The Reading / Listening - First Kiss - Level 1

A record low number of Japanese teenagers has kissed someone. A survey by the Japan Association for Sex Education got high schoolers to answer questions on 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 both sexes have been falling since 2005. Researchers looked at data from 12,562 questionnaires.

A big reason why fewer high schoolers are kissing is the coronavirus pandemic. This limited teenagers' contact with other people. It may have lowered sexual activity among students. A researcher said many schools closed and 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. This could make Japan's already low birth rate worse.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    First Kiss - Level 0 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 low
  2. answer questions on their
  3. one in five
  4. one in four girls
  5. These are the lowest
  6. since records began
  7. The numbers for both
  8. falling since
  1. figures
  2. number
  3. sexes
  4. high school boys
  5. 2005
  6. sexual behaviour
  7. in 1974
  8. have kissed

Paragraph 2

  1. A big reason
  2. fewer high schoolers
  3. This limited teenagers' contact
  4. It may have lowered sexual
  5. many schools
  6. there was less face-
  7. be with
  8. Japan's already low birth
  1. activity
  2. closed
  3. are kissing
  4. other people
  5. why
  6. rate
  7. with other people
  8. to-face contact

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ___________________ of Japanese teenagers has kissed someone. (2) ___________________ the Japan Association for Sex Education got high schoolers to (3) ___________________ their sexual behaviour. The study found that one in five high school boys and (4) ___________________ girls have kissed. These are the lowest figures (5) ___________________ in 1974. The numbers for both sexes have been falling since 2005. Researchers looked (6) ___________________ 12,562 questionnaires.

A (7) ___________________ fewer high schoolers are kissing is the coronavirus pandemic. This limited teenagers' (8) ___________________ people. It may have lowered sexual (9) ___________________. A researcher said many schools closed and there was less (10) ___________________. Another reason is smartphones. More young people are (11) ___________________ with their phones rather than be with other people. This could make Japan's already (12) ___________________ worse.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ArecordlownumberofJapaneseteenagershaskissedsomeone.Asurve
ybytheJapanAssociationforSexEducationgothighschoolerstoanswer
questionsontheirsexualbehaviour.Thestudyfoundthatoneinfivehigh
schoolboysandoneinfourgirlshavekissed.Thesearethelowestfigures
sincerecordsbeganin1974.Thenumbersforbothsexeshavebeenfallin
gsince2005.Researcherslookedatdatafrom12,562questionnaires.A
bigreasonwhyfewerhighschoolersarekissingisthecoronaviruspande
mic.Thislimitedteenagers'contactwithotherpeople.Itmayhavelower
edsexualactivityamongstudents.Aresearchersaidmanyschoolsclose
dandtherewaslessface-to-facecontact.Anotherreasonissmartphone
s.Moreyoungpeoplearechoosingtobewiththeirphonesratherthanbe
withotherpeople.ThiscouldmakeJapan'salreadylowbirthrateworse.

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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