2023/04/08(土)SMC
[President’s remark]
He put a question to us how we can use the phrase, 'pack up shop'. It literally means 'close the door of a shop for the day', but can we also use this phrase at the end of a day. He is now teaching two people, one a businessman, the other a professional singer, English. The professional singer asked if she can say the phrase at the end of a concert to the staff members. In his opinion, it seems right. What'd you think?
Word of the Day: SM Kakisu
”on the line”
{NPR morning news brief;(3/23)}
STEVE INSKEEP: The leader of TikTok is coming to Washington.
LEILA FADEL: Yeah, the company's boss is testifying before Congress, and the hearing focuses on whether the video-sharing app is a threat to national security. In a way, his company's on the line because many in the U.S. want TikTok taken away from its Chinese owners.
INSKEEP: NPR's Bobby Allyn has been covering TikTok and is on the line. Good morning.
BOBBY ALLYN: Good morning.
① on the line → 電話に出る
My mother was on the line.
Can you put my dad on the line?
② on the line → (生命/名声/地位)が危険にさらされる
A) 主語 + be動詞 + on the line
My reputation is on the line.
Your ass is on the line！
B) 主語 + put + A + on the line
Soldiers regularly put their lives on the line.
③ put/lay it on the line →(意見を)素直に言う
You should lay it on the line and tell your friend what you really think.
Lecture: SM Yoko Narisawa
Gift giving
1. There are many occasions for giving gifts in our daily life: birthdays, naming ceremonies, weddings, anniversaries, New Year. It is common to give gifts on many of these celebrations all over the world. In addition, special events, such as one’s first day of school or graduation from university, often require gift giving.
2. What is happening when we give gifts? Most important, we are exchanging gifts. If someone gives me a gift for my birthday, I know that I am usually expected to give one on his or her next birthday. A gift establishes or confirms a social obligation.
3. Gifts ( a ) cement personal relationships and provide a means of communication between loved ones. People say that a gift lets the recipient know we are thinking of them, that we want to make the person “ feel special. ” We want people to feel wanted, to feel part of our social or family group. We give presents to say “ I’m sorry. ” Sometimes we try hard to find a present that someone will like. Sometimes we give things that we like or would feel comfortable with. In all these cases, the gifts are sending out messages --- often very ( b ) eloquent ones.
4. Poeple tend to talk about presents in a rather ( c ) mystical way. A woman whose mother had died years ago described the many gifts around her house. These were gifts that her mother had given her over the years: “ I appreciate these, and they mean something to me, ” the woman said, “ because I remember the occasion they were given on, and that it was from my mother, and the relationship we’ve had.” The gifts remain and keep the memory of the relationship alive. This woman felt the same way about the gifts she gave to others. She hoped that the recipients would look at her gifts in years to come and remember her.
5. Emotions like these reveal that a positive spirit still lies behind gift giving. They prove that the anthropologist Claude Levi- Strauss was wrong to say that modern western gift giving is highly ( d ) wasteful. Studies in Canada and elsewhere have also shown that this is not the case. Gifts are not usually ( e ) duplicated when so many presents are given. The emotional benefit for the participants in the gift exchange is reason alone for the tradition to continue.
< A > Explain the meaning of each word from ( a ) to ( e ).
(a) cement : to make a relationship between loved ones strong and firm
(b) eloquent : well-expressed
(c) mystical : religious or spiritual
(d) wasteful : spending money on things you don’t need
(e) duplicated : repeated
< B > What is the main idea of each paragraph ?
Fill in the blank with a suitable word which is used in each paragraph.
But as far as ( 3 ) and ( 4 )are concerned, fill in the blank with a word
in other paragraphs.
1. This paragraph specifies ( occasions ) when people give gifts.
2. This paragraph discusses the ( social ) ( obligation ) of gift giving.
3. This paragraph explains some ( reasons ) why people give gifts.
4. This paragraph gives a specific example of why gift giving is ( important ) to people.
5. This paragraph suggests that those who have a negative opinion of gift
giving are ( wrong ).
< C > Answer these questions.
1. When was the last time you had given someone a gift?
What was the occasion?
2. What was the last gift you received?
Who was it from? What was your reaction?
3. Do you think that there are any negative aspects of gift giving?
For example, do you think it is wasteful?
Table Topic Speech
1 What do you know well enough to teach to others?
2 What is the number one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
3 What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
4 What is your greatest skill?
5 Are you more like your mom or your dad? In what way?
Prepared Speech
1) Our Virtual Assistant: SM Yu. Narisawa
For the past week, I have been using Chat GPT non-stop and I find it extremely useful for my work. It has numerous advantages that make it an ideal tool for me. For instance, if you need to write a speech script, you can ask Chat GPT to proofread it for you. However, you need to be mindful of the way you ask, as this is one of the biggest challenges.
Generally speaking, Chat GPT can act as a reliable virtual assistant. However, some people argue that it is dangerous because it can be biased. Nevertheless, if you are aware of this limitation, you can still use it effectively.
As with anything, there are both positives and negatives to using Chat GPT. For example, if students use Chat GPT in school, they may become over-reliant on it and not feel like they need their teachers anymore. Similarly, if teachers ask their students to write compositions on the blackboard, the students may turn to Chat GPT for answers instead of doing the work themselves.
This also applies to companies. If they require resumes from job applicants, they may receive resumes generated by Chat GPT rather than from the actual candidates.
Overall, Chat GPT has the potential to significantly impact the social system. However, it is up to us to use it responsibly and ethically. This speech script was written by Chat GPT.
2) Who invented carbonara?: SM Noro
Have you heard about Carbonara Day? The traditional Carbonara recipe is celebrated each year on April 6 with “National Carbonara Day.” And do you know why carbonara is called carbonara? According to one theory, the name comes from the word carbonaro, “coal burner,” and some people believe the dish was created as an easy-to-make meal by men working outdoors for long periods. By the way, on March 23rd, an Italian food expert sparked Italian fury after claiming that many of the country’s most famous dishes are actually American. Alberto Grandi, a food historian at the University of Parma, said that some of Italy’s most revered recipes have “a very brief history” and were based on “fairy tales”. He claimed that the recipe for carbonara was American, citing historical evidence that it had first been made by an Italian chef in 1944 for American soldiers in Riccione. Moreover, Italian food author Eleonora Cozzella explains "It was a combination of Italian genius and American resources," She spent six years covering National Carbonara Day on 6 April, and ended up writing a book called The Perfect Carbonara. Ms. Cozzella really interviewed the grandchildren of innkeepers who, in the late 1940s after World War Two, would feed American soldiers in the Trastevere in Rome. The American soldiers were apparently asking for "spaghetti breakfast": eggs, bacon and pasta and the first carbonara seemed to be invented here at this time. In this investigation, Carbonara is not a traditional Italian dish. The more you look into carbonara, the more you recognize that carbonara is not the genuine Italian food.
3) : "Motsuni": SM Kei Narisawa
He mainly talked about motsuni diner called 'Motsuno' in Nakatsu, Aikawa Town. And how crowded it was after a TV program broadcast by TVK. Some day why don't we go there together.
Meeting Schedule
In-person: 9:30 AM on Apr. 22 at Oyama Community Center (tea room)
(Coordinator: SM Takahata, Word of the Day: SM Yu. Narisawa, Lecturer: SM Kakisu)
Zoom: 7:30 PM on Apr.10, 17
