Kirin’s electric spoon transitions from Ig Nobel to dining tables

admin 2024年5月28日

Beginner

Health & Lifestyle, Health & Lifestyle - Beginner

©REUTERS/Tom Bateman/File Photo

Pre-reading questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

講師がそれぞれの質問を読むので答えましょう。

Do people in your country usually enjoy salty flavors in their food?
Are there potential health risks associated with consuming too much salt?

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

単語、意味、例文を読みます。講師に続いて音読しましょう。

touch /tuhch/

[verb] – to put your hand or another part of your body lightly onto and off something or someone
After the accident, she hesitated to touch the steering wheel, fearing another collision.

tongue /tuhng/

[noun] – the large, soft piece of flesh in the mouth that you can move, and is used for tasting, speaking, etc.
Your tongue helps you taste different flavors in food, like sweet and salty.

seem /seem/

[verb] – to appear or give the impression of being or doing something
The clouds seem to be getting darker, so it might rain soon.

store /stawr/

[noun] – a large shop where you can buy many different types of goods
The antique store on Main Street has a collection of unique and rare items.

within /with-IN/

[preposition] – inside or not further than an area or period of time
The package should arrive within three to five business days.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

記事を音読しましょう。講師はあなたの発音とイントネーションを確認します。

Kirin Holdings, a well-known company in Japan that makes drinks, is introducing a new tool called the Electric Salt Spoon. This tool is special because it helps people taste salt in their food without actually using more salt. It was created with the help of Professor Homei Miyashita from Meiji University. The spoon works by using a small electric field to make food taste saltier when it touches the tongue. This idea is to make food seem saltier without adding extra salt, which can be better for health.

The Electric Salt Spoon is very important in Japan because many people there like their food salty. However, eating too much salt can lead to serious health problems, such as high blood pressure and strokes. Kirin Holdings aims to help people enjoy the taste of salt without the bad effects by using this new spoon. They are starting to sell 200 of these spoons online this month for 19,800 yen each, and they plan to sell them in stores starting in June. Kirin hopes to have one million people using these spoons around the world within five years, showing their commitment to using new science to improve health.

True or False:

Read the sentences and identify if they are true or false based on the article.

文章を読んで、記事に基づいて正誤を答えましょう。

Kirin Holdings is a company known for producing electronics.
Kirin Holdings plans to sell the Electric Salt Spoon in stores starting next month.
The Electric Salt Spoon uses a large magnetic field to intensify food flavors.
The price of each Electric Salt Spoon is 10,000 yen.
The Electric Salt Spoon helps people taste saltier food without actually adding more salt.

Fill in the blanks:

Choose the correct word from the table then fill in the blanks.

適切な言葉を選んで空欄を埋めましょう。

touch

tongue

seem

store

within

It’s important to brush your teeth and clean your __________ to keep your mouth healthy.
Despite his calm demeanor, he __________ nervous during the presentation.
The new __________ in the mall sells a wide variety of clothing and accessories.
Please complete the assignment __________ the next hour.
Be careful not to __________ the hot stove while you help me cook dinner.