6th February 2009

Written test (about 30 minutes)
Some fun:
1. Brad Pitt needs your help! He has 4 questions. Then write your answers for him on your blog. You can use any place in Japan.

The 4 questions are:
1-1. Where is a good place to take the children?
I think the best place for children is Asahiyama Zoo. This zoo is very big. Children can watch many kinds of animals. This zoo is in Hokkaido.

◆Asahiyama Zoo◆
http://www5.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/

1-2. Where is a good (interesting) place for the adults (Brad and his wife Angelina Jolie) to visit while they are in Japan?
I think Nara prefecture and Kyoto prefecture are good places for adults because these places are historical places. Many travelers visit there. They have very nice temples and shrines.

◆Nara prefecture◆
http://www.pref.nara.jp/english/index.html

◆Kyoto prefecture◆
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/en/index.html

1-3. Where is a good place for all the family to go?
I think a good place in Japan is Tokyo Disney Land or Universal Studio Japan. They are famous amusement parks in Japan. Tokyo Disney Land is in Chiba prefecture. Universal Studio Japan is in Osaka prefecture.

1-4. What is the best restaurant?
I think my best restaurant is "Benie". You can eat tempura there. The tempura was really delicious. Benie is in Nara prefecture.

◆Benie◆
http://higashimuki.jp/showpage.php?id=101

2. Tidy up. What will happen to your blog? Now you have finished this course, but your blog is on the Internet and will stay there forever! How do you feel about that? If you want to, you can delete your blog. (But realize that EVEN IF you delete it, it will STILL EXIST somewhere on the Internet!)

I’ll leave my blog here.

3.Please wait ONE WEEK before deleting your blog. Thank you.

4. Well, goodbye, everybody. This was my last year at Shoin. I will not be returning to teach at Shoin next year. I enjoyed teaching you this year, and I wish you all the best in your future.

Thank you very much for your teaching. I appreciate you. I was glad to meeting you. I learned a lot of things about writing articles and using Internet. If you leave at Shoin, come to watch my blog please. =) Thank you very much again for professor!

16th January 2009

I continued to write an article from last week.

1. Read again the World News Blog Writing Criteria .
2. Continue with your project. You must write something today! (Write in MSWord first, and run

spellchecker before uploading to your blog).

Obama took the oath of office as America’s new president. I was impressed his acceptance speech. Please read this article.

*Obama to Use Lincoln's Bible for Inauguration*

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Obama-to-Use-Lincolns-Bible-for-Inauguration.html

Moreover, I’ve been interested in the government of America. I looked up in the Internet. I’ll explain about a system of the government in U.S. The government in U.S is two-chamber systems. There are 100 seats in upper chamber. Their term is six years. On the other hand, there are 435 seats in lower chamber. Their term is 2 years. Have you known already?

3. Read your classmates’ blogs.

9th 2009 January

A Happy New Year!!

1. How did you spend the winter holiday? Write briefly (about 50 words).

My winter vacation was very nice because I met my friends and coworkers.
I could met Noelle in Namba on 28 because her host family called me to meet her. She was my host sister in Malaysia. She went to Japan for homestay.She was fine. We went to Nara Park and I guided her.I was very nervous because I guided someone in English for the first time!We enjoyed talking and sightseeing.

I went to the Osaka Temmangu Shrine with my coworker at cram school on 4th January. I bought a fortune slip. It was a very good luck! I was very happy. Then, I want to the ice cream shop in Namba whose name is “Cold Stone Creamery”. Do you know the shop? My superior in tennis circle works there. The ice cream was very delicious!
I was busy with assignment which was report but I had really good time!

*Osaka Temmangu Shrine*

http://www.tenjinsan.com/

*Cold Stone Creamery*

http://www.coldstonecreamery.co.jp/

2. Choose a country or a part of the world to investigate. You are going to research about this country and its news for the next two classes or more.

3. What is happening in this country or part of the world these days? Choose one important and interesting news topic that concerns this country or part of the world, research about it, and write about it in English on your blog. (You can include Japanese translation of some key words or names to help your Japanese readers.)

*Dress Rehearsal for 'Barack H. Obama'*

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Dress-Rehearsal-for-Barack-H-Obama.html

This article is about Dress Rehearsal for Mr. Barack Hussein Obama. This article was published on Tuesday 13th January 2009. This rehearsal is for a inaugural which is going to be held on 20th January.

4. Tell me your country/area and your news topic.

I choose this country which is America because I have been interested in this state when Mr.Obama stood for the vote. I thought I need to know the government of America. The area is Washington D.C. I’m going to research about the government.
5. Start your research.

Washington D.C. (Washington, District of Columbia) is the capital of America. Nowadays, Obama was elected as a president.