listening lab 2023
LISTENING LAB 1223
Step 1: Read the questions below.
質問を読んでください。
1. How many doors does the standard Advent calendar have?
2. Where did Advent calendars originate?
3. Which religious denomination is thought to have created Advent calendars?
4. On what day does the Advent season start?
5. How did people count down the days to Christmas before the invention of the Advent calendar?
6. What are some things that might be behind the doors of an Advent calendar?
Step 2: Listen to the audio and try to answer the questions.
オーディオを聞いて、 質問に答えて見て下さい。
Step 3: Listen again while you read the article.
記事を読みながら、もう一度聞いてみてください。
Advent Calendars
by Claire Gorant
’Tis the season for candy canes, Christmas trees, hot cocoa, and … calendars? Yes, for some people, calendars. But not run-of-the-mill ones — special ones called Advent calendars. Shorter than your average calendar, advent calendars typically have twenty-four small doors or windows, one for you to open each day starting on December 1st. A more recent invention than your average calendar, Advent calendars first appeared in the 19th century in Germany. They are believed to have been created by a group of Christians called Protestants. Over the years, these countdown calendars grew out of their religious roots, gaining popularity all over the world.
But where does the “Advent” part come from? The word “Advent” in “Advent calendar” refers to the Advent season, a period of time observed in many Christian traditions leading up to Christmas. It comes from the Latin word “adventus,” meaning “arrival” or “coming.” Advent usually begins on the first of December and ends on the 24th, Christmas Eve. The Protestants in Germany used to mark the days leading up to Christmas by making chalk lines on doors or walls or by lighting candles. However the Advent calendar brought this tradition out of the religious world and into the commercial one.
The printed Advent calendar as we know it today began in the early 20th century. One of the oldest surviving Advent calendars is from 1908, made by Gerhart Lang. It features little doors to open, with religious images behind each one. This concept evolved and gained popularity in the 1920s and '30s, especially in Germany, eventually spreading to other countries. Now Advent calendars come in countless varieties. The most common type features a piece of chocolate behind each door, but Advent calendars can also include other sweets, toys, cosmetics, puzzles, plastic models, or even ideas for daily adventures. As Advent calendars continue to evolve, embracing innovation while honoring tradition, they are a heartwarming reminder of the joy and anticipation of the holiday season.
Step 4: Check your answers.
答えをチェックしてください。
1. How many doors does the standard Advent calendar have?
It has 24 doors.
2. Where did Advent calendars originate?
They originated in Germany.
3. Which religious denomination is thought to have created Advent calendar?
Protestants are thought to have created them.
4. On what day does the Advent season start?
It starts on December 1st.
5. How did people count down the days to Christmas before the invention of the Advent calendar?
They made chalk lines on doors or lit candles.
6. What are some things that might be behind the doors of an Advent calendar? They are sweets, toys, cosmetics, puzzles, plastic models, or ideas for daily adventures.
LISTENING LAB 1023
Step 1: Read the questions below.
質問を読んでください。
1. What is the most powerful god in Voodoo?
2. Why do Voodooist connect with family members who have passed away?
3. What do people called “rootworkers” do?
4. Which has stricter rules, Haitian Voodoo or New Orleans Voodoo?
5. Why are people who practice Voodoo and Hoodoo discriminated against?
Step 2: Listen to the audio and try to answer the questions.
オーディオを聞いて、 質問に答えて見て下さい。
Step 3: Listen again while you read the article.
記事を読みながら、もう一度聞いてみてください。
Voodoo and Hoodoo
by Claire Gorant
Turn the clock back several thousand years, and we find the birthplace of Voodoo in West Africa. Led by spiritual leaders known as mambos (female priests) and houngans (male priests), Voodoo is a religion that revolves around the respect and worship of various gods and spirits. The most powerful of these gods is called Bondye. However, Bondye doesn’t usually communicate directly with humans, so people who practice Voodoo connect with other spirits, like those of family members who have passed away, and ask for help with things big or small. Voodoo ceremonies include a variety of rituals such as singing, dancing, writing, candle spells, and so on. This religion also includes different roles, such as rootworkers, who provide herbal treatments for sickness or injury, and faith healers, who reach out to the spirits for guidance.
While Voodoo has evolved in many different ways as it has spread around the world, two of the largest branches are Haitian Voodoo and New Orleans Voodoo, where the slave trade from Africa to Central and North America played a significant role. Both branches were built on West African roots, particularly from the regions of present-day Benin and Nigeria. Also, both branches adopted rituals and saints from Catholicism, as well as indigenous traditions and knowledge of local plants and herbs. Haitian Voodoo appeared in the French slave colonies in Haiti and remains closer to its West African roots with stricter rituals, while New Orleans Voodoo grew up along the Mississippi River in the American South and is generally less formal.
Another spiritual practice that has its roots in West African religions is Hoodoo. Be careful — even though the names are similar, Voodoo and Hoodoo have several major differences. The most important difference is that Voodoo is a formal religion, while Hoodoo was born of African folk magic. Hoodoo doesn’t have any gods; instead, people who practice Hoodoo focus on using herbs, charms, and conjuring spirits for day-to-day needs, such as health, protection, and even love. While Voodoo is practiced in the American South, its primary stronghold is in the Caribbean, where it is an official religion in several countries. Hoodoo, on the other hand, is more common in South America.
Both Voodoo and Hoodoo have been misunderstood and stereotyped for years, and the people who practice them face discrimination even today. It's important to help people understand these traditions and show respect for those who follow them so that we can create a more accepting and tolerant society.
Step 4: Check your answers.
答えをチェックしてください。
1. What is the most powerful god in Voodoo?
The most powerful god in Voodoo is Bondye.
2. Why do Voodooist connect with family members who have passed away?
Because Bondye doesn't communicate directly with humans.
3. What do people called “rootworkers” do?
They provide herbal treatments for sickness or injury.
4. Which has stricter rules, Haitian Voodoo or New Orleans Voodoo?
Haitian Voodoo does.
5. Why are people who practice Voodoo and Hoodoo discriminated against?
Because the two religions are misunderstood.
LISTENING LAB 0823
Step 1: Read the questions below.
質問を読んでください。
1. What kinds of organizations usually hold stamp rallies?
2. What could visitors to the 2005 World Expo receive if they collected all the stamps?
3. Do all stamp rallies have a time limit?
4. What stamp rally was held in Tokyo in 1913?
5. Who gives out the go-shuin stamps at temples?
Step 2: Listen to the audio and try to answer the questions.
オーディオを聞いて、 質問に答えて見て下さい。
Step 3: Listen again while you read the article.
記事を読みながら、もう一度聞いてみてください。
Japan’s Stamp Rallies
A Book of Memories, One Stamp at a Time
by Claire Gorant
Often held by tourism companies, railway lines, or local governments, Japanese stamp rallies offer an exciting blend of exploration and collection. They take participants on a journey through historical landmarks, museum exhibits, or local restaurants. The participants’ goal is simple — to visit all or a certain number of locations associated with a theme or event and collect the stamps there. They have fun taking their flyers or their smartphones to participating locations and using the wooden and rubber stamps or QR codes to fill up their collections.
But the stamps aren’t just mementos. In most stamp rallies, collecting either all the stamps or a certain number of stamps comes with a perk—participants who gather the required number of stamps can get a prize for their hard work. These rewards can range from small souvenirs or merchandise related to the rally’s theme, discount coupons, or even entry into a raffle. The 2005 World Expo held in Aichi Prefecture handed out “passports” to visitors. Completing the passport with stamps found at the vendors’ booths allowed visitors to take part in a lottery for expo merchandise. One of the largest-scale stamp rallies, the Japan Top 100 Castles rally, spans all 42 prefectures. With no official time limit, the rally invites participants to collect stamps from 100 specific castles across the country. Once they have collected all of the stamps, winners receive a certificate of completion from the Japan Castle Foundation, and can even have their names posted on the foundation’s website. On the other end of the spectrum, visitors who complete the Osaka Maritime Museum’s stamp rally don’t receive any prizes, but the collection of stamps themselves forms a beautiful mosaic.
Modern stamp rallies in Japan date back to the early 20th century. At that time, they were also known as “stampedes,” like one of the earliest modern stamp rallies, the Chikyu Stampede, which was held in Tokyo in 1913. However, the inspiration for these events goes much further back than the early 1900s. For hundreds of years, people have traveled to temples or shrines as part of a pilgrimage, and at each stop on their journey, they collect a stamp, a date, and usually an inscription, from the temple’s priest. Visitors collect these stamps, called go-shuin, in special stamp books, which can be bought right there at the temple. And these traditional stamp rallies are not just a thing of the past. Recently, they are seeing a rise in popularity, especially among young people. So pack your stamp book or grab your smartphone, and start on a journey of exploration and discovery!
Step 4: Check your answers.
答えをチェックしてください。
1. What kinds of organizations usually hold stamp rallies?
Tourism companies, railway lines and local governments do.
2. What could visitors to the 2005 World Expo receive if they collected all the stamps?
They could receive expo merchandise.
3. Do all stamp rallies have a time limit?
No, they don't.
4. What stamp rally was held in Tokyo in 1913?
The Chikyu Stampede was.
5. Who gives out the go-shuin stamps at temples?
The temple priests (or other staff members) do.
LISTENING LAB 0623
Step 1: Read the questions below.
質問を読んでください。
1. Which animal do people in East Asian countries see when they look at the moon?
2. What did Sina, the woman from the Polynesian story, want from the moon?
3. Why do we see patches of light and dark on the moon?
4. What does the phenomenon called “pareidolia” cause human brains to do?
5. What’s another example of something humans look at and see shapes?
Step 2: Listen to the audio and try to answer the questions.
オーディオを聞いて、 質問に答えて見て下さい。
Step 3: Listen again while you read the article.
記事を読みながら、もう一度聞いてみてください。
The Moon's Many Faces
by Claire Gorant
Imagine it’s nighttime. Imagine walking outside, and there’s not a cloud to be seen. You look up, and there’s a full moon hanging in the sky. What does it look like? Is it a plain white disc, or are there a few darker shapes on it? Maybe those dark shapes look familiar. They might look like an old man, a woman’s face in profile, a rabbit, or even a frog. People around the world see a variety of images when they look at the moon, and it’s not something new.
The earliest records of a figure in the moon come from ancient Chinese mythology, which mentions a rabbit pounding herbs with a mortar and pestle on the moon. This vision is actually very common across East Asia, with a number of similar stories popping up in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and even in some parts of North America. Another widespread vision in Western cultures, in particular in Greek and Roman mythology, is the image of a man’s body or face, and is often called “the man in the moon.” In India, people say they see a pair of hands, and the Samoans, a group of people from Polynesia, see Sina, a woman who asked the moon for food for her hungry child.
It’s not a surprise that different cultures come up with different stories about the figures they see in the moon, but why do we see these images in the first place? The shapes are simply random patches of light and dark — the bright areas are highlands, and the darker ones are lunar “seas” made up of volcanic rock. It turns out that the human brain has a tendency to see familiar shapes and faces, even when there isn’t one. This is called “pareidolia,” and is the reason people see the shape of a sheep in the clouds, or the face of a famous actor on a piece of toast. Even though the moon circles the earth at a distance of about 384,400 kilometers, our brains are still programmed to find a shape we recognize. In a thousand years, will there still be a rabbit on the moon, or will we have found something entirely new?
Step 4: Check your answers.
答えをチェックしてください。
1. Which animal do people in East Asian countries see when they look at the moon?
They see a rabbit.
2. What did Sina, the woman from the Polynesian story, want from the moon?
She wanted food for her hungry child.
3. Why do we see patches of light and dark on the moon?
Because there are highlands and lunar "seas" on the moon.
4. What does the phenomenon called “pareidolia” cause human brains to do?
It causes human brains to see familiar shapes even when there aren't any.
5. What’s another example of something humans look at and see shapes?
We look at clouds and see shapes.
LISTENING LAB 0423
Step 1: Read the questions below.
質問を読んでください。
1. What kinds of businesses often don’t allow people with visible tattoos to enter?
2. Why are tattoos not widely accepted in Japan?
3. Were hajichi tattoos worn by men, women, or both?
4. What are some countries that may have inspired hajichi tattoos?
5. By when had hajichi tattooing almost completely stopped?
Step 2: Listen to the audio and try to answer the questions.
オーディオを聞いて、 質問に答えて見て下さい。
Step 3: Listen again while you read the article.
記事を読みながら、もう一度聞いてみてください。
The Changing Views on Tattoos in Japan
by Claire Gorant
Japan has a booming tourist business. People from all over the world travel to Japan to visit its historical castles and temples and to enjoy its world-famous cuisine. And of course, no trip to Japan would be complete without taking a dip in one of the thousands of hot springs across the country. Unfortunately, people coming from other countries might find themselves unable to enter the public baths if they answer yes to this question: Do you have a tattoo?
In Japan, tattoos are still not widely accepted, though public opinion is changing. The negative association with organized crime, such as yakuza gangs, means that many companies shy away from hiring people with visible tattoos, and many gyms and hot springs won’t let you in if you have a tattoo that can’t be easily covered with a bandage. However, if you go back a couple of generations, less than a hundred years, tattoos were not only accepted, but were actually a large part of peoples’ lives.
Let’s travel southwest to the island chain of Okinawa, formerly known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. For hundreds of years, traditional tattoos called hajichi were deeply tied to the local culture. Almost exclusively worn by women, the tattoos could mark important points in a woman’s life, symbolize spiritual cleanliness and a path to heaven, or simply be done for fun. In fact, it was not uncommon for girls as young as ten years old to tattoo themselves or their friends.
The tattoos were primarily drawn on fingers and hands, but sometimes reached up the arms. They were hand-poked with a special kind of needle, and were drawn with a mix of charcoal or squid ink and Okinawan alcohol called awamori. The designs were usually simple and geometric, such as straight lines, triangles, and squares, and were often inspired by local animals and plants. It’s not clear exactly when the hajichi tradition began, but most historians believe it was around the 1600s. At that time, the Ryukyu Kingdom was doing a lot of trade with neighboring Southeast and East Asian countries, including the Philippines, Taiwan, and Samoa. Similar styles of tattoos are found in those countries as well, so it’s very possible that they were a source of inspiration for hajichi.
Once the Ryukyu Kingdom was colonized by mainland Japan, however, things started to change. Heavily influenced by Japan’s negative opinion of tattoos, the number of people who decided against getting hajichi began to increase, and by the late 20th century, the hajichi tradition had all but disappeared. But because of the younger generation’s growing interest in rediscovering their history and culture, the Okinawan tattoos are making a comeback. Although many public places and jobs still don’t allow tattoos, artists that use temporary ink are finding ways to keep the tradition alive. As public opinion on tattoos continues to change, and as more and more people work to revive this part of Okinawan culture, it might not be long before tattoos become just another part of the everyday scenery.
Step 4: Check your answers.
答えをチェックしてください。
1. What kinds of businesses often don’t allow people with visible tattoos to enter?
Gyms and hot springs often don't.
2. Why are tattoos not widely accepted in Japan?
Because they are associated with organized crime.
3. Were hajichi tattoos worn by men, women, or both?
They were worn mostly by women.
4. What are some countries that may have inspired hajichi tattoos?
The Philippines, Taiwan and Samoa may have inspired them.
5. By when had hajichi tattooing almost completely stopped?
It had almost completely stopped by the late 20th century.
LISTENING LAB 0223
Step 1: Read the questions below.
質問を読んでください。
1. How long has the heart been associated with love?
2. What was the earliest physical heart symbol found on?
3. Where was the first drawing of a romantic heart found?
4. What was the popular slogan advertising New York in the 1970s?
5. When emojis were first released, how many of them were hearts?
Step 2: Listen to the audio and try to answer the questions.
オーディオを聞いて、 質問に答えて見て下さい。
Step 3: Listen again while you read the article.
記事を読みながら、もう一度聞いてみてください。
Hearts and Love
by Claire Gorant
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and hearts are everywhere you look. Cards, balloons, cookies — nothing is too big or too small to make heart-shaped. People say that the heart is the sign of love, but why is that? It’s a very important organ; it works hard to keep us alive. But why is it associated with emotions like love? To find the answer, we have to travel back in time more than 2,000 years.
In those days, philosophers and scientists recognized that the heart was connected to our emotions, both positive and negative. They noticed that strong feelings, such as love, happiness, anger, or grief, often went hand in hand with a physical reaction. Our hearts beat faster when we see someone we love, and we all know the phrase “a broken heart.” It’s not a surprise that people believed that the heart was the home for these emotions. Ancient Romans associated the heart with Venus, the goddess of love, and the earliest physical symbol of a heart was found on a coin dated to around 500 BC.
Fast forward to 1344, and we find the first clear drawing of a heart in a romantic scene. It was in a French picture book, and after its publication there was an explosion of heart imagery across the world. By the 15th century, the heart icon was everywhere — on accessories, in books, on combs and sword handles. It was even one of the suits on playing cards. Scientists eventually realized that emotions came from the brain rather than the heart, but the association between the two was too strong to break. In fact, the image of a heart had become so powerful that in 1977 the icon was part of a huge advertising campaign in New York to increase tourism. The slogan "I❤️NY" was incredibly popular, and it inspired countless variations.
Finally, we come to 1999. A Japanese company, NTT Docomo, released the first emojis for mobile communication, and five of them were some version of a heart. If you open your emoji keyboard on your smartphone, there are probably more than 30 versions of that original icon, and more come out with every update. So while we now know that love doesn’t actually come from the heart, we’ll probably never see a brain on a Valentine’s Day card.
Step 4: Check your answers.
答えをチェックしてください。
1. How long has the heart been associated with love?
It has been associated with love for more than 2,000 years.
2. What was the earliest physical heart symbol found on?
It was found on a coin.
3. Where was the first drawing of a romantic heart found?
It was found in a French picture book.
4. What was the popular slogan advertising New York in the 1970s?
It was "I❤️NY."
5. When emojis were first released, how many of them were hearts?
Five of them were hearts.