The Reading / Listening - First Kiss - Level 0

A record number of Japanese teenagers have never kissed. Researchers asked teens about their sexual behaviour. The study found that one in five high school boys and one in four girls have kissed. These are the lowest figures since records began in 1974. The numbers for boys and girls have been falling since 2005.

A reason why high schoolers are not kissing is the coronavirus pandemic. Teenagers had less contact with other people. It may have lowered sexual activity. A researcher said there was less face-to-face contact. Another reason is smartphones. More young people are choosing to be with their phones rather than be with other people.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    First Kiss - Level 1 First Kiss - Level 2   or  First Kiss - Level 3

Sources
  • https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20241104/p2a/00m/0na/016000c
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/05/kiss-chaste-number-of-high-school-boys-in-japan-who-have-had-first-kiss-falls-to-1970s-levels
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/japan/japan-high-school-students-kiss-birth-rate-b2641476.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. A record
  2. sexual
  3. one in five
  4. one in four girls
  5. These are the
  6. since records began
  7. The numbers
  8. falling since
  1. for boys and girls
  2. have kissed
  3. number
  4. 2005
  5. behaviour
  6. lowest figures
  7. in 1974
  8. high school boys

Paragraph 2

  1. A reason
  2. high schoolers are
  3. the coronavirus
  4. Teenagers had less
  5. It may have lowered sexual
  6. there was less face-
  7. choosing to be with their
  8. be with
  1. other people
  2. contact
  3. why
  4. to-face contact
  5. phones
  6. pandemic
  7. activity
  8. not kissing

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ___________________ Japanese teenagers have never kissed. Researchers (2) ___________________ their sexual behaviour. The study (3) ___________________ in five high school boys and one in (4) ___________________ kissed. These are the lowest figures (5) ___________________ in 1974. The numbers for boys and girls (6) ___________________ since 2005.

A reason why high schoolers (7) ___________________ is the coronavirus pandemic. Teenagers (8) ___________________ with other people. It (9) ___________________ sexual activity. A researcher said (10) ___________________ face-to-face contact. Another reason is smartphones. (11) ___________________ are choosing to be with their phones (12) ___________________ with other people.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ArecordnumberofJapaneseteenagershaveneverkissed.Researchers
askedteensabouttheirsexualbehaviour.Thestudyfoundthatoneinfiv
ehighschoolboysandoneinfourgirlshavekissed.Thesearethelowestfi
guressincerecordsbeganin1974.Thenumbersforboysandgirlshaveb
eenfallingsince2005.Areasonwhyhighschoolersarenotkissingisthec
oronaviruspandemic.Teenagershadlesscontactwithotherpeople.Itm
ayhaveloweredsexualactivity.Aresearchersaidtherewaslessface-to-
facecontact.Anotherreasonissmartphones.Moreyoungpeoplearecho
osingtobewiththeirphonesratherthanbewithotherpeople.

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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