2012年5月号-　エイゴパス英会話レッスン　月刊ニュースレター

| 月間ニュースレター |
英語ニュース Current Internet NEWS!!　＜新着ネットニュース＞
英語のビデオ Video News (Domestic and World Events／国内＆世界の動画ニュース)
Business English Phrases ＜ビジネス英会話＞
Grammar Study＜今月の文法学習＞
TOEICクイズ TOEIC Study Quiz＜ＴＯＥＩＣテスト＞
OPINIONS ＜今月のみんなの意見：オバマ大統領同性愛者支援！＞
 
   
—You can read the article below and use it in your lessons to discuss with your teacher. —
この記事を読んで先生とレッスンで話し合おう！
Japan News

— Japan faces ‘extinction’ in 1000 years —

Japanese researchers have unveiled a population clock that showed the nation’s people could theoretically become extinct in 1000 years because of declining birth rates.

Academics in the northern city of Sendai said that Japan’s population of children aged up to 14, which now stands at 16.6 million, is shrinking at the rate of one every 100 seconds.

“The overall trend is towards extinction, which started in 1975 when Japan’s fertility rate fell below two.”

Yoshida said he created the population clock to encourage “urgent” discussion of the issue. More than 20 percent of Japan’s people are aged 65 or over, one of the highest proportions of elderly in the world. Japan has very little immigration and any suggestion of opening the borders to young workers who could help plug the population gap provokes strong reactions among the public.The greying population is a headache for policymakers who are faced with trying to ensure an ever-dwindling pool of workers can pay for a growing number of pensioners. But for some Japanese companies the inverting of the traditional ageing pyramid provides commercial opportunities.
unveiled （秘密になっていたもの）を明らかにする。おおやけにする。
   
英語ポイント theoretically 理論上、理論的な
   
英語ポイント overall 全体の、全部の
   
英語ポイント urgent 切迫した、急を要する
   
英語ポイント greying 高齢化
   
英語ポイント dwindling 減少している
   
 

＜ディスカッションポイント！＞

What do you attribute the declining birth rate in Japan to? What can we as a society or the government do to reverse this trend?

日本の出生率の低下についてあなたは何が原因だと思いますか？社会又は国として私たちがこれを覆すためには何が出来ますか？

＜日本語訳＞ 日本が1000年以内に絶滅する！？

日本の研究者が、出生率の減少により千年以内に日本人が理論上絶滅すると示した人口時計を明らかにした。仙台北部の学問者によると、現在1660万人の14歳以下の子供人口が100秒ごとに1人の割合で減っているという。

「日本の出産率が2%を下回った1975年に始まり、総合的に絶滅傾向にむかっている。」　

吉田はこの問題の議論を緊迫づける為に人口時計作ったと述べた。日本人口の20%以上が65歳以上と、世界でも高齢者の割合が高い。

日本にはわずかな移民数しかおらず、人口ギャップを埋めることが出来る若者に境界を開く提案は世間では強い反感を引き起こしている。高齢者人口は、増加し続ける年金受給者を養える減少している労働者のプールの確保の試みに直面している政策立案者にとっても悩みの種だ。しかし、従来の年齢ピラミッドを覆す様な少数の日本会社にとっては、営利的な機会が提供されている。
 
World News

— Killed over a parking spot? —

How far would you go in asserting your rights to a parking spot? Apparently, in China, some would go as far as killing someone for it!

A female scooter rider killed a man by squeezing his testicles for the parking dispute, in Haikou City, Hainan Province. It was learned, the woman, 41 years old, rode on her scooter to an elementary school to pick up her child that day.

When she wanted to park her scooter in front of a shop but was rejected by the shop owner, a 42-year-old male. The two parties soon fell into a heated quarrel, and then the physical confrontation ensued. The furious woman called up her husband and brother to come help her, which resulted in a more violent fist fight.

During the fight, the middle aged woman managed to grab the man’s testicles, and squeezed them till he finally collapsed on the ground. The man was immediately rushed to a hospital, but unfortunately died despite efforts to revive him.
assert 言い張る、主張する
   
英語ポイント rejected 断られた
   
英語ポイント quarrel 口論
   
英語ポイント revive 蘇生させる
 

＜ディスカッションポイント！＞

Do you think the woman should be charged with murder?

みなさんは女性に殺人罪を科すべきだと思いますか？

＜日本語訳＞　駐車場所の為に殺された？

駐車場所を確保する為にどれくらいまで主張をしますか？中国ではどうやら、その為に殺人が起きた様です！

海南省の海口市でスクーターに乗っていた女性が駐車場所で口論になり男性の睾丸を潰し死亡させました。容疑者は41歳の女性で、その日子供を小学校に迎えにいく途中だったそうです。彼女は店の前にスクーターを停めようとしましたが、42歳の男性店主に断られました。二人はすぐに激しい口論になり、乱暴な対決が起きてしまいました。怒り狂った女性が、彼女の夫と兄を助けとして呼び出し、最初の対決よりもより暴力的になりました。

殴り合いの中、女性は男性の睾丸を掴み彼が倒れるまで握りつぶしました。男性はその後すぐに病院に運ばれましたが、蘇生の試みも虚しく亡くなりました。
 
 
 
   
  New! CNN Student News　リスニング力を試そう！
 
 
 
 
Business English Expression and Phrases　＜ビジネス英会話フレーズ＞
-Learn expressions such as idioms and slang that is unique to culture, age, and business!
新しい英語表現：　文化・時代・ビジネスで使う特有なイディオム表現や俗語を覚えよう！

Hiroko and Sam are having a meeting to determine cultural differences/preferences in launching a new travel service in the Japanese market.

 
Hiroko:

Hi Sam, I have some reservations regarding your strategy in marketing our partners service offerings to the Japanese market.

 
Sam:

Oh, what are you getting at Hiroko?
 
Hiroko:

Looking over your proposal, I feel that you are differentiating the new airline services we are going to roll out in terms of pricing only. I am not sure this is the way to go in gaining passengers and establishing our market presence.

 
Sam:

I do see your point of view, but I am not attempting to compete entirely with our competitors.

 
Hiroko:

I’m sorry. I am not following you…
   
Sam:

I feel the pricing structure in Japan is lagging behind other global carriers. The "low cost" market is a lucrative market that has not been tapped yet. This is a niche market I feel has the greatest potential. .

   
Hiroko:

I see where you are going with this but I feel Japanese consumers are the most finicky of all. They will not compromise in their expectation of service, quality, and support.

   
Sam:

I can truly understand your concerns Hiroko but take into account the current state of the economy and the changes in peoples values. There is a shift in consumers who are more price conscious and looking for cheaper alternatives.

   
Hiroko:

Assuming we take your approach, how are we going to be profitable if we offer airfare at almost half our competitors?

   
Sam

That is a great question and the answer is simple! I like to think of it as "Efficiency in Simplicity equals Profitability".
   
Hiroko:

You completely lost me…
   
Sam:

For starters, we are only going to use one model of aircraft greatly reducing maintenance and training costs . Secondly, passengers can book online only thereby cutting the need for labor expenses. Thirdly, we charge for other travel related services such as baggage fees, meals, etc.. on an a la carte system.
   
Hiroko:

I think I catch what you are trying to achieve. However, how do we tackle the problem of still offering service, quality, and support?
   
Sam:

I firmly believe with regards to air travel, consumers will look for two things: safety and pricing. As long as we can commit to these two important factors, I firmly think we can make a dent in this market if our pricing is affordable.

   
Hiroko:

I hope you are right Sam.
   
Sam:

I know I am right Hiroko. To compete in this new global market, we have to be fast and we have to be first.

 

上記の会話の日本語訳はこちらをクリック’（印刷可）: JAPANESE VERSION

 
 

 
–This section will cover a broad range of different grammar rules and explanations to help you understand sentence structure and improve awareness of English grammar.
このコーナーでは文法の規則や英文の構成についてわかりやすく学べます。
In which cases do you use the "-ing" form of verbs?
Check your understanding by selecting the correct answer below:　
Read each of the following of sentences and select the best answer. Print out this lesson plan and ask your teacher to assist you in understanding the grammar rules.
 
1 They denied (steal/ stealing) the money I left on the table.
2 Before I (go/ going) to school, I need to finish my homework.
3 The baby began (cry/ crying) in the middle of the night.
4 I really do not like (swim/ swimming) when it is too hot outside.
5 I do not want to (go/ going) out for dinner tonight.
6 Has it stopped (rain/ raining) yet?
7 After (get/ getting) home tonight, I have to cook dinner.
8 Please stop (yell/ yelling) at me! I don’t want to hear it anymore.
9 Why do you keep (ask/ asking) stupid questions?
10 (Think/ Thinking) it would prove useless, I decided to (keep/ keeping) quiet.
 
Moderate level exercises:
Read each of the following of sentences and write the correct form of the verb in the blanks. Print out this lesson plan and ask your teacher to assist you in understanding the grammar rules.
 
Directions: Write the correct form of the verb in parenthesis to fit with the sentence. Example: verb, to + verb, or verb+ing
 
1 Please remember ______________ (lock) the door when you ______________ (leave) the office tonight.
2 When you ______________ (meet) Sarah tonight, could you please ______________ (remember) to ______________ (ask) her if she can come to the party next week?
3 I do not want ______________ (meet) him because he is always ______________ (make) fun of my weight.
4 I refuse ______________ (answer) that question. I ______________ (feel) that is not your business.
5 I enjoyed ______________ (meet) your family and hope ______________ (see) you again soon.
6 After ______________ (interview) the candidates for almost 5 hours, we decided ______________ (hire) none of them as they were all unqualified. .
7 It was a pleasure for me ______________ your family as I have been ______________ (look) forward to it for such a long time.
8 Due to his hard work at the company, our management is ______________ (look) to ______________ (promote) him to the position of regional manager by next year.
9 The boy’s father promised ______________ (pay) for the window to be repaired.
10 Could you ______________ (remind) me ______________ (buy) some coffee when we ______________ (go) to the store later?
 
Check your answers!
 
 
TOEIC対策（読解＆リスニング問題編）Eメールとﾕｰｻﾞﾈｰﾑの入力でテストの結果がメールで受け取れます。
[kml_flashembed publishmethod=”static” fversion=”8.0.0″ movie=”https://www.members.eigopass.com/flashquiz/toeicsentence/Quiz 15/quiz.swf” width=”616″ height=”480″ targetclass=”flashmovie”] [/kml_flashembed]
[kml_flashembed publishmethod=”static” fversion=”8.0.0″ movie=”https://www.members.eigopass.com/flashquiz/TOEIC200/Responses Part 3sound/quiz.swf” width=”616″ height=”480″ targetclass=”flashmovie”] [/kml_flashembed]
 
 
NEW! – President Obama recently expressed his opinion of support for gay marriage. How do you feel about his stance?
新着! – オバマ大統領が同性愛者の結婚を支援する意向を示した。　オバマ大統領の立場をどう思いますか？

(Jennifer U.S. 24y.o. – self described Republican): I personally feel everyone is open to his/her opinion and don’t think the President’s opinion changed my perception of him. The most impressive aspect of his announcement is that he expressed it before the election set for November.

I do respect his leadership in being vocal about a set of beliefs he holds, however politically dangerous, and openly speaking about it though it may come back to bite him come voting time.

His announcement neither made him less desirable as a President nor did it improve his image in my eyes. I will vote based on the issues not on personal feelings.
 

【日本語訳】

（Jennifer U.S. 24y.o. -ジェニファー共和党支持者 ）：個人的には、皆がそれぞれ意見を述べるのは自由ですし、今回の事で私が大統領に対する見方が変わったりはしません。この発表で一番印象的だったのは、11月に行われる選挙の前にこの意見を述べたことです。

彼が信じていることに対してきちんと発言する彼のリーダーシップはとても尊敬しますが、政治的にはとても危険で、オープンにこの事を話す事で選挙の際に悪影響になるかもしれないです。

私の意見からしますと、彼の発表は大統領のイメージを上げても下げてもないと思います。 私は私情ではなく、論争点に基づいて投票しますので。
 
 

(Anderson U.S. 55y.o. – self described Independent): A President should hold dearly to family values and morals. As a christian, I believe in the sanctity of marriage and the ｃ that marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman.

I am going to abstain in voting in this election because I can not in good faith vote for a President who does not share my values. Additionally, I will not vote for Mitt Romney as he is so out of touch with what it means to be "middle class".

 

【日本語訳】　（アンダーソン：アメリカ：55歳　無所属）

大統領は家族の価値と道徳を守るべきです。キリスト教徒として、結婚の尊厳と結婚は男性と女性の結びであると信じております。

自分の価値観を共有できない大統領には信用できませんので、今回の選挙の投票を控えることにします。さらに相手側のMitt Rommneyは中流階級と相当かけ離れているくらいお金持ちで、中流階級に対して理解がなさそうなので、彼に投票をするつもりもありません。
 
 

(Stephen U.S. 36y.o. – self described Independent): Though some may view President Obama’s open support of gay marriage as political suicide, others might have the idea that it was a tactical move to garner more votes.

Rather than go into a long, long essay of my beliefs in support or opposition of gay marriage, I would like to educate others on the possible reasons that same sex partners want to get married.

One of these may be that they can finally be afforded the rights and liberties of every citizen of the U.S. in that their partnership/union will be recognized. Isn’t it fair for all citizens to be treated fairly under the law? It is hard enough living a life in secrecy but to be able to have your government recognize you and extend the freedoms of the consitution may be an important feeling of belonging/fairness.

Another benefit that could be considered would be tax benefits married couples receive compared to single income earners. Two married people could effectively lower their tax liability if their combined income is considered as a joint return rather than a single tax filer. Furthermore, they would be able to access a broad range of tax savings in marriage credits, dependants, etc..

Finally, married couples could essentially gain access to their spouse’s health insurance coverage. For example, take one person who is working for a large financial firm that affords great medical insurance benefits while another person works for a small company that does not provide medical insurance. If they were married and the state they are living in recognizes same sex marriage, the person who currently does not have health coverage would then be eligible to gain medical coverage under his/her partners medical insurance.

On a personal note, I have been educated from early on in my life that same sex marriage was wrong or immoral. However, I have changed my views in that I strongly believe all citizens should be afforded the same rights and liberties of the citizens in the country regardless of race, age, gender, or sexual preference.

 

【日本語訳】　（スティーブン・36歳　無所属）

今回のオバマ大統領の公的な同姓婚のサポートが政治生命の終わりと思う人や、投票を集めるための戦術として提案されたと言う人もいます。

同性愛者同士の結婚に対して私が信じる賛成又は反対意見を長々と述べるよりも、同性愛者が結婚を望む理由をみなさんにお伝えしたいと思います。

1つ目の理由は、アメリカの住民が同性愛者のカップルを認め、彼らがついに権利と自由を与えられる立場になったということです。法律では、全ての住民１人１人が平等に扱われるべきではないでしょうか？同性愛者であることを秘密にして生きる事はとても辛い事です。それよりも政府が彼らを 受け入れ、法律の自由を与える事が平等で大切なのではないでしょうか。

他の結婚の利点ですが、独身の所得者と比べて夫婦が受ける税制優遇策があります。夫婦はもし彼らの結合させた所得が単一税ではなく共同と考慮された時 、納税義務を効果的に下げる事が出来るのです。さらに、 彼らが結婚する事によって、様々な税金排除や節税が可能になるのです。

最後に、夫婦は相手の健康保険の補償範囲に入ることも出来ます。例えば、充分な医療保険の特典が有る大手金融会社で働いている会社員と、医療保険を提供しない子会社で働く会社員を例に見てみましょう。もし同性愛結婚が認められた上で二人が夫婦として生活をしていれば、医療保険の補償がない人が相手の医療保険の補償範囲に入ることが出来るのです。

個人的な話ですが、私は若い時から同性愛者は間違いで道徳に反すると教えられてきました。しかしそれに対して自分の見解が変わりました。全ての市民が人種、年齢、性別、又は性的な好みに関係なく平等な権利と自由を与えられる立場にいるべきだと強く信じています。
 
 

 

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