Day 40

China Could Buy Part of Arctic Island for $325 Million

https://eikaiwa.dmm.com/app/daily-news/article/china-could-buy-part-of-arctic-island-for-325-million/VOMXkBhsEe-x-N9p8LiuAw

Vocabulary

• wilderness

• archipelago

• glacier

• treaty

Questions

1. 60% of the land on these islands is covered with ice.

2. 2,400 people live in Longyearbyen.

3. It was signed in 1920.

Discussion

1. I think this is a major issue. If other countries are able to purchase national land it could lead to increased foreign occupation. I’m curious about the tax laws and regulations in Norway.

2. China wants to buy this land because of its location and resources in the Arctic.

3. I think it’s risky to live in a place with a small population. It is especially scary when I get sick.

4. I would most like to own property in the US. I think I can make a good profit from the land and then live freely and comfortably.

5. I would most like to own land in Okinawa. I would build a villa there and live in it during the winter season.

Further Discussion

1. If I could visit Svalbard for free I would be interested in going there.

2. I would rather live in a very cold country than a very hot one. I don’t like hot weather.

3. I have been to a cold storage (warehouse). It was about -20°C there. I thought I was going to die.

4. The temperature usually drops to around -1°C in January.

5. The coldest part of Japan is in Hokkaido. Temperatures in Hokkaido can drop below -30°C during the winter.