Grammar Notes:

■ Add ください  after the て form of verbs to make a polite request:

• 食(た)べて　ください (please eat) [from 食(た)べる (to eat)]
• べんきょう　して　ください (please study) [from 勉強(べんきょう)する (to study)]

Key Vocabulary:

• 今日(きょう) today [literally, "now day"]
• たくさん many; much
• しゅくだい homework [kanji: 宿題(しゅくだい); 宿 (lodge; home; dwell) + 題 (topic; subject)]
• 出(で)ました put out; (homework) given [past of 出(で)る (to appear; to come out)]
• 日本語(にほんご) Japanese language [日 (day; sun) + 本 (origin) + 語 (word; language)]
• てがみ letter; correspondence [kanji: 手紙(てがみ); 手 (hand) + 紙 (paper)]
• 書(か)いてください please write [て form of 書(か)く (to write) + ください (please)]
• といわれました was told [と (quotation marker) + passive of 言(い)う (to speak; to say)]
• お母(かあ)さん mother
• それから and then; after that
• あたらしい new [kanji: 新(あたら)しい]
• ことば word [kanji: 言葉(ことば); this can also mean words, phrases, or language in general]
• おぼえました learned [from 覚(おぼ)える (to memorize; to learn)]
• かんじ kanji; Chinese characters used in Japanese [kanji: 漢字(かんじ); 漢 (Sino-; China) + 字 (character; letter)]
• すこし a little [すこし　おぼえました　か？]

Answers:

1) A – He had to write a letter in Japanese.

2) B – His Japanese friend.