Column Discussion (Expert)｜コラムディスカッション（上級）
Lesson47 : Study Finds How Koalas Drink

PART A_1
Let’s learn vocabulary. Listen and repeat the words and the sentences with your tutor.
PART A_2
1.　consume /kuhn-SOOM/
　 -to eat or drink up; devour
　 Henry consumes a lot of water daily.
2.　digest /dih-JEST/
　 -to change food in your stomach into substances that your body can use
　 I do not digest steak easily.
3.　threat /thret/
　 -an indication or warning of trouble
　 The storm is a threat to his activities.
4.　ruin /ROO-in/
　 -to destroy or severely damage something
　 The house was nearly ruined by the hurricane.
5.　habitat /HAB-i-tat/
　 -the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives
　 Trees are monkeys’ natural habitat.
PART B_1
Let’s read the article. Please read it aloud, and I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
PART B_2
Study Finds How Koalas Drink
For a long time, scientists have asked how Australia’s koalas get enough water to survive. A recent research has come up with a suggestion. Koalas get their water from the plant leaves they consume in the wild. They also get it from rainwater pouring down the surface of tree trunks, a process known as “tree-licking.” The animals were traditionally believed to get the most of their water from the moisture in the leaves they consumed. Koalas are mainly nocturnal species, according to experts; which means that they always are up at night. They are also arboreal, meaning they live in trees and rely on them for food, shelter, and, as the researchers recently learned, drinking. Koalas spend plenty of time in eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus leaves are eaten in large amounts. An average adult koala consumes 500 to 800 grams of leaves each day. Koalas sleep a lot, about 20 hours a day owing to their diet. Their tree-leaf diet necessitates a lot of energy to digest. According to Australia’s environment minister, koalas are under threat due to the wildfires that have ruined up to 30% of their habitat.

PART C_1
Let’s answer comprehension questions. Please answer them based on the article.
PART C_2
1. What is the process known as “tree-licking”?
2. What makes koalas arboreal?
3. How much leaves do adult koalas consume?
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 information given about koalas?
2. Do you think koalas are difficult to take care of? Why or why not?
3. How do you think this new discovery would affect our treatment of koalas?
4. Do you think that we must learn more about the animals around us? Why or why not?
5. How can we protect the animals around us?
REVIEW AND FEEDBACK
Now, let us review the things that you learned in this lesson.
(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