英語表現演習4 (金 1限): Engineering measurement・工務の測定、寸法

Hello! 

 

How are you? The picture above is the Queen Mary 2 - one of the largest passenger ships ever built. Quite impressive, isn't it? What do you think the length of this ship is? Or perhaps its height? 

 

Today, let's look more at how to accurately measure some examples of works of engineering.  

 

Activity/homework

Look at the pictures below. As an activity, choose two (2) of these works of engineering and search out their measurements on the following points: 

• overall length
• overall height
• width (in various parts) 

Important notes:  

With aircraft - remember for your measurements to find out not only the overall length and overall height, but the maximum cabin width and fuselage (機体) width as well, plus the wingspan. 

 

With bridges - find out not only the overall length, but also the height of the tallest support from the ground. You also need the width, plus thickness, of the decks (デッキ). In addition, you need the maximum span between the supports.

 

With buildings - search out not only the overall height, but the width of the base of the buildings at their thickest plus average width of the building if this is different from the base. Find out as well what the length of any structures are that might be on the building (such as towers at the top) plus the length and width of any structures such as elevated walkways or bridges from the building (if they exist). 

 

Let's start! Note these measurements in your notebooks and hand in next class!

 

1. Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer

 

2. The Concorde

 

3. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

 

4. Tianjin Grand Bridge, China

 

5. Rainbow Bridge

 

Now - as homework, choose two (2) of the other works in the pictures, and do the same - find out their measurements. Don't forget to measure based on the points in the "important notes" section!

 

I hope you can find some useful information that perhaps might surprise you about these works of engineering. 

 

See you next time!

 

Images: Top - by أشرف العناني from alshekh zwaed, egypt - Queen Mary II ship Crosses Suez Canal الملكة كوين ماري الثانية أضخم سفينة سياحية في العالم تعبر قناة السويس, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50547512/GlobalFlyer - by Alan Radecki Akradecki - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2940912/ Concorde - by Alexander Jonsson - http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-France/Aerospatiale-British-Aerospace-Concorde/0432634/L/, GFDL 1.2, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16590988/Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building - by Kakidai - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19529189/Tianjin Grand Bridge, China - by Wuyouyuan - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6938813/Rainbow Bridge - by Javachan - Shot by Wikipedia user javachanTransferred from English Wikipedia; en:File:Rainbow Bridge,Tokoyo Bay from Odaiba.jpgTransfered by Gobonobo, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17916431

英語表現演習4 (土 2限): Japan's indigenous people - the Ainu・日本の先住民族「アイヌ」

Hello!

How are you? Today let's look at Japan's own indigenous people (先住民族) - the Ainu.

Let's look at the map of Japan and some surrounding islands above. It shows historically the widest areas of the Ainu population. Do you know who the Ainu are? They are a group of Japan's indigenous people. 

Here's a picture of a group of Ainu, taken in 1904: 

As you can see from the map at the top, at one time they lived from the northeastern part of the Tohoku, all of Hokkaido, and the way up through Sakhalin Island (what many older Japanese call Karafuto「樺太」) and even up through the Kuril Islands (千島列島). 

But now they only live in Hokkaido. Their numbers are small, and they have married regular Japanese people enough so that they do not look so different. But they are proud of their culture and traditions.

Genetic testing shows that most Ainu belong to Y-haplogroup D-M55 (ハプログループD1b 「Y染色体」) , and have a higher frequency of Y-DNA haplogroup D1b than most Japanese. 

Homework

Since genetic testing shows that the Ainu have some characteristics that make them at least somewhat different from most Japanese, here's some small research: 

What do you think are the origins of the Ainu? Are they a completely indigenous (先住民) people, or did they come from somewhere else? If so, where did they come from, and how did they get to Japan? 

Here are two maps showing two ideas about where the Ainu might have genetically came from: 

Write out some notes about your ideas - most importantly, give some reasons why you think so in your notes. If you believe they came from elsewhere, draw a rough map - or find another map on the internet - of where you believe they came from. 

Next week, we'll come in and present our ideas to each other with our notes, and any extra maps you might have found.

NEW - here are the board notes for our class on 10/5:

Here also are the board notes for our class on 9/28:

Take care! See you next time!

Images: Top - by Official Photographic Company - Missouri History MuseumURL: http://images.mohistory.org/image/EC2888F4-26C5-258A-DF5F-9E6EBE7F704E/original.jpg Gallery: http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/143534, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61717410/Map - by Arnold Platon - This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  Japan on the globe (claimed) (Japan centered).svg (by TUBS). - Own work (Vectorization), based on this map, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25364093/Upper genetic map - by ABCEditer - Own work by reference to 崎谷満（2009）『DNA・考古・言語の学際研究が示す新・日本列島史 日本人集団・日本語の成立史』勉誠出版, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62921263/Lower genetic map - by Y-dna data file - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63590897/Board notes - personal photographs. All rights reserved. 

英語表現演習e (金 5限): Transportation・交通

Hello! 

How are you? Today we'll look at different types of transportation (交通) in different places.

Look at the picture at the top. It's of a Nagasaki tram at the end of the 19th and beginning of the early 20th century. Have you ever been to Nagasaki? If so, perhaps you have ridden on one of their trams, like the one below:

Activity/homework
Let's look at these different types of transportation in some different places. Talk about them. If you have never been to any of these places, which would you like to try? 

If you have - talk about what kind of transportation you took. If you have traveled to another country that is not in one of these pictures, what kind of transportation did you use? 

Tuk-tuk, rural Laos

Jeepney, Lezgapi City, the Philippines

Double-decker bus, London

Train in central India

Horse-drawn carriage, Quebec, Canada

Hope you find this interesting. 

Here are the board notes for our first class on 9/20 (Once again - my apologies on the wrong dates on the new syllabus!):

NEW! Here are the board notes for our class on 9/27:

See you next time!

Images: Top - by Unknown - 長崎電気軌道『五十年史』、1967年4月。, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60595561/Nagasaki tram - by Houjyou-Minori - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57349994/Tuk-tuk - by Basile Morin - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64495547/Jeepney - by By Lawrence Ruiz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47310547/Double-decker bus - by Oxyman - Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5021431/Indian train – screenshot of image from https://steemit.com/writing/@sachingaur88/india-travel-tips-trains-and-buses/Quebec horse-drawn carriage - by Jeangagnon - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55970498/Board notes - personal photographs. All rights reserved.

英語表現演習2 (金 2・3限): National parks ・ 国際・国立公園

Hello!

How are you? Today, let's look at national parks (国際・国立公園) in different countries. 

The picture above is in Japan - the famous Nikko Toushou-guu, which some of you may have been to. But did you know that it is within a national park? It's in Nikko National Park, which is in the area of four prefectures - Tochigi, Gunma, Fukushima, and Niigata. 

Have you ever been there? If you have been to Nikko Toushou-guu, then you have been to a national park in Japan.

Activity

Do you know where these places are? These are pictures from national parks in different countries. Can you guess which countries they are in? 

Talk about these places with your classmates! What are some things you think you could see or do in these places? 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Here is what we covered in our first class for 9/20:

1. Syllabus & guidelines
2. Making class ID cards (introduction)
3. Textbook check/National parks blogpost
*guessing countries of national parks pictures

Discussion circles (for 9/27)
In the discussion circles, go through these questions with your group members about the CD listening. 

Leader questions

For the summarizer:

Are you ready to summarize the reading/CD talk? (Can you give us your summary of the reading/CD talk?) 

For the details master:

1. What is the purpose of national parks?

2. Where are they created? 

3. Which country created the first national park? 

    * When was it created? 

4. Which country created the first national park service? 

    * When was it created? 

(Leaders: Think of 1-2 more questions of your own to ask the details master!)

For the vocabulary master:

What does conservation mean? 

What does IUCN stand for? 

What is a hot spring? 

What is a population? 

(Leaders: Think of 1-2 more words from the listening or textbook to ask the vocabulary master!)

Here are the board notes for our class on 9/27:

Have fun! See you next time! 

Images: Top - by Biliana Nikolova-Lefterova - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36150609 1. By Ji-Elle - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31072619/2. By Yakuzakorat - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40268098/3. By Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz Mariordo - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3723082/ 4. By Jaganjac - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7586211/5. By Ansgar Walk - photo taken by Ansgar Walk, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1109409/Board notes - personal photographs. All rights reserved.

英語表現演習3 (土 2限): Ainu greetings & summary writing・アイヌ語の挨拶・要約を書いて

Hello!

How are you? How was your Golden Week? 

Today, I have two (2) things for you in this post - first, about Ainu greetings (アイヌ語の挨拶) and next, about writing a summary (要約). 

About the Ainu
Who exactly are the Ainu? They are the indigenous people (先住民族) of Japan. Here is a map of Japan showing the original area, plus the widest places, where the Ainu lived.

As you can see, at one time they lived from the northeastern part of the Tohoku, all of Hokkaido, and the way up through Sakhalin Island (what many older Japanese call Karafuto「樺太」) and even up through the Kuril Islands (千島列島). 

But now they only live in Hokkaido. Their numbers are small, and they have married mainstream Japanese people enough so that they do not look so different. But they are proud of their culture and traditions.

Activity
Let's look at these Ainu greetings! What do you think they mean? 

Iramkarapte. (イランカラプテ)     He. (ヘー)

E-iwanke ya? (エイワンケ  ヤ？)

Ku-iwanke wa. (クイワンケ  ワ)

E-re hemanta ya? (エレ  ヘマンタ  ヤ？)

K-ani anakne ____ ku-ne. (カニ アナㇰネ ____ クネ)

Check your guesses - were any of them correct, or close? 

Summary writing
One thing that will become important for all of you in any research you do in English in life sciences is writing a summary (要約). 

What is a summary? It's a short version of the content of a presentation, research paper, or a chapter in a book - like a unit of a textbook. You can think of it as a statement of purpose (SOP) about a presentation, writing, or reading topic. It should be a compacted version of every aspect of the topic. 

Let's imagine that a person is preparing a presentation or report, or even reading in a textbook unit, about DNA. Let's also imagine that the focus in the topic is about the genetic relationship between dogs and wolves (which is a chapter in our textbook we will read later). 

Here would be one example of a good summary about this topic:

DNA evidence has shown that dogs evolved from wolves, and over time, dogs have became one of the most popular companion animals to humans across many cultures. But there are still arguments about exactly when dogs genetically separated from wolves, and how and why they became domesticated by humans. This presentation/report/textbook unit shows the origins of dogs, and proposes some different ideas about how they became companions to humans.

A good summary has a short background about the topic, with a tighter focus towards the end of the background. Then it goes into the focus of the presentation itself, sometimes with an additional comment about something unique, or else of note about the topic. Let’s look at this:

Background to the topic:
DNA evidence has shown that dogs evolved from wolves, and over time, dogs have became one of the most popular companion animals to humans across many cultures.

Focus on the topic:
But there are still arguments about exactly when dogs genetically separated from wolves, and how and why they became domesticated by humans.

Focus on what the presentation will be about:
This presentation/report/textbook unit will trace the origins of dogs, and show some different ideas about how they became companions to humans.

Each of these moves are then brought together to make the full summary. 

Homework
Now read this section about summary writing again. Read it as many times as you need. Then in the summary section of your worksheet, write a practice summary about today's textbook topic on language. 

Bring it in next week (5/18) and we'll go over them!

Now here are the board notes for today's (5/11) class: 

Extra activity (for 5/18)
Now here is a short video about the Ainu language. It's a chant that in a way tells the story of the Ainu. Here is only one question about it:

How similar do you think the Ainu language is to Japanese, or other Asian languages you know or have heard? What's your feeling about it? (If you watch and listen to this video directly on YouTube, you can turn on Japanese subtitles (字幕). Try it!) 

Write down what you think. 

I hope you find this video interesting.

See you next time!

(Answers to Ainu greetings at top of post)

Image: Top - by Ponting, Herbert George, photographer - Library of CongressCatalog: https://lccn.loc.gov/2009633363Image download: https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a30000/3a31000/3a31100/3a31148r.jpgOriginal url: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2009633363/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67741998/Geographic map - by Arnold Platon - This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  Japan on the globe (claimed) (Japan centered).svg (by TUBS). - Own work (Vectorization), based on this map, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25364093

Content: Ainu greetings courtesy of Wikitravel.