【Unlocking Word Meanings】
今日の単語・フレーズ
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. biological / ˌbaɪ əˈlɒdʒ ɪ kəl / (adj.) – related by blood or by birth
Example: He searched for his biological parents after finding out that he is adopted.
2. cross paths / ˈkrɑːs pæθs / (idiom) – to meet at an unplanned and unexpected time
Example: During her trip, she crossed paths with a friend whom she had not seen in five years.
3. unknowingly / ʌnˈnoʊ ɪŋ li / (adv.) – without someone’s awareness or knowledge
Example: He unknowingly offended her with his comment.
4. serendipity / ˌsɛr ənˈdɪp ɪ ti / (n.) – the luck of finding something you are not looking for
Example: It was serendipity to find some coins while cleaning my room.
5. mutual / ˈmyu tʃu əl / (adj.) – something that two or more people share
Example: They have a mutual interest in arts and crafts.
【Article】
ニュース記事
Read the text below.
A 54-year-old woman from New York has discovered that her favorite professor in college is actually her biological sister.
Diane DiProspero Cook and 61-year-old Karen Cometa-Zempel were born to the same mother, but they were adopted by different Italian families as infants. The sisters grew up within 20 miles of each other in New York. However, it was not until 1985 that the two crossed paths at Bryant and Stratton College, where DiProspero Cook unknowingly became her older sister’s student.
The two women recently discovered their connection by serendipity when they both inquired from the New York State Adoption Registry about their biological family’s medical history. DiProspero Cook was thrilled when she found out through the registry’s letter that her favorite professor was, in fact, her long-lost sister.
The sisters immediately tried to reach out to each other with the help of a mutual friend. They planned to meet in New York, but before their set meeting, they met by accident at a mall near Niagara Falls.
Another pair of siblings who found each other by serendipity is Elaine Walker, 59, and Jacqueline Green, 65. Like the previous pair, Walker and Green had been separated by adoption. Walker had searched for Green for 35 years, but eventually gave up last year. She was amazed to discover that the sister she has been looking for is an online friend she had been chatting with for the past eight years. The sisters had shown many similarities, which led other people in their online community to call them “twins.” The sisters had a touching reunion last February.
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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
· How would you react if you found out that your favorite teacher is your sibling?
· If you could choose anyone to become your sibling, who would it be and why?
Discussion B
· Do you think that it is important to have similarities with another person to get along with them? Why or why not?
· What things are important in maintaining a good relationship with another person?
