There has been a relentless quest to find sustainable energy sources in the past decades. One source of energy that has thus far eluded scientists is nuclear fusion. This is the Holy Grail of clean energy. Generations of physicists have tried to replicate this reaction. Scientists in the USA say they recreated the power of the Sun for a minuscule fraction of a second. Powerful lasers blasted a tiny target to create a reaction. The burst lasted just 100 trillionths of a second, but it created 10 quadrillion watts of power. Ten quadrillion is equal to 1 followed by 16 zeros. The power the scientists created is the equivalent of 6 per cent of all the energy from the Sun hitting Earth’s surface at any given moment.
We hear about climate change pretty much every day now. We see pictures of floods, fires and heatwaves on TV news. Scientists have just announced that July was the hottest month ever recorded. The scientists are from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the USA. A spokesperson from NOAA said: “July is typically the world’s warmest month of the year, but July 2021 outdid itself as the hottest July and hottest month ever.” NOAA said Earth’s land and ocean surface temperature in July was 0.93 degree Celsius higher than the 20th-century average of 15.8 degrees Celsius. The Northern Hemisphere was 1.54 degrees Celsius hotter than average.
The government in Cuba is legalising the ownership of small and medium-sized businesses. This represents a monumental shift in policy from the communist-ruled country. State-owned companies have traditionally been the norm in Cuba, following the revolution in 1959 that brought Fidel Castro to power. He nationalised Cuba’s industries to put them into state hands. The new policy allows entrepreneurs to operate businesses that have up to 100 employees. The change of heart from the government came after a month of street protests. Thousands of Cubans demonstrated against dire economic conditions. People also protested about a lack of food and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
A shortage of timber worldwide is causing a dearth in supply and major problems for the housing and construction industry. The decrease in the availability of timber has caused a sharp spike in the prices of newly built homes around the world. In some countries, the price builders pay for timber has shot up by about 25 per cent. One of the reasons builders are struggling to get supplies is because people have been repairing or reforming their homes during lockdown. Another reason is that post-lockdown construction and additional DIY projects have created “extraordinary demand”. A timber trade federation said suppliers were “working around the clock” but are “struggling to keep up”.
Some people like to watch films. Others like to attend concerts. Which activity do you prefer to do? Give specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
STEP 1 |Organizing 解答の組み立て|Ask yourself the following questions and organize your ideas.
1 Do you prefer to watch films or attend concerts?
2 Why do you enjoy doing this activity?
3 What features of films or concerts are so attractive to you?
1 My preferred activity ____________________________________
2-1 First reason ___________________________________________
1.As for me, I prefer watching films to attending concerts.
2- 1. First of all, watching films is a very relaxing activity.
3- 1. They usually last around two hours, so, during that time, I can forget about what is going on in my life and get lost in the movie, especially if it is an action movie, which I love.
2-2. Secondly, I think of films as artwork, so I try to appreciate them as works of art when watching them.
3-2. When they come together successfully, like in Citizen Kane, for example, I realize I am watching something more than a movie.
解答例 B
1 I would say I prefer attending concerts rather than watching films.
2-1. One of the main reasons is that there are so many different genres of music I like.
3-1. In the past few months, I have attended concerts performed by musicians in three different genres, thereby enabling me to hear some of my favorite songs performed live.
2-2. Another reason why I like attending concerts is that the music is much better when I hear it performed live.
3-2. My family went to a classical music concert recently.Attending the concert in person was so much better than listening to the same music on a CD.
STEP 2 |Response 解答文作成| Make your response using the above information.
As for me, I prefer _______ One of the main reasons is ________________
STEP 3 |Speaking 解答| Now say your response out loud, and record your time. While you are speaking, do not look at the written response
Response time: 45 seconds Your speaking time: ___ seconds
STEP 4 | Compare 比較 | Listen to a sample response, and compare it with yours.
解答例 A films
As for me, I prefer watching films to attending concerts. First of all, watching films is a very relaxing activity. They usually last around two hours, so, during that time, I can forget about what’s going on in my life and get lost in the movie, especially if it’s an action movie, which I love. For example, no matter how many times I watch movies like Spiderman and Pirates of the Caribbean, I get lost in the stories and forget about the outside world. Secondly, I think of films as artwork, so I try to appreciate them as works of art when watching them. For example, the acting, camerawork, lighting, and many other aspects of a film are all important. When they come together successfully, like in Citizen Kane, for example, I realize I’m watching something more than a movie. This makes me appreciate watching the film even more.
解答例 B concerts
I’d rather travel in a group than alone. To begin with, traveling in a group is safer than traveling alone. If I were alone, I might have some problems, yet no one could help me, especially in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language. If I’m with a tour group, the leader almost always speaks the local language. In addition, traveling with a group can give you and your travel partners man shared experiences and lots of good memories from the trip. Since it’s more interesting to travel with others, you can get memories from your trip that will last a lifetime. That is why I prefer traveling with a group of people.
