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2. Play the news report and try to fill in the blanks.
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dateline: 17 May 2017

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Japan’s Imperial Family Continues to Shrink

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • emperor: the head of an imperial family
  • commoner: a person who is not part of a royal family
  • imperial: related to an empire
  • ascend: to move up into a position or rank
  • bear heirs: to have children that are in line for the throne
  • shrink: to get smaller

Japan’s Imperial Family Continues to Shrink

Princess Mako, the eldest of Japanese Emperor Akihito, will soon be marrying a commoner and giving up her royal status. According to imperial law in Japan, a must leave the imperial family when she weds. The heir to the throne in Japan is always male, and are only a few males left in the imperial family. Many people in Japan think women in the imperial family should have the right to ascend and bear heirs to the . If the laws don’t change, the family will shrink further. Under the current law, the emperor is also not allowed to give up the throne until he dies.

Comprehension Questions

  1. Who is Princess Mako?
  2. Why won’t the princess be part of the imperial family when she gets married?
  3. What can’t the Emperor’s son take over his aging father’s role?

Discussion Questions: Do you think Japan’s imperial law should and will be changed to allow Japanese women in the imperial family to ascend to the throne and bear heirs to the throne? Why or why not?

show Answers

Written and recorded by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.
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