BR1-14: Book Boy

“‘That's my world,’says Ella.”

David is a seventeen-year old boy, who lives in Hampstead, London, with his cat Socrates. His parents are already dead. There are lots of books in his house, he likes to read books, and he thinks about books all the time. And also he wants to write a book, but he had no story to write.

One day, he met a girl sleeping on the road on the way home from shopping. Her name was Ella, and she is sixteen years old. David invited her to eat pizza which he bought at a shop. Then they ate pizza, and talked about themselves. She was a homeless, so she was really thin, and feels cold every time. So, he invited her to his house, and she chose to live with him.

For couple of weeks, they got along with each other, she cooks sometimes and she sings. He likes to spend with her. However, days go by, she stopped singing and cooking, and she looked unhappy while she was speaking on her phone. Then while he went to swimming, she had gone with his laptop.

David searched around in London, but he couldn't find her easily. However, an old man in the street knew her. Then he found her in a big, dirty and dark house, and he picked her to his house. She was taken away by bad man, Steve. She had to sell drugs for him, but she didn't want to do anymore.

When they were talking, Steve came into the house. David about to stop him not to take her away again, and the man came over to him. At the moment, Socrates jumped on to his face angrily, and Ella picked up a big book and hit Steve on the head. Then he collapsed.

After that, the police came and they all went to police station. Steve was going to be in prison for a long time. And Ella was helped by an organization which helps young people who live on the street, and a year later, she became a staff of the organization. David started to write stories. He knew that he needs people in his life.

It is very difficult to tell a story, or speaking something without experience. For me, if there are some presentation activities in some classes. I can't help seeing cheat sheet despite I don't have to see it. I managed to translate words and phrases from Japanese to English for the last year. However, when I do presentation, I often use difficult expressions. As a result, because of it's not my words, I can't remember what I wrote. I need to be think about everything in English, or I may be not worried about speaking in English.

Moses Antoinette. (2010). Book Boy. Cambridge ; Tokyo : Cambridge University Press. 

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BR1-13: The Memory Man

“It's just a matter of exercise.”

Gianni Golfera is a man who has an extraordinary brain. This Italian man memorized more than 250 books, and he can remember every detail of every day of his life. What's more, he also 

remember these details from the time he was less than one year old.

Memory is very difficult to understand. Even scientists don't really know how it works, yet. Does the memory depend on heredity? or environment? According to researchers, great memory may not depend on the DNA only. It seems that everyone can remember if they try harder.

You may say, “No, I can't believe it, he is a special when he was born!” Exactly, genes are one of his great gifts, but since the age of 11, he has been training his brain to remember more and more. He practices continuously to improve the power of his memory.

To prove that anyone can have a great memory, he holds classes to teach people how to develop their memories. In the classes, he shows students how to organize their memories and how to 'remember to remember.' He believes that there is a lot of brain space, so there are no limits.

As he mentioned in the book, I think memory can improve by working hard. For instance, before examinations, we have to memorize so many words or phrases. When we see a wide range of text books we must tackle, we must be throw them away. However, we finally memorize a lot of things. So, it means, we can remember, but we simply try not to memorize. The final exams are approaching now, so I decided that I will face a large numbers of reports and tests.

Footprint reading library with video from National Geographic. (2008). The Memory Man. Boston : Thomson Heinle.

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BR1-12: Jane Eyre

“I am coming, Edward. I am coming！”

In the 1825, Jane Eyre was ten years old. She had no parents, so she lived in her aunt's house. When she was in the house, she had been bullied by aunt's son, John Reed, and also the aunt looked down on her. However, she never surrendered for their sarcastic comments.

Then she sent to Lowood school which is really strict, students had to keep a lot of rules. At the school, Jane made a friend, Helen. Their personalities were totally different. Helen believed God, but Jane had no religious. However, because of the school's bad sanitary conditions, Helen was dead. When she grew up, she decided to advertise for a situation, and she hired as a governess by Mr. Rochester who is a lord of large country, Thornfield.

Few weeks later since she hired, Jane heard a strange laughter in the night. When she opened the door, she saw smoke coming from Mr. Rochester’s room. Rushing into his room, she found him was sleeping, and curtains on fire. Jane pours water on the curtains and saved his life. Then Mr. Rochester scolded a servant, Grace poole, so Jane thought that she was the culprit of the fire.

After that, Mr. Rochester made a proposal to her, and at first, Jane had doubted about that because she thought that he is going to marry a woman who is a rich. However, she knew that he loves her, so she accepted it.

Jane was really happy, and they were about to become a married couple, but it wouldn't because Mr. Rochester already had a wife. According to him, his wife is insane, so he put her in a locked room. The culprit of the fire was her action. When she heard the news, she surprised and disappointed with him, then she left Thornfield. After that, she spent all her money, and she wandered from place to place. She was very hungry and tired. At that time, she saved her life by a kind clergyman.

He found her to place to live, and he also introduced her to a job. She worked at a school as a governess. Few weeks later, she was informed of her uncle’s death from the clergyman, and the man left a great wealth for her, she became a rich. Several months passed, one day, she was walking on a grass near her house. At that time, she heard Mr. Rochester's voice. He was calling her name over and over, and she replied it. Next day, she headed to Thornfield.

When she arrived the mansion, it was burnt down, and nobody was living there. She went to near the village, and asked about Mr. Rochester. According to a villager, after Jane left Thornfield, the mad woman set the house on fire, and because of the fire, he lost his sight, and right hand.

She learned the place he lives, and she went there. There was a servant she knows, and she brought Jane to his room. She entered the room, and met him after a long separation. Jane said to him that “I will never leave you again.” However, Rochester replied her that he will bother her due to his crippled, but she answered “I will take care of you, Edward.” Then they got married, and his eyes were better before. Finally, they lived happily.

This is the story of about love. Jane belongs to the lower class, so she can't date him normally, even get marry with him. However, Rochester doesn't care about her class, he placed importance on her character. And also, she doesn't care his class, and appearance. I learned again that the importance thing is what people think, and what people do.

Brontë Charlotte ; retold by Bell Florence. (2005). Jane Eyre. Oxford : Macmillan Heinemann ELT.

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First episode of a foreign TV drama

“Everybody lies”

Dr. Gregory House is a man who is known for his “Unusualness”. He never wear a white coat, and try not to diagnose patients as much as possible, even though he is a doctor. However, he is also known to everybody for his genius at diagnosis. One day, a female patient was carried out a hospital, Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, which is the place that House is working. She is a teacher at a kindergarten, and during class, she suddenly fell down.

Because of her unexplained disease, her family doctor sent her to the hospital. House is not interested in communicating with patients because he says that “Everybody lies”, so he seldom appears before patients. He gives a diagnosis by using a various kinds of information about patients, and debating with his subordinates. House's diagnostic team consists of Dr. Robert Chase, Dr. Allison Cameron, and Dr. Eric Foreman.

After meeting the teacher, the team started to diagnose her, but they couldn’t determine the cause of her disease. When they struggling to find the cause, House came up with a good idea which may aid her recovery during a diagnosis of another patient. Steroids is the medicine that House hit upon to cure her illness. It made her bad condition better temporarily. However soon after the recovery, her condition became worse than before. They had to think again about the cause of the disease from the first.

When they are debating in House’s office at the hospital. Dr. Foreman began to talk about the result of search in the patient home. House ordered them to go there, and find something that could have caused her illness. Foreman found a slice of ham in the refrigerator, and House realized that this was the cause of the disease. The true cause of the disease was parasites in the ham. They reached her brain and had a harmful effect on it. The source of the disease was discovered, and the team informed her to the result. However, she refused to receive the treatment. She wanted to die to protect her “Important thing.”

In the end, finally, she decided to live, but how did House persuade her, how did they
convince her to accept the treatment? What was her “Important thing”? If you are
interested in the results, please watch it.

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Vacation plans

This summer vacation, I'm going to study English harder than before because next year, I will go to my old high school as an English teacher. To conduct a class by using in English, I need to use English fluently, so I have to get grade 1 on EIKEN, and also get over 900 score on TOEIC test. I'm planning to go to the library everyday, and read English newspapers, and doing reference book. Besides, I will quit my part-time job in August, so I will free from stress. I want to enjoy running, swimming, and other athletic sports.

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BR1-11: Rich Man, Poor Man

“Go back to your village. Don't come here and fight. Keep out of Darpur.”

Adam lived a small village, Minta with his wife Martha. They had three daughter, and a son, Saul, but all of the daughters were married, and the son lives in London. One day, a postman brought him a letter from Saul. The letter said that Saul sent a 100 pounds to his parents as a money order. They were very excited. However, there was one problem.

In order to cash the check, he needs to go to a big city, Darpur. He took a bus early in the morning. Then he went to post office, and he got in a queue in front of the “MONEY ORDER”counter, but he couldn't get 100 pounds because he needed to get identity card.

After he walked to the Ministry of the Interior to get identity card, but an official there told him that he needs three photographs, so he had to go to a photographer. At the shop, he took a photo, and it takes 24 hour to accept them, so the old man went back his village once.

Next day, he went to Darpur again, and visited the photographer. However, surprisingly, the photographer said that “I don't know you”. The old man hit the man angrily, and because of the occurrence, he taken away from policemen.

Completely exhausted old man once back his village, and the teacher in the village introduced him to a rich man who lives in Darpur.He went to the rich man's house, and met him. At that time, he heard that the money order was already expired, it means that is worthless. After that, he received 10 pounds from the rich man.

This story made me sad because I think the old man is really poor. He coldly refused and deceived everywhere in the city. Maybe I think that the rich man was also spoofed the old man to take advantage of his ignorance.

Jupp. T.C. (2005). Rich Man, Poor Man. Oxford : Macmillan Heinemann ELT.

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BR1-10: William Tell

“Look, Father! I'm OK- I'm not dead.”

In the early 1300s, people in Switzerland were unhappy, because their country, Swiss, was ruled by Austrian emperor. They were burdened with heavy taxes, and Austrian soldiers supervised people in the country everywhere and everyday. People tried to ask governor who came from Austria, not to put taxes, and stop soldiers not to watching citizens so many times, but the governor didn't hear their messages at all. As a result, they started to find HERO to save their country.

After that, Tell ordered to hit an apple on his son's head with his crossbow. In spite of governor's request, Tell hit an apple on the head, but his threatening ability was frightened of governor. He decided to put Tell in prison. On the way there, the governor, Tell, and some soldiers were in a dangerous river. A boatman wanted to help to reach the destination, but no one can understand the boat without Tell, so he freed temporarily. Then he took advantage of the chance, he killed the governor on the boat, and he became a HERO of Switzerland.

I only knew the name, “William Tell”, but I didn't know where the story is set, Swiss. The country is known for its being a permanently neutral country. When I heard the word for the first time when I was in junior high school, I thought the country have no military, and no weapons. However, on the contrary, people living in Switzerland have to follow the military when they reach the conscription age.  Then I understand that to protect own country, people must take weapons, and be prepare for menace. This book reminds me again that if someone wants to real freedom, they need to get power and brave.


Von Schiller, Friedrich ; retold by Taylor Nancy. (2011). William Tell. Harlow : Pearson Education.

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BR1-09: Why?

““I'm going to think about you every day,”says Sara”

Alex is a nineteen-year old man who is in the army, and he had to go to Glossia which is in conflict. He went to the country left his girlfriend, Sara. He is not sure why people have to fight. After arrived the country, he joined a military unit. Then he and his team went to a city to patrol.

While they patrol, two men and a woman gets into a house in the town. Their purpose was to shoot the unit, so they used the house. There were a mother, and 2 children living in the house. The assailants took a doll which children had, and they ordered children to go out and play in the street with the doll, and also, when soldiers come, go run away.

The unit that Alex joins was approaching the street, and they found the children. Then they ran away when they saw the militants. There was a doll left on the street, and Alex was going to pick it up. A sergeant of the unit was about to stop him, but it was too late, Alex died of shooting from the attackers. The team killed one attacker, but rest of them were flee.

When I finished the book, I thought it was too abruptly ending. Because if it is usual, it must be the protagonist, Alex was actually alive and go back to his country, and live his girlfriend together. However, he is completely dead. I'd think twice about this, I feel more reality of the actual war than happy ending.

Prowse Phillip. (2008). Why?. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

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BR-08: The Scarlet Letter

“The scarlet letter is not only on my breast,”she said. “It is inside my heart. You cannot take it from me.”

In the 1600, Boston, Massachusetts, in a small town, a beautiful woman, her name is Hester Prynne came out of a prison. She held a baby in her arms, and there was a scarlet letter“A” on her dress. She had been in prison for her adultery. She never talked anyone that who is the father of her baby.

One day, an old man came to the town, he is a doctor, and a husband of Hester. He questioned her over and over that who is the father of the child, but she never say. So, he decided to seek the child's father.

Then he found someone who kind to Hester, he is a famous and prestigious minister in the town. The doctor doubted their relationship, and closed to him, and he was convinced that he is the father of the baby. After that, old doctor told Hester not to say that the doctor is the husband of her. Because he wanted to torment the man who have a twinge of conscience to Hester.

The young minister's condition was getting worse and worse day by day because of his guilt. However, finally, at the party to welcome the new Governor in the town, he decided to confess that the father of the child is himself. After he declared on a platform with Hester, and his child, he passed away soon.

Everybody lies themselves, and hide something in their minds. Not to mention, me. For fear of being condemn by people, we tend to hide something bad for us. However, the minister, Dimmesdale confessed his sin. To admit own guilt needs courage, so I think he has a brave soul.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel; retold by Rice Harlow, Chris. (2000). The Scarlet Letter. Person Education.

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BR1-07：A Little Princess

“‘I must be brave,’ she said.”

Sara made a lot of friends at the school, she was kind to everyone even servants. She became a popular with everybody. However, suddenly, she heard that her father had dead in India, and also his friend ran away with father's all money. Due to the sad and bad event, penniless Sara became a servant.

Sara had to work for rich children at the school, she had to work hard everyday, her shoes were old, and she had no warm coat for winter. When she sleep, she had to bear the cold, and hunger.

But one day, she met a gentleman. He was the friend of her father. He wasn't betrayed her father, because of his ill, he had to leave from her father, and he had been looking for Sara for two years after father's death. Then she became a rich girl again, she got all of the money her father had left for her.

I love this kind of story. Even if she lost her father, and she put misery position, she never give up, and have strong will, it is brave. She treat people without discrimination, I thought I want to learn from her such behavior.

Hodgson Burnett, Frances. ; retold by Bassett, Jennifer. (2008). A Little Princess. Oxford : Oxford University Press.

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BR1-06: Stranger Than Fiction: urban myths

“But the chicken was too cold -she had a frozen head. The chicken killed her.”

This is a book which is composed of a collection of various kinds of fiction stories, such as life, accidents, and so on. For example, there was a man who can’t hear anything in his left ear because of a bus accident. Since the accident, when people spoke to him, they had to sit on his right side, but one day, an event happened to him, and he recovered his hearing. What had happened to him?

Then in Soviet Union, there was a woman with a very big hat who was in a long line that people wanted to buy groceries. It was winter and the weather was quite cold, and the woman suddenly fell to the floor. When a doctor went over to her, she already died. Why did she die? What happened to her?

There are a lot of surprising, funny, interesting, and scary fiction stories in it. I can’t believe that some of the stories in the book. I think that it truly is “Stranger Than Fiction”.

 Healey Phil and Glanvill Rick. (1999). Stranger Than Fiction:urban myths. Harlow : Pearson Education.

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BR1-05: Les Miserables

“You're free to go.”

One evening in October, in the year 1815, a man visited Bishop of Digne's house. The name of the man, Jean Valljean, had been in prison for 19 years for stole the bread. The reason why he knocked the door of the bishop was to steel something articles of value. Jean Valjean was a kind and gentle man, but 19 years prison, the years of misery, years of back-breaking work, years of　

cruel prison guards. These things changed a man.

However, the kind bishop welcomed the suspicious man willingly. At the night, Jean Valjean stole silver plates, and the next morning, he found and caught by policemen. They brought him if front of the bishop, but the bishop didn’t accuse him as a thief. On the contrary, he forgave Jean Valjean, and also he gave silver candlesticks. After that, he repented of his sins, and decided to live honestly.

There was a policeman who name is Javert. To him, the law was the only important thing in life, and he hated criminals. He hates Jean Valjean. When Jean Valjean was in the prison, Javert had been staring at him. Then after Jean Valjean left the prison, he accused of Jean Valjean’s another sin, and managed to arrest him many times.

In 1832, Jean Valjean was in a group which consists of students, and they against government’s politics. During the turmoil, he met Javert who caught by students. Jean Valjean could kill him easily, but he didn’t. Jean Valjean forgave him.

I watched the story on a DVD. This book reminds me some scenes in the movie. This is the story of about love and bond. However, also this book made me strongly think about what is the right thing for people. 

retold by Bassett, Jennifer. (2012). Les Miserables. Oxford : Oxford University Press.

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BR1-04: The Elephant Man

“The creature stood up slowly. It took the old cloth off its head, and put it on the chair.”

Frederick Treves who is a doctor at the London Hospital saw a picture of a man by accident looked like an elephant in the window of a shop. The man called Elephant Man because of his very very ugly face. He couldn't smile or laugh, his skin was dead, like an elephant's face. When he was in a show tent, hundreds of people in London came to see him, and laughed at him. The doctor tried to help him in the fearful situation.

Eventually, he was able to live at the back of the London Hospital thanks to the efforts of the doctor and the hospital. At first, he didn't understand the situation he was in, so he hoped to leave there, and wanted to live in a lighthouse because he had no money. However, when he heard that he could live there for all his life due to the contributions for him, he cried him him heart out in his room. 

When 4 years had passed since he lived the hospital, he found dead on his bed. Elephant Man, John Merric, was 27 years old. During 4 years, he had experienced a lot of things. He met a number of people who don't laugh at him, and he made many friends who kind to him. Everybody dealt with him as a person, not a creature. When he sleeping, he usually sat up in bed with his arms round his legs, and his head on his knees, but when he was found dead, he had slept on his back like you and me.

I had known that the name of “The Elephant Man”, but I didn't know the concrete story of it.  I couldn't believe the story the first time I read it. I had thought that developed countries in Western Europe have morals for human rights. However, people despised him, derided him, and they were scared of his looks. It is very very sad occurrence, I don't understand why they did discriminated him. They must not to judge a man from his outside. They had better see his mind. He is not a creature, he is just a human being.

Vicary Tim. (2000). The Elephant Man. Oxford : Oxford University Press. 

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