The Reading / Listening - Sushi - Level 2

A sushi chef in Japan is continuing in his job, even though he just became 100. His name is Jiro Ono. He celebrated his 100th birthday this week. He is one of 4,380 people in Tokyo who have become or will be 100 this year. Mr Ono spoke to Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike. She asked him about his secret to a long and healthy life. He replied, "To work." He said: "Even at 100 years old, I'll try to work if possible. I believe the best medicine is to work." He told Ms Koike: "I plan to keep going for about five more years." Ono said he has no plans to retire from his job.

Jiro Ono was born in 1925. He started working when he was seven. Eighteen years later, he moved to Tokyo. He worked in a sushi bar. He qualified as a sushi chef in 1951 and opened his own restaurant in 1965. It was a tiny 10-seat place in a rich area of Tokyo called Ginza. He spent many years trying to make the perfect sushi. He was rewarded when he received three stars in the Michelin Guide. In 2011, a movie was made about him 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 1   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. even though he just
  2. He celebrated
  3. He is one
  4. his secret to a long
  5. I'll try to work if
  6. I believe the best medicine
  7. I plan to keep
  8. he has no plans to retire
  1. from his job
  2. of 4,380 people
  3. is to work
  4. became 100
  5. going
  6. his 100th birthday
  7. possible
  8. and healthy life

Paragraph 2

  1. He started working
  2. he moved
  3. He qualified
  4. It was a tiny 10-
  5. He spent many years trying to make
  6. I haven't reached perfection
  7. I'll continue
  8. try to reach
  1. yet
  2. the top
  3. seat place
  4. when he was seven
  5. to climb
  6. the perfect sushi
  7. to Tokyo
  8. as a sushi chef

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A sushi chef in Japan (1) _________________________________________________ his job, even though he just became 100. His name is Jiro Ono. (2) _________________________________________________ 100th birthday this week. He is one of 4,380 people in Tokyo who (3) _________________________________________________ will be 100 this year. Mr Ono spoke to Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike. She asked him about his secret to a (4) _________________________________________________ life. He replied, "To work." He said: "Even at 100 years old, I'll try to work if possible. I believe the (5) _________________________________________________ to work." He told Ms Koike: "I plan to keep going for about five more years." Ono said he has no (6) _________________________________________________ from his job.

Jiro Ono was born in 1925. He (7) _________________________________________________ he was seven. Eighteen years later, he moved to Tokyo. He worked in a sushi bar. He (8) _________________________________________________ sushi chef in 1951 and opened his own restaurant in 1965. It was a tiny 10-seat place in (9) _________________________________________________ of Tokyo called Ginza. He spent many years trying to make the perfect sushi. He was rewarded when he (10) _________________________________________________ in the Michelin Guide. In 2011, a movie was made about him called "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". In the film, he said: "I haven't (11) _________________________________________________. I'll continue to (12) _________________________________________________ to reach the top."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AsushichefinJapaniscontinuinginhisjob,eventhoughhejustbecame1
00.HisnameisJiroOno.Hecelebratedhis100thbirthdaythisweek.Heis
oneof4,380peopleinTokyowhohavebecomeorwillbe100thisyear.Mr
OnospoketoTokyogovernorYurikoKoike.Sheaskedhimabouthissecr
ettoalongandhealthylife.Hereplied,"Towork."Hesaid:"Evenat100ye
arsold,I'lltrytoworkifpossible.Ibelievethebestmedicineistowork."He
toldMsKoike:"Iplantokeepgoingforaboutfivemoreyears."Onosaidhe
hasnoplanstoretirefromhisjob.JiroOnowasbornin1925.Hestartedwo
rkingwhenhewasseven.Eighteenyearslater,hemovedtoTokyo.Hewo
rkedinasushibar.Hequalifiedasasushichefin1951andopenedhisownr
estaurantin1965.Itwasatiny10-seatplaceinarichareaofTokyocalle
dGinza.Hespentmanyyearstryingtomaketheperfectsushi.Hewasrew
ardedwhenhereceivedthreestarsintheMichelinGuide.In2011,amovi
ewasmadeabouthimcalled"JiroDreamsofSushi".Inthefilm,hesaid:"I
haven'treachedperfectionyet.I'llcontinuetoclimbandtrytoreachthet
op."

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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