海の底の「ゴジラ」、世界の地質遺産に

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today, November ninth: a giant landform deep under the sea, named after Godzilla, has joined a world list of special places. Let's listen.

Now let's break it down.

Deep at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, there is a landform named Godzilla.

It means bottom. The bottom of the sea, the bottom of a cup.

The coast guard found it in two thousand and one, in the sea near a tiny Japanese island far to the south.

It means to find, to discover.

It is about one hundred twenty-five kilometers long and about fifty-five kilometers wide.

It means width. Long and wide, length and width.

It is about three times the size of Tokyo, and the largest of its kind in the world.

It means times, as in three times bigger.

Because it is so big, it was named after the monster Godzilla.

It means to attach. With the word for name, it means to give a name.

Parts of it, like its mountains, are named Godzilla's arms, legs and spine.

This month, it was chosen for a world list of one hundred geological heritage sites.

It means to choose. Here it is in the passive form: was chosen.

These sites are important places for learning about the history of the Earth.

It means history.

This is the first time a place in the ocean has been chosen.

Now listen to the full story again.

Quiz time. Listen and answer.

From the monster Godzilla.

About three times.

Yes, it is the first time.

That's all for this morning. Next time you look at the sea, remember there may be a monster sleeping at the bottom. Thanks for listening, and see you next time.