Page 36 - Additional Materials MSPP Listening Book 1

An Unforgettable Mall

West Edmonton Mall, located on 8882 170 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5T 4J2 in Alberta,
Canada, is no ordinary shopping mall. It has the typical features of a mall – for example, lots of
shops on different floors, all under one roof. However, with 5.3 million square feet of shopping
and some unusual attractions, it is the world’s largest and most complete shopping and
entertainment complex. I will never forget my experience visiting this mall with my family, last
autumn. The distance between Calgary to Edmonton is 183 miles or 295 kilometers. My parents
Scott and Judy Peterson, my siblings Sandra and Daniel, and I drove from Calgary to Edmonton
for approximately two hours and fifty-nine minutes. My Grandparents and mom’s younger brother
and sister – Tom and Alexa Merril, came along in a different car.

The mall is located in an area known for its natural beauty, but it is still Alberta’s number
one tourist attraction. How has it become so popular? For one thing, it has more than 800 stores
and more than 110 restaurants. It also has some unusual attractions – the world’s largest indoor
amusement park, the world’s largest indoor water park, an ice-skating rink, a miniature golf course,
26 movie theaters, and a Las Vegas-style casino.

We left home at 06.30 P.M. so when we arrived, the mall was open and we could directly
enjoy the attractions. Without further delay, we spread out heading to our respective destination
but agreed to meet at one of the fancy restaurants, The Buffet, at 01.00 P.M. for lunch. Mother and
grandmother went strolling the stores looking for some shawls for winter and probably just
enjoying the time looking at the products sold there.

In fact, the mall offers entertainment for people of all ages. Visitors young and old enjoy
the submarine rides. Under the water, they can see colorful sea life and remains on the ship. Sandra
and Daniel enjoyed swimming in the huge pools and sliding down the high-water slides in the
World Waterpark. A popular attraction for local teenagers is the Rock ‘n Ride Dance Party, an
amusement park with rock music. This is where I went and spent the first hour at before joining a
group of Japanese tourists in the submarine rides. Bars and a casino appeal to adults. Father was
one of the adults who went straight to the casino after arrival and tried his luck there. He quit after
one round and joined my uncle Tom at the miniature golf course. So, where did my aunt Alexa
go? None of us went some where with her, so, no one knew. However, the mystery was solved
when she appeared thirty minutes late at The Buffet, with a handsome young man named Jonathan
Albright. Apparently, they inadvertently met in front of a movie theater, introduced themselves,
and were hooked in a three-hour-long conversation.

West Edmonton mall is so unique that it attracts 32 million individuals from around the
world each year. It even provides two hotels – The Fantasyland Hotel and The West Edmonton
Mall Inn – to encourage visitors to stay longer. At this mall, visitors can shop, eat, and enjoy a
wide range of extraordinary attractions. I am happy that father took us all there and saw it with our
own eyes. It was such a great experience I will not mind to repeat.