The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray is main character in this story.
Although he was evil man, I don't know he was evil man from the beginning of story. But, a picture that was drawn by Basil reflects actual Dorian Gary's face.The picture was becoming old and ugly whenever something has happened to Dorian Gray.Dorian Gray has never been old. He is always young man and beautiful.
In the end, He hated the evil in himself and stabbed his own picture and he is dead. He changed to ugly and old and wrinkled at that time. The picture changed young and beautiful.

It is strange story and interesting.People have various mind. Perhaps, it might be to reflect somewhere.

Dr.No

Dr. No, the enemy of James Bond, he like to know how does a person’s mind endure terror.
Huge obstacle come up with Bond like big centipede, spider, giant squid, tentacles.
When you read this story, you remember the old style movie. It might not you make exciting. But, you also remember the principal of 007 story. There appear the beautiful lady, fast and stylish car, beautiful landscape, latest tool for spy, and fight.
All of 007 stories are easy to remember because they are all impressive.

From this book , the word I have learned are as follows;

Nerve , disgust, surrender, rattle, fugitive , ordeal, torture,

T.AKIE

Why?

I think that there is a very difficult problem in this story.

In this story, there are the following sentences.

Some people have guns.They use the funs because they want something.

Then other people get guns to light back with.

Now everyone has gun. and everyone forgets what they are fighting about.

I think that These sentences show the cause that "selfish behavior of people" and "war" is not lost all over the world.

The army is managing it all over the world so that people should not become unhappy by a negative chain now.

However, I thought that it might be a rather bad thing.

Is it impossible that all the people become happy?

Rendezvous with Rama

I was reading this book thinking what Ramans were or what purpose of them was. At first, I thought the Ramans’ purpose would be that they destroy the Solar System, but at the middle of the book, I thought their purpose might be nothing and the Rama would be just tomb. At the ending, I understood my guess was wrong.
My favorite chapter is 9, Dragonfly’s Flight, and 10, The Fields of Rama. In these chapters, the youngest officer, Jimmy Pak tries to explore to the Southern Hemisphere. I guess he would be fearless officer and little bit goofy. He has a sky-bike called Dragonfly and he was proud of his machine, but bringing such as heavy machine was violation. (I can understand his character from this episode.) He flied using the Dragonfly, but suddenly thunder boomed and crashed, and the full power of the electrical storm hit Jimmy. Finally the little sky-bike’s right wing broke off completely and Dragonfly crashed to the ground. I read chapter 9 and 10 very quickly because of the interesting story.
During the story, there are some strange description such as ‘Are we climbing down, or are we climbing up?’, or ‘The strange Cylindrical Sea curved up on either side of the explorers, and over their heads. I imagined those descriptions. To tell you the truth, I want to experience such amazing gravity, although I would feel a little bit fear. I think it would be the same as the world of a scuba diving. In fact, I’ve heard that astronomers practice space activities under water, because the world under water is less gravity like space. When I finished reading this book, some strange experiences in this book inspired me to travel into space some day.

A Town Like Alice

A Town Like Alice is a novel by the Australian author Nevil Shute.
This is one of the most interesting English side reader I have ever read.

At first, I couldn’t understand why the book is titled “A Town Like Alice”, but I found why the author named this title when I’m reading the last chapter. I think “A Town Like Alice” is fitting with this story. Alice Springs is a town in Australia, and it seems there is a film of this story. Click here!
There were lots of medical words in the story, e.g. dysentery, malaria, skin disease and etc. The Glossary at the end of the book would be helpful to understand these kind of words.

Points for Understanding
16-1: While Jean stayed in Willstown, she learned a lot about the place.
(a) How many people lived in Willstown?
There were only one hundred and forty people in Willstown.
(b) How many shops were there?
There was only one shop and one bar.
(c) Could women drink beer in the bar?
No, the bar sold beer to men only.
(d) What happened to the girls of Willstown when they grew up?
They left Willstown, because there is no job for them.
(e) Where would Jean want to live if she married Joe?
She would want to live somewhere else

Koa

The longest day

It's been a while since I started a business trip at 9pm! I did so last night...

This has been Luna's first week back after the holidays, as it has been for most people; it has been just as hectic for us as everyone else too! Gossip to catch up on and email to wade through; old students to reconnect with and schedules to remember. You know?!

At Luna we also had to replace our car over the break. Nothing wrong with the old one except the shakken/roadworthiness would have cost more than buying a second hand vehicle.

If any students did not get a New Year card (nengajo) from us I apologise. Please email us & tell us your new address! (Help save trees and scroll down a bit?). The fault is probably mine - I am never organised with nengajo nor Christmas cards until it is too late, and I never give Yuki a list :(

At the end of a 'welcome back to work/school & let's be cheerful' campaign, I literally ran home, got changed & threw stuff in a bag before continuing running to the station for my trains. Damn. All the platform kiosks were closed. Local train = no buffet cart with food (or beer...important) BUT heated seats set to 'melt arse to chair' temperature. Horribly uncomfortable to Nagano, trying to sit on one 'cheek' before cooling off in Nagano. Then same performance again on the last chugger to Naouetsu.

I meant to read & finish one of my books on the go, but instead listened to an extremely good podcast on British naval history from Binge Thinking History. I have already read half of a brilliant 'biography' of the Royal Navy, but this was easier as my head kept banging the frozen windows!

What to do around Naoetsu station at the midnight hour in early January? Find somewhere warm? Yes! Next to the sake-reeking old gits curled up in the (only) heated waiting room? Lovely. I know for a fact there are no convenience stores near here for a bento (or a beer!).

{How do you know that, Jim? Well, funny you should ask. In Dec 1989 I first came here to get me visa extended, and only managed to get the hairs in my ears trimmed. As then, I froze.}

At 00:55 the Kitaguni Express slid along platform 6 and I found my berth against the rafters in the last carriage. It's been a while since I had to undress lying flat, and I posted on Twitter what to do with valuables! I woke, feeling like I'd never really fallen asleep, rocking into Kyoto pre-dawn with a few minutes to find the Shinkansen Nozomi to Okayama. Still no food, and no longer in the mood for a beer...saw the sun rise on platform lucky 13 before being whisked away west to arrive an hour later disheveled, dehydrated, and discombobulated.

Less than an hour later starting a day-long training session for Cambridge ESOL Centre JP176 & my friend Malcolm Harding, who is trying ever so hard to get the exams going. A pleasure to be here for him (I just wish I didn't feel like a ghost after that trip!) and to meet some quality new examiners.

"A" is for Alibi

I was surprised to read first sentence of this story. The first sentence was "The day before yesterday, I killed someone.". I thought "Are you OK?", "Are you a detective?", "Why can she continue a job of detective who killed other people?". I had a lot of questions for her and her story.
I read some chapters, there were many characters. I'm not good to remember each person characteristics, so it makes me to confuse this story. I think she was a good detective.

Question 11-1. Gwen tells Kinsey that Colin last saw her at Diane's junior high school Graduation. Kinsey doesn't believe her Why not?

Answer: Colin was about fourteen months old at the time of that graduation. If he last saw Gwen then, he wouldn't remember he at all.

Silver Blaze and Other Stories

Which is favourite story?

Favourite story is THE BLUE CARBUNCLE.

Why?

The jewel was hidden inside the goose.It is interesting.

What did you like about the main characters?

Homes is very clever.

Naoya

The Canterville Ghost and Other Stories

**Home work**
Q1.Which is favorite story?

My favorite story is “THE MODEL MILLIONAIRE”.

Q2. Why?

Because the main character is very honest man and this is a story with a happy ending by his honesty.
He is a hard worker but he is poor. Therefore he can not get married his girlfriend.
One day he met a beggar in Alan’s studio. Although he need money and he gave the old beggar all his money. He does not know that the beggar actually is a rich man. Later the beggar gave a check for ten thousand pounds as a wedding present.


Q3. What did you like about the main characters?

Although he is poor, he is very kindly and honest man.


Q4. Who would you cast in it if you made a film?

I would like to cast the beggar “Baron”. Because I am interested his life after he met Hughie.

The Red and the Black (Stendhal)

Why the novel was titled "The Red and the Black"? As everyone supposes, "The Red" means soldiers and "The Black" means priests. However I feel this is not the only the reason. It is an historical psychological novel. We can see French society for the first decades of the nineteenth century through a young man's attempts to socially rise. Even though you didn't have any knowledge of French history at all like me, this short version of "The Red and the Black" would be easy to read and quite interesting.

Ikaros,

The Eye of the Tiger

I enjoyed this story because there were lots of typical elements for good adventure and suspense story. For example, there was a precious treasure at bottom of the sea, and there were battles and murders for it. And there were also mysterious women who cheated the hero and loved each other.

The scenic description of beautiful sea and shelf of coral made me feel like being by the ocean. I can't wait warm spring!

Chapter 3

3-1 When could a ship go through Gunfire Break?

A. When the tide was high.

3-2 How long could a ship stay in the pool behind Gunfire Break?

A. A ship could only stay there for an hour.

3-3 Was there another way out of the deep pool?

A. Yes, there was another way out through the back of the reef.

3-4 Why did Harry refuse to go through Gunfire Break?

A. Because the tide wasn't right at that time.

3-5 What did Harry see written on the side of the sledge?

A. He saw the name and address of the company who had built the sledge.

3-6 Jimmy North found something heavy. Why could Harry not see what the object was?

A. Because Jimmy had wrapped it in strong cloth.

3-7 What happened when Harry Fletcher went towards the object to have a look at it?

Guthrie tried to shoot Harry with his gun.

Hideki

Happy New Year!

Holiday brain food

I came across this interesting article in the Guardian today and thought my keen students would be interested in checking out some new vocabulary. Follow this link to find out what snollygoster means.

Then there's the challenge to remember what happened in 2009! Try this.
Too hard/too easy? Try an interactive quiz from the BBC.

OK, so you think you know a few things about sport? Beat my score (12) if you can, here.

Remember, you are supposed to be cleaning the house or tidying something up, so this is called 'doing your English homework' - you need a cup of tea or coffee to help you concentrate...Enjoy!

Do it at home - excellent advice!

Boxing Day

So, what is it all about then, "Boxing Day"?

Image via Wikipedia

Personally, it's about picking up the pieces after a hectic Christmas Day - wrapping paper still everywhere; trying to find batteries that fit; there's the smell of Turkey soup in the air, simmering all morning and munching on tasty left overs/turkey sandwiches; finding time to edit some pictures from the previous day, and catching family on Skype if we couldn't during yesterday's mayhem. We also need to go for a walk, and get some fresh air to blow away the cobwebs!

Later tonight it'll be about trying to catch some football from the Premier league as the kids sleep, and maybe sneak a peak at the Boxing Day Test Matches (in Australia & South Africa) online.

What else do people traditionally do on Boxing Day (besides freezing in a queue for the Sales to open)? Well, in Britain they get up to some fairly daft activities - check a few out here.

Hope you all had a super Christmas - Santa found you & didn't get stuck in the chimney etc? Enjoy Boxing Day just as much!

Merry Christmas - snowing with you too?

A Town Like Alice

This is a story of Jean, a prisoner lady, who was caught by Japanese army in World War II. She and other prisoner ladies and children are forced to march for long long distance in hard environment of Malaya. They were starved and Many ladies and some children dead of disease like malaria. However Jean endured and lead the group to live. At last War was over and she lived in piece and became rich in her home country England, but she went back to Malaya...

This is so impressive story. I recommend this for everyone who loves piece and hate the war. In this story, Japanese is hateful nation. It was true in the war. We all Japanese must realize it again. This story gives us a chance to do it.

Points for understanding 15

1 Why did Jane decide to go to Australia?

Because she wanted to see if Joe Harman was all right. Australia was his
home country.

2 What did Jean learn from the nurse in Kuantan?

She learned from her about Joe. He was well and sent to Singapole.

3 Jean began to think that she would like to live in Alice Springs. Why?

Because Alice was Joe's home town and comfortable to live.

4 Jean had a big disappointment in Midhurst. What was it?
There was a dull place to live.

Christmas party slideshow

Christmas message from Alex & Dan

Late announcement - OE Training

Last minute announcement before the school closes for the holiday. There will be a training and co-ordination session for new Cambridge ESOL Oral Examiners at KET & PET level in Nagoya, over the Jan 30-1 weekend.

Anyone interested in attending should contact Jim directly asap for details, minimum requirements, pre-training & enrollment.

Brave Heart

Writing #33
How much do you know about Scotland? What is the capital city? What are the top football teams? What is the highest mountain?
Find out some facts. Write questions. Test your friends.

I don't know so much about Scotland. I only know that Scotland is in Great Britain Island. So I studied about Scotland with internet.

# The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh that is the second city of Scotland. The national flag is the St.Andrew's Cross, and the national emblem is a lion rampant.
The national flag:

The national emblem:

# The population is about five millions, and the language are English or Scottish Gaelic. The weather of Scotland is comfortable, because of a flow of the ocean and the westerlies, winter isn't very cold, summer isn't very hot.
# The highest mountain is Mt.Ben Nevis. It's altitude is 1,343 meters and it is in the Grampian Mountains.
# The top football teams are Celtic Football Club and Rangers Football Club. These teams belong to the Scottish Premier League.

“A” is for Alibi

This is first time for me to read Sue Grafton’s detective story. I like her story, because it was unpredictable and exciting. I couldn’t find the real culprit until the end of the story.

What’s interesting is that she is going to write Kinsey Millhone series with one for each letter of the alphabet. “A” is for Alibi was published in 1982, “B” is for Burglar in 1985, “C” is for Corpse in 1986 and so on. In 2009, this year, she have published “U” is for Undertow. Definitely, she’ll write remaining five stories, “V” to “Z” in the future.

Why don’t you click here to know her and her stories?

Points for Understanding

Q14: Kinsey looks at John Power’s black Lincoln car. One headlight and part of the fender were broken. What does this tell Kinsey about the death of Gwen Fife?

A14: Yes, it means John Power has killed Gwen Fife by his car to protect his alibi.

Koa

The Darling Buds of May

Q.

Imagine that you are Mr Charlton. Write your letter to the tax office. Explain why you can't go to work. Don't give the real reasons!

A.

Dear my boss,

I'm sorry that I have been absent from the tax office, because I had a big trouble.

Last Friday, I went to Mr. Larkin's house to get tax from him. On the way the tax office from his house, I was caught by a robbery.The robbery had put me under house arrest for several days.

I'm getting away now and posted this letter. but I will be caught by the robbery soon.

Please don't search me. If you found me, you would be dangerous too.

By the way, I checked that Larkin's family doesn't earn money. Therefore, you don't need to visit Mr. Larkin's house again.

Charlton

written by Yoichi

Dangerou Game

Writing 26
Julie was your best friend. She wrote to you just before her death. What dis she say? Was she well? Was she happy? What did she say about William? Write her letter.
--------------------------------------------------
xxx street 1234
London
England
10 February

Hi Yuji,

How are you? I haven't met you long time. Everyone (include you) believe that I'm very ill. Maybe, William said to everyone. I'm not ill.
A few months ago, I was very happy. I went to dance party every weekend. I enjoyed dancing and chatting with my friends.
Recently William said to me, 'Don't go dance party. Don't go outside alone.'. I guess that he was jealous of my friends.
He is kind to me, of course I know that he loves me. I love him, too.
I want to go to the dance party. I want to chat with my friends. Please write to me about New Year dance party. I'm looking forward to hear about my friends Claire, Emma and others.

Best wishes
Julie

PS.I made my new dress, but I haven't worn it yet.

King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table

I’ve read this story when I was a child. Now that I almost don’t remember the story, I enjoyed it. I found the story has not only adventures, battles but also love, romance, unfaithfulness and so on. When I was a child, maybe I couldn’t understand all of the stories.

Image by litmuse via Flickr

My favorite story is chapter 6, ‘The Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’. One day, a green knight came to Camelot and said ‘Cut my head by my axe and then I cut your head.’ If you hear it, it might sound awful or strange, but Sir Gawain tried to cut the green knight’s head. After the green knight’s head rolled onto the floor, surprisingly the green knight was not dead! Then he picked up his head and held it by the hair. Next turn, Gawain should be cut his head by the green knight. He had to made a long journey to a castle where the green knight lived in order to die, but he didn’t escape from deadly event. I found it knighthood like Bushido. (I will stop explaining this continuation because I don’t want to disturb someone who didn’t read it.)

I like adventure like this. For example, ‘The load of the ring’, I became to want to see the movie. I think the final battle between Arthur and Mordred would be very exciting if I watch it on a movie. I also want to see exciting scene which Morgana changed her figure to dragon. I searched the movie on the web site and I found some. I want to watch it some day.

Posted for Masao K.

必見！チケット差し上げます！！爆笑スペシャルライブ

本日、Nagat WAON様のご厚意により、明日（１２月１８日（金））松本文化会館で行われる、爆笑スペシャルライブのチケットをいただきました！
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本来ならば、￥4300のチケットを、ルナの生徒様に今回無料で差し上げますので、ご希望の方は是非事務所へお越しください。

Unquiet Graves

Four children go across the past time and the present time to help a poor phantom airman. They are brave and cooperative. If I was Regan, I couldn't do same as her. I'm too scary to talke to a phantom.

Many mysterious things happended through this story, but at the end, these are all clear and you can understand everything.

The four children had mysterious experience in “Unquiet Grave ” story, too. I think they have a sense of recalling dead people from their sleep. I prefer this story to “Unquiet Grave ” because the four children cooperated each other to understand Glen's message.

Unquiet Grave
I think many sad stories like this are sleeping under the ground in every graveyard, and many people who had dead wanted to say their wishes. Franki happened to hear the voice because she found a half of coin. Althogh many horrible things happened to her and her friends, Frankie did right thing. Thanks for her, a sad couple could gain their happiness.

Many mysterious things happened in this story, but at the end, these are all clear except one thing. It's the meaning of the picture, a wolf with a small boy, which was carved in the stone above the doors. If you underatand or know this meaning, please let me know.

Posted for Tomoko

Posting number 1000

Just a little incentive for contributors - in just over two years, you have made 970 individual postings to our blog. THANK YOU !!! Whoever posts the 1,000th will be celebrating (New Year) with a nice bottle of red wine from me.

So, get your pencils sharpened and blog away!

Jim

The Last of mohicans

Q6 is interesting question.

If I will make the Japanese film about 'Last of mohicans'.
I think make the "YAKUZA story".
Those compositions similar very well,because small organization implicated in unified struggle of large organization. And, scrambling for the woman is also the same.Location is Tokyo in postwar Japan.Music is Ryuichi Sakamoto. His sound is the tension, and is magnificent.

Japanese actors is as follows.

Hawk-eye is "Etsushi Toyokawa",His masterpiece is "New Battles Without Honor and Humanity".He is typical of the serious character at Japan,and performed the powerful man by "21th Century Boy"

Magua is very important character,because he has relationship with all happening. So difficult.

I think choose to" Tatuya Fujiwara".His masterpiece is "BATTLE ROYALE".

Chingachgook is "Bunta Sugawara", He performs in a quietly refined way.

Cora is"Koyuki",She is beautiful and strong feeling.

About Uncas and Alice,I will choose the popular young actors at that time.

And,Tamenund is"Hisaya Morishige".But he recently dead.

What do you think this direction?

Hiroto

The Perfect Storm

This is a true story. I re-realized "The leader should behave carefully on carefulness" by reading this story. The captain of the Andrea Gail rushed into the storm because he had a ploblwm with ice machine and he had to get back to Gloucester as quickly as possible.
The captain of the Sayori didn't throw away the ship though his ship was too small to withstand storm, and he jeopardized his crew.
The leader should know that his decision dominates the life of his related people. After the storm, a lot of crew families see and feel the ghost. I think the crew could't help saying something to tell their falimies.
How do they feel now about that sail?

Question. 11. What has happened to the Terri Lei? Make a guess.

Answer: There are the ghosts of men who died at sea around the Terri Lei. I think that they caused the surge, and draged Terri Lei to the sea. Because Adam Randall was a marked man.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

I read The Picture of Dorian Gray. This is very strange story.

Basil painted Dorian's portrait. This was a very fine portrait. Then he had feared that he get older so he wished the portrait get older instead of him and his wish came true.

Dorian have never get older. he had been evil more. he had killed another man and he had beat up another person. He had been young ever but his portrait had became older and eviler.

At last, he had broken his portrait and he had became old and evil. I thought that he have get tried himself. If I were him, I couldn't bear up because my friend will become older but I never become older. I don't think I want to be young forever.

Massive deja - vu: Akihabara station

I had one of those "hair prickling on the back of my neck" moments this evening, walking along the platform in Akihabara station towards the Sobu line for Shinjuku. It really was a "wow, I have done this before" feeling. Unlike deja-vu, I can actually remember when I did this before: exactly twenty (yes, 20) years ago.

Image via Wikipedia

Do you want to know something that makes it extremely weird? I was wearing the same jacket (rarely worn since) that I bought for interviews - always wore back then as my 'teacher uniform' because I didn't actually know how to teach but figured I needed to look the part. Yes, the jacket is a bit tighter now than it used to be...maybe I should wear it more often?

I used to grab a bowl of noodles on the opposite platform after my last class, once a week, teaching Phillipina hostesses on cultural visaes, just around the corner on Showa dori. I didn't have to speak to get food - it was one of those vending machine jobs outside; coins in, ticket out, noodles on counter. Just enough time to wolf that down, before making the last train 'home', all the way around Tokyo Bay Kemigawahama (nr Makuhari) in China, with the drunks and the porno manga reading losers.

Strewth. 20 years? Same clothes. That says a lot doesn't it?! My last trip to Akihabara then had been to buy a 'ghetto blaster', before I escaped the crap job, crap money, crap flat-mates, crap lifestyle to get "gaijinned" constantly in Suzaka. Consolation prize there was discovering a beer machine outside my apartment; drawback was the Arctic blast delivered from the long-drop khazi in a very cold winter, and the even colder flatmate Barbara I had to pretend I didn't hate. God, she was a miserable cow!

Absolutely twenty years ago, pretty much to the weekend. Thanks Dad, for lending me the cash to survive that first week in Tokyo - bought that jacket down the side of tracks in the famous markets beside Ueno station. Serious decision then was "food or clothes?" - so, again, nothing new!

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ルナインターナショナル

Today is Thursday - must be CPE

This is my third day invigilating and supervising Cambridge ESOL exams in Tokyo. Once again we are grateful for the facilities available to us at ILC.

Image via Wikipedia

On Tuesday I was curious to realise that all the FCE candidates were very careful drivers - all had gold licences! I was trying to figure out how old everyone was, but I still get confused on Showa & Heisei years. Don't you? I was not at all impressed when the nationalist nutters started blaring their 'patriotic' music & insults at the Prime Minister and the Diet...it's rude to shout, especially when some people have got better things to do, like taking a serious examination. I the evening, I had a nice meal with an old colleague in a Turkish restaurant. I think the Raki was a bit strong, but the food was great!

Wednesday is CAE day, and I recognised several candidates from last year. We had a chat after their written papers had finished to figure out if they were optimistic about passing this time. Obviously, I can't comment, but it is a nice way to warm up and get in the mood for the speaking test - not easy if you have been silently concentrating, reading and writing all day.
One candidate had travelled all the way from Okayama to sit the exam. That's dedication! I had an interesting evening banging heads on the low ceiling of a Spanish restaurant with my hard-working examiners. Fantastic spare ribs and cold cerveza.

So Thursday is CPE day - the really really creme de la creme of English examinations! I take my hat off to anyone attempting this level, and suggest a lot of native speakers would not pass. How many people actually write with paper and pen much these days? The writing paper alone have candidates scribbling like fury for two whole hours. Once our admin is all taken care of, I hope to test the Wychwood ales in the Hobgoblin locally, and maybe an Old Speckled Hen or two as well. No, I shan't be on my own. Meeting up with another old friend of mine to chat about IT solutions for Web 2.0 learning. I really hope he doesn't buy any Tequila!

I wonder if my regular students missed me this week? Thanks Magnus & Jai for covering.

Grey Owl

Writing #29: Describe an animal or a beautiful area that is in danger in your country. What is the problem? Is there a way of saving it?

We can know the animals in danger in Japan by reading RED DATA BOOK that is published by Ministry of the Environment. We can read that in below URL. http://www.sizenken.biodic.go.jp/rdb/index.html

The reason of danger is almost development and overhunting. A golden eagle that is one of animals in danger is damaged by the development. For example, a development of ski resort will cut a lot of trees that golden eagle needs. A otter is in danger too, because people have done overhunting. A otter's fur is very beautiful.

To save these animals, when we develop something, we should research animal's life enough. And we have to follow the rule, study the danger of animal's.

Matilda

Matilda is a little girl at the age of 5 who has an extraordinary intelligence and an amazing ability.

(There is a hint of her ability on the image of cover, can you find?)

The point I was interested in weren't only her amazing ability ,but also her character.

In fact, her situation isn't good.

Her parents aren't interested in her, they don't give her any books ,her school's principal is almost enemy among the students and she(principle) hates her.

Regardless of such a situation, she is very sensible and kind to her friend and her homeroom teacher too.

This is my opinion,I think such kind of ability doesn't effect on her mind good influent.

For example she may use it for making a trouble...

In this story she just used it for helping her classmate and her homeroom teacher from their enemy principle.

(Although Matilda used the ability once to her parents who were doing bad business for preparation of the battle toward the principle..)

Anyway,her amazing ability is great and exciting, but I don't know it's necessary on this story.

Because at first, I imagined Matilda would fight to the principle using only her courage and intelligence

and I thought it would be good experience for her in her life.

I think her nice character gave me a stronger impression than her amazing ability.

A is for Alibi

"A is for Alibi"
Sue Grafton

This is a crime detection novel written by Sue Grafton. The main character of this novel is Kinsey Millhone, famale private detective.

I enjoyed this novel very much, because this main character is so attarctive for me.
Wise and active, good-looking (maybe). And the story has a lot of doubtful characters, I can't solve the murder case.
And I was in trouble to remember all of their name! But I recommend this novel (taking note of their name and character).

Points for understanding 2

1 They had been law pertners for seven years.
2 Gwen thought that there are so many people who hate Laurence.