Notes
flavor 味;
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I have improved my Japanese sentences after studying some books on writing. I have to write my own sentences in a story which no one else has written. I should start like novelists such as Souseki Natsume and Yasunari Kawabata. “I am a cat” and “The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country” are two of the best examples. I have to be aware of the need for rhythm in Japanese writing, too. Some different onomatopoeias add flavor to Japanese sentences. I am Japanese, but I found that writing better Japanese is not easy. (by a reader)
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Notes:
EIKEN 「英検」は正式名称を「実用英語技能検定」といい、年3回実施され、年間受験者数約230万人の国内最大規模の英語検定試験です;
motivating 動機を与えた;
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Many readers said that they took the EIKEN. One reader passed the first part in high school but couldn’t take the second speaking test because it was on the day of his school trip. Now, many years later, he is looking forward to taking it again, this time with his two teenage daughters. For some people, the listening section is more difficult. For others, the reading part is harder. A couple of teachers said that they needed to take the test for their jobs. One teacher said that it keeps her studying English. However, another teacher said that just studying for a test isn’t very motivating. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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