Pre-reading questions:
- What is the last movie you saw?
- Do you have a favorite cafe? Please tell me something about it.
Vocabulary:
- patron /PEY-truhn/
- prevent /pri-VENT/
- intellect /IN-tl-ekt/
- shorten /SHAWR-tn/
- release /ri-LEES/
[noun] a customer
The patrons of this restaurant usually order the house special.
[verb] to stop something from happening
Wear masks if you want to prevent getting the flu.
[noun] the ability to learn and understand something, and to form ideas, judgments, and opinions
It requires great intellect to understand his books.
[verb] to make something shorter
Your pants are touching the ground; you need to have them shortened.
[adjective] to make a record or film available for people to buy or see
My favorite rock band released a new album.
Ginmaku Cafe, a cafe in Tsurugashima, Saitama, shows classic films to their elderly patrons. This is to help prevent dementia, a mental illness that damages one’s memory and intellect. Many elderly are at risk of suffering from dementia. Watching films from their early years keep their memories and their brains active.
The cafe has a selection of 100 movies, which are shortened to 20-minute long clips. All selected films were released at least 65 years ago. Studies on how these films affect the aged are being done in nursing homes all over the country. The company that established the cafe plans to build others like it on different parts of Japan.
The cafe has a selection of 100 movies, which are shortened to 20-minute long clips. All selected films were released at least 65 years ago. Studies on how these films affect the aged are being done in nursing homes all over the country. The company that established the cafe plans to build others like it on different parts of Japan.
Comprehension Questions:
- Where is Ginmaku Cafe located?
- Who are Ginmaku Cafe’s target customers?
- What kind of films are shown in Ginmaku Cafe?
- What is dementia?
- How does watching old movies affect old people’s brains?
Discussion Questions:
- Which do you prefer: old movies or new movies? Please explain your answer.
- How can people keep their brains active?
- Is dementia a big problem in your country? Why or why not?
- What do you think about Ginmaku Cafe’s way to prevent dementia?
- How are mental illnesses treated in your country?