Monthly Archives: January 2015

kazuya

My reaction about Gauging growth in2015

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Summery

 The world economy will grow by 2.9% in 2015 according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. In 2014, world GDP was estimated to have increased by 2.5%. Oil price has so big effects that a 10% oil price down makes world GDP grow 0.2 percentage points. America will be the highest growth country in  developed countries but the euro area and Japan don’t grow well. Excluding Japan, Asia and Australia will be the world’s fastest-growing region in 2015. Papua New Guinea may be the best zippiest country but the other hand, the worst performing will be Sierra Leone in 2015 because of the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa.
Opinion
 This article is very interesting to me in that there are many facts I didn’t know.
 First, a 10% oil prices down make world GDP add 0.2%. These days we know that using too much oil makes the world warmer and warmer, so say we mustn’t rely on oils. Then people use natural gas and hydrogen fuel. But I could’t believe the oil price down has such a great effect.
 Second, Papua New Guinea is thought to be the best growing country. Maybe Papua New Guinea is one of developing countries in the world, so it has a big potential for growth. Not only Papua New Guinea but also other developing countries place in top ten countries considered to grow.
  We should know such meaningful facts and consider the future.

 

yhiroki

My reaction about the shrinking of Chinese economy

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Chinese economy shows the indication that it stops growing.

Chinese manufacturing activity shrank for the first time in seven months in December. Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) that signifies national growth rate was at 49.6, just below the 50 level. 50 level is standard rate. If it is higher, it means its economy continues growing and its market is expanding. On the other hand, if it is lower, it means its economy is shrinking. Chinese economy, which is honored as “factory of the world” is gradually declining in power. As the response to this, Chinese central bank surprisingly cut interest rates to 2.75% for the first time since 2012 aiming recovering the economy.

What makes China stop growing economically? The answer is not said in this article but I think it’s because of soaring cost of labor. In those days, China has attracted many foreign companies by making use of the cheapness of cost of labor and activated its economy. In fact, Japanese companies also has constructed their factories. When we look at products that is sold in Japan, they often have tags that is written “made in China”.

What makes cost of labor in China soar? The reason we can guess is improving of the life standard in China. It is natural as we think, so China stands on the stage that it have to get new temptation except the cheapness of cost of labor. On the other hand, because Japan is much depending on Chinese market, it is needed to find new markets with making sure of the economic situation in the world.

ryota

Final audio essay

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Ken Robinson, an expert on education talked about his ideas about education, intelligence and learning in the video.

At first, he said the educaction is the thing which enable to carry to prospective future. And though making mistakes and being creative is not same, the education always criticizes making mistakes. He also said there are the relative merits of the subjects in education all over the world. For example, mathematic and language are top and art is low.  He expressed it is the education lacked creative.

In these points, I agree with his idea. In present education, people always divide the things to right and wrong things and they condemn the wrong things are bad. But I think these education system killed the human`s creative and talent. So I agree with his idea.

Next, he said the intelligence is composed of three points. First point is the diversity. He explained it is very  important to think the things from every angles. Second point is dinamic. He produced the example, interaction of human brain. He said the intelligence is made from interaction between various fields and values. Third point is distinctive. In this point, he talked about Jylian Lin who became a dancer.

In these points, I also agree with his idea. I think everyone in this world has an uncertain intelligence of various fields. And we also cannot never evaluate that intelligence. But above mentioned, the present education system evaluates the intellgence by using grades. So I think that situation of education kills the human`s intelligence. Therefore, we have to reconsider of these education systems.

Finally, he also talked about learning. He said that every children can show exceptional power. And the essence of learning is human`s concentration of the talent which they have.

I also agree with his idea. I also think the essence of learning is human`s concentration of the talent which they have. So the education must accommodate to this essence. But I think prensent education system robbed the chances for people to concentrate . The school timetable is a good example. Because it makes every people do the things decided by school on time. If there is a child who has a talent of art, he will be robbed the time to concentrate to his talent by the school timetable.

These are my   response to his ideas about education, intelligence and learning. Before writing this essay, I don`t have a chance to think about the relation between education and learning. But this time, I could reconsider of these things.

I appreciate to attend your class. Thank you!

rika

My reaction-recession in Venezuela

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 Today’s my topic was about recent recession in Venezuela. Since last year, Venezuela has fell into serious depression. Why? President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro said that the economy had been hit by political instability and falling oil prices. He also said Venezuela was suffering the consequences of an economic war launched by US President, Barack Obama to destroy countries of OPEC, which is the cartel of the oil producers.　On the other hand, he concluded that this crisis offered a “great opportunity for Venezuela to change its economic model”, because the country has been deeply depended on oil exports.
 I read this article, then I wonder why President Obama has put those OPEC countries at the disadvantage. I searched the Internet and found that he intended to take sanctions against Russia, and weaken the power of Islamic State. However, not only economy of Russia and IS, also economy of the other countries have been damaged. I think the present situation is terrible.
 In addition to that, when I communicate with the other student, who also selected a topic on Venezuela, he told me that the country was lacking of food because of little support for the farmers in Venezuela. Then I understood my topic and his topic were deeply connected. As the President Maduro said, we should pay attention to how Venezuela cure these heavy “disease” from now on.
keita

UK economic growth revised down

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Summary

The UK economy has grown more slowly in the past year.

Revised figures show GDP in the 2014 was a few persent higher than in 2013.

Also, the UK’s curent account deficit widened.

The downward revision in the annual GDP groeth rate was due to lower government and business investment than first thought, and higher imports.

Despite that, the UK’s GDP still grew a litle.

However, the economy is now only a few persent higher than the previous pre-recession peak.

Some professionnal said that weakness in the eurozone is having dampening impact on business confidence and investment.

On the other hand, some professionnal said that the economy could grow faster next year than this.

Though there are some opinions about the UK’s economy, the actually that the economy is not so good is sure.

Opinion

The UK may change this bad situation. If like Venezuela, the main exports have a problem,it is difficult to recover the economic.

However, in case of the UK, the UK can export goods to other countries expect for eurozone.  To take this way, the economy may improve more than now.

The UK is a main country in the world. Economic power’s good or bad of the market  affect many countries. So economic power, like the UK, should stabilise the economy. It is the good way to steady the world economy.

 

 

kenji

My reaction “Apple’s future”

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Summary

Nowadays, Apple’s position in the market is getting worse. The number of big technological innovations are decreasing. Some people say that Apple’s software quality have been dropping in the last few years and Apple’s future is worried. They fear that Apple’s leadership doesn’t realize quite how badly their software flaws have damaged their reputation. Apple’s cloud services aren’t particularly very good. Complaints about Apple’s core software have been far more muted until a wave of bugs and security holes plagued both operating systems over the past several months. Apple has long marketed its products with “it just works” slogan, but Apple products are now operating far from that goal.

Comments

I use iPhone5S and I almost satisfy about iPhone’s spec, but I feel that Apple’s innovation became weaker recently compared with the days when Steve Jobs lived. Missing his intelligence and ideas is a very severe damage for the company, but there are maybe many people who have good brains. I want to expect that Apple will make many big changes to their software. I think there is no remit in human’s ideas. Apple have to make a lot of efforts to produce new software and smartphones for many their consumers around the world.

atsuko

My reaction about test of in-vitro fertilization

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In Japan doctors can only test which the eggs have problems or not before return them to mother’s body in the case of in-vitro fertilization. When we discuss this theme, we should think at the both points of view of mothers and doctors. Mothers, especially elderly mothers tend to know that the eggs are in order  or disorder than younger ones. Because the late child-bearing has high risk. Furthermore they concentrate their first pregnant more. I give you my thought first . I disagree with such technology. I am going to explain the reason later. But if I were elderly mother, I would like to know the “fact”. The conclusion we can get through the technology may not perfectly correct. But it is the fact that we can get the information to some extent. So I can’t say this test is perfectly bad and we should eliminate such technology.

Furthermore science technology can’t stop. Human learn the rules of nature and use the knowledge to live usefully. Once one know the confidence, we can’t escape from the  fertility. So nobody can stop developing science. So the task we should face with is to keep thinking about good and bad aspects of technology.  And we should think how we face with science technology.
rina

No dislike button for the Facebook

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Facebook is thinking the way to express more appropriate emotions like “sad”. Mark Zuckerberg said that many user didn’t feel “like” button was appropriate for unfortunate incidents. However, user can comment on a post when they don’t want to use “like” button. And Facebook has no plan to make “dislike” button.

I think that Facebook should introduce another button, but “dislike” is not proper. It means “not like”. No one would push the button when he or she sees the post about death or illness. If people face unfortunate events, they will sympathize. So to express this emotion, “sad” button is better than “dislike” button.

Other social network services also use button to express feelings. LINE is the most famous SNS in Japan, and it has timeline. By using face fonts, user can express many kinds of feeling in timeline. There are six face fonts, love, very happy, good, wish, surprise, and sad. This way is very easy to express how he or she thinks. Not only letters button but face fonts is a good choice, I think.

Damon

Material for final audio essay

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Watch the talk given by a Ken Robinson, an expert on education. You can turn on subtitles. Click here and scroll to No. 9 if you have problems watching the embedded video <

Write an essay with your response to his ideas about education, intelligence and learning. Read aloud your essay to make an audio essay.

You will be graded on:

  • the content
  • ability to communicate your ideas in English (grammatical accuracy, appropriate vocabulary,coherence…)
  • appropriate length (400~600 words)
  • intonation and spoken fluency
  • evidence of reflection
  • completing the essay and posting it on time (before 11.59 pm, 18th January 2014)

If you have any questions or problems, please contact me <dbrewster@me.com>