2023/02/11(土)SMC
President's remark
He talked about the importance of keeping HP. We had a woman contact us through our HP the other day and she actually took part in an on-line meeting. She decided not to be a member of SMC, but without the HP, the contact of this kind was not possible. He pressed the point that the endeavor of letting know our existence is important by citing his experience of visiting a diner introduced by TVK.
One day, he watched a TV program featuring a tiny little 'motsuni' diner. The next day, he went to a place where he thought the diner might be. Lo and behold, there was a long line of people along the street. He found then and there how influential TV is, even if it is a local TV like TVK. Likewise, he wanted to maintain our HP by all means.
Word of the Day: SM Yoko Narisawa
Today’s word of the day is ‘ shape ’.
[ meaning ]
< noun >
1. The form that something has, for example round, square, triangular etc.
* Italy is like a boot in shape.
2. Health condition
* He is in good shape for his age.
3. The way something is organized
* He got his thoughts into shape.
< verb >
1. To make something have a particular shape
* She shaped clay into a vase.
2. To influence something such as a belief, opinion etc and make it develop in a particular way
* This event shaped his character.
3. To make something become a particular shape
* This suit is shaped to my figure.
[ idioms and phrases ]
1. in any shape or form
* I can’t approve war in any shape or form.
2. take shape
* The plan took shape in her mind.
3. shape up
* She does exercise every day to shape up.
* Shape up or ship out.
4. the shape of things to come
* I hope the fashions pictured in this magazine are the shape of things to come in the future.
5. get someone into shape
* A better teacher would have got him into shape.
6. give shape to
* Please give shape to your ideas in your report.
7. out of shape
* I’m out of shape due to lack of exercise
* I’m out of shape due to a very serious injury
Lecture: SM Takahata
Please fill in the blank. The meaning of the underlined part is shown below.
(1) Ms. Sato is an experienced groomer. She*1 has a (way) with dogs and can handle them with care. I only wish I’d known her many years ago as she is a lovely lady.
*1: = to have a special ability to do something
Ex.: David seems to have a (way) with children.
(2)Among the many amazing automobiles manufactured by our company, this EV is *1 a (cut) above the rest for its futuristic design and innovative technology.
*1:= to be much better than someone else or something else
Ex.: Just because she went to a private school, she seems to think she’s a (cut) above the rest of us.
(3) A: Although he is 30, the candidate *1 comes (across) as much older.
B: You shouldn’t *2 judge a (book) by its (cover). His *3 (silver) tongue is bound to win over a great deal of voters.
*1: = to give people a particular feeling or opinion
*2: = to form an opinion based only on the way something looks
*3: = eloquence, an ability to talk to people well and persuade them
(4) They said they could *1 build a better (mousetrap), but the robot vacuum cleaner they invented was just a *2 (warmed-over) version of what had already been on the market.
*1: = to make or offer a superior product
Ex.: If you build a better (mousetrap), the world will beat a path to your door. (E.W. Emerson)
*2: = a version of an idea or argument that has been used before and is not interesting or useful any more
(5) We have experienced mechanics at this body shop. They *1 know the (ropes) about car maintenance and pay careful attention to every detail. You can rest at ease and leave everything to us.
*1: = to know how to do all the parts of a job, deal with a system etc., because you have a lot of experience of it
(6) There is no *1 silver (bullet) that would help you become proficient in English overnight. You just can’t *2(twiddle) your thumbs, expecting to get a study tool that *3 works (magic) on you.
*1: = something that acts as a magical weapon
*2: = to do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen
Ex.: I arrived early for the meeting so I was (twiddling) my thumbs for half an hour.
*3: = to do special or remarkable things
(7) I encourage my kids to *1 (figure) things out on their own and not rely on others to solve problems. It’s difficult to balance between a *2 “(helicopter) parent” and a *3 “(hands-off) parent.”
*1: = to think about a problem or situation until you find the answer or understand what has happened
*2: = a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child
*3: = a parent who let his or her child do as they want
Table Topic Speech
1) What is the one thing you would most like to change about the world?
2) If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
3) What has life taught you recently?
4) What makes you smile?
Prepared Speech
1) Why I'll be absent at the next meeting: SM Eda
My daughter and her husband couldn't have a wedding ceremony due to Covid 19.
However, they want to have one on February 24 on Guam. Therefore, I won't be able to join
February 25 inperson SMC meeting. I am looking forward to walking with my daughter on the aisle.
After the event, I am thinking about visiting World War I I war memorial sites, and shopping.
My daughter's husband pays for the airplane and hotel, which is nice.
I'll miss you guys, but I have no other choice. See you in two months.
2) How to be funny: SM Noro
Basically I think the key to saying something funny is a kind of sense, but I found some useful tips on how to be funny through my surfing of the internet.
- Give the opposite answers to yes/no questions -
If people are expecting you to say yes, you say no; if people are expecting you to say no, you say yes. The more obvious the better.
- Use a Character Switch -
If you and your friends are talking about an experience or a story where at least two characters are involved, then it could be your chance to be funny. Switch the character traits for an unexpected twist.
Example: In the movie Fifty Shades Freed, Ana asked Christian, “If you are not coming with me to the forest, what if I run into a bear?” “Too bad for the bear!” said Christian. Christian substituted Ana with the other character in the story — the bear.
It seems that “be surprising” is the way to be funny. Learning how to be funny can make everything easier in daily life. So it may be an essential skill for us.
Meeting Schedule
In-person: 9:30 AM on Mar. 11 at Oyama Community Center
(Coordinator: SM Yoko Narisawa, Word of the Day: SM Eda, Lecturer: SM Kei Narisawa)
Zoom: 7:30 PM on Feb. 13, 20 and 27
