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 seen butterflies gathering in large groups?
- Do you think it’s important to protect butterflies?
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。
- branch /branch/
- region /REE-juhn/
- mile /mahyl /
- particularly /per-TIK-yuh-ler-lee/
- continue /kuhn-TIN-yoo/
[noun] – a part of a tree growing from the trunk, usually holding leaves
Birds usually sit on tree branches near lakes.
[noun] – an area or a part of a country or the world
Fruits from northern regions often taste sweeter.
[noun] – a unit of distance, approximately 1.6 kilometers
Some whales swim thousands of miles each year.
[adverb] – especially; more than usual
Flowers bloom quickly in warm weather, particularly roses.
[verb] – to keep happening or to keep doing something
Students continue to study hard for their final exams.
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。
The number of monarch butterflies spending the winter in the mountains west of Mexico City has significantly increased, doubling in size in 2024. Experts noted this improvement despite ongoing challenges like climate change and the destruction of their natural habitats. Researchers do not count individual butterflies; instead, they measure the space the butterflies occupy as they gather in large groups on tree branches within pine and fir forests. Monarchs from eastern regions of the U.S. and Canada make this migration to Mexico each winter. According to Mexico’s Commission for National Protected Areas (CONANP), butterflies covered an area of 4.4 acres (1.79 hectares) this year, compared to just 2.2 acres (0.9 hectares) in 2023, which had seen a sharp 59% decline. Good weather conditions, including ideal humidity and temperatures, have helped this population rebound. Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles, producing several generations along their journey to Canada. The last generation then migrates back to Mexico. Conservationists are working to restore native plants crucial for butterfly feeding and reproduction. Despite this success, monarch populations in other areas, particularly the western U.S., continue to decline rapidly.
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。
- Monarch butterflies stay in Mexico during winter.
- Monarch butterflies count the trees they sit on.
- Monarch butterflies fly to Mexico every summer.
- Monarch butterflies travel very short distances each year.
- Good weather helped increase the number of monarch butterflies.
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。
| branches | regions | miles | particularly | continue |
- People in coastal ______ usually eat a lot of seafood.
- Many tourists visit France, ______ Paris, every year.
- Snow covered all the tree ______ after the storm.
- Elephants ______ to face challenges due to habitat loss.
- She traveled hundreds of ______ to attend the festival.