©(Meredith MacQueeney / Shark Bay Dolphin Research Project via AP)
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 you like learning new skills?
- Do you think animals can learn from their parents?
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。
- hunt /huhnt/
- softball /SAWFT-bawl/
- style /stahyl/
- catch /kach/
- smart /smahrt/
[verb] – to search for and try to catch or kill animals for food
The lion uses its sharp eyes to hunt animals in the grass.
[noun] – a round ball used in the game of softball, larger than a baseball
The children played catch with a softball in the park.
[noun] – a special way of doing something
His painting style is different because he uses bright colors.
[verb] – to take or get something that is moving
The boy tried to catch the ball during the game.
[adjective] – having a quick mind; able to learn or understand things easily
The dog is smart because it can follow many commands.
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。
A new study on July 15, 2025, in the journal Royal Society Open Science says some wild dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia, use sponges to hunt fish. The dolphins put marine sponges on their beaks. This helps protect them when they search for fish in the sand and rocks. The sponges are about the size of a softball or cantaloupe. The dolphins use the sponge to find fish like the barred sandperch. This hunting style is special because dolphins learn it from their mothers. Only about 30 dolphins, or 5% of the group, use this method. Scientists say it is difficult to learn, so not many dolphins do it.Researchers found the dolphins still use echolocation when they hunt with sponges. Echolocation is when dolphins make sounds and listen for echoes to find things around them. The sponge makes the sounds softer, like when a person wears a mask. Ellen Rose Jacobs, a marine biologist in Denmark, studied this by using special microphones underwater. Even with this problem, the dolphins still catch food well. Experts say this shows that dolphins are smart and can learn special skills from each other.
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 dolphins in the study live in the United States.
- The dolphins use sponges to help them hunt for fish.
- The dolphins wear the sponges on their tails.
- The sponges are the same size as a soccer ball.
- The dolphins look for fish in the sand and rocks.
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。
| hunt | softball | style | catch | smart |
- She bought a new ______ at the sports store for practice.
- The bird flies over the lake to ______ for fish.
- My friend is very ______ and can solve difficult puzzles quickly.
- The fisherman uses a net to ______ fish in the river.
- The chef has a cooking ______ that makes food look beautiful.