Column Discussion (Expert)｜コラムディスカッション（上級）Lesson19 : Shark Populations Dropped 71 Percent Since 1970

PART A_1

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

PART A_2

1.　conduct	/kuhn-DUHKT/
	-to do or carry out
	The specialists conducted a seminar for newbies.
2.　severity	/suh-VER-i-tee/
	-intensity
	It was only after the game that the athlete felt the severity of his injury.
3.　risk	/risk/
	-exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance
	Heavy drinkers are at risk of developing liver diseases.
4.　critical	/KRIT-i-kuhl/
	-of decisive importance with respect to the outcome; crucial:
	Patients in critical condition are prioritized.
5.　beneficial	/ben-uh-FISH-uhl/
	-advantageous; helpful:
	Regular exercise is beneficial for our health.

PART B_1

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

PART B_2

Study: Shark population declined by 71 percent in 50 years

A new study conducted by scientists shows the severity of the decline in shark population worldwide in the last 50 years. As per records, the count of sharks and rays dropped beyond 70 percent from 1970 to 2018. Particularly, 24 out of 31 shark and rays species are at risk of extinction, while 3 other species are believed to be critically endangered.

According to the experts, both sharks and rays do not have bones. What they have is a skeleton consisting of cartilage. It also takes them more years to reproduce unlike other kinds of fish. On top of that, they produce smaller numbers of young fish.

Scientists convey that sharks are good at hunting, can swim fats, and have heightened senses. Although they sound beneficial, the same extraordinary characteristics also put them in danger. Since they can speedily sense food in the open ocean, they become an easy target for fishermen.

PART C_1

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

PART C_2

1.	What is the article all about?
2.	How many shark species are endangered?
3.	What are the exceptional abilities of sharks?

PART D_1

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

PART D_2

1.	What can you say about the findings in the article?
2.	How would you compare sharks to other kinds of fish?
3.	Do you think sharks and rays should also be conserved?
4.	Do you think it is possible to bring back extinct species?
5.	How are sharks generally perceived in your country?

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