"World news B 2008" January 25

This blog is based on a class of "World news B" in Osaka Shoin Women’s University .


Today’s lesson


1.
Look at this photo and answer the questions

1. Where was this photo taken?

This photo was taken in Baghdad, Iraq.


2. When was it taken?

This photo was taken on Wednesday, April 9, 2003.


3. What does the caption say under the photo?

The photo says that many Iraqis fall a statue of Saddam Hussein and also, it means that the Hussein Government collapse.


4. Translate the caption into Japanese.

The captionというのは、大勢の群集がイラクのバグダッド中央にあるサダム・フセイン像を倒し、歓声を上げたということである。


5. “Crowds cheer” = how many people, do you think?

I think that about more than half of Iraqis’ cheer as the fall of the statue.


2.
Now look at this photo taken at the same place and same time, and answer the questions.

1. How many people were in the square, do you think?

I think that there are 80 people in the square.


2. Do you think “crowds cheer” is accurate?

I think that “crowds cheer” is not accurate because I can't see that crowds are cheering on the photo.


3. What do you think of the first picture now?

I think that the first photo is accurate, too.


4. Why did CNN use the first picture, do you think?

I think that CNN uses the first photo in order to show many crowds are cheering
for us.


5. What do you think after seeing these two photos?

I think that depend on photo's enlargement or reduction, we have a variety of opinions.


3.
Is it important for newspapers to tell the truth, or is it ok for newspaper to lie sometimes? Give reasons for your answer.

I think that it is important to know the truth on the newspapers because we know the truth and make use of it in our lives. That is why I think that the newspapers should not say lies.


4.
How can you check if some item of news is true or not? (Give at least two different ways).

According to we read some same news and compare them also, the writer's name and the photographer’s name of the news articles and so on is clear, I check if some item of news is true or not.


5.
Read your classmates’ answers to these questions (read at least 3 other blogs)


6.
What do you think now, after reading your classmates’ blogs? Write your thoughts on your blog.

I thought that every of blogs is wonderful, but I thought that others don’t know the subject very well when they see those blogs. So we should write the blogs for everyone can understand it easily. The reason is everybody can write blogs or read ones with happiness.


7.
Go to Masa’s blog and read his latest news.

I read this blog on Thursday, January 24, 2008. I thought that I want Masa to work hard the Spring Semester and to regain the last grade.

"World news B 2008" January 18

This blog is based on a class of "World news B" in Osaka Shoin Women’s University .


Today’s lesson


1.
How many Muslims live in Britain? (Go here for the answer).


1,591,000 people.


2.
How many Hindus live in Britain? (Go here for the answer).

500,000 people.


3.
Check my answers! Find the answers on some other website (tell us the website and link).

・http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4180000/newsid_4189000/4189047.stm
・http://hinduism.iskcon.com/tradition/1212.htm

・http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_the_United_Kingdom

4.
Check out Masa’s blog . Leave a comment (it will make him happy!) or ask a question (he will surely answer you in his next blog entry).

Today, we will be using Student Times and Catch A Wave magazines for reading about news in English.

Catch a Wave has audio for its articles here .


I read The Japan Times of FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2007.
The headline is Old woman saved from freezing by dog .
A 73 years old woman who is suffering from dementia had gone missing on December 5, but thanks to a dog’s body temperature helps her life.
The news moved me deeply because a dog saved a human. So, I became feeling to want to give something to eat the dog.

"World news B 2008" January 11

This blog is based on a class of "World news B" in Osaka Shoin Women’s University .





Today, we will find out about January in Britain. WRITE ALL YOUR ANSWERS IN MS WORD and SPELLCHECK FIRST, then upload to your blog.


1 Tell us about your New Year. Add a picture. 2 How did you spend your New Year?


1. and 2.
My family went to my grandparents’house in, Iga city Mie prefecture on January 6th. My grandmother gave a New Year's present to me. It is called Otoshidama in Japan.I was very happy because I didn't know that was given it from her. My grandmother, aunt, mother, older brother and I went AEON which is the shopping center. We had lunch there and enjoyed talking for a long time.










Otoshidama
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thenikku/354535644/























New Year’s Day Parade
ukstudentlife.com


Now go to the website Project Britain and answer these questions about New Year in Britain:

1. Hogmanay is the name for New Year in which country?

The name is Scotland.


2. In which city is the New Year’s Day parade held? Can you find a photo of this year’s parade?

It is held in London.


3. Whose birthday is on January 3rd, and what famous book did he write?

The birthday is JRR Tolkien. He wrote Lord of the Lings in 1982.


4. Whose birthday is on January 5th? Why is this person’s birthday in a British calendar?

The birthday is Guru Gobind Singh. He was final Sikh prophet and he introduced many customs.


5. Whose birthday is today (January 8th)? What is he famous for?

The birthday is Elvis Presley. He is a famous rock singer. The Official Elvis Presley Web Site .


6. What is Al Hijra and why is it on a British calendar?

It is the Islamic New Year. Muhammad left Mecca to travel Medina and it became the first day of Muharrm.


7. Who reached the South Pole in 1912 on January 17th?

It was Robert Scott and his party.


8. Whose birthday is on January 18th? What famous book did he write?

The birthday is AA Milne and he wrote teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh .


9. Who died on January 24th, 1965? What is he famous for (write ONE thing).

It was Sir Winston Churchill . He was famous for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.


10. What do you think about this calendar?

I think that it is easy to see and read. Also, I can enjoy this calendar.


3
Find an interesting news article and blog it. (Here are some news articles I found recently.)

I found this article. I want him to do his best.


4
I like this blog because I can enjoy picking a fortune slip.


5.
Visit some of your classmates’ blogs and either leave a comment, or write a comment on your blog.

"World news B 2007" December 21

This blog is based on a class of "World news B" in Osaka Shoin Women’s University .


As today is the last class this year, and it is nearly Christmas, today’s theme is Christmas. Go to the Woodlands Junior School website and find out about Christmas in the UK.


1. What is a nativity play?

It is a play about the scene of Jesus’ birth in the stable and it is played by children.


2. What is a Christmas carol?

It is special songs which are sung by everyone during the Christmas season. The songs are known as carols and they are about Jesus.


3. What is a pantomime?

It is a traditional British Christmas play. It is important for audience to participate in a pantomime.


4. What are mince pies? Find a photo of one.

They are small pies and they contain mincemeat which is minced apples and raisins. Mince Pies


5. Find a photo of a Christmas pudding.

Christmas Pudding


6. Find a photo of a Christmas cake.

Christmas Cake


7. What are Brussels sprouts? Find a photo of some.

Brussels sprouts


Write your answers in MS Word first, then copy to your blog.

Find a Christmas photo and put it on your blog.
Visit your classmates’ blogs and see their Christmas card. Which is the best? Vote on your blog.

I like this blog. There are varieties of Christmas' photos and they were very beautiful.

I found the photo here.

"World news B 2007" December 14

This blog is based on a class of "World news B" in Osaka Shoin Women’s University .


Today’s lesson


1.
Visit your classmates’ blogs and read what they wrote for last week’s assignment (December 7th). Leave some comments.


2.
Read Mr Sheffner’s answers to last week’s questions .


3.
What is Amnesty International? What does it do?

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization and it does activities to protect Human Rights.


4.
Here is a recent report from Amnesty International: Torture/health concern/possible prisoner of conscience UZBEKISTAN Ikhtior Khamroev (m), aged 22. Student Ikhtior Khamroev, who has been in jail since September 2006, was reportedly severely beaten on 29 November. Sources inside the prison have told his father that Ikhtior had also received stab wounds to the abdomen, but was locked in a punishment cell rather than taken to hospital. He is believed to have been detained because of the activities of his father, a prominent human rights defender, and may have been beaten to punish his father for his recent anti-government statements.



1. Find one or two news articles about Ikhtior Khamroev (in English or Japanese) and link to them. How many can you find?

Click here, Click here, Click here
I could find three articles.


2. Where is Uzbekistan? Find a map and link to it.

The map


3. Is the sad story of Ikhtior Khamroev “news” or not?

1. If you think it is news, why is not on TV and in the newspapers?

The reason is to lose police’s good reputation.

2. If you think it is not news, why not?

It is good thing to become lively nongovernmental activities, but may be lost governmental faith.


4. How many Japanese versions of this British news story can you find? What are the key points of this story (in Japanese)?

非政府組織の父を持つという理由だけで、息子が暴行を受けた。


5. Read Masa’s blog and leave a message. (Do you know the blog of another Japanese person in the US? Tell us about it on your blog).

"World news B 2007" December 7

This blog is based on a class of "World news B" in Osaka Shoin Women’s University .


Today’s lesson


1.
Write about these two movies:
1. Beowulf
2. The Golden Compass

1.
Beowulf is originally a work of the oldest English literature. The work was made into a movie in 2005 and 2007 also, it consists of two parts.It tells the adventure of heroic Beowulf.


2.
The Golden compass was written by Philip Pullman who was a British writer. The fantasy story is divided into three parts. It was made into a movie. It scheduled to be shown on December 7, 2007 and we can probably see the movie on March 1, 2008 in Japan.


A picture is here. Another one is here.


2.
Write in MS Word, spell check, then upload to your blog. On your blog, add links to people or places. You can also add photos, but ALWAYS give credit (say where you got the photo from, who took the photo, and add a link back to the original).


3.
Answer all these questions:
1.
1. What or who is Beowulf?

He is a hero of the movie.


2. What is this movie based on?

It is based on an Old English heroic epic poem.


3. When and where was Old English spoken? (from when until when?)

It was spoken from the middle 5th century until the middle 11th century in England.


4. What does Old English look like? Find a photo on the Internet.

This is an old English.


5. What does Old English sound like? Find a sound file on the Internet.

This is an old English sound.


6. What is the story of Beowulf? (Who are the main characters? Where and when does it take place? What are the key events?)

The main characters are heroic Beowulf and Grendel who is a giant dragon. It take place from 8th until 9th in Dene, Danmark. The key events are the hero and the dragon’s fight.


7. What happens to Beowulf at the end of the poem (not the movie)?

Beowulf died with look at treasure that he got.


8. Who is the director? What other movie has (s)he directed? Have you seen any of them? If so, which one? Did you like it?

It is Robert Zemeckis. His other movie is Back to the Future, Forrest Gump and so on. I haven’t seen his movies.


9. Who are the main actors in this movie?

1. Choose one of the actors or actresses. What other movies has this person been in? Did you see any of those movies? If so, which one? Did you like it?

They are Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie.
Anthony Hopkins appeared on The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Red Dragon. Yes, I did. I Have seen The Silence of the Lambs. I like it because his play was wonderful.


10. What is “The Golden Compass” based on?

It is based on Paradise Lost.


11. Who wrote the original story? When?

Philip Pullman who is a British writer wrote it between 1995 and 2000.


12. What is the story? (Who are the main characters? Where and when does it take place? What are the key events?)

The main characters are heroin’s Lyra Belacqua, Will Parry who is 12-year-old boy and Lord Asriel who is Lyra’s father etc. It took place in Oxford. The key events are Lyra, Dæmon and their companions set forth on strange world.


13. Where is Oxford (UK)? Find a map.

The map


14. How many colleges are there?

There are 42 colleges.


15. Who is the director? What other movie has (s)he directed? Have you seen any of them? If so, which one? Did you like it?

It is Chris Weitz. His other movie is American Pie and About a Boy. I have never seen them.


16. Who are the main actors in this movie?

1. Choose one of the actors or actresses. What other movies has this person been in? Did you see any of those movies? If so, which one? Did you like it?

They are Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Nicole Kidman appeared on Batman Forever, Eyes Wide Shut, Cold Mountain and forth. I haven’t seen her movies but I know only her name.


17. There is some controversy about this movie? What is it?

It is blame by plural religious organizations because it may gives children atheism. I looked up the controversy from this site.

"World news B 2007" November 16

This blog is based on a class of "World news B" in Osaka Shoin Women’s University .


Today’s lesson


1.
1. 15-20 minutes vocabulary or language work. Choose something from this list .

I tried one andanother.


2.
Watch this video and write about it on your blog:
1. How much television do you watch every week?
2. What are the messages of this video? (Write two messages).
3. Do you agree with these messages?
4. What do you think of television?


3.
What is November 11th called in Britain? Go to the Woodlands Junior School homepage to find the answer.

1. Who lays a wreath?

The Queen


2. Where?

All over Britain


3. Why?

British lament for people who sacrificed their lives for us during wars.


4. How many years is it since the end of World War One?

It has past 89 years.


5. What is the red flower? (Answer here ).

It is poppy.


6. (Bonus question) Why is this red flower used on November 11th? (Answer here ).

We forget to the people who were killed by the war.


7. (Watch a video of this year’s event here ).


4.
What happened on November 6th in London? (See pictures here and here ).

Elizabeth Ⅱperformed the state opening of parliament.


5.
What happened on November 10th in London?

It was Lord Mayor's Show; marching unhurt through everything from the black death to the blitz.


6.
What is the Mayor’s name? (See pictures here for the answer).

It is David Lewis.