Intermediate

1 out of 50 people falls in love on an airplane

2018年12月19日

Airplane-12-19-18

Pre-reading questions: Do you like to travel by airplane? Why or why not? When was your first flight? Vocabulary: interview /IN-ter-vyoo/ [verb] to ask someone questions to get information One of her tasks is to interview applicants. habit /HAB-it/ [noun] something that you do often and regularly I always buy the same brand of shoes out of habit. increase /IN-krees/ [verb] to become larger in amount or size The crime rate in the country is alarmingly increasing. moreover /MAWR-oh-ver/ [adverb] used to add information That was a good deal, moreover, the price was reasonable. interact /in-ter-AKT/ [verb] to communicate with or react to Teachers interacted well with the students. 1…
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Intermediate

AI robots to start teaching English in Japan by 2019

2018年12月17日

AI robots to start teaching English in Japan by 2019

Pre-reading questions: Do you like the English language? Is learning English difficult for you? Why or why not? Vocabulary: aim /eym/ [verb] to plan for a specific purpose I aim to become the best writer of this generation. improve /im-PROOV/ [verb] to get better, or to make something better She promised to improve her reading skills. oral /OHR-uhl/ [adjective] spoken; not written They did not do well in their oral presentation. trial /Y-uhl/ [noun] a test, usually over a limited period of time The trial project was opposed by the people. require /ri-KWAHYUHR/ [verb] to order or demand something I require you to always wear your ID when you are…
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Intermediate

The pursuit of a brighter tomorrow

2018年12月12日

The pursuit of a brighter tomorrow

Pre-Reading Questions: What is your favorite book? Why do you like that book? Please explain your answer. Vocabulary: diagnose /DHAY-uhg-nohs/ [verb] to recognize and name the exact character of a disease or other problem by making an examination The laboratory examination is to diagnose the cause of the disease. inspire /in-SPAHYUR/ [verb] to fill someone with confidence and desire to do something This unfortunate event inspires me to strive more and achieve my goals. novel /NOV-uhl/ [noun] a long printed story about imaginary characters and events I am currently reading the novel entitled “Into the water” by Paula Hawkins. encourage /en-KUR-ij/ [verb] to make someone more likely to do something…
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Intermediate

Japan offers vacant houses for free

2018年12月11日

Vocabulary Guide critical /KRIT-i-KUHL/ [adjective] – someone or something is in bad situation abandon /uh-BAN-duhn/ [verb] – to completely leave a place or someone rural /ROOR-uhl/ [adjective] – countryside; located outside cities vanish /VAN-ish/ [verb] – to disappear Vocabulary Check Fill in the blanks with the correct words. Choose the correct answer in the box. rural vacant vanish critical abandoned The couple’s house is in _______ condition. The house in front of ours has been _________ for years. Her grandparents live in one of the _______ places of our country. After selling her house, she just _________ and never came back. Article Reading Read the passage and take note of…
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Intermediate

Dreaming of studying abroad? Consider the facts first

2018年12月10日

Dreaming of studying abroad consider the facts first

Pre-Reading Questions: Do you like to study abroad? Why or why not? Do you like traveling? Why or why not? Vocabulary: knowledge /NOL-ij/ [noun] awareness, understanding, or information that has been obtained by experience or study I have knowledge of Japanese but can’t speak fluently. culture /KUHL-cher/ [noun] the way of life especially the general customs and beliefs of a particular group of people I am interested to learn more about Japanese culture. consider /kuhn-SID-er/ [verb] to spend time thinking about a possibility My wife and I are considering adopting a child. quality /KWOL-i-tee/ [adjective] of a high standard They offer quality service at a reasonable price. primary /PRAHY-mer-ee/ [adjective]…
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Intermediate

Thailand’s tallest building lets tourists walk on frightening glass floor

2018年12月5日

Pre-reading Questions Answer the following questions about the topic. Please explain your answer. Do you like trying extreme activities? Why? Why not? What things or situations are you afraid of? Article Reading Read the passage and take note of the highlighted words in the Vocabulary Guide. A terrifying experience awaits tourists in Bangkok. Situated at the top of King Power Mahanakhon, Thailand’s tallest completed building, is the new Mahanakhon SkyWalk. It offers a thrilling walk on a large glass floor that makes people afraid yet excited. The Mahanakhon Skywalk has an indoor deck where people who are too terrified to walk on the glass can have a 360-degree view of…
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Intermediate

First woman to qualify as a fighter jet pilot in Japan

2018年12月5日

Fighter jet woman Japan

Pre-reading questions: What are your thoughts about a female pilot? Do you like traveling by airplane? Why or why not? Vocabulary: successful /suhk-SES-fuhl/ [adjective] having achieved a lot, become popular, and/or made a lot of money My classmate in college is now a successful career woman. overcome /oh-ver-KUHM/ [verb] to defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with something I want you to overcome your problem in your research study. path /path/ [noun] a set of actions, especially ones that lead to a goal or result The path to a successful life is to stay humble. assign /uh-SAYN/ [verb] to give a particular job or piece of work to someone…
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Intermediate

Families from South and North Korea meet after decades

2018年12月3日

Families from South and North Korea finally met

Pre-reading questions: Do you want to visit Korea? Why or why not? What is your opinion about the conflict between North and South Korea? Vocabulary: separation /sep-uh-REY-shuhn/ [noun] a situation in which two or more people or things are separated Separation is the time of high emotional stress. embrace /em-BREYS/ [verb] to hold someone close to you with your arms to express affection She greeted her daughter and embraced her tightly. reminisce /rem-uh-NIS/ [verb] to talk or write about past experiences that you remember She likes to reminisce about her years in high school. get-together /GET-tuh-geth-er/ [noun] a gathering of people, esp. for enjoyment She attended a family get-together last…
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Intermediate

Greenland’s giant iceberg threatens fishing community

2018年11月28日

Greenland's giant iceberg threatens fishing community

Pre-reading questions: Do you want to go to Greenland? Why or why not? Do you want to see an icerberg? Why? Vocabulary: huge /hyooj/ [adjective] extremely large in size or amount There was huge animal wandering on the road. community /kuh-MYOO-ni-tee/ [noun] the people living in one particular area All my relatives are living in one community. rise /rahyz/ [verb] to move up The price of the painting rises as it gets older. cause /kawz/ [noun] the reason why something happens Bacteria is one of the causes of human diseases. declare /dih-KLAIR/ [verb] to announce something publicly or officially The school declared suspension of classes because of the heavy rain….
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Intermediate

Too much body weight may cause depression

2018年11月26日

Pre-reading Questions Answer the following questions about the topic. Please explain your answer. What do you think is the ideal body weight? How does too much body weight affect a person’s life? Article Reading Read the passage and take note of the highlighted words in the vocabulary guide. According to the researchers of International Journal of Epidemiology, people with high body mass index are at higher risk of developing depression. Researchers of this study were able to gather hospital and personal data from 500,000 participants from year 2006 to 2010 with ages 37 to 73 and results show that there are 49,000 participants who have depression with high BMI.  …
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Intermediate