Column Discussion (Expert)｜コラムディスカッション（上級）Lesson45 : Scientists Study Sea Creature Which Makes a Home of Body Fluid

PART A_1

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

PART A_2

1.　complex	/kuhm-PLEKS/
	-characterized by a very complicated or involved arrangement of parts, units, etc.
	A human’s brain is composed of complex nerves.
2.　resemble	/ri-ZEM-buhl/
	-to be like or similar to
	Samantha resembles her grandmother.
3.　structure	/STRUHK-cher/
	-something built or constructed, as a building, bridge, or dam
	The tallest structure in the world is the Burj Khalifa.
4.　massive	/MAS-iv/
	-large and heavy-looking
	Massive trees are seen from the window.
5.　species	/SPEE-sheez/
	-a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other
	There are almost 28,000 known species of fish.

PART B_1

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

PART B_2

Scientists Study Sea Creature Which Makes a Home of Body Fluid

The great builders of the sea are a group of tiny deep-sea creatures. They have the ability to create complex homes that provide security and food; they use the fluid that comes out of their head to build these structures. When the structures are broken up, the insects, known as giant larvaceans, create a new one. Some people refer to these houses as “snot palaces” because they resemble massive houses made of mucus, a fluid created by living tissue. Some people claim that if scientists can work out how larvaceans make their homes, it will benefit the construction industry. Kakani Katija, a bioengineer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California, is one of them. Her research on the so-called “snot palaces” was recently published in Nature Journal. The species are also beneficial to the ocean climate. When the creatures’ homes are taken apart, they dump millions of carbon on the seafloor which reduces global warming.

PART C_1

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

PART C_2

1.	Describe how giant larvaceans create complex homes.
2.	Why are the houses called “snot palaces”?
3.	How are these creatures beneficial to the climate?

PART D_1

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

PART D_2

1.	What makes these creatures interesting for you?
2.	Do you think it is good for these creatures to dump tons of carbon on the seafloor? Why or why not?
3.	Do you think more people should know about these creatures? Why or why not?
4.	Do you think it is important for scientists to discover more species of animals? Why or why not?
5.	How can you protect sea creatures in your own way?

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 in 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