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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Sushi
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Japanese People Have Sushi Stomachs (8th April, 2010)

Japanese people have special stomachs that can digest seaweed used for sushi. People from other countries do not have the bacteria that does this. This is according to a team of French researchers. They analyzed the bacteria in the stomachs of Japanese and American people. Dr Mirjam Czjzek, team leader of the research, said Japanese people build up this bacteria following years of eating sushi as a major part of their diet. The Japanese started eating sushi over 1,200 years ago. Scientists now need to find out if non-Japanese people can develop this.

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Japanese food is famous for being very healthy. In particular, sushi is full of vitamins and minerals. The fish is a great source of protein, and the rice gives us carbohydrates. Sushi is also good for us because it is so fresh. Of course, the fish is almost always raw. Many people around the world now eat sushi. It has become an international food. Perhaps sushi is one of the reasons why Japanese people live so long. It is certainly much healthier than a lot of other world food. Sushi is also great fun to eat and it always looks so nice.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	Japanese people have	a.	French researchers
2	digest	b.	up this bacteria
3.	a team of	c.	seaweed used for sushi
4.	They analyzed	d.	of their diet
5.	people build	e.	special stomachs
6.	a major part	f.	the bacteria

Paragraph 2

1.	Japanese food is famous for	a.	always raw
2	sushi is full of vitamins	b.	of protein
3.	a great source	c.	live so long
4.	the fish is almost	d.	being very healthy
5.	reasons why Japanese people	e.	so nice
6.	it always looks	f.	and minerals

LISTENING GAP FILL

Japanese people have special stomachs _________________ seaweed used for sushi. People from other countries do not have the _________________ this. This is according to a team of French researchers. They ___________________ in the stomachs of Japanese and American people. Dr Mirjam Czjzek, team leader of the research, said Japanese ___________________ bacteria following years of eating sushi _________________ of their diet. The Japanese started eating sushi over 1,200 years ago. Scientists _________________ out if non-Japanese people can develop this.

Japanese food is _________________ very healthy. In particular, sushi is full of vitamins and minerals. The fish _________________ protein, and the rice gives us carbohydrates. Sushi _________________ because it is so fresh. Of course, the fish is _________________. Many people around the world now eat sushi. It has become an international food. Perhaps sushi is _________________ why Japanese people live so long. It is certainly much healthier than a lot of other world food. Sushi is _________________ and it always looks so nice.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Japanese people have (1) ____ stomachs that can digest seaweed used for sushi. People from other countries do not have the bacteria that does this. This is according to a team of French (2) ____. They analyzed the bacteria in the stomachs of Japanese and American people. Dr Mirjam Czjzek, team leader of the research, said Japanese people build (3) ____ this bacteria following years of eating sushi as a major part of their (4) ____. The Japanese started eating sushi over 1,200 years ago. Scientists now need to find out if (5) ____-Japanese people can develop this.

Japanese food is famous (6) ____ being very healthy. In particular, sushi is (7) ____ of vitamins and minerals. The fish is a great source of protein, and the rice gives us carbohydrates. Sushi is also good for us because it is so fresh. Of course, the fish is (8) ____ always raw. Many people around the world now eat sushi. It has become an international food. Perhaps sushi is one of the (9) ____ why Japanese people live so long. It is certainly much healthier than a lot of other world food. Sushi is also great (10) ____ to eat and it always looks so nice.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	special	(b)	specially	(c)	specials
2.	(a)	researched	(b)	reserachinh	(c)	researchers
3.	(a)	down	(b)	up	(c)	at
4.	(a)	diet	(b)	dietary	(c)	go on a diet
5.	(a)	no	(b)	not	(c)	non
6.	(a)	for	(b)	of	(c)	to
7.	(a)	fully	(b)	full	(c)	filling
8.	(a)	most	(b)	moist	(c)	almost
9.	(a)	reason	(b)	reasons	(c)	reasoning
10.	(a)	fun	(b)	funnies	(c)	funny

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	eacipsl stomachs
2.	aorgidccn to a team of French researchers
3.	team elrdae
4.	build up this bericata
5.	a ajomr part of their diet
6.	people can lpoeedv this
Paragraph 2
7.	famous for being very eayhtlh
8.	ivtiansm and minerals
9.	great source of toerpni
10.	it is so rshfe
11.	one of the asrosen
12.	enytlaric much healthier

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	always raw. Many people around the world now eat sushi. It has become an international food. Perhaps sushi is one of the reasons
( )	Japanese food is famous for being very healthy. In particular, sushi is full of vitamins and minerals. The fish is a great source
( )	ago. Scientists now need to find out if non-Japanese people can develop this.
( )	of protein, and the rice gives us carbohydrates. Sushi is also good for us because it is so fresh. Of course, the fish is almost
( )	years of eating sushi as a major part of their diet. The Japanese started eating sushi over 1,200 years
( )	world food. Sushi is also great fun to eat and it always looks so nice.
( )	Japanese and American people. Dr Mirjam Czjzek, team leader of the research, said Japanese people build up this bacteria following
( )	bacteria that does this. This is according to a team of French researchers. They analyzed the bacteria in the stomachs of
( )	why Japanese people live so long. It is certainly much healthier than a lot of other
( 1 )	Japanese people have special stomachs that can digest seaweed used for sushi. People from other countries do not have the

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	that stomachs Special seaweed digest can.
2.	a According French team to researchers of.
3.	a of as part diet sushi major their Eating.
4.	over ago eating 1,200 years. Japanese started sushi
5.	if non-Japanese this develop can people Find out.
6.	famous for Japanese being food very is healthy.
7.	a great The source fish of is protein.
8.	always fish almost raw The is.
9.	the world Many now people eat around sushi.
10.	to Sushi also fun eat is great.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about sushi for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about sushi. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about international food. Include imaginary interviews with two people who travel the world eating. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a sushi expert. Ask him/her three questions about sushi. Give him/her three of your opinions on sushi. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Sushi (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)