Japanese TV Star Murakami Denies Plans to Enter Politics
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Japanese TV personality Shingo Murakami has been chosen to host a new information and news program called "News to."
During an interview, he was asked whether he might enter politics in the future.
Murakami answered clearly, saying there is "no chance, not even one in ten thousand," that he will go into politics this year.
He also spoke about his former group, STARTO, admitting that it is currently dealing with several problems.
Murakami said he understood why people might ask him about the issues, since they are well known.
When he was offered the job of hosting the new program, he did not accept it right away.
He needed time to think carefully before making his final decision.
It is not clear from the report who he spoke to before deciding, but the question was raised during the interview.
Meanwhile, another announcer, Chiaki Kuroki, is also starting a new program soon.
She will host a news show that will air in the time slot after the popular program "Miyaneya."
Kuroki described the challenge ahead using the image of "rough waves" in front of her, suggesting it will not be easy.
She said she wants to give everything she has to the new show.
Her program is set to begin airing starting tomorrow.
Both hosts are taking on new responsibilities in Japanese television news at around the same time.
Vocabulary7 words
- host
- a person who leads or presents a TV show
- politics
- work that involves running a country or government
- personality
- a famous person known to the public, often on TV
- former
- something that used to exist before, not now
- announcer
- a person who reads news or talks on TV or radio
- slot
- a fixed time for something, like a TV show
- challenge
- a hard task that tests someone
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Quiz
Answer key
1. No chance, not even one in ten thousand 2. It is dealing with several problems 3. She compared it to rough waves ahead
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Japanese TV personality Shingo Murakami has been chosen to host a new _____ and news program called "News to."
During an interview, he was asked whether he might enter _____ in the future.
Murakami answered clearly, saying there is "no chance, not even one in _____," that he will go into politics this year.
He also spoke about his former group, _____, admitting that it is currently dealing with several problems.
When he was offered the job of hosting the new program, he did not accept it right _____.
He needed time to think carefully before making his final _____.
Meanwhile, another announcer, Chiaki _____, is also starting a new program soon.
She will host a news show that will air in the time slot after the popular program "_____."
Kuroki described the challenge ahead using the image of "rough _____" in front of her.
Her program is set to begin airing starting _____.
Discussion questions
- Do you think it is common for TV hosts to be asked about entering politics? Why or why not?
- How would you answer if someone asked about your future career plans in a public interview?
- What do you think makes starting a new TV program challenging for a host?
- Why might a person need time before accepting a new job offer, even an exciting one?
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