ACTIVITY 1: READING COMPREHENSION
Read
the travel blog of a visitor to Japan. Answer the questions.
https://www.spiritualtravels.info/spiritual-sites-around-the-world/asia/kyoto/major-sites/shisen-do-temple/
Wednesday, August 10th Day 10 of my travels in Japan:
KYOTO
Today
was extremely hot and humid. This morning, I left the hotel at ten and ventured
into noisy, crowded, downtown Kyoto. I
headed for Shisen-do, a temple that a friend of mine said I shouldn't miss.
Although I was wearing light, cotton clothing, I was already sweating after
twenty minutes. So when I reached the temple and walked in, I was struck by the
cool, dark, peaceful interior. Shisen-do is a beautiful, old, wooden temple
built with great simplicity and grace, surrounded by tall, ancient, maple trees
and overlooking a large, deep pond with moss-covered rocks. There is always the
sound of running water in Japanese temples, and to the left of the pond was a
fountain with a long, black bamboo tube which tipped backwards when it was full
of water, making a soft knocking sound
on the stone beneath.
While
I was sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat, looking out at the garden, I got
into conversation with an interesting young man wearing a pale blue, cotton
robe. He told me he came there to meditate every day. I could see why. When I
left, I experienced an incredible sense of calm and well-being, and as I sat
having a long, cold drink in a lovely little café not far away, I realized I
hadn't felt like that in a very long time.