【Unlocking Word Meanings】
今日の単語・フレーズ
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. sleepyhead /ˈslipiˌhɛd/ (n.) – a person who loves to sleep
Example: My mother scolded my brother for being a sleepyhead.
2. hush /hʌʃ/ (v.) – to stop making noise or be silent
Example: The baby hushed when the parents fell asleep.
3. cheat /tʃit/ (v.) – to be dishonest or to violate a rule
Example: Hank cheated on his sleeping and eating routines.
4. devise /dɪˈvaɪz/ (v.) – to think something carefully as a plan
Example: The parents devised a way to make their children sleep early.
5. review /rɪˈvyu/ (n.) – opinion and evaluation on something
Example: The application had positive reviews, so I bought it.
【Article】
ニュース記事
Read the text below.
Sleepyheads can now solve their problems of waking up with the new smartphone application called “Alarmy (Sleep If U Can).”
Delight Room Company from South Korea created this unique alarm clock app. This program can force the user to get off the bed to stop the alarm. Several websites like Cnet [see-net], Gizmodo [giz-moh-do], and Huffington Post commended the product’s effectiveness.
The app works by letting the user take photos of specific locations in the house. The user will set the alarm time and choose one photo. Once the alarm goes on, the person can only turn it off by taking a shot of the photo chosen earlier. The phone hushes if the captured picture is correct.
For example, if the user chose the bathroom toilet as the alarm photo, he needs to go to the bathroom and take a photo of that toilet to stop the alarm.
While the idea seems effective, other users can still cheat on their phones. Some people can just select their room ceiling so they can stop the alarm without getting off their beds. For users who seriously want to wake up early, they can devise various methods of how they want to start their day. Most users prefer pictures from bathroom and kitchen.
The app’s founders received many good reviews for their creation and got surprised with the users’ comments. Most of the people said that Alarmy is the only alarm clock that really makes them get out of bed.
Alarmy can be downloaded worldwide from Apple’s App Store for $0.99.
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【Viewpoint Discussion】
ディスカッションテーマ
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
· Will this alarm clock work for you? Why or why not?
· If you can design a smartphone app, what would it be like?
Discussion B
· What app in your mobile phone is most useful to you?
· What are the disadvantages of having too many smartphone apps?
