Reading
What's a Florida Girl Doing in Prague?
Before you start reading, study the following vocabulary:
Seem
Feel sorry for somebody
Agree
Endless
Customs
When I visit my hometown, people seem to feel sorry for me.
"If you had just stayed here, you could have had your own real estate office by now," they say. I can't make them understand, but I always agree to discuss living in Prague with them.
I try to explain that Prague lets me work as an English teacher. Prague also lets people work in real estate offices, if they want to work in real estate offices. I live in Prague because Prague lets me choose.
Walking around in snow and cold wind in the winter is not fun, I say. However I have to do it to live in Prague and I want to live in Prague. They ask me to tell them why.
Exploring Prague and the Czech Republic is fun, I tell them. Seeing the country is exciting. I enjoy meeting the people and learning about their history.
I let them know that Prague has an endless selection of museums. I like going to museums. I tell them to see the beautiful buildings and delightful streets in Prague before they decide to reject the idea of living here.
The food must be different, they say. The customs can't be the same. I let them know that I like trying new food and new ways of doing things. I want to try several ways of eating and living.
But people speak Czech there, the hometown people say. I tell them to try speaking a little Czech. Learning a few words is fun. Czechs show you a lot of understanding if you make mistakes.
The conversation always ends when we agree to disagree. They will stay in Florida and I will return to Prague.
Live and let live, I say.
Questions
Choose the correct explanation...
- The narrator…
- Why do the people in Florida mention real estate offices?
- Willingness to try new things…
- What does the narrator think about the people she knows in Florida?
- How does the narrator feel about Czech weather?
Are the following statements about the article correct?
1. The narrator lives in Prague because she hates Florida weather.
2. The narrator thinks the people in Florida should live in Prague too.
3. The narrator thinks tolerance is important.
4. The narrator likes everything in the Czech Republic.
5. The narrator plans to stay in Prague permanently.