Reading Comprehension 2年

Reading Practice

#1

The Japanese use a lot of words from foreign languages. Some are almost the same, like jetto kosuta --- "roller coaster" in English. But some have very different meanings. Once, my friend said that he was going to buy toreiningu pantsu. I thought the was joking! Little children wear training pants for toilet training! Then he showed me the pants. They were sweat pants!

Multiple Choice

What does jetto kosuta mean in English?

• amusement park

• roller coaster

• ferris wheel

Multiple Choice

Does Japanese use words from foreign languages?

• Yes

• No

#2

There are many holidays in Japan. For example, Setsubun. This holiday means the end of winter and the beginning of spring. February 3rd seems too early for the beginning of spring. Why do they celebrate it then? It is said that people were bothered by a demon a long time ago. They threw beans in his eyes to drive him away. You see, mame is the Japanese word for "bean", but it can also mean a demon, ma, and his eyes, me.

Multiple Choice

What does Setsubun mean?

• end of summer, beginning of fall

• end of spring, beginning of winter

• end of winter, beginning of spring

• end of fall, beginning of winter

Multiple Choice

What does "bothered" mean?

• 仲良くしている

• 隣に暮らしている

• 困ている

• 壊れている

#3

My host family's house has solar panels on the roof. They use the energy to heat water. They also use solar energy to heat part of the house. That's a good idea because Japan has a lot of sunshine. We hardly see houses with solar panels in the U.S. People in my hometown use electricity to heat water and their homes.

Open Ended

Why is it a good idea to use solar energy?