Police Check Train for Strange Smell

May 11, 2026, 13:41
AsiaHealth

Introduction

On May 10, people on a train felt sick. Some people went to the hospital and the trains stopped for a short time.

Main Body

At 4:30 PM, a train went from Odawara to Takasaki. People in one car smelled pepper. They started to cough and their throats hurt. The train stopped at Kawasaki Station. More than twenty emergency teams arrived. Ten people went to the hospital at first. Later, police said a father, a mother, and a baby needed help. Firefighters used a machine to find bad gas. The machine found nothing. No one saw a person spray anything on the train. JR East stopped trains between Yokohama and Shinagawa. Some trains used a different line. Later, the trains started to move normally again.

Conclusion

Police do not know what the smell was. They do not know if someone put a chemical on the train.

Learning

πŸ•’ The 'Past Time' Pattern

Look at these words from the story:

  • felt (feel β†’ felt)
  • went (go β†’ went)
  • stopped (stop β†’ stopped)
  • smelled (smell β†’ smelled)

How it works: To tell a story about yesterday or last week, we change the action word.

Two simple paths:

  1. The Easy Way: Just add -ed to the end.

    • stop β†’ stopped
    • smell β†’ smelled

  2. The Change Way: Some words completely change their look.

    • go β†’ went
    • feel β†’ felt

Example from text: "The trains stopped for a short time." (This happened in the past, so we don't say 'stop').

Vocabulary Learning

people (n.)
a group of persons
Example:People gathered at the station.
train (n.)
a vehicle that runs on rails
Example:The train left at nine.
smell (n.)
a scent that can be detected by the nose
Example:The smell of coffee filled the room.
sick (adj.)
feeling ill or not healthy
Example:He felt sick after eating too much.
hospital (n.)
a place where sick people are treated
Example:She was taken to the hospital.
stopped (v.)
ceased to move
Example:The bus stopped at the corner.
time (n.)
a period during which events happen
Example:It took an hour of time.
car (n.)
a vehicle that runs on roads
Example:She bought a new car.
pepper (n.)
a spice made from dried berries
Example:He added pepper to the soup.
cough (v.)
to expel air from the lungs with a sudden sound
Example:He had to cough to clear his throat.
throat (n.)
the passage that connects the mouth to the stomach
Example:Her throat was sore.
hurt (v.)
to cause pain
Example:The fall hurt his arm.
station (n.)
a place where trains stop
Example:The station is busy.
emergency (adj.)
urgent and needing immediate action
Example:Emergency services responded quickly.
team (n.)
a group of people working together
Example:The rescue team arrived.
father (n.)
a male parent
Example:His father gave him advice.
mother (n.)
a female parent
Example:Her mother cooked dinner.
baby (n.)
a very young child
Example:The baby laughed.
help (v.)
to assist or support
Example:She will help you.
machine (n.)
a device with moving parts
Example:The machine made coffee.
gas (n.)
a substance that is gaseous at room temperature
Example:Gas can be dangerous.
nothing (pron.)
not anything
Example:I found nothing.
person (n.)
an individual human
Example:A person walked in.
spray (v.)
to disperse droplets
Example:She sprayed water.
line (n.)
a series of connected points
Example:The train line runs north.
move (v.)
to change position
Example:They will move to a new house.
normal (adj.)
usual or typical
Example:It was a normal day.
police (n.)
officers who enforce laws
Example:The police arrived.
know (v.)
to be aware of
Example:I know the answer.
chemical (n.)
a substance used in science
Example:Chemicals can be harmful.
bad (adj.)
not good
Example:He had a bad day.
different (adj.)
not the same
Example:They have different opinions.
again (adv.)
once more
Example:Try again.
first (adj.)
at the beginning
Example:The first day was exciting.
later (adv.)
at a later time
Example:Later we will discuss.
at (prep.)
used to indicate a location or time
Example:At 4:30 PM.
from (prep.)
indicating origin
Example:From Odawara to Takasaki.
to (prep.)
indicating direction
Example:To the hospital.
and (conj.)
used to connect words
Example:Father and mother.
or (conj.)
used to give alternatives
Example:Coffee or tea.
if (conj.)
used to introduce a condition
Example:If it rains, we stay inside.
on (prep.)
indicating surface
Example:On the train.
in (prep.)
indicating location
Example:In the car.
for (prep.)
indicating purpose
Example:For the journey.
of (prep.)
indicating belonging
Example:The smell of coffee.
by (prep.)
indicating means
Example:By train.
with (prep.)
indicating accompaniment
Example:With a friend.