Study Buddy (Explorer): Crime-themed attractions popular with tourists
Each week, this page presents a light article with questions to test your comprehension.
Tourist attractions to do with crime, punishment and the law – like Hong Kong’s ICAC cafe – are growing in popularity. Photo: Dickson LeeContent provided by British Council
Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below:
[1] Attractions to do with law and crime – such as Hong Kong’s 1974 ICAC Cafe and the Abashiri Prison Museum in Japan – are drawing a growing number of tourists.
[2] Official data shows that Hong Kong received over 290,000 visitors during New Year’s Eve and the first day of the new year. More than 77 per cent were from mainland China. These tourists shared their Hong Kong holiday experiences on social media platforms.
[3] In January, topics related to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Cafe made headlines after attracting more than 200,000 views on one high-profile platform where users called it a “must-visit spot for Hong Kong TV drama fans”.
[4] The agency’s work has inspired many popular productions, such as the film Z Storm featuring Louis Koo Tin-lok and the television drama Mission Run with Bosco Wong.
[5] The cafe opened in November last year and is located at the ICAC headquarters in North Point. It’s named after the year the anti-corruption agency was founded, 1974. The cafe serves three coffee varieties made with different beans. The drink names – integrity, confidentiality and sincerity – reference the agency’s core principles. One cup of black coffee costs HK$22 (US$3).
[6] The brew is symbolic of the ICAC’s operations. In Hong Kong, being “invited for coffee” is a euphemism for being invited for questioning by the anti-corruption agency.
[7] One visitor described the black coffee as “very sour and bitter” and said: “It makes sense. One sip, and any criminal would confess everything.” Another said they were finally able to “legally” have coffee at the ICAC without getting into any trouble: “As a Hong Kong TV drama fan, this is pure bliss!”
[8] Visitors can take selfies at a photo booth and get an ICAC Pass. The cafe also offers merchandise – including ICAC-themed badges, mugs and tote bags – from HK$20 to HK$110 (US$2 to US$14). One mainland visitor praised the friendly staff and their fluency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. Another guest called the cafe “an innovative approach to public legal education” and the agency “the backbone” of the city’s legal system.
[9] Another government institution-themed attraction is Japan’s unique Prison Museum in Hokkaido. A former prison, the converted museum charges 1,500 yen (HK$77 or US$9.87) for adult entry and offers a glimpse into Japan’s correctional history.
[10] Visitors can explore prison cells, guard rooms and soy sauce brewing factories where inmates once worked. For 950 yen (HK$49 or US$6.25), guests can even try an authentic inmate meal featuring barley rice, grilled Pacific saury and side dishes. The museum also offers the chance to take “prisoner photos” and sells inmate-made products such as dolls and keychains.
Source: South China Morning Post, January 18
Questions
1. What do the ICAC Cafe and Prison Museum have in common, according to paragraphs 1 and 2?
A. They have a crime theme.
B. They are more popular with locals than tourists.
C. Most of the tourists who visit these places are from mainland China.
D. None of the above
2. What does the “must-visit spot for Hong Kong TV drama fans” in paragraph 3 refer to?
3. Decide whether the following statements according to paragraphs 4 and 5 are True, False or the information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) The cafe is located in the same building as the actual ICAC headquarters.
(ii) Mission Run and Z Storm were released in the same year.
(iii) The cafe is named after one of the founders of ICAC.
(iv) The agency has moved three times since it was founded.
4. In paragraph 5, what is the significance of the coffee drinks’ names?
5. Based on your understanding of paragraph 6, someone is most likely to feel … when they are “invited for coffee”.
A. excited
B. anxious
C. angry
D. indifferent
6. Find a word in paragraph 7 that means “to admit that you have done something wrong”.
7. How much does one tote bag cost, according to paragraph 8?
A. HK$20
B. HK$50
C. HK$110
D. Information not given
8. According to paragraph 9, what did Japan’s Prison Museum used to be?
9. In paragraph 10, what can visitors get for 950 yen?
A. a guided tour of the museum
B. a workshop on soy sauce brewing
C. an inmate meal
D. a set of “prisoner photos”
Answers
1. A
2. ICAC Cafe / 1974 Cafe (any one)
3. (i) T; (ii) NG; (iii) F; (iv) NG
4. They are named after the core principles of the ICAC.
5. B
6. confess
7. D
8. a prison
9. C