Hi, ladies!!
Current news:
Average childbirth costs differ among prefectures by as much as 50 percent, a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry survey has found.
According to the survey, an average total delivery expense is 420,000 yen, but ranges from 210,000 yen to 810,000 yen, depending on the medical institution. The highest expense is in Tokyo, at 510,000 yen, 1.5 times that in Kumamoto, at 340,000 yen.
The survey team also discovered a correlation between the amount of expenses and regional income differences. About 60 percent of facilities said they have been unable to demand all expenses, and 52 percent said they plan to raise fees by about 50,000 yen this year or later. The government plans to raise the lump-sum payment for deliveries to 420,000 yen in October as part of measures to tackle the declining birth rate.
…I don’t think money is always the measure of the common motivations for wanting a child. I suppose that women would hope for their peaceful future. Some could not give birth even if they were millionaire, because they can’t feel at ease in this situation.
Well, see you later. Good bye!
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3 comments:
Hi, ladies!!!
It has been hot today, hasn’t it?
Marriage and childbirth seem to be big problems to the Japanese government. But they are simply personal preferences, aren’t they? It should provide equal support to all the nationals, regardless of their personal choice.
I agree with you, Cherry, on the point that childbirth cost is not a serious issue to us in the present Japanese society. We women would like to have freedom of choice. Similarly, children should be given freedom of choice. We want to have a more flexible government….. Well, I had better stop now, otherwise I would not stop complaining about the incompetency and rigidness of the Japanese bureaucratic government. Oh, dear, dear.
This is a new quiz for you and me, my precious friends. Have fun.
China doubles gold reserves
1 May 2009
Report
China has the biggest foreign exchange reserves in the world, totalling almost $2,000 billion dollars. About two-thirds of this is estimated to be in US dollars.
But China has been backing away from (1) dollar for a while; three years ago Beijing broke the peg that linked its currency, (2) renminbi, and the dollar. Then, just before (3) London G20 summit earlier this month, China suggested that (4) time might have come for countries to reduce their reliance on the US dollar as (5) reserve currency. Nonetheless about two-thirds of China's foreign exchange reserves is estimated still to be in dollars.
But the Chinese move has given (6) small boost to (7) gold price, up $5.50 at $913 an ounce in London, and a big boost to those traditional investors who still believe that gold is the safest store of value.
However (8) bullion market experts say China's gold holdings are still far smaller than those of the US and (9) other developed countries, and it was still buying (10) US dollars.
Rodney Smith, BBC
Answers:
1. the
2. the
3. the
4. the
5. a
6. a
7. the
8. ---
9. ---
10. ---
Hi, ladies!!!
I have been so busy since I returned from Sydney toward the end of February that I have virtually had no time for my own writing project. However, the editing of the essays written by ten of our members is coming to an end before long, and I am very happy that we could soon publish Essays 2008. The quality of the essays is definitely getting better and the writing skill has improved without any doubt.
But at the same time it is not easy to keep up the English writing skill, though I don’t know whether or not they understand it. I myself like writing, and sometimes, not often though, I keep writing all day. Someday I would like to enroll in a creative writing course at university in the USA or England. Someday…. I really don’t know when this someday comes. Oh, dear, dear…. But that’s my dream.
This is a new quiz for you and me. Have fun.
US banks fail 'stress tests'
8 May 2009
Report
These stress tests have divided (1) strong banks, who don't need any extra capital, from (2) weak, who now have to find new money. The US government has ordered ten of (3) 19 banks tested to boost their capital. Top of (4) list is Bank of America, with (5) shortfall of nearly $34 billion, followed by Wells Fargo, Citigroup and GMAC – (6) finance arm of General Motors. (7) Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, said (8) tests had brought reassurance and clarity:
''These actions are critical to help get lending flowing again, to make sure that there's going to be (9) credit necessary to help support recovery, to help this economy get back on track''.
The stress tests were designed to find out how much extra capital the banks will need to cover their losses if (10) recession worsens. They can try to raise the money from private investors. Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley have already announced plans to do just that. But if that doesn't prove possible, then the US government says it will help them.
Greg Wood, BBC News, New York
Answers:
1. the
2. the
3. the
4. the
5. a
6. the
7. The
8. The
9. The
10. the
Hello, Cherry and my friends.
It seems to be not easy to keep up writing English every day. A strong will is necessarry and at the same time strong desire and enthusiam to develop one's compsing abilit is indispensable.
I’m very lucky because I have selected to join Bev’s lecture series in Tsunagaretto. I wonder how many of you have the same good luck as I won.
Good-night, my dear friedns.
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