This news was released a couple days ago but no move has been made so far.
High radiation beyond Japan exclusion zone, 70,000 urged to leave
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/307149
「さらに7万人が避難すべき」、仏IRSNが福島原発事故の評価を更新
http://www.afpbb.com/article/disaster-accidents-crime/disaster/2802414/7261231?utm_source=afpbb&utm_medium=topics&utm_campaign=txt_topics
2011年5月27日金曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2011/05/20 Took a nap for 0.5 + 2 hours. There were electric shocks. I think
2011/05/21 Slept from 1:00 to 5:30 a.m. Electric shocks prevented me from going back to sleep again. Very sleepy. Did household work all day.
2011/05/22 Slept 3:30-9:10 and took a nap 13:39-20:10. Electric shocks first caused a fit on my hand, then moved my thumb and index finger quickly making them make a circle every half a second for scores of seconds, and then had my whole body have a big fit. Had a feeling of after concussion. Funny feeling in teeth.
2011/05/23 Slept 1:00-9:00 with interruptions around 2:50 and 4:35. Q huge electric shock attack and a fit probably when woken up around 4:35.
2011/05/24 Slept 1:00-6:00 and 7:00-10:00. Heard someone loudly and quickly walking around in the next room around 7:00. Somewhere in sleep, I felt my brain cells or nerves or atoms attracted to one direction, to the loft wall close to the next room for a second.
Went swimming for the first time in months. Harassed several times including a big middle aged man with a vicious smile came to stand against the goal when I came two strokes away from it in breast strokes and another middle aged man looking into my eyes when I removed my goggles to apologize to a young woman whose arm I accidentally touched while passing her.
2011/05/25 Slept 1:00-3:00 and 5:00-10:00 a.m. When falling asleep first time, electric shocks attacked my body parts one after another, starting with my head, then respiratory organ, making me huff, then to the stomach, and lastly my leg, making them have a fit.
2011/05/26 Slept 1:10-7:00 a.m. Woke up with a middle aged male voice talking loudly in front of my apartment building. When woke up and after a while, I felt the noise in my head loud and eyes having fine flushes.
2011/05/27 Slept 1:00-7:00 a.m. An explosive shock accompanied by a Goh noise made me see a geometric pattern right after I went to bed. When woke up, my view was in fine flushes, just like an old fluorescent light. Even now (15:10) when I close my eyes, I see basically the same thing, finer flushes, just like what you see when staring a fluorescent bulb. The noise in my brain is loud and some a as wavy as the fine flushes.
2011/05/21 Slept from 1:00 to 5:30 a.m. Electric shocks prevented me from going back to sleep again. Very sleepy. Did household work all day.
2011/05/22 Slept 3:30-9:10 and took a nap 13:39-20:10. Electric shocks first caused a fit on my hand, then moved my thumb and index finger quickly making them make a circle every half a second for scores of seconds, and then had my whole body have a big fit. Had a feeling of after concussion. Funny feeling in teeth.
2011/05/23 Slept 1:00-9:00 with interruptions around 2:50 and 4:35. Q huge electric shock attack and a fit probably when woken up around 4:35.
2011/05/24 Slept 1:00-6:00 and 7:00-10:00. Heard someone loudly and quickly walking around in the next room around 7:00. Somewhere in sleep, I felt my brain cells or nerves or atoms attracted to one direction, to the loft wall close to the next room for a second.
Went swimming for the first time in months. Harassed several times including a big middle aged man with a vicious smile came to stand against the goal when I came two strokes away from it in breast strokes and another middle aged man looking into my eyes when I removed my goggles to apologize to a young woman whose arm I accidentally touched while passing her.
2011/05/25 Slept 1:00-3:00 and 5:00-10:00 a.m. When falling asleep first time, electric shocks attacked my body parts one after another, starting with my head, then respiratory organ, making me huff, then to the stomach, and lastly my leg, making them have a fit.
2011/05/26 Slept 1:10-7:00 a.m. Woke up with a middle aged male voice talking loudly in front of my apartment building. When woke up and after a while, I felt the noise in my head loud and eyes having fine flushes.
2011/05/27 Slept 1:00-7:00 a.m. An explosive shock accompanied by a Goh noise made me see a geometric pattern right after I went to bed. When woke up, my view was in fine flushes, just like an old fluorescent light. Even now (15:10) when I close my eyes, I see basically the same thing, finer flushes, just like what you see when staring a fluorescent bulb. The noise in my brain is loud and some a as wavy as the fine flushes.
2011年5月22日日曜日
Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, How would you use a large area of land?
Question
Imagine that you have been given a large area of land to use however you wish. How would you choose to use this land?
Let’s Think
Here we have another hypothetical question with few conditions. This time, we think about land usage. The word “land usage” often reminds you of investment and you might think of building condominiums on it and making a fortune by renting or selling them. But remember this is a test question. I doubt if you can impress your raters with an essay based on this idea unless you are a real estate expert.
To get good scores, you will have to make points with your idea and deal with inevitable counter-arguments. If you say that you are going to use the land for money, you will have to explain why you think making money is more important than realizing your dream or using it for the public good. It is true that philanthropists are actually people who made money first and then are helping the needy now, and if you intend to follow suit, that is fine. However, the idea is still off the topic in that you do not tackle the core of the question: working out a good usage of a huge area of land, which is not just an object of investment but something that provides space, soil, eco-system, the atmosphere above it, and many other good things that we can take advantage of.
As we have seen before, to answer a hypothetical question with few specific conditions in the TOEFL independent writing section, it is safe to stick to your specialty, the thing that you have a lot to write about to meet the minimum-300-word requirement. Think of problems or wants in the area that you know well and think if there is any good use of the land in order to solve the problem or meet the demand. You might ask yourself questions as follows:
1. What do you like or what are you interested in?
2. What is the problem?
3. How would you use the land to solve the problem?
4. How do you persuade readers to accept the idea?
Reminder
This question does not mention the cost. Therefore, you do not have to deal with it. This question is all about a hypothetical story. This is the same as you do not care about the inconsistency when you read a comic in which the main characters become smaller than oxygen molecules and still have no problem with breathing.
In my humble case, the answers to these questions are as follows.
1. What do you like or what are you interested in?
I like crows.
2. What is the problem?
Most people hate crows.
3. How would you use the land to solve the problem?
I would build a town for peaceful coexistence of crows and people.
4. How do you persuade readers to accept the idea?
1) By clearing up misunderstandings about crows
2) By calling attention to the attractiveness of crows
3) By arguing about the merits of making friends with crows
Essay for Ideas and Expressions
There would be many wise or innovative uses of a large area of land, but I would make it a town which is a test case for peaceful coexistence of crows and people. No other birds are so stigmatized as crows, probably in my country Japan in particular. They are regarded as filthy scavengers, spiteful punks, and the sign of death, yet, if observed carefully and without prejudice, they will turn out to be as smart and likable as dolphins. In fact, some people call them flying dogs.
Crows, especially jungle crows―the big black birds you see littering the sidewalk on garbage collection days, used to live in forests and feed on dead animals on the ground. Development replaced trees with buildings and dead animals with garbage bags. They have been doing the same to survive, nesting on the power poles and eating food on the ground, but now humans are offended by their routine. Crows attack people only to protect their offspring, and the worst thing they can do is to swoop from behind and kick, which they rarely actually do because they are afraid of humans. They remember the face of the person who attacked or threatened them and repeatedly retaliate, but think of their trauma and it is understandable that they do it for self-defense. The biggest stigma that crows bear is the image of death, which probably derives from their color―surely they eat dead bodies but so do many other creatures, from bacteria to dogs. The fear of the color black is our problem, not theirs. In the eyes of humans on the ground crows on power lines are eerie dark spots in the sky, but seen from high above, they are precious pieces of life shining in purple and green. Incidentally, crows are much cleaner than other birds like chickens. They bathe a few times a day if possible.
Although loathed, crows are rather well known to be very smart, affectionate, and remarkable birds. The intelligence level of crows is said to be that of an average 7-year-old human child. They store their food and remember the places, the number of which reaches thousand. They use their calls as vocabularies for their communication, use and sometimes make tools, and play. They love slides and jungle gyms and mimic human words and machine noises. They cherish their family and some of them communicate with humans. There are many reports that crows grieve the death of other crows. I myself know a crow which has been missing its mate that disappeared two years ago. One of the most striking things about crows is their eyes. As they can see ultraviolet, they can spot a piece of white bread on the snow field from 200 meters above. Now you might find this bird a little more interesting than before, if not wishing to make friends with it.
In my opinion, it is a shame that we do not have good relationships with crows, these smart birds that happen to live closest to us, and here comes my model town for them and us. In this town, part of the garbage would be sent to the areas designated for crows, thus the streets would stay clean and the cost of waste incineration and CO2 emissions would be reduced. As crows eat mice, insects, and many other things in nature other than garbage, the amount of food given to crows would be controlled in order not to disturb the ecosystem. Those white droppings they leave everywhere could be diverted off of the streets if we successfully communicated with them, and this might be rather easy considering their learning ability. My wildest dream is to let them participate in rescue operations. Since they can fly a long distance and their cognitive level is high, not to speak of their great eyesight, they could make good rescue crows. Of course to protect animal rights, only those willing and having the aptitude would be given the missions.
I once saw a crow perched on a power line entertaining a dog down in a garage. The dog, wagging its tail and jumping around in the small space, looked quite happy to see its friend with wings. The scene reflected their positions in this world. Both born with almost the same intelligence level, one is confined and the other free. Crows could have been domesticated long ago since their cleverness must have been noticed by our ancestors, but they have not. It seems to me, with no offence to dogs, that crows know what dignity is and keep a distance from humans. They are hated but live proudly. They are sensitive enough to feel the pain of life, yet won't give up on life and can do without such things as hope or dream or religion. Perhaps we could learn something important from them by living much closer to them than now.
Imagine that you have been given a large area of land to use however you wish. How would you choose to use this land?
Let’s Think
Here we have another hypothetical question with few conditions. This time, we think about land usage. The word “land usage” often reminds you of investment and you might think of building condominiums on it and making a fortune by renting or selling them. But remember this is a test question. I doubt if you can impress your raters with an essay based on this idea unless you are a real estate expert.
To get good scores, you will have to make points with your idea and deal with inevitable counter-arguments. If you say that you are going to use the land for money, you will have to explain why you think making money is more important than realizing your dream or using it for the public good. It is true that philanthropists are actually people who made money first and then are helping the needy now, and if you intend to follow suit, that is fine. However, the idea is still off the topic in that you do not tackle the core of the question: working out a good usage of a huge area of land, which is not just an object of investment but something that provides space, soil, eco-system, the atmosphere above it, and many other good things that we can take advantage of.
As we have seen before, to answer a hypothetical question with few specific conditions in the TOEFL independent writing section, it is safe to stick to your specialty, the thing that you have a lot to write about to meet the minimum-300-word requirement. Think of problems or wants in the area that you know well and think if there is any good use of the land in order to solve the problem or meet the demand. You might ask yourself questions as follows:
1. What do you like or what are you interested in?
2. What is the problem?
3. How would you use the land to solve the problem?
4. How do you persuade readers to accept the idea?
Reminder
This question does not mention the cost. Therefore, you do not have to deal with it. This question is all about a hypothetical story. This is the same as you do not care about the inconsistency when you read a comic in which the main characters become smaller than oxygen molecules and still have no problem with breathing.
In my humble case, the answers to these questions are as follows.
1. What do you like or what are you interested in?
I like crows.
2. What is the problem?
Most people hate crows.
3. How would you use the land to solve the problem?
I would build a town for peaceful coexistence of crows and people.
4. How do you persuade readers to accept the idea?
1) By clearing up misunderstandings about crows
2) By calling attention to the attractiveness of crows
3) By arguing about the merits of making friends with crows
Essay for Ideas and Expressions
There would be many wise or innovative uses of a large area of land, but I would make it a town which is a test case for peaceful coexistence of crows and people. No other birds are so stigmatized as crows, probably in my country Japan in particular. They are regarded as filthy scavengers, spiteful punks, and the sign of death, yet, if observed carefully and without prejudice, they will turn out to be as smart and likable as dolphins. In fact, some people call them flying dogs.
Crows, especially jungle crows―the big black birds you see littering the sidewalk on garbage collection days, used to live in forests and feed on dead animals on the ground. Development replaced trees with buildings and dead animals with garbage bags. They have been doing the same to survive, nesting on the power poles and eating food on the ground, but now humans are offended by their routine. Crows attack people only to protect their offspring, and the worst thing they can do is to swoop from behind and kick, which they rarely actually do because they are afraid of humans. They remember the face of the person who attacked or threatened them and repeatedly retaliate, but think of their trauma and it is understandable that they do it for self-defense. The biggest stigma that crows bear is the image of death, which probably derives from their color―surely they eat dead bodies but so do many other creatures, from bacteria to dogs. The fear of the color black is our problem, not theirs. In the eyes of humans on the ground crows on power lines are eerie dark spots in the sky, but seen from high above, they are precious pieces of life shining in purple and green. Incidentally, crows are much cleaner than other birds like chickens. They bathe a few times a day if possible.
Although loathed, crows are rather well known to be very smart, affectionate, and remarkable birds. The intelligence level of crows is said to be that of an average 7-year-old human child. They store their food and remember the places, the number of which reaches thousand. They use their calls as vocabularies for their communication, use and sometimes make tools, and play. They love slides and jungle gyms and mimic human words and machine noises. They cherish their family and some of them communicate with humans. There are many reports that crows grieve the death of other crows. I myself know a crow which has been missing its mate that disappeared two years ago. One of the most striking things about crows is their eyes. As they can see ultraviolet, they can spot a piece of white bread on the snow field from 200 meters above. Now you might find this bird a little more interesting than before, if not wishing to make friends with it.
In my opinion, it is a shame that we do not have good relationships with crows, these smart birds that happen to live closest to us, and here comes my model town for them and us. In this town, part of the garbage would be sent to the areas designated for crows, thus the streets would stay clean and the cost of waste incineration and CO2 emissions would be reduced. As crows eat mice, insects, and many other things in nature other than garbage, the amount of food given to crows would be controlled in order not to disturb the ecosystem. Those white droppings they leave everywhere could be diverted off of the streets if we successfully communicated with them, and this might be rather easy considering their learning ability. My wildest dream is to let them participate in rescue operations. Since they can fly a long distance and their cognitive level is high, not to speak of their great eyesight, they could make good rescue crows. Of course to protect animal rights, only those willing and having the aptitude would be given the missions.
I once saw a crow perched on a power line entertaining a dog down in a garage. The dog, wagging its tail and jumping around in the small space, looked quite happy to see its friend with wings. The scene reflected their positions in this world. Both born with almost the same intelligence level, one is confined and the other free. Crows could have been domesticated long ago since their cleverness must have been noticed by our ancestors, but they have not. It seems to me, with no offence to dogs, that crows know what dignity is and keep a distance from humans. They are hated but live proudly. They are sensitive enough to feel the pain of life, yet won't give up on life and can do without such things as hope or dream or religion. Perhaps we could learn something important from them by living much closer to them than now.
2011年5月21日土曜日
Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, means of transportation for a place 100 miles away from your home
Writing Topic
Suppose that you wish to travel from your home to a place 100 miles (160 kilometers) from your home. Discuss the different types of transportation you might use, and compare the merits of the various forms of transport. Which manner of travel would you choose, and why?
Question that requires you to discuss possible choices under some conditions and choose one
This writing topic sets a specific condition and directs you to discuss the choices under the condition before writing about your choice. To answer this type of question your thought process can be the body and conclusion of your essay, because a thought process of finding the answer with regard to the conditions is logical.
Thought process
1. Discuss the conditions and narrow down the choices according to the conditions.
2. Discuss the choices that have been left.
3. Make a conclusion giving reasons.
Practice Question
A foreign visitor has only one day to spend in your country. Discuss the different possible destinations. Where do you think this visitor should go on that day? Why?
Like today’s writing topic, this question sets some conditions, requires you to discuss different choices under these conditions and asks about your choice, so let me write down some paragraphs following the thought process above.
1. Discuss the conditions, and narrow down the choices according to the conditions.
A foreign visitor might want to experience something special about the country. Also, he or she might want to see as many aspects of the country as possible, in the case of my country, Japan, probably both the old and new aspects of it. However, there is only one day to spend, so the person might not want to waste time for transit unless the transit itself serves as an experience like riding the bullet train. Considering these conditions, a beach in Okinawa or a ranch in Hokkaido would not be at the top of the list, for you can see the same things elsewhere and they might not be so memorable as places that represent Japan. Also, visiting places too far apart is out of question because of the travel time. Seeing contemporary Japan in Tokyo and then traditional Japan in Shikoku in a day is, while attractive, impossible because they are 500 miles apart.
2. Discuss the choices that have been left.
Visiting Shibuya, the center of Japanese pop-culture, and then Kyoto, the center of the traditional Japanese culture, is possible if you take the bullet train. But then, there are many other places with both old and new aspects of Japan such as Shinjuku, where you find high-rising buildings next to an old alley with a shrine and bars still maintaining the air of the 60’s, and all of these places might look the same in foreigners’ eye.
3. Make a conclusion giving reasons.
I think the visitor should visit Tsukishima, Tokyo. Although not famous, it has both the high-technology and the traditional life of Japan existing side by side with a great contrast. Juxtaposed to state-of-the-art buildings are good old residences, small factories, and eateries serving the local specialty, monja. Businessmen in black quickly pass an old lady pushing a cart slowly. This is an old business district near Tokyo Bay that has been experiencing a rapid development over the past ten years. …
Now let us go back to today’s topic and follow the thought process.
1. Discuss the condition and narrow down the choices according to the conditions.
♦If your house is near Tokyo Station, a place 100 miles from your house is in ----- or -----.
【Places: Mito/Shizuoka/Nagano, etc.】
♦This destination is farther than ----- and closer than -----.
【your school/usual commuting destinations/the place you go for a one-day excursion/your grandparents’ place where you usually go by car or train/annual five-day school trip destinations/etc.】
♦For a 100-mile trip, using/taking/riding ----- would not be a good idea because it is -----.
♦ ----- would also not be an ideal choice because it is -----.
【Transportations: an airplane/a bullet train/a train/a bus/a car/a motorbike/a bicycle/etc.】
【Reasons: expensive/time-consuming/troublesome/tiresome/slow/etc.】
2. Discuss the choices that have been left. Compare their merits.
♦I could ride/take ----- because it is -----.
♦Taking/Riding ----- would also be good because it is -----.
【Transportations: a bullet train/a train/a bus/a car/a motorbike/etc.】
【Reasons: fast/inexpensive/relaxing/flexible/enjoyable/environmentally-friendly/etc.】
3. Make a conclusion giving reasons.
Note! The question does not require that you reach an objective conclusion. It is asking about your choice. In other words, it is asking about your preference, so you could choose a car because, for example, you like driving.
I would choose …
because …
Note! Make sure you follow the standard form of an English essay, that is, you start your essay with the introduction (the paragraph providing the overview of your essay), then develop your thought in the body, and finish with the conclusion.
Suppose that you wish to travel from your home to a place 100 miles (160 kilometers) from your home. Discuss the different types of transportation you might use, and compare the merits of the various forms of transport. Which manner of travel would you choose, and why?
Question that requires you to discuss possible choices under some conditions and choose one
This writing topic sets a specific condition and directs you to discuss the choices under the condition before writing about your choice. To answer this type of question your thought process can be the body and conclusion of your essay, because a thought process of finding the answer with regard to the conditions is logical.
Thought process
1. Discuss the conditions and narrow down the choices according to the conditions.
2. Discuss the choices that have been left.
3. Make a conclusion giving reasons.
Practice Question
A foreign visitor has only one day to spend in your country. Discuss the different possible destinations. Where do you think this visitor should go on that day? Why?
Like today’s writing topic, this question sets some conditions, requires you to discuss different choices under these conditions and asks about your choice, so let me write down some paragraphs following the thought process above.
1. Discuss the conditions, and narrow down the choices according to the conditions.
A foreign visitor might want to experience something special about the country. Also, he or she might want to see as many aspects of the country as possible, in the case of my country, Japan, probably both the old and new aspects of it. However, there is only one day to spend, so the person might not want to waste time for transit unless the transit itself serves as an experience like riding the bullet train. Considering these conditions, a beach in Okinawa or a ranch in Hokkaido would not be at the top of the list, for you can see the same things elsewhere and they might not be so memorable as places that represent Japan. Also, visiting places too far apart is out of question because of the travel time. Seeing contemporary Japan in Tokyo and then traditional Japan in Shikoku in a day is, while attractive, impossible because they are 500 miles apart.
2. Discuss the choices that have been left.
Visiting Shibuya, the center of Japanese pop-culture, and then Kyoto, the center of the traditional Japanese culture, is possible if you take the bullet train. But then, there are many other places with both old and new aspects of Japan such as Shinjuku, where you find high-rising buildings next to an old alley with a shrine and bars still maintaining the air of the 60’s, and all of these places might look the same in foreigners’ eye.
3. Make a conclusion giving reasons.
I think the visitor should visit Tsukishima, Tokyo. Although not famous, it has both the high-technology and the traditional life of Japan existing side by side with a great contrast. Juxtaposed to state-of-the-art buildings are good old residences, small factories, and eateries serving the local specialty, monja. Businessmen in black quickly pass an old lady pushing a cart slowly. This is an old business district near Tokyo Bay that has been experiencing a rapid development over the past ten years. …
Now let us go back to today’s topic and follow the thought process.
1. Discuss the condition and narrow down the choices according to the conditions.
♦If your house is near Tokyo Station, a place 100 miles from your house is in ----- or -----.
【Places: Mito/Shizuoka/Nagano, etc.】
♦This destination is farther than ----- and closer than -----.
【your school/usual commuting destinations/the place you go for a one-day excursion/your grandparents’ place where you usually go by car or train/annual five-day school trip destinations/etc.】
♦For a 100-mile trip, using/taking/riding ----- would not be a good idea because it is -----.
♦ ----- would also not be an ideal choice because it is -----.
【Transportations: an airplane/a bullet train/a train/a bus/a car/a motorbike/a bicycle/etc.】
【Reasons: expensive/time-consuming/troublesome/tiresome/slow/etc.】
2. Discuss the choices that have been left. Compare their merits.
♦I could ride/take ----- because it is -----.
♦Taking/Riding ----- would also be good because it is -----.
【Transportations: a bullet train/a train/a bus/a car/a motorbike/etc.】
【Reasons: fast/inexpensive/relaxing/flexible/enjoyable/environmentally-friendly/etc.】
3. Make a conclusion giving reasons.
Note! The question does not require that you reach an objective conclusion. It is asking about your choice. In other words, it is asking about your preference, so you could choose a car because, for example, you like driving.
I would choose …
because …
Note! Make sure you follow the standard form of an English essay, that is, you start your essay with the introduction (the paragraph providing the overview of your essay), then develop your thought in the body, and finish with the conclusion.
2011年5月19日木曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
2011/05/17 (Continued) Took a one-hour nap between 12:20 and 13:20. Probably woken up by a shock because while I stayed in bed (the loft) after waking up I got attacked by several electric shocks that felt like I was in a magnetic field and the voltage changed and that was felt by my brain.
I also felt the magnetic field like sensation when I sat in front of the desk fixed to the wall to the next room. So I sat down on the farthest side of the room and worked.
2011/05/18 Slept from 1:30 to5:30. Unable to go back to sleep because of the attacks. When I was studying on the floor, I almost fell asleep when a strong shock came to my head with a Goh! noise. Kept working (grocery shopping, household, and work) till now at 17:56. Going to try to take a nap. I feel someone is behind the wall next to my PC. (By the way, I moved my PC a little away from the wall. I do not feel the magnetic field like thing for now, though while I was working lying on the floor, I felt vibrations and the noise that have been bothering for years-a car-blast likenoise.)
Took a nap between 18:00 and 21:00. Although there was an attack or two, I was so sleepy that I fell asleep soon. When I was washing my hands soon after I woke up, I felt someone leave the place behind the wall of my bathroom and heard someone leave the room (202) when I went out of the bathroom. A male and a female voices and loud footsteps and noises of moving around in Room 202 in the evening and at night.
2011/05/19 Slept from 3:00 to 5:30 and 6:00 to 10:00. I remember the out one-third of my whole brain paralyzed rhythmically every second while I was in a shallow sleep. At the same time, I also felt a presence of someone behind the wall of my loft. This happened in the first sleep. When I was trying to go back to sleep after waking/woken up around 5:30, electric attacks made my arms have a fit several times. I think the attacks also made me huff. I do not know if I fell asleep or fainted a while later. I also felt the attack on my head when I woke up again.
I also felt the magnetic field like sensation when I sat in front of the desk fixed to the wall to the next room. So I sat down on the farthest side of the room and worked.
2011/05/18 Slept from 1:30 to5:30. Unable to go back to sleep because of the attacks. When I was studying on the floor, I almost fell asleep when a strong shock came to my head with a Goh! noise. Kept working (grocery shopping, household, and work) till now at 17:56. Going to try to take a nap. I feel someone is behind the wall next to my PC. (By the way, I moved my PC a little away from the wall. I do not feel the magnetic field like thing for now, though while I was working lying on the floor, I felt vibrations and the noise that have been bothering for years-a car-blast likenoise.)
Took a nap between 18:00 and 21:00. Although there was an attack or two, I was so sleepy that I fell asleep soon. When I was washing my hands soon after I woke up, I felt someone leave the place behind the wall of my bathroom and heard someone leave the room (202) when I went out of the bathroom. A male and a female voices and loud footsteps and noises of moving around in Room 202 in the evening and at night.
2011/05/19 Slept from 3:00 to 5:30 and 6:00 to 10:00. I remember the out one-third of my whole brain paralyzed rhythmically every second while I was in a shallow sleep. At the same time, I also felt a presence of someone behind the wall of my loft. This happened in the first sleep. When I was trying to go back to sleep after waking/woken up around 5:30, electric attacks made my arms have a fit several times. I think the attacks also made me huff. I do not know if I fell asleep or fainted a while later. I also felt the attack on my head when I woke up again.
2011年5月17日火曜日
Class Supplement, TOEFL Integrated Writing, Sample Answer 10
Question:
Summarize the points in the lecture you just heard explaining how they serve as examples of the points made in the text.
Sample Response:
The lecture takes up the behavior of blessing someone who has sneezed as an example of superstition, showing how deep-rooted in our minds this particular superstition is and mentioning some explanations for it
The professor describes how difficult it is to resist saying, “Bless you.” He tells what happened when he tried not to say it. He says that he felt as if he was being accused of not saying it, and in the end he said it despite himself. This is an example of a point in the text: the power of superstitions that makes even highly educated people believe and observe them.
The professor shows some explanations of this practice. The usual explanation is the old belief that one’s soul could pop out of the body with the sneeze. More likely explanation is that, in the old days, sneezing would often the precursor of a fatal disease, so the sneezer actually needed blessing. However, this explanation fails in that coughing does not have the same kind of superstition. For this, the professor says that since superstitions are irrational in nature, it is natural that explanations for them do not add up. The text explains the psychological mechanism of our belief in superstition. According to the text, superstitions help people overcome fears by providing security against what they cannot control. Although the professor does not relate the two, the topic of his lecture, the behavior of blessing a sneezer, represents this psychological mechanism because, as he explained, people used to attempt to fend off illness and death by blessing someone.
(261 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: くしゃみをした人に神の加護を祈願する迷信に関するLectureの要旨
第2段落: Lectureのひとつめの要点とTextのどの要点の例になっているかの説明
（例になっている要点： 不合理と分かっていても信じないではいられなくさせる迷信の力）
第3段落: Lectureのふたつめの要点とTextのどの要点の例になっているかの説明
(例になっている要点： 不安を克服させる迷信の機能)
Summarize the points in the lecture you just heard explaining how they serve as examples of the points made in the text.
Sample Response:
The lecture takes up the behavior of blessing someone who has sneezed as an example of superstition, showing how deep-rooted in our minds this particular superstition is and mentioning some explanations for it
The professor describes how difficult it is to resist saying, “Bless you.” He tells what happened when he tried not to say it. He says that he felt as if he was being accused of not saying it, and in the end he said it despite himself. This is an example of a point in the text: the power of superstitions that makes even highly educated people believe and observe them.
The professor shows some explanations of this practice. The usual explanation is the old belief that one’s soul could pop out of the body with the sneeze. More likely explanation is that, in the old days, sneezing would often the precursor of a fatal disease, so the sneezer actually needed blessing. However, this explanation fails in that coughing does not have the same kind of superstition. For this, the professor says that since superstitions are irrational in nature, it is natural that explanations for them do not add up. The text explains the psychological mechanism of our belief in superstition. According to the text, superstitions help people overcome fears by providing security against what they cannot control. Although the professor does not relate the two, the topic of his lecture, the behavior of blessing a sneezer, represents this psychological mechanism because, as he explained, people used to attempt to fend off illness and death by blessing someone.
(261 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: くしゃみをした人に神の加護を祈願する迷信に関するLectureの要旨
第2段落: Lectureのひとつめの要点とTextのどの要点の例になっているかの説明
（例になっている要点： 不合理と分かっていても信じないではいられなくさせる迷信の力）
第3段落: Lectureのふたつめの要点とTextのどの要点の例になっているかの説明
(例になっている要点： 不安を克服させる迷信の機能)
Class Supplement, TOEFL Integrated Writing, Sample Answer 9
Question:
Summarize the points in the lecture you just heard explaining how they contrast with the points made in the text.
Sample Response:
The professor predicts that books will evolve into something much better through digitization and he welcomes it. While he does not deny the survival of books as texts but focuses on the advantages of their electric forms, the author totally dismisses the prediction that books will be replaced by other media.
One advantage of e-books the professor points out is their handiness in searching for some information in the text, especially compared to the paper books without indexes, which often make information search very difficult or impossible.
Another advantage the professor points out is what will become possible for better understanding of texts by digitization. He gives an example of reading an e-book on WWII and coming across a passage about Hitler’s distinctive speech style. He says that downloading the actual video of Hitler’s speech to verify what is written in the text will enhance your reading experience. This view of other media as reading supplement is different from that of the author. The author argues that true understanding of research subjects cannot be gained by using other media. He points out the difference between the qualities of knowledge gained through photos or videos and that which sinks in one’s mind through reading books, for example, on WWII, whose complex and subtle background does not allow quick and easy comprehension. In this respect, the author and the professor are arguing from different viewpoints over what is important for deeper knowledge. The author is talking about the primary importance of books as a medium for better understanding. On the other hand, the professor is talking about the importance of utilizing the technology e-books bear for the same purpose. (277 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: 電子化時代における本の将来に対する考え方のLectureの要旨及びTextとの対比
第2段落: Lectureのひとつめの要点(検索の容易さ)の要約
第3段落: Lectureのふたつめの要点（ハイパーリンクの活用による読書体験の強化）の要約及びTextの要点（情報媒体としての本の重要性）との対比
Summarize the points in the lecture you just heard explaining how they contrast with the points made in the text.
Sample Response:
The professor predicts that books will evolve into something much better through digitization and he welcomes it. While he does not deny the survival of books as texts but focuses on the advantages of their electric forms, the author totally dismisses the prediction that books will be replaced by other media.
One advantage of e-books the professor points out is their handiness in searching for some information in the text, especially compared to the paper books without indexes, which often make information search very difficult or impossible.
Another advantage the professor points out is what will become possible for better understanding of texts by digitization. He gives an example of reading an e-book on WWII and coming across a passage about Hitler’s distinctive speech style. He says that downloading the actual video of Hitler’s speech to verify what is written in the text will enhance your reading experience. This view of other media as reading supplement is different from that of the author. The author argues that true understanding of research subjects cannot be gained by using other media. He points out the difference between the qualities of knowledge gained through photos or videos and that which sinks in one’s mind through reading books, for example, on WWII, whose complex and subtle background does not allow quick and easy comprehension. In this respect, the author and the professor are arguing from different viewpoints over what is important for deeper knowledge. The author is talking about the primary importance of books as a medium for better understanding. On the other hand, the professor is talking about the importance of utilizing the technology e-books bear for the same purpose. (277 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: 電子化時代における本の将来に対する考え方のLectureの要旨及びTextとの対比
第2段落: Lectureのひとつめの要点(検索の容易さ)の要約
第3段落: Lectureのふたつめの要点（ハイパーリンクの活用による読書体験の強化）の要約及びTextの要点（情報媒体としての本の重要性）との対比
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
246. 2011/05/15 (continued) Very sleepy and tired in the afternoon, and stumbled on my way home from grocery shopping. Took a nap from 18:30 to 22:30. One big shock when I unwittingly placed my head away from the safe spot. Have been working on my PC till now (3:52 a.m.) Going to bed soon.
2011/05/16 Rather strong paralyzing electric shock attack on the head placed on the safer position. Slept from 4:00 to 8:30. Bothered by low noise while working yesterday and today. Also, it seemed that something like magnetic field was coming from behind the wall of the next room while working.
2011/05/17 A lot of noised in the next room (202). Slept from 2:00 to 5:30. Read a magazine and when drowsiness came again, a paralyzing shock came to my head placed on the safer position. I moved to the other side and about ten seconds later, a big shock came to the spine and my body jolted violently. I went back to the safer position and those paralyzing shocks kept coming. All of the shocks were accompanied by Goh! sound. Gave up sleeping and got up a little before 8:00. Tweeted that I was being suffering from persistent harassment and couldn’t sleep.
2011/05/16 Rather strong paralyzing electric shock attack on the head placed on the safer position. Slept from 4:00 to 8:30. Bothered by low noise while working yesterday and today. Also, it seemed that something like magnetic field was coming from behind the wall of the next room while working.
2011/05/17 A lot of noised in the next room (202). Slept from 2:00 to 5:30. Read a magazine and when drowsiness came again, a paralyzing shock came to my head placed on the safer position. I moved to the other side and about ten seconds later, a big shock came to the spine and my body jolted violently. I went back to the safer position and those paralyzing shocks kept coming. All of the shocks were accompanied by Goh! sound. Gave up sleeping and got up a little before 8:00. Tweeted that I was being suffering from persistent harassment and couldn’t sleep.
2011年5月16日月曜日
Class Supplement, TOEFL Integrated Writing, Sample Answer 8
Question:
Summarize the points in the lecture you just heard explaining how they relate to the topic of the text.
The professor tries to raise interest in students about why music has no borders and plays important roles in our lives. He delves into the music-related phenomenon which a business mentioned in the text taps into.
The professor wonders why music universally affects us as in the case of religious music. He says music can be used to manipulate people’s feelings. It can be used as part of strategies on battlegrounds and in political campaigns.
He also points out how easily music sticks to our mind. A good example is a commercial jingle that we cannot forget whether we like it or not. He says that, even though not everyone who heard a certain jingle will buy the product advertized with it, it is clear that commercial music more or less has an impact on people who are considering purchasing the advertized product.
The professor says that it is impossible to explain the power of music since many studies on it have been made in vain. He says that music is strongly related to our instinct for an unknowable reason.
This lecture explores the interesting point of the text: the power of music. The text is about the practical usage of the power of music in raising sales figures and productivities. The professor gives other examples of music affecting human behaviors and tries to give an insight to the universal power of music and its origin.
(236 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: LectureのテーマとTextとの関連性
第2段落: Lectureの「戦争と選挙における音楽の活用例」の要約
第3段落: Lectureの「CMソングの消費行動への影響」の要約
第4段落: LectureのTextとの関連性
Summarize the points in the lecture you just heard explaining how they relate to the topic of the text.
The professor tries to raise interest in students about why music has no borders and plays important roles in our lives. He delves into the music-related phenomenon which a business mentioned in the text taps into.
The professor wonders why music universally affects us as in the case of religious music. He says music can be used to manipulate people’s feelings. It can be used as part of strategies on battlegrounds and in political campaigns.
He also points out how easily music sticks to our mind. A good example is a commercial jingle that we cannot forget whether we like it or not. He says that, even though not everyone who heard a certain jingle will buy the product advertized with it, it is clear that commercial music more or less has an impact on people who are considering purchasing the advertized product.
The professor says that it is impossible to explain the power of music since many studies on it have been made in vain. He says that music is strongly related to our instinct for an unknowable reason.
This lecture explores the interesting point of the text: the power of music. The text is about the practical usage of the power of music in raising sales figures and productivities. The professor gives other examples of music affecting human behaviors and tries to give an insight to the universal power of music and its origin.
(236 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: LectureのテーマとTextとの関連性
第2段落: Lectureの「戦争と選挙における音楽の活用例」の要約
第3段落: Lectureの「CMソングの消費行動への影響」の要約
第4段落: LectureのTextとの関連性
Class Supplement, TOEFL Integrated Writing, Sample Answer 7
Question:
Compare and contrast these two opinions.
Sample response:
The text touts American democracy while the professor doubts it.
According to the text, America has realized an open and inclusive society where people enjoy freedom and life full of mobility. The text says that this is partly because America accepts immigrants and this contributes to a society where people with different backgrounds live side by side respecting each other. It also says that America is a society free from constraint, where people can go wherever they want to go and anyone, even a recent immigrant, can become anything if he/she so wishes and works hard. However, the professor reminds the students that inequality exists by giving the example of black people. He says that they are poor on average and that black murderers are more likely to be subject to execution than those of different races.
The text says that the constitution which guarantees rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion makes the government listen to the opinion of its people. On the other hand, the professor says that the fact that most Americans abstain from voting these days is the sign that American democracy is not functioning well. He also says that the attitudes of the government do not reflect public opinions. The example is the difference between the opinion poll results and the consensus of the representatives on abortion: most people are for abortion but most representatives are against it. The professor also implies that free speech applies to all American citizens except communists, atheists, liberals and those who dissent over the US foreign policy. He says that Europeans are more open to different views and hence more interested and involved in politics.
The text casts no doubt about the success of the political system and the bright future of America but the professor concludes that American democracy is not perfect and that you should be careful of uncritical views about it. (318 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: アメリカの民主主義に対する立場のLectureとTextの比較
第2段落: 自由平等思想の実現に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第3段落: 言論の自由と民意の反映に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第4段落: アメリカの民主主義の総括におけるTextとLectureの比較
Compare and contrast these two opinions.
Sample response:
The text touts American democracy while the professor doubts it.
According to the text, America has realized an open and inclusive society where people enjoy freedom and life full of mobility. The text says that this is partly because America accepts immigrants and this contributes to a society where people with different backgrounds live side by side respecting each other. It also says that America is a society free from constraint, where people can go wherever they want to go and anyone, even a recent immigrant, can become anything if he/she so wishes and works hard. However, the professor reminds the students that inequality exists by giving the example of black people. He says that they are poor on average and that black murderers are more likely to be subject to execution than those of different races.
The text says that the constitution which guarantees rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion makes the government listen to the opinion of its people. On the other hand, the professor says that the fact that most Americans abstain from voting these days is the sign that American democracy is not functioning well. He also says that the attitudes of the government do not reflect public opinions. The example is the difference between the opinion poll results and the consensus of the representatives on abortion: most people are for abortion but most representatives are against it. The professor also implies that free speech applies to all American citizens except communists, atheists, liberals and those who dissent over the US foreign policy. He says that Europeans are more open to different views and hence more interested and involved in politics.
The text casts no doubt about the success of the political system and the bright future of America but the professor concludes that American democracy is not perfect and that you should be careful of uncritical views about it. (318 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: アメリカの民主主義に対する立場のLectureとTextの比較
第2段落: 自由平等思想の実現に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第3段落: 言論の自由と民意の反映に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第4段落: アメリカの民主主義の総括におけるTextとLectureの比較
2011年5月15日日曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
245. 2011/05/12 Slept from 1:30 to 8:30 a.m. Paralyzing electric shock attacks came to head and body when I was falling asleep. After waking up, I felt I had had concussion many times, having a very funny feeling in the center of my brain. When practiced pronunciation, I had difficulty in pronouncing many consonants.
2011/05/13 Slept from 2:00 to 10:00 a.m. Remember a few paralyzing electric shock attacks came a few minutes I went to bed. (I have been sleeping in the loft since last time I recorded sleeping on the mattress on the floor, ending up with being attacked with strong electric shocks.) Had a feeling of after-concussion, funny feelings in the center of my brain and between upper and lower front teeth.
2011/05/14 Slept from 1:00 or so to 9:00 a.m. Some electric shocks to head probably.
2011/05/15 Left the school office a little after 10:00 p.m. and got home around 11:30 p.m. last night. Slept from 3:00 to 8:30 a.m. Do not remember any shocks. Slept with my head placed precisely above the corner of the kitchen where there is a small shelf above the fridge and bathroom door locked with a tool. Again I know this is crazy but I feel uneasy because the unit bath has an opening in the ceiling with a lid that can be opened from the outside.
2011/05/13 Slept from 2:00 to 10:00 a.m. Remember a few paralyzing electric shock attacks came a few minutes I went to bed. (I have been sleeping in the loft since last time I recorded sleeping on the mattress on the floor, ending up with being attacked with strong electric shocks.) Had a feeling of after-concussion, funny feelings in the center of my brain and between upper and lower front teeth.
2011/05/14 Slept from 1:00 or so to 9:00 a.m. Some electric shocks to head probably.
2011/05/15 Left the school office a little after 10:00 p.m. and got home around 11:30 p.m. last night. Slept from 3:00 to 8:30 a.m. Do not remember any shocks. Slept with my head placed precisely above the corner of the kitchen where there is a small shelf above the fridge and bathroom door locked with a tool. Again I know this is crazy but I feel uneasy because the unit bath has an opening in the ceiling with a lid that can be opened from the outside.
Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, Sample Answer for Optional Homework-1
Task: Summarize the following passage
Carbohydrate is the source of energy. Therefore, making carbohydrate as a by-product of CO2 reduction process could contribute to stabilization of food security. (1) Global warming, combined with population increase and rapidly rising standard of living as a result of globalization, is worsening the problem of food shortage. (2) For example, because of rising temperature, flora and fauna in each area on this planet have been changing and affecting agriculture. Farmers are starting to have difficulty growing the same crops in the same ways as in the past. Studies on new types of crops more suitable to new weather patterns are devastatingly behind the speed of climate change and governments have not seriously started funding these studies. (3) The number of inundated fields due to rising sea level or flood is increasing, and water shortage caused by desertification, extremely rapid thawing of glacier, or drought caused by climate change is already happening. (4) It is clear that many parts of the world will have more difficulty providing people with enough food. (5) Carbohydrate made from the air, which might need less water to make and which, unlike carbohydrate originating from plants, could be provided on a regular bases, might be a great help when this problem ensues.
(Paragraph Three, Essay for Ideas and Expressions, Lesson 2 Supplement)
Sample Summary
☆Numbers in the passage above correspond to the summery numbers below.
☆The summery of the first and second sentences is skipped, because the first sentence is fundamentally the same as the last sentence, whose summery is done.
(1) Food shortage is becoming a serious issue due to global warming, population increase, and rapidly rising standard of living.
(2) Steep temperature rise is beginning to require us to change ways we farm, but measures have not been taken.
(3) Fields are being damaged by the rising sea level and flood, water shortage is a concern in many areas on earth because of desertification, rapid melting of glacier, and droughts.
(4) Therefore, food security will be a huge burden that humankind will bear in the near future.
(5) If we could make carbohydrate from c in the air, we could help solve this problem.
Note: Among the world's shrinking glaciers, those in the Himalayas seem to be among the robust exceptions. By 2100, Radić says, the European Alps could lose 50–90% of their glacial ice. The Caucasus Mountains could see a 45–90% decline and in New Zealand's ranges the figure could be 60–85%. (Nature Online, January 9, 2011)
Carbohydrate is the source of energy. Therefore, making carbohydrate as a by-product of CO2 reduction process could contribute to stabilization of food security. (1) Global warming, combined with population increase and rapidly rising standard of living as a result of globalization, is worsening the problem of food shortage. (2) For example, because of rising temperature, flora and fauna in each area on this planet have been changing and affecting agriculture. Farmers are starting to have difficulty growing the same crops in the same ways as in the past. Studies on new types of crops more suitable to new weather patterns are devastatingly behind the speed of climate change and governments have not seriously started funding these studies. (3) The number of inundated fields due to rising sea level or flood is increasing, and water shortage caused by desertification, extremely rapid thawing of glacier, or drought caused by climate change is already happening. (4) It is clear that many parts of the world will have more difficulty providing people with enough food. (5) Carbohydrate made from the air, which might need less water to make and which, unlike carbohydrate originating from plants, could be provided on a regular bases, might be a great help when this problem ensues.
(Paragraph Three, Essay for Ideas and Expressions, Lesson 2 Supplement)
Sample Summary
☆Numbers in the passage above correspond to the summery numbers below.
☆The summery of the first and second sentences is skipped, because the first sentence is fundamentally the same as the last sentence, whose summery is done.
(1) Food shortage is becoming a serious issue due to global warming, population increase, and rapidly rising standard of living.
(2) Steep temperature rise is beginning to require us to change ways we farm, but measures have not been taken.
(3) Fields are being damaged by the rising sea level and flood, water shortage is a concern in many areas on earth because of desertification, rapid melting of glacier, and droughts.
(4) Therefore, food security will be a huge burden that humankind will bear in the near future.
(5) If we could make carbohydrate from c in the air, we could help solve this problem.
Note: Among the world's shrinking glaciers, those in the Himalayas seem to be among the robust exceptions. By 2100, Radić says, the European Alps could lose 50–90% of their glacial ice. The Caucasus Mountains could see a 45–90% decline and in New Zealand's ranges the figure could be 60–85%. (Nature Online, January 9, 2011)
Class Supplement, TOEFL Integrated Writing, Sample Answer 6
Summarize the points in the lecture, making sure to point out specifically how he speaker challenges the points made in the text.
The professor denies the claim in the text that women are charged more than men because of sexism.
The text says that women are apt to buy cars without prior research and negotiation and thus tend to blindly accept asking price and extra charges. The text also says that mechanics take advantage of women’s lack of knowledge about cars and make them pay for unnecessary repair work. The professor says that targets of such business practices are not so much women as all kinds of vulnerable individuals regardless of gender and that it is not women but those immoral that are to blame.
The text proceeds to cite higher charges for services done to women in the area that women are familiar with. According to the text, women pay more than men for dry cleaning or haircut. The professor explains that women demand more work than men in these services and therefore they are charged correctly more than men. He reports that women’s white shirts require much greater time and care to dry-clean than men’s and that women spend more time for hairdo services than men. He says that considering the services given, women are actually paying less.
The professor rebuts the text’s claim that women are paid less than men for doing the same job, saying that women are paid the same amount if they are really doing the same job. He says that the fact is more women do low-paying jobs than men and that this lowers the average pay for women. He says there is no proof that women workers are paid less for the same work even when conditions are the same for their male counterparts other than their gender. (284 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: 経済的な女性差別に関するLectureのTextに対する立場の要約
第2段落: 車産業が女性に過剰請求をしているというTextの主張とLectureの反論
第3段落: クリーニング・整髪産業が女性に過剰請求しているというTextの主張とLectureの反論
第4段落: 男女の賃金格差に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
The professor denies the claim in the text that women are charged more than men because of sexism.
The text says that women are apt to buy cars without prior research and negotiation and thus tend to blindly accept asking price and extra charges. The text also says that mechanics take advantage of women’s lack of knowledge about cars and make them pay for unnecessary repair work. The professor says that targets of such business practices are not so much women as all kinds of vulnerable individuals regardless of gender and that it is not women but those immoral that are to blame.
The text proceeds to cite higher charges for services done to women in the area that women are familiar with. According to the text, women pay more than men for dry cleaning or haircut. The professor explains that women demand more work than men in these services and therefore they are charged correctly more than men. He reports that women’s white shirts require much greater time and care to dry-clean than men’s and that women spend more time for hairdo services than men. He says that considering the services given, women are actually paying less.
The professor rebuts the text’s claim that women are paid less than men for doing the same job, saying that women are paid the same amount if they are really doing the same job. He says that the fact is more women do low-paying jobs than men and that this lowers the average pay for women. He says there is no proof that women workers are paid less for the same work even when conditions are the same for their male counterparts other than their gender. (284 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: 経済的な女性差別に関するLectureのTextに対する立場の要約
第2段落: 車産業が女性に過剰請求をしているというTextの主張とLectureの反論
第3段落: クリーニング・整髪産業が女性に過剰請求しているというTextの主張とLectureの反論
第4段落: 男女の賃金格差に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
2011年5月12日木曜日
Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, Sample Answers for Optional Homework
Task: Summarize the following passage:
Carbohydrate is the source of energy. Therefore, making carbohydrate as a by-product of CO2 reduction process could contribute to stabilization of food security. (1) Global warming, combined with population increase and rapidly rising standard of living as a result of globalization, is worsening the problem of food shortage. (2) For example, because of rising temperature, flora and fauna in each area on this planet have been changing and affecting agriculture. Farmers are starting to have difficulty growing the same crops in the same ways as in the past. Studies on new types of crops more suitable to new weather patterns are devastatingly behind the speed of climate change and governments have not seriously started funding these studies. (3) The number of inundated fields due to rising sea level or flood is increasing, and water shortage caused by desertification, extremely rapid thawing of glacier, or drought caused by climate change is already happening. (4) It is clear that many parts of the world will have more difficulty providing people with enough food. (5) Carbohydrate made from the air, which might need less water to make and which, unlike carbohydrate originating from plants, could be provided on a regular bases, might be a great help when this problem ensues.
(Paragraph Three, Essay for Ideas and Expressions, Lesson 2 Supplement)
Sample Summery
☆Numbers in the passage above correspond to the summery numbers below.
☆The summery of the first sentence is skipped, because the first sentence is fundamentally the same as the last sentence, whose summery is done.
(1) Food shortage is becoming a serious issue due to global warming, population increase, and rapidly rising standard of living.
(2) Steep temperature rise is beginning to require us to change ways we farm, but measures have not been taken.
(3) Fields are being damaged by the rising sea level and flood, water shortage is a concern in many areas on earth because of desertification, rapidly thawing glacier, and droughts.
(4) Therefore, Food security will be a huge burden that humankind will bear in the near future.
(5) If we could make carbohydrate from c in the air, we could help solve this problem.
Carbohydrate is the source of energy. Therefore, making carbohydrate as a by-product of CO2 reduction process could contribute to stabilization of food security. (1) Global warming, combined with population increase and rapidly rising standard of living as a result of globalization, is worsening the problem of food shortage. (2) For example, because of rising temperature, flora and fauna in each area on this planet have been changing and affecting agriculture. Farmers are starting to have difficulty growing the same crops in the same ways as in the past. Studies on new types of crops more suitable to new weather patterns are devastatingly behind the speed of climate change and governments have not seriously started funding these studies. (3) The number of inundated fields due to rising sea level or flood is increasing, and water shortage caused by desertification, extremely rapid thawing of glacier, or drought caused by climate change is already happening. (4) It is clear that many parts of the world will have more difficulty providing people with enough food. (5) Carbohydrate made from the air, which might need less water to make and which, unlike carbohydrate originating from plants, could be provided on a regular bases, might be a great help when this problem ensues.
(Paragraph Three, Essay for Ideas and Expressions, Lesson 2 Supplement)
Sample Summery
☆Numbers in the passage above correspond to the summery numbers below.
☆The summery of the first sentence is skipped, because the first sentence is fundamentally the same as the last sentence, whose summery is done.
(1) Food shortage is becoming a serious issue due to global warming, population increase, and rapidly rising standard of living.
(2) Steep temperature rise is beginning to require us to change ways we farm, but measures have not been taken.
(3) Fields are being damaged by the rising sea level and flood, water shortage is a concern in many areas on earth because of desertification, rapidly thawing glacier, and droughts.
(4) Therefore, Food security will be a huge burden that humankind will bear in the near future.
(5) If we could make carbohydrate from c in the air, we could help solve this problem.
2011年5月11日水曜日
Shame on us.
We took advantage of a less fortunate person.
An old man from Osaka, a city about 500 miles away from Fukushima, was sent to Fukushima and was made to do a dangerous job at the crippled nuclear reactor site after being told a different story by a dispatching agent.
Source:
Man made to work at Fukushima plant for 2 weeks without prior knowledge (The Mainichi Daily News)
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110509p2g00m0dm005000c.html
An old man from Osaka, a city about 500 miles away from Fukushima, was sent to Fukushima and was made to do a dangerous job at the crippled nuclear reactor site after being told a different story by a dispatching agent.
Source:
Man made to work at Fukushima plant for 2 weeks without prior knowledge (The Mainichi Daily News)
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110509p2g00m0dm005000c.html
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
244. 2011/05/10 Strong electric shock attacks that felt as if I my head had a hiccup continues all night. Slept from 4 to 10 a.m. Took a nap from 17:30 to 22:20. No attacks. Felt good after sleep for the first time in probably years. Noises in my head normal when woke up, flat and quiet.
2011/05/11 Slept from 5:00 to 6:30 a.m. Remember several electric attacks of medium strength. Do not know whether I woke up or woken up by the attack.
2011/05/11 Slept from 5:00 to 6:30 a.m. Remember several electric attacks of medium strength. Do not know whether I woke up or woken up by the attack.
Class Supplement,TOEFL Essay, Human Activity and the Environment
Writing Topic
If is often said that the Earth is being seriously damaged by humans. Others feel that the ecological damage of human activity has been exaggerated, and that humans are making the Earth a better place to live. Which opinion do you agree with?
Let’s Think
We hear things like the first statement every day. Most scientists and the public agree on the view that humankind is destructing the Earth. Let’s take a look at the second one. It says that the idea of the first statement is an exaggeration and that we are “making the Earth a better place to live.” For whom are we making the Earth a better place to live, other lives or us? Are we doing good to nature through our activity? Are all of our activities related to nature sustainable?
Usually, when one gets something there is another that loses it. Through activity involving nature, our society gains something (development) and the environment loses something (destruction).
When we were cavemen, our activity was part of nature. Like other animals, we slept in our “nests,” and hunted and gathered what we needed to survive. We made a fire to cook, but it was not enough to cause global warming. Perhaps we collected pretty stones and shells for some reason, but the amount was not so much as to damage the environment.
Now, highly-developed technologies allow us to affect the environment on a large scale. We clear cut forests to make towns and fields, bulldoze mountains to get minerals, and drill rocks in the desert and ocean bottoms to get oil and gas. We also kill insects with chemicals to grow food, overfish tuna, cod and many other kinds of fishes to fulfill our palate, and wipe out some species for fashion and hobbies. We pollute air, water, and soil for production and transportation. In addition, we have started global warming by releasing a large amount of greenhouse gases into the air to keep up with the growth of society.
By doing these things, we invade other animals’ natural habitats, deplete natural resources and destroy the environment. To expand our territories, to survive, and to enjoy ourselves, we are doing harm to nature. It is obvious that our activities are causing environmental strain. Our activities make our life more convenient and exciting but nature is affected.
The word “ecological damage” is about disturbing Mother Earth and causing decline or extinction of lives. Have you ever heard any reports that the number of lives increased after we set foot in some pristine land or ocean bottom? In fact, it is predicted that about one-fourth of all plants and vertebrate animals may go extinct by 2050 due to global warming. Ecological damage seems to be no exaggeration.
Of course we cannot live like a caveman. We need energy. We need food. Development is good for us. However, it is usually bad for the environment, and in the end it is bad for us as well because humankind is part of nature.
Reminder
♦Clarify the connection between human activity and its negative/positive effects on the ecology when you write your essay on this topic.
e.g. cut trees to build houses → fewer creatures → destruction of the eco-system
♦Avoid becoming emotional. The topic requires you write about not your feelings but your judgment on the causal connection between our activity and ecological damage.
Notes
Global Warming Controversy: There are some people and scientists who are skeptical about global warming theory, but most scientists, politicians, and ordinary people believe it is true and it is caused by humans: “There is a strong consensus that global surface temperatures have increased in recent decades and that the trend is caused mainly by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases. (Wikipedia)”
Climategate: In 2009, one of the global warming research centers was hacked and robbed of its emails, which were used to raise suspicions of “global warming conspiracy” or “climategate.” Based on some of the email messages, skeptics claimed that global warming was a hoax. However, rigorous investigations concluded that there was nothing wrong with what the researchers were doing and it was proved that global warming is not a hoax: “Over the course of the next year, six independent investigations looked into the allegations. None of the inquiries found evidence of fraud or scientific misconduct. (Wikipedia)”
An Inconvenient Truth: An Academy Award-winning documentary film about climate change, specifically global warming, presented by former United States Vice President Al Gore. Al Gore’s claim is that global warming is real and largely human-caused. (Wikipedia)
If is often said that the Earth is being seriously damaged by humans. Others feel that the ecological damage of human activity has been exaggerated, and that humans are making the Earth a better place to live. Which opinion do you agree with?
Let’s Think
We hear things like the first statement every day. Most scientists and the public agree on the view that humankind is destructing the Earth. Let’s take a look at the second one. It says that the idea of the first statement is an exaggeration and that we are “making the Earth a better place to live.” For whom are we making the Earth a better place to live, other lives or us? Are we doing good to nature through our activity? Are all of our activities related to nature sustainable?
Usually, when one gets something there is another that loses it. Through activity involving nature, our society gains something (development) and the environment loses something (destruction).
When we were cavemen, our activity was part of nature. Like other animals, we slept in our “nests,” and hunted and gathered what we needed to survive. We made a fire to cook, but it was not enough to cause global warming. Perhaps we collected pretty stones and shells for some reason, but the amount was not so much as to damage the environment.
Now, highly-developed technologies allow us to affect the environment on a large scale. We clear cut forests to make towns and fields, bulldoze mountains to get minerals, and drill rocks in the desert and ocean bottoms to get oil and gas. We also kill insects with chemicals to grow food, overfish tuna, cod and many other kinds of fishes to fulfill our palate, and wipe out some species for fashion and hobbies. We pollute air, water, and soil for production and transportation. In addition, we have started global warming by releasing a large amount of greenhouse gases into the air to keep up with the growth of society.
By doing these things, we invade other animals’ natural habitats, deplete natural resources and destroy the environment. To expand our territories, to survive, and to enjoy ourselves, we are doing harm to nature. It is obvious that our activities are causing environmental strain. Our activities make our life more convenient and exciting but nature is affected.
The word “ecological damage” is about disturbing Mother Earth and causing decline or extinction of lives. Have you ever heard any reports that the number of lives increased after we set foot in some pristine land or ocean bottom? In fact, it is predicted that about one-fourth of all plants and vertebrate animals may go extinct by 2050 due to global warming. Ecological damage seems to be no exaggeration.
Of course we cannot live like a caveman. We need energy. We need food. Development is good for us. However, it is usually bad for the environment, and in the end it is bad for us as well because humankind is part of nature.
Reminder
♦Clarify the connection between human activity and its negative/positive effects on the ecology when you write your essay on this topic.
e.g. cut trees to build houses → fewer creatures → destruction of the eco-system
♦Avoid becoming emotional. The topic requires you write about not your feelings but your judgment on the causal connection between our activity and ecological damage.
Notes
Global Warming Controversy: There are some people and scientists who are skeptical about global warming theory, but most scientists, politicians, and ordinary people believe it is true and it is caused by humans: “There is a strong consensus that global surface temperatures have increased in recent decades and that the trend is caused mainly by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases. (Wikipedia)”
Climategate: In 2009, one of the global warming research centers was hacked and robbed of its emails, which were used to raise suspicions of “global warming conspiracy” or “climategate.” Based on some of the email messages, skeptics claimed that global warming was a hoax. However, rigorous investigations concluded that there was nothing wrong with what the researchers were doing and it was proved that global warming is not a hoax: “Over the course of the next year, six independent investigations looked into the allegations. None of the inquiries found evidence of fraud or scientific misconduct. (Wikipedia)”
An Inconvenient Truth: An Academy Award-winning documentary film about climate change, specifically global warming, presented by former United States Vice President Al Gore. Al Gore’s claim is that global warming is real and largely human-caused. (Wikipedia)
2011年5月10日火曜日
Notes on the Killing of Osama bin Laden
I guess very few people expected that Obama would literally follow his campaign promise when he said, "I/We will kill Osama bin Laden." Though many might have felt a little bit uneasy with the strong expression and unconsciously corrected it, saying to themselves, “I/We will find Osama bin Laden and put him on trial.” Right? Same with me.
Also, when you heard the breaking news that bin Laden was killed in a raid by American soldiers, didn’t you first assume that they failed to catch him alive in gunfights? I did. And yes the news said something like that.
But, for some reason, it seems to me that everyone, whether delighted or pensive, soon intuitively knew deep inside, even before the correction of the news, that the killing of bin Laden was done as a “punishment.” Sorry if this is not the case with you, but it just seems this way to me.
Notes:
Noam Chomsky: My reaction to Osama bin Laden’s death
http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/2652/noam_chomsky_my_reaction_to_os/
or
http://www.israeli-occupation.org/2011-05-09/noam-chomsky-my-reaction-to-osama-bin-ladens-death/
The Revenge Killing of Osama bin Laden (Noam Chomsky)
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/7370/the_revenge_killing_of_osama_bin_laden/
Some Final Thoughts on the Death of Osama bin Laden (Michael Moore)
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/some-final-thoughts-on-death-of-osama-bin-laden
Why We Put Those Like Bin Laden on Trial (Michael Moore)
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/why-we-put
RAP NEWS 8: Osamacide - the truth about the Osama bin Laden operation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6O6sM2Shok
SEAL helmet cams recorded entire bin Laden raid (CBS Evening News)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/12/eveningnews/main20062410.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel
Also, when you heard the breaking news that bin Laden was killed in a raid by American soldiers, didn’t you first assume that they failed to catch him alive in gunfights? I did. And yes the news said something like that.
But, for some reason, it seems to me that everyone, whether delighted or pensive, soon intuitively knew deep inside, even before the correction of the news, that the killing of bin Laden was done as a “punishment.” Sorry if this is not the case with you, but it just seems this way to me.
Notes:
Noam Chomsky: My reaction to Osama bin Laden’s death
http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/2652/noam_chomsky_my_reaction_to_os/
or
http://www.israeli-occupation.org/2011-05-09/noam-chomsky-my-reaction-to-osama-bin-ladens-death/
The Revenge Killing of Osama bin Laden (Noam Chomsky)
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/7370/the_revenge_killing_of_osama_bin_laden/
Some Final Thoughts on the Death of Osama bin Laden (Michael Moore)
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/some-final-thoughts-on-death-of-osama-bin-laden
Why We Put Those Like Bin Laden on Trial (Michael Moore)
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/why-we-put
RAP NEWS 8: Osamacide - the truth about the Osama bin Laden operation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6O6sM2Shok
SEAL helmet cams recorded entire bin Laden raid (CBS Evening News)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/12/eveningnews/main20062410.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel
Class Supplement, TOEFL Integrated Writing, Sample Answer 5
Question: Summarize the points in the lecture, making sure to explain clearly how they challenge the ideas presented in the text.
Sample Anser:
The professor disagrees with the textbook on its three major points in the background to the Civil War. She says that the text is outdated in that it highlights the role of the slave owners, economic interest of the South, and Lincoln’s attitude towards abolition.
The text emphasizes the political and economic power of slave owners in the South and insists that only slave owners were for slavery, while the professor says that most people in the South supported slavery. She also says that the growing power of the North was the real concern of the Southerners because the South was threatened to have less influence on the Federal government.
About the argument that slavery was the foundation of the Southern economy, that slavery was so deeply rooted in the Southern economy that Southerners did not want the system to change, the professor says that it is not the general view among historians now after a number of studies have shown that economic conflict was not the cause of the war. She also points out the fact that none of the efforts to avoid the war was related to economy.
She also makes it clear that Lincoln was not so eager for abolition initially as the author claims. She says that Lincoln believed in the unity of the States and therefore was sure to have avoided such a divisive issue as slavery and that actually he did not take a clear stand for abolition until political climate changed. (248 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: 南北戦争の背景に関するLectureのTextに対する立場の要約
第2段落: 奴隷所有者の影響力と南部の奴隷制支持率に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第3段落: 経済的要因に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第4段落: リンカーンの奴隷制廃止への態度に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
Sample Anser:
The professor disagrees with the textbook on its three major points in the background to the Civil War. She says that the text is outdated in that it highlights the role of the slave owners, economic interest of the South, and Lincoln’s attitude towards abolition.
The text emphasizes the political and economic power of slave owners in the South and insists that only slave owners were for slavery, while the professor says that most people in the South supported slavery. She also says that the growing power of the North was the real concern of the Southerners because the South was threatened to have less influence on the Federal government.
About the argument that slavery was the foundation of the Southern economy, that slavery was so deeply rooted in the Southern economy that Southerners did not want the system to change, the professor says that it is not the general view among historians now after a number of studies have shown that economic conflict was not the cause of the war. She also points out the fact that none of the efforts to avoid the war was related to economy.
She also makes it clear that Lincoln was not so eager for abolition initially as the author claims. She says that Lincoln believed in the unity of the States and therefore was sure to have avoided such a divisive issue as slavery and that actually he did not take a clear stand for abolition until political climate changed. (248 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: 南北戦争の背景に関するLectureのTextに対する立場の要約
第2段落: 奴隷所有者の影響力と南部の奴隷制支持率に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第3段落: 経済的要因に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第4段落: リンカーンの奴隷制廃止への態度に関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
243. 2011/05/09 I think I slept from around 4:00 - 10:00 a.m. No sharp electric shock attacks but beam-like sensation between years when first trying to sleep with earmuffs on. After taking them off, the sensations were almost gone.
When I left home for work around 16:20, a young slender 5 feet white-skinned Japanese woman with straight black hair wearing a loose white see-through outfit showing one bear shoulder came up the stairs and went into the next room (Room 202) from which noise often come and electric shocks seem partly to come.
2011/05/10 Unable to sleep partly because a car-blast-or-computer-game-like noise, so got up and studied till now (3:30a.m.) I’m going to bed after I drink hot milk.
When I left home for work around 16:20, a young slender 5 feet white-skinned Japanese woman with straight black hair wearing a loose white see-through outfit showing one bear shoulder came up the stairs and went into the next room (Room 202) from which noise often come and electric shocks seem partly to come.
2011/05/10 Unable to sleep partly because a car-blast-or-computer-game-like noise, so got up and studied till now (3:30a.m.) I’m going to bed after I drink hot milk.
2011年5月8日日曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
242. 2011/05/06 Worked till 4:00 a.m. and disturbed to sleep by electric shocks on my head for an hour or so. Woke/woken up around 10:00 a.m. Sit up late will past 3:00 a.m.
2011/05/07 A knife-stub-like electric shock to the center to my head from below when I went to bed around 1:30 a.m. My head was near the outside wall in the loft. After I moved my head to the position above refrigerator in the kitchen, the shock did not come as far as I remember. Slept till 10:00 a.m. Very sleepy all day. I lost my thought when I was explaining something in class and could not help yarning. Left office a little before 21:00 p.m.
I have been locking the bathroom door with a device for a few days. I know it is ridiculous, but I feel a little secure by doing it.
2011/05/08 A few attacks when my head was not in the fridge area. (Went to bed a little after 1:00 a.m. and woke up around 10:00 a.m.)
Took a nap from around 18:30 -21:00. Placed my head exactly above the fridge and the little shelf in the kitchen. No attacks on my head, although when I closed my eyes to sleep, I saw flashes blinking for a few seconds) but remember being hit in my feet. The attacks felt like a hard, thin metal instrument hitting a funny bone in my foot. They made my foot jolt.
Someone had been moving around in the next room and when I was sitting the table attached to the wall, he/she hit the wall. That happened 2 or three times. When I sat in front of my PC to type in this record after getting up from my nap, I heard someone rush to the spot behind the wall where my head is around.
2011/05/07 A knife-stub-like electric shock to the center to my head from below when I went to bed around 1:30 a.m. My head was near the outside wall in the loft. After I moved my head to the position above refrigerator in the kitchen, the shock did not come as far as I remember. Slept till 10:00 a.m. Very sleepy all day. I lost my thought when I was explaining something in class and could not help yarning. Left office a little before 21:00 p.m.
I have been locking the bathroom door with a device for a few days. I know it is ridiculous, but I feel a little secure by doing it.
2011/05/08 A few attacks when my head was not in the fridge area. (Went to bed a little after 1:00 a.m. and woke up around 10:00 a.m.)
Took a nap from around 18:30 -21:00. Placed my head exactly above the fridge and the little shelf in the kitchen. No attacks on my head, although when I closed my eyes to sleep, I saw flashes blinking for a few seconds) but remember being hit in my feet. The attacks felt like a hard, thin metal instrument hitting a funny bone in my foot. They made my foot jolt.
Someone had been moving around in the next room and when I was sitting the table attached to the wall, he/she hit the wall. That happened 2 or three times. When I sat in front of my PC to type in this record after getting up from my nap, I heard someone rush to the spot behind the wall where my head is around.
2011年5月7日土曜日
Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, Early Childhood Education
Writing Topic:
There are people who think that children should start school or kindergarten when they are still very young and should learn early in life to work hard at their studies. Others feel that young children should be more free and should spend a lot of time playing and enjoying themselves. Discuss these opinions. Which idea do you share?
Let’s Think:
In Japan, children start kindergarten at the age of 5 and school at the age of 7. The first opinion says that children should start kindergarten or school earlier and the second, later. Studies show that most of a person’s neurons are formed from ages 0-6. Apart from the genetic factor, the environment you are in during these early years will decide what brain you will have, in other words, what kind of person you will be. Therefore, it is clear that how people spend time in their early childhood will decide their lives.
There seem to be many factors to consider. What should children acquire in these years? What is the purpose of early childhood education? The person’s aptitude and the environment like family and community might be related, for an infant learns from everything around it and what is given as education is probably a small part of a child’s learning. What about the child’s human rights? How can we organize our thoughts when there are so many factors to consider?
I have a feeling that very often, your intuition, unconscious you, knows the answer before you, conscious you, start thinking, especially when the question is about such fundamental matters as education. Let’s start with the answer and find the reasons later today. Which of these opinions do you like better intuitively? Why do you think you have chosen the policy? Why aren’t you interested in the other opinion?
I like the first opinion because …
♦I received early childhood education and made a head start. Learning was easy and fun to me while many of other children who started school later had difficulty in learning ABCs and hated sitting in class. The earlier the start, the better you learn.
♦Except for geniuses, who will teach themselves sooner or later, human beings are animals of habit. If you are not disciplined to work hard, you will be lazy all in your life.
♦In modern society, where traditional communities are gone, children need school as substitute for community. At school, they can interact with adults and other children and learn things that children in the past learned from people in their community such as folk songs, old jokes, games, and other things that will be their lifelong asset.
I like the second opinion because …
♦Although I received early childhood education and now I go to a prestigious high school, I have never appreciated this. I have always had a feeling of loss. I miss my lost childhood. I wanted to play more. I was always envious of other children playing in the park when I had to go to a cram school. I always feel that I lack something important as a human being because of this experience.
♦I doubt whether school or kindergarten is the best environment for a child to prepare for the years to come because they are artificial. The world, nature and society, is complex and dynamic. Children should be exposed to it so that they can learn it directly. They should touch the earth, catch insects, or interact with many kinds of people.
♦Children should play as much as possible because play is their work. The free time they had will give them power to work hard in later years.
☆To increase the volume of your essay, …
-- Adding more points/reasons seems to be the easiest way to write more but I think coming up with another point/reason after having brainstormed once is actually rather difficult. Therefore, I recommend concentrating on the logic and details. --
1) describe/develop the main idea well: If a paragraph has only one or two sentences, chances are that you have not described/developed well enough. Look for a sentence that you can add the reasons, details, or examples.
2) describe/develop each sentence well: A statement usually has some exception or needs some condition or concession. Add “except …”, “as long as …”, “although …”, etc.
3) describe words well: Which of the following sentences gives a clear picture of your pet? A) I have a pet. B) I have a cute cat. C) I have a little fluffy kitten.
With two adjectives and a specific noun, Sentence C) depicts your adorable pet well and it is the longest of the three.
4) describe other choices: Even if the Writing Topic does not say, “Describe the two views” or “Compare and contrast the choices,” you can write about other choices. Doing so will make your essay more convincing and longer. Make sure that you do not digress.
5) take up counter-arguments if necessary: While you are writing, sometimes a counter-argument, “Well, but what about in this case?” comes up to your mind. Then it is better not ignore it but take it up and give a counter-counter-argument or two. By doing so, you can confirm your argument. If you can do it well, you will get a high score.
-- The key to remember is to try to put what you want to say into words as accurately as you can. Then you cannot help adding some more words and sentences, and some more... In the end, your essay will have many words. --
There are people who think that children should start school or kindergarten when they are still very young and should learn early in life to work hard at their studies. Others feel that young children should be more free and should spend a lot of time playing and enjoying themselves. Discuss these opinions. Which idea do you share?
Let’s Think:
In Japan, children start kindergarten at the age of 5 and school at the age of 7. The first opinion says that children should start kindergarten or school earlier and the second, later. Studies show that most of a person’s neurons are formed from ages 0-6. Apart from the genetic factor, the environment you are in during these early years will decide what brain you will have, in other words, what kind of person you will be. Therefore, it is clear that how people spend time in their early childhood will decide their lives.
There seem to be many factors to consider. What should children acquire in these years? What is the purpose of early childhood education? The person’s aptitude and the environment like family and community might be related, for an infant learns from everything around it and what is given as education is probably a small part of a child’s learning. What about the child’s human rights? How can we organize our thoughts when there are so many factors to consider?
I have a feeling that very often, your intuition, unconscious you, knows the answer before you, conscious you, start thinking, especially when the question is about such fundamental matters as education. Let’s start with the answer and find the reasons later today. Which of these opinions do you like better intuitively? Why do you think you have chosen the policy? Why aren’t you interested in the other opinion?
I like the first opinion because …
♦I received early childhood education and made a head start. Learning was easy and fun to me while many of other children who started school later had difficulty in learning ABCs and hated sitting in class. The earlier the start, the better you learn.
♦Except for geniuses, who will teach themselves sooner or later, human beings are animals of habit. If you are not disciplined to work hard, you will be lazy all in your life.
♦In modern society, where traditional communities are gone, children need school as substitute for community. At school, they can interact with adults and other children and learn things that children in the past learned from people in their community such as folk songs, old jokes, games, and other things that will be their lifelong asset.
I like the second opinion because …
♦Although I received early childhood education and now I go to a prestigious high school, I have never appreciated this. I have always had a feeling of loss. I miss my lost childhood. I wanted to play more. I was always envious of other children playing in the park when I had to go to a cram school. I always feel that I lack something important as a human being because of this experience.
♦I doubt whether school or kindergarten is the best environment for a child to prepare for the years to come because they are artificial. The world, nature and society, is complex and dynamic. Children should be exposed to it so that they can learn it directly. They should touch the earth, catch insects, or interact with many kinds of people.
♦Children should play as much as possible because play is their work. The free time they had will give them power to work hard in later years.
☆To increase the volume of your essay, …
-- Adding more points/reasons seems to be the easiest way to write more but I think coming up with another point/reason after having brainstormed once is actually rather difficult. Therefore, I recommend concentrating on the logic and details. --
1) describe/develop the main idea well: If a paragraph has only one or two sentences, chances are that you have not described/developed well enough. Look for a sentence that you can add the reasons, details, or examples.
2) describe/develop each sentence well: A statement usually has some exception or needs some condition or concession. Add “except …”, “as long as …”, “although …”, etc.
3) describe words well: Which of the following sentences gives a clear picture of your pet? A) I have a pet. B) I have a cute cat. C) I have a little fluffy kitten.
With two adjectives and a specific noun, Sentence C) depicts your adorable pet well and it is the longest of the three.
4) describe other choices: Even if the Writing Topic does not say, “Describe the two views” or “Compare and contrast the choices,” you can write about other choices. Doing so will make your essay more convincing and longer. Make sure that you do not digress.
5) take up counter-arguments if necessary: While you are writing, sometimes a counter-argument, “Well, but what about in this case?” comes up to your mind. Then it is better not ignore it but take it up and give a counter-counter-argument or two. By doing so, you can confirm your argument. If you can do it well, you will get a high score.
-- The key to remember is to try to put what you want to say into words as accurately as you can. Then you cannot help adding some more words and sentences, and some more... In the end, your essay will have many words. --
2011年5月6日金曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
241. 2011/05/05 I worked till a little before 4:00 a.m. and went to bed in the loft. I felt noises in my head had already become loud in the hours I worked in front of my computer and the desk attached to the wall of the next room. In a few minutes, several electric shocks came and I huffed a few times. I moved my head to the other end of the loft, to the middle of the room, and the attacks seemed to have become weaker. The place where my head was is right above my refrigerator in the kitchen. A little past 10:00 a.m., I was woken up by religious people ringing up my intercom. I tried to go back to sleep in vain―I do not remember whether this was because of attacks or not― and got up around 11:00.
I worked all day at home and went out in the evening for grocery shopping after dark. After I came back, the next door became noisy. I heard some people walking around loudly and a woman in heals walk quickly outside down to the next door and go in. I also heard loud car engine that sound like UFO hovering near ground came near my apartment building, drive away, and drive around in my neighborhood. (When I went out in the evening, a huge motorcycle came down to a corner in front of me, stopped with the engine on, stayed there while I pass, and loudly drove away when I was about 60 meters (20 feet) away from it. The noises are different, but I feel they share the same kind of evilness and violence.)
I have a feeling that I will be attacked more violently than usual when I go to bed tonight, so I will stay up working.
I worked all day at home and went out in the evening for grocery shopping after dark. After I came back, the next door became noisy. I heard some people walking around loudly and a woman in heals walk quickly outside down to the next door and go in. I also heard loud car engine that sound like UFO hovering near ground came near my apartment building, drive away, and drive around in my neighborhood. (When I went out in the evening, a huge motorcycle came down to a corner in front of me, stopped with the engine on, stayed there while I pass, and loudly drove away when I was about 60 meters (20 feet) away from it. The noises are different, but I feel they share the same kind of evilness and violence.)
I have a feeling that I will be attacked more violently than usual when I go to bed tonight, so I will stay up working.
2011年5月5日木曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
240. 2011/05/04 I worked till past 2:00 a.m. I forgot to turn on the loft light before going to bed and a few seconds after I lay myself, a strong electric shock went through my body as if it were cutting me half vertically from the ass to the head. My body jolted violently. I turned on the light and lay again. This time some weaker shocks came to my head and body, one making me huff. I fell asleep soon and woke up around 10:00 a.m. I did not have a headache but had funny feeling between upper and lower front teeth.
Around midnight, noises people make started in the next room (Room 202) and now it is 2:00 a.m. and I hear a male voice, probably that of a person between 10-30 year old. It has been talking for more than an hour. First I think I heard another male voice. I’ll work for a while and go to bed.
Around midnight, noises people make started in the next room (Room 202) and now it is 2:00 a.m. and I hear a male voice, probably that of a person between 10-30 year old. It has been talking for more than an hour. First I think I heard another male voice. I’ll work for a while and go to bed.
2011年5月4日水曜日
Class Supplement, TOEFL Integrated Writing, Sample Answer 4
Question:
Summarize the processor’s defense of utilitarianism, and show how far it meets the objections set out in the text passage.
Sample Answer:
The text concludes that utilitarianism is not in the mainstream anymore due to its defects, and the professor warns that complete disregard of it might not be a good idea. The professor counters objections against utilitarianism effectively by showing its viability in practical application.
In utilitarianism, what results in the greatest happiness for the greatest number is seen as the best action. The first objection to this moral philosophy is that happiness is difficult to define as there are various factors to measure happiness and they are difficult to quantify. The professor, however, says that it is possible to find a common denominator of the notion of happiness, through survey for example. The professor also points out the significance of applying utilitarianism, even without clear definition of happiness, in fundamental affairs in reality, such as supplying drinkable water to as many people as possible.
A second objection is that it is difficult for us to imagine what will happen as a result of an action and that in most cases we act before we think about the consequences. The professor says that, normally, people are concerned about consequences and hence take them into account before they act and usually find the best possible choice guided by common sense.
The last objection is about the weakness of the philosophy in dealing with complicated cases such as following the moral principle of telling the truth even though it will bring about nothing but bad consequences. If you follow the utilitarian theory, the logical conclusion in this case will be that telling the truth is bad and this is counterintuitive. The professor’s defense is that such cases are extremely rare, especially in the recent trend of religious practices in moderation. She also reminds that rigid honesty at the expense of others is despised in the real world regardless of principle. (307 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: Lectureの要約（Textに対する反論の程度）
第2段落: 幸福の定義の難しさに関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第3段落: 結果予測の難しさに関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第4段落: 複雑な事例（規範の遵守による不幸な結果と論理の矛盾等）の取り扱いに対する於ける脆弱さに関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
Summarize the processor’s defense of utilitarianism, and show how far it meets the objections set out in the text passage.
Sample Answer:
The text concludes that utilitarianism is not in the mainstream anymore due to its defects, and the professor warns that complete disregard of it might not be a good idea. The professor counters objections against utilitarianism effectively by showing its viability in practical application.
In utilitarianism, what results in the greatest happiness for the greatest number is seen as the best action. The first objection to this moral philosophy is that happiness is difficult to define as there are various factors to measure happiness and they are difficult to quantify. The professor, however, says that it is possible to find a common denominator of the notion of happiness, through survey for example. The professor also points out the significance of applying utilitarianism, even without clear definition of happiness, in fundamental affairs in reality, such as supplying drinkable water to as many people as possible.
A second objection is that it is difficult for us to imagine what will happen as a result of an action and that in most cases we act before we think about the consequences. The professor says that, normally, people are concerned about consequences and hence take them into account before they act and usually find the best possible choice guided by common sense.
The last objection is about the weakness of the philosophy in dealing with complicated cases such as following the moral principle of telling the truth even though it will bring about nothing but bad consequences. If you follow the utilitarian theory, the logical conclusion in this case will be that telling the truth is bad and this is counterintuitive. The professor’s defense is that such cases are extremely rare, especially in the recent trend of religious practices in moderation. She also reminds that rigid honesty at the expense of others is despised in the real world regardless of principle. (307 words)
この解答例の構成:
第1段落: Lectureの要約（Textに対する反論の程度）
第2段落: 幸福の定義の難しさに関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第3段落: 結果予測の難しさに関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
第4段落: 複雑な事例（規範の遵守による不幸な結果と論理の矛盾等）の取り扱いに対する於ける脆弱さに関するTextの主張とLectureの反論
2011年5月3日火曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
239. 2011/05/03 For the first time in months, I slept not in the loft but in the room floor because I found a sticker indicating vacancy on the mailbox slot of the room downstairs (Room 101). A few minutes after I set to sleep with eye-masks and earmuffs on, a shock came and I saw a flash between eyes. Another came a few minutes later, I started thinking about going up into the loft but the comfortableness of the mattress made me lazy and before I knew I fell asleep or probably fainted.
In the hour of 8:00 a.m., I was woken up by the loud noise in my head which were wavy and seemed to sync with the noise that is coming from somewhere around my room and that sounded like the noise of a computer game. Also, small 3D geometric patterns in monotone that were moving up and down in sync with the wavy noise in my head and the noise outside of my head were seen in my closed eyes. I had a terrible headache. I took medicine and went up to the loft. After lying for 10 minutes or so, the wave of the noise in my head subsided but it was still loud. I moved my head from the side of the outside wall to the other side of the loft, in other words, in the middle of the room, and in a few minutes, the noise became quieter and I fell asleep again.
I woke up again a little past 12:00 noon. I still had a headache and had an after-concussion feeling. When I did my pronunciation training (shadowing using a
In the hour of 8:00 a.m., I was woken up by the loud noise in my head which were wavy and seemed to sync with the noise that is coming from somewhere around my room and that sounded like the noise of a computer game. Also, small 3D geometric patterns in monotone that were moving up and down in sync with the wavy noise in my head and the noise outside of my head were seen in my closed eyes. I had a terrible headache. I took medicine and went up to the loft. After lying for 10 minutes or so, the wave of the noise in my head subsided but it was still loud. I moved my head from the side of the outside wall to the other side of the loft, in other words, in the middle of the room, and in a few minutes, the noise became quieter and I fell asleep again.
I woke up again a little past 12:00 noon. I still had a headache and had an after-concussion feeling. When I did my pronunciation training (shadowing using a
2011年5月2日月曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
238. 2011/04/29 Slept 3 + 4 hours. Woke/Woken up around 3:00 and kept awake by electric shocks for about three hours. When woke up, I felt like had had a concussion and it lasted all day.
2011/04/30 Slept 6.5 or 7 hours. I think there were electric shocks when falling asleep. Not much feeling of concussion but sleepy all day.
2011/05/01 Slept around 7 hours. Remember there were some electric shocks that made me see flashes in the eye when I was falling asleep. I remember putting my head to a different place to escape from the flash-causing electric attacks. When I woke up, I found my head in the same place.
A little past 23:00, noises of footsteps were heard in Room 202 and later, a loud car engine noise that sounded like that of a UFO, if it had one, lasted for several minutes. The car went away, came back soon, and again footsteps were heard and someone went into Room 202. For a few minutes, I heard someone moving around in the room.
Another noise that sound like a car-blast or a computer game, which hurts eardrums have been going on since this evening as far as I know.
2011/05/02
Expecting electric shock attacks and sleep deprivation, which often happen before workday, I stayed up till around 2:00 a.m. last night. I slept with earmuffs on probably because of the noise that had lasted from the evening. I woke/was woken up around 7:00, and was awake for 30 – 60 minutes, electric attack like shocks happening a few times when I was falling asleep, fell asleep and woke up again around 11:00 a.m. I still had earmuffs on and could hear the same noise with them on. I had the feeling of having been hit on the head and felt funny when I put my front teeth together even several hours after I got up.
2011/04/30 Slept 6.5 or 7 hours. I think there were electric shocks when falling asleep. Not much feeling of concussion but sleepy all day.
2011/05/01 Slept around 7 hours. Remember there were some electric shocks that made me see flashes in the eye when I was falling asleep. I remember putting my head to a different place to escape from the flash-causing electric attacks. When I woke up, I found my head in the same place.
A little past 23:00, noises of footsteps were heard in Room 202 and later, a loud car engine noise that sounded like that of a UFO, if it had one, lasted for several minutes. The car went away, came back soon, and again footsteps were heard and someone went into Room 202. For a few minutes, I heard someone moving around in the room.
Another noise that sound like a car-blast or a computer game, which hurts eardrums have been going on since this evening as far as I know.
2011/05/02
Expecting electric shock attacks and sleep deprivation, which often happen before workday, I stayed up till around 2:00 a.m. last night. I slept with earmuffs on probably because of the noise that had lasted from the evening. I woke/was woken up around 7:00, and was awake for 30 – 60 minutes, electric attack like shocks happening a few times when I was falling asleep, fell asleep and woke up again around 11:00 a.m. I still had earmuffs on and could hear the same noise with them on. I had the feeling of having been hit on the head and felt funny when I put my front teeth together even several hours after I got up.
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