Daisy Ridley
Naomi Watts
Clive Owen
Today we watched the trailer for Ophelia, a new movie directed by Claire McCarthy. As you might expect, it's about the Ophelia that we all know from Hamlet.
I was disappointed that Arsenal lost in the Europa League final on Wednesday night. The team cannot defend reliably. Other teams at the top of the Premier League can also spend much more money than Arsenal. I wonder if they will ever get into the top 4 again. Let's hope so.
Now I am looking forward to the Champions league final. I am expecting Liverpool to win, but Tottenham may have some tricks up their sleeve.
(102 words)
Friday, May 31, 2019
Ophelia, and other matters…
Daisy Ridley
Naomi Watts
Clive Owen
Hamlet
Today we watched the trailer for Ophelia, a new movie starring Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, and Clive Owen. As you might have guessed, it's based on Hamlet but told from the point of view of his girlfriend, Ophelia. Of course, we've only seen a couple of minutes, but it looks very interesting. There's a suggestion that she becomes "mad" deliberately in order to avoid being seen as dangerous by Claudius.
The first of the European finals took place on Wednesday night. The result was disappointing for me, with Arsenal losing 1–4 to Chelsea. The other final, the Champions League, is coming on Saturday night, with Liverpool playing Tottenham Hotspur. I'm expecting Liverpool to win, but Tottenham may have some surprises.
(119 words)
Naomi Watts
Clive Owen
Hamlet
Today we watched the trailer for Ophelia, a new movie starring Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, and Clive Owen. As you might have guessed, it's based on Hamlet but told from the point of view of his girlfriend, Ophelia. Of course, we've only seen a couple of minutes, but it looks very interesting. There's a suggestion that she becomes "mad" deliberately in order to avoid being seen as dangerous by Claudius.
The first of the European finals took place on Wednesday night. The result was disappointing for me, with Arsenal losing 1–4 to Chelsea. The other final, the Champions League, is coming on Saturday night, with Liverpool playing Tottenham Hotspur. I'm expecting Liverpool to win, but Tottenham may have some surprises.
(119 words)
Friday, May 24, 2019
Beautiful Boy
Steve Carell
Timothée Chalomet
Today we watched the trailer for a movie playing at Denkikan. It's Beautiful Boy, starring Steve Carell, Timothée Chalomet, and Maura Tierney. The three of them are part of a loving family, but the character played by Timothée Chalomet starts taking drugs and leading a wild life, and he becomes estranged from his father.
The political situation in the UK is a bit wild. Theresa May probably will step down as party leader and Prime Minister very soon. Many Conservative politicians want to be the next party leader, and therefore automatically Prime Minister. In the elections for the European parliament, the Brexit Party got the most votes.
[106 words]
Timothée Chalomet
Today we watched the trailer for a movie playing at Denkikan. It's Beautiful Boy, starring Steve Carell, Timothée Chalomet, and Maura Tierney. The three of them are part of a loving family, but the character played by Timothée Chalomet starts taking drugs and leading a wild life, and he becomes estranged from his father.
The political situation in the UK is a bit wild. Theresa May probably will step down as party leader and Prime Minister very soon. Many Conservative politicians want to be the next party leader, and therefore automatically Prime Minister. In the elections for the European parliament, the Brexit Party got the most votes.
[106 words]
Beautiful Boy, Crooked House, and other matters…
Steve Carell
Timothée Chalamet
Agatha Christie
Crooked House
Glenn Close
Today we watched the trailer for two movies currently playing at Denkikan. The first was Beautiful Boy, starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet. The second was Crooked House, a movie based on the book of the same name by Agatha Christie. That one stars Glenn Close and Terence Stamp. They both look quite interesting. Crooked House is playing for another two weeks, and Beautiful Boy will finish at the end of next week.
This weekend, the final of the Europa League will be played between Chelsea and Arsenal, two London clubs. Next weekend, the Champions League will be played between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur (also a London club).
[107 words]
Timothée Chalamet
Agatha Christie
Crooked House
Glenn Close
Today we watched the trailer for two movies currently playing at Denkikan. The first was Beautiful Boy, starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet. The second was Crooked House, a movie based on the book of the same name by Agatha Christie. That one stars Glenn Close and Terence Stamp. They both look quite interesting. Crooked House is playing for another two weeks, and Beautiful Boy will finish at the end of next week.
This weekend, the final of the Europa League will be played between Chelsea and Arsenal, two London clubs. Next weekend, the Champions League will be played between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur (also a London club).
[107 words]
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Booklog code
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://widget.booklog.jp/blogparts/js/booklog_minishelf.js?default" id="booklog_minishelf"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://api.booklog.jp/json/rickla?category=0&count=35&callback=booklog_minishelf&template=default"></script>
Friday, May 17, 2019
Colette, and other matters…
Kiera Knightley
Today we watched the trailer for Colette, a new movie about the French writer Colette. It's scheduled to begin at Denkikan on June 7th. It stars Keira Knightley, who is famous for many movies, including Bend It Like Beckham, Pride and Prejudice, The Imitation Game, Anna Karenina, A Dangerous Method, Never Let Me Go, Atonement, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace, and so on.
(68 words)
Today we watched the trailer for Colette, a new movie about the French writer Colette. It's scheduled to begin at Denkikan on June 7th. It stars Keira Knightley, who is famous for many movies, including Bend It Like Beckham, Pride and Prejudice, The Imitation Game, Anna Karenina, A Dangerous Method, Never Let Me Go, Atonement, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace, and so on.
(68 words)
Where'd You Go, Bernadette?
Richard Linklater (Director)
Cate Blanchett
Today we watched the trailer for Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, Richard Linklater's latest movie. You may know Richard Linklater for movies like Boyhood and the Before… series (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight). The star of the movie is Cate Blanchett, who is best known for her performances of Elizabeth I and Galadriel (in Lord of the Rings). She plays a woman who used to be a famous architect but hasn't worked recently. Her friend persuades her that she needs to work, so she goes to Antarctica to work on the design of some kind of building.
Have you watched any football recently? Derby got to the play-off final, beating Leeds United.
(112 words)
Cate Blanchett
Today we watched the trailer for Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, Richard Linklater's latest movie. You may know Richard Linklater for movies like Boyhood and the Before… series (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight). The star of the movie is Cate Blanchett, who is best known for her performances of Elizabeth I and Galadriel (in Lord of the Rings). She plays a woman who used to be a famous architect but hasn't worked recently. Her friend persuades her that she needs to work, so she goes to Antarctica to work on the design of some kind of building.
Have you watched any football recently? Derby got to the play-off final, beating Leeds United.
(112 words)
Friday, May 10, 2019
All is True, and other matters…
Kenneth Branagh
Judi Dench
Ian McKellen
Today we watched the trailer for All is True, a movie about William Shakespeare after he has retired from writing plays and moved back to Stratford. His life feels rather empty, but his friend, played by Ian McKellen, suggests that he write about his own life and that gives him renewed purpose.
Has anyone been following European football news? It has been the best week ever for English teams, and one of the most exciting weeks for comebacks. On Tuesday night, Liverpool came back against Barcelona from 0-3 down to win 4-3. Then on Wednesday night, Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) came back from 0-3 down to win 3-3 (because away goals are considered more important) against Ajax Amsterdam. Finally, last night, both Arsenal and Chelsea (two London teams) beat Valencia and Frankfurt, respectively, to go into the final of the Europa League.
[140 words]
Judi Dench
Ian McKellen
Today we watched the trailer for All is True, a movie about William Shakespeare after he has retired from writing plays and moved back to Stratford. His life feels rather empty, but his friend, played by Ian McKellen, suggests that he write about his own life and that gives him renewed purpose.
Has anyone been following European football news? It has been the best week ever for English teams, and one of the most exciting weeks for comebacks. On Tuesday night, Liverpool came back against Barcelona from 0-3 down to win 4-3. Then on Wednesday night, Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) came back from 0-3 down to win 3-3 (because away goals are considered more important) against Ajax Amsterdam. Finally, last night, both Arsenal and Chelsea (two London teams) beat Valencia and Frankfurt, respectively, to go into the final of the Europa League.
[140 words]
All is True, and other matters…
William Shakespeare
Kenneth Branagh
Judi Dench
Ian McKellen
Today we watched the trailer for All is True, a movie about William Shakespeare starring Kenneth Branagh as Shakespeare, Judi Dench as his wife, and Ian McKellen as his friend. The story is about Shakespeare going back to his hometown of Stratford after he has retired. His wife is not happy to see him after so many years, and he doesn't know what to do with his life. But then he starts writing about his own life and his energy comes back.
How was your Golden Week? I worked for most of the week, but in the middle I went camping with my family in Oguni, just for one night. It was a lot of fun.
Have you watched any soccer this week? It was a great week for English clubs. Both Liverpool and Tottenham achieved great comebacks in the Champions League and will meet in the final. In the Europa League, both Arsenal and Chelsea won their semifinals and will meet in the final.
[163 words]
Kenneth Branagh
Judi Dench
Ian McKellen
Today we watched the trailer for All is True, a movie about William Shakespeare starring Kenneth Branagh as Shakespeare, Judi Dench as his wife, and Ian McKellen as his friend. The story is about Shakespeare going back to his hometown of Stratford after he has retired. His wife is not happy to see him after so many years, and he doesn't know what to do with his life. But then he starts writing about his own life and his energy comes back.
How was your Golden Week? I worked for most of the week, but in the middle I went camping with my family in Oguni, just for one night. It was a lot of fun.
Have you watched any soccer this week? It was a great week for English clubs. Both Liverpool and Tottenham achieved great comebacks in the Champions League and will meet in the final. In the Europa League, both Arsenal and Chelsea won their semifinals and will meet in the final.
[163 words]
Friday, April 26, 2019
The Little Red Hen
Before long, all the wheat was cut.
“Who will help me grind this?” asked the little red hen.
“Not me!” said the dog.
“Not me!” said the cat.
“Not me!” said the duck.
The little red hen has some very lazy friends. Every time he asks them to help, they refuse. What do you think happens when she finishes baking some bread?
As with many folk and fairy tales, this story has an important lesson for us.
VOCABULARY
grind: すりつぶす・粉にする・砕く | Scholastic 発売日 : 2006-01-01 |
The Gemini Man
Will Smith
Clive Owen
Ang Lee
Today we watched the trailer for The Gemini Man. It stars Will Smith and Clive Owen. Will Smith has been sent to kill a man. But every time he thinks he has him, the man disappears like a ghost. Will Smith starts to wonder who the man is and he asks his handler, Clive Owen.
The movie is directed by Ang Lee, who directed Sense & Sensibility, Life of Pi, and Ice Storm. It's due to start playing in the US in November. Hopefully, it will come to Japan around the same time.
(92 words)
Clive Owen
Ang Lee
Today we watched the trailer for The Gemini Man. It stars Will Smith and Clive Owen. Will Smith has been sent to kill a man. But every time he thinks he has him, the man disappears like a ghost. Will Smith starts to wonder who the man is and he asks his handler, Clive Owen.
The movie is directed by Ang Lee, who directed Sense & Sensibility, Life of Pi, and Ice Storm. It's due to start playing in the US in November. Hopefully, it will come to Japan around the same time.
(92 words)
Martina the Cockroach
A rooster came by and said, "Marry me!"
"What sound do you make?" asked Martina.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" he said.
"No, thank you," she said.
Today, I read Martina the Cockroach, one of the 15 books in the Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers from Scholastic. Martina finds a gold coin and goes shopping for clothes and perfume. Then she looks for a husband. But she doesn't like the sounds that most of her prospective husbands make.
VOCABULARY
whistle: 口笛を吹く | Scholastic Teaching Resources 発売日 : 2006-03-01 |
264 words
The Little Red Hen
Before long, all the wheat was cut.
“Who will help me grind this?” asked the little red hen.
“Not me!” said the dog.
“Not me!” said the cat.
“Not me!” said the duck.
The little red hen has some very lazy friends. Every time he asks them to help, they refuse. What do you think happens when she finishes baking some bread?
As with many folk and fairy tales, this story has an important lesson for us.
VOCABULARY
grind: すりつぶす・粉にする・砕く
| Scholastic 発売日 : 2006-01-01 |
The Gemini Man
Will Smith
Ang Lee
Today we watched the trailer for The Gemini Man, a new movie starring Will Smith. At first, I expected it to be a routine action thriller, but then I saw the director is Ang Lee. He hasn't directed so many movies, but the ones he does direct are very interesting. They include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Life of Pi, Lust, Caution, Brokeback Mountain, and The Ice Storm.
Football has been very interesting recently. In the Premier League, Liverpool and Manchester City are continuing to win their matches, so it's very tight at the top. The other big teams have been losing many matches, so no-one knows who will be in the top 4.
(112 words)
Ang Lee
Today we watched the trailer for The Gemini Man, a new movie starring Will Smith. At first, I expected it to be a routine action thriller, but then I saw the director is Ang Lee. He hasn't directed so many movies, but the ones he does direct are very interesting. They include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Life of Pi, Lust, Caution, Brokeback Mountain, and The Ice Storm.
Football has been very interesting recently. In the Premier League, Liverpool and Manchester City are continuing to win their matches, so it's very tight at the top. The other big teams have been losing many matches, so no-one knows who will be in the top 4.
(112 words)
Friday, April 19, 2019
Dark Phoenix
X-Men series
James McAvoy
Michael Fassbender
Jennifer Lawrence
Sophie Turner
Tye Sheridan
Jessica Chastain
June 2019
20th Century Fox
Today we watched a movie trailer. The movie was Dark Phoenix. It is in the X-Men series. Some of the main actors are James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, and Jessica Chastain. I like the X-Men series very much. The movies stated in 2000, so they have been going on for nearly twenty years now. Dark Phoenix will be released in June in the US, and probably it will come to Japan soon after.
Have you been watching football recently? This week has been very exciting. In the Champions League, the quarter-finals were played. Two of them ended in upsets. In one quarter-final, Ajax Amsterdam defeated Juventus. Ajax has a much smaller budget than British, German, Spanish, or Italian teams, but they played in a very attacking way. In another quarter-final, Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City. In a way, it was a pity to see two English teams play each other; but on the other hand…
(159 words)
James McAvoy
Michael Fassbender
Jennifer Lawrence
Sophie Turner
Tye Sheridan
Jessica Chastain
June 2019
20th Century Fox
Today we watched a movie trailer. The movie was Dark Phoenix. It is in the X-Men series. Some of the main actors are James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, and Jessica Chastain. I like the X-Men series very much. The movies stated in 2000, so they have been going on for nearly twenty years now. Dark Phoenix will be released in June in the US, and probably it will come to Japan soon after.
Have you been watching football recently? This week has been very exciting. In the Champions League, the quarter-finals were played. Two of them ended in upsets. In one quarter-final, Ajax Amsterdam defeated Juventus. Ajax has a much smaller budget than British, German, Spanish, or Italian teams, but they played in a very attacking way. In another quarter-final, Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City. In a way, it was a pity to see two English teams play each other; but on the other hand…
(159 words)
<form method="POST" name="wordcount">
<script language="JavaScript">
function countit(){
/*Word count script
By JavaScript Kit (http://javascriptkit.com)
Over 400+ free scripts here!
*/
var formcontent=document.wordcount.wordcount2.value
formcontent=formcontent.split(" ")
document.wordcount.wordcount3.value=formcontent.length
}
</script>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><textarea rows="12" name="wordcount2" cols="60" wrap="virtual"></textarea></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100%"><div align="right"><p><input type="button" value="Calculate Words"
onclick="countit()" /> <input type="text" name="wordcount3" size="20" /></p>
<div align="center"><center><p><font face="arial" size="-2">This free script provided by</font>
<font face="arial, helvetica" size="-2"><a href="http://javascriptkit.com">JavaScript
Kit</a></font></p>
</center></div></div></td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>
<script language="JavaScript">
function countit(){
/*Word count script
By JavaScript Kit (http://javascriptkit.com)
Over 400+ free scripts here!
*/
var formcontent=document.wordcount.wordcount2.value
formcontent=formcontent.split(" ")
document.wordcount.wordcount3.value=formcontent.length
}
</script>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><textarea rows="12" name="wordcount2" cols="60" wrap="virtual"></textarea></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100%"><div align="right"><p><input type="button" value="Calculate Words"
onclick="countit()" /> <input type="text" name="wordcount3" size="20" /></p>
<div align="center"><center><p><font face="arial" size="-2">This free script provided by</font>
<font face="arial, helvetica" size="-2"><a href="http://javascriptkit.com">JavaScript
Kit</a></font></p>
</center></div></div></td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>
Dark Phoenix
Today we watched the trailer for Dark Phoenix, a movie in the X-Men series. It has been a while since I saw an X-Men movie, and this one looks really exciting. The actors I remember seeing in the trailer are James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain, Halle Berry, and the actress who plays Jean. I didn't check who the director is. The issue seems to be that Jean is much more powerful than anyone else, and when she is scared her power comes out without her being able to control it. Jessica Chastain's character manipulates Jean into using her power without restraint, while James McAvoy tries to help her get it under control.
(113 words)
(113 words)
2nd session: April 20th
Hello everyone,
Most of you sent me your rewritten essays (homestay letters) during last week's lesson or soon after. Most of them had quite a lot of information, so they are a good base for talking and writing about yourself in several different ways.
Because that was your first assignment of the semester, I wrote fairly detailed feedback. Also, because the essay is a base for more work writing about yourself, I wanted to make sure that you understood the feedback.
With most assignments, though, the most important consideration will be helping you improve your writing over time. So, rather than give specific advice on individual errors, the focus will be on helping you to recognize TYPES of errors that you often make.
I don’t know if we’ll have time to talk about that today, but we will soon. So when you read through the comments, look out for errors that you made twice or more in the same essay.
KEY POINTS FOR GETTING A CREDIT
Most of you sent me your rewritten essays (homestay letters) during last week's lesson or soon after. Most of them had quite a lot of information, so they are a good base for talking and writing about yourself in several different ways.
Because that was your first assignment of the semester, I wrote fairly detailed feedback. Also, because the essay is a base for more work writing about yourself, I wanted to make sure that you understood the feedback.
With most assignments, though, the most important consideration will be helping you improve your writing over time. So, rather than give specific advice on individual errors, the focus will be on helping you to recognize TYPES of errors that you often make.
I don’t know if we’ll have time to talk about that today, but we will soon. So when you read through the comments, look out for errors that you made twice or more in the same essay.
KEY POINTS FOR GETTING A CREDIT
- Come to class.
- Make sure you have written 4 posts on your blog over the course of a week. (Three is OK if you have submitted an assignment by email, etc., that week.) Currently, there is no specific length requirement for each post.
- Hand in assignments on time.
- Reading and writing blog comments
- Timed writing (七分は十分)
- Second book review (including a quotation and a picture)
- Talking about feedback on the 1st assignment (if time allows)
Friday, April 12, 2019
The Lost Cup
The next morning, you wake up early. You see a paper under your door. It reads: "WE HAVE YOUR PARTNER. GIVE US THE CUP, OR HE WILL DIE."…
Someone kidnapped your partner!
A search for the World Cup turns into a deadly game in this Atama-ii book. Please check it out when you have time!
Vocabulary
kidnapstatue
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)