The Reading / Listening - Ninja Tourism - Level 2

Ninja will help boost tourism in Japan in the run-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ninja are a symbol of Japan. The dark-clothed figures, who are great at fighting and can run across rooftops at great speed, are famous worldwide. Several ninja showed their skills on Wednesday. A group of them "sneaked" into the office of Japan's Prime Minister. This was the start of the tourism campaign. The Prime Minister joked with the ninja. He said: "Even though you're all wearing such bright colors, you were still able to slip through the tight security of my office."

A ninja was a secret agent, spy and fighter, which first appeared in 15th-century Japan. He or she was a specialist. They were skilled in assassination, fighting, infiltration (getting into an enemy area or building), sabotage and spying. They helped warlords win land and power. In the 19th century, artists and writers surrounded them in mystery. They gave ninja great abilities, such as invisibility, walking on water and being able to control the natural elements. Today we see them everywhere - in movies, cartoons, comics, games and manga.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Ninja Tourism - Level 0 Ninja Tourism - Level 1   or  Ninja Tourism - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/12/12/national/ninja-sneak-prime-minister-abes-office-seeking-help-promote-ancient-art-tourists/
  • https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181212_47/
  • https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20181212/p2g/00m/0dm/097000c


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Ninja will help boost
  2. The dark-
  3. run across rooftops at
  4. Several ninja showed
  5. This was the start of the
  6. The Prime Minister joked
  7. you're all wearing such bright
  8. slip through the tight
  1. with the ninja
  2. great speed
  3. security
  4. clothed figures
  5. colors
  6. tourism in Japan
  7. tourism campaign
  8. their skills

Paragraph 2

  1. getting into
  2. They helped warlords win
  3. In the 19th
  4. writers surrounded them
  5. great abilities, such as
  6. being able to control the natural
  7. Today we see them
  8. comics, games
  1. elements
  2. century
  3. and manga
  4. land
  5. everywhere
  6. an enemy area
  7. invisibility
  8. in mystery

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Ninja (1) ___________________ tourism in Japan in the run-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ninja are (2) ___________________ Japan. The dark-clothed figures, who are great at fighting and can run across (3) ___________________ speed, are famous worldwide. Several ninja showed their skills on Wednesday. A group of them "sneaked" into (4) ___________________ Japan's Prime Minister. This was the start of the tourism campaign. The Prime Minister (5) ___________________ ninja. He said: "Even though you're all wearing such bright colors, you were still able to slip through the tight (6) ___________________ office."

A ninja (7) ___________________ agent, spy and fighter, which first appeared in 15th-century Japan. He or she was a specialist. They (8) ___________________ assassination, fighting, infiltration (getting into (9) ___________________ or building), sabotage and spying. They helped warlords (10) ___________________ power. In the 19th century, artists and writers surrounded them in mystery. They gave ninja great abilities, (11) ___________________, walking on water and being able to control (12) ___________________. Today we see them everywhere - in movies, cartoons, comics, games and manga.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

NinjawillhelpboosttourisminJapanintherun-uptothe2019RugbyWorl
dCupandthe2020TokyoOlympics.NinjaareasymbolofJapan.Thedark
-clothedfigureswhoaregreatatfightingandcanrunacrossrooftopsat
greatspeedarefamousworldwide.SeveralninjashowedtheirskillsonW
ednesday.Agroupofthem"sneaked"intotheofficeofJapan'sPrimeMini
ster.Thiswasthestartofthetourismcampaign.ThePrimeMinisterjoked
withtheninja.Hesaid:"Eventhoughyou'reallwearingsuchbrightcolors
,youwerestillabletoslipthroughthetightsecurityofmyoffice."Aninjaw
asasecretagent,spyandfighter,whichfirstappearedin15th-century
Japan.Heorshewasaspecialist.Theywereskilledinassassination,fight
ing,infiltration(gettingintoanenemyareaorbuilding),sabotageandsp
ying.Theyhelpedwarlordswinlandandpower.Inthe19thcentury,artis
tsandwriterssurroundedtheminmystery.Theygaveninjagreatabilitie
s,suchasinvisibility,walkingonwaterandbeingabletocontrolthenatur
alelements.Todayweseethemeverywhere-inmovies,cartoons,comi
cs,gamesandmanga.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic 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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