Author Archive: admin
Japan’s coming of age to be lowered to 18 years old

Vocabulary: civic /SIV-ik/ [adjective] relating to the duties or activities of people in relation to their town Your sense of civic duty is admirable. allowable /uh-LOU-uh-buhl/ [adjective] allowed according to the rules or laws that control a particular area of activity The scientists found that the nicotine in this brand of cigarette is beyond the allowable level. exploitation /ek-sploi-TEY-shuhn/ [noun] the act of using someone unfairly for your own advantage The exploitation of women in the country caused protests worldwide. scam /skam/ [noun] an illegal plan for making money, especially one that involves tricking people They arrested the people who were involved in the insurance scam. permissible /per-MIS-uh-buhl/ [adjective] permitted;…
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Japan’s coming of age to be lowered to 18 years old

Pre-reading questions: What is the general election like in your country? Have you ever participated in a general election? Discuss. Vocabulary: authorize /AW-thuh-rahyz/ [verb] to give official permission for something to happen The government authorized the use of the new drug. adulthood /uh-DUHLT-hood/ [noun] the state of being an adult Paying bills is my least favorite part of adulthood. equalize /EE-kwuh-lahyz/ [verb] a situation means to give everyone the same rights or opportunities Let’s equalize the duties among all employees in this office. prohibit /proh-HIB-it/ [verb] to formally forbid someone from doing something The congress pass a bill that prohibits hunting in national parks. exploit /ik-SPLOIT/ [verb] make use of…
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Japan’s coming of age to be lowered to 18 years old

Pre-reading questions: What did you enjoy doing when you were younger? What do you do on your birthday? Vocabulary: bill /bil/ [noun] a draft of a proposed law The Congress has passed the Bill of Rights. maturity /muh-CHOOR-i-tee/ [noun] the state of being mentally or physically developed or adult Maturity is important in marriage. contract /KON-trakt/ [noun] a written or spoken agreement You need to sign the contract if you want to work here. consent /kuhn-SENT/ [noun] permission or approval The parents gave him consent to marry their daughter. gamble /GAM-buhl/ [verb] play games of chance for money or bet He gambled away most of his money. The Cabinet has…
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Too much ice cream may lead to a heart attack

Vocabulary: binge /binj/ [noun] an occasion when an activity is done in an extreme way, especially eating, drinking, or spending money She goes on an ice cream binge whenever she’s stressed out. overeat /oh-ver-EET/ [verb] to eat more food than your body needs Overeating does not do us any good. Instead, eating in moderation is key. ultimately /UHL-tuh-mit-lee/ [adverb] finally, after a series of things have happened The lack of sleep can lead to health complications and ultimately, death. trigger /TRIG-ger/ [verb] to cause something to start He triggered the fire alarm when he burned the fried chicken. aggravate /AG-ruh-veyt/ [verb] to make something worse Road repair has aggravated the…
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Too much ice cream may lead to a heart attack
Pre-reading questions: Do you like eating sweets? Please explain your answer. What is your favorite dessert? Vocabulary: indulge /in-DUHLJ/ [verb] to have something enjoyable Jam and Yuki indulged in a shopping spree. gain /geyn/ [verb] achieve or get something The store gained more customers. fatty /FA-tee/ [adjective] containing too much fat Aly tries to avoid fatty food to stay healthy. vessel /VES-uhl/ [noun] a tube that carries blood through the body About 15 percent of strokes are the result of blood vessels bursting within the brain. moderate /MOD-er-it/ [adjective] average in amount She baked cookies in a moderately hot oven. According to a study in Israel, eating too much ice…
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Too much ice cream may lead to a heart attack

Pre-reading questions: Do you like ice cream? Why or why not? Which ice cream flavor do you prefer, chocolate or strawberry? Please explain your answer. Vocabulary: health /helth/ [noun] the condition of the body or mind Exercise is good for our health. contain /kuhn-TEYN/ [verb] to be made up of something The book contains 6 chapters. fat /fat/ [noun] a natural oil that is gotten from animal bodies He is in a low-fat diet. increase /in-KREES/ [verb] to make something greater in size or amount The number of tourists in Japan has increased. risk /risk/ [noun] could cause danger, harm, or loss Jane takes a risk every time she goes…
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Millennials look for online reviews when shopping

Vocabulary: Generation X /jen-uh-REY-shuhn eks/ [noun] a way of referring to the group of people who were born in the 1960s and 1970s My parents are belong to the Generation X. Brit /brit/ [noun] a British person It’s easy to recognize a Brit based on his or her accent. back /bak/ [verb] to give support or help to a person, plan, or idea My theory is backed by years of careful research and accumulated data. costly /KAWST-lee/ [adjective] expensive Only members of the elite buy from this store because its products are too costly. time-consuming /TAHYM-kuhn-soo-ming/ [adjective] taking a lot of time to do or complete I have to start…
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