F2F Class Notes 28th February (Celeste)***

Read a chapter of your book and write a summary of the chapter. Try to use these words: typically, drift, originate and witness. Upload your writing to the website.

Reading

Drift Ice (Ryuhyo)

Located on a similar geographical latitude as Portland (Oregon) and Venice (Italy), the Sea of Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido is the northern hemisphere’s southernmost region to see drifting sea ice (流氷, Ryūhyō). The ice originates from the Amur River in Russia and then drifts through the Sea of Okhotsk to reach Hokkaido typically in mid January to early February before disappearing again around mid March to mid April.

The coast around Abashiri and the western coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula receive the biggest amounts of ice, and in cold winters drift ice can be witnessed as far as Kushiro along the Pacific Coast and Wakkanai at the northern tip of Hokkaido. However, due to global warming, the amount and thickness of the drift ice has decreased considerably since the late 1980s, and it happens increasingly that the ice does not quite reach the Japanese coast during some periods during the ryuhyo season.

Vocabulary

travel course – excursion ( x – ker – zhin )

it will be broken and we will jump into the sea  – it might break and we might fall into the sea

hemisphere – hemi is half, sphere is ball = half of the earth

Equator ( EE kway – ter ) – invisible line that divides the earth in northern and southern hemispheres

Prime Meridian – invisible line that divides the earth in western and eastern hemispheres

drift / drifting / drifted (-tid) / will drift v. – usually to slowly move

originate / originating / originated (-tid) / will originate v. – to come from

typically = usually, most of the time, often

eg. I typically drink tea in the morning.

eg. I typically work later evening. – I typically work late in the evening.

peninsula/s n. – area of land almost completely surrounded by water

witness/es n. – sb who sees sth

eg. There were no witnesses when the man stole her bag.

witness / witnessing / witnessed (-t) / will witness v. – to see or observe sth

eg. I witnessed a miracle the other day. The boy in the wheelchair got up and walked.