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April 11, 2004 - SAYA - "Global Warming"
We've all read frightening global-warming stories. Though some scientists insist there is cause for alarm, evidence shows differently. Global warming may be coming,but if it does, it might be good for the environment.
Once some computer climate models predicted two to three times as much warming as they currently do. Now reserchers say that the earth is likely to warm by about one-and-a-half degrees during the 21st century.
That may sound like a lot, but it isn't. The workd has experienced about that much warming fairly recently in history. And we love it! Between A.D. 900 and 1,300, the earth warmed by about one-and-a-half degrees. Scholars refer to that period �\ one of the most favorable in human history �\ as the Medieval Climate Heaven.
Food production went up,many scientists believe, because winters were milder and glowing seasons longer. Main agricultural regions experienced fewer floods and droughts. (There was more rainfall, but it evaporated faster.) Death rates declined in many places, partly because of the decrease in hunger and partly because people lived in driver and more comfortable living spaces.
Overseas trade increased, partly because there were fewer storms at sea. The Vikings discovered Greenland around 950. It was so warm there that colonists supported themselves by pasturing cattle on what is now frozen tundra. Farming moved farther north in Scandinavia, Russia and Japan. England's warm weather was able to support a wine industry. Thanks to the prosperity, many creative things were produced �\ in architecture, art and practical invention.
There were negatives, of cource. The steppes of Asia and parts of California, for instance, suffered dry periods. But over all, the medieval experience with global warming did us good.
The latest evidence supports such ideas, say many scientists. The present warming is expected to ease low winter temperatures rather than raise summer-time highs. Thus, it will add little stress on plants, trees �\ or people.
The expected increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels could create a "plant heaven." CO2 acts as fetilizer for plants. More than a thouthant experiments with food crops in 29 countries show that doubling the world's carbon dioxide would raise crop yields by half. And with increased CO2, forests all over the worls should be stronger, supporting more wildlife.
In the 1980s, some people forecast that places such as New York and Bangladesh would be under rising seas from melting polar ice. That frightening scenario, scientists say, is untrue. It may seem paradoxical, but a mild warming in the nrmally cold and dry polar areas will actually mean more arctic ice, not less. If temperatures warm a few degrees, there will be more moisture , or wetness in the air, and therfore more snowfall, more polar ice.
The people who worry about global warming have also claimed that a warmer world could suffer more extreme weather. This too is unlikely. S.Fred Singer, ascientist, says, "one would expect severe weather to be less frequent because of reduced equator-to-pole temperature differendes" In other words, as the temparature difference between the North Pole and the equator becomes smaller, the weather becomes less severe. Most of the warming, if it occurs, will be towards the poles, with very little increase near the equator. Thus, there would be less of the temperature difference that drives big storms.
REFERENCE: Reader's Digest, Dennis Avery - What's wrong with Grobal Warming?
October 10, 2003 - tsubo_the_pot_river - "How are you?"
How are you? Are you fine? So, I will write an essay about asking the phrase �gHow are you?�h.
How often do you ask that? If you are foreigner who speaks English, maybe you will answer
�gEvery time I met my friends�h. If you are Japanese, you will answer �gOnly time I met dear friends�h.
If you are foreigner who doesn�ft speak English, how do you answer?
In English education, we are taught �gHi. How are you? I�fm fine, thanks and you? Fine, thanks�h
like a greeting. When I talk with foreigner, they ask �gHow are you?�h every time. When they ask
that, I always consider about my feeling. The reason why is we Japanese don�ft ask that question
so much. After I consider, I answer �gI�fm OK�hand I always forget to ask again. Why is that?
Because in Japanese culture, we don�ft ask that �gHow are you?�h so I can�ft answer quickly.
We ask that only when I met my friends for the long time. I ask so but that�fs not like
�gHow are you?�h. Our asking is like �gHow were you? Did you always fine?�h so we Japanese
ask about their past.
I think, I should answer honesty. �gHow are you?�h is to ask our condition so of course we
don�ft need to consider. If I take care of my body myself, we will not consider. Therefore we
should take care about myself every time. If I take care that, I will be able to answer quickly. Thank you.
October 10, 2003 - japan_nzair59er - "My Life in New Zealand"
I'm Naoki, also known in Yahoo Japan Chat room as Japan_nzair59er.
Let me tell you briefly about my English speaking experience.
I went to Australia when I was 12, and went to high school there.
At 18, I came to New Zealand to go to Aviation College, as I dreamt about
being a pilot since I was a little child.
I work for New Zealand's domestic airline called Origin Pacific, and I fly
an aircraft called Jetstream 31, which is a 20 seater. One thing great
about this job is that everyday is a different days, we never get the
same condition that we had yesterday.It is extremely hard work, no
different to any jobs that we may have, but I work in an office, which
moves at 460km/h, and at 17000ft. Many people seem to think that
pilot is an ELITE occupation but in fact, anyone can do it, as long as we
graduate an appropriate training facility, just like becoming a teacher,
they have to graduate College of education. In many countries, especially
in the U.S, piloting is like a hobby, many of them have some sort of pilot's
license and it is easy and inexpensive to get a training.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now in a final phase of our flight, the seat
belt sign isnow turned on, so please be seated, and ensure that the seat
back is upright, and tables folded away. Thank you for flying Japan_nzair
59er, and we'll look forward to see you again."
July 20, 2003 - keroch2000 - "Judgement"
We judge people by several ways. By their race, by academic background, by appearance, and by property assets. Which of these mentioned do you think is the way to judge people? What is your reason for your answer? I think they are all important.
when I was a high school student, do you know which bag was the most in fashionable?
1. The bag with imitation flower.
2. Private school bag
3. Other school's bag
The answer is number3. Do you know why? In Japan, people have been judged a person's character by their educational background for many decades, no doubt about that. Academic background became like a phenomenon in this country. So, large numbers of girls carry bags with school marks of a high level private school. Because they want to show off that they have smart friends or their boyfriends.
In the 80's there was so-called "examination war ". Companies judge and hire a person by the school name which he or she graduated. That is one of the reasons why some number of students committed suicide because of anxiety and extremely pressure they felt. The late famous singer "Yutaka Ozaki" wrote about this, and sang this in his song. It was a very big hit. He was sympathized by the boys and girls who had examinations at hand, and grown ups who had examination experience.
During the 90's, educational degree became more famous to people who had never taken test too. Mostly, woman selected the man by "3KOU" which means a man who belongs to family with high property assets, high height, and high academic background.
Coming to recent Japan, the phenomenon of "examination war " remains deeper. But people people's opinions have been changing. They think that academic background is not important, so skill is the most important. When I talk to friends about my intelligent boyfriend, they said "intelligent people are odd, because they are studying all they life." In the town, technical school's poster decorates train, and mail post is filled with technology school's leaflet.
Thus, Japanese are very interested in academic background. Now, do you accept either the academic background, or not?
I think academic background is important. Some says "Do you judge the person by only degree?" I want to say " I have not said ONLY. Skill and sports are is important too. I think academic background is one of the �@facts to judge a person. Influential people put lots of effort even while we sleep and play.So we should respect them, . But we should respect other aspects of person's characters, too. Evaluation criteria for a person is infinite.
