Hawaii is a group of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; it is part of the USA and became its 50th state in 1959. Captain Cook named them the “Sandwich Islands” in 1778, after the Earl of Sandwich who supported his voyage. Hawaiians welcome guests with a flower garland called a lei; 1 May is Lei Day. The famous dance is the hula. The Grand Canyon in Arizona is a deep, narrow valley carved by the Colorado River over millions of years; it is more than 400 km long and almost 1.8 km deep. The word “grand” means “very big and impressive”. The colours of the rocks change during the day. Giving information: “Do you know where Hawaii is?” “It is in the Pacific Ocean and belongs to the USA.”
Worked examples
The Grand Canyon is one of the most amazing places in the world. Tourists walk along the rim and look at the red, orange and gold rocks. At sunset the colours change again and again.
— Where are the Hawaiian Islands? — In the Pacific Ocean. — What is a lei? — A garland of flowers. — What is a canyon? — A deep, narrow valley.
Class activity
“Exotic place”: a pupil describes one place (Hawaii, the Grand Canyon) and the class guesses it.
Practice
1
What is a canyon?
A deep, narrow valley.
2
When did Hawaii become the 50th state?
In 1959.
3
Complete with a superlative: The Grand Canyon is one of the ___ (deep) canyons in the world.