About recent crimes in Japan

1. What do you know about Akihabara and

2. What other recent shocking crimes have happened in Japan involving murder or kidnapping?

3. In America, many people who support guns say "Guns don't kill people; people kill people." Now, some people are saying knives should be controlled in Japan, so we can say "Knives don't kill people; people kill people." Do you think sales of knives should OR could be controlled?

4. What do you think the Japanese government can do to improve self-sufficiency?

5. The article mentioned potatoes as a good crop for self-sufficiency. What do you think of potatoes?

2. 4 reasons were given for rising food prices in the article.

 1.  rising population in developing countries
 2.  rising demand for biofeul
 3.  irregular weather
 4.  rising prices of gas, wheat and corn

Which do you think is the biggest one? Why?

3. "more than 10 food-exporting counties, including Russia, China and Vietnam, have restricted exports of rice, wheat and other commodities"

What do you think of this?

4. What do you think the Japanese government can do to improve its self-sufficiency?

5. What do you think people can do to improve their own self-sufficiency?

About rising food prices

1. What foods have you seen rising?

2. WHAT 4 reasons were given for rising food prices in the article? Which do you think is the biggest one?

3. What do you think the Japanese government can do to improve its self-sufficiency?

4. What do you think people can do to improve their own self-sufficiency?

About the G8

1. WHAT is the G8?

2. What countries are in the G8? Why?

3. How long has the G8 existed? When and why did it begin?

4. Where has the G8 met before?

5. How often does the G8 meet? How many times have they met in Japan?

6. What do you hope the G8 will do?

7. What do you expect the G8 can do?

1. WHAT is the G8? What countries are in the G8? Do you know what they do?

2. How long has the G8 existed? Where has the G8 met before?

3. What do you hope the G8 will do? What do you expect they will do?

1. Did you see an activity of Japanese rescue party?> What do you think about rescue operation of Japan?

Myanmar (Burma)

1. Where is Myanmar? Why is it called Burma in the US and England?

2.

China

1. What do you think about rescue operation of Japan?

4. Do you know anything about hybrid cars? What about bioethynol and other new types of energy?

5. Do you know how much gas costs in the US and other countries?

1. Do you think the gas tax shoud be used for only building roads, or general needs?

2. Do you think public transportation (JR, buses) are more expensive or cheaper than driving a car?

3. Do you think public transporation is good in Kumamoto?

4. Do you know how much gas costs in the US?

1. What do you do for the environment?

2. What could you do, but don't do?

3. What do you think of hybrid cars and technology?

4. What do you think of solar and wind energy?

5. Do you think the G8 can help global warming? Why or why not?

6. Do you think the G8 can help the gap between the rich and the poor? Why or why not?

7. Do you think the gap between the rich and poor is increasing in Japan? Why or why not?

2. How often do you read newspapers in English? Why?

3. What newspapers do you read? (e.g. Kumanichi, Asahi, New York Times, etc.)

4. How often do you watch the news on TV? Why?

5. What kind of news are you most interested in? (e.g. sports, music, world news, local news, crime news, etc.) Why?

6. What kind of news do you think is the most important for you to know? Why?

1. How often do you read newspapers in Japanese? Why?

2. What newspapers do you read?

3. How often do you read newspapers in English? Why?

4. How often do you watch news on TV? Why?

5. What kind of news are you most interested in? Why?