Intermediate

North & South Korea pledge peace

2018年7月17日

North & South Korea pledge peace and end of nuclear weapons

Pre-reading questions: What do you know about the South-North Korean war? Do you think world peace is possible? Why or why not? Vocabulary: put an end to (something) /poot an end too/ [phrasal verb] to make something stop happening We need to put an end to this madness. summit /SUHM-it/ [noun] an important formal meeting between leaders of governments from two or more countries Leaders from all over the world met during the summit. pledge /plej/ [verb] to make a serious or formal promise to give or do something The man pledged loyalty to his wife. tension /TEN-shuhn/ [noun] a feeling of fear or anger between two groups of people…
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Intermediate

Japan’s coming of age to be lowered to 18 years old

2018年7月12日

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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Intermediate

Too much ice cream may lead to a heart attack

2018年7月10日

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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Intermediate

Millennials look for online reviews when shopping

2018年7月5日

Millenials only buy products with online reviews

Pre-reading questions: What are the common things that you can buy online? Do you buy products that your friends recommend? Please explain your answer. Vocabulary: preceding /pri-SEE-ding/ [adjective] existing or happening before someone or something This year’s party is way better than the preceding events. purchase /PUR-chuhs/ [noun] the act of buying something The purchase of unneeded materials made the accountant mad. respondent /ri-SPON-duhnt/ [noun] a person who answers a request for information The researchers did not use the respondent’s answers because she was lying. opt /opt/ [verb] to make a choice She opted for a fruit shake instead of a cola. factor /FAK-ter/ [noun] a fact or situation that…
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Intermediate

Where the hashtag FOMO came from

2018年6月26日

Where the hashtag FOMO comes from

Pre-reading questions: How often do you use social media apps? Do you think you are a competitive person? Why or why not? Vocabulary: slang /slang/ [noun] a form of casual or informal language “Chicken” is slang for someone who isn’t very brave. hashtag /HASH-tag/ [noun] used on social media for describing the general subject of posts You should use a hashtag when posting on Facebook. stand for /stand fer/ [phrasal verb] to represent words or phrases (in an abbreviation) UN stands for United Nations. instill /in-STIL/ [verb] to put a feeling, idea, or principle gradually into someone’s mind My parents instilled in me a love for reading. make up for…
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Intermediate

Aya Ueto stars in suspense drama

2018年6月21日

Photo by Shuichi Aizawa via Flickr Pre-reading questions: Who is your favorite actress? What do you usually watch on TV? Vocabulary: star /stahr/ [verb] to be included in a cast of actors Mandy starred in “Les Misérables” as Cosette. cover /KUHV-er/ [verb] to be responsible in reporting the details Gotaro and Yuri are the journalists responsible for covering the accident. pay attention /pey uh-TEN-shuhn/ [phrasal verb] to watch, listen to, or think about something carefully The teacher got angry because the students were not paying attention in class. naturally /NACH-er-uh-lee/ [adverb] in a normal way There’s no need to memorize the script; you can just act naturally. passionate /PASH-uh-nit/ [adjective]…
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Intermediate

African migrants to leave the Jewish state

2018年6月14日

African migrants to leave the Jewish state

Pre-reading questions: Why do you think people leave their home countries? Would you consider working in another country for a long time? Please explain your answer. Vocabulary: deport /dih-PAWRT/ [verb] to send away from a country The country deported the illegal immigrants. slavery /SLEY-vuh-ree/ [noun] the condition of being a slave The natives experienced slavery under the king’s rule. imprisonment /im-PRIZ-uhnment/ [noun] the act of putting someone in prison He was given 5 years of imprisonment for his crime. statement /STEYT-muhnt/ [noun] something someone says officially The company released a statement on why the president resigned. endanger /en-DEYN-jer/ [verb] to put someone or something at risk or in danger of…
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Intermediate

More and more people are downloading self-care apps

2018年6月12日

More and more people are downloading self-care apps

Pre-reading questions: What are the important things to do in order to stay healthy? What kind of apps do you usually use? Vocabulary: altogether /awl-tuh-GETH-er/ [verb] in total There were 2,500 guests altogether at the party. consistent /kuhn-SIS-tuhnt/ [adjective] agreeing, not contradicting She got good marks for her thesis because her data is consistent. reckon /REK-uhn/ [verb] to think that something is probably true I reckon she’ll do well in the exam. self-absorbed /SELF-ab-SAWRBD/ [adjective] caring only about yourself Nobody likes him because he’s rude and self-absorbed. optimist /OP-tuh-mist/ [noun] positive thinker Though he’s having problems at home, Mojo is still an optimist. Self-care apps are gaining popularity in the…
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Intermediate

Elderly smokers turn to e-cigarettes

2018年6月8日

Elderly smokers turn to e-cigarettes

Pre-reading questions: In your opinion, why do people smoke cigarettes? What do you think about people who smoke in public? Vocabulary: prevention /pri-VEN-shuhn/ [noun] the act of stopping something from happening They say prevention is better than cure. conduct /kuhn-DUHKT/ [verb] to organize and direct a particular activity The scientists conducted a new experiment. approximately /uh-PROK-suh-mit-lee/ [adverb] close to a particular number although not exactly that number There were approximately a hundred thousand visitors in the late pop star’s funeral. substitute /SUHB-sti-toot/ [noun] to use someone or something instead of another person or thing I worked as a substitute for the teacher who got sick. tar /tar/ [noun] a harmful…
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Intermediate

Ginmaku Cafe’s unique way of fighting dementia

2018年6月5日

Ginmaku Cafes unique way to fight dementia

Pre-reading questions: What is the last movie you saw? Do you have a favorite cafe? Please tell me something about it. Vocabulary: patron /PEY-truhn/ [noun] a customer The patrons of this restaurant usually order the house special. prevent /pri-VENT/ [verb] to stop something from happening Wear masks if you want to prevent getting the flu. intellect /IN-tl-ekt/ [noun] the ability to learn and understand something, and to form ideas, judgments, and opinions It requires great intellect to understand his books. shorten /SHAWR-tn/ [verb] to make something shorter Your pants are touching the ground; you need to have them shortened. release /ri-LEES/ [adjective] to make a record or film available for…
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Intermediate