The Reading / Listening - Level 2

The number of children in Japan is the lowest ever. Japan's government released figures the day before the country's Children's Day holiday on May the 5th. They show that the number of children fell by 160,000 from the previous year. It is the 33rd year in a row for the birth rate to drop. There are 13 million fewer children in Japan today than there were in 1950. Of 30 countries with a population of over 40 million, Japan has the smallest percentage of kids. Children make up just 12.8 per cent of Japan’s population. In the United States, this figure is 19.5 per cent.

While the number of children is going down, the number of old people is increasing. The over-65s now make up a record 25.6 per cent of the Japanese population. The government said this will continue for many decades. The over-65s could be 40 per cent of the population in 2060. This will make life in Japan hard for young people. They will pay higher taxes to support the over-65s. The Japanese economy will be in trouble because there will not be enough young people to work. Japan has tried many things to get people to have more babies, but nothing is working.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/05/04/national/number-of-children-in-japan-drops-for-33rd-year/
  • http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/408089/number-of-children-in-japan-declines-for-33rd-year-in-a-row
  • http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/04/japan-population-age-children


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

the lowest

a.

figures

2.

Japan's government released

b.

is 19.5 per cent

3.

the day

c.

children in Japan today

4.

the number of children

d.

ever

5.

the 33rd year in

e.

fell by 160,000

6.

There are 13 million fewer

f.

of kids

7.

Japan has the smallest percentage

g.

before

8.

In the United States, this figure

h.

a row



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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

the number of old

a.

65s

2.

The over-

b.

in Japan hard

3.

this will continue

c.

young people to work

4.

This will make life

d.

working

5.

pay higher

e.

for many decades

6.

there will not be enough

f.

people is increasing

7.

Japan has tried

g.

taxes

8.

nothing is

h.

many things

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The number of children in Japan (1) ___________________. Japan's government released (2) ___________________ the country's Children's Day holiday on May the 5th. They show that the number of children fell by 160,000 from (3) ___________________. It is the 33rd (4) ___________________ for the birth rate to drop. There are 13 million fewer children in Japan today than there were in 1950. Of 30 countries with a population (5) ___________________, Japan has the smallest percentage of kids. Children make up just 12.8 per cent (6) ___________________. In the United States, this figure is 19.5 per cent.

While the number of children (7) ___________________, the number of old (8) ___________________. The over-65s now make up a record 25.6 per cent of the Japanese population. The government said this will continue (9) ___________________. The over-65s could be 40 per cent of the population in 2060. This will make life in Japan hard for young people. They (10) ___________________ to support the over-65s. The Japanese economy will be in trouble because there (11) ___________________ people to work. Japan has tried many things to get people to have more babies, but (12) ___________________.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

ThenumberofchildreninJapanisthelowestever.Japan'sgovernmen
treleasedfiguresthedaybeforethecountry'sChildren'sDayholidayo
nMaythe5th.Theyshowthatthenumberofchildrenfellby160,000fro
mthepreviousyear.Itisthe33rdyearinarowforthebirthratetodrop.T
hereare13millionfewerchildreninJapantodaythantherewerein195
0.Of30countrieswithapopulationofover40million,Japanhasthesm
allestpercentageofkids.Childrenmakeupjust12.8percentofJapan's
population.IntheUnitedStates,thisfigureis19.5percent.Whilethen
umberofchildrenisgoingdown,thenumberofoldpeopleisincreasing.
Theover-65snowmakeuparecord25.6percentoftheJapanesepop
ulation.Thegovernmentsaidthiswillcontinueformanydecades.The
over-65scouldbe40percentofthepopulationin2060.Thiswillmak
elifeinJapanhardforyoungpeople.Theywillpayhighertaxestosuppo
rttheover-65s.TheJapaneseeconomywillbeintroublebecausethere
willnotbeenoughyoungpeopletowork.Japanhastriedmanythingsto
getpeopletohavemorebabies,butnothingisworking.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about children for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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