イーマック emac english and preschool

英検/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題031

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読み、ノートに写して「セリフを練習」してきて下さい。

今週は映画の脚本「The Circle」から。ハリーポッターのエマ・ワトソン、トム・ハンクス、ジョン・ボイエガ、SNS社会の光と闇をスリリングに描いたサスペンス映画！

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

 

real company 企業の中の企業、素晴らしいという意味でrealが使われる

might as well　〜したほうがいい

kill　口頭で「完勝する」の意、winよりも強い表現 

Know the circle inside out 　inside outは「徹底的に」、know...inside out　で「〜を知り尽くす」

own it　（恥じることなく）堂々とするの意味もある

[Annie] I got you an interview tomorrow. Yes, I did.
[Mae] Really? No.
[Annie]I did, tomorrow.
[Mae] Holy s..., Annie, I love you.
[Annie] Remember, it's just customer experience. So answer phones, help people, what you're already doing but now a real company.
[Mae]I know, it's perfect.
[Annie]Tons of people started there.
[Mae] I know, I know. Thank you.
[Annie]Stop saying that. We're hiring a hundred people this month. One of them may as well be you.
[Mae]Right, good.
[Annie]This doesn't mean you're in. You have to kill the interview. Know the Circle inside out. I'm back next week. By then, you'll be hired if you kill the interview.
[Mae] Okay, I will.
[Annie] You can do it, Mae. Own it!

 

英検/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題030

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写して「質問を１つ」考えてきて下さい。

今週は「森鴎外先生の睡眠時間」から。

「はばかりながら」って英語で何でしょう？

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

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夜遅くに時刻を聞かれ、お手伝いさんが言った。「もう、12時でございます」。森鴎外はよほど気に食わなかったのか。。。。。。。。

The maid was asked late at night what time it was and said, “It’s already 12 midnight, sir.” The response must have really upset literary giant Ogai Mori (1862-1922), because he yelled at her, saying: “What do you mean by ‘already’? Why can’t you just say ‘It’s still 12 o’clock’?”
Literary critic Roan Uchida (1868-1929) wrote about what he had witnessed at Mori’s home in an essay in “Omoidasu Hitobito” (People I remember; Iwanami Bunko pocket edition). Mori did not mind losing sleep to indulge himself in his literary work and would often say, “A two-hour sleep should be enough for anyone.”

With all due respect, however, I would like to tell master Mori he is unreasonable, due to the medical knowledge shared by many people today — that is, of the “biological clock” [circadian rhythm]. They say defying this clock by leading an irregular life is what invites various illnesses.

The mechanism was unraveled some three decades ago. Three American scholars, who found that the secretion of hormones and other bodily functions are regulated by the clock, will be awarded the Nobel prize [in physiology or medicine]. The clock is at work, say, when people go to sleep. When the maid said, “already,” she was correct to a tee. What’s more, you could tell she was concerned [about Mori’s well-being].

There are people other than Mori who charged ahead by cutting down on their sleep. Bacteriologist Hideyo Noguchi (1876-1928) and Napoleon Bonaparte come to mind. In today’s entertainment world, Akashiya Sanma is rumored to be one of those people. Make sure you’re not influenced by these people the next time you read their success stories.

はばかりながら with all due respect

理不尽 unreasonable

体内時計 biological clock

分泌 secretion

睡眠を削るcut down on one's sleep

立志伝 success story

 (The Japan News）

英検/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題029

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写して「質問を１つ」考えてきて下さい。

今週は「突然の解散総選挙」から。

政治用語はテレビなどで聞いて育ちますが、英語になると聞く機会も少ないですね。

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calls snap election

call an election 選挙の実施を決める

stem from... 〜から生じる

mandate 命令、権限、有権者の意思

accord 合意、協定、一致

stipulate 規定する、明記する

pension 年金

decisively 決定的に、断固として

social security 社会保障

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday announced he will dissolve the House of Representatives at the beginning of the extraordinary Diet session to be convened on Sept. 28.
The general election will be held on Oct. 22, with official campaigning starting on Oct. 10.
“I will dissolve the House of Representatives on Sept. 28,” Abe said at a press conference on Monday evening at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Abe said he is calling the snap election because he intends to change the allocation of the increased revenues stemming from a planned hike in the consumption tax rate from 8 percent to 10 percent in October 2019.
“As long as I am changing[the government’s] promise to the people and making a significant decision regarding their lives, I determined to swiftly seek the public’s mandate,” Abe noted.
The 2012 accord among the then ruling Democratic Party of Japan (now the Democratic Party), the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito stipulates that about 20 percent of the increased revenues from the consumption tax hike will be used for social security services, while the rest will be for debt repayment and contribution to the state pension program.
Abe wants to “decisively change” the system so that the increased portion will be appropriated for investment in helping child-rearing generations and the stabilization of social security programs, he stressed.

（JAPAN NEWSより）

英検/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題028

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写して「質問を１つ」考えてきて下さい。

今週は「やせすぎモデルには頼みません」から。

フランスでは「痩せすぎモデル」の起用を禁止する法律が施行されていましたが、その後2017年9月にはルイ・ヴィトン、ジバンシー、グッチ、サンローランなどの有名ブランドの会社では最低BMI指数のチェックなど新基準を発表しました。

やっと「痩せている＝美しい」というのが古いという時代になりそうですね！

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

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French brands ban super-skinny models

ruin one's health 体をこわす

underweight, excessively thin やせすぎの

anorexia 摂食症

social norm 社会の見方

Are you interested in dieting? If so, you should never lose so much weight that you ruin your health.
Two French luxury fashion powerhouses recently announced they would stop using underweight models for their catwalk shows and campaigns.

The group that makes the Louis Vuitton brand, as well as another that manages the Gucci brand — two leading international fashion companies — said they will ask models they plan to hire to submit documents attesting to their well-being to prove they are not excessively thin.

More and more people in France are suffering from the eating disorder anorexia, creating a serious problem. The social norm of “thinner is better” is believed to be behind the situation.

The French government is speeding up efforts to cope with the problem. In May, Paris passed a law that bans using excessively thin models.

 (The Japan newsから)

英検/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題027

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写して「質問を１つ」考えてきて下さい。

今週は「次世代の自動車」から。自動運転だと朝食は車内でというふうになってくるのかな？

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

radio technology　無線技術

communication network　通信網

give a boost to ...　〜を後押しする

technological innovation　技術革新

lifestyle　生活様式

beloved car　愛車

Automobiles are said to have entered a period of revolutionary change that comes once in a century. Around 1900, Daimler invented the first automobile in the world, and an electric vehicle also appeared.

In those days, Guglielmo Marconi succeeded in an experiment to send a radio transmission across the Atlantic Ocean. Radio technology has progressed, and the practical use of radio communication networks with speeds 100 times faster than current ones will come within sight around 2020.

To realize a self-driving car, the definitive next-generation vehicle, an advanced communication network is indispensable to avoid collisions with other vehicles. The evolution of EVs with many electronically controlled parts will likely give a boost to self-driving technology.

Various technological innovations that have been in the works for a century are nearing realization. Kazuhiko Toyama, who served as chairman of the government’s Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, anticipated a change in lifestyles surrounding automobiles in his book titled “AI Keiei de Kaisha wa Yomigaeru” (Companies will revive through management using artificial intelligence), published by Bungeishunju Ltd. In the same way that methods of transportation changed from horses to automobiles and horse-riding clubs appeared for leisure-time enjoyment, “car-driving clubs” will surely appear in the age of vehicles with fully automatic operations. On holidays, members will enjoy taking beloved cars — kept at a driving course.

In October, the Tokyo Motor Show will be held. The event may present the future look of automobiles.

（Japan News）

英検/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題026

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写してきて下さい。

今週は現地校小学5年生の、5パラグラフエッセイから。

Five Paragraph Essayとは、自分の意見を読み手に伝える文章を、Introduction（序論)＞Main Body（本論さらに3段落に分ける）＞Conclusion（結論）からなる「5段落エッセイ」のことです。

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Student Model Print

Fifth-grader Melissa clearly states her opinion in the first paragraph. She shares supporting ideas, with details, in the middle paragraphs. In her conclusion, she restates her opinion in a fresh way.

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Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I’m writing to you about the Teacher-Who-Made-a-Difference contest. Ms. Wells made a difference to me! I think she should be the winner of your contest. Ms. Wells has done so much for me and for all of her students; this is the least I can do for her.

First of all, Ms. Wells is helpful. She’s willing to help anyone in the classroom who needs help. My teacher always helps us with worksheets. On Friday, she showed me how to do something in math. If you ask her for help, she’ll help you.

In addition, Ms. Wells is a kind person. She always lets her students stay in from recess. On February 26, she let our class have a Colonial Day. We got to dress up like colonists; it was a blast! Not only is she kind to kids, but she’s also kind to other teachers and parents. She is always thoughtful and considerate.

Lastly, Ms. Wells donates her time to kids. She donates her lunch recess for Student Council, which meets in her room. Last fall, Ms. Wells promised me that she would come to one of my soccer games. Guess what? She did, even though she had a lot of school stuff to correct and had to leave for Chicago.

In conclusion, I think Ms. Wells should be the winner of your contest. She is helpful and kind and gives her free time to students. I know you will agree with me that Ms. Wells is a Teacher Who Made a Difference. She’s the best!

Sincerely,

Melissa

（引用：K１２.thoughtfullearning.com）

 

プレミスト千早中央公園でイーマックのチケットがもらえます!

イーマックから徒歩３分のところにできた新しいマンション！

この度、プレミスト千早中央公園（ダイワハウス）のモデルルームをプロデュースするTEAM CHIHAYAの一員としてタタミルームをお手伝いしました。

モデルルーム見学に行かれると無料チケットなどもらえますので是非遊びにいってみてくださいね。

 

 

英検/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題025

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写して「質問を１つ」考えてきて下さい。

今週は映画「Hidden Figures（隠された立役者）」（邦題：ドリーム）からセリフをご紹介します。

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

ケネディ政権下、バスの座席やトイレが白人と有色人種に分けられていた時代に、NASAの研究所で優秀な頭脳を持つ黒人女性たちが計算手として働いていた。アメリカ宇宙開発の知られざるヒロインたちを初めて世に紹介したのが本作。

Scene

ある朝、NASAに通勤中のキャサリンたちは、乗っていた車のトラブルで道路の真ん中で立ち往生していました。そこへ白人警官がパトカーで通りかかります。

White Cop: Not a great place for three of y’all be having car trouble.
Mary Jackson: We didn’t pick the place, Officer. It picked us.
White Cop: Are you being disrespectful?
Mary Jackson: No, sir.
White Cop: You have identification on you?
Mary Jackson: Yes, sir.
Katherine Johnson: Yes, sir. We’re just on our way to work at Langley. NASA, sir.
[all three show him their ID’s]
Dorothy Vaughan: We do a great deal of the calculating, getting our rockets into space.
White Cop: All three of you?
Katherine Johnson: Yes, sir.
Mary Jackson: Yes, Officer.
[he takes Mary’s ID and looks at it]
White Cop: NASA, now that’s something. I had no idea they hired…
Dorothy Vaughan: There are quite a few women working in the space program.

英検/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題024

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写して「質問を１つ」考えてきて下さい。

今週は「NIKE 勝利」から。

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

excavate 発掘する

goddess of victory 勝利の女神

capricious 移り気

whimsical 気まぐれな

draw a bow 弓をひく

cross oneself 十字切り（する）

Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, has magnificent wings. You may have seen the “Nike of Samothrace” statue, excavated on the Greek island of Samothrace, at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Even without its head, the statue suggests Nike’s beauty as a goddess.
Nike is said to have had two tough-looking sisters: Bia (force) and Kratos (strength). But they have no match for Nike in popularity. Besides a global sports brand, Nike has left her mark on names such as Nicholas and Nicole.

Speaking of the goddess of victory, such characters are commonly known to be capricious, whimsical and mischievous. This calls to mind a man who has been loved for an unusually long time.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, 30, has retired from competition. He has won eight Olympic gold medals and 11 medals of the same color at the world championships. Clocking 9.58 seconds in the 100 meters, Bolt must continue to shine as “the fastest man on the planet” in people’s memories, along with his signature pose of drawing a bow toward the sky.

Sometime just after the Rio de Janeiro Games ended, I clipped a verse published in The Yomiuri Shimbun’s weekly column of poetry sent by readers.

When Usain Bolt crosses himself

and looks up to the sky,

I feel a god exists in this world

(created by Yoshiko Yamashita of Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture)

That could just be Nike.

(The Yomiuri Shimbun)

 

英検準１級/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題023

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写して「質問を１つ」考えてきて下さい。

今週は「東京五輪まで３年」から。

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

３年なんて、あっという間に来て、あっという間に過ぎ去ってしまいそう。特に子育て中の今はそう感じます。小学生になりたての時はあと６年も通うのか〜なんて思っていたらもう卒業式、そして中学生の制服を見て感動したのもつかの間、あっという間にまた卒業を。。子供達が巣立った後のことなんて考えただけで涙ぐんでしまうのは年のせいでしょうか。。あ、これを読んでいるのは子供達でしたね。親の気持ちを語ってみました。笑

 

With 3 years to go, overcome hurdles to make 2020 Tokyo Games a success

連携を密にする facilitate closer collaboration

最新技術state-of-the-art technology

最優先で with the highest priority

分散化している be decentralized

〜に影を落とす cast a shadow on ...

巧妙化する become sophisticated

監視機関 watchdog organization

It is three years until the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Relevant organizations should facilitate closer collaboration among themselves to accelerate preparations for the event, while making efforts to reduce costs.

Tokyo is going through a hot summer. Measures to deal with the scorching heat will also be an unavoidable challenge during the Olympics in three years. Various strategies are required to protect the health of athletes and spectators.

There are several available measures for that purpose — covering the walls and roofs of athletic facilities with greenery, installing mist shower devices that spray water, and improving the surface of roads for marathon and race walking courses to avoid a rise in temperature on their surfaces.

It is desirable to utilize Japan’s state-of-the-art technology to achieve these objectives and bring about more effective results.

Amid the terrorist attacks frequently occurring in various parts of the world, securing the safety of athletic facilities and other soft targets is an issue to be focused on with the highest priority.

The government decided on a basic security strategy in April. Based on the strategy, the National Police Agency is gathering information on terrorism, cyber-attacks and other threats, analyzing them and providing information to relevant organizations.

Compared with the initial plan, event venues are more decentralized. A flawless security system should be established.

Russia’s state-sponsored doping violations cast a shadow on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Doping violations by medalists were also revealed during the event.

英検準１級/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題022

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写して「質問を１つ」考えてきて下さい。

今週は「どう変わる？2020年度からの大学共通テスト」から。

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

2017年7月13日、文部科学省では高大接続改革の一環として「平成33年度大学入学者選抜実施要項の見直しに係る予告」を決定しました。

センター試験は2020年1月を最後に廃止され「大学入学共通テスト」がスタートします。今の中学３年生（2017年４月時点）から、この「共通テスト」（2021年1月実施）を受検することになります。大きな変更点は、記述式問題の導入と英語の４技能（読む・聞く・話す・書く）を評価するところ。

何と言っても「聞き取る力」は、取り組んだ時間数＋集中力が比例します。逆を言えば、日頃から取り組んでいれば、Pain-freeラクに身につけられます。英語を学習したからといって日本語を忘れるわけではありません。日本語はたくさん絵本の読み聞かせをしてあげたり、祖父母やご近所の方とお話しをさせてあげて下さい。英語、他の言語も欲張って大丈夫。学習した分だけ身につきますよ！

New unified entrance exams a chance to shift from knowledge-centric testing

より正確に more accurately

英検 Test in Practical English Proficiency

選択肢 option

小論文 short essay

実のある改革 substantive reform

国立大 national university

推薦入試 entrance exam by commendation

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry has finally settled on a plan for implementing a unified university entrance examination system to replace the test by the National Center for University Entrance Examinations. The ministry must quickly put preparations in place to enable the smooth implementation of the plan.

One pillar of the new entrance exam, which will be introduced from the 2020 academic year, is the introduction of short-answer questions for Japanese language and mathematics. The standards for grading that will be entrusted to the private sector should be clearly stipulated, and the system should be examined through trial tests.

Multiple-choice tests will also be able to more accurately assess a student’s level of understanding through steps including questions in which several correct answers must be chosen.

Regarding English, the new system will use the results of tests administered by private-sector organizations, such as the Test in Practical English Proficiency (Eiken) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which gauge a student’s practical ability.

The financial burden shouldered by test takers will increase. There also are concerns that opportunities to sit these exams could be limited in regional areas. In the first place, some private-sector exams were never intended to be used for entrance tests. The education ministry should carefully approve which tests will be acceptable for this purpose.

It can be called a realistic decision that the options were broadened by allowing the current English test format compiled by the national center to remain in place until the 2023 academic year. If a full switch is to happen in the future, many problems need to be settled.

Four years ago, the government’s Education Rebuilding Implementation Council suggested breaking away from scoring tests using single-point increments and holding a “one-off” exam on which everything hinged. It also proposed the new entrance tests be held several times a year.

英検準１級/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題021

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで、ノートにも写して「質問を１つ」考えてきて下さい。

今週は「九州北部豪雨」から。

（日本語全訳が欲しい方は [email protected]、Kazueまで）

 

〜お知らせ〜 各団体が支援を行っており、ネットでカードやTポイントでも募金ができますよ✨

私はセーブ・ザ・チルドレンで募金をしました。

Give top priority to minimizing damage caused by torrential rain in Kyushu

The government and local authorities are urged to swiftly grasp the full extent of the damage and do everything they can to rescue the victims and provide support to people affected by this disaster.

local authorities自治体、are urged to 要請される、swiftly素早く、grasp把握、the full extent 全容

Record-level torrential rain that has hammered northern Kyushu has caused rivers to flood and washed away or inundated many homes.

record-level torrential rain 記録的豪雨

hammerハンマーとんかち（打たれた）、inundated冠水

People have died or remain missing following landslides and other rain-triggered incidents. At one stage, evacuation instructions were issued for about 450,000 people in Fukuoka, Oita and Kumamoto prefectures.

at one stage 一時、 remain残った

“The situation is beyond imagination and very serious,” said Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, who was filling in for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while he is overseas, at a Cabinet meeting Thursday. Aso instructed that every resource available be directed to responding to the situation.

Deputy Prime Minister副首相

About 7,800 police officers, firefighters and Self-Defense Forces personnel have started rescue and search operations. A government survey team has also arrived in the affected region. They all should work closely with local governments to rescue people in areas that have been isolated due to severed roads and provide carefully tailored support to evacuated residents.

A government survey team政府の調査団、carefully tailoredきめ細やかな

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued special emergency warnings for heavy rain in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures. In Asakura, Fukuoka Prefecture, almost 130 millimeters of rain fell in one hour. Rainfall of more than 80 millimeters per hour can make a person feel like the rain is closing in on them.

Meteorological Agency気象庁、special emergency warning 特別警報

In Asakura, rainfall recorded during a 24-hour period to Thursday morning reached about 540 millimeters, more than the city’s monthly rainfall for July during a normal year. This illustrates that torrential rain beyond all imagination fell for an extended period.

monthly rainfall 月間雨量、illustrates that〜が伺える（わかる）、beyond all imagination想像を絶する

Provide accurate information

Even after the rain eases up, the ground is unstable. Vigilance against further landslides must be maintained.

Vigilance警戒 be maintained維持される

A “line-shaped rain system” was the cause of this heavy rain. This system generates a steady stream of cumulonimbus clouds, which produce rain, within an area about 20 kilometers to 50 kilometers across and 50 kilometers to 300 kilometers long. In this case, a band of rain formed along the mountains of northern Kyushu and where the seasonal rain front was located, with the rain front moving southward.

“line-shaped rain system”線状降水量、generates生成する、cumulonimbus clouds積乱雲、seasonal rain front 梅雨前線

Such a rain system caused torrential rain that lashed northern Kyushu five years ago. It also unleashed torrential rain that triggered huge landslides in Hiroshima in 2014 and pounded Kanto and Tohoku in 2015. It is of crucial importance to conduct further research into the mechanism that generates this new phenomenon, which can cause weather disasters.

torrential rain豪雨、unleash繰り出す、of crucial importance 非常に重要な、phenomenon現象

Has not the rising trend in sea surface temperatures due to global warming and other factors been influencing these weather patterns? Some observers have pointed out that an increase in moisture in the atmosphere leads to an increase in torrential rain disasters.

The seasonal rain front hangs over the Japanese archipelago. The meteorological conditions needed for heavy rain to strike the nation are in place. Complacency must be avoided at all costs, even in regions outside Kyushu. People are urged to get in the habit of taking steps to protect themselves, such as by quickly evacuating, based on weather information.

archipelago日本列島、meteorological condition気象条件（状態）、Complacency油断

From Tuesday, the meteorological agency started issuing forecasts that use maps in which areas are color-coded to indicate the level of risk of heavy rain and other conditions. As the Kyushu rain struck shortly after the new system came into operation, it could not fully demonstrate its efficacy.

The provision of accurate information is useful for ensuring the safety of residents. It is essential to have this new system function effectively.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun)

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アメリカ小中校の体験型STEAM（科学,技術,工学,芸術,数学）教育を導入した外国人の先生と英語だけで活動するマルチアクティビティの夏季教室です。
＃年齢に合わせた現地校の個別WorkBook, #Speaking集中練習 ＃オールイングリッシュ,#日替わりHands_On_STEAM体験活動 ＃教材費込み,#体験アクティビティ材料費込み,#遠足先入場料込み！#福岡 #英語サマースクール

開催期間：7月24日月曜日〜8月25日金曜日

時間：午前10時〜午後3時（学童延長あり）

週単位でお申し込み受付中！

詳しくはイーマックのサマースクールのサイトへ！

英検準１級/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題020

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで「質問を２つ」考えてきて下さい。ノートにも写しましょう→出力の練習になります。今週は「都議選自民大敗」から。

LDP must reflect on arrogance, laxity caused by Abe dominance / Pro-Koike forces must fulfill duties

驕り（おごり）arrogance

失言inappropriate remark

先頭に立つspearhead

投票率voter turnout

〜の原動力 driving force for ...

〜と二人三脚でin tandem with...

〜を浮き彫りにする bring ... into relief

大幅に後退する suffer a major setback

政権党 party in power

挙党体制 whole-party approach

政治姿勢 political stance

苦戦bitterly fought battle

緊張関係 tension in relationship

一線を画すdraw a line

古い議会old-school assembly

根回し behind-the-scenes maneuvering

The latest election results seem to indicate voters’ expectations for Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike’s metropolitan government to work on reform. Even more importantly, they want the Liberal Democratic Party-led administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to reflect on its arrogance and lack of seriousness. This can be described as the popular will expressed by voters in this nation’s capital.

Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites first group), a regional party led by Koike, made a great leap forward in its first campaign for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, a triumph that has enabled Tomin First to replace the LDP and secure the position of the dominant party in the metropolitan assembly.

The number of seats obtained by pro-Koike forces — Tomin First, Komeito and independents supporting her — was far greater than half of the assembly. She has succeeded in laying a stable base for the management of metropolitan politics.

Komeito ties work

The LDP suffered a historic defeat in the race. This was partly due to the adverse effects of its breakup with Komeito, despite many years of close cooperation between the two parties. The LDP was also harmed by factors such as the government’s inadequate explanations about the Kake Educational Institution issue, which should be primarily addressed in national politics, and inappropriate remarks by Defense Minister Tomomi Inada and others.

The electoral battle, in which the governor spearheaded her own regional party’s campaign, attracted a great deal of attention from Tokyo residents, as illustrated by the fact that voter turnout rose from the previous election to 51.27 percent.

The driving force for Tomin First is the high degree of personal popularity enjoyed by Koike. Backed by its successful electoral cooperation with Komeito, the regional party was the recipient of votes cast by people critical of the Abe administration. Tomin First won in a series of single-seat constituencies while also steadily gaining seats in plural-seat constituencies.

During its campaign, Komeito told voters it would work to stabilize metropolitan politics in tandem with Koike, and it fulfilled the goal of getting all its candidates elected for the seventh consecutive time.

Koike declared victory at a press conference, saying: “[The regional party’s electoral gains] were even greater than I had expected. I’ve been moved to know I’ve gained an understanding of residents in Tokyo, and at the same time, I keenly feel the weight of my responsibility.”

Since taking office in August last year, Koike has sought to ascertain the facts related to issues such as the omission of soil-laying work at the yet-to-be-opened Toyosu fish market. This has brought into relief the harmful effects caused by the lack of coordination among divisions within the metropolitan government, as well as the irresponsible nature of administrative operations there. Her avowed readiness to make metropolitan politics transparent through information disclosure was also favorably received.

Immediately before the start of official campaigning for the assembly election, Koike unveiled a plan to relocate the Tsukiji wholesale market to Toyosu while also redeveloping the former site, thereby deflecting the LDP’s accusation of Koike as “a governor who cannot make decisions.”

However, she has not yet explained the details of her plan about how to continue using the market functions of both locations. She needs to show the specifics of her plan and prospects for earnings and expenditures at an early date.

 

アカデミークラスはアメリカ現地校の教材で学習しています。

＜アカデミー１クラスへ（小６〜中２＋新大学生）＞

文章の組み立て、段落も考えながら読みましょう。まずそのまま写した後に、文章をあちこち変えて書き直してみましょう。記者になったつもりでイメージして書いて下さい。

＜アカデミー１クラス以外の皆さんへ（小４〜中１）＞

まず書き写しましょう！一行でも二行でもいいので量を決めて取り組みましょう。続けて慣れることが大切です。単語は興味があれば調べてみて下さい。但し時間は10〜20分で。それ以上かかる場合は日を改めましょう。続ける事が何よりも重要なポイントです。欲張ってやりすぎると楽しくなくなります。興味がわかないと学習効果は上がりません。おうちの方は、記事について日本語でいいので（新しく知る単語のとこだけは英語に差し替えて）、子供達とディスカッションしてください。（特にお父さんと）使うと血肉になります。 

英検準１級/TOEFLスタディグループ 課題019

メンバーは課題を金曜までに読んで「質問を２つ」考えてきて下さい。ノートにも写しましょう→出力の練習になります。今週は「がん基本計画」から。まだまだ喫煙率や、がん検診の受診率はよくならないそうです😢身体を大切にして下さいね💖

子供達にもがんを理解してほしいと作られた漫画、
漫画「がんのひみつ」学研キッズのサイトで電子ブックを無料で読むことができます！

２人に１人はがんになる時代。国立がん研究センター保健政策研究部の山本精一郎さん、溝田友里さんらが、がん患者や子どもたちの意見を聞きながら、３年がかりで学習漫画「がんのひみつ」を作った。子どもの時から理解を深め、「わからないことへの不安」を取り除くのが狙いという。

学研キッズネットには、他にもたくさんの無料電子ブックが掲載されています。ぜひご活用下さい！

 

Thorough prevention, early detection vital in new basic plan for cancer

早期発見 early detection

死亡率 mortality rate

5年生存率 five-year survival rate

〜に届かない fall short of ...

発症後 after the onset

〜の観点から in terms of ..

初期の段階で at an early stage

人生の節目 turning point in one's life

〜に影響を及ぼす have an impact on ...

To reduce the number of people who die of cancer, prevention and early detection are effective. Measures for that purpose should be accelerated.

A council of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has compiled a draft of a new “Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control Programs” over the next six years. The draft is set to be approved at a Cabinet meeting as early as July.

The current basic plan had set a goal of decreasing the mortality rate of the disease by 20 percent among those under 75 over a 10-year period that started in 2005. Based on the plan, efforts have been promoted to enhance medical services, including preparing core hospitals for cancer treatment.

Results have been steadily produced, such as a decline in the mortality rate and an improvement in the five-year survival rate. However, the about 16 percent drop in the mortality rate fell short of the goal. It is said that this is mainly due to the fact that the rate of smoking and the consultation rate for cancer screening have not improved as expected.

Based on the lessons learned from the current basic plan, the emphasis of the measures in the draft plan was shifted to prevention and early detection from measures taken mainly after the onset of the disease.

In particular, measures against tobacco put emphasis on prevention. The anti-tobacco measures seek to promote efforts for lowering the rate of smoking and preventing passive smoking.

A goal to “curb passive smoking to zero” at restaurants and other locations, which was agreed to at the ministry council, was not included in the anti-tobacco measures. It was influenced by the fact that a consensus has not been reached on a bill to strengthen measures against passive smoking due to opposition within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. In terms of cancer prevention, it is necessary to quickly introduce legislation to promote measures against passive smoking.

Enhance patient support

For early detection of cancer, it is indispensable to improve the consultation rate for cancer screening. Currently the rate for men is in the 40 percent range, while that for women is in the 30 percent range. Neither meet the 50 percent goal.

It is also a problem that when people are suspected of abnormalities, only 65 percent to 85 percent of them go on to get a thorough examination. The draft plan sets a new goal to raise that rate to 90 percent.

Local governments and workplaces, which conduct physical checkups, should put effort into devising more effective measures, such as encouraging, in a careful manner, those people to get a thorough examination and improving a system to make it easy to get such an examination. In order to better detect cancer at an early stage, it is also important to improve the accuracy of examinations.

The draft plan is characterized by its call to extend support for patients based on age.

Notably, it took up measures for juveniles and young adults for the first time. There are cases when they receive treatment at turning points in their lives, such as advancing to higher education, getting a job, marriage and childbirth. It is possible that disruptions such as suspension of their academic work could have a serious impact on their future.

It is indispensable to provide support according to various stages of their lives, such as educational support while undergoing medical treatment and support for their return to school.

With the increase in the number of those in working generations who develop cancer, job assistance is another important challenge in the current basic plan. At the end of last year, the revised Cancer Control Law, which urges companies to make efforts to consider the continued employment of cancer patients, came into force. Effective efforts should be promoted as part of the government’s work style reform.

(Yomiuri Shimbun)

アカデミークラスはアメリカ現地校の教材で学習しています。

＜アカデミー１クラスへ（小６〜中２、新大学生）＞

文章の組み立て、段落も考えながら読みましょう。まずそのまま写した後に、文章をあちこち変えて書き直してみましょう。記者になったつもりでイメージして書いて下さい。

今夏からアメリカの大学へ、バスケ進学する生徒さんも参加しています✨頑張っていますよ！

＜アカデミー１クラス以外の皆さんへ（小４〜中１）＞

アカデミー２（金6:10）、３（火5:30)クラスにも配信しています。

まず書き写しましょう！一行でも二行でもいいので量を決めて取り組みましょう。

続けると慣れていずれ簡単になります！

単語は興味があれば調べてみて下さい。

但し時間は10〜20分で。それ以上かかる場合は日を改めましょう。

続ける事が何よりも重要なポイントです。欲張ってやりすぎると楽しくなくなります。興味がわかないと学習効果は上がりません。

おうちの方は、記事について日本語でいいので（新しく知る単語のとこだけは英語に差し替えて）、子供達とディスカッションしてください。（特にお父さんと）使うと血肉になります💖のでここ、重要です！