Most Americans Consume Too Much Salt

【Unlocking Word Meanings】

　今日の単語・フレーズ

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article. 

1. guideline / gaɪdˌlaɪn / (n.) – rules for doing something

Example: The doctors follow very specific guidelines for new medical procedures.

2. disregard / dɪs rɪˈgɑrd / (v.) – to not pay attention to

Example: The unusual disease disregarded its victims’ age and lifestyle.

3. condition / kənˈdɪʃ ən / (n.) – disease

Example: He was not allowed to exercise because of his medical condition.

4. savory / seɪ və ri / (adj.) – describes food that is not sweet

Example: I prefer savory dishes to dessert.

5. viable / ˈvaɪ ə bəl / (adj.) – describes something that is possible 

Example: The doctor presented a viable alternative to surgery.   

【Article】

　ニュース記事

Read the text below.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that ninety percent of Americans have too much sodium in their daily diets. According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a person should only consume 2,300 milligrams of sodium or less. However, the sodium consumption of nine in ten Americans go beyond this. The overconsumption of sodium disregards typical categories such as age, gender, and ethnicity. However, the extent of overconsumption varies among groups. People between the ages of 19 and 50 have the highest consumption of sodium in any age group. In addition, sodium overconsumption is widespread in 3 out of 4 people who are predisposed to the conditions it causes such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Around 75% of sodium in the diets of Americans comes from processed food. This includes bread and rolls, cheese, deli meats, meat-mixed dishes like tomato sauce, pizza, poultry, sandwiches, savory snacks, soups, and pasta dishes. Since sodium is commonly found in the food available to Americans, there are only two viable ways of reducing it in their diet. One way is for individuals to make lifestyle changes such as shifting to eating more fruits and vegetables. The other way is for food manufacturers and producers to reduce the sodium added to the food they make. High intake of sodium can lead to heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, which kill 800,000 Americans each year.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

　ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

·         Do you think it is easy for people to change what they eat? Why or why not?

·         Would you change what you eat to improve your health? Why or why not?

Discussion B

·         What are popular unhealthy food in your country?

·         Why do you think people eat unhealthy food?

Mummification Was Also Done in Great Britain, Study Suggests

【Unlocking Word Meanings】

　今日の単語・フレーズ

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article. 

1. preserve / prɪˈzɜrv / (v.) – to keep or maintain

Example: Locals preserve the food by putting spices in it

2. unique / yuˈnik / (adj.) – the only one of its kind

Example: They created a unique melody for the song.

3. corpse / kɔrps / (n.) – a dead body

Example: Corpses are sold in medical schools for students’ use.

4. decay / dɪˈkeɪ / (v.) – to become destroyed

Example: The plants decayed after not having enough water and sunlight.

5. affirm / əˈfɜrm / (v.) – to confirm

Example: The family affirmed that the dead body was indeed their relative.

【Article】

　ニュース記事

Read the text below.

A new study suggests that people in Great Britain during the Bronze Age used mummification to preserve the dead. Researchers found that people in Great Britain used unique and unusual ways to mummify, or preserve the bodies of dead people. While all of the processes used for mummifying the corpses remain unknown, evidence gave researchers insight on possible steps taken. An example would be the fact that some bones showed signs of being exposed to heat, which researchers believe came from smoking them over fires. The position of the bones also suggests that the bones were wrapped before being placed over fire. The researchers, led by Thomas Booth of the Natural History Museum, examined bones from thirty-four corpses. Sixteen out of the thirty-four showed little to no bacterial damage. This shows that the bodies’ flesh did not decay because of mummification. These findings were published in the journal Antiquity. Booth said that people in Great Britain during the Bronze Age might have left the bodies of their mummified relatives in certain pieces of land to help affirm their claim on it. Dr. Martin Smith, an anthropologist who was not involved in the study, is optimistic that the study’s findings can give more insight into the Bronze Age. Previously, it was believed that burial practices during that period involved only burying the dead in the ground. However, since findings showed that the position of the bones was unusual, it is a possibility that people mummified the body and kept it above ground for generations before being put in graves.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

　ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

·         What are your thoughts about the article?

·         Given the chance, would you also like to discover some historical facts about your country?

Discussion B

·         Why is history important?

·         Which would you rather study – the past or the future?

Amazon’s Rent-A-Monk Service Criticized

【Unlocking Word Meanings】

　今日の単語・フレーズ

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article. 

1. criticize / ˈkrɪt əˌsaɪz / (v.) – to give negative feedback

Example: Environmental organizations criticized the company for the harmful waste it produces.

2. commission / kəˈmɪʃ ən / (v.) – to send on a mission or a job

Example: The government commissioned him to go to the province to set up public hospitals.

3. commercialize / kəˈmɜr ʃəˌlaɪz / (v.) – to turn something into a business

Example: Some stores have commercialized holidays by having holiday sales.  

4. sacred / ˈseɪ krɪd / (adj.) – something that is important to a culture or religion and can only be used for specific purposes

Example: The Bible is Christianity’s sacred book.

5. petition / pəˈtɪʃ ən / (n.) – a written document pushing someone or a group of people to change something

Example: All farmers signed the petition to close down the power plant near their lands.

【Article】

　ニュース記事

Read the text below.

The Japanese Buddhist Federation (JBF) criticized Amazon Japan for its rent-a-monk service, saying that the company is making money out of a religious act. The Federation questioned Amazon’s behavior toward religion when it started advertising services offered by a company that commissions monks to perform Buddhist ceremonies such as funerals. According to the JBF, Amazon is commercializing a sacred tradition and therefore harming the religion’s public image. JBF chairman Akisato Saito said that in the Christian and Muslim religions, commercialization of any religious act does not exist. The group cannot help but feel doubt and disappointment toward the company’s actions, Saito added. Through Amazon, a group called MinRevi Ltd. assigns the monks to visit homes or places where the families want to conduct the ceremonies. The packages offered range from 35,000 yen ($296.72) to 55,000 yen ($466.28). They include chanting sutras and giving sermons. This kind of service began in 2009 and started with just offering Buddhist funeral advice. MinRevi officially started its funeral and monk services in 2013. Monks offering their services for the company get their income after all expenses incurred by the group have been deducted. The monk services Amazon offers received quite a good rating from its customers. The JBF will send a written petition to Amazon this year to ask the company to stop offering monk services. The Federation is known to represent 90 percent of all Buddhist organizations in Japan. According to data, there are about 96 million Buddhists in the country.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

　ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

·         Do you think it is a good move for JBF to file a petition against Amazon? Why or why not?

·         How would you deal with the issue if you were Amazon?

Discussion B

·         Who should be held responsible for this issue – Amazon, MinRevi Ltd., or the monks?

·         What would you do to make sure not to offend people from other cultures or religious backgrounds?

Children of Thirty-year-old Mothers Perform and Behave Better than Others

【Unlocking Word Meanings】

　今日の単語・フレーズ

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article. 

1. cognitive / ˈkɒg nɪ tɪv / (adj.) – relating to the brain

Example: Experts measured the monkey’s cognitive ability through a test.

2. exhibit / ɪgˈzɪb ɪt / (v.) – to show or demonstrate

Example: The children exhibited an interest in art.

3. seek / sik / (v.) – to try to find something

Example: Ted is looking for a lawyer because he is seeking legal guidance.

4. status / ˈsteɪ təs, ˈstæt əs / (n.) – someone’s rank in relation to others

Example: Sarah achieved celebrity status because of her popular blog.

5. utmost / ˈʌtˌmoʊst / (adj.) – greatest or to the highest degree

Example:  She has utmost respect for her parents.

【Article】

　ニュース記事

Read the text below.

A mother's age at childbirth can be linked to her child's intelligence, a study says. Findings of the study suggest that children born to first-time moms in their thirties score better in cognitive tests and exhibit more desirable behaviors than those born to mothers in their twenties. The study was published in the journal Biodemography and Social Biology. London School of Economics and Political Science researcher Alice Goisis said that mothers in their thirties are likely to have a good education, higher incomes, strong relationships, and healthier lifestyles. Mothers in this age group are also reported to plan and seek early pregnancy care. According to the researchers, these may be the factors contributing to the good performance of their children. On the other hand, children born from mothers in their forties do not have the same advantages. Based on results, these children performed lower on tests measuring mental development. Their psychological well-being was also observed and, like in the mental development test, the children scored lower. Surprisingly, their mothers have similar socioeconomic status. However, the researchers recognize the fact that they based their findings only on 53 mothers in their forties. Goisis said that the results of the study should be treated with utmost discretion because of the small number of participants. This research, which is the first to observe mothers in their thirties and forties as different groups, used data from the Millennium Cohort Study. This study monitored 18,000 births in the United Kingdom.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

　ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

·         Do you agree that children whose mothers are in their thirties have an advantage over those who have younger or older mothers? Why or why not?

·         What is the most important thing a mother can do to ensure her child’s well-being?

Discussion B

·         Do you think there is a difference between the role of a mother and a father? Give examples to support your answer.

·         What is a parent’s role to his or her child?

Volkswagen Working to Regain Trust of US Market

【Unlocking Word Meanings】

　今日の単語・フレーズ

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article. 

1. in (somebody’s) good graces / ɪn gʊd ɡreɪsəz / (idiom) – the act of showing understanding and kindness

Example: Since he was late to work, the employee stayed late to get be in his boss’ good graces.

2. emission / ɪˈmɪʃ ən / (n.) – the act of discharging something

Example: Many factories in the city pledged to lessen their gas emissions.

3. rough / rʌf / (adj.) – difficult or not easy

Example: He had a rough time during his first week at work.

4. manipulate / məˈnɪp yəˌleɪt / (v.) – to change something for a specific purpose

Example: The researchers manipulated the temperature and observed how the plants reacted.

5. core / kɔr / (adj.) – describing something that is very important

Example: Commitment to customers is one of the company’s core values.

【Article】

　ニュース記事

Read the text below.

Following various scandals, Volkswagen is aiming to get itself in America's good graces once again. The company has been having a rough couple of years due to lack of innovation and a scandal involving their diesel cars. Last year, the German car company admitted to cheating in US diesel emission tests. However, the admission did not help the company recover the trust of the people. As a result, their sales and plans in the country still suffered. Early this year, executives of the famous automaker tried to win back consumers at the annual Detroit auto show. During the show, Michael Horn, Volkswagen America’s CEO boasted that more than 250,000 customers who owned cars that did not comply with emission standards signed up for a “goodwill package” of $1,000 worth of gift and loyalty cards. They are also persuading authorities that the company has found a solution to their high diesel emission problem. In January, Volkswagen’s chief executive Matthias Mueller made his first public appearance in the United States since the scandal broke out. Currently, Mueller has to deal with winning back the trust of car owners, struggling relations with car dealers, and their troubled negotiations with government regulators. Mueller is set to meet the federal regulators in Washington to talk about the company’s timeline in fixing about 600,000 cars that have devices that can manipulate emissions standards. Mueller apologized to the public and said that the whole company knows how disappointing the incident was to their customers, government bodies, and the general public. Volkswagen is totally committed to make up for the wrong things it has done, he added. The American market is important to Volkswagen and to get out of this market is not realistic, according to analyst Karl Brauer. Mueller also said that the United States remains a core market for the company.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

　ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

·         Do you think Volkswagen can regain the trust of its US market? Why or why not?

·         If Volkswagen did that in your country, do you think the company would still have a chance to be forgiven by its customers and the government? Why or why not?

Discussion B

·         If you were the head of Volkswagen, what initiatives will you propose to regain the public’s trust in the company?

·         How can companies ensure a balance between good service and earning money? Cite examples to support your answer.