goal 4 discuss taking risks a delicacy to die...
TRANSCRIPT
106 Danger Lesson D 107
Goal 4 Discuss taking risks
Do you enjoy taking risks Explain your answer to a partner
Communication
Writing
A Discuss the questions with a partner
1 What are some dangerous activities that people do for fun
2 Would you like to try any of these activities Why or why not
B Read the statements Circle T for true F for false and NI for no information (if the answer is not in the reading)
1 Fugu are a kind of poisonous fish T F NI 2 People in Japan eat fugu
because itrsquos very cheap T F NI 3 Restaurants in Japan arenrsquot allowed
to sell some parts of a fugu T F NI 4 Fugu live only in the sea around
Japan T F NI 5 Scientists know exactly where
the toxins in fugu come from T F NI 6 A scientist has produced fugu
that arenrsquot dangerous T F NI 7 Fugu is safe to eat after it is
cooked T F NI
C Match the sentence parts to show the reasons
D GOAL 4 DISCUSS TAKING RISKS
Reading
A Delicacy to Die For
Fugu or puffer fish is a famous and exotic food in Japan It can also be deadly People who eat the liver skin or some other body parts of the fish swallow a poison called tetrodoxin which stops human nerve cells from working They risk dyingmdashjust like a famous Japanese actor named Mitsuguro Bando In 1975 he spent an evening with friends eating fugu liver because he enjoyed the tingling feeling it created in his mouth But that tingling was caused by the poison Soon Bando couldnrsquot move his arms or legs Then he had trouble breathing Eight hours later he was dead
Discuss the questions with two or more students
1 Why do you think people like to eat fugu List all the reasons you can think of
2 Why do some people enjoy doing risky things
3 Tell the group about a time when you took a risk How did you feel Are you glad that you did it
You can still eat fugu in Japan in restaurants where chefs prepare beautiful plates of thinly sliced raw fugu for $500 Fortunately nowadays fugu chefs must have training and a special license They have to pass an exam in 20 minutes they must divide a fish into edible and toxic parts label the parts with plastic tags (black for edible red for toxic) make it into sashimi and prepare a beautiful arrangement on a plate Last year 900 candidates took the exam but only 63 percent of them passed They are not allowed to serve the liver or other toxic parts
Scientists are not sure about the origin of the fugursquos poison Tamao Noguchi a researcher at Nagasaki University believes that the secret is in the fugursquos diet Puffer fish he explains take in toxins when they eat smaller animals like worms or shellfish that contain toxic bacteria In experiments Noguchi raised several fugu in his laboratory and fed them a special diet Their bodies did not contain the toxin
Noguchi hopes that his research will make fugu liver available in restaurants in the future ldquoItrsquos a great delicacyrdquo he says ldquoOnce you eat it you cannot stoprdquo Japan banned the sale of fugu liver in 1983 because hundreds of people had died from eating just a little too much of it or eating it by mistake If Noguchi can produce nontoxic fugu the laws could be changed
But would nontoxic fugu really be the same Some people think the taste would be just as delicious But Noguchi says it would actually be a sad day for the fish ldquoAfter allrdquo he says ldquoa fugu without its poison is like a samurai without his swordrdquo
chef
sashimi
puffer fish (fugu)
samurai sword
1 Fugu chefs must pass a difficult test __ 2 People like to eat fugu liver __ 3 Selling fugu liver is not allowed in Japan __ 4 Fugu must be prepared carefully __ 5 Noguchi did experiments with fugu __
a to produce fugu with no toxins b because only some parts are safe to eat c because it makes the mouth tingle d because their mistakes can kill people e because it is too dangerous
Write about the experience you described to your group Include details about what you did and your reasons for doing it
Tokyo Japan