Heavy Rain from Typhoon Hits Fushiki, Japan; Trains Stopped
Listen to the story
A big typhoon hit Japan. It brought very heavy rain to a place called Fushiki. In one hour, 52 millimeters of rain fell there. This is a lot of rain in a short time.
The rain caused problems for trains. A train company called JR and another company called Ainokaze stopped 28 trains. People could not travel on these trains.
The heavy rain also caused danger in two towns, Takaoka and Tonami. The government gave a Level 4 warning. This means people must be ready to leave their homes.
The warning was about landslides. A landslide happens when wet earth and rocks move down a hill fast. This can be very dangerous for people.
The heavy rain fell mostly in the west part of Toyama Prefecture. This is an area in Japan. People there had to be careful during the storm.
Vocabulary15 words
- typhoon
- a very big, strong storm with wind and rain
- JR
- a big train company in Japan
- Level 4
- a warning number that means big danger
- landslides
- when wet earth and rocks fall down fast
- Prefecture
- a big area in Japan, like a state
- millimeters
- a small unit used to measure rain
- cancelled
- stopped; did not happen
- warning
- a message that tells people about danger
- danger
- a bad thing that can hurt people
- storm
- bad weather with strong wind and rain
- heavy rain
- a lot of rain falling fast
- hour
- 60 minutes of time
- government
- the group of people who run a country or area
- west
- a direction; opposite of east
- travel
- to go from one place to another
Quiz
Answer key
1. 52 millimeters 2. 28 3. Landslides
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A big _____ hit Japan. It brought very heavy rain to a place called Fushiki. In one hour, _____ millimeters of rain fell there. This is a lot of rain in a short time.
The rain caused problems for trains. A train company called _____ and another company called Ainokaze stopped _____ trains. People could not travel on these trains.
The heavy rain also caused danger in two towns, Takaoka and Tonami. The government gave a _____ warning. This means people must be ready to leave their homes.
The warning was about _____. A landslide happens when wet earth and rocks move down a hill fast. This can be very dangerous for people.
The heavy rain fell mostly in the west part of Toyama _____. This is an area in Japan. People there had to be careful during the storm.