Photo by © The Japan News/ANN via
China Daily
Pre-Reading Questions:
- Do you like listening to music?
- Do you like going to music concerts?
Vocabulary:
- concert /KON-surt/
[noun] a performance of music by one or more musicians
It is good to watch a concert every now and then.
- music /MYOO-zik/
[noun] a pattern of sounds made by instruments or by singing or by a combination of both
Sometimes we forget that music brings joy to our lives.
- flood /fluhd/
[noun] a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry
A big flood destroyed the country in 1886.
- oldest /OHL-dist/
[adjective] having lived or existed for a long time in comparison to others
She lives in the oldest house beside the lake.
- local /LOH-kuhl/
[adjective] from, existing in, or serving a particular place or small area
We must support restaurants that serve local foods.
Do you like going to music concerts? If yes, Minatogawa Zuido tunnel is the perfect place for you.
The water tunnel has been a famous place for live music performances such as jazz, brass bands, and choruses. It was built in the wake of a flood in 1896 and was completed in 1901.
Minatogawa Zuido is known as Japan’s oldest water tunnel and was also considered as one of the largest river tunnels in the world. It has a height of 7.6 meters and a width of 7.3 meters.
Because of the tunnel’s architecture, music echoes beautifully within its walls. 180 people attended a concert held by a local chorus of students last February 2019 inside Minatogawa Zuido.
“Their singing voices came down from the ceiling, and I felt like I was being enveloped in them,” said Chiaki Shimizu, 50, who was a first-time visitor. Even up to this day, visitors from outside Kobe continue to enjoy great performances in
Minatogawa Zuido.
True or False:
- Minatogawa Zuido is famous for its paintings.
- Minatogawa Zuido is Japan’s oldest water tunnel.
- Minatogawa Zuido has a height of 7.5 meters and a width of 7.4 meters.
- A concert was held by a local chorus of students inside Minatogawa Zuido last February.
- Visitors from Kobe continue to enjoy great performances in Minatogawa Zuido.
Vocabulary Check:
[noun] a performance of music by one or more musicians
It is good to watch a concert every now and then.
[noun] a pattern of sounds made by instruments or by singing or by a combination of both
Sometimes we forget that music brings joy to our lives.
[noun] a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry
A big flood destroyed the country in 1886.
[adjective] having lived or existed for a long time in comparison to others
She lives in the oldest house beside the lake.
[adjective] from, existing in, or serving a particular place or small area
We must support restaurants that serve local foods.
The water tunnel has been a famous place for live music performances such as jazz, brass bands, and choruses. It was built in the wake of a flood in 1896 and was completed in 1901.
Minatogawa Zuido is known as Japan’s oldest water tunnel and was also considered as one of the largest river tunnels in the world. It has a height of 7.6 meters and a width of 7.3 meters.
Because of the tunnel’s architecture, music echoes beautifully within its walls. 180 people attended a concert held by a local chorus of students last February 2019 inside Minatogawa Zuido.
“Their singing voices came down from the ceiling, and I felt like I was being enveloped in them,” said Chiaki Shimizu, 50, who was a first-time visitor. Even up to this day, visitors from outside Kobe continue to enjoy great performances in
Minatogawa Zuido.
Complete the sentences by using the words in the box.
| concert | music | flood | oldest | local |
- My father is the __________ in our family.
- I like listening to __________ music.
- If it rains harder, there will be __________.
- I would like to watch my favorite band’s __________ tonight.
- What kind of __________ do you listen to?