Intermediate

Tokyo taxis lowered fare

2017年5月4日

Japan - Intermediate

Pre-reading questions: How often do you ride a taxi in a week? Have you ever had a bad taxi ride? How does one become a taxi driver in your country? People in Tokyo who love taking short taxi rides will enjoy the lowered fare. The initial fare for taxis in Tokyo used to be ¥730 for the first two kilometers. The new initial fare for taxis in Tokyo is ¥410 for the first 1.052 kilometers. The new fare system started in the cities of Musashino and Mitaka. An 85-year old Tachikawa resident appreciates this new fare system as this would allow her to move around Tokyo with more ease. She…
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Intermediate

Facebook denies responsible over fake news

2017年4月27日

technology

  Pre-reading questions: Do you use any social media platforms like Facebook? How often? Do read news in social media? Why?   Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said that Facebook is totally against fake news. He said that they are also victims and they do not want them on the site. It’s not easy to figure out which are fake and which are not. Some people are actually calling them fake news only because they totally disagree to them. Hackers and political groups that post and share fake news are the ones responsible for them. These kinds of news have existed on the site for many years now. However, Facebook handles…
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Intermediate

Standford University offers program for older professionals

2017年4月26日

Education - I

  Pre-reading questions: What would you like to be in the future? At what age do people retire in your country?   HP Inc.’s 62-year-old Senior Vice President for laser-jet business unit, Pradeep Jotwani, was ready to end his 28-year career but he’s not ready to retire just yet. Later on, he heard about Stanford University’s Distinguished Careers Institute which is designed for retiring professionals and executives. He enrolled in the program, hoping to explore more in life. Jotwani studied renewable energy, climate change, social venture management, and art history. He may have taught entrepreneurs in India, Myanmar, and Tanzania but he still likes being back in school as a…
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Intermediate

Drug use in sports becoming a crisis

2017年4月25日

Sports - Intermediate

  Pre-reading questions: If you’re an athlete, how far would you go in order to win a competition? Please explain your answer. If you’re in a competition, would you rather lose and learn or cheat and win? Please explain your answer.   According to UK Anti-Doping (Ukad), the national body responsible for protecting clean sport, there are currently 52 athletes and coaches serving bans. 12% are professional sports men or women; 62% are amateurs, 21% are semi-professional, and 5% are coaches. Out of 186 sanctions handed out across 22 separate sports by Ukad since it formed in 2009, 46% have been rugby union or league players – mainly at amateur…
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Intermediate

Foreign interns face tough road in Japan

2017年4月21日

Business - I

  Pre-reading questions: Would you be interested in working abroad? Please explain your answer. What are the challenges of working away from your family/home country?   Around 600 young Vietnamese students are studying Japanese language and culture to brace themselves as technical interns in Japan. Most of the students hail from rural areas of Vietnam. The majority of foreign workers in Japan are Vietnamese since Vietnam promotes export of labor to provide employment to its citizens. Workers also learn Japanese language and customs from government-approved organizations. Despite the multiple benefits of this project, many foreign interns suddenly disappear upon dispatch. Some companies committed labor violations such as non-payment of wages…
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Intermediate

Harvard Law School starts to consider GRE scores

2017年4月21日

Education - I

  Pre-reading questions: What are the university admission test requirements in your country? Do you think university admission test scores can predict the success of students?   Harvard Law School tried out a new program that welcomes GRE (Graduate Record Examination) score as an admission prerequisite for law students for the coming school year 2018. The said law school is the second accredited law school in the United States to accept GRE scores for admission. Most law schools in the US only recognize LSAT (Law School Admission Test) scores. LSAT is solely used for admission to law school programs Harvard Law School Assistant Dean and Chief Admission Officer Jessica Soban…
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Intermediate

Yoga may beat depression

2017年4月20日

Health - Beginner

  Pre-reading questions: Do you exercise regularly? Is yoga popular in your country?   A recent study revealed that the calming and deep-breathing poses of yoga might help ease the mind of a depressed person who is not taking medications. Dr. Alan Manevitz, a clinical psychiatrist, stated that yoga can activate brain chemicals that can relax and make a person “feel good.” Yoga can also reduce immune system chemicals that can worsen depression. 30 people with major depressive disorder participated in a research. Doctors tagged the first group as “high-dose” group since they had three 90-minute yoga classes with home practice while the second group was tagged as “low-dose” group…
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Intermediate

Software can identify skin cancer

2017年4月18日

technology

Pre-reading questions: Describe a healthy skin. What’s the best way to keep your skin healthy? An image-scanning software, developed at Stanford University, can precisely detect skin cancers as well as dermatologists. This new discovery may be available on your smartphones soon. The team imitated a Google algorithm that can classify images. A database with 130,000 photos of different skin diseases has been organized. The images were gathered from the internet and examined by dermatologists. The software was tested to identify cancerous and non-cancerous lesions. The app’s capability was compared to that of 21 board-certified dermatologists’. The results were remarkable as the app did as well as the dermatologists. The creators of…
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Intermediate

The surprising friendship of former president George W. Bush and former first lady Michelle Obama

2017年4月11日

entertainment

  Pre-reading questions: What are the differences between Democrats and Republicans? Can these two different parties reconcile? Why or why not?   Many people know that the Obama administration and the Bush administration seem like entirely different worlds, and yet to the surprise of many, Michelle Obama and George W. Bush have build up a firm friendship. The two were photographed at the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, where Bush received a warm hug from Mrs. Obama. Furthermore, this was not the first time the former first lady and the 43rd president of the U.S. have come together, in fact they held hands during…
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Intermediate

Barbie at 58: a few facts about the symbolic doll

2017年4月10日

entertainment

  Pre-reading questions: How long do you know Barbie? What are the things you can say about Barbie?   Barbie is the iconic plastic doll that most girls grown up with all over the world. Mattel introduced Barbie on March 9, 1959 at New York Toy Fair. Mattel also stated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold in 150 countries. Barbie has become a cultural icon over the years having appeared in books, paintings, and even renamed in a section of Times Square in New York for a week. As Barbie celebrates her 58th birthday, the iconic doll received lots of criticism because of her unbelievable body shape….
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Intermediate