Add to My Lessons Intermediate Instant Lesson™ Changing TimesPre-Reading ActivitiesA: Pair DiscussionDiscuss the following topics with a partner.1. What word is the following definition describing? The hint below will help you."The handing down of long-continued habits (customs) from generation to generation of people, especially by word of mouth or practice."Hint: t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n2. Some people believe tradition is very important while other people believe change is more important than tradition. Look at the following topics and discuss what you think is more important for each topic: tradition or change.male and female family roles school rules religion medicine laws sports B: VocabularyToday's article is about a person who is trying to break a custom in a sport that has been the same for centuries. The following words are from today's article. Look at their meanings. Can you guess which sport is being described?ring: a ircular area in which opponents compete sacred: holy wrestling: a sport in which two competitors try to throw the other one to the ground or outside the ring topknot: hair pulled back and put in a knot at the top of the head ritual: an established procedure for a religious ceremony Reading ActivitiesA: ComprehensionRead the first two paragraphs of today's article and answer the questions below.What is the governor's name? Is this person a man or woman? Which city is this person governor of? What does the governor want to do? When is the sumo tournament? Japan's First Woman Governor Takes Aim at SumoTOKYO Wednesday February 23 (Reuters) - As if becoming the first female governor in Japan weren't enough, Osaka leader Fusae Ota is taking on yet another bastion of male privilege: the sumo ring.Ota, who on February 6 was elected governor of the western metropolis of Osaka, said on Monday she intended to ask the Japan Sumo Association to let her enter the sumo ring to present a trophy to the winner of an Osaka sumo tournament next month.(continued/...)Article © 2000 Reuters Limited. Lesson © 2001 www.english-to-go.com B: True or FalseRead the rest of the article and decide if these sentences are true or false.Women are not allowed into the sumo ring where national matches are held. Governors of the prefecture (district) in which a tournament is held usually present prizes to winners. The Sumo Association has no problem with Governor Ota presenting a trophy to the winner. Girls and women are only allowed to watch sumo wrestling, not participate in sumo. Another female politician has tried before to be allowed to present a trophy at a sumo tournament. No men are supporting Governor Ota in her quest to step into the sumo ring. (.../continued)Tradition bans women from the ring itself because it is sacred and their presence, considered unclean, would pollute it.Yet it is also custom for prizes to be presented by the governor of the prefecture in which a tournament is held.The Sumo Association appears unlikely to be swayed by feminist arguments.``We want to preserve tradition, and ask that governor Ota understand this,'' an association spokesman told Reuters.``As far as we are concerned, given that this is a ring where wrestlers compete, we would prefer that she refrain,'' he added.Both boys and girls may take part in children's sumo wrestling in primary school, but women are barred from the rings where national matches are held under the association's auspices.Even when special ceremonies are held in the ring, such as the ritual cutting of a wrestler's topknot that signals retirement, it is the wrestler's male relatives and supporters who are allowed a ceremonial snip, never a mother or wife.Three years ago, a separate Japan New Sumo Federation was created for women with a yen to play the sport professionally, but female sumo hardly rivals the popularity of the male version.Ota is not the first woman to challenge the ``no women allowed'' rule.In 1989, Mayumi Moriyama, the first female chief cabinet secretary and government spokeswoman, sought to be allowed to present the prestigious Prime Minister's Cup to the tournament victor, but was forced to back down in the face of fierce opposition from traditionalists.Ota, however, has gained an ally in Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, a right-leaning renegade who tends to revere tradition but also enjoys jousting with the establishment. ``In this liberated age, is it really unclean for a woman to enter the sumo ring? The sumo association should change the way it thinks,'' he said.Article © 2000 Reuters Limited. Lesson © 2001 www.english-to-go.com C: SummarizingUse your understanding of the article to complete the following sentences.Trophies are usually presented in the sumo ring by... However, Governor Ota's problem is... The Japan Sumo Association will probably decide to... Tokyo Governor Ishihara believes... D: Guessing Unfamiliar WordsWithout using a dictionary, work out the meanings of the words below (in bold in the article), by using your understanding of the article.1. bastion (Paragraph 1) opponent protector building 2. swayed (Paragraph 5)helped influenced annoyed 3. auspices (Paragraph 8) a. buildingb.funds c.control 4. yen (Paragraph 10)a. Japanese currency (money) b.desire c.strength 5. revere (Paragraph 13)a.respect b.hate c.enjoy 6. jousting (Paragraph 13)a. agreeing b. joking c. fighting Post-Reading Activities: Part OneYou may do one or more of these.A: VocabularySports words are often used in everyday English. Look at the words and phrases in bold and select from the lists an appropriate meaning and the sport from which the word or phrase came. Write the letter which corresponds to the correct meaning next to the sentences. Then write the name of the sport the words come from. The first one is done for you.1. Katherine: "Hey, Mike, I aced my test!" Mike: "Congratulations!"Meaning: DSport: tennis2. Bob: "Are you ready to study for the exam?" David: "Yeah. Let's dive into it."Meaning:Sport:3. Jane: "I want to make a long-distance phone call to my parents." Peter: "Don't jump the gun. Wait until tonight when the rates are cheaper."Meaning:Sport:4. John: "How does your brother like his job?" Peg: "He likes it. He's on a very good wicket."Meaning:Sport:5. Sharon: "Step on it. We've got to walk faster or we'll be late." Cherry: "I'm walking as fast as I can!"Meaning:Sport:6. Selena: "What are you doing tonight?" Rose: "I'm going to tackle a crossword puzzle. Want to help me?"Meaning:Sport:7. Steve: "I'm going to fail my test. I just know it." Roger: "Don't throw in the towel yet. You've still got tonight to study."Meaning:Sport:8. Susie: "I'm wrestling with taking information technology or arts at university. What do you think I should do?" Julie: "I don't know, Susie. That's a tough decision."Meaning:Sport:Meanings A. give upB. strugglingC. solveD. do extremely wellE. do something too soonF. hurry upG. a good situation or conditionsH. become engrossed in somethingSports athletics (track and field) boxingcricketfootballcar racingswimmingtenniswrestling B: PredictingIn groups predict what you think the outcome of Governor Ota's request will be. Do you think the Japan Sumo Association will reject her request to present the winner's trophy at the Osaka tournament? Or will they accept her request and will she become the first woman to step into the ring of a national sumo tournament? C: Extended ReadingRead the following article which was written seven days after the first one. Are you surprised at what happened?Japan Woman Governor Drops Sumo Quest, for NowTOKYO Wednesday March 1 (Reuters) - Japan's sumo mandarins breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday as the country's first woman governor backed down from her quest to enter the male-dominated sport's hallowed ring.But Fusae Ota, elected governor of the western city of Osaka last month, said she will keep raising the issue of whether she can enter the ring to present a tournament trophy until they give in.``The governor will keep on trying,'' a spokesman for the Osaka government told Reuters on Wednesday.Osaka government officials reported that Ota had withdrawn her request to present a trophy because she did not have enough time to muster support for her cause. Her place will be taken by a male deputy.Debate over whether a woman can enter the sumo ring erupted after Ota's election, when she asked the Japan Sumo Association to allow her to present a trophy to the winner of an Osaka sumo tournament this month.Tradition bans women from the ring itself on the grounds that it is sacred and their presence, considered unclean, would pollute it. Yet it is also customary for prizes to be presented by the governor of the prefecture in which a tournament is held.The Sumo Association, though, remained unmoved, asking that Ota give in for the sake of tradition.Both boys and girls may take part in children's sumo wrestling in primary school, but women are barred from the rings where national matches are held under the association's auspices.Article © 2000 Reuters Limited. Lesson © 2001 www.english-to-go.com Post-Reading Activities: Part TwoIf At First You Don't Succeed... A: Inference Find evidence in the following article for this statement:Statement: "This article was written AFTER the two other articles in Part One of today's lesson."Women in the Sumo RingTOKYO Wednesday February 28 (Reuters) - Japan's first female governor said Wednesday she wants to (1)__________ her way into the male-dominated sumo ring to present the trophies -- a role traditionally granted to the provincial governor where tournaments are held.Fusae Ota, elected governor of the western city of Osaka in February 2000, has called on the Japan Sumo Association to allow her to present the trophy to the winner of the Osaka Tournament in March 2001, the Kyodo news agency said.The tournament will include all of Japan's sumo wrestlers.Tradition (2)__________ women from entering a sumo ring on the grounds that it is sacred and their presence, considered unclean, would pollute it.But, it is also customary that prizes are presented by the governor of the prefecture where a tournament is held.Ota failed in a (3)__________ to present the trophy at last year's tournament. A male deputy presented the trophy instead.``It's time to reconsider this issue since it's been put on hold for one year,'' Ota was quoted as saying.``My intention to (4)__________ the winner the trophy on my own remains unchanged and I'm only thinking about doing it on the dohyo ring.''The chairman of the Sumo Association said he needed time to answer her request. Last year the association asked Ota to give in for the sake of tradition.Article © 2001 Reuters Limited. Lesson © 2001 www.english-to-go.comB: ComprehensionRead these questions and then look for the answers in the article.1. Is Fusae Ota still governor of Osaka?2. Who presented the trophy at the 2000 Osaka tournament?3. True or False? Ota will only present the trophy inside the sumo ring.4. What was the chairman of the Sumo Association's reply when Ota once again requested to present the trophy at this year's Osaka tournament? C: Gap FillThe following list of words are missing from today's article. Put the words in the correct places in the article. Do not use your dictionary. bid (n); bans (v); hand (v); wrestle (v)D: Grammar - PrepositionsThe following nine prepositions make up about 90% of all preposition uses. These prepositions are: Of To In For On With At By From. Most prepositions have many uses or meanings. Fill the gaps in the article by choosing one of the following prepositions: of, to, in, for Do not look back at the article until you have finished. As if becoming the first female governor 1.________ Japan weren't enough, Osaka leader Fusae Ota is taking on yet another bastion 2.________ male privilege: the sumo ring.Ota, who on February 6 was elected governor 3.________ the western metropolis 4.________ Osaka, said 5.________ Monday she intended to ask the Japan Sumo Association to let her enter the sumo ring to present a trophy 6.________ the winner 7.________ an Osaka sumo tournament next month. Tradition bans women from the ring itself because it is sacred and their presence, considered unclean, would pollute it.Yet it is also custom 8.________ prizes to be presented by the governor 9.________ the prefecture 10.________ which a tournament is held.The Sumo Association appears unlikely to be swayed by feminist arguments."We want to preserve tradition, and ask that governor Ota understand this,'' an association spokesman told Reuters. "As far as I are concerned, given that this is a ring where wrestlers compete, I would prefer that she refrain,'' he added.Both boys and girls may take part 11.________ children's sumo wrestling 12.________ primary school, but women are barred from the rings where national matches are held under the association's auspices. Even when special ceremonies are held 13.________ the ring, such as the ritual cutting 14.________ a wrestler's topknot that signals retirement, it is the wrestler's male relatives and supporters who are allowed a ceremonial snip, never a mother or wife.Three years ago, a separate Japan New Sumo Federation was created 15.________ women with a yen to play the sport professionally, but female sumo hardly rivals the popularity 16.________ the male version.Ota is not the first woman to challenge the "no women allowed'' rule. 17.________ 1989, Mayumi Moriyama, the first female chief cabinet secretary and government spokeswoman, sought to be allowed to present the prestigious Prime Minister's Cup 18.________ the tournament victor, but was forced to back down 19.________ the face 20.________ fierce opposition from traditionalists. Ota, however, has gained an ally 21.________ Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, a right-leaning renegade who tends to revere tradition but also enjoys jousting with the establishment. "22.________ this liberated age, is it really unclean 23.________ a woman to enter the sumo ring? The sumo association should change the way it thinks,'' he said.E: DebateYou are going to prepare to debate the following topic.Tradition is more important than change.Divide into teams. Work together with your teammates to prepare your arguments and discuss what your different roles will be. Then debate the topic with an opposing team. TEACHERS' NOTES AND ANSWER KEY Pre-Reading ActivitiesB: Vocabulary - AnswerAnswer: sumo wrestling. Sumo wrestling is a Japanese sport in which two opponents, wearing silk belts around their middle, try to throw one another to the ground or outside the ring. Steeped in centuries of tradition, sumo remains a popular spectator sport in Japan.Reading ActivitiesA: Comprehension - Answers1. Fusae Ota2. a woman3. Osaka4. She wants to present the winner's trophy at a Osaka sumo tournament.5. It is next month.B: True or False - Answers1.True; 2.True; 3.False; 4.False; 5.True; 6.False.C: Summarizing - Suggested Answers1. Prizes are usually presented in the sumo ring by...the governor of the prefecture in which a tournament is held.2. However, Governor Ota's problem is...because she is a woman, by tradition she is banned from entering the sumo ring.3. The Japan Sumo Association will probably decide to...refuse Governor Ota's request to be allowed into the sumo ring.4. Tokyo Governor Ishihara believes...the Japan Sumo Association should change the way it thinks.D: Guessing Unfamiliar Words - Answers1.a; 2.b; 3.c; 4.b; 5.a; 6.c. Post-Reading ActivitiesA: Vocabulary - Answers1. D, tennis; 2. H, swimming; 3. E, athletics; 4. G, cricket; 5. F, car racing; 6. C, football; 7. A, boxing; 8. B, wrestling.Post-Reading Activities: Part TwoA: Inference - NotesTell the students to look for clues that prove that this article was written after the other ones. They can highlight, underline or write them down. If students are having a lot of difficulty, tell them to look for dates or time expressions such as 'last year'.A: Inference - AnswersClues: February 2000, March 2001 (Paragraph 2); last year's tournament (P6); put on hold for one year (P7); Last year (P9).B: Comprehension - Answers1. Yes.2. A male deputy.3. True.4. He said he needed time to answer her request.C: Gap Fill - Answers1.wrestle; 2.bans; 3.bid; 4.hand.D: Grammar - Prepositions - Answers1.of 2.of 3.of 4.of 5.on 6.to 7.of 8.for 9.of 10.in 11.in 12.in 13.in 14.of 15.for 16.of 17.in 18.to 19.in 20.of 21.in 22.in 23.forE: Debate - NotesRemind students that they have already talked about tradition and change in Pre-Reading Activity A. This should give them a little extra confidence going into the debate.© 1997-2010. English To Go Limited. All rights reserved. English-To-Go, english-to-go.com, Instant Lessons, Instant Workbook, Weekly Warmer, Anna Grammar and Max Vocab are the registered trade marks of English To Go Limited. Other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners and are used with permission. email: editor@english-to-go.com