Search for Missing Student in Japan

在日本搜尋失蹤學生

Jun 4, 2026, 20:03
JapanWorld

Introduction

Police in Japan are looking for James Higginbotham. He is a 20-year-old student from Alabama. He disappeared on May 29 during a trip with his family.

日本警方正在尋找 James Higginbotham。他是一位來自阿拉巴馬州的 20 歲學生。他在 5 月 29 日與家人旅行期間失蹤。

Main Body

James was last seen at Yamashina Station on May 29. His phone stopped working at 8:29 PM. Police do not know if he took another train.

James 最後一次出現是在 5 月 29 日的山科站。他的手機在晚上 8 點 29 分停止運作。警方不知道他是否搭乘了另一班列車。

Police use helicopters and people on foot to search. They look in the hills and near Lake Biwa. James likes hiking, so he may be on a quiet trail. A big storm is coming soon.

警方使用直升機並派人步行搜尋。他們在山區和琵琶湖附近搜尋。James 喜歡徒步旅行，因此他可能在僻靜的小徑上。一大場風暴即將到來。

Auburn University and the Mayor of Hoover help the family. Some people said James was in jail, but this is not true. The family says these stories are wrong.

歐本大學和胡佛市長正在幫助該家庭。有些人說 James 在監獄裡，但這是不實的。家人表示這些傳聞是錯誤的。

Conclusion

The search continues. Police will look at more videos and send teams into the forest.

搜尋行動持續進行。警方將查看更多影像並派遣團隊進入森林。

Vocabulary Learning

🕒 Talking About the Past

In the story, we see two ways to talk about things that already happened. This is the most important part of moving from A1 to A2.

1. The 'Finished' Action (Past Simple) Use this for things that started and ended.

  • He disappeared (It happened once).
  • His phone stopped working (It is over).
  • James was last seen (A specific moment).

2. The 'State' or 'Feeling' (Was/Were) Use this to describe people or places in the past.

  • He was a student →\rightarrow He is not a student now, or we are talking about that specific time.
  • This was not true →\rightarrow Describing a situation.

🔍 Word Power: Location Words

Look at how the text describes where things are. Notice these simple patterns:

  • At →\rightarrow Specific points (At Yamashina Station)
  • In →\rightarrow Inside an area (In the hills, In jail, In the forest)
  • Near →\rightarrow Close to something (Near Lake Biwa)
  • On →\rightarrow On a surface or line (On a quiet trail)

Vocabulary Learning

search (v.)
to look for something
Example:The police will search the forest for clues.
missing (adj.)
not present, absent
Example:The missing student was last seen at the station.
student (n.)
a person who studies at school
Example:He is a student from Alabama.
police (n.)
officers who enforce laws
Example:Police are looking for the student.
train (n.)
a vehicle that runs on tracks
Example:He may have taken another train.
helicopter (n.)
a flying machine that can hover
Example:Police use helicopters to search the hills.
hills (n.)
raised areas of land
Example:They look in the hills near the lake.
lake (n.)
a large body of water
Example:Lake Biwa is near the search area.
hiking (n.)
walking in nature for exercise
Example:He likes hiking in the mountains.
storm (n.)
a weather event with rain and wind
Example:A big storm is coming soon.
university (n.)
a place where people study higher education
Example:Auburn University is helping the family.
mayor (n.)
the elected head of a city
Example:The mayor of Hoover is helping.
family (n.)
a group of related people
Example:The family says the stories are wrong.
jail (n.)
a prison
Example:Some people said James was in jail.
videos (n.)
recordings of moving pictures
Example:Police will look at more videos.
forest (n.)
a large area covered with trees
Example:Teams will be sent into the forest.
Practice A2 words in a crossword→