英検また落ちました

本気で勉強し始めて、まる一年になりますが、10月の試験でまた落ちてしましました。

ブログもほとんど手をつけずに、一生懸命やってきたつもりですが、前の試験よりスコアが
下がってしまいました。なぜ！

いろいろと反省材料がありますが、ちょっとまとめてみると、

• 英作文を今までで初めて最初にとりかかったのですが、なぜか書き込みすぎてごちゃごちゃになってしまったこと。きちんとしたパラグラフになってなかった。基本に戻ってイントロとコンクルージョンを入れて４、５のパラグラフにすること。
• やはり今回も読解に時間がかかりすぎ。最後の読解問題は文章が全然頭に入ってこなかった。(上滑り状態)

気を取り直して、も一回戦略を練り直します。

interesting article

I found an interesting artical titled ' The consolation of animals ' by Richard Conniff in the Internationa Herald Tribune.  As a wild-life writer, Mr.Conniff showed us an interesting points view some wildlife animals activity. His neighbors suspect that he is a hit man, he writes. Anyway, his writing is very easy to read for me. I will check his some books in the amazon or so.

I'm walking

Walking is wonderful! Now I go to a my workplace by walk. It takes about　20　minutes,　after　working　I　sometimes　go　to　a　supermarket　on　the　way　home.　So　I　have　to　carry　some food staff or so. It's heavy but getting home I feel very good. I guess walking effects my brain so it seems that I have a positive attitude toward the day and future. It's great thing!

my dream

I happen to find out my dream:  Opening my bookshop. Suddenly......   Actually, I have been thinking about my future. I dream  about my goals for future, studying abroad, writing novels, becoming translator, teaching English for kids........

But they are not touch my heart. I don't think they are right things what I want to do.

Anyway, I find out I want many people to offer places where they can use
details later..

around 50s

I am now 47 years old and it is around 50years old
. Now we've heard recently around 40 (ara-four in Japanese): the age between latter half of 30s  and early 40s. In short, in any age, getting old affects in our mind.  Around 50s  has a lot of changes in mind and physically. Menopause, circumstanses change like growing up children, backpain, pain in knee, so on. Actually, I have knee pain and I sometimes see a doctor and pull water on the knee. But I try to do some exercise for knees and also caring of food. To elevate body temperature, I drink black tea with ginger,soaking bath at least 30 minutes. I read some books related to elevate body temperature and actually I am trying some. I will write them here little by little.

sunny day

Today's sunny day was wounderful! Until yesterday we had heavy rain and I was very tired of it. A lot of laundries were hanging all around rooms, because we don't have dryer for cloth. But plants need rain, I think , because many summer vegetables are growing up now!

ひたすら単語の日々

すでに5月も半ば過ぎになり、英検対策の勉強にも力が入ります。練習問題を解けば解くほど、次から次へと新しい単語がでてきて、へたりそうになりますが、不思議なことに、最近は前より頭に入る（忘れないでいられる）単語がすこしづつ増えてきたように思います。
単語を覚えることに少し慣れてきたのですが、今度は長文問題に苦労しています。なにより、読んでいて、眠くなってしまうε-(￣ヘ￣)┌ ﾀﾞﾐﾀﾞｺﾘｬ…

タイマーがいつの間にか目覚ましになってしまいます。ただ漫然と解くだけでなく、そのとりあげられているトピックや、キーワードをチェックしなければ。

今日は朝から英作文に挑戦。ちょうど2時間もかかってしまいました。見直す暇もなく仕事にいかなくては、ということでとりあえず。これは今日の朝日新聞の記事を訳したものなので作文ではないのですが、とにかく事実をまとめることに専念しました。こうした記事はたぶん作文の中の具体例として使えるかもしれませんので、なんでも勉強と思いやってみました。

Solar panel

 New photovoltaic system is equipped with roof of a shopping center ‘ T-port ‘in Takahama-city, Aichi-prefecture this month. Nine-hundred and three solar panels are used in one-third of the roof.(about 1500㎡ ) Although the cost savings for power is not much expected, this shopping center tries to show their attitude for environmental friendly by using this natural power system.

According to T,S,C, which manages this system, they use a next generation type called thin film multi- junction solar cell. Monthly energy production is 5000kwh(in winter)~9000kwh(in summer), and annual energy production will be about 87000kwh. The energy generation per one month equals to the amount of energy consumption per day. It means saving effects of energy for  12 days (\3200000) per year. And also, the amount of emission of carbon dioxide reduces 29 t per year. They have changed their power equipment with energy saving products , like air-conditioning system and lighting apparatus, so effect of emission of carbon dioxide is about 30t. The total saving of energy consumption is about 175000kwh, equals to four thousand ciders tree absorption of carbon dioxide.

 This system is very expensive. They had a chance to change their system when they refurbished their shop, but the cost of this system was about \70000000. Considering the annual savings (\3200000), it takes 20 years to retrieve their payment of the cost.

In the long run, this investment for this equipment is a kind of advertisement. When this environmentally friendly consciousness will effect on customers taste, they can expect this system as cost effective.

熱がでてしまいました。

英検合格者の手記を読んで参考にしたのはいいけど、あれもこれもと欲張ってスケジュールつくって、実行していたんですが、どうもちょっと無理がたたってしまったようで、土曜日から熱がでて、日曜日は一日ダウンしてました。

とにかく、単語はプラス単語（英検一級用）をひたすら耳から聞いて、単語帳に例文も写してやっています。しかし、この単語集の例文の難解なこと！　例文から覚えるのが一番なのですが、なにしろその例文につかわれている単語が解らず、辞書を引いてこちらもチェックです。かなりのボリュームですが、やり応えはあります。

英作文の対策として過去の問題をやってみて、近所に住むカナダ人の方に見てもらっています。その方は現在この地域の大学で英語の授業をされていて、縁あってこちらもちょこちょこと御世話をしていたことがあり、英検の話をしたら快く、英作文の添削を引き受けてくださって感謝。そのことからも今回は絶対に合格したいと思っているからこそ、テンションが上がってしまっています。

まだ一度も2次に進んだことがないので、実感はないのですが、手記を読むとかなり手ごわいようですね。英検のホームページにデモがあったのですが、あんなに長く、一つの課題で話さなければならないのか！とびっくり。世間話じゃないんだから、きちんと英作文のように
イントロ、具体例、結論と筋の通ったものでなければならない・・・・・。これはいかん、とあわてて、いろいろと新聞の切り抜きなど集め、ファイルを作ってまとめて・・・、なんてやっていると、その情報収集だけで時間がかかってしまって。本末転倒になってしまいます。
ある程度情報も絞らなければいけませんね。

今日作ったエッセイを載せます。他にもいくつか作ったのですが、おいおい載せていきます。

 Efficacy for commuting by bike

 Tsutomu Matsuda, 59, was made diagnosis as diabetes and spinal canal narrowing three years ago. He could not walk more than 300m by himself. But now he can control his blood sugar level from 430mmg to 160mmg, lost his weight by 6kg. What are the effects on commuting by bike?

 First, health effects are well known among us. Riding bike is easy way to strength your muscle and respiratory system. If you are overweight or like Matsuda, had chronic illness, you could start it without worrying about them. Mental effects are also remarkable. As a first-class architect, Matsuda lost two jobs under economic crisis, but he can forget those bad things while riding bike.

 Second, environmentally effects are also very obvious. Without fuel (human power is source for power) and emission gas is very economically and environmentally friendly.

Space for parking bikes are less comparing to cars. You can park 10 bikes in one car space. Traffic conjunction problem will disappear as decreasing number of cars.

 Third, bike commuting is a good business opportunity. Runners station plus bike Koji-machi, opened in February. This shop is equipped with institutions for bike commuters, like shower room , space for changing thier clothes and parking lot for bikes. Monthly fee is 23000yen and they are also preparing for once in a week user. They can buy tickets for using this institution at odd interval.

 It is obvious that commuting bike is much effective in many areas. We are expect the government to introduce specific rules and guideline for riding bike like cars. For protecting our selves from car accidents, we have to buy voluntary insurance and wear helmets. If commuting by bike is admitted by company as means of rational commute, you would be paid industrial injury insurance in case of an accident while commuting,

心を入れ替えて頑張ります

全く、タイトルにあるように、英検合格を目指していたのに、大変脱線していました。

1月の英検は　不合格　でした。あたり前です。結局なんだかんだ理由をつけてしっかり準備ができなかったのですから。

このタイトルに恥じないように、6月の英検では絶対合格を目指します。