Why read this: This is a short, easy story about a real place. Students learn about a small town in Canada that wants to be a door to Europe. The text uses simple words and short sentences. Students can read about a country, a port, and ships. They also learn one big idea: a place can have good and bad sides at the same time.
What to notice: Notice how the article tells a simple story step by step. First, it tells you about the town. Then it tells you about the port. After that, it tells you the problem: ice. Then it tells you what Canada wants to do. At the end, it talks about climate change and the future. Each part is short and clear.
Skills practised: Reading for facts: students can find names like Churchill, Canada, and Mark Carney. Reading for cause and effect: ice closes the port, so ships cannot come. Listing: students can list things Canada wants to send to Europe. Building topic words: port, ships, ice, gas, minerals.
"A Cold Town That Wants to Be Canada's Door to Europe"
"Churchill is a small, frozen town in northern Canada. Its port is closed most of the year, but Canada hopes to use it to send goods to Europe."
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
Churchill is a small town in northernnorthern: in, from, or relating to the north part of an area — 北方的；北部的 Canada, and it is very cold. The land is frozenfrozen: Turned into ice, or preserved by being kept at a very low temperature. — 冷冻的；结冰的 for most of the year. Many people know Churchill for one thing: polarpolar: Of, relating to, measured from, or referred to a geographic pole (the North Pole or South Pole); within the Arctic or Antarctic — 极地的 bearsbear: A large, heavy wild animal with thick fur and strong claws. — 熊. Tourists come to see them, and they also come to see the northern lights: the natural light display in the sky in the far north (aurora borealis) — 北极光；极光 in the skysky: The atmosphere above a given point, especially as visible from the ground during the day — 天空.
But Churchill has something else. It has a portport: A town or city with a harbour where ships load and unload goods. — 港口；港, and a port is a placeplace: To put something in a particular position carefully. — 放置；安放 where shipsship: A large boat used for travelling on the sea. — 轮船；船 come and go. Churchill's port sits on a big baybay: A broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inward, or a designated area or section. — 海湾；湾；隔间. From the bay, ships can sail to Europe in just a few days.
Canada wants to use the port more often. The country has a lot of food, mineralsmineral: A naturally occurring inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition. — 矿物；矿物质, and gasgas: A substance like air that is not solid or liquid, used for heating and cooking. — 气体；煤气. It wants to send these things to Europe. cargo ships: large ships built to carry goods between countries — 货船 from Churchill can take a shorter way across the sea. So Canada hopes the port can grow bigger.
There is one big problem. The water around Churchill is frozen for most of the year, and ships cannot passpass: To go past something, or to succeed in a test. — 经过；通过 through thickthick: Having a large distance between two sides; not thin. — 厚的；粗的 iceice: Water in frozen (solid) form — 冰. The port is only open for about four months each year. The restrest: A period of relaxing or sleeping. — 休息；休憩 of the time, it sits and waits.
The leaderleader: A person who is in charge of a group. — 领导者；领袖 of Canada is Mark Carney, and he wants to make the port bigger. He says Canada has many things to sell to the world. A bigger port would help the country earnearn: To receive money in return for work that you do. — 赚取；挣得 more money.
But not everyone agrees with this plan. Some people say the port will not work well. They say it is too cold and too far from buyersbuyer: A person who makes one or more purchases — 买家. They also say the port has no clearclear: Easy to understand or see; not confusing or blocked. — 清晰的；清楚的；晴朗的 business case: a written argument explaining why a project will be financially worth doing — 商业可行性论证；商业理由. The cost is high, and the open seasonseason: One of the four parts of the year: spring, summer, autumn, or winter. — 季节；季 is short.
Climateclimate: The typical weather conditions in an area over a long period of time. — 气候 change may help in the future. The world is getting warmerwarmer: Having a temperature slightly higher than usual, but still pleasant; mildly hot — 温暖的, and the ice is meltingmelt: To change from a solid to a liquid state by heating. — 融化；熔化 slowlyslowly: At a low speed; not quickly. — 慢慢地；缓慢地. So the port may be open for more months later. But this will take many years. Ice-free shippingshipping: the transport of goods by sea or other means; ships collectively — 航运；运输；船舶业 year-round: happening or available during all twelve months of the year — 全年的；一年到头 will not happen this century.
Canada also wants to show the world that the Arctic is its land. This is called Arctic sovereignty: a country's authority over its territory in the Arctic region — 北极主权. So the port is not just about money. It is also about powerpower: The ability to control things, or energy like electricity. — 力量；权力；电力 and place.
Churchill is a small town in northernnorthern: in, from, or relating to the north part of an area — 北方的；北部的 Canada, and it is very cold. The land is frozenfrozen: Turned into ice, or preserved by being kept at a very low temperature. — 冷冻的；结冰的 for most of the year. Many people know Churchill for one thing: polarpolar: Of, relating to, measured from, or referred to a geographic pole (the North Pole or South Pole); within the Arctic or Antarctic — 极地的 bearsbear: A large, heavy wild animal with thick fur and strong claws. — 熊. Tourists come to see them, and they also come to see the northern lights: the natural light display in the sky in the far north (aurora borealis) — 北极光；极光 in the skysky: The atmosphere above a given point, especially as visible from the ground during the day — 天空.
But Churchill has something else. It has a portport: A town or city with a harbour where ships load and unload goods. — 港口；港, and a port is a placeplace: To put something in a particular position carefully. — 放置；安放 where shipsship: A large boat used for travelling on the sea. — 轮船；船 come and go. Churchill's port sits on a big baybay: A broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inward, or a designated area or section. — 海湾；湾；隔间. From the bay, ships can sail to Europe in just a few days.
Canada wants to use the port more often. The country has a lot of food, mineralsmineral: A naturally occurring inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition. — 矿物；矿物质, and gasgas: A substance like air that is not solid or liquid, used for heating and cooking. — 气体；煤气. It wants to send these things to Europe. cargo ships: large ships built to carry goods between countries — 货船 from Churchill can take a shorter way across the sea. So Canada hopes the port can grow bigger.
There is one big problem. The water around Churchill is frozen for most of the year, and ships cannot passpass: To go past something, or to succeed in a test. — 经过；通过 through thickthick: Having a large distance between two sides; not thin. — 厚的；粗的 iceice: Water in frozen (solid) form — 冰. The port is only open for about four months each year. The restrest: A period of relaxing or sleeping. — 休息；休憩 of the time, it sits and waits.
The leaderleader: A person who is in charge of a group. — 领导者；领袖 of Canada is Mark Carney, and he wants to make the port bigger. He says Canada has many things to sell to the world. A bigger port would help the country earnearn: To receive money in return for work that you do. — 赚取；挣得 more money.
But not everyone agrees with this plan. Some people say the port will not work well. They say it is too cold and too far from buyersbuyer: A person who makes one or more purchases — 买家. They also say the port has no clearclear: Easy to understand or see; not confusing or blocked. — 清晰的；清楚的；晴朗的 business case: a written argument explaining why a project will be financially worth doing — 商业可行性论证；商业理由. The cost is high, and the open seasonseason: One of the four parts of the year: spring, summer, autumn, or winter. — 季节；季 is short.
Climateclimate: The typical weather conditions in an area over a long period of time. — 气候 change may help in the future. The world is getting warmerwarmer: Having a temperature slightly higher than usual, but still pleasant; mildly hot — 温暖的, and the ice is meltingmelt: To change from a solid to a liquid state by heating. — 融化；熔化 slowlyslowly: At a low speed; not quickly. — 慢慢地；缓慢地. So the port may be open for more months later. But this will take many years. Ice-free shippingshipping: the transport of goods by sea or other means; ships collectively — 航运；运输；船舶业 year-round: happening or available during all twelve months of the year — 全年的；一年到头 will not happen this century.
Canada also wants to show the world that the Arctic is its land. This is called Arctic sovereignty: a country's authority over its territory in the Arctic region — 北极主权. So the port is not just about money. It is also about powerpower: The ability to control things, or energy like electricity. — 力量；权力；电力 and place.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
What is Churchill most famous for?
- 02
Why is the port closed for most of the year?
- 03
Who is the leader of Canada in the article?
- 04
Describe the town of Churchill. What is the weather like, and what do tourists come to see?
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List three things that Canada wants to send to Europe from the port of Churchill.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
What is Churchill most famous for?
- 02
Why is the port closed for most of the year?
- 03
Who is the leader of Canada in the article?
- 04
Describe the town of Churchill. What is the weather like, and what do tourists come to see?
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List three things that Canada wants to send to Europe from the port of Churchill.
Suggested length: ~50 words