The Reading / Listening - First Kiss - Level 2

A study suggests a record low number of Japanese teenagers have experienced kissing. A survey was conducted by the Japan Association for Sex Education. High schoolers answered questions on their sexual behaviour. The researchers found that one in five high school boys have kissed. This is the lowest figure since records began in 1974. The number of girls who have kissed is also falling. Just a quarter of Japan's female students have kissed. The numbers for both sexes have been falling since their peak in 2005. Researchers looked at data from 12,562 questionnaires.

There are many reasons why fewer Japanese teenagers are kissing. A big reason is the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic limited teenagers' contact with other people. This may have lowered sexual activity among school students. Researcher Professor Yusuke Hayashi said there were many school closures and less face-to-face contact during the pandemic. Another reason could be smartphones. More young people are choosing to be with their phones rather than talk to other people. This trend could worsen Japan's already low birth rate.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    First Kiss - Level 0 First Kiss - Level 1   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 number of
  2. A survey was
  3. High schoolers answered
  4. sexual
  5. one in
  6. the lowest figure since records
  7. a quarter of Japan's
  8. Researchers looked at data from
  1. behaviour
  2. female students
  3. conducted
  4. five high school boys
  5. 12,562 questionnaires
  6. Japanese teenagers
  7. questions
  8. began in 1974

Paragraph 2

  1. There are many reasons
  2. fewer Japanese teenagers
  3. A big reason is the
  4. teenagers' contact with
  5. This may have lowered sexual
  6. there were many school
  7. less face-to-face
  8. worsen Japan's already low
  1. coronavirus pandemic
  2. activity
  3. contact
  4. are kissing
  5. birth rate
  6. other people
  7. closures
  8. why

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A study suggests a (1) ___________________ of Japanese teenagers have experienced kissing. A survey (2) ___________________ the Japan Association for Sex Education. High schoolers answered (3) ___________________ sexual behaviour. The researchers found that one in five high school boys have kissed. This is (4) ___________________ since records began in 1974. The number of girls who have kissed is also falling. (5) ___________________ of Japan's female students have kissed. The numbers for both sexes have been falling since their peak in 2005. Researchers (6) ___________________ from 12,562 questionnaires.

There are many (7) ___________________ Japanese teenagers are kissing. A big reason is the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic limited teenagers' (8) ___________________ people. This may have lowered sexual activity among school students. Researcher Professor Yusuke Hayashi said there were (9) ___________________ and less face-to-face contact during the pandemic. Another reason could be smartphones. More young people are (10) ___________________ with their phones rather than talk to other people. (11) ___________________ worsen Japan's already (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AstudysuggestsarecordlownumberofJapaneseteenagershaveexperi
encedkissing.AsurveywasconductedbytheJapanAssociationforSexE
ducation.Highschoolersansweredquestionsontheirsexualbehaviour.
Theresearchersfoundthatoneinfivehighschoolboyshavekissed.Thisi
sthelowestfiguresincerecordsbeganin1974.Thenumberofgirlswhoh
avekissedisalsofalling.JustaquarterofJapan'sfemalestudentshaveki
ssed.Thenumbersforbothsexeshavebeenfallingsincetheirpeakin200
5.Researcherslookedatdatafrom12,562questionnaires.Therearema
nyreasonswhyfewerJapaneseteenagersarekissing.Abigreasonisthe
coronaviruspandemic.Thepandemiclimitedteenagers'contactwithot
herpeople.Thismayhaveloweredsexualactivityamongschoolstudent
s.ResearcherProfessorYusukeHayashisaidthereweremanyschoolclo
suresandlessface-to-facecontactduringthepandemic.Anotherreaso
ncouldbesmartphones.Moreyoungpeoplearechoosingtobewiththeir
phonesratherthantalktootherpeople.ThistrendcouldworsenJapan'sa
lreadylowbirthrate.

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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