Book Review - Titanic!

By Mami Kashiwa

Titanic!

This book was written by Paul Shipton.

You know the RMS Titanic. RMS is a contraction of Royal Mail Ship. The Titanic, along with Olympic – class sister, Olympic and the soon to be built Britannic, were intended to be the largest, most luxurious ships ever to sail.

The Titanic left Southampton on the south coast of England, at noon on April 10, 1912. Even at the start of the trip, the Titanic had bad luck. There was almost an accident in the first minutes of the trip. Luckily, it was not big problem.

At this time of year, there was also a danger of icebergs in the North Atlantic, but the Titanic’s captain, Edward Smith, wasn’t really worried about icebergs because this was the unsinkable Titanic!

Suddenly, Lookouts Frederic Fleet saw a large, black shape in the ocean, so he rang the warning three times and telephoned the bridge. "Iceberg right ahead," he told Sixth Officer James Moody.

On the bridge, First Officer William Murdoch turned the ship left, hoping to miss the iceberg, and also ordered the crew to stop the ship, but the iceberg hit the side of the ship, making a few long holes below the water. The noise wasn’t very loud, but this was the beginning of the end for the Titanic.

Fifteen minutes later water was coming in. The ship could float with water in the four compartments at the front, but there was water in five of the compartments. So there was no hope. The Titanic was sinking. The crew sent rockets high into the dark sky.

There were more than 2,200 people on the Titanic, but the ship had lifeboats for only 1,178! The Titanic was breaking in two. Finally, at 2:20 on the morning of April 15, the "Queen of the Ocean”\" was gone. Hundreds of people were in the icy water of the North Atlantic. Some were holding on to furniture. Others were trying to swim. Many were screaming for help to the people in the lifeboats. The noise seemed to fill the night. Then screams became weaker and weaker. It seemed a dream.

James Cameron was writing the movie Titanic. This movie’s story doesn’t begin in 1912. It starts in the present day, when Rose is old. The movie Titanic had plenty of action, but the heart of the movie is the love story. This movie was released in 1997.

Book Review - Ned Kelly

By Shota Itagaki

I would like to talk about Ned Kelly. This book is written by Christine Lindop. This is a true story in Australia.

The main character is Ned Kelly. His real name is Edward Kelly. He was born in 1855. He has 8 siblings. His family is very poor. Those days, the police don’t like poor people because the poor people steal horses and money for their lives. Kelly also committed crimes when he was young. Moreover, the police bully a lot of innocent poor people. This incident makes him angry. He decides to fight the police for poor people. He robs a bank and gives them money. He kills three police with his companions. All these are for poor people, but these are criminal. Finally, he is hanged in June 1880.

Some people say he is a brave man. Some people say he is a fool. Some people say his is a just killer. I think he is a brave man because he fights very hard for poor people. H is also loved by many people. It is very interesting. There are many books and DVDs about Ned Kelly. Would you like to read the book or watch DVDs?

Summary - "Body Scanners Coming to Canadian Airports"

By Stanley

In "Body Scanners Coming to Canadian Airports," Cynthia Boll tells about the importance of the body scanners coming to Canadian airports. According to Cynthia Boll, dozens of body scanners will be installed in Canadian airports to be used on passengers for screening. The machine allows a screening office to see if someone is carrying plastic explosives and dangerous items. Bolls states that the plan to use the technology has stirred controversy because the scanner produces an outline of a person’s naked body. Boll points out that when an individual passes through, the scanning images will not be stored, but the Canadian Civil Liberties Association lawyer Natalie Des Rosiers was concerned about the behavioral screening plan because it can be used to single out some group for racial profiling. According to Cynthia Boll, travelers to the U.S. from 14 specific countries will be facing a full body pat-down before boarding. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the focus on security measures stem from the failed attempt by a Nigerian man to set off a bomb on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day.
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It's Almost Impossible to Study in my Dorm!

It is almost impossible to study in my dormitory. In my case, first, I like to read comics and decorate my room, so there are a lot of comics and interior decoration. When I was studying, I feel bored, so I can’t concentrate on studying. Then, I start to decorate my room or to read some comics. Second, I always listen to music during studying. Even if I concentrate on studying, I start to sing as soon as my favorite songs are being played. Third, I put my cell phone near myself during studying. When I feel bored about studying, I use the cell phone. If I use it, it takes 30 minutes at least. Therefore, I can’t study in my room! If I study in my room, I must seal myself off from reading comics, singing, and using my cell phone.

Book Review - Space Affair

Young-Dae Jang

The book's name is Space Affair. The author is Peter Viney. I thought this book is a kind of fantasy, but it isn't. It's a kind of love story. I don't like this book.

The main character's name is Gareth Palmer. I think this book's time is the 24th century. The starship is going to go to the star Orelia. It is a very huge starship. I guess the people find out the new planets for human life. Almost 9,000 people are living in the starship. The starship has a lot of facilities, such as sports centers, coffee shops, library, computer rooms and garden. The garden is a very important place, because it makes oxygen, ingredients of food and the necessaries of life. Gareth is working in the starship. He is a garden technician. It is a very important job. Also, they have two groups of workers. One group is called Alpha. The second one is called Beta. His number is Beta 4297. One of the starship’s regulations is when Alphas are working in the starship, the Betas are sleeping in the freezer rooms. Every two weeks they change to work.

Gareth woke up from the freezer room and went to his room. Alpha 3461 and Beta 4297 (Gareth) are using this room, but now just Gareth is using this room. Alpha 3461 is still sleeping in the freezer room. When he arrived in his room, he really wanted to take a shower. When he was taking a shower, he found a little piece of gold metal. It is a small gold earring. So he wanted to know whose earring it was. He asked his Alpha friends very carefully, but of course, they don’t know. The starship’s second regulation is people can’t know each other. If the person violates the regulations, a police man arrests him and kills him. It is a very strong law. He finished all work and went to the freezer and slept. After 2 weeks he woke up again. He went to his room. At that time, he was really thirsty. Te turned on the tap. Nothing happened for a second, then the water came out suddenly. A piece of paper came out with the water! That is a message from Alpha 3461. Her name is Sara. She is 23 years old and an education technician. They knew it is illegal, but they keep in touch by a small piece of paper message every two weeks very carefully. When Sara made a program in a compact disk and hid it in a library, the program is a heart picture and love letter. Their love grew with the times.

One day, Gareth woke up in the freezer. The starship doctor woke him up early because there’s been an accident tin the garden. There was n explosion in the pipes to the orange trees. He is the best gardener in the starship, so the other Alpha gardeners wanted his help. Gareth worked for nearly twenty hours on the orange trees. There wouldn’t be any oranges for a few months, but he was able to save the trees.

The chief of the garden technicians recommended to him to change to the Alpha shift for three or four months because there’s no one else that knows about oranges and lemons on the Alpha shift. Gareth of course consented because Sara is working the Alpha shift. Finally, he met her.

I really wanted to read a fantasy book, but it is kind of a love story book. I don’t like this book, but I guess you like this story. I heard you like a love story. This book just has 19 pages. Just 30 minutes, you can read it.

My Future Career

By Manami Sugawara

I want to be an ad agent. An ad agent has these duties. First, an ad agent corrects information about products. Second, an ad agent put forward various ideas. Third, an ad agent organizes and makes a plan. The job is a good job for me. I have three reasons. First, I like putting forward an idea. Second, I want to get a lot of money. Third, I need to be creative. Therefore, I want to be an ad agent in the future.

My Good Job

By Hitomi Nakayama

I want to be an English teacher. I have some reasons. First, I like teaching somebody and talking with somebody. The duties of this job are to care about the students and to teach something. I think that my skills match these duties.

Second, I don’t want to work outside. The job doesn’t need working outside because almost the whole job is teaching something inside.

Finally, I want to work the regular hours, and I need good stable pay. Almost all teachers don’t need to work overtime, and a teacher is an officer.

I hope my future plan will come true.

I'd Like a Job as an Artist

By Mika Hirano

I’d like to be an artist because I like to be creative, want to make many thing and need to see the result of my work. I think an artist has a lot of duties, for example, artists learn about the company and what it needs, have to be creative for their customers, and have to practice drawing and painting to bet better skills.

If I work as an artist, I want to work with kind people, to work with my hands, and need good pay. They are important points for me on the job.

I Want to be a Nurse

By Ayu Shigi

I want to be a nurse. I think a nurse is a good job. First of all, a nurse helps a lot of people. Secondly, a nurse follows the doctors. Finally, a nurse knows all kinds of information. I have three reasons. First of all, I like to study math. Secondly, I want to help people. Finally, I need to have regular hours.

A Career as a Famous Face Painter

By Mami Kashiwa

I want to be a famous face painter because I like to draw pictures, and I want to meet many people. So I need to be creative. A face painter has these duties. First, she is creative. Next, she can travel around the world, and she has to work with her hands.

A Career in Modeling

By Soraida Huillery

I want a good career as a model. I will be a successful model. I know I have to work hard now, but I will see the result of my work. I can get flexible hours, good pay, and tour around the world.

Book Review - The Lost Twin

By

I read The Lost Twin. The author is Raymond Pizante, and the illustrator is Liz Roberts. The book's level is 3rd.

I'll speak about the story of the book. The story is about certain twin brothers in Puerto Lindo city. A twin brother, Fadio, was kidnapped when they were four years old. The other twin brother, Ricardo, and their mom felt very sad, but they never forgot Dadio. Year later, Ricardo got the information about the kidnappers and Fadio when he was 16 years old. Fadio lived in Canada as an adopted child, so Ricardo went to Canada to meet Fadio. Fadio didn't know about the kidnapping but Ricardo explained it to him. Fadio believed the story and their relationship was special soon. Fadio could meet his real mother and spent time with her and Ricardo for days in Puerto Lindo city.

This book is interesting, so please read it.

Book Review - Love By Design

By Manami Sugawara

The book’s name is Love by Design. The author is Kieran McGovern. This book was published in 2005 for the first time.

This book’s story takes place in London. There is a boy named Tom. He wanted to go to Silverton College to study art and photography, but he has failed all subjects except art, so he couldn’t pass the exam. His father was very angry and told him that he has to decide to find a job or go back to school.

A few days later, he had got a job as an assistant of the Chief Librarian. Tom tomtimes drew pictures of the people who came into the library. One day, a girl came into the library because it was raining. Her name is Rita. She is poor because she has to get some money to treat her father. Also, Rita wants to be a model but nobody employed her as a model.
One day, they found an advertisement and it said, “Model wanted.” They met Mr. Spooner in a café and signed the contract. Actually, Mr. Spooner is a swindler, so Rits fell for the trick. Then Tom couldn’t catch her. He was looking for Rita a long time. Finally, he found Rita and knew that they [Mr. Spooner and Rita] will marry. It was a serious shock for him. He studies very hard to forget Rita. At last, Tom passed the exam at Silverton College. Amazingly, Tom and Rita met again at the welcome party of the college. The fact, when Rita and Mr. Spooner married, the police arrested Mr. Spooner as a trickster. Later, she succeeded as a designer and passed the exam at the same school as Tom. They fell in love with each other again.

This story is easy to understand and a good love story. I recommend this book, so I want everyone to read it.

Book Review - The Hulk

By Mika Hirano

Do you know this movie, Hulk?

The book I read is from the movie, but the original is from comics. The movie’s director is Ang Lee, James Schamus made the story for the movies, and David Maule wrote the short book.

Hulk means a large heavy person or thing.

This is a story like a diary about a man. The man is Bruce. He is different from others. When he gets angry, his body changes. It rows. It turns green. The Hulk is very strong and very dangerous. He works as a scientist at the Lawrence Berkelay lab in California.

He falls in love with Betty, who is a colleague at the same lab, and Betty too, but they cannot be happy because of the Hulk. Bruce is pursued by armies and his father. Actually, his father was a scientist and made the Hulk. At the end of the story, his father was killed by the armies and Bruce ran away to South America, and he got a new life. He was not able to be happy with Betty.

I feel easy to read this book because it doesn’t have many pages and difficult words, and it has pictures from the movie.

Book Review - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

By Mika Hirano

I read a book, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. It is from the movie and this series is very famous, so I think most students in the class have seen the movies once. The book, Dead Man’s Chest, is part 2 of the movies. It was written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio for the screenplay. Johnny Depp played the main character; Jack Sparrow is popular in Japan. This time, three guys—Captain Jack, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann—looked for a chest. There is a heart in the chest. The heart was from the terrible Captain Davy Jones. Jack looked for the chest not to need to escape from a governor. The governor hoped to get the chest and to arrest Jack. Will and Elizabeth looked for the chest to get married. Now they cannot because they helped Jack to escape, so they were offenders. However, Davy Jones had other plans for Jack, but I don’t know the plans. It isn’t written in the book. I think you can know the plans if you watch part 3 of the movie.

Anyway, Davy Jones tried to catch Jack many times, and the last, finally, Jack caught Davy, and Jack went down with his ship, the Black Pearl, into the ocean.

I don’t recommend you this book because if you read the book you will want to see or read the sequel to the book.

About a Club

By Emika Uetake

I decided to join a club. It is a bowling club, and I join the ladies league. I have played bowling many times in Japan, so I wasn't nervous about playing that, but I haven't experienced talking to native speakers too much. It makes me nervous. When I entered the bowling class, teammates were kind and cheerful like high school students! The bowling here is different from the bowling in Japan. Therefore, I become beginner, and I can't play well. However, they taught me how to play, so finally I could get a strike! I was so excited. I haven't understood all the rules yet, but I want to enjoy bowling.

My Generation and My Grandparents' Generation

By Emika Uetake

When I talk to my grandmother, we sometimes feel some differences between us. I sometimes talk about people who are popular recewntly, but my greandmother sometimes talks about people who were popular before I was born. There are several differences between my generation and my grandparents’ generation.

First of all, my generation has many kinds of food like French, Italian, Indian and junk food. Almost all teenagers go to McDonalds or Japanese junk food shops called Mos Burger, Mr. Doughnut and so on to talk or study with friends after school. Of courwse, we eat Japanese foods, but we eat other kinds of food as much as them. On the other hand, my grandparents’ generation usually eats Japanese tradition foods. Basically, Japanese foods use vegetables, fish and shellfish, and rice. Japanese foods are a little salty by healthy. When I visit my grandmother’s house, I usuallyt eat rice, miso soup, pickled cucumbers or Japanese radishes,, and grilled fish. These foods make me relaxed (I want to eat them now!). She rarely eats meat or junk food. I have been to McDonald’s with her once, but then she couldn’t understand what the menu meant. I was surprised at that because it is common sense in my generation.

My generation’s education is also different from my grandparents’ generation. My generation is called “Yutori education generation.” “Yutori” means “less strenuous.” When I was an elementary school student, the system started. We had had to go to school on Saturday before then, but it was abolished. Ranges which we have to study when we are elementary school students decreased. However, my grandparents’ generation’s education was very strict and strange. When students did bad things, teacher spanked without mercy. Girls were studying about home economics while boys were studying about industrial arts. I teachers spank students now, parents called “monster parents” will come to school immediately and “spank” (argue with and bawl out) teachers. “Monster parents” means some parents are overprotective of their children, so parents complain to teachers immediately even if their kids couldn’t lead in a play. Therefore, when families go to daycare or elementary school’s concert, we can see six princesses and six prices. It is strange, but teachers did it as a last resort. It is inconceivable in my grandparents’ generation.

As you know, now life is very convenient. There are a lot of things in Japan, and even things which people don’t need can exist. For example, I have a number of pens, but I don’t need almodt all the pens which I have. Just about 10 pens are enough for me When I go to shop to buy a pen, there are many kinds of pens in a shop. It makes me confused. I always waver about which pens I buy. However, when my grandparents were children, they coulden’t buy even a pen. There weren’t a lot os things including pens in Japan after World War II. In addition, they couldn’t eat enough foods. Their life started from zero after that. They made all things from nothing. They had nothing, but that made them strong. This is the biggest difference between my generation and my grandparents’ generation.

I think my generation has to learn from my grandparents’ generation. My grandparents’ generation was strict and hard, but my generation is weak as if we soaked in a hot spring. Japanese like hot springs, but we have to step out of the tub before we feel dizzy. My grandparents’ generation has a lot of good ways to fix Japan now.

Book Review: StarGate

By Manami Sugawara

The book’s name is StarGate. This is from the screenplay and novelization by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich adapted by Sheila Black. This book was first published in 1995. A new edition was published in 1999. It was published four times. Dean Devlin is an American screenwriter, producer, television director and former actor. He is 49 years old. Roland Emmerlich is a German film director, screen writer and producer. They made some films together before that time, for example Independence Day and Gojira. Emmerich’s recent films are The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, and Ice Age. Shelia Black is a writer. She was awarded many prizes.

This story takes in Cairo, Egypt, 1988. The StarGate lay under the sands of Egypt for ten thousand years. In 1928, some archeologists found a mysterious stone. Sixty years later, in the USA, a young archeologist named Daniel finds a way to open the StarGate again. Daniel and some soldiers in the USA go through the gate and find out another world where Ra is king. Ra is known as the Egyptian Sun God and he wants to kill the visitors from the Earth and close the StarGate forever. Daniel and some soldiers must fight Ra to stay alive, and find a way to go back home. In the end, they make Ra’s ship detonate a nuclear warhead. With Ra dead, the civilization can live in peace. Some archeologists and their team return home through the StarGate, but Daniel stays on the planet with a young local woman.

My Best Friend

By Manami Sugawara

My best friend is Rika. I made friends with her last Spring. She likes singing a song, talking with her friends, following latest fashions and playing volleyball. I like to do these things too. Also, we have a part time job almost every day, so we sometimes complain of our job to each other. I live far from her house, so I rarely stay overnight at her house even though her house is near my university. When I feel sad, she calls me and listens to my talking. If she feels sad, I always do the same. We sometimes go to karaoke to melt stress. She sings a song very well, so her voice always heals my feeling. She encourages me whenever I talk with her. She is an important person for me as long as I live.