A Retiree in Japan

 
 
 
 
Kishi talks about his hobbies and activities.

Vocabulary

 

retire	calligraphy	globalization
benefit	mean (2)	international
vow	paragraph	Second World War
worry	wage war	World War Two
decent	volunteer	prefecture
hope	living (2)	constitution
earn	remove	work hard
noodle

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

My name is Yasuyuki Kishi. I’m 67 years old, and I live in Yamato in Kanagawa Prefecture.

What do you do for a living?

I retired seven years ago. Now I work two days a week for the forestry department.

What does globalization mean to you?

To me globalization means internationalization, and the United States benefits most from it.

What worries you?

After World War Two, Japan vowed never to wage war again. I’m worried that paragraph will be removed from the constitution.

What makes you happy?

My hobbies: I grow vegetables, play tennis, and take singing lessons. I also do calligraphy. That is what I like to do.

What is your favorite food?

Japanese noodle soup.

How do you spend your leisure time?

Volunteer work. I hope people who work hard can earn a decent living and have a happy life.

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Questions

First Question. Who is this person? What’s his name? How old is he? Does he live in Tokyo?

Second Question. He works in forestry, full-time, from Monday to Friday, 8 o’clock am to 5 o’clock pm. True or false?

Third Q. To Kishi, does everyone benefit equally from globalization, especially African and Latin American countries?

Fourth. Is he worried about global warming, or that Japan might go to war in the future?

Fifth. He only sits at home and watches TV, surfs the internet and plays video games. Is this right or wrong?

Sixth. Does Kishi love barbecues and grilled meats? What is his favorite food?

Seventh. In his free time, does he try to make money online?

 

Eighth. What are you going to do when you retire?

Ninth. Do you live in Japan? Are you from Japan? Have you ever been to Japan?

Tenth. Have you met people from Japan? Who were they? What were they doing?

Eleventh. Describe the climate and geography of Japan.

Twelfth. Describe the economy of Japan. What does it import and export?

Thirteenth. Does Japan have any problems? What are Japan’s problems or challenges?

Fourteenth. What’s Japanese food like? Describe the food of Japan.

Fifteenth. What are some tourist attractions (cultural, historical, natural)?

Sixteenth. What comes to mind when you think of Japan? What do you associate with Japan?