2022/10/22(土)SMC
Hello everyone! In the president's remark, the president talked about our memory decline. He said that our memory is getting frail as we get older. What’s needed to compensate for our weakening memory? We are not like we used to be when we were high school students. Expose yourself to English as much as possible. Reading English stuff is very good. Speaking it is still better. Watching English U-tube programs may be the best. Use English in any way is most to be needed. Nobody denies the fact that you can’t expect fruitful result without giving it a try.
Word of the Day: SM Takahata
"brain"
[n]
(1) * ORGAN: [C]
The organ inside your head that controls how you think, feel, and move
- Messages from the brain are carried by the central nervous system.
- My tired brain cannot cope with such a complex problem.
(2) * INTELLIGENCE: [U, C]
The ability to think clearly and learn quickly in a logical and intelligent way
-If you had any brains, you’d know what I meant.
-It doesn’t take much brain to work out that both stories can’t be true.
-She has a good brain for mathematics.
-You need brains as well as brawn to do this job.
(3) * PERSON: [C]
Someone who is intelligent, with good ideas and useful skills
-Some of our best brains are leaving the company to work in the U.S.
-We have the best scientific brains in the country working on this.
[Vt]
(1) Spoken to hit somebody very hard on the head
-I’ll brain you if you do that again!
Idioms
beat your brains out: to think very hard about something for a long time
-I’ve been beating my brains out all weekend to get this script written.
blow your/somebody's brains out: to kill yourself/someone by shooting yourself/them in the head
-He put a gun to his head and threatened to blow his brains out.
have something on the brain: to think about something all the time, especially in a way that is annoying
-He’s got football on the brain.
pick somebody’s brains: to ask somebody a lot of questions about something because they know more about the subject than you do
-I need to pick your brains: what can you tell me about credit unions?
rack your brain(s): to think very hard or for a long time about something
-She racked her brains, trying to remember exactly what she had said.
-We racked our brains but we couldn't come up with a solution.
Derived words
brainchild: an (idea), (plan), (organization) etc. that someone has thought of without any help from anyone else
brainless: completely (stupid)
brainstorming: the act of meeting with a group of people in order to try to (develop) ideas and think of ways of (solving) problems
no-brainer: a (decision) or a (problem) that you do not need to think about much because it is (obvious) what you should do
bird-brained: stupid or (thoughtless)
brain candy: popular (entertainment) in the form of a film, TV program, etc., that does not (improve) your knowledge or make you think seriously about a subject or issue
brain teaser: a problem that is (difficult) but (fun) to solve
Lecture: SM Eda
The lecturer introduced a famous song, "The Rose" sung by Bette Midler. We tried a listening quize and did a brainstorming about the translation into Japanese.
"The Rose"
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you its only seed
It’s the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dyin’
That never learns to live
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring becomes the rose
Table Topic Speech
(1) What is the most enjoyable thing your family has done together in the last three years?
(2) What has fear of failure stopped you from doing?
(3) In one year from today, how do you think your life will be different?
(4) Global warming
(5) Other than money, what else have you gained from your current job?
Prepared Speech
(1) Sibling relationship: SM Kei Narisawa
The speaker talked about his relationship with his brother. Like most siblings, each one was under great influence of the other. His brother Yuichiro, though sometimes stupid, played a role of his mentor. After all, he is one of the indispensable member of SMC. It may be not only because he wanted to keep in touch with English but also he wanted to support his brother’s undertaking.
(2) Apple Picking and Buckwheat Noodle Eating: SM Kakisu
Last week the speaker went to Matsumoto City in Nagano Prefecture to enjoy apple picking and buckwheat(SOBA) noodle eating. When he went to the apple market, he heard the music of the three dumpling (dango) brothers. He wondered why “dango” but when he listened carefully, he realized that word was not dango, but the three “apple” brothers. The reason is that there are three types of apples original to Nagano Prefecture: "AKIBAE", "SHINANO SWEET", and "SHINANO GOLD.
He bought these three apple brothers and tasted them on the spot. They were fresh, sweet, juicy, and very tasty.
Nagano is famous for SOBA noodle. At a SOBA noodle restaurant, he learned how Nagano people eat SOBA noodle. To his surprise, they sprinkle chili pepper on the SOBA noodle. He doesn’t like spicy food, but his wife said it was so delicious. Since they seldom come to Nagano, they enjoyed SOBA noodle for lunch and dinner. It was one day trip, so he was tired, but it was an enjoyable day that will remain in his memory.
Meeting Schedule
In-person: 9:30 AM on Nov. 12 at Seishin Community Center (tea room), and Nov. 26 at Oyama Community Center (tea room)
Zoom: 7:30 PM on Oct. 24 and 31, 3:00 PM on Nov.5
