Intermediate

Lab grown stem cells are developed

2016年11月8日

  Pre-reading questions: According to the article, what’s the possible result of the experiment? Do you think this will help the couples who wants to have a child in the future?   Japanese scientists have developed and fertilized mouse eggs in their laboratory. This is the first report that fully matured eggs were developed in a laboratory setting. Processing stem cells into mature eggs is still too dangerous to be tested in humans. The technique may be helpful to treat infertility but the process is difficult and it will take a long time to develop according to Richard Anderson of the University of Edinburgh’s MRC Centre for Reproductive Health. Scientist…
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Intermediate

Halloween celebrations in Tokyo

2016年11月8日

  Pre-reading questions: Do you celebrate Halloween? Are you interested in folklore of other countries?   In Tokyo, Kawasaki parade is the largest and about 250,000 partygoers participates this year. Disneyland also has the big event for the Halloween. Japanese people thoroughly embrace this event with make-up and prosthetics. This may not be a culture or a tradition of the country but it has been observed yearly. For this year’s event, 2,600 people dress up to participate. It also seems to be more about dressing up and less about experiencing spooks and thrills. Dressing up, eating themed food, attending parties and events are things that people usually enjoy when the…
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Intermediate

Second-hand Smoke: Higher Risk of Stroke

2016年11月8日

  Pre-reading questions: Any idea about second-hand smoke? What are the usual illness associated with smoking that you know?   According to a US study, non-smokers that are always exposed to second-hand smoke are more prone to suffer stroke. Research showed that nearly 50 percent of non-smoker stroke patients are exposed to second-hand smoke at home. Second-hand smoke is dangerous to all but stroke patients should try more to avoid it, said Dr. Lin of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Researchers performed a blood test to know the volume of smoke people are exposed to. Certain factors considered for this test are race, sex, eduction and income level. Results showed…
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Intermediate

Early Season of Autumn Leaf in Nikko

2016年11月4日

Pre-reading questions: Do you visit some places during Autumn Season? Do you also appreciate the Autumn leaves? What do you think is the best season for everyone? Due to its amazing different viewing spots, Nikko’s autumn scenery is getting popular this days. It is considered as one of the top town that offers the best viewing spots all over Japan. Standing from Hangetsuya Observatory you will see hundreds of Maple trees and mountain ash. The mountainous region are flushed in autumn colors within the small peninsula of Haccho Dejima in Tochigi Prefecture. The leaves are expected to shift colors along the Irohazaka road. This road is one of the famous…
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Intermediate

Secondhand Smoke: Higher Risk of Stroke

2016年11月4日

  Pre-reading questions: Any idea about second-hand smoke? What are the usual illness associated with smoking that you know?   According to a US study, non-smokers that are always exposed to second-hand smoke are more prone to suffer stroke. Research showed that nearly 50 percent of non-smoker stroke patients are exposed to second-hand smoke at home. Second-hand smoke is dangerous to all but stroke patients should try more to avoid it, said Dr. Lin of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Researchers performed a blood test to know the volume of smoke people are exposed to. Certain factors considered for this test are race, sex, education and income level. Results showed…
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Intermediate

Kellogg’s Cereal Continue To Lose Sales

2016年11月4日

  Pre-reading questions: What do you think about cereals for breakfast? What do you usually eat every morning?   Kellogg’s faces loss in sales for the seventh time based on their reports for the third quarter of 2016. Recently, the cereal manufacturer’s net sales plunked to 2.3%. They blame it to the slumping demand for cereals in the US and struggling market in the UK. Dr. Dimitrios Tsivrikos, a business psychologist at University College London, said people’s breakfast habits were changing. He explained a lot of individuals only spend five or six minutes on breakfast and are looking for quicker solutions. He also mentioned the younger population will replace cereal…
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Intermediate

Trump speaks disbelief on election results

2016年10月28日

Pre-reading questions: Do you practice your voting rights? Do you think election is the best way to choose leaders? Are you familiar with the United States Presidential candidates? Donald Trump, a New Yorker businessman who’s running for 2016 United States presidential election says that his opponents would want to rig the election at the polling place. He also adds that many cities are corrupt and voter fraud is very common. But according to various studies, voting fraud is not common in the United States. A Republican campaign lawyer, Chris Ashby, explains in an interview that when you say an election is rigged, you’re telling voters and your supporters that their…
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Intermediate

JP pushes for English classes reform

2016年10月28日

  Pre-reading questions: Are you aware of Japan’s current English curriculum? Share your thoughts on this. Do you think that changing the curriculum will make the students more competitive? Explain.   English studies for the incoming 5th and 6th grade students in Japan would be increased by the year 2020. The proposal suggested that English studies should start as early as 3rd grade instead of 5th grade. The new proposal aims to reduce the “cram” study habits of the students. There are also additional revisions with general subjects like: Japanese history with world history called General History. The new curriculum will focus on active learning specifically on student’s thinking and…
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Intermediate

527 South Koreans file case against Samsung over Galaxy Note 7

2016年10月28日

  Pre-reading questions: How popular are Samsung smartphones are in your country? Do you believe that self-destructing devices will be abundant in the near future?   A total of 527 Galaxy Note 7 owners in South Korea filed a case against Samsung Electronics over the smartphone’s tendency to overheat or catch fire. According to Attorney Peter Young-Yeel Ko, head of the Harvest Law Firm, Galaxy Note 7 users requested to be compensated for the expenses and inconvenience it cost them to return their defective phones. The complainants include someone who claimed to have lost thousands of pictures taken during a family vacation. Another asserted he drove for eight hours round-trip…
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Intermediate

Apple Sets Aside Automotive Goal, Cuts Manpower

2016年10月28日

  Pre-reading questions: What is your idea about a self-driving car? What do you think of a futuristic vehicle that is being built by a company that originally creates smart phones and gadgets? Are you familiar with car manufacturers outside your country?   Apple, Inc. makes adjustments on project Titan which originally aimed to develop a self-driving system and construct vehicles in 2020. The company refuses to pursue automobile manufacturing with the fear of compromising quality which could negatively affect their existing products in the market. The project’s team leaders redesigned the plan to give Apple, Inc. the option to tap car makers instead, or delay building its own vehicles…
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Intermediate