Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. sweltering
    • ex. I can’t stand the sweltering summer heat. Let’s not go out today.
  2. scramble
    • ex. The sales team scrambled to meet their sales target for the quarter.
  3. worsening
    • ex. The worsening air quality is causing a lot of health problems.
  4. heatstroke
    • ex. The man suffered from heatstroke. He experienced headaches and had a high heart rate.
  5. accustomed to
    • ex. Americans are not accustomed to bowing to greet other people.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Temperatures are rising in Japan and summer is coming fast. In Osaka, temperatures went up to 25 degrees Celsius on March 22, a record for that time of year. Tottori, in the southwest, hit 25.8 C on the same day, the highest in 140 years. Japan is set for another sweltering summer with the temperatures already shooting upward. And the country is at growing risk of flooding and landslides.

The nation is scrambling to protect communities from the warming temperatures. But the worsening weather remains a threat. Last year, more than 200 temperature records were broken in cities across the nation. As a result, over 71,000 people went to the hospital for heatstroke. Patients were mostly elderly, but a fair number of children and middle-aged adults were also hospitalized.

To prevent deaths from heatstroke, lawmakers are planning to assign some buildings in communities, including air-conditioned libraries, as shelters. Despite the country’s advanced economy, some people cannot afford air conditioning, especially in areas not accustomed to the heat.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Worsening Weather Condition

  • Compare the weather this time last year and this year. Which do you think is better? Why? Discuss.
  • Are you concerned about experiencing a sweltering summer this year? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What can you do to protect yourself and your family from the worsening weather conditions? Discuss.

Weather-related Sickness

  • What weather-related sicknesses do you usually experience (ex. skin allergies, colds)? Discuss.
  • What do you know about heatstroke? Discuss.
  • Lawmakers in Japan are planning to assign some buildings in communities as shelters. Do you agree with this plan? Why or why not? Discuss.