2015年3月7日土曜日

Eliminate

Linlin (Ringling) Brothers and birdmin(Barnum) (and) baily (Bailey) Circuse's parent company announcing (today) that the iconic elephant performances will be eliminated by 2018.

It is bittersweet because that the elephant's (elephants have) been on the circus for 145 years.

This after a growing chorus (h)as express(d) concern about how the elephants are treated.

The elephants, such (an) integral part of this American tradition.

Jumbo, the first international (animal) superstar, with said the bringing (was said to bring in) the largest crowds in the history of "P.T. Barnum's Greatest show on earth.

The show will go on with other animals. And (the) thirteen elephants currently on tour now set (said) to retire in three years, spending the rest of their days, here, at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Center for Elephant Conversation.


bittersweet
 bringing pleasure mixed with sadness
 喜ばしくもあり悲しくもある
                                                                                                                                     

Come to think of it, I've never went to see a circus (or should I write "seen a circus"? Which is the correct expression as a collocation?).

Why haven't I seen it? I know that the show, performing in a tent reminds me of brutal scenery in zoos. Kumamoto city has Kumamoto City zoological and botanical Gardens. Several years ago, my girlfriend took me to the zoo to see a variety of animals. The reason as I mentioned before, when I heard an invitation from her to go there, the only thing on my mind was how do I refused the proposal, but we went there in the end.

As I had expected, in the middle of the zoo, there were lots of small cages to exhibit lions, bears, and some fierce animals. As we approached, they uniformly (all) wandering (lingering) around in their pens aimlessly and stressfully. Floors were cluttered with their shits.

Animals that living in both circumstances are happy? No, I don't think so.

2015年3月6日金曜日

At the wheel

At the(And) (a)sleep at the wheel. The stunning video tonight (of the) bus driver who nods off and then smashes into car after car. Next tonight, bus driver who falls (asleep)at the wheel as cameras roll. ABC's Linsey Davis now on the multiple collisions. It happened last October around 6 p.m. it was olympia michigan (in Wes Bloomfield, Michigan). The driver quickly admitting to investigaters what went wrong. What happened? I fell asleep going down that hill. Sleepy drivers are to blame (for)one out of every five car accidents killing 7500 people seriously injuring 50000 each year. As for the solo(e) passenger on the bus. Are you alright? I sure I am, I think so. Her choice of seat on this day may have made all the difference.  

1. be to blame (for something)
 to be responsible for something bad
 ex) Which driver was to blame for the accident?

2. at (behind) the wheel
 at the helm of a ship, the steering wheel of a motor vehicle, etc
 ex) A bus driver who nods off at the wheel.

3.Her choice of seat on this day may have made all the difference.
 3-1 make a difference
  to have an effect/no effect on somebody/something
  ex) The rain didn't make much difference to the game.
 3-2 may (might) have pp
  to show that something has possibly happened now or happened at some time in the past     

When I go to KGU, I often use my bicycle, listening to English podcast. Riding bicycle makes me feel comfortable. But, during the period of exams for each semester, due to a large amount of reports and tests, I stay up late almost every nights. So, as I have feeling of sleepiness and fatigue that period of time, I have no choice but to use my car. 

Once I didn't get any sleep two days, on the way to the university, I fell asleep temporarily many times at the wheel. A catastrophic car accident may have happened if I had steered in the wrong direction.