Beginner

Sugary drinks may lead to cancer, study says

sugary

Pre-reading questions: Do you like buying drinks in a convenience store? Do you like drinking sodas, coffee, and sweet juices? Vocabulary: adult /uh-DUHLT/ [noun] a person or animal that has grown to full size and strength Jerry started to live alone when he became an adult. answer /AN-ser/ [verb] to say, write, or do something as a reaction to a question, letter I need you to answer my question about the event last night. during /DOOR-ing/ [preposition] from the beginning to the end of a particular period He was sleeping during the lesson. age /eyj/ [noun] the period of time someone has been alive or something has existed Age doesn’t…
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Japan’s major hub for sports equipment

Japan's major hub for sports

Pre-Reading Questions: Do you like winter? What sports do you play? Vocabulary: region /REE-juhn/ [noun] a particular area or part of a state or country The river flooded the whole region. number /NUHM-ber/ [noun] an amount or total There is a small number of students outside. secondhand /SEK-uhnd-HAND/ [adjective] owned or used in the past by someone else Buying a secondhand car is a risky business. full /fool/ [adjective] containing a lot of things or people The concert last evening was full of teenagers. ski resort /skee ri-ZAWRT/ [noun] a town that is popular for skiing I want to spend my winter vacation at a ski resort. Kanda, a region…
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Fighting climate change in Japan

climate

Photo by © CHIARA TERZUOLO via Savvy Tokyo Pre-Reading Questions: Do you use plastics when shopping? Do you eat meat everyday? Vocabulary: pollution /puh-LOO-shuhn/ [noun] the harmful substances that cause damage to water, the air, etc. Everyone in the community can help in preventing pollution. reusable /ree-YOO-zuh-buhl/ [adjective] able to be used more than once One of the keys to a greener planet is using reusable materials. livestock /LAHYV-stok/ [noun] animals and birds that are kept on a farm, such as cows, sheep, or chickens Livestock is one of the principal imports in their country. fossil /FOS-uhl/ [noun] part of a plant or animal, or its shape, that has been…
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Sushi restaurant in Japan to raise young fish

salmon

Pre-reading questions: Do you like sushi? Can you make sushi? Vocabulary: famous /FEY-muhs/ [adjective] known and recognized by many people The famous brand of clothes is on sale. small /smawl/ [adjective] not big; less in size or amount than is average The man is looking for a small house to live in. lesser /LES-er/ [adjective] not as great in size, amount The seafood restaurant receives lesser orders after the calamity. grow /groh/ [verb] to increase in size or amount She likes to grow different kinds of plants. keep /keep/ [verb] to continue to have She is trying her best to keep the plants healthy. Japan’s famous sushi restaurant, Kuri Sushi…
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Green views may help lessen cravings

Green view may help lessen cravings

Pre-reading questions: Is there a garden or a park near your home? Do you love nature? Vocabulary: view /vyoo/ [noun] what you can see from a particular place The building has a nice view outside. hungry /HUHNG-gree/ [adjective] wanting or needing food She gets angry when she is hungry. nature /NEY-cher/ [noun] all the animals, plants, rocks, etc. in the world Let’s take good care of our nature. trip /trip/ [noun] a journey in which you go somewhere, usually for a short time, and come back again I want to go to an out-of-town trip on my birthday. visit /VIZ-it/ [verb] to go to a place in order to look…
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“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” leads box-office in the US

godzilla

Photo by © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP via France 24 Pre-reading questions: Do you like watching movies? What is your favorite movie? Vocabulary: theater /THEE-uh-ter/ [noun] a movie theater; a cinema I always watch movies in the theater. include /in-KLOOD/ [verb] to make something part of something else You should include our meeting in your schedule today. however /hou-EV-er/ [adverbs] despite this Life is hard. However, we still need to do our best to succeed. actor /AK-ter/ [noun] a person who plays the part of a character in a movie or play Liam Neilson is the actor from the movie ‘Taken’. film /film/ [noun] a movie a series of moving…
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Japan to charge plastic bags

ban plastics

Pre-reading questions: Do you use plastic bags every day? Have you seen a dirty sea? Vocabulary: charge /chahrj/ [verb] to ask an amount of money for something The cashier charged $10 on my card. intend /in-TEND/ [verb] to have as a plan or purpose She intends to stay longer in Korea. seller /SEL-er/ [noun] a person who sells something The flower seller lives in another country. environmental /en-VAHY-ruhn-muhnt-uhl/ [adjective] relating to the environment He is one of the environmental campaigners. waste /weyst/ [noun] unwanted matter or material of any type The nuclear waste is increasing. Japan plans to charge plastic shopping bags at supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores, and department stores….
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The resonating sound within Kobe tunnel

kobe

Photo by © The Japan News/ANN via China Daily Pre-Reading Questions: Do you like listening to music? Do you like going to music concerts? Vocabulary: concert /KON-surt/ [noun] a performance of music by one or more musicians It is good to watch a concert every now and then. music /MYOO-zik/ [noun] a pattern of sounds made by instruments or by singing or by a combination of both Sometimes we forget that music brings joy to our lives. flood /fluhd/ [noun] a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry A big flood destroyed the country in 1886. oldest /OHL-dist/ [adjective] having lived or existed for a long…
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Liverpool wins its 6th European Cup

liverpool

Photo by © Carl Recine/Reuters via The New York Times Pre-reading questions: Do you like playing sports? What sports do you play? Vocabulary: win /win/ [verb] to achieve first position and/or get a prize in a competition, election, fight, etc. Blue Jays won the baseball match for the 2nd time. championship /CHAM-pee-uh n-ship/ [noun] a high-level competition to decide who is the best, especially in a sport The Giants is aiming to win the American League Championship Series. kick /kik/ [noun] the action of kicking something Lionel Messi gave the ball a strong kick. moment /MOH-muhnt/ [noun] a particular time or occasion Winning the championship game was the best moment of…
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Smartphone app detects ear infection in kids

ear app

Photo by © The Associated Press via CBC Pre-reading questions: Do you like using smartphones? What kind of smartphone applications do you usually use? Vocabulary: app /ap/ [noun] abbreviation for application: software designed for a particular purpose that you can download onto a mobile device. Ordering food online is made easier by using apps in smartphones. funnel /fuhn-l/ [noun] an object that has a wide round opening at the top, sloping sides, and a narrow tube at the bottom We need to use a funnel in transferring the liquid into the bottle. wave /weyv/ [noun] the pattern in which some types of energy, such as sound, light, and heat, are…
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