Column Discussion (Expert)｜コラムディスカッション（上級）Lesson50 : Keep Mangrove Forests to Prevent Flooding, Soil Loss

PART A_1

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

PART A_2

1.　mangrove	/MANG-grohv/
	-a tropical tree, found near water, whose twisted roots grow partly above ground
	Many people depend on mangrove swamps for construction wood, craft materials, medicines, and honey.
2.　erosion	/ih-ROH-zhuhn/
	-the fact of soil or stone being gradually damaged and removed by the waves, rain, or wind
	The earthquake caused a series of erosions.
3.　estimate	/ES-tuh-meyt/
	-to guess or calculate the cost, size, or value of something
	Experts estimate that tens of thousands of malware programs circulate on the Internet.
4.　submerge	/suhb-MURJ/
	-to go below the surface of an area of water
	These submarines have to submerge to launch their long-range missiles.
5.　mitigate	/MIT-i-geyt/
	-to make something less harmful, unpleasant, or bad
	Mitigate health problems through preventive care.

PART B_1

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

PART B_2

Scientists: Keep Mangrove Forests to Prevent Flooding, Soil Loss

Scientists warn about the disappearing natural resources like mangrove forests, which are critical for reducing floods in low-lying coastal areas like southern Florida. Coastal wetlands are home to mangrove plants; they can thrive in saline seawater, unlike other plants. Their roots form a thick membrane that aids in erosion protection and controls the power of incoming water from tides and ocean storms. Scientific reports disagree on how climate change-related high tides and rising waters would impact Florida. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States, on the other hand, estimates that sea levels could increase by as much as two meters by the year 2100. Large areas of Florida will be submerged if this occurs. Margarita Kruyff, an environmental scientist focused on mitigating the harm caused by floods and rising sea levels said, “We’re trying to project how fast we’re expecting them to rise so we can plan how we’re going to protect our communities for the future.”

PART C_1

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

PART C_2

1.	What is the problem being tackled by the scientists in the article?
2.	What warning did the NOAA give to the public?
3.	According to Margarita Kryuff, what problem are they focusing to solve?

PART D_1

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

PART D_2

1.	Aside from flood prevention, what are the other benefits of mangroves?
2.	What can you say about the scientists’ efforts in averting the possible harm the floods may bring?
3.	Do you think that planting mangroves is enough to protect the country from floods? Why or why not?
4.	Kindly give some pieces of advice on how to prepare for a flood.
5.	If given a chance, what would you contribute to prevent climate change?

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