Hi, ladies!!
I felt a lack of my knowledge of articles after trying the questions Plum gave us before. I made 3, 5, and 3 mistakes respectively. I want to make a note for the articles.
Yesterday’s seminar for writing English by Plum was very fruitful for us. According to her lecture, first of all, we must cultivate our ENGLISH brain by using every means, especially an electronic dictionary.
For example, we learned how to use a thesaurus dictionary: when we look up a word in it, we can see the same thing in different words.
How to use a collocations dictionary: when we keep words in mind, we’d better to see those in collocations and practical examples.
How to use an English-English dictionary: when we see a word in it, we have to read aloud and find it out more clearly.
I will try them.
After her lecture, she gave us some simple examples for writing English in an informal style, and made us write a long sentence as smoothly as possible. It was an unexpectedly difficult task for me, probably because I thought them through my JAPANESE brain. I don’t always use 5W and 1H in Japanese.
Thanks to Plum, my poor brain was strongly inspired by the entire lecture.
Well, see you next. Bye!
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Hi, everyone.
Today, I did the Question Plum presented. I made 4 mistakes. This is the me as usual. Please remember my performance or my English skills. Plum's lecture taught me how to write English sentences as the way you speak. Yesterday we practiced, I have a dim feeling, but this is the first for me. It is something like convenient to me. Thank you Plum.
Hi, ladies!!!
It’s Wednesday, March 4, 2009 today. The weather has been much better than yesterday, although it has been a bit windy and still cold all day. I hate windy days. Oh, yuk. Sorry about my language.
Cherry, thank you for letting us know your quiz results. Very disappointing now, probably, but if you keep learning you will be able to improve your results. Definitely, believe me!!!
I got a phone call from my son in Oita in the late afternoon, and he said that he had booked rooms for the nights of 13th and 14th for us, since we are going to visit them and see their new-born baby on the weekend after next. On Friday night we will stay at a Kanpo hotel in Usa, one of their neighboring cities, where there is a spacious hot spring bath and there are some massage machines. I normally do not go to a hot spring resort for relaxation but this Kanpo hotel is, sort of, an exception.
Since he could not get any room for the following night, we have to move to another hotel near Fujiki Temple, which I was told a national treasure, run by the Buddhist monk working for the temple and his wife. The place is rather deserted and no other buildings are seen around the hotel, and thus at night it becomes as black as pitch. In the early morning we could see cedar pollen spreading and drifting around here and there at a distance since the area is almost in the mountains and the air is crystal clear. Would you like to stay at a hotel like that? Probably, not. Neither would I. Too scary and dreadful, isn’t it?
Anyway that’s almost all about what happened to me today. I hope you are having a wonderful evening. I will paste a new quiz following this message. Goodnight, my dear friends. Sleep tight…
Hi, ladies!!!
I hope you will enjoy trying this new quiz. It’s fun. Relax… It’s just a little game.
This article is from BBC English Learning. The answers are listed below.
Throwaway society
Ali Banabdi from Saudi Arabia asks: Could you explain the meaning of 'a throwaway society'?
Hello Ali. Thank you for your question concerning the phrase 'a throwaway society', which is a term that we frequently hear these days, particularly in newspapers.
To throw something away means to get rid of something, to dispose of something that you do not want or need. It means that you do not keep something. Every day we throw things away, (1) things such as (2) sweet wrappers after we have eaten (3) sweet, or paper cups after we have drunk our coffee. Or, we might throw something away which is broken and which cannot be repaired.
So, what does 'a throwaway society' mean? Well, it doesn't mean that we throw (4) society away, as if it were waste paper. Instead, it describes (5) society in which people do not keep things for very long, even if those things still work or are still useful.
This is a type of behaviour that is present in many modern consumer societies in developed countries. For example, someone might buy a new shirt and wear it only a few times before throwing it away and buying a new one, even though (6) old one was still in good condition. Or, if someone's television breaks, they throw it away and buy a new one, rather than getting (6) old one repaired.
(7) Strange thing about many products that are produced these days is that they are not made to last for a long time, and this only encourages (8) throwaway society to keep throwing things away.
Importantly, the term 'throwaway society' has (9) slightly negative connotation, or meaning. When you describe (10) society as a throwaway society, you are probably criticising that behaviour, or showing your disapproval.
Nowadays, when people should be trying to waste less in order to save the environment and its resources, a throwaway society is certainly not a useful thing, which makes me think that we should indeed throw such behaviour away. What do you think, Ali?
Answers:
1. ---
2. ---
3. the
4. the
5. a
6. the
7. The
8. the
9. a
10. a
Hi, ladies!!!
It’s Thursday, March 5, 2009 today. Are you having a good time?
I might have said this already, but I saw two movies on my flight back to Narita: Flash of Genius and Duchess, not because I wanted to but simply I could not sleep.
Flash of Genus is set, perhaps, in the 1950s and Duchess is in 18th century England. The former is based on a real story about a court case between a no-name inventor and big carmakers in the USA. The beginning is fairly boring but as the story advances, a vicious disaster that attacks him grows more complicated and appealing. It is more like a suspense drama than a court trial one.
One of the most interesting episodes in the movie is that his wife leaves him, as he makes tenacious attempts to prove that he is right, defending his flash of genius, although eventually his growing-up children, who once leaves him with their mother, supports him in his court trials. She gets sick and tired of his crazy endeavors: at least his case seems out of the question to her. She never comes back to him.
If it were a Japanese movie, the wife would stay with him supporting him sometimes behind the scenes, although there would be ups and downs between the inventor and his wife, which is extremely boring and mundane.
Duchess is a gorgeous movie and I quite enjoyed watching her dresses, although occasionally I fell half asleep and so I cannot recall the story exactly.
Well, it is almost time my husband gets home. I’m getting ready for supper, my lovely friends. Goodnight to you all…
Hi, ladies!!!
This is a new quiz for you and me. Enjoy this little game…
Gordon Brown addresses Congress
Report
Now that Barack Obama appears to be on side, Gordon Brown will seek to woo (1) men and women whose support the new President needs if he is to live up to his promise to make globalisation work for (2) ordinary men and women.
Mr Brown is only the fifth British Prime Minister to be granted (3) honour of speaking to both Houses of Congress. His message to them is that 'never before have (4) benefits of international cooperation been so far-reaching'. He will tell (5) assembled Senators and Congressmen that they have (6) chance to work with the 'most pro-American European leadership in living memory'.
The Prime Minister is unlikely to repeat his insistence that (7) economic crisis began here in America. In an interview with the BBC he insists that he'd not been wrong-footed by the Chancellor's public call for (8) show of 'humility' and (9) acceptance of what he called 'collective responsibility' for what had gone wrong in the financial system.
Mr Brown will leave the United States later today rather envious of (10) room for manoeuvre his host enjoys as a new leader compared with the pressure he feels as someone who's been at the economic helm for more than a decade.
Answers:
1. the: specified by the following clause.
2. ---: in general, so zero article.
3. the: apposition.
4. the: specified by the following prepositional phrase.
5. the: specific reference.
6. the: specific reference.
7. the: specific reference.
8. a: not specified by “of…”.
9. the: specified by “of…”.
10. the: specified by the following clause.
Hi, ladies!!!
It’s Friday, March 6, 2009 today. It’s been raining softly and gently since the early morning as if it were doing some preparation work for the flowering plants and the trees since spring is coming before long.
How are you enjoying this afternoon, my lovely friends? I have been making another quiz for you and me.
Please try this quiz, since it’s fun. This article from the BBC website is about Michael Jackson, who went to London. He did not sing any songs but said that he would return to London in July for stage appearance.
The answers are listed below.
Michael Jackson: Still King of Pop?
After the years of scandal and seclusion, is this the beginning of the rehabilitation of Michael Jackson?
Stepping through (1) red curtains at the O2 arena in London to (2) hysterical screams of his loyal fans, the King of Pop almost seemed like his old self once more.
There were broad smiles, sparkling silver and jewels adorning his black jacket, and waves and peace signs for his army of followers.
There was no mask over the face, no trace of (3) supposed "flesh-eating bug" and no sign of the Michael Jackson who looked frail while shuffling into (4) court in his pyjamas during his child abuse trial and deluded as he danced on a car.
His appearance to announce 10 dates at the O2 in (5) summer was a day that some thought would never come.
Given his past behaviour, there was (6) suspicion that he might fly into London, feel a bit funny and get straight back on the next plane home.
Or that if he did arrive at the O2 announcement at all, that he would hover in the background for 20 seconds, mumble something incoherent and then disappear again.
In the end, his appearance lasted less than five minutes, and his speech was filled with (7) hesitant pauses.
But that can be put down to (8) fact that he was too busy grinning as he surveyed his fans, listening to their screams of support and making various gestures in response.
"I love you. I really do," he told them. "You have to know that. I love you so much. Really. From the bottom of my heart."
It was a far cry from a two-hour stage show, but it was a start.
He did not break into (9) song, but he looked fit enough to persuade most fans to want to part with their cash.
There may have been fewer fans queuing up here than there would have been 10 years ago, but (10) hardcore are still as fervent as ever.
For them, seeing the King of Pop is a quasi-religious experience, and they went into rapture when he appeared.
Answers:
1. the : specific reference.
2. the: specified by “of…”.
3. the: well-known information.
4. ---: no article with nouns like court when we refer to their primary purpose.
5. the: this coming summer.
6. a: not specified by the following “that…”.
7. ---: in general, so zero article with plural countable noun.
8. the: apposition, specified by the following “that…”.
9. ---: abstract noun, in this context.
10. the: the + adjective.
Hi, ladies!!!
It’s Saturday, March 7, 2009 today. It’s has been fairly windy and freezing cold, hasn’t it?
I, with my husband, went grocery shopping at a shopping complex near Ozone Station. Normally we go grocery shopping on early Saturday afternoon, of course, not every Saturday, but, perhaps, every other Saturday. There are a number of cloths shops in the complex, and so I stopped by several of them and bought three skirts and one blouse. Probably I spent too much money today… I should have not done so.
I bought two books for children that included traditional Japanese stories for very young children such as Momotao and Kintaro. I was asked to get this type of book by my daughter for her children, and looked for picture books for children from 2 years up, which was a bit difficult since there was not a large collection of those books at the bookshop. (The elder one is going to be two in July. Time flies, doesn’t it?) Anyway I got what I exactly wanted to get and so I am very happy about it.
These days I often see a white and ginger cat walking around my house. It sometimes sits on the front door mat and meowed, as if declaring that it was his/her house. I don’t care about it. If it wants to do that, I just let it do so. I often look at it though the glass of the front door and we look at each other, but it doesn’t move away. It stays there until I open the door. (What a funny cat!!!)
The other day I got a phone call from my daughter, who got a terrible cold. She sounded like a man when she said, “Hello, Mom. It’s me…” What came up to my mind was that the caller must be a conman who stole money by getting attention saying, “Hello, Mom. It’s me. I’m in trouble. Send me money as soon as possible.” I was relieved when I discovered the caller was my daughter. But we have to be very careful and cautious since there are so many bad people in this world, don’t we?
Well, it’s getting late. I will get ready for going to bed now, because I got a bit exhausted doing this and that all day, my dear friends. I will see you all at Tunagaretto tomorrow. Sweet dreams…
Hi, ladies!!!
It’s a new quiz. The article is from the CNN website. Try this and have fun…
The answers are listed below.
Clinton's European debut is full of smiles
ANKARA, Turkey – In her debut on (1) European stage, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton soaked up (2) praise, prodded NATO toward repairing (3) relations with Moscow and laughed off a staff gaffe that may have left the Russians snickering.
She arrived in the Turkish capital in the wee hours of Saturday after (4) workday she began by answering questions from young Europeans in Brussels, followed by a high-drama, modest-results meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva.
Turkey is a fitting finish to Clinton's weeklong trip, her second abroad since taking office in January, because it highlights (5) Obama administration's ambition to take advantage of a good moment with an important ally who felt betrayed at times by (5) Bush administration.
Turkey, like her Brussels and Geneva stops, is (6) chance for Clinton to help President Barack Obama get off to a positive beginning with a partner country. Turkey's influence is key to resolving several pressing U.S. problems: moving the U.S. military out of Iraq, blocking Iran's nuclear ambitions, and turning around the war in Afghanistan.
The Turks also are poised to help in Obama's efforts to win (7) comprehensive Middle East peace.
Clinton made her diplomatic debut with a February trip to Asia. In Brussels, a young Norwegian asked her if, by putting Europe second on her travel priorities, Clinton saw the continent any differently than did (5) Bush administration, which was saddled with former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's description of (8) unenergetic "old Europe."
Clinton hardly hesitated.
"Europe is our essential partner," she said, adding that it should not be forgotten that the first high-level administration overseas venture was Vice President Joe Biden's trip to Munich, Germany, in February, where he declared (9) new day in U.S.-European relations. In Brussels, Clinton announced that Obama would be visiting Britain, France, Germany and (10) Czech Republic in coming days. (Continued)
Answers:
1. the: specific reference.
2. ---: in general, so zero article with uncountable noun.
3. ---: in general, so zero article with countable noun.
4. a: first mention and unspecified.
5. the: the + proper noun + common noun.
6. a: first mention and unspecified.
7. a: first mention and unspecified.
8. an:
9. a: first mention and unspecified.
10. the: part of the country’s name.
Hi, ladies!!!
It’s a new quiz. It’s short and very easy. Definitely you can get 10 points. Try this and have fun. The article is from the BBC English Learning, and the answers are listed below.
China deficit biggest in decades
Report
In his lengthy speech, (1) Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, said China was faced with (2) unprecedented difficulties and challenges. He said (3) growth would be much slower, at around 8%, and there would be fewer jobs for graduates and migrant workers. The government's no longer confident that its GDP target will be met at the end of the year.
As (4) economy slows down, the government is promising to create nine million new jobs, two million fewer than last year. To counter (5) trend, the government's encouraging (6) companies to keep staff on and has unveiled (7) budget deficit of 140bn US dollars, the biggest deficit since the Communist Party took (8) power 60 years ago.
But there is no promise of extra money, apart from (9) already much publicised stimulus package of nearly 600bn US dollars. (10) Chinese stock markets nosedived after his speech.
Shirong Chen, BBC News, Beijing
Answers:
1. the: followed by proper noun.
2. ---: in general, so zero article with countable noun.
3. ---: in general, so zero article with uncountable noun.
4. the: specified, meaning Chinese economy, so the.
5. the: meaning the economic crisis.
6. ---: in general, so zero article with countable noun.
7. a: first mention and unspecified.
8. ---: a fixed expression (take power).
9. the: specific reference.
10. ---: in general, so zero article with countable noun.
Dear friends,
It is Sunday, March 8. I am very happy to see most of you at Tsunagaretto. The talk show was so stimulus to me. Thank you, Plum for giving us such a wonderful chance. Cross cultual meeting offers us a great opportunity to train our brain. I was impressed by what he said about Japanese medical service, which he said better than that of Britain. I'm afraid that it is getting worse because of the lacking in the number of doctors and the huge debt of the local hospitals. The quality of Japanese hospitals seems to be high. I hope that the present medical care system will last.
Another thing I was impressed with is that the teachers or schools are evaluated by the province or central government. It must be a burden or pressure for teachers in England. In order to improve the level of edudation it cannot be helped. I've read they also have a support system for the low lanked school, which is nice.
Good night, my precious friends.
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