Beginner

Living alone increases the risk of mental health disorders

living alone

Pre-reading questions: Do you like to live alone? What do you usually do when you are alone? Vocabulary: sadness /sad-nuhs/ [noun] the feeling of being sad or unhappy She doesn’t have any idea what causes her sadness. period /PEER-ee-uhd/ [noun] a length of time They have to finish the study over a ten-month period. employment /em-PLOI-muhnt/ [noun] the fact of someone being paid to work for a company or organization It’s good that the employment rate of the country is increasing. result /ri-zuhlt/ [noun] the information you get from something The result of the exam was excellent! importance /im-PAWR-tns/ [noun] the quality of being important He was asked to report…
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New device translates thoughts into speech

brain

Pre-reading questions: Do you think technologies are helpful? What technologies do you always use? Vocabulary: thought /thawt/ [noun] the act of thinking about or considering something, an idea or opinion, or a set of ideas The student shared his thoughts about the research to his professor. patient /PEY-shuhnt/ [noun] a person who is receiving medical care Doctors always make sure to check on their patients’ health. produce /pruh-DOOS/ [verb] to make something or bring something into existence The larynx or voice box is the part of the body that produces sound. result /ri-ZUHLT/ [noun] the information you get from something The result of the exam was posted yesterday. successful /suh k-ses-fuhl/…
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The Marie Kondo style of decluttering expenses

mariiii

Photo by © AP Photo/Seth Wenig via The Mainichi Pre-Reading Questions: Do you know the KonMari method? Where do you usually spend your money? Vocabulary: tidy /TAHY-dee/ [verb] to make a place or collection of things clean Tidy up a bit before we go to the movies. goal /gohl/ [noun] a purpose, or something you want to achieve Dave has already achieved many of his goals. afterwards /AF-ter-werds/ [adverb] after the time mentioned We can play now but we must clean the house afterwards. spend /spend/ [verb] to give money as a payment for something My friends are spending too much money. carefully /kair-fuh-li/ [adverb] adverb The project must be…
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Research recommends eating rice to fight obesity

rice

Pre-Reading Questions: Do you like eating rice? What is your favorite food? Vocabulary: gain /geyn/ [verb] to increase in weight, speed, height, or amount She gained a lot of weight during her vacation. meal /meel/ [noun] an occasion when food is eaten I am on a diet, so I only eat one meal a day. gram /gram/ [noun] a unit of mass equal to 0.001 kilograms The article says that a person can eat 400 grams of rice per day. adult /uh-DUHLT/ [noun] a person or animal that has grown to full size and strength She is now considered an adult after she turned 18. fit /fit/ [adjective] healthy and…
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Tokyo’s Bunkitsu: A gallery-like bookstore

bunkitsu

Photo by © LIBRO PLUS via The Japan Times Pre-Reading Questions: Do you like reading books? Do you like going to bookstores? Vocabulary: clearly /KLEER-lee/ [adverb] certainly; obviously; without a doubt As you can see, that restaurant is clearly famous. magazine /mag-uh-ZEEN/ [noun] a type of thin book with a paper cover that is published regularly and usually contains articles and photographs My sister bought a fashion magazine yesterday. customer /KUHS-tuh-mer/ [noun] a person who buys goods or a service Mr. Sato is a regular customer at our restaurant. miss /mis/ [verb] to fail to do, see, or experience something You will miss your chance if you just sit here…
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Cherry blossoms attract more foreign tourists

cherry blossom

Pre-reading questions: Where do you usually hold “hanami”? What do you usually do during “hanami”? Vocabulary: moment /MOH-muhnt/ [noun] a very short period of time Miho will always remember the moments she spent studying abroad. foreign /FAWR-in/ [adjective] belonging to a country that is not your own Anna loves eating foreign food. tourist /TOOR-ist/ [noun] a person who travels and visits places for pleasure and interest A lot of tourists visit Disneyland every year. spot /spot/ [noun] a particular place Hachiko Statue is one of the most popular meeting spots in Tokyo. sign /sahyn/ [noun] a device that gives information to people who see it Drivers must be careful on…
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The misconception about dietary supplements

supppp

Pre-Reading Questions: Do you eat fruits and vegetables? Do you take vitamins? Vocabulary: supplement /SUHP-luh-ment/ [noun] a medicine that contains substances that you need to stay healthy My doctor asked me to stop taking food supplements. balanced diet /BAL-uhnst DAHY-it/ [noun] a balanced diet is a combination of the correct types and amounts of food She decided to have a balanced diet to lose weight. examine /ig-ZAM-in/ [verb] to look at or consider a person or thing carefully and in detail The doctors examined his rare disease. quantity /KWON-ti-tee/ [noun] the amount or number of something, especially that can be measured I found a large quantity of food inside her…
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Arata Isozaki wins 2019 Pritzker Prize

Arata Isozaki

Photo by © Getty Images via CNN Style Pre-reading questions: What is your favorite building in the world? Do you want to be an architect? Vocabulary: over /OH-ver/ [preposition] more than He has written over 200 poems. meaningful /MEE-ning-fuhl/ [adjective] intended to show meaning They want a chance to do meaningful work. approach /uh-PROHCH/ [noun] a way of doing something This approach seems very sensible to me. honor /ON-er/ [noun] an award in a contest or field of competition The school receives Ryugaku award, one of Japan’s highest academic honor. most /mohst/ [adverb] more than anything Knowledge is the most precious treasure of all things. Arata Isozaki is a Japanese…
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Japanese company produces high-tech wheelchairs

wheelchairs

Photo by © AFP via The Straits Times Pre-reading questions: What is your favorite sport? Do you watch sports on television? Vocabulary: company /KUHM-puh-nee/ [noun] an organization that produces or sells goods or services in order to make profit Harunari’s company is growing fast. wheelchair /HWEEL-chair/ [noun] a chair on wheels that people who are unable to walk use on moving around Takatsuki needs to use a wheelchair because he got into an accident. athlete /ATH-leet/ [noun] a person who is skilled or trained in a sport A lot of athletes are admirable. champion /CHAM-pee-uhn/ [noun] that has beaten all other competitors in a competition Manny Pacquiao is one of…
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Nagano attempts to keep their insect dishes

nagano

Photo by © Kyodo via The Japan Times Pre-reading questions: What is your favorite food? Do you know any unusual food? Vocabulary: young /yuhng/ [adjective] not old She is too young to be a model. insect /IN-sekt/ [noun] a type of very small animal with six legs and usually with two pairs of wings I saw an insect under my bed. reduce /ri-DOOS/ [verb] to make something become smaller in amount, degree or importance Her excitement for her toys reduced. activity /ak-TIV-i-tee/ [noun] an organized event to achieve an aim She went to a school activity yesterday. according to /uh-KAWR-ding tuh/ [preposition] as stated by According to a report, the…
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