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The Long Trip of a Sea Turtle

A young sea turtle swimming through the sea

Read about the long and dangerous journey of a sea turtle.

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Words to Know　読む前に知っておきたい言葉

You may want to read these words before you begin.

WordEnglish explanation日本語
seaa large area of salt water海
turtlean animal with a hard shell that lives on land or in waterカメ
egga round object from which a young animal can come卵
sandvery small pieces of stone found on a beach砂
beachan area of sand or small stones next to the sea浜、海辺
eatto put food in your mouth and take it into your body食べる
tripa journey from one place to another旅、移動
coverto put something over another thing覆う、かぶせる
dangerouslikely to hurt someone or cause a problem危険な
kilometrea measure of distance equal to 1,000 metresキロメートル

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A sea turtle begins its life under the sand. Its mother comes out of the sea at night. She moves slowly across the beach and finds a safe place. She makes a deep hole in the sand and puts many eggs inside it. Then she covers the eggs and goes back to the sea.

After many weeks, the young turtles come out of their eggs. They move up through the sand together. When they come out, they must find the sea. They can see the open sky over the water. They move toward it as fast as they can.

This first trip is dangerous. Birds and other animals may try to eat them. Some young turtles go the wrong way. Only some of them get to the water. When they reach the sea, they begin to swim.

The young turtles move far from the beach. The water carries them across the sea. They find food and grow. They may travel for many years and go thousands of kilometres. During this time, they see many parts of the sea. They may live near warm water, small islands, or places with a lot of food.

Life in the sea is not easy. Big animals may try to eat them. People also leave many dangerous things in the water. A turtle may eat something made by people because it looks like food. It may also become caught in something and be unable to swim away.

Years later, a female sea turtle goes back toward the place where her life began. She can find the right part of the world even after a very long time. She comes out of the sea, moves across the sand, and makes a hole for her eggs.

After she covers them, she returns to the water. Some weeks later, new turtles begin the same long trip. Their lives will take them far across the sea, but one day some of them may come back to this beach.

Take a moment to think about what you read.

Optional: Check your understanding

You can answer these five quick questions, or skip them and choose another story.

1. Where does a sea turtle begin its life?

  1. Under the sand
  2. On a small island
  3. In deep water
  4. Near a tree

2. What do the young turtles do when they reach the sea?

  1. They go back to the sand.
  2. They begin to swim.
  3. They wait for their mother.
  4. They make a new hole.

3. Why is the turtles’ first trip dangerous?

  1. The water is always cold.
  2. They cannot see the sky.
  3. Other animals may eat them.
  4. The beach is too far away.

4. How long may young turtles travel?

  1. For one day
  2. For one week
  3. For one month
  4. For many years

5. What does a female turtle do years later?

  1. She returns toward the place where her life began.
  2. She learns to live on land.
  3. She stays with her young turtles.
  4. She stops travelling through the sea.
Show answers
  1. A — Under the sand
  2. B — They begin to swim.
  3. C — Other animals may eat them.
  4. D — For many years
  5. A — She returns toward the place where her life began.

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