Hello there, I hope you are doing well.
It is an important day for each and every one of us as we wait for the results of the US elections.
Let’s start today’s article with local news. Taxi drivers in Tokyo are now allowed to refuse customers who are not wearing a mask. Before, they were only allowed to refuse those who are drunk or violent to the taxi drivers, but 10 companies have agreed to the change in their rules. This is done in order to protect the safety of the drivers and other passengers. What’s your opinion about this?
ー初めにー
Today’s Fill-In-The-Blanks Quiz:
Here’s last week’s song:
(Fast forward to 3:08)
Hey, little Anna, you’re the one
Rising before that lazy sun
Cross all the numbers off your list
I never knew it’d be like this
Here’s this week’s song:
(Fast forward to 1:50)
Marry me, ____ , be my fairy to the ____ , be my ____ own constellation
A ______ bride with a ____ inside getting high on _____________
And buy me a ____ on the boulevard, it’s _______________________
ー続いてー
Today’s Idiom:
“contrary to popular belief/opinion”
There are times when we are having conversations with our peers and they mention something they’ve heard from someone else or a generalization (一般化) they picked up somewhere, but you know yourself that what they just said is not entirely true. In those times, you can start your justification (正当化) or your opinion, with this phrase.
Here’s a sample conversation:
A: I heard that it’s hot in the Philippines all year!
B: That’s somewhat (幾分) true, but contrary to popular opinion, from November to February, it’s actually cool there.
A: Oh, I see. Then I should visit it in those months!
As you can see, person B partially (部分的) agreed with what person A said, but in the second half of person B’s sentence, they gave them their opinion and started with the idiom we are talking about today.
I hope this helps!
ー最後にー
Today’s Column:
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54808504
Much of the world has their eyes on the US election. The article summarizes what some countries think of the election and what the result means for them. The article mostly has European countries, but also has what Latin America thinks of it. Unfortunately, Asia and other parts of the world are not covered by it, but perhaps, this is something to look forward to in the coming days.
Remember to take care of yourself and stay safe.
Ryo