Listen Up: Record tourist numbers threaten Nara Park's deer
1. Which word can replace 'peckish' in the podcast?
A. noisy
B. sleepy
C. angry
D. hungry
2. What food can tourists give the deer?
A. special rice crackers
B. vegetables
C. fruits
D. They cannot feed the animals.
3. According to the podcast, what kind of waste is a threat to the deer?
A. food scraps
B. metal
C. paper
D. none of the above
4. What is the main reason for the increased amount of rubbish in Nara Park?
A. decreased rainfall
B. more tourists
C. lack of bins
D. negligence of park staff
5. What did some people find inside dead Nara deer?
A. undigested rice crackers
B. tiny rocks
C. plastic waste
D. rotten food
6. Which of the following best describe what Beautiful Deer does?
A. They pick up rubbish in the park.
B. They take care of injured deer.
C. They keep the deer from eating food they should not.
D. They investigate why the deer died.
7. How many wild deer are there in Nara Park?
A. less than 300
B. almost 900
C. slightly more than 1,000
D. about 3,000
8. What do some people believe about the deer?
A. They bring good luck to those who see them.
B. They were the first animals to live in Nara.
C. They are holy messengers.
D. They guide lost travellers.
9. How many tourists visited Japan last year?
A 8.63 million
B. 36.8 million
C. 54.2 million
D. 60 million
10. What are the concerns of residents and authorities regarding the rise in tourist numbers?
A. overcrowding
B. bad behaviour
C. violations of traffic laws
D. all of the above
11. If a tourist destination is a 'hotspot', it is …
A. a popular place attracting many visitors.
B. likely to be uncrowded and peaceful.
C. a place with few attractions.
D. a place that is difficult to get to.
12. What is the reason for the lack of public trash bins in Nara Park?
A. to prevent people from accidentally knocking them over
B. to encourage recycling
C. to prevent deer from scavenging
D. to make the park look nicer
13. According to the podcast, what do most Japanese people do with their rubbish when they are outside?
A. put it in recycling bins
B. bring it home to dispose of
C. leave it for staff to collect
D. put in special biodegradable bags
14. What features do the hi-tech bins currently being tested in the park offer?
A. compress rubbish
B. dispense rice crackers
C. automatically alert park staff when they are full
D. sort rubbish into different recycling categories
15. What is one theory for the scarcity of public trash bins in Japan?
A. They are too expensive to maintain.
B. They attract too many insects.
C. They encourage littering.
D. They were removed after a series of gas attacks.
A dedicated team of litter-pickers called Beautiful Deer is working to keep Nara Park clean and protect the animals. Photo: AFP
Answers
1. D
2. A
3. D
4. B
5. C
6. A
7. C
8. C
9. B
10. D
11. A
12. C
13. B
14. A
15. D
Script
Adapted from Agence France-Presse
Voice 1: As peckish deer chase delighted tourists in Japan's temple-dotted Nara Park, a quiet but dedicated team of litter-pickers patrols the stone paths, collecting plastic waste that threatens the animals' health. Around 1,300 wild deer roam the vast park, which has been their home since the eighth century when, as the legend goes, they acted as divine envoys for a Shinto shrine.
Voice 2: The ancient city of Nara is a major draw for visitors to Japan, but there have been unwelcome consequences. The animals are increasingly eating rubbish by accident even though tourists are only allowed to feed the deer special rice crackers sold in Nara.
Voice 1: According to Nobuyuki Yamazaki of the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation, more people are tossing away their leftovers or snack packaging in the park. He warned that the plastic items could accumulate in deer stomachs over a long period, leading to their death. Some activists have even retrieved chunks of plastic waste from Nara deer carcasses. Armed with gloves, tongs and dustpans, the park's litter-picking squad – called Beautiful Deer – is fighting back. The team, which mostly employs people with disabilities, has been collaborating with Yamazaki's foundation for several years.
Voice 2: Drawn partly by the weak yen, 36.8 million foreign visitors came to Japan last year, a new record that the government wants to almost double to 60 million annually by 2030. But residents and authorities in tourist hotspots, from tradition-steeped Kyoto to towns near the majestic Mount Fuji, are increasingly voicing frustration about overcrowding, traffic violations and bad behaviour by some visitors.
Voice 1: Nara Park is no exception, especially when it comes to litter. The park has no public bins – a policy introduced about four decades ago to stop deer scavenging in them for food. Visitors are instead encouraged to take their trash home – an ingrained habit in Japan that is not always shared by people from abroad, Yamazaki said.
Voice 2: With cultural differences in mind, Nara authorities are trialling hi-tech, solar-powered bins near the park. The bins can automatically compress trash and bear the slogan: 'Save the Nara deer from plastic waste'. Public bins are scarce across Japan, with one theory being that the deadly 1995 subway sarin gas attacks by a doomsday cult caused them to be removed.
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