Reading: Traditional Homes in Japan

Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

How to use this lesson

For the teacher: Have students read the story aloud or silently in 8 minutes. Check answers together with the class using the explanations provided.

For the learner: First, read the short story and look at the new words below it. Next, answer the 8 questions from question 1 to question 8.

My First Day in a Japanese Home

Today is my first day in a traditional Japanese home. At the door, there is a small space called the genkan. Here, people take off their shoes before they go inside. The rooms have soft tatami floors. Sliding doors separate the rooms. At night, we put a futon on the floor to sleep. In the morning, we fold it and put it away. Now, the room is ready for other things!

Word help:

genkan: a small space at the entrance door.
tatami: floor mats made of straw.
futon: a thin bed for sleeping.

1. True or False: People take off their shoes in the genkan before going in.

____ True ____ False

2. True or False: Tatami mats stay on the wall.

____ True ____ False

3. What are tatami mats made of?

____ a. wood ____ b. straw ____ c. stone

4. What divides or separates the rooms?

____ a. large curtains ____ b. tall stone walls ____ c. sliding doors

5. A futon is a thin ___ for sleeping.

____ a. bed ____ b. table ____ c. door

6. Complete the sentence: At the door, there is a small space called the ___.

____

7. Complete the sentence: People put a futon on the floor at ___.

____

8. Complete the sentence: In the morning, people fold the futon and put it away so the room can be used for other ___.

____

How to use this lesson

My First Day in a Japanese Home

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