Intermediate

US Inmates Uses Instant Ramen as Currency

2016年11月11日

  Pre-reading questions: What currency do you use in your country? Do you like instant food? What’s your favorite instant food? What’s your favorite food?   Inmates use tobacco as their money to buy different things inside the prison for a long time. Now a days, it has been replaced by instant ramen since tobacco was banned in 2014. In some prisons, meals are only served twice a day because of budget shortage. Inmates then are trying to nourish themselves with instant ramen. The inmates said that ramen is tastier than their regular prison food. It also has high calorie content that can give them energy for work. A pack…
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Intermediate

Lowest bus service in Tokyo and Narita

2016年11月11日

Pre-reading questions: How often do you ride a bus? What transportation do you commonly use in order to reach the airport? What do you think about the latest bus fare? Since Narita Airport is not right in the middle of Tokyo, the transportation fee to and from Tokyo is a little expensive. The common means of transportation around the area include regular train, The Access Narita, and shared mini bus. Limousine bus, Tokyo shuttle, and taxi are also being used by people for their daily commute. One of the cheapest bus option from Narita airport is The Access Narita. This bus service will drop passengers off at Tokyo station for…
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Intermediate

Human Antibodies Produced in Cows Counter Contagious Diseases

2016年11月8日

  Pre-reading questions: Do you have a weak body? What do you usually do when you are sick?   A company has found a way to extract human antibodies from cows. This can help fight infectious diseases. They are testing if this can be a cure for MERS. MERS is a respiratory disease found in Saudi Arabia back in 2012. It killed almost 30 percent of the infected patients. Scientists tested antibodies from other animals but the human body rejects it. As of now, they are the only company that grows antibodies from hefty mammals. This new discovery can be combined with vaccines. It may become available in 3 to…
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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