Notes:
soy milk 豆乳;

———————–
How should a man propose to his sweetheart? One man in China had a very unusual way of asking his girlfriend to marry him. He arranged to meet her in the street, and while he was waiting for her, he and his friends made a big heart using 520 bottles of soy milk. I’m not sure why he chose soy milk. Maybe it is her favorite drink. Or maybe he just wanted to make a heart with white bottles. In any case, when his girlfriend arrived, he gave her flowers, and she accepted his proposal. They didn’t drink the soy milk though. They gave it to the crowd of people who were watching. (by Prof.Douglas Jarrell)
———————–

Notes:
grocery store 食料雑貨店;
compete 競争力を持つ
——————-

Japan’s first convenience store is closing today. It opened in a new town outside of Nagoya in 1971. At that time, Japan had grocery stores and supermarkets, but there were no stores that were open from the morning til night. The person who opened the store got the idea from the 7-Eleven stores he saw in the U.S. He kept the store open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and it was a big success. It became the first Coco Store. Now there are convenience stores everywhere in Japan. Coco store has been bought out by another convenience store chain, and this storecan no longer compete. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
——————-