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 whale sharks live in the ocean?
- Have you ever seen a whale shark in a photo or video?
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。
- island /AHY-luhnd/
- unusual /uhn-YOO-zhoo-uhl/
- reproduce /ree-pruh-DOOS/
- expert /EK-spurt/
- protect /pruh-TEKT/
[noun] – \a piece of land with water all around it
We stayed on a small island for one week.
[adjective] – different from normal or usual
It is unusual to see snow in April.
[verb] – to have babies or produce young
Frogs reproduce in water.
[noun] – a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a particular area
The expert fixed the broken computer quickly.
[verb] – to keep someone or something safe
Hats protect heads from the sun.
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 February 2025, marine scientists saw whale sharks near St. Helena, a small island in the South Atlantic Ocean. These whale sharks are the largest fish in the world. They can grow to 18 meters long. Many male and female sharks were at this place. This is unusual because other places only have feeding whale sharks. Scientists believe this place may help whale sharks reproduce. This finding is important. It may help people know why the sharks go to this island.
Some scientists saw sharks do mating actions. Male sharks followed female sharks and touched their fins. Large whale sharks also swam close together. But no videos were taken. Whale sharks are now endangered. People must work to protect them. Some sharks got camera tags, but the tags fell off when the sharks swam very deep—over 2,000 meters. Tools now cannot go that far. In the future, better technology may help. Animal experts want to find the breeding places. This can help the shark population grow and protect the species.
Some scientists saw sharks do mating actions. Male sharks followed female sharks and touched their fins. Large whale sharks also swam close together. But no videos were taken. Whale sharks are now endangered. People must work to protect them. Some sharks got camera tags, but the tags fell off when the sharks swam very deep—over 2,000 meters. Tools now cannot go that far. In the future, better technology may help. Animal experts want to find the breeding places. This can help the shark population grow and protect the species.
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。
- Whale sharks were seen near a large city in February 2025.
- Whale sharks can grow to 18 meters in length.
- Only male whale sharks were seen at the island.
- It is common to find many whale sharks mating in one place.
- Scientists think the island may help the sharks reproduce.
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。
| island | unusual | reproduce | expert | protects |
- The wall ______ the house from wind.
- That ______ has many trees and animals.
- It is ______ to see snow in April.
- An ______ helped the zoo take care of the lion.
- Some animals ______ only in spring.