people in South Korea like this event?
  4. Who started the competition ten years ago?

Conversation

A: Wow, this Space-out competition is so relaxing!
B: I know, right? I feel my stress melting away.
A: Do you think you can win with a stable heart rate?
B: Maybe! But I'm just happy to be here.
A: Same here. It's nice to take a break from everything.
B: Oh... we've been disqualified for talking!

Discussion

  1. Would you like to join a Space-out competition? Why or why not?
  2. What do you do to relax when you feel stressed?
  3. What contests have you taken part in?
  4. What other fun competitions would you like to see?

Vocabulary Answers

gathered → met
participants → people
stable → steady
famous → well-known
stressed → worried
artist → creator
disqualified → ruled out

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. Participants sit on yoga mats for 90 minutes without sleeping, using their phones, or talking.
  2. A famous speed skater, Kwak Yoon-gy, joined the competition and said it was needed.
  3. Many people in South Korea feel stressed from work and school, so this event helps them relax.
  4. An artist named Woopsyang started the competition ten years ago.

Source Material

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/16/asia/south-korea-space-out-competition-intl-hnk/index.html

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