English Cat　★〜akkyの英語記録〜★

＜iTalk English＞
Rachelle先生：Computers 'to match man by 2029'

2029年までに機械が人間と同等の人工知能を持つという予想について
BBCの記事を読んで面白いディスカッションを行いました。

＜Pronunciation & Word＞
match:mæ'tʃ
Futurologist:a person who studies future possibilities based on current trends

＜Discussion＞
Robots will be more popular in our daily lives.
Advanced technology in the future will be a further extension of that.

Do you agree with Mr Kurzweil that robots will be as much smart as men by 2029?
-I don't think machines beat humans in the near future. They are good at simple tasks, but they don't have creativity or they can't make a decision in a complex situation.

Do you think it's possible that robots co-exist with humans?
-Like the movie 'iRobot'? Yes, I think they can co-exist with us as supporters, but not as masters or kings like in the movie, 'Matrix'.

Do you think it's possible for robots to control the world?
-It could be possible with rapid advance in technology, but I don't want it to happen in real.

If you are given the chance, would you like to be implanted with the robots to boost your memory and intelligence?
-I don't want to be implanted with anything. I feel scared that it could control myself.

What if you get Alzheimer's Disease when you are 70 or 80? Have you changed your mind?
-I might consider in that case because I don't want to forget my family, friends and precious memories.

Do you think it's possible for robots to have feelings in the future?
-No, because they are non-living materials. They have no soul. Robots can understand or express human feelings as they are programmed to recognize the meanings of facial and vocal features.


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＜iTalk English＞
Rachelle先生：Britain's most beautiful face

長かった髪をバッサリ切りました。先生もびっくり！

I had my hair cut last Sunday.
-You look ten years younger, but you also look gorgeous!
I wanna copy your hair...I wonder if I look good with that kind of hairstyle too.
Maybe I'll be like 15 years younger.

Why did you decide to cut your hair?
-I've kept my hair long for a long time, so I felt like trying a new hairstyle.
How's your husband reaction?
-He'd never seen me with short hair before, but he really like my new hair. He said it suits me much better than he expected.

Why there's no highlight or accent?
-I have some brown highlights. But it's dark brown so you　might not find them through Skype.

In a business setting, is it allowed to have colored hair?
-Dark colors are acceptable in most offices.

Why do you think people dye their hair?
- I think it's very easy way to change their outlook through hair to be fashionable or beautiful.

今日は美容関連の動画を見ました。



Do you think that you can actually decide the beauty of the person based on science?
Or do you think beauty has to be subjective and it has to be through the eyes?
-I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I wonder how the scientists decided the beauty standards which is inevitably subjective.

I have a question about beauty contests. You are supposed to judge the contestants based on their beauty. Why are there question and answer portions? Why are they tested based on their ability to think? Shouldn't it be called beauty and brain contest?
-I think they do brain tests to avoid the criticism from opponents against beauty pageants. The beauty is mightier than the smart.

＜Pronunciation＞
contestant - kuhn TES tunt
contest - KAN test
symmetry - SI met ree
cemetery - se'məte`ri


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＜iTalk English＞
Jacky先生：Teaching Children How to Deal With Money

子どものお小遣いについての記事を読んでディスカッションをしました。

＜Pronunciation＞
finances
investments
actually

＜Discussion＞
Do you agree that many children learn about money when they get their first allowances from their parents?
- I agree because I've learned how to handle money well by managing allowances since I was a child. At first I spent all the money at once so I had to put up with buying things until next month. But these experiences taught me how to control money in the longer term and the importance of saving.

Parents should assist children in managing money. Did your parents did that to you?
- My parents taught me to keep a record of my expenses.

Would you mind helping your children on how to deal with their money or you will just simply give them allowances and let them learn by themselves?
- I would teach how to spend their allowances at first, but it's up to them on how they spend their money.

In some cases it can be good to pay children for doing useful things around the house. But others believe that it is normal part of family life. In your opinion which part do you think is correct?
- I would say parents don't always have to give children allowances for doing something. because children will never do that things without getting paid. It is also important to encourage them to support their family activity.


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＜iTalk English＞
Jacky先生：Grammar

英語で話していて、文法が疎かになっているを自覚していたものの
なかなか直らないので、たまには文法を勉強してみようと思って
文法のレッスンをリクエストしてみました。

1.SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
I use present tense when I describe things which usually happens for example

*HABITUAL ACTION
ex) I eat lunch every day.
*FACTS
ex) The sun rises east.

2.PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
I use present continuous we talk about an action that is happening now.
ex) You are speaking English now.

3.SIMPLE PAST
I use simple past when we talk about an action that happened before/past.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
ex) yesterday/last year/last month/5 years ago

4.PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now.
ex) I have eaten my dinner.

*EXPERIENCE
ex) I have been to America.

*CHANGE OVER TIME
We often use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period of time.
ex) My English has improved since I went to America.

5.PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
It started in the past and it's still happening now.
ex) I have been studying since I was a junior high school student.
ex) I have been staying here in Tokyo for 5 years.

今、東京にいるという事実は同じ。
何を伝えたいのかで時制が変わってきますね。

I have been staying here in Tokyo for 5 years.
I am staying here in Tokyo right now.

先生からは、
subject verb agreement
が時々間違ってるとご指摘あり。
例えば、

x Children plays in the park.
O Children play in the park.

とかsがいらないのにつけちゃうこと多々あり。

だけど、文法誤りばかり気にして話せなくなるのではなく
文法も心に留めながら話すようにとアドバイスされました。
繰り返し、練習・修正あるのみ！


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＜いんぐり＞
Mars先生：Personality test using animals

動物を使った性格診断テストをしました。
出典はこちら。

私は干支が午年で実家で今猫を飼っているので
馬と猫を選んだところ
こんな診断結果となりました。う〜ん、当たってるかな？

D. Horse - those are unbridled, untrammeled, and free
B. Cat - you are quite self-centred; you think of love as something you can get and trash anytime you want

結婚に関する診断では恐ろしい結果になりました
これは当たってたら大変だ

D. Bird - you can never be stabilized, actually you are not suitable for marriage and you don't want to make commitment
D. Leopard - you always want to get married, but in fact, you don't even know what it really is

Words
unbridled:束縛を解かれた、自由になった、抑えのきかない
干支：animal symbols、Oriental Zodiac

ちなみに午年の判断です。
これによると
The occupations best sited for the Horse are listed below:

HORSES MAKE EXCELLENT:

Language teachers

Translators

Journalists

Publicists

Bartenders

Pilots

Performers

Librarians

Tour operators

Sales representatives

Information technologists

私の現在の職業も適職に含まれてて良かった
それにしてもバラバラだなあ


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