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。
- Have you ever visited a brewery?
- Is sake the most popular alcoholic drink in your country?
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。
- explain /ik-SPLEYN/
- narrow /NAR-oh/
- equipment /ih-KWIP-muhnt/
- offer /OF-er/
- promising /PROM-uh-sing/
[verb] – to make something clear or easy to understand by describing it in more detail
She explains the rules of the game before we start playing.
[adjective] – having a small width in relation to length or height; not wide
The narrow path through the forest was lined with wildflowers.
[noun] – the necessary items for a particular purpose or activity
We need to buy new equipment for the science lab.
[verb] – to present or propose something for someone to accept or reject
She offers her assistance to anyone who needs help with their project.
[adjective] – showing signs of future success or potential
The young athlete showed a promising start in his first competition.
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。
In a small brewery on the second floor of a Tokyo building, sake is brewed with the assistance of music. A 670-liter tank, filled with rice and water, takes over two weeks to produce sake. Yoshimi Terasawa, the 63-year-old head brewer, claims that playing music can influence the sake’s flavor. He explains that the vibrations from the music support the microorganisms in the tank, which can affect the taste. This unique method is part of Terasawa’s innovative approach at Tokyo’s only sake brewery, located in a narrow, four-story building. The brewery uses adapted equipment and efficient processes that reduce energy and labor compared to traditional methods. The sake industry faces challenges despite producing approximately 30 kiloliters of sake a year, which equals nearly 42,000 bottles. The number of sake breweries has decreased significantly since the 1970s, with many now experiencing financial difficulties. Issues such as a shortage of workers due to retirements, increasing fuel prices, and rice supply problems caused by climate change contribute to these struggles. Terasawa’s small brewery, which uses gravity to move rice between floors, may offer a promising solution for the future.
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。
- The sake takes less than one week to produce.
- Yoshimi Terasawa is the head brewer of the Tokyo sake brewery.
- The sake industry has seen an increase in the number of breweries since the 1970s.
- The sake brewery is located on the ground floor of a building.
- Terasawa’s brewery uses electric elevators to move rice between floors.
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。
explains | narrow | equipment | offer | promising |
- The new technology seems __________ for improving communication.
- He __________ his reasons for being late in a calm manner.
- They __________ discounts to new customers as a welcome gesture.
- They had to squeeze through the __________ gap between the two buildings.
- The kitchen __________ was all new and very modern.