The Reading / Listening - Cherry Blossoms - Level 0

Cherry blossoms in Kyoto bloomed at their earliest in 600 years. They peaked a day earlier than the previous record set in 1409. Data on Kyoto's cherry blossoms go back 1,200 years to the year 812. Japan had warmer weather this year. Weather forecasters say climate change made the blossoms come earlier than normal.

Cherry blossoms are called "sakura" in Japan. People go to famous cherry blossom spots to have picnics. The blossoms help Japan's economy. A Japanese newspaper wrote: "Sakura has deeply influenced Japanese culture for centuries....Their fragility is seen as a symbol of life, death and rebirth."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Cherry Blossoms - Level 1,  Cherry Blossoms - Level 2   or  Cherry Blossoms - Level 3

Sources
  • https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210331/p2g/00m/0na/038000c
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56574142
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/climate-change-japan-cherry-blossoms-b1824373.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Cherry blossoms in Kyoto bloomed
  2. They peaked a
  3. the previous record
  4. Data on Kyoto's
  5. go back 1,200 years
  6. Japan had warmer
  7. Weather
  8. climate
  1. change
  2. set in 1409
  3. to the year 812
  4. day earlier
  5. forecasters
  6. at their earliest
  7. weather this year
  8. cherry blossoms

Paragraph 2

  1. Cherry blossoms are called
  2. famous cherry blossom
  3. have
  4. The blossoms help Japan's
  5. A Japanese
  6. deeply influenced Japanese
  7. Their fragility is seen as a
  8. life, death
  1. culture
  2. economy
  3. and rebirth
  4. picnics
  5. "sakura" in Japan
  6. symbol
  7. spots
  8. newspaper

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Cherry blossoms in Kyoto bloomed (1) ___________________ in 600 years. They (2) ___________________ earlier than the previous (3) ___________________ 1409. Data on Kyoto's cherry blossoms go back 1,200 (4) ___________________ year 812. Japan had (5) ___________________ year. Weather forecasters say climate change made the blossoms (6) ___________________ normal.

Cherry (7) ___________________ "sakura" in Japan. People go to famous cherry blossom spots (8) ___________________. The blossoms (9) ___________________. A Japanese newspaper wrote: "Sakura (10) ___________________ Japanese culture for centuries....Their (11) ___________________ as a symbol of life, (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

CherryblossomsinKyotobloomedattheirearliestin600years.Theypea
kedadayearlierthanthepreviousrecordsetin1409.DataonKyoto'sche
rryblossomsgoback1,200yearstotheyear812.Japanhadwarmerweat
herthisyear.Weatherforecasterssayclimatechangemadetheblossom
scomeearlierthannormal.Cherryblossomsarecalled"sakura"inJapan
.Peoplegotofamouscherryblossomspotstohavepicnics.Theblossoms
helpJapan'seconomy.AJapanesenewspaperwrote:"Sakurahasdeepl
yinfluencedJapanesecultureforcenturies....Theirfragilityisseenasas
ymboloflife,deathandrebirth."

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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