Intermediate

University entrance examinations across Japan

2017年2月2日

Pre-reading questions: Do you get nervous when you take tests? What do you do after taking a difficult exam? Have you ever cheated on a test? High school graduates in Japan have completed the unified college entrance examinations. It is a 2-day examinations that ended last Sunday at 691 sites. Due to the stern weather, some sites were forced to reschedule. According to a student who took the tests at Tokyo Institute of Technology, she was delighted that the tests were over and will work harder in preparation for the next lap of examinations for the university she hopes to study in. Some sites encountered delays in starting the tests…
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Intermediate

McDonald’s sells off over 2,000 outlets in China, HK

2017年2月1日

Business - I

  Pre-reading questions: How often do you eat burgers? Do you like McDonald’s? Do you visit other foreign fast food chains in your area?   McDonald’s has handed 80% of its operations worth $2.1 billion to Citic group and Carlyle group. The two firms will take over 2,000 McDonald’s outlets in China and Hongkong. Under the new partnership, Citic takes a 52% stake while Carlyle handles 28% of the share. The American fast food chain keeps the remaining portion of 20%. This step is in line with the company’s goal to add more outlets in China, Hongkong and South Korea in the next 5 years.Yum brands, the owner of KFC…
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Intermediate

Tornadoes kill 18 in southern US

2017年1月30日

Pre-reading questions: Have you ever experienced a disaster? What are some kinds of disasters? What kind of disasters are common in your country? Areas in the southern part of the United States were hit by tornadoes causing 18 people to die while leaving 50 people wounded. The strong tornadoes and storms were brought by the severe weather in states of Georgia and Mississippi. These calamities caused casualties and damages in homes, roofs, cars, and trees. Some people shielded themselves in buildings which were left standing after the tornado. Georgia was declared under state of emergency in the badly affected area to give support to the residents and to evaluate the…
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Intermediate

Rural areas offer good life

2017年1月27日

Pre-reading questions: Have you visited other prefectures in your country? Do you have any favorite cities? Which is better, the urban life or the rural life? Why? Most retired people settle themselves in a rural area. They want to live in a secluded place. Nowadays, young people are considering to live in a slow life. Relocating themselves in a farm life and in fishing villages is a good start. A 29-year-old mother said that she can benefit a lot in slow living over the busy life of the city. People in rural areas can help villagers with their farming and fishing activities. Their culture comes from agriculture and from nature….
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Intermediate

New NTT West Corp. job interview program

2017年1月25日

  Pre-reading questions: What are typical job interview questions? What do you think is the one of hardest questions asked during an interview? Does physical attributes contribute to a higher evaluation in an interview.   The NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) West Corp. developed a program at Kansai University. The program analyzed students’ practice job interviews, and the results can be used to correct eye movements, gestures, and ways of speaking. Furthermore, a wristband checks the pulse and hand movements of the interviewee. Through camera and microphone, the program monitors facial expressions and counts how many times the speaker utters er or um. However, attitudes and mannerisms can also affect…
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Intermediate

Martin Luther King Jr.’s childhood home reopens to public

2017年1月23日

  Pre-reading questions: What is a historic site? Have you ever been to a historic site? Why are historic sites important?   After temporarily closing for repairs, Martin Luther King Jr.’s childhood home reopens. King is known for being an activist and a leader. His house at 450 Auburn Ave. N.E. is one of the buildings in the historic site in Atlanta, Georgia. It had to undergo repairs due to damages caused by daily visits, according to Judy Forte, superintendent of Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta. King’s birth home is partly open since only the first floor was restored. The upper floor of the landmark still…
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Intermediate

Miyagi school opens to public after the great 2011 tsunami attack

2017年1月19日

  Pre-reading questions: Do you know what a tsunami is? Do you know someone who has been affected by a tsunami? Can a tsunami be prevented? How?   A school in Miyagi prefecture was hit by the 2011 tsunami attack. The school opened to the public for the very first time. Vehicles swept in the 14-meter waves remain on the grounds of Miyagi Kesennuma Koyo High School. Debris are scattered all around the building. I thought I had known what the disaster was like from news, but seeing a car sitting on the third floor taught me how powerful the tsunami was, said Satoshi Tanaka, a Kanagawa prefectural government official….
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Intermediate

Paris Climate Change Agreement gains approval

2017年1月18日

  Pre-reading questions: What is climate change? What do you think causes climate change? How does climate change affect our way of living?   The Paris Agreement gains approval to prevent climate change. It aims to limit the global temperatures to 2°C or possibly to 1.5°C. However, the steps to accomplish the agreement are yet to be figured out. Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency in Paris, said that temperatures will still be up to 2.7°C even if the countries that signed the agreement fully achieve their primary promises. Some companies are still thinking of ways to address climate change. The agreement also made the market…
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Intermediate

Stolen Yahoo data for sale on dark web

2017年1月17日

Business - I

  Pre-reading questions: Do you have an email account? How long have you been using your email account? How important is security in email accounts?   Over one billion Yahoo accounts had been compromised in the hacking incident in 2013. Account owners’ personal data including phone numbers, passwords, security questions, and backup email addresses were illegally acquired in the process. It is considered the biggest data breach on the record. The stolen data had been for sale on the dark web, but since the incident had been disclosed to the public, the price was expected to decline. Investigators pointed the finger at Group E— a group of cybercriminals based in…
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Intermediate

Children’s love in a truck

2017年1月16日

  Pre-reading questions: How can a child express his love for his/her parents? Have you ever cheered for your parents before they go to work? Can a drawing cheer anyone up? Why?   A decorated truck has been launched by a transportation company in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture. The project is to provide emotional support for drivers and to avoid misfortune while on the road. At first, the management has thought upgrading driving equipment would be inadequate to avoid accidents. Now, they have found out that it’s important for drivers and the people they love to find peace while drivers are at work. This project is supported by 15 transportation companies…
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Intermediate