Photo by © The Japan News/ANN via
China Daily
Pre-Reading Questions:
- Do you like listening to music? Why or why not?
- Do you think music makes a person happy? Please explain your answer.
Vocabulary:
- remarkable /ri-MAHR-kuh-buhl/
[adjective] unusual and surprising
They did a research about the remarkable places on earth.
- venue /VEN-yoo/
[noun] the place where a public event or meeting happens
Strangely, there were no people at the venue.
- redirect /ree-di-REKT/
[verb] to change the direction of something
The flight was redirected to Singapore.
- view /vyoo/
[verb] to look at or consider something
It was viewed that the castle in the city is still haunted up to this day.
- reverberate /ri-VUR-buh-reyt/
[verb] (of sound) to continue to be heard; to echo repeatedly
They were all in tears when her voice reverberated in the hallway.
Does listening to music change the way how you see things? If so, a water tunnel in Kobe is the right place for you. Minatogawa Zuido tunnel has become a remarkable venue for live music such as jazz, brass bands, and choruses.
The water tunnel was originally built to redirect the then Minatogawa river flowing through Kobe. It is viewed as Japan’s oldest water tunnel and was made in the wake of a flood in 1896.
Minatogawa Zuido was completed in 1901 and was also considered as one of the largest river tunnels in the world at that time. It has a height of 7.6 meters and a width of 7.3 meters.
Its architecture was thought to be advanced at that time. The music reverberates ambiently within the tunnel’s walls. Last February 2019, a crowd of 180 people enjoyed a concert held by a local chorus of students.
“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. Guests from outside Kobe come to visit the tunnel to this day.
Comprehension Questions:
- According to the article, where is Minatogawa Zuido located?
- What is Minatogawa Zuido famous for?
- When was Minatogawa Zuido completed?
- In this article, how many people watched the concert held by a local chorus of students?
- In this article, how did a first-time visitor describe the sound in the tunnel?
Discussion Questions:
- Do you think more people will visit Minatogawa Zuido in the future? Why or why not?
- Do you think it’s safe to hold concerts in Minatogawa Zuido considering that the water tunnel is old? Please explain your answer.
- Do you prefer going to concerts with a large crowd or with only a few attendees? Please explain your answer.
- What do you think are the benefits of listening to music? Please explain your answer.
- In your opinion, how does music affect people’s mood?
※レッスン教材に関するアンケートのお願い
[adjective] unusual and surprising
They did a research about the remarkable places on earth.
[noun] the place where a public event or meeting happens
Strangely, there were no people at the venue.
[verb] to change the direction of something
The flight was redirected to Singapore.
[verb] to look at or consider something
It was viewed that the castle in the city is still haunted up to this day.
[verb] (of sound) to continue to be heard; to echo repeatedly
They were all in tears when her voice reverberated in the hallway.
The water tunnel was originally built to redirect the then Minatogawa river flowing through Kobe. It is viewed as Japan’s oldest water tunnel and was made in the wake of a flood in 1896.
Minatogawa Zuido was completed in 1901 and was also considered as one of the largest river tunnels in the world at that time. It has a height of 7.6 meters and a width of 7.3 meters.
Its architecture was thought to be advanced at that time. The music reverberates ambiently within the tunnel’s walls. Last February 2019, a crowd of 180 people enjoyed a concert held by a local chorus of students.
“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. Guests from outside Kobe come to visit the tunnel to this day.