The Reading / Listening - Sushi - Level 1

A sushi chef in Japan is still working, even though he just celebrated his 100th birthday. His name is Jiro Ono. He is one of 4,380 people in Tokyo who have become or will be 100 this year. Mr Ono spoke to Tokyo's governor. She asked him about his secret to a healthy life. He replied, "To work." He said: "Even at 100 years old, I'll try to work…The best medicine is to work." He added: "I plan to keep going for about five more years."

Jiro Ono was born in 1925. He started working when he was seven. He qualified as a sushi chef in 1951 and opened his own restaurant in 1965. It was a small 10-seat sushi bar in a rich area of Tokyo. He spent many years trying to make the perfect sushi. In 2011, a movie was made about Ono called "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". In the film, he said: "I haven't reached perfection yet. I'll continue to climb and try to reach the top."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Sushi - Level 0 Sushi - Level 2   or  Sushi - Level 3

Sources
  • https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20251027/p2g/00m/0na/029000c
  • https://www.ntv.co.jp/englishnews/articles/2021k54mx8uq7ondgmhl.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiro_Ono


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. he just celebrated
  2. He is one
  3. will be 100
  4. Mr Ono spoke to Tokyo's
  5. his secret to a
  6. The best medicine
  7. I plan to keep
  8. for about five
  1. healthy life
  2. going
  3. of 4,380 people
  4. is to work
  5. this year
  6. more years
  7. his 100th birthday
  8. governor

Paragraph 2

  1. He started working when
  2. He qualified
  3. opened his
  4. It was a small 10-
  5. in a rich
  6. trying to make the
  7. I haven't reached
  8. continue to climb and try to
  1. perfect sushi
  2. own restaurant
  3. reach the top
  4. perfection yet
  5. he was seven
  6. seat sushi bar
  7. as a sushi chef
  8. area of Tokyo

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A sushi chef in Japan is still working, (1) _________________________________________________ just celebrated his 100th birthday. His name is Jiro Ono. He (2) _________________________________________________ 4,380 people in Tokyo who have (3) _________________________________________________ be 100 this year. Mr Ono spoke to Tokyo's governor. She asked him about (4) _________________________________________________ a healthy life. He replied, "To work." He said: "Even at 100 years old, I'll try to work...The (5) _________________________________________________ to work." He added: "I (6) _________________________________________________ going for about five more years."

Jiro Ono (7) _________________________________________________ 1925. He started working when he was seven. He (8) _________________________________________________ sushi chef in 1951 and opened his own restaurant in 1965. It was a small 10-seat sushi bar in (9) _________________________________________________ of Tokyo. He spent many years trying to (10) _________________________________________________ sushi. In 2011, a movie was made about Ono called "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". In the film, he said: "I haven't (11) _________________________________________________. I'll continue to climb and try to (12) _________________________________________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AsushichefinJapanisstillworking,eventhoughhejustcelebratedhis10
0thbirthday.HisnameisJiroOno.Heisoneof4,380peopleinTokyowhoh
avebecomeorwillbe100thisyear.MrOnospoketoTokyo'sgovernor.Sh
easkedhimabouthissecrettoahealthylife.Hereplied,"Towork."Hesaid
:"Evenat100yearsold,I'lltrytowork...Thebestmedicineistowork."He
added:"Iplantokeepgoingforaboutfivemoreyears."JiroOnowasborni
n1925.Hestartedworkingwhenhewasseven.Hequalifiedasasushiche
fin1951andopenedhisownrestaurantin1965.Itwasasmall10-seats
ushibarinarichareaofTokyo.Hespentmanyyearstryingtomaketheper
fectsushi.In2011,amoviewasmadeaboutOnocalled"JiroDreamsofSu
shi".Inthefilm,hesaid:"Ihaven'treachedperfectionyet.I'llcontinueto
climbandtrytoreachthetop."

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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