04월 07일 중급토픽

[Topic 1] Hiking becomes Koreans’ pastime For many Koreans, there’s one popular, easy way to get out of the country’s nonstop, hypercompetitive society – hiking.Mountains are everywhere, covering more than two-thirds of Korea. Most are open to the general public all year round. Thanks to the country’s wide-reaching, efficient transport network, particularly in Seoul, Koreans can have easy access to mountain areas on a day trip without having to drive.On weekend mornings, subway trains in Seoul are filled with people dressed in waterproof pants and jackets that look almost like uniforms. They stick telescoped-down adjustable hiking poles in their backpacks, with a tumbler and a bar of chocolate in the side pockets. At a glance, you can tell where they are headed.The number of hikers in Korea is overwhelming. According to a recent study by Korea Mountain Trekking Support Center, a state-funded organization established under the Korea Forest Service, about 1 in 3 Koreans goes hiking at least once a month. There are more than 18,000 mountaineering clubs nationwide that go on group hikes, and the number continues to grow.Experts attribute the rising popularity of hiking to increased leisure hours, economic growth and interest in health. “The five-day workweek, economic development and the pursuit of a healthier life have helped popularize hiking,” said Lee In-jung, chairman of the Korean Alpine Federation.“I think it is addictive in a good way. I could not live in a place without mountains. It has long been the vital source of my life,” said the 70-year-old.The explosive popularity of hiking has led to rapid growth for the domestic outdoor apparel market. The market has doubled from 4 trillion won in 2011 to 8trillion won this year, becoming the second- largest in the world, following the U.S. [Questions] 1. Do you like hiking or mountaineering? Are there people who enjoy hiking around you? Generally, where did they go? 2. What is advantage of hiking club? 3. Which mountain would you like to go? Why? 4. Which exercise do you take? Why? Is that fun?! If you don’t, what do you want to do?  [Topic 2]  How to Stop to Worry. And, Talk about Our Worries 1. Constructive worry begins by taking the time to look at the problem. It helps here to write the problem on paper in an attempt to get perspective. Remember, even Adam had to name the beasts before he could rule over them, and the same principle applies when trying to put your finger on what is really bothering you. 2. Once you've identified your concerns, make a list of three things you can do towards solving or at least bringing a measure of relief towards each problem. Don't hesitate to list even those things you absolutely don't want to do. Just writing them down can lessen the power they can have over you to exacerbate your worry. 3. Take one problem at a time and implement just one of your solution steps toward solving the problem. For example, I recently had a problem on my tax return. I was so worried that I'd done something to cost us extra money that I was losing sleep. I called the IRS the next day, even though it was such a scary thought I didn't want to face them. Guess what. That phone call saved me hundreds of dollars. Had I just written a letter as I originally intended, I would have spent another month worrying about the resolution to the matter. 4. Sometimes the problem is beyond us. That's when it's time to get advice and help. A wise person seeks council. Don't be afraid to get the help of a friend or professional. Sometimes, just listening to yourself describe your problem can be very enlightening. 5. And yet, in spite of our best efforts, we can't solve everything. Some things must be turned over to a higher power. In some cases, it may be A-okay to let go of our expectations, or just learn to love. Sometimes, all we can do is let go. Worry is not the enemy. But, our inability to handle worry can wreck our health and peace of mind. By implementing these suggestions, you may be able to better handle the 'solution process.'  [Questions] 1. What are you worried at now? And what is the biggest worrying nowadays? Why? 2. Have you been so worried about something you couldn't sleep? How did you get over it? 3. Besides 5 steps above, do you have any other ideas to solve any worries in our life? 4. Do you think the worries makes people get stressed out? Isn’t there any advantage of worries? What do you think? 5. Who makes you worried mostly nowadays? Why do you think like that?