Vacations Across America - Pre-Reading Worksheet

1. Before reading the whole text, take a quiet moment to look at the title and the introduction (first two lines of the text).
a. What comes to mind when you hear the word "vacation"? What do people usually do while on vacation?
b. Highlight or underline any words or expressions that describe places, activities, or feelings people might have on vacation.
c. Think about what the word "memorial" might mean.

• What word do you think it comes from?
• Why might Mount Rushmore be called a national memorial? What memory could it be celebrating?
  

d. Focus on the adjective picturesque.

• Do you recognise a word you already know? What do you think the suffix means?
  
• Do you think "picturesque" describes something ugly or beautiful? Why?
  
• Describe a place you’ve seen (in real life or online) that you think is picturesque.

e. Who might be interested in reading this article?

2. You cannot see the full text yet, so look at the only elements you can read, called section titles.
a. Write down what you expect to read in each section. What kind of information do you think each section will include?
b. Write 2 or 3 questions you hope the text will answer.

3. Fill in your "Personal Recap Chart."