Notes:
marriage 結婚;
encounter (偶然の)出会い;
elope 〈男女が〉(両親から結婚の許しを得られず)駆け落ちする;
realistic 現実的な;
wrinkle しわ;
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The days are cold, but one lovely piece of news warmed my heart. An article in a newspaper said that a couple in America just had their 81st wedding anniversary on Nov 25, 2013. They have been officially named ‘the longest married couple’ by Worldwide Marriage Encounter. They eloped in 1932 because the wife was told to marry a man 20 years older by her father. She was only 17. Can you imagine making the decision to elope with the one you love when you are 17? It doesn’t sound realistic to many people living in this busy modern society, but when you see the couple sitting on a couch holding their wrinkled hands and saying, ‘We have watched the world change together’, you might think it’s a good idea to run away from everything just for love. (written by student Miss Murakami, edited by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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▼上記のエッセイを動画で再現しました。

Notes:
consumption tax 消費税;

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The Japanese government has just decided to raise the consumption tax beginning next April. The tax is 5% now, but it will go up to 8%. If you want to buy something expensive (such as a car or a house), you should probably do it now. At the same time, the U.S. government doesn’t have enough money to pay all of its workers. It has to stop some of its services. Politicians cannot agree on how to spend money, so they won’t give any more money to the government. I hope they reach an agreement soon. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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