Lecture: SM Noro When reading English books, I often come across the expressions that I would like to try using myself. Today, I would like to explore an interesting English structure using the dummy subject “It”.The key expressions are:1) What it feels like to ~/ What it is like to ~2) What it takes to ~3) What it means to ~Example 1: I don’t understand what it feels like to be a billionaire.*Note: [ I don’t understand what to be a billionaire feels like.] It seems this sen

Lecture: SM Yoko Narisawa Fill in the blank. 1. I left halfway ( t ) the film. = in the middle of the film 2. He ( f ed ) for information about the new project. = tried to find out information without asking directly 3. His father was murdered in cold ( b ). = in a cruel and deliberate way 4. His business partner left the project, so he was left holding the ( b ). = was left as the only person responsible for dealing with a difficul

Lecture: SM Kei Narisawa I’d like to begin my lecture with a question: Why do you study English? Some of you may want to read English novels. Others may want to watch movies without subtitles. And many of you probably want to enjoy conversations in English. At the same time, some of you may find it difficult to understand English when it is spoken quickly. Even if you get used to fast English, you still may not fully understand the meaning of words or how sentences are struc

Lecture: (1) SM Noro 1. The way he drives, he's ____ to have an accident some day. 2. Fasten your seat belts- the plane's ____ to land. 3. They're ____ to be late- they're never on time. 4. I checked with the station- the train is ____ to get in at 7.30. 5. I had my coat on and was ____ to leave when the phone rang. 6. She's _____ to retire in the summer when she reaches the age. 7. He looks angry- I think he's ____ to lose his temper completely. 8. With such poor sales figu

Lecture (1): SM Yoko Narisawa Please read the following story of friendship and fill in the blank with a suitable idiom from the list below. List break the ice / out of the comfort zone / stand by each other / see eye to eye/ a fish out of water / have your back / jump to conclusions / show someone the ropes / get the best of me / stand the test of time / give you the shirt off her back / make a mountain out of a molehill / two peas in a pod / keep her chin up / through thic

Lecture: SM Takahata (1) A: If I win the jackpot in the lottery, I will *1 be on easy (s　　 ) for the rest of my life. B: It could all *2 be (p ) in the sky. Stop chasing rainbows. *3 Come down to (e ). *1: = to be in a situation in which you have plenty of money (A.E informal) *2:= something good that someone says will happen, but which you think is impossible or unlikely *3: = to be realistic (Answer: street, pie, earth) (2) I’ve managed 1 to cut (c

Lecture: SM Noro Complete the sentences with a prepositional phrase from the box. [AT THE AGE OF, AT THE LATEST, AT SHORT NOTICE, AT TIMES, BY CHANCE, BY FAR, BY NATURE, BY SURPRISE, IN A GOOD MOOD, IN CONCLUSION, IN DETAIL, IN FASHION, IN NO TIME, IN PUBLIC, IN VAIN, ON FIRE, ON LEAVE, OUT OF STOCK, UNDER REPAIR, UNDER STRESS] 1. He started composing his own symphonies _________________ 9. 2. I'm not ____________________ today, so please leave me alone. 3. Has anyone __

Lecture: SM Takahata 天声人語　2026.1.12 Fill in the blank with reference to the Japanese translation. 1) According to the traditional Japanese calendar, this year is Hinoe-Uma, or the *1 (“F Horse”) year, which recurs every 60 years. The last time it came around in 1966, the number of babies born in that year shrank 25 percent from the preceding year, creating a sizable dent in Japan’s population pyramid. I am one of those Hinoe-Uma babies, and a woman, 2 (to b ) . B

Lecture : SM Yoko Narisawa < Definition Game Questions > Fill in the blank with a suitable word to match the definition. 1. Something that you really want to do or have. I have a strong ( d ) to travel the world. 2. A chance to do something. Studying abroad is a great ( o ) to learn about different cultures. 3. A person who knows a lot about a topic. She is an ( e ) in modern art. 4. A very big problem or difficult situation. Losing my job was a maj

Lecture : SM Noro Preposition + noun phrases Table Topic Speech (1) What stands between you and happiness? (2) If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? (3) Why do we adolize sports players? (4) Is there such a thing as perfect? (5) When does scilence convey more meaning than words? (6) Through all of life's twists and turns who has been there for you? Prepared Speech (1) Engakuji Temple (円覚寺): SM Ishimura Recently, I visited Engak