لاس وگاس، نوادا
فایل داستانهای آموزشی زبان انگلیسی
Las Vegas, Nevada
Nevada is a large state of deserts and mountains. Since most of the land is not suitable for farming, the population grew very slowly. In the 1950s, there were only 267,000 people in the entire state. Today, there are nearly a million people living in the Las Vegas area alone. Las Vegas has become a major tourist center. It used to be a quiet little desert town of the old west. But in the 1950s and 1960s, hotels and gambling casinos were opened. In order to bring tourists to town, these hotels hired well-known entertainers. Soon Las Vegas became known as a major entertainment center. In order to promote the growth of Nevada, some activities were allowed which were against the law in other states. These included gambling and prostitution. It was also easier to get married in Nevada than in some other states. Over time, many other attractions were developed. Much of the activity in Las Vegas goes on at some 30 major hotels. Many of these hotels provide a complete range of services and entertainment.
Some of them boast 4,000 or 5,000 rooms. It is common for these large hotels to be organized around a particular theme, such as the Middle Ages, the Arabian Nights, the movies, the circus, Paris, Egypt or the Far East. The hotel, its restaurants, shops, lounges and entertainment reflect this theme. For example, the Paris Las Vegas Hotel has a 50-storey replica of the Eiffel Tower. The Luxor Hotel has a huge image of an Egyptian Sphinx and a replica of the tomb of King Tut. Nearly all of the major hotels also contain a casino – sometimes several casinos. Gambling is a major reason why people come to Las Vegas. There are slot machines, blackjack tables, and roulette wheels and much more.
Even though Las Vegas is in the desert, there is an extravagant use of water. Large swimming pools, water slides, artificial waterfalls and huge fountains are common. Health spas, beauty salons, fashion boutiques, specialty restaurants and malls abound. Tennis and golf are also popular. The lavish shows at Las Vegas are world famous. The tall dancing showgirls, like the famous Rockettes, wear beautiful but rather skimpy costumes. Some entertainers, like singer Wayne Newton, rarely leave Las Vegas. The pay there is good, and the audiences are appreciative. Near Las Vegas are other tourist sites such as the giant Hoover Dam. Behind the Hoover Dam is the large artificial lake, Lake Mead. Further up the river is the Grand Canyon. All these things are a short trip from the city. Las Vegas is called the city that never sleeps. At nearly any time of the day or night, there are casinos and shows that are open. A monorail connects many of the leading hotels. Many people view Las Vegas as a total entertainment package. One word of caution – set yourself a limit to how much you will spend at the casinos. Gambling can be addictive.
Boast
Talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one’s achievements, possessions, or abilities…
Source2
1 [intransitive and transitive] to talk too proudly about your abilities, achievements, or possessions:
‘I wouldn’t be afraid,’ she boasted.
Boast that Amy boasted that her son was a genius.
Boast about
He’s boasting about how much money he has made.
Boast of The company is inclined to boast of its success.
2 [transitive not in progressive] if a place, object, or organization boasts something, it has something that is very good:
The city boasts two excellent museums.
The Society boasts 3000 members worldwide.
Source3
Intransitive verb
1: to puff oneself up in speech: speak vaingloriously
2: Archaic: glory, exult
Transitive verb
1: to speak of or assert with excessive pride
2 -a: to possess and often call attention to (something that is a source of pride)
Boasts a new stadium
b: have; contain
A room boasting no more than a desk and a chair
Synonym Discussion of BOASTBoast, brag, vaunt, crow, mean to express pride in oneself or one’s accomplishments. Boast often suggests ostentation and exaggeration “boasts of every trivial success”, but it may imply a claiming with proper and justifiable pride “the town boasts one of the best museums in the area”. Brag suggests crudity and artlessness in glorifying oneself “bragging of their exploits”. Vaunt usually connotes more pomp and bombast than boast and less crudity or naïveté than brag “vaunted his country’s military might”. Crow usually implies exultant boasting or bragging “crowed after winning the championship”.
Theme
A setting given to a restaurant, pub, or leisure venue, intended to evoke a particular country, historical period, culture, etc.:
An Irish theme pub
Source2
A particular style:
Her bedroom is decorated in a Victorian theme.
Source3
A: a subject or topic of discourse or of artistic representation
Guilt and punishment is the theme of the story
B: a specific and distinctive quality, characteristic, or concern
The campaign has lacked a theme
Examples of THEME
The quest for power is the underlying theme of the film.
A constant theme in his novels is religion.
The playwright skillfully brings together various themes.
The album focuses on themes of love and loss.
Adventures are popular themes in children’s books.
The growing deficit was a dominant theme in the election.
The party had a Hawaiian luau theme.
They played the theme from the movie “Rocky.”
If one theme unites his scholarship it is that the Old South cannot be viewed as a monolith. —Eric Foner, New York Times Book Review, 8 Apr. 2007
One reiterated theme of his book is that the electoral process can be the most dangerous of delusions, tending to confer a spurious legitimacy on those most willing to corrupt it. —Hilary Mantel, New York Review, 21 Sept. 2006
The Eve of biblical legend was a temptress, thus initiating a lamentable theme in the history of sexism. —Stephen Jay Gould, Discover, July 1992
Synonyms: content, motive, question, subject, matter, topic
Replica
An exact copy or model of something, especially one on a smaller scale:
A replica of the Empire State Building
An exact replica of the Taj Mahal
Replica guns
(Another source)
1: an exact reproduction (as of a painting) executed by the original artist
A replica of this was painted … this year — Constance Strachey
2: a copy exact in all details
DNA makes a replica of itself
Sailed a replica of the Viking ship; broadly: copy
This faithful, pathetic replica of a Midwestern suburb — G. F. Kennan
Examples of REPLICA
We toured a replica of the ship.
It’s an authentic replica of an ancient Greek urn
Synonyms: alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, counterpart, double, duplicate, duplication, , fetch, likeness, look-alike, match, mirror image, picture, image, spite , spitting-image, twin
Antonyms: archetype, original,
Slot machine
Extravagant
Lacking restraint in spending money or using resources:
It was rather extravagant to buy both
Resulting from or showing a lack of restraint in spending money or resources:
Extravagant gifts like computer games
Exceeding what is reasonable or appropriate; excessive or elaborate:
Extravagant claims about the merchandise
Source2
1 spending or costing a lot of money, especially more than is necessary or more than you can afford:
Would it would be too extravagant to buy both?
An extravagant lifestyle
2 doing or using something too much or more than is necessary
Extravagant with
Don’t be too extravagant with the wine.
An extravagant display of loyalty
Source3
1 a: exceeding the limits of reason or necessity
Extravagant claims
b: lacking in moderation, balance, and restraint
Extravagant praise
c : extremely or excessively elaborate
An extravagant display
2: spending much more than necessary
Has always been extravagant with her money?
3: extremely or unreasonably high in price
An extravagant purchase
Examples of EXTRAVAGANT
The company has been making extravagant claims about the drug’s effectiveness.
The film is notable for its extravagant settings and special effects.
We’re going on a less extravagant vacation this year.
Her extravagant spending has to stop.
Synonyms: high-rolling, spendthrift, squandering, wasteful
Antonyms: conserving, economical, economizing, frugal, penny-pinching, scrimping, skimping, thrifty
Health spa
a place where people can stay for short periods of time in order to try to improve their health by eating special food, doing physical exercise, etc.
Lavish
Sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious:
A lavish banquet
Source2
Large, impressive, or expensive:
A royal palace on a lavish scale
A lavish lifestyle
The food was lavish.
Source3
1: expending or bestowing profusely
2: expended or produced in abundance
Examples of LAVISH
A lavish display of flowers
This lavish consumption of our natural resources simply cannot continue
Synonyms: extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, excessive, steep, stiff,
Antonyms: middling, moderate, modest