Hobbies: 20 TOPIK II reading passages, each with translated sentences and comprehension questions.
🧣 Twenty Scarves Before Winter
제 취미는 퇴근 후에 뜨개질을 하는 거예요.
My hobby is knitting after work.
작년에는 제가 뜬 목도리를 가족과 친구들에게 선물로 나눠 줬어요.
Last year I gave the scarves I knitted to my family and friends as gifts.
그런데 올해는 동네 복지관에서 혼자 사시는 어르신들께 드릴 목도리를 모은다는 소식을 들었어요.
But this year I heard that the local welfare center is collecting scarves for elderly people who live alone.
그래서 겨울이 오기 전까지 매일 한 시간씩 떠서 목도리 스무 개를 보낼 셈이에요.
So I plan to knit for an hour every day and send twenty scarves before winter comes.
목도리 하나를 뜨는 데 사흘쯤 걸리니까 지금 시작하면 시간이 충분해요.
One scarf takes about three days, so if I start now I'll have plenty of time.
게다가 회사 동료 두 명도 제 이야기를 듣고 같이 뜨개질을 배우기 시작했어요.
What's more, two of my coworkers heard about it and started learning to knit with me.
따뜻한 목도리를 받으실 어르신들을 생각하면 벌써 마음이 설레요.
When I think of the elderly people who will receive the warm scarves, I already feel excited.
Where does the writer plan to send the scarves this year?
- To family and friends
- To coworkers
- To a knitting shop
- To the local welfare center ✓
Why does the writer think starting now is early enough?
- One scarf takes only about three days ✓
- Two coworkers will knit for them
- The center only wants ten scarves
- Many scarves are left over from last year
Which of the following matches the text?
- The writer learned to knit for the first time this year
- The writer only knits on weekends
- The elderly at the center knit the scarves
- The writer's coworkers are also learning to knit ✓
🏖️ A Sunrise Beach Cleanup
지난 토요일에 저는 대학 동아리 친구들과 함께 바닷가 쓰레기 줍기 봉사에 참가했어요.
Last Saturday I took part in a beach litter pickup with friends from my university club.
새벽 다섯 시 반에 모래사장에 모였는데 아직 주변이 어두웠어요.
We gathered on the sand at five thirty in the morning, and it was still dark.
곧 해가 뜨자 모래 위에 흩어진 쓰레기가 한눈에 들어왔어요.
As soon as the sun came up, we could see all the trash scattered across the sand at a glance.
플라스틱 병과 과자 봉지뿐만 아니라 오래된 낚싯줄도 많이 나왔어요.
Not only plastic bottles and snack bags but also a lot of old fishing line turned up.
우리는 두 시간 동안 쓰레기봉투 서른 개를 가득 채웠어요.
In two hours we filled thirty trash bags to the top.
일이 끝나자 담당자분이 따뜻한 보리차를 나눠 주셨어요.
As soon as the work was over, the organizer handed out warm barley tea.
몸은 피곤했지만 깨끗해진 바다를 보니 뿌듯했어요.
I was physically tired, but seeing the clean beach made me proud.
What changed as soon as the sun rose?
- It got even darker
- The trash became visible at a glance ✓
- People went back home
- The sea water came up onto the sand
Why did the writer feel proud?
- Got a prize from the organizer
- Filled all the bags alone
- Saw that the beach had become clean ✓
- The work was over in an hour
Which of the following matches the text?
- The cleanup started very early in the morning ✓
- The writer took part alone
- There was hardly any trash on the sand
- The cleanup was on Sunday evening
🥁 Should I Join the Office Band?
우리 회사에는 직원들이 만든 작은 밴드 동아리가 있어요.
My company has a small band club that the employees started.
얼마 전 드럼을 치던 선배가 다른 지사로 가게 돼서 새 드러머를 찾는다는 공지가 올라왔어요.
Recently the senior colleague who played drums was transferred to another branch, and a notice went up looking for a new drummer.
저는 고등학생 때 드럼을 쳤지만 벌써 십 년 가까이 스틱을 잡지 않았어요.
I played drums in high school, but I hadn't picked up the sticks in almost ten years.
그래서 동아리에 들어갈지 말지 며칠 동안 고민했어요.
So I spent several days wondering whether or not to join the club.
결국 용기를 내서 연습실에 찾아가 한 곡을 쳐 봤어요.
In the end I worked up the courage to go to the practice room and play one song.
박자를 몇 번 놓쳤지만 회원들은 처음에는 다 그렇다며 박수를 쳐 줬어요.
I lost the beat a few times, but the members clapped for me and said everyone is like that at first.
올해 연말 회사 행사에서 저는 밴드와 함께 첫 공연을 하게 됐어요.
I'm now going to give my first performance with the band at the company's year-end event.
Why was the band club looking for a new drummer?
- The drummer switched to guitar
- The drummer moved to another branch ✓
- All the club members were replaced
- The year-end performance was canceled
Why did the writer hesitate for several days?
- Had never learned the drums
- The practice room was too far from work
- Hadn't played drums in a long time ✓
- Didn't get along with the members
Which of the following matches the text?
- The writer played a song without mistakes
- The writer didn't join the club
- The members scolded the writer's mistakes
- The writer will perform with the band at year's end ✓
🎲 The Neighborhood Board Game Meetup
요즘 우리 동네에는 주말마다 모여서 보드게임을 하는 사람들이 많아졌어요.
These days, more and more people in my neighborhood get together on weekends to play board games.
저만 해도 한 달에 두 번은 동네 카페에서 열리는 보드게임 모임에 나가요.
Just take me, for example: I go to the board game meetup at a local cafe twice a month.
이 모임에는 대학생부터 은퇴한 어르신까지 다양한 사람들이 와요.
All kinds of people come to this meetup, from college students to retirees.
처음 만난 사람과도 게임을 하다 보면 금방 웃으면서 이야기하게 돼요.
Even with people you've just met, you soon end up laughing and chatting while you play.
지난번에는 규칙이 복잡한 게임을 하다가 열한 살 아이에게 크게 졌어요.
Last time I played a game with complicated rules and lost badly to an eleven-year-old.
그 아이는 저에게 규칙을 처음부터 다시 친절하게 설명해 줬어요.
That child kindly explained the rules to me again from the beginning.
화면 대신 사람의 얼굴을 보며 노는 시간이 이렇게 즐거운 줄 몰랐어요.
I never knew that playing while looking at people's faces instead of a screen could be so much fun.
How often does the writer go to the board game meetup?
- Twice a month ✓
- Every weekend
- Twice a year
- Once a month
What happened to the writer at the last meetup?
- Taught a child the rules
- Argued with an elderly person over rules
- Lost a game to a child ✓
- Played only games with simple rules
What is the writer's main point?
- Board games are games for children
- Playing together face to face is fun ✓
- Games with complicated rules should be avoided
- Local cafes are too crowded on weekends
🧗 Why I Fell for Climbing
저는 작년 봄부터 회사 근처 실내 암벽장에 다니고 있어요.
Since last spring I've been going to an indoor climbing gym near my office.
처음에는 팔 힘만 좋으면 쉽게 올라갈 수 있을 거라고 생각했어요.
At first I thought that as long as I had strong arms, I could climb easily.
하지만 클라이밍은 팔 힘은 물론이고 다리 힘과 집중력도 필요한 운동이었어요.
But climbing turned out to be a sport that needs strong legs and concentration, not to mention arm strength.
벽에 붙기 전에 어느 홀드를 어떤 순서로 잡을지 미리 생각해야 하거든요.
That's because before getting on the wall, you have to plan which holds to grab and in what order.
그래서 암벽장 사람들은 클라이밍을 “벽 위의 퍼즐”이라고 부르기도 해요.
That's why people at the gym sometimes call climbing "a puzzle on the wall."
저는 석 달 동안 같은 코스에서 계속 떨어지다가 지난주에 드디어 끝까지 올라갔어요.
I kept falling off the same route for three months, and last week I finally made it to the top.
그 순간의 기쁨 때문에 오늘도 퇴근하자마자 암벽장으로 가요.
Because of the joy of that moment, I'm heading to the climbing gym again today right after work.
What did the writer think about climbing at first?
- That leg strength matters most
- That it was too dangerous
- That it was much easier than a puzzle
- That it would be easy with strong arms ✓
Why do people call climbing "a puzzle on the wall"?
- You must plan the order of holds in advance ✓
- There are puzzle pictures on the wall
- Many members like puzzles
- The routes change every day
Which of the following matches the text?
- The writer first went to the gym this year
- The writer only goes on weekends
- The writer quit climbing after three months
- The writer finished a route last week ✓
🎶 A Choir Open to Everyone
우리 구청에는 주민이라면 누구나 들어갈 수 있는 합창단이 있어요.
Our district office has a choir that any resident can join.
이 합창단은 노래 실력을 불문하고 단원을 받는 것으로 유명해요.
This choir is famous for accepting members regardless of how well they sing.
음악을 전공한 사람은 거의 없고 회사원, 주부, 대학생 등 직업도 다양해요.
Hardly anyone majored in music, and the members have all sorts of jobs: office workers, homemakers, college students and more.
저는 악보를 읽을 줄 몰라서 처음 연습에 갈 때 많이 긴장했어요.
I can't read sheet music, so I was very nervous when I went to my first rehearsal.
그런데 지휘자 선생님이 모르는 부분은 옆 사람 소리를 듣고 따라 하면 된다고 하셨어요.
But the conductor told me that for parts I didn't know, I could just listen to the person next to me and follow along.
그렇게 여섯 달 동안 연습한 끝에 지난 연말에 구민회관 무대에 섰어요.
After practicing that way for six months, I stood on the stage of the district community hall at the end of last year.
잘 부르는 것보다 함께 부르는 것이 더 중요하다는 걸 그때 배웠어요.
That's when I learned that singing together matters more than singing well.
What is special about this choir?
- Only music majors can join
- You can join even if you don't sing well ✓
- It only accepts college students
- You must pass a sheet music test
Why was the writer nervous going to the first rehearsal?
- The conductor was scary
- She had to sing solo
- She couldn't read sheet music ✓
- The rehearsal place was too far
What is the writer's main point?
- Singing together matters more than singing well ✓
- You must learn sheet music before singing in a choir
- You should learn singing from music majors
- Six months of choir practice is enough
🍅 Lessons from a Weekend Farm
올봄에 저는 가족과 함께 도시 근교의 주말농장에서 작은 밭을 빌렸어요.
This spring my family and I rented a small plot at a weekend farm on the outskirts of the city.
우리는 방울토마토와 상추, 고추를 심고 주말마다 밭에 갔어요.
We planted cherry tomatoes, lettuce and peppers, and went to the plot every weekend.
그런데 유월이 되자 방울토마토 잎이 누렇게 변하기 시작했어요.
But when June came, the cherry tomato leaves started turning yellow.
농장 주인 아저씨는 우리가 물을 너무 자주 준 탓에 뿌리가 약해졌다고 하셨어요.
The farm owner told us the roots had weakened because we had watered them too often.
아이들이 신이 나서 올 때마다 물뿌리개를 들고 뛰어다녔거든요.
The kids had been so excited that they ran around with the watering can every time we came.
그 후로는 흙을 손가락으로 만져 보고 말라 있을 때만 물을 줬어요.
After that, we touched the soil with our fingers and watered only when it was dry.
다행히 여름이 끝날 무렵 우리 가족은 방울토마토를 한 바구니 가득 딸 수 있었어요.
Luckily, by the end of summer our family was able to pick a whole basketful of cherry tomatoes.
Why did the cherry tomato leaves turn yellow?
- They were hardly watered
- They were watered too often ✓
- The sunlight was too weak
- Bugs ate the leaves
What did the writer's family do after that?
- Pulled up all the tomato plants
- Left the plot to the farm owner
- Watered only when the soil was dry ✓
- Stopped bringing the kids to the plot
Which of the following matches the text?
- The family bought the plot
- They planted only cherry tomatoes
- The owner watered the plot daily
- In the end they picked many tomatoes ✓
🪕 A Concert at the Nursing Home
저는 대학교 국악 동아리에서 가야금을 연주하고 있어요.
I play the gayageum in my university's traditional Korean music club.
지난겨울에 우리 동아리는 학교 근처 요양원에서 작은 공연 봉사를 했어요.
Last winter our club gave a small volunteer concert at a nursing home near the school.
어르신들이 잘 아시는 옛날 민요를 연주하자 몇 분이 박자에 맞춰 손뼉을 치셨어요.
As soon as we played old folk songs the residents knew well, some of them clapped along to the beat.
공연이 끝나고 인사를 드리는데 한 할머니께서 제 손을 꼭 잡으셨어요.
When the concert ended and I was saying goodbye, an elderly woman held my hand tightly.
할머니는 젊었을 때 고향에서 듣던 노래를 다시 들어서 행복하다고 하셨어요.
She said she was happy to hear again the songs she used to hear in her hometown when she was young.
그때 제 손을 감싸던 할머니 손의 온기는 잊으려야 잊을 수가 없어요.
Even if I tried, I could never forget the warmth of her hands wrapped around mine.
그래서 우리 동아리는 이번 학기에도 한 달에 한 번씩 요양원을 찾아가기로 했어요.
So our club decided to visit the nursing home once a month this semester as well.
What did the writer's club do at the nursing home?
- Performed traditional Korean music ✓
- Taught the gayageum
- Gave a choir concert
- Handed out food
Why did the elderly woman say she was happy?
- The students brought gifts
- She met a friend from home there
- She heard songs from her youth again ✓
- She got to play the gayageum herself
Which of the following matches the text?
- The concert was during summer vacation
- The club will keep visiting the nursing home ✓
- The residents weren't interested
- The writer forgot the woman's face
⚫ Across the Baduk Board
동네 복지관 이 층에서는 매주 목요일 오후에 바둑 교실이 열려요.
Every Thursday afternoon, a baduk class is held on the second floor of the local welfare center.
이곳에서는 나이와 국적을 막론하고 누구나 마주 앉아 바둑을 둘 수 있어요.
Here, anyone can sit across from each other and play baduk, regardless of age or nationality.
저는 한국에 온 지 일 년 된 유학생인데 한국 친구의 소개로 처음 가 봤어요.
I'm an international student who came to Korea a year ago, and I first went there because a Korean friend introduced me.
첫날 제 상대는 일흔이 넘은 할아버지였는데 말없이 돌 놓는 법부터 보여 주셨어요.
On the first day my opponent was a man over seventy, and without a word he started by showing me how to place the stones.
한국어가 서툴렀지만 바둑판 위에서는 손짓만으로도 충분히 대화할 수 있었어요.
My Korean was poor, but on the board we could communicate perfectly well with just gestures.
요즘은 제가 좋은 수를 두면 할아버지께서 엄지손가락을 들어 주세요.
These days, whenever I make a good move, he gives me a thumbs-up.
바둑 덕분에 저는 한국에서 나이를 뛰어넘는 친구를 얻었어요.
Thanks to baduk, I've made a friend in Korea across generations.
When is the baduk class held?
- Thursday mornings
- Saturday afternoons
- Every evening
- Thursday afternoons ✓
How did the writer communicate with the old man?
- With gestures over the board ✓
- The old man explained in a foreign language
- A Korean friend interpreted
- The writer spoke at length in Korean
Which of the following matches the text?
- Only Koreans can attend the class
- The writer has been in Korea for ten years
- The old man explained the rules verbally on day one
- A friend introduced the writer to the class ✓
🔥 Carrying Coal Briquettes in the Cold
한국에는 겨울마다 형편이 어려운 이웃에게 연탄을 날라 주는 봉사 활동이 있어요.
In Korea, every winter there is volunteer work carrying coal briquettes to neighbors in need.
저는 올해 처음으로 회사 동료들과 함께 이 봉사에 참여했어요.
This year I took part in it for the first time, together with my coworkers.
봉사하는 날 아침은 영하 십 도까지 내려갈 만큼 추웠어요.
On the morning of the volunteer day, it was so cold that the temperature dropped to minus ten degrees.
그런 추위에도 불구하고 골목에는 서른 명이 넘는 봉사자가 모였어요.
Despite the cold, more than thirty volunteers gathered in the alley.
우리는 한 줄로 서서 연탄을 한 장씩 옆 사람에게 넘기며 언덕 위의 집까지 날랐어요.
We stood in a line and passed the briquettes one by one to the next person, carrying them up to a house on the hill.
한 장은 가벼워 보였지만 오백 장을 나르고 나니 팔이 떨렸어요.
One briquette looked light, but after carrying five hundred of them my arms were shaking.
창고에 가득 쌓인 연탄을 보고 그 집 할머니께서 이제 겨울 걱정은 없다며 웃으셨어요.
Seeing the storeroom full of briquettes, the elderly woman who lived there smiled and said she no longer had to worry about winter.
How did the volunteers carry the briquettes?
- Moved them by truck to the door
- Passed them along in a line ✓
- Each person carried ten at a time
- Moved them by cart with the woman
Why were the writer's arms shaking?
- Fixed the storeroom door alone
- A single briquette was very heavy
- Carried a great many briquettes ✓
- Fell and got hurt on the hill
Which of the following matches the text?
- Many volunteers came despite the cold ✓
- The writer has done this every year
- The weather was warm that day
- The woman worried there wasn't enough
🪚 The Woodworking Class That Filled Up Instantly
우리 구에서 운영하는 목공 교실은 주민들 사이에서 인기가 아주 많아요.
The woodworking class run by our district is very popular among residents.
재료비만 내면 선생님과 함께 의자나 책꽂이를 직접 만들 수 있거든요.
That's because if you just pay for materials, you can make a chair or bookshelf yourself with a teacher.
지난 학기에는 온라인 신청이 시작되기가 무섭게 자리가 다 찼어요.
Last term, the spots were all taken the moment online registration opened.
저는 그때 신청 페이지에 오 분 늦게 들어가서 결국 신청하지 못했어요.
That time I got onto the registration page five minutes late and couldn't sign up in the end.
그래서 이번에는 신청 시간 십 분 전부터 컴퓨터 앞에 앉아 기다렸어요.
So this time I sat in front of the computer and waited from ten minutes before registration opened.
아홉 시가 되자마자 버튼을 누른 덕분에 마지막 자리를 겨우 잡았어요.
Because I pressed the button right at nine o'clock, I barely managed to get the last spot.
이번 학기에는 제 손으로 만든 작은 책꽂이를 방에 놓는 것이 목표예요.
My goal this term is to put a small bookshelf I made with my own hands in my room.
Why is the woodworking class so popular?
- The teacher makes the furniture for you
- You can make furniture for just the cost of materials ✓
- You can sell the furniture for a lot
- Classes are held every day of the week
Why couldn't the writer sign up last term?
- The materials were too expensive
- The computer suddenly broke
- Logged on after registration opened ✓
- Had the wrong registration date
Which of the following matches the text?
- The writer has already made several bookshelves
- Few people applied this term
- The class doesn't even charge for materials
- The writer got into this term's class ✓
📱 Teaching Smartphones to Seniors
저는 토요일마다 동네 도서관에서 어르신들께 스마트폰 사용법을 알려 드리는 봉사를 해요.
Every Saturday I volunteer at the local library, teaching elderly people how to use smartphones.
처음 오신 분들은 사진을 찍는 것조차 어렵다고 하시는 경우가 많아요.
Many people who come for the first time say that even taking a photo is hard.
지난주에는 한 할아버지께 손주에게 영상 통화를 거는 방법을 알려 드렸어요.
Last week I showed an elderly man how to make a video call to his grandchild.
몇 번 연습하신 뒤에 화면에 손주 얼굴이 나타나자 할아버지께서 크게 웃으셨어요.
After a few tries, the moment his grandchild's face appeared on the screen, he burst out laughing.
할아버지는 “이렇게 쉬운 걸 몰라서 여태 목소리만 들었구먼요.”라고 말씀하셨어요.
He said, "Oh, so it was this easy, and all this time I've only been hearing their voice because I didn't know!"
그 말씀을 듣고 저도 모르게 따라 웃었어요.
Hearing that, I couldn't help laughing along with him.
작은 도움이지만 누군가의 하루를 바꿀 수 있다는 게 이 봉사의 가장 큰 보람이에요.
The greatest reward of this volunteer work is that even a little help can change someone's day.
What did the writer teach the elderly man?
- How to make a video call ✓
- How to take photos
- How to send text messages
- How to borrow library books
Why did the elderly man laugh out loud?
- He received a new smartphone as a gift
- His grandchild came to the library
- He saw his grandchild's face on the screen ✓
- He took a very good photo
What is the writer's main point?
- Seniors are better off without smartphones
- A little help can change someone's day ✓
- Phone calls are much easier than video calls
- Volunteering is better on weekdays
🚶 Plogging Instead of Lying in Bed
작년까지 저는 주말이면 하루 종일 침대에 누워 휴대폰만 봤어요.
Until last year, I spent whole weekends lying in bed looking at my phone.
그러다 보니 월요일마다 몸이 더 무겁고 기분도 좋지 않았어요.
As a result, every Monday my body felt heavier and I was in a bad mood.
어느 날 이렇게 누워만 있을 바에 차라리 밖에 나가서 걷자고 마음먹었어요.
One day I decided that rather than just lying around like this, I'd be better off going out for a walk.
그때 걸으면서 쓰레기를 줍는 플로깅 모임을 인터넷에서 알게 됐어요.
That's when I found out online about a plogging group that picks up trash while walking.
우리는 토요일 아침마다 한강 공원에 모여 한 시간 반 동안 걸으며 쓰레기를 주워요.
Every Saturday morning we meet at a Han River park and pick up trash while walking for an hour and a half.
처음에는 쓰레기를 줍는 게 부끄러웠는데 지나가던 사람들이 고맙다고 해 줘서 힘이 났어요.
At first I felt embarrassed picking up trash, but passersby thanked us, and that gave me strength.
이제는 월요일 아침에도 몸이 가볍고 주말이 기다려져요.
Now my body feels light even on Monday mornings, and I look forward to the weekend.
What does the plogging group do?
- Holds running races in the park
- Teaches how to sort trash
- Goes boating on the river together
- Picks up trash while walking ✓
What gave the writer strength?
- Passersby thanked them ✓
- The group gave out an award
- A friend walked with the writer
- There was little trash in the park
Which of the following matches the text?
- The writer goes every Sunday evening
- A friend introduced the group to the writer
- The group walks for three hours
- The writer used to lie around every weekend ✓
💃 Dancing in the Rain at the Festival
저는 대학교에서 케이팝 댄스 동아리 활동을 하고 있어요.
I'm a member of a K-pop dance club at my university.
지난 오월 학교 축제에서 우리 동아리는 석 달 동안 준비한 공연을 하기로 했어요.
At the school festival last May, our club was going to perform a show we had prepared for three months.
그런데 공연 날 오후부터 하늘이 흐려지더니 비가 내리기 시작했어요.
But on the afternoon of the show, the sky clouded over and it started to rain.
가랑비가 계속 내리는 가운데 우리는 미끄러운 무대 위로 올라갔어요.
Amid a steady drizzle, we climbed up onto the slippery stage.
관객이 거의 없을 거라고 생각했는데 많은 학생들이 우산을 쓴 채 끝까지 자리를 지켰어요.
I thought there would be almost no audience, but many students stayed until the end holding umbrellas.
음악이 끝나자 관객들이 우산을 흔들며 큰 소리로 환호해 줬어요.
As soon as the music ended, the audience waved their umbrellas and cheered loudly.
비에 흠뻑 젖었지만 그날의 공연은 제 대학 생활에서 가장 빛나는 순간이었어요.
We got soaked, but that show was the brightest moment of my college life.
What problem was there on the day of the show?
- The music didn't play
- Rain made the stage slippery ✓
- A club member got hurt
- The festival was suddenly canceled
What did the audience do as soon as the show ended?
- Everyone left to escape the rain
- Came on stage and danced along
- Waved umbrellas and cheered ✓
- Sat quietly in their seats
Which of the following matches the text?
- Many students watched to the end under umbrellas ✓
- The club prepared for one month
- The show was moved indoors due to rain
- The writer regrets that show the most
🎙️ Lending My Voice to Books
저는 한 달 전부터 시각 장애인을 위한 낭독 봉사를 하고 있어요.
For the past month I've been volunteering as a reader for people with visual impairments.
일주일에 한 번 점자 도서관 녹음실에 가서 책을 소리 내어 읽고 녹음해요.
Once a week I go to the recording room at a braille library, read books aloud and record them.
처음에는 한 쪽을 읽는 데도 발음이 꼬여서 몇 번씩 다시 녹음했어요.
At first I stumbled over my pronunciation even reading a single page, so I had to re-record several times.
담당 선생님은 듣는 사람이 장면을 떠올릴 수 있도록 천천히 읽으라고 조언해 주셨어요.
The staff member in charge advised me to read slowly so listeners could picture the scenes.
그 조언대로 연습하다 보니 요즘은 한 번에 녹음을 끝내는 날이 많아졌어요.
Practicing as advised, I now have more days when I finish recording in one take.
이 봉사를 하면 누군가에게 책을 선물하는 동시에 제 말하기 실력도 키울 수 있어요.
With this volunteer work, I can give someone the gift of a book and at the same time improve my own speaking.
제가 녹음한 소설이 오디오북으로 완성되는 날을 손꼽아 기다리고 있어요.
I'm counting the days until the novel I recorded is finished as an audiobook.
How often does the writer go to the recording room?
- Once a month
- Once a week ✓
- Every morning
- Three times a week
What did the staff member advise?
- To read fast because time is short
- Not to read difficult books
- To read slowly so scenes can be pictured ✓
- To record only once
Which of the following matches the text?
- The writer has volunteered for over a year
- The writer's pronunciation was clear from the start
- The novel the writer recorded is already finished
- The writer's speaking improved through volunteering ✓
🔭 The Stargazing Night That Had to Wait
우리 천문 동아리는 매년 가을 강원도 산속에서 별 관측회를 열어요.
Every autumn, our astronomy club holds a stargazing night in the mountains of Gangwon Province.
올해도 회원 스무 명이 망원경을 챙겨서 떠날 준비를 마쳤어요.
This year, too, twenty members packed their telescopes and were ready to go.
그런데 출발 이틀 전에 동아리 회장이 공지를 하나 올렸어요.
But two days before departure, the club president posted a notice.
태풍으로 인해 산간 지역에 많은 비가 예상되어 관측회를 한 주 미룬다는 내용이었어요.
It said that due to a typhoon, heavy rain was expected in the mountains, so the stargazing night would be postponed by a week.
다들 아쉬워했지만 안전이 먼저라는 회장의 말에 모두 고개를 끄덕였어요.
Everyone was disappointed, but they all nodded when the president said safety comes first.
일주일 뒤 찾아간 산에서는 구름 한 점 없는 하늘에 은하수가 펼쳐졌어요.
A week later, when we went to the mountains, the Milky Way stretched across a cloudless sky.
기다린 만큼 별빛이 더 아름답게 느껴진 밤이었어요.
It was a night when the starlight felt all the more beautiful for the wait.
Why was the stargazing night postponed?
- Heavy rain was expected from a typhoon ✓
- The club's telescopes broke
- Too few members were joining
- The president suddenly got sick
Why did the members accept the president's decision?
- They had an important exam next week
- The road to the mountain was blocked
- They agreed safety matters most ✓
- It was too cold in the mountains
Which of the following matches the text?
- This year's event was canceled in the end
- They saw the Milky Way a week later ✓
- The event is held every spring
- The members got angry at the decision
📚 Signing Up to Read Picture Books
우리 동네 도서관에서 어린이 책 읽어 주기 봉사자를 모집한다는 안내문을 봤어요.
I saw a notice that our local library is recruiting volunteers to read books to children.
봉사자는 토요일 오전에 다섯 살에서 일곱 살 아이들에게 그림책을 읽어 주게 돼요.
Volunteers will read picture books to children aged five to seven on Saturday mornings.
안내문에는 어린아이들과 함께하는 활동이므로 봉사자는 먼저 교육을 받아야 한다고 쓰여 있었어요.
The notice said that since the activity involves young children, volunteers must first receive training.
교육은 두 시간 동안 진행되고 아이들의 안전과 책 읽어 주는 방법을 배운다고 해요.
The training lasts two hours, and you learn about children's safety and how to read aloud to them.
저는 조카에게 그림책을 읽어 줄 때마다 즐거웠던 기억이 떠올라서 바로 신청했어요.
I remembered how much fun it always was to read picture books to my niece, so I signed up right away.
다음 주 교육에서는 목소리로 동물 흉내를 내는 법도 배운다니 벌써 기대돼요.
I hear next week's training will even teach how to imitate animals with your voice, so I'm already excited.
첫 봉사 날에는 제가 가장 좋아하는 호랑이 그림책을 가져갈 생각이에요.
On my first volunteer day, I'm thinking of bringing my favorite picture book about a tiger.
Why must volunteers receive training first?
- The picture books are very difficult
- The volunteering lasts all day
- The library has just opened
- The activity involves young children ✓
Why did the writer sign up right away?
- Reading to a niece was a happy memory ✓
- Wanted to get a job at the library
- A friend suggested signing up together
- The training comes with pay
Which of the following matches the text?
- Volunteering is on Sunday afternoons
- Volunteers read to middle schoolers
- The training will last all day
- The training also covers children's safety ✓
🐦 A Morning of Birdwatching by the River
저는 삼 년 전부터 새를 관찰하는 탐조를 취미로 즐기고 있어요.
For the past three years I've enjoyed birdwatching as a hobby.
겨울이 되면 동네 강가에 먼 곳에서 온 철새들이 많이 찾아와요.
When winter comes, many migratory birds from far away visit the river in my neighborhood.
지난 일요일에도 새벽부터 쌍안경을 들고 강가 갈대숲 뒤에 조용히 숨어 있었어요.
Last Sunday, too, I was hiding quietly behind the reeds by the river with my binoculars from dawn.
그런데 근처에서 사람들이 큰 소리로 떠드는 통에 새들이 한꺼번에 날아가 버렸어요.
But because some people nearby were chattering loudly, the birds all flew away at once.
한 시간 넘게 기다린 저는 너무 아쉬워서 한숨이 나왔어요.
Having waited over an hour, I was so disappointed that I sighed.
그때 옆에 있던 탐조 모임 선배가 새들은 곧 돌아오니까 조금만 더 기다려 보자고 했어요.
Then a senior member of my birdwatching group beside me said the birds would soon be back, so we should wait a little longer.
정말로 삼십 분쯤 지나자 새들이 다시 강물 위에 내려앉았어요.
Sure enough, after about thirty minutes the birds landed on the river again.
Why did the birds fly away?
- The writer came out of the reeds
- People nearby were being loud ✓
- It suddenly started raining
- The senior took a photo
What did the senior member say to the writer?
- Let's go home for today
- Let's try a different riverbank
- Let's wait a little longer ✓
- Let's go complain to those people
Which of the following matches the text?
- The birds came back after a while ✓
- The writer started birdwatching this year
- Migratory birds come in summer
- The writer watched without binoculars
📷 From Blurry Photos to a Club Exhibition
저는 작년에 중고 카메라를 사면서 사진 동아리에 들어갔어요.
Last year I bought a used camera and joined a photography club.
처음에는 카메라 설정을 잘 몰라서 사진이 흔들리거나 너무 어둡게 나오기 일쑤였어요.
At first I didn't understand the camera settings, so my photos would often come out blurry or too dark.
선배들은 좋은 사진을 찍으려면 먼저 빛을 읽는 법을 배워야 한다고 했어요.
The senior members told me that to take good photos, I first had to learn how to read the light.
그래서 한 달 동안 같은 골목을 아침, 점심, 저녁에 찍으며 빛의 변화를 관찰했어요.
So for a month I photographed the same alley in the morning, at noon and in the evening, observing how the light changed.
같은 장소인데도 시간에 따라 전혀 다른 분위기가 나서 신기했어요.
It was fascinating how the same place had a completely different mood depending on the time.
이번 가을에 동아리 사진전이 열리는데 제가 찍은 그 골목 사진 한 장이 뽑혔어요.
The club is holding a photo exhibition this fall, and one of the alley photos I took was selected.
흔들린 사진만 찍던 제가 전시회에 참여하게 되다니 아직도 믿기지 않아요.
I still can't believe that I, who used to take nothing but blurry photos, am taking part in an exhibition.
What problem did the writer have at first?
- The camera often broke down
- Photos were often blurry or dark ✓
- Didn't get along with senior members
- Had no place to take photos
Why did the writer photograph the same alley for a month?
- The alley was closest to home
- The exhibition's theme was alleys
- To observe changes in the light ✓
- Wanted to buy a new camera
Which of the following matches the text?
- The writer bought an expensive new camera
- The alley always had the same mood
- The exhibition already ended this spring
- The writer's photo was chosen for the exhibition ✓