Japan's famous cherry blossoms have bloomed earlier than ever before. Scientists say the flowers opened in March this year, which is the earliest date in more than 1,200 years of records. Cherry blossoms, called 'sakura' in Japanese, are very important to Japanese culture. People love to have picnics under the pink flowers every spring.
Experts believe the early blooming is caused by climate change. Winters in Japan are getting warmer, so the flowers wake up from their sleep too soon. Many people worry that in the future, cherry blossoms may bloom even earlier or not bloom well at all. The government is now studying how to protect these beautiful trees for future generations.
Sources: NHK World / The Japan Times
The words in bold are from the article.
| 1. blossoms | a. tradition |
| 2. bloomed | b. history |
| 3. records | c. outdoor meals |
| 4. culture | d. hotter |
| 5. picnics | e. made by |
| 6. caused | f. opened |
| 7. climate | g. coming time |
| 8. warmer | h. keep safe |
| 9. protect | i. flowers |
| 10. future | j. weather |
1.i 2.f 3.b 4.a 5.c 6.e 7.j 8.d 9.h 10.g