Office chair race livens up Naruto City

Nick's ESL News Lessons

A printable worksheet for news-based English conversation classes.

Date: 2023/11/20

Difficulty: Elementary A2

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Vocabulary Match

unusual -   - guarding
lively -   - different
made up -   - moving
took turns -   - switched
protective -   - active
transport -   - formed

Article

A special race called "Isu-1 Grand Prix" was held on November 11th, in Naruto City, Japan. In this unusual race, people sit on office chairs and try to go as far as they can in two hours. It happened in a shopping area to make it more lively.

This year's race was the first in four years because of COVID-19. People from all over the country, including fire fighters and chair makers, made up 21 teams. Each team had three people who took turns, wearing helmets and protective knee and elbow pads for safety. The goal was to go as far as they could in two hours.

The race took place on a 200-meter track. People watching were very excited and cheered for the teams. The team that won was from a transport company in Kyoto. They did 106 laps, which is about 20 kilometers. They won 27 kilograms of Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes, a popular food in the area.

Quiz

  1. What do people do in the Isu-1 Grand Prix?
  2. How many people were in the race?
  3. Where was the winning team from?
  4. What prize did the winning team receive?

Conversation

A: Dad, I want to be just like you when I grow up!
B: Oh? What do you mean? Tell me more.
A: I want to be a race chair driver, winning races!
B: A race chair driver, like in the Isu-1 Grand Prix?
A: Yeah! And I want to win sweet potatoes, too!
B: Ah! Well, in that case, we better start training!

Discussion

  1. Have you ever taken part in a fun race?
  2. What would be your strategy to win this race?
  3. What would you do with 27 kilos of sweet potatoes?
  4. What fun events would you like to happen in your city?

Vocabulary Answers

unusual → different
lively → active
made up → formed
took turns → switched
protective → guarding
transport → moving

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. They sit on office chairs and try to go as far as they can in two hours.
  2. There were 63 people in the race. (21 teams x 3 people)
  3. The winning team was from a transport company in Kyoto.
  4. They received 27 kilograms of Naruto Kintoki sweet potatoes.

Source Material

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20231112/k10014255671000.html

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