Vocabulary
Pavilion / パビリオン(名詞) – A building or space for an exhibition
The Portugal Pavilion was very popular.
ポルトガル・パビリオンはとても人気がありました。
Staff / スタッフ (名詞) – People who work or are employed in a place
The staff helped many visitors.
スタッフは多くの来場者を手伝いました。
Supervisor / 監督者 (名詞) – A person who manages or looks over others
Masha is a supervisor at the pavillion.
マーシャはパビリオンの監督者です。
Organizers / 主催者 (名詞) – People who plan and in charge of an event
The Organizers did not plan this event.
主催者はこのイベントを企画していませんでした。
Festival / 祭り (名詞) – It became like a small festival.
Summer in Japan is the season of festivals.
日本の夏は祭りの季節です。
Article
The Portugal Pavilion Helps Visitors
On August 13, 2025, there was a subway problem at Expo 2025 Osaka. More than 10,000 people had to stay at the venue overnight.
At the Portugal Pavilion, the staff decided to help visitors. They opened the gallery so people could rest inside. They also sold beer and soft drinks. This was not planned by the Expo organizers — it was the idea of the pavilion workers.
Masha Bandjur, 30, was a supervisor at the Portugal Pavilion. Her job was to manage the staff and solve problems. That night, someone said, “What if we sell beer?” Soon, many people came to buy drinks. Everything sold out! Families with children also came to rest.
Other pavilions helped too — Korea gave juice and Germany gave candy. The USA Pavilion joined and played music. People started dancing and it became like a small festival.
Masha said, “The guests’ mood got better, and I felt happy too.” They helped people until 5 a.m. Many visitors said, “Thank you for helping us!”
Masha loves Japan and wants to work in Osaka again in the future.
Source: Mainichi
Comprehension Questions
Answer the questions following the article in English.
- Where did the problem happen?
- What did the Portugal Pavilion staff do to help visitors?
- What did Masha Bandjur do at the pavilion?
- Which other countries helped that night?
- How did people feel after the staff helped them?
Summary
In your own words, attempt to summarise the article in 4 sentences or less.
Discussion
Discuss these topics with your tutor, and support your answers with examples or experience.
- What would you do if you were stuck overnight somewhere?
- Why do you think teamwork was important that night?
- Do you think Masha’s idea was a good one?
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