ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 24/1/22(月)-26(金)
ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 24/1/22(月)-26(金)
ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 24/1/22(月) 羽田空港事故 脱出までの１８分間
18 TENSE, SMOKY MINUTES: THE EVACUATION
18 tense, smoky minutes: the evacuation
2024年1月5日のニュース
The evacuation of all 379 people from the burning plane is being called a “miracle” by some overseas media. We take a close look at the tense 18 minutes of the escape.
Around 5:47 p.m., the two planes collided. The passenger jet skidded along the runway for about a kilometer. When it came to a halt, the pilots were initially unaware a fire had broken out. But then, smoke began to fill the cabin.
The evacuation began from two exits at the front, close to the cockpit. Five of the remaining six exits were blocked by fire, leaving only one emergency exit at the left rear of the plane.
The cabin crew must have permission from the cockpit to open an emergency exit. But the intercom system at the rear of the plane no longer worked, making communication impossible. The crew opened the door on their own initiative.
The captain was the last person to leave the plane at 6:05 p.m.,18 minutes after landing.
ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 24/1/23(火) 能登半島地震 ふるさと納税で支援広がる
HOMETOWN TAX PLAN UTILIZED TO COLLECT DONATIONS
Hometown tax plan utilized to collect donations
2024年1月9日のニュース
A rising number of people in Japan are using a program to offset their taxes to make donations to areas of the country hit hard by the recent earthquake. The plan is called “furusato nozei.” It allows people to donate money to different municipalities in exchange for tax cuts and gifts.
Websites mediating between donors and local governments have set up special pages. They’re calling for support for badly hit areas in and around Ishikawa Prefecture.
Four major portal sites say the donations received by early Tuesday afternoon have totaled over 2.1 billion yen, or over 14 million dollars. Donors have the choice of declining gifts from the municipalities they are supporting.
ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 24/1/24(水) 野生動植物の違法取り引き 組織化に警戒
INTERPOL CRACKS DOWN ON WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING
Interpol cracks down on wildlife trafficking
2023年12月31日のニュース
Interpol is cracking down on international trafficking of wildlife and plants, which has been growing more organized. There have been about 500 arrests in more than 130 countries.
The inter-governmental organization spent most of October working with authorities in various countries to stop illegal trade.
Czech authorities inspected a facility and seized eight golden-handed tamarins. The small monkeys had been smuggled from South America. An operation at an airport in Thailand found 17 endangered turtles in suitcases bound for Europe.
Interpol says 60 percent of cases were linked to organized crime groups. The agency says these crimes are increasingly sophisticated, with forged certificates and cryptocurrency payments.
ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 24/1/25(木) “オキシトシン”に毛の成長促す働きか
RESEARCHERS SAY HORMONE OXYTOCIN MAY HELP HAIR GROWTH
Researchers say hormone oxytocin may help hair growth
2023年12月29日のニュース
Japanese researchers say the hormone oxytocin may help promote hair growth. Oxytocin is often released by women before childbirth and during breastfeeding.
The research was done by Kageyama Tatsuto at the Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, along with a team at Yokohama National University. The findings were published in an international science journal.
The idea for the experiment came from accounts of more body hair growing during pregnancy. The team decided to examine a potential link with oxytocin.
They created hair follicles from human cells and applied the hormone. They found that after six days, hair grew about 30 percent more with oxytocin than without.
The results also showed adding more oxytocin to the follicles activated certain genes linked to hair growth.
ニュースで学ぶ現代英語 24/1/26(金)“働き旅”で人手不足解消へ
JAPANESE INN TURNS TO TOURISTS TO EASE LABOR SHORTAGE
Japanese inn turns to tourism to ease labor shortage
2023年12月29日のニュース
Now the holiday travel rush is worsening labor shortages around the country, especially in the tourism industry. But one inn has come up with a unique system to ease the effects of the problem.
Popular sightseeing spots here in Tokyo are packed with tourists. But the effects of the labor shortage can be seen all around.
A rickshaw tour business in Asakusa lost nearly half of its drivers during the pandemic. Some have returned, but the staff is still about 20 percent smaller than its pre-pandemic size. It has no choice but to turn some customers away.
But this inn in Shizuoka Prefecture is turning to an unlikely source of manpower – the guests themselves. The inn has organized a “work while travel” system that pays visitors for tasks such as cleaning and serving meals. The program also includes accommodation, food, and access to the on-site hot spring during non-working hours.
