SKorean breaks world marathon singing record
SEOUL - A South Korean housewife on Saturday broke a world record in marathon singing after crooning for more than 76 hours without stopping at a Seoul karaoke bar, local record verifiers said.
Kim Sun-Ok, 54, broke the 75-hour Guinness World Record held by Marcus Lapratt of the United States, the private Korea Record Institute said.
She started singing at 11:14 am Thursday (0214 GMT) and sang a total of 1,283 tunes before she gave up at 3:21 pm Saturday following her family's appeal for her to quit for the sake of her health, it said.
Under Guinness World Record regulations, she was given 30-second breaks between songs and five-minute breaks every hour. She was also barred from singing any song she had already sung less than four hours earlier, it said.
"My sister has had a very strong sense of determination since she was young. Once she sets her mind to anything, she finishes it," her brother, Kwang-Jin, was quoted as telling South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
The Korea Record Institute said it would submit video footage of Kim's feat to the Guinness authorities for official recognition as the new title holder in "longest singing marathon by an individual."
as of 02/21/2009 9:02 PM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/classified-odd/02/21/09/skorean-breaks-world-marathon-singing-record
VOCABULARY
marathon - an event or activity that requires prolonged effort or endurance
crooning - the act of singing popular songs in a sentimental manner
give up - to desist from; stop
willpower - the strength of will to carry out one's decisions, wishes, or plans
GUIDE QUESTIONS
= According to the article, Kim Sun-Ok spent 76 hours at a Seoul karaoke bar for the world record in marathon singing. How would you have reacted if you were her family member?
= What can you say about Kim's willpower in breaking the world record in marathon singing? Is it worth her sacrifice? Why do you say so?
= About how many singing rooms/karaoke bar are there in your city? Have you gone to any of them? Share your experience.
= Do you frequently go to the singing room (nure bang)? If so, what's the longest time you've stayed in nure bang? If not, what's stopping you from doing so?
= Like Kim, are their any goals that you want to achieve? Have you taken steps to achieve them?
= In goal setting, would you go as far as to take risks just to reach your target?
= What's the bravest thing you've done in your entire life? How did it affect you and your family?