2022/4/23(土)SMC

We had a productive meeting with our customary frankness as usual. In the Presidential Remarks, SM K. Narisawa introduced us some interesting English expressions he'd found in Manga programs translated in English on YouTube. Let's make use of YouTube programs that you are interested in to enhance our English skills. It's worth more than free!

Word of the day [SM Yu. Narisawa]

"reciprocate"

[T]

1) to give and take mutually

2) to return in kind or degree

[I]

1) to make a return for something

2) to move forward and backward alternately

Lecture [SM Takahata]

Tensei Jingo (2022/3/12)

More than 30,000 people waited in line when McDonald’s Corp. opened its first outlet in the Soviet Union in downtown Moscow on Jan 31, 1990. The burgers were shockingly overpriced, but (1) [from / that / devouring /them / deter / the customers / did not] as if there was no tomorrow. The Cold War had only just ended in defeat for the East. Those iconic sandwiches not only symbolized capitalism, but also stood for the Russian public’s longing for U.S. culture itself.

The Soviet Union system collapsed the year after the (2)Golden Arches appeared in Moscow. Over the next three decades, the number of MacDonald’s outlets grew to 850 across Russia. But in reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. fast food giant has decided to temporarily close them all, and other U.S. enterprises such as Starbucks Corp. and Coca-Cola Co. have also (3)(f ) (s ). Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. has suspended production at its Russian plant, and Fast Retailing Co. announced it will suspend operations at all its Uniqlo outlets in Russia. Marugame Seimen, a fast food chain specializing in Japanese “udon” noodles, has also decided to remain temporarily closed.

Apparently angered over the escalating “Russia boycott” by world-class corporations, Russian President Vladimir Putin (4)(v ) to (5)“act (d )” by threatening to introduce, if necessary, (6)“external management and then transfer these enterprises to those who want to work.”

A quarter of a century ago, Putin was one of the (7)most vocal proponents of inviting foreign investment. As a senior municipal of St. Petersburg, he succeeded in bringing German conglomerate Siemens AG to the city. His interest in foreign capital remained unchanged after he became president, and he even took the trouble to attend Toyota’s groundbreaking ceremony. But now, he has turned foreign capital into a target of his (8)(h ) and (i ). Such blatantly vengeful conduct will only (9)(p ) him into a ( ).

Russian forces are steadily closing in on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. The civilian(10)(t), including that of children, is rising by the day. When will Muscovites be able to enjoy “real American” burgers and “authentic Japanese” udon (11)to their heart’s () again, I wonder.

Question

(1) Arrange the word’s order. (=ハンバーガーは驚きの高値ではあったが、それでも客は必死になってかぶりついた。)

(2) What does “Golden Arches” mean?

(3) Fill in the blank. (= did the same thing)

(4) Fill in the blank. (= to make a serious promise)

(5) Fill in the blank. (=断固とした対応をする)

(6) Explain the meaning of the sentence in Japanese.

(7) Choose the meaning of “most vocal proponents.”

a) bitter critics b) earliest inventors c) strongest supporters

d) fastest reformers

(8) Fill in the brank. (= 敵視と恫喝)

(9) Fill in the blank. (idiom = 窮地に追い込む)

(10) Fill in the blank. (= number of deaths and injuries)

(11) Fill in the blank. (= as much as they like)

Table Topic Speech

1) Men are happier than women.

2) How can you make fun part of your daily life?

3) Three surprising facts about me

4) Things I'll never eat

5) Why books are important

6) If I could travel through time

Prepared Speech

Who is the Devil: SM Yu. Narisawa

"Our business is not doing well because we cannot successfully raise a price of our products to deal with the depreciation of the yen."

Mass media generally reports as such.

Come to think of it, back to the past, about twenty years ago, a lot of companies said the same thing except for the depreciation. Those days the yen was appreciated. The yen was very strong. Still mass media reported the same way.

They always collect news data only from companies in trouble with the exchange rate fluctuations.

In both cases there are or there were a lot of prosperous companies behind the curtain, but they hide or hid their head in the sand.

What is currency appreciation or depreciation? Basically its definition is vague but mass media magnify the bad things about certain business to sell their news at a high price.

He understands Putin is the devil, and so is biased news report. It will just lead to mutual hate in the world.

New Life: SM Kaneko

He spoke about the difference between April this year and those in two past years. Although the problem of Covid-19 still exists and there are restrictions or suspensions for our activities, some of them started again. For example, the English course he's been engaged in in Machida City resumed from this fiscal year for the first time in two years. He's also put some potted flowers in front of his house to greet people visiting us, for he's got a new job in our neighborhood association.

English words that are easily misunderstood by Japanese people: SM Noro

1. Naïve – Negative

There is a soap named Naïve. And most Japanese people associate the word naïve with a good meaning. But, if a native speaker say you are naïve, it means you know nothing about the world. If you want to describe someone in a good way, you had better say, you are sensitive or delicate.

2. Take a chance – Negative, Risk

In this case, chance is a kind of risk. So, most people say it this way.

I don’t want to take a chance. If you want to talk about good fortune using the word chance, you had better say, I don’t want to miss my chance.

3. Here and there – Not many

It seems that Japanese people can easily make a mistake in using this word.

There are police here and there. In this case, you cannot find police so often.

When you see police in many places, you may say, “There are police everywhere.”

4. Doubt vs Suspect

Does anyone talk about the difference between the two words, doubt and suspect? I doubt he’s lying. = I don’t think he’s lying.

Doubt of verb form is to think that something may not be true or that it is unlikely.

I suspect he’s lying. = I think he’s lying.

5. Just or even

その価格はぴったり3,000円です。 The price is even 3,000 yen.

The price is just 3,000 yen. = The price is only 3,000 yen. たったの・・・。

The benefits of 'one-meal-a-day' diet: SM K. Narisawa

The speaker talked about the benefits of 'one-meal-a-day' diet. This type of diet is healthy, all right but there are some things that he noticed along the way.

NO.1 He can save not only on food expenses but also time. But the time between each meals feels like eternity for him.

NO.2 Since his stomach is always empty, his stomach growls every time he drinks coffee or water.

NO. 3 Anything that projects the image of food makes him drool.

NO.4 He can indulge himself in lazy life. Even when he can't take a long walk, he tends to believe the diet would more than make up for his inactivity. In other words, the diet alleviates the guilty feeling toward not taking physical exercises.

Is it true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks?: SM Yoko Narisawa

She has been writing down in her notebooks useful idioms and expressions she learned from English novels, You Tube and SMC meeting. She sometimes review those expressions in the notebooks. As is often the case with her, she is surprised to know that she wrote down the same expressions repeatedly.

At the same time, she feels sad to know how forgetful she is.

There are two old sayings which all of you know very well. One is you can't teach an old dog new tricks and the other is you never too old to learn. She doesn't know which is true. But she said she'd like to believe the second one. Although she is too old, if she tries to find a good way to master English, she should find the best way. She'd like to make an effort to learn English enjoyably and continuously.

Meeting Schedule

In-person: 9:30 AM on May 14 at Oyama Community Center

Coordinator: SM Noro, Word of the day: SM K. Narisawa, Lecturer: SM Yu. Narisawa

Zoom: 7:30 PM on Apr. 25, 3:00 PM on Apr. 30