Column Discussion (Expert)｜コラムディスカッション（上級）Lesson21 : Scientists in Greece Find 20-Million-Year-Old Tree

PART A_1

Let’s learn vocabulary. Listen and repeat the words and the sentences with your tutor.

PART A_2

1.　intact	/in-TAKT/
	-not altered, broken, or impaired
	The historical site remained intact even after a strong earthquake.
2.　discovery	/dih-SKUHV-uh-ree/
	-the act or an instance of discovering
	The budding scientist was thrilled to share his discovery to the world.
3.　estimate	/ES-tuh-meyt/
	-to form an approximate judgment or opinion regarding the worth, amount, size, weight, etc.
	The client’s price estimate was surprisingly close to the actual price of the product.
4.　reconstruct	/ree-KUHN-struhkt/
	-to construct again; rebuild; make over
	The family decided to reconstruct their ancestral home.
5.　prior	/PRAHY-er/
	-preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous
	We learn from our prior experiences.

PART B_1

Let’s read the article. Please read it aloud, and I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

PART B_2

20-million-year-old tree found in Greece

A 20-million-year-old fossilized tree has been discovered by Greek scientists on the island of Lesbos. They added that it was the first tree to be spotted in good condition with branches and roots still intact. This makes it an extraordinary discovery even for the experts themselves.

Preserved by large amounts of volcanic ash, the said tree is estimated to be 19 meters in length. Leaves from fruit trees were also spotted surrounding the tree. The existence of trees and animal bones suggests that life existed on the volcanic island approximately 17 to 20 million years ago.

The team of scientists is looking into reconstructing the ecosystem that once existed in the area. In the meantime, the fossilized tree is subject to further research.

The petrified forest where they recovered the fossilized tree was a result of a volcanic explosion that took place 20 million years earlier. Prior to the destructive volcanic activity, the 15,000-hectare land used to be a subtropical forest.

PART C_1

Let’s answer comprehension questions. Please answer them based on the article.

PART C_2

1.	How old was the tree that Greek scientists discovered?
2.	What other objects were retrieved within the area aside from the tree?
3.	How large is the petrified forest?

PART D_1

Let’s discuss the article. Please answer the questions below and express your opinions.

PART D_2

1.	What do you make of this ancient discovery?
2.	Did you find it surprising that the tree was still intact when the scientists found it?
3.	Do you think it is possible to bring the ecosystem in the forest back to life?
4.	How old is the oldest tree that you know about?
5.	Are ancient discoveries popular where you live?

REVIEW AND FEEDBACK

Now, let us review the things that you learned in this lesson.

ではこのレッスンで学んだことを振り返りましょう。

(Please give a short feedback on how your student did on your class.)

	Grammar 文法	Pronunciation 発音	Vocabulary 単語	Comprehension 理解
GOOD	文法の誤りはほとんどなく、完全な文章で話すことができる	ほとんどの単語をはっきりと正しく発音することができる	習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を理解し、質問に正しく答えることができる
FAIR	文法の誤りはあるが、完全な文章で話すことができる	発音の練習が必要な言葉がいくつかある	たまにミスはあるが、習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を完全に理解するのは難しく、質問に正しく答えられないときもある
POOR	文章で話すのは難しく、単語だけで話すことができる	発音の練習が必要である	習った単語と表現を少しだけ使うことができる	文章を理解するのは難しく、質問に答えるのは難しい

TUTOR FEEDBACK

GRAMMAR
Good:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with minimal grammatical errors.
Fair:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with evident grammatical errors.
Poor:	Was able to speak using words only.
PRONUNCIATION
Good:	Was able to pronounce most of the words clearly and correctly.
Fair:	Mispronounced a few words.
Poor:	Mispronounced most of the words.
VOCABULARY
Good:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class.
Fair:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class and made a few errors in word choice.
Poor:	Used only a few words and expressions.
COMPREHENSION
Good:	Was able to understand the passages and answer the questions correctly.
Fair:	Had a little difficulty in understanding passages and answering questions.
Poor:	Had a hard time understanding passages and answering questions.

Parts of this lesson material are based on:
An article by Voice of America