Topical News Lessons

parts of the country. Coastal cities such as 
Hakodate have always been the main 
market for whale meat. But many older 
Japanese living in the big cities also have 
good memories of whale meat. Just after 
the Second World War, there wasn’t much 
food and people were dying of hunger in 
cities like Tokyo. Whale meat kept many 
people alive.
Hakodate fish merchants know that people 
in some parts of the world do not agree 
with the killing of whales but they do not 
understand it when anti-whaling 
campaigners protest against the killing of 
whales and the sale of whale meat. When 
Lucky Pierrot decided to sell 
whaleburgers, the restaurant's management 
received hundreds of angry letters and 
emails. "We're not the only ones selling 
whalemeat. You can buy whale meat at 
many places in Japan," said Miku Oh, a 
spokesman for Lucky Pierrot. Most 
Japanese are against a ban on whaling. 
According to one survey, only 22.6% were 
in favour of a complete whaling ban, while 
39% were against a ban.
However, not everyone likes the taste of 
whale meat. Most young people in Japan 
eat fast food and do not like whale meat. 
"Most of my friends prefer other forms of 
seafood, like salmon and crab, to whale," 
said Jun Matsuda, a college student from 
Tokyo who was visiting with his friends. 
"Whale meat is what my parents ate when 
they were young, and they said it wasn't 
very good. I've haven’t seen a 
whaleburger, but I don't think I want to try 
one." 
The Guardian Weekly 22/7/2005, page 17 

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© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2005 
Taken from the 
Magazine 
section in 
www.onestopenglish.com
Match the beginnings and the endings of the sentences: 
1. The writer didn’t like his whaleburger because … 
2. The writer liked the whale sushi because … 
3. Many older Japanese have good memories of whalemeat because … 
4. Most younger Japanese do not like whale meat and … 
5. Coastal cities like Hakodate … 
6. Not many Japanese people … 
a. … have always been the main market for whale meat. 
b. … it kept people alive after the Second World War. 
c. … are in favour of a ban on whaling.
d. … it was black and tough. 
e. … prefer other forms of seafood. 
f. … it was tender, juicy and tasty.