Former Fukuoka Assembly Speaker Resigns, Declines to Hold Press Conference
Listen to the story
Kurauchi Isao was the speaker of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly. He resigned from his job as an assembly member.
People wanted him to have a press conference. He said no. He sent a document instead. He wrote that a press conference "should be avoided."
When he resigned, he said he would talk about it later. He said, "I will report slowly in Fukuoka later."
The problem is about money. People say Kurauchi got money in a bad way. This is called a scandal.
The money problem is about a trip to Paris. Some people had dinner there. The dinner cost 1 million yen.
A third-party committee is checking the story. This group is not part of the assembly. They had their own press conference about it.
Governor Hattori also talked about the trip. He said the trip was "a necessary thing to do."
Vocabulary15 words
- speaker
- the leader of a group of politicians
- resigned
- left a job on purpose
- press conference
- a meeting where someone answers questions from news people
- document
- a piece of paper with writing
- scandal
- a bad thing that many people know about
- third-party committee
- a group not connected to the problem, checking facts
- governor
- the leader of a prefecture (area) in Japan
- assembly
- a group of people who make local laws
- overseas
- in another country
- investigate
- to look closely at something to find the truth
- necessary
- very needed
- prefecture
- a big area in Japan, like a state
- report
- to tell people information
- member
- a person who is part of a group
- trip
- a journey to another place
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Speaker of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly 2. He sent a written document saying it should be avoided 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Kurauchi Isao was the _____ of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly. He _____ from his job as an assembly member.
People wanted him to have a _____. He said no. He sent a _____ instead. He wrote that a press conference "should be _____."
When he resigned, he said he would talk about it later. He said, "I will report slowly in Fukuoka _____."
The problem is about money. People say Kurauchi got money in a bad way. This is called a _____.
The money problem is about a trip to _____. Some people had dinner there. The dinner cost _____ yen.
A _____ is checking the story. They had their own press conference about it.
Governor Hattori also talked about the trip. He said the trip was "a _____ thing to do."
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