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Princess Ayako to marry Kei Moriya

Vocabulary: lessen /LES-uhn/ [verb] to shrink in size, number, or degree The pain will lessen over time. imperial /im-PEER-ee-uhl/ [adjective] characterizing the rule or authority of a sovereign state over its dependencies They executed Russia’s imperial family in 1918. retain /ri-TEYN/ [verb] to continue to use or practice something The landlord may retain part of your deposit if you break the lease. status /STEY-tuhs/ [noun] an accepted or official position, especially in a social group They want to maintain the city’s status as a major tourist attraction. compensation /kom-puh n-SEY-shuhn/ [noun] the state of being paid or rewarded The court awarded the victims millions of dollars in compensation. Princess Ayako is…
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Princess Ayako to marry Kei Moriya

Pre-reading questions: When do people get married in your country? Why do you think people marry? Vocabulary: board member /bawrd MEM-ber/ [noun] a member of the board of directors Mr. Hawkins resigned as a board member last month. organization /awr-guh-nuh-ZEY-shuhn/ [noun] an official group of people who work together for the same purpose The article was about the international aid organizations. global /GLOH-buhl/ [adjective] relating to the whole world In this article, we will describe a few of the global trends. welfare /WEL-fair/ [noun] physical and mental health and happiness of a person The police are very concerned for the welfare of the missing child. shrine /shrahyn/ [noun] a place…
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Poor hand-washing increases in the United States

Pre-reading questions: Is taking care of your health important? Please explain your answer. When was the last time you visited a doctor? Why? Vocabulary: study /STUHD-ee/ [noun] a report A study says that too much coffee is bad. simple /SIM-puhl/ [partofspeech] easy to understand The test is very simple. assess /UH-ses/ [verb] to know something She asked the teacher to assess her skills. disease /dih-ZEEZ/ [noun] An illness caused by infection Now, the disease is gone. useful /YOOS-fuhl/ [adjective] helpful in doing or achieving something Your book is very useful. According to a study, washing hands is simple but people still do it in a wrong way. It is found…
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Poor hand-washing increases in the United States

Pre-reading questions: How often do you wash your hands? Is proper hand washing important? Please explain your answer. Vocabulary: habit /HAB-it/ [noun] something you do regularly I always get into the habit of drinking coffee. raw /ro/ [adjective] uncooked food They only eat raw food for special occasions. germs /jurms/ [noun] a very small organism that can cause diseases It is written on the alcohol bottle that it kills all known germs. reduce /re-DOOS/ [verb] to bring down to smaller amount A low-fat diet reduces the risk of a heart attack. infection /in-FEK-shuhn/ [noun] a disease in the body that caused by bacteria or virus He is taking an antibiotics…
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Poor hand-washing increases in the United States

Vocabulary: agriculture /AG-ri-kulh-cher/ [noun] business, science, or activity of farming He is interested in agriculture because his father is a farmer. bacteria /bak-TEER-ee-uh/ [noun] very small organisms that are found everywhere and may cause disease An airborne bacteria infected all people during the vacation. contaminate /kuhn-TAM-uh-neyt/ [verb] to make something poisonous Broken water pipes can contaminate the city’s water supply. numerous /NOO-mer-uhs/ [adjective] great in number; many The high school graduates felt nostalgic because of the numerous memories they shared. antibacterial /an-tee-bak-TEER-ee-uhl/ [adjective] intended to reduce harmful bacteria You may use antibacterial sanitizer after touching the toilet bowl. US Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that 97% of people practice poor-hand…
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European Union and Japan sign a free trade deal

Pre-Reading Questions: Do you use foreign products? Why? or Why not? Do you know what trade is? Please discuss your answer. Vocabulary: free /free/ [adjective] not costing any money Giving free hugs to other people will make you happy. almost /AWL-mohst/ [adverb] nearly She almost got the highest score in the test. company /KUHM-puh-nee/ [noun] an organization that sells goods or services He wants to start his own company. business /BIZ-nis/ [noun] the activity of buying and selling goods and services She started her clothing business when she was young. easily /EE-zuh-lee/ [adverb] with no difficulty or effort She was able to read the book easily. The European Union (EU)…
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European Union and Japan sign a free trade deal

Vocabulary: eradicate /ih-RAD-i-keyt/ [verb] to get rid of something completely The government wishes to eradicate inequality in our society. tariff /TAR-if/ [noun] a charge either for services or on goods entering a country Developing countries impose tariffs to increase their budget. comprise /kuhm-PRAHYZ/ [verb] to consist of or to be made up of The agriculture industry comprises the 50% of the country’s economy. impose /im-POHZ/ [verb] to officially order that order that a rule, tax, punishment, etc will happen The school imposed new rules for better classroom management. levy /LEV-ee/ [verb] to officially ask for an amount of money, such as a tax People are worried because of the new…
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