Higher than Mount Fuji?

2024.07.09
Writer / 記事を書いた人
Leo
Peru(ペルー)

I am from Peru. I have lived in Japan for about 20 years. I like playing rock music. My favorite instruments are the electric guitar and the bass. I also like listening to world music.

Article

Higher than Mount Fuji?

▼ 記事の音声を再生

<Let's learn!>
・extend(s) from A to B
・be known for …
・followed by …
=====================================

Peru is a land of mountains. The Andes range extends from south to north throughout the entire country. Thirty-seven peaks reach an elevation of over 6,000 meters (19,685 feet). The highest of them is the mighty Huascaran, which reaches 6,768 meters (22,204 feet). I come from the high plains in the southeast region of Peru. I was born in a small town that lies at 3,825 meters above sea level (12,549 feet). My hometown is located on the north part of Lake Titicaca, which lies at 3,815 meters (12,500 feet) and is known for being the world’s highest lake navigable for large vessels. Those not familiar with South American geography find it hard to believe these facts when they hear it for the first time. I always see dubious faces or suspicious reactions followed by questions asking me if I am serious or sure about my numbers. Other questions try to argue about the possibility of humans living at these altitudes. Mount Fuji has an elevation of 3,776 meters (12,387 feet) and is the highest point in Japan. It is always amusing for both kids at school and me every time I mention that I am a “mountain boy” who used to live in a place higher than Mount Fuji.

日本語訳を見る

Key Points

Repeat each word(s) and example sentence(s) after your teacher/tutor.

Key Phrases 重要表現

extend(s) from A to B

AからBに広がる

The Tokaido Shinkansen extends from Tokyo to Osaka.

be known for…

…として知られる

Peru is known for its ancient Incan city, Machu Picchu.

followed by …

…に続いて

The ceremony was followed by the reception.

Key Vocabulary 重要単語・熟語

elevation

ˌɛləˈveɪʃən

標高、海抜

名詞

the height of a mountain or an area of land

I have climbed a mountain with an elevation of 2000 meters.

lie

lɑɪ

位置する

動詞

to be in a place

In Japan, nobody lives in a place that lies at over 3000 meters.

locate

ˈloʊ·keɪt

(場所)にある、位置する

動詞

to be in a particular place

The museum is located in the heart of the city.

geography

dʒiˈɑ·ɡrə·fi

地理

名詞

the study of countries and their physical features

I am not very familiar with the geography of South America.

suspicious

səˈspɪʃ·əs

不審な、怪しい、疑わしい

形容詞

not trusting someone

Please be careful with suspicious emails.

argue

ˈɑr·ɡju

議論する

動詞

to disagree angrily

They argue about politics all the time.

mention

ˈmɛnʃən

言う、言及する

動詞

to comment on somebody or something while you are talking

Did she mention where she was going?

Others その他

range

reɪndʒ

山脈

名詞

a line of hills or mountains

The Himalayan range is home to the world's highest peak, Mount Everest.

mighty

ˈmɑɪ·t̬i

巨大な

形容詞

very powerful or successful

A mighty rock blocked the way.

navigable

ˈnæv.ə.ɡə.bəl

航行できる

形容詞

water deep and wide enough for a ship to go through

The Sumida River is navigable to Odaiba via Tokyo Bay.

vessel

ˈves·əl

船、汽船、大型船

名詞

a ship or large boat

The vessel slowly moved away from the shore.

dubious

ˈduː.bi.əs

疑わしい

形容詞

something not completely true or trusted

The results of the research are dubious.

Practice

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.

The Great Wall of China (___)(___) east to west.

ヒント:extend(s) from A to B

回答を見る

The Great Wall of China (extends) (from) east to west.

Peru (___)(___) for the Nazca Lines.

ヒント:be known for

回答を見る

Peru (is) (known) for the Nazca Lines.

We had dinner, (___)(___) a walk along the beach.

ヒント:followed by

回答を見る

We had dinner, (followed) (by) a walk along the beach.

Article

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your teacher/tutor.

Higher than Mount Fuji?

<Let's learn!>
・extend(s) from A to B
・be known for …
・followed by …
=====================================

Peru is a land of mountains. The Andes range extends from south to north throughout the entire country. Thirty-seven peaks reach an elevation of over 6,000 meters (19,685 feet). The highest of them is the mighty Huascaran, which reaches 6,768 meters (22,204 feet). I come from the high plains in the southeast region of Peru. I was born in a small town that lies at 3,825 meters above sea level (12,549 feet). My hometown is located on the north part of Lake Titicaca, which lies at 3,815 meters (12,500 feet) and is known for being the world’s highest lake navigable for large vessels. Those not familiar with South American geography find it hard to believe these facts when they hear it for the first time. I always see dubious faces or suspicious reactions followed by questions asking me if I am serious or sure about my numbers. Other questions try to argue about the possibility of humans living at these altitudes. Mount Fuji has an elevation of 3,776 meters (12,387 feet) and is the highest point in Japan. It is always amusing for both kids at school and me every time I mention that I am a “mountain boy” who used to live in a place higher than Mount Fuji.

Questions

Answer the questions based on the article.

What is the elevation of Huascaran in meters?

ヒント:The elevation of Huascaran is ~

回答を見る

The elevation of Huascaran is 6,768 meters.

Where is Leo's hometown located?

ヒント:His hometown is located ~

回答を見る

His hometown is located on the north part of Lake Titicaca.

Compared to Mount Fuji, how many meters higher is the place where Leo used to live?

ヒント:It is ~ meters higher than Mount Fuji.

・His hometown : 3,815 meters

回答を見る

It is 39 meters higher than Mount Fuji.

Discussion

Let’s have a discussion about the theme with your teacher/tutor or classmates.

With your teacher/tutor 先生とのディスカッション

What are some interesting facts or landmarks about your hometown that people might find surprising?

What are some common reactions you get when you tell people about your hometown?

Have you ever visited a place with a significantly different altitude from where you live?
How did it affect you?

With your classmates クラスメートとのディスカッション

Would you prefer to live in a high-altitude area or near the sea? Why?

If you were to live in a place with an elevation higher than Mount Fuji, what difficulties do you think you might face?