2011年7月29日「モバイル英語学習」第110号(エッセイ): Harry Potter Fever

Notes:
hit 〈ニュース・記事などが〉~に出る,発表される;
premiere(演劇・オペラ・映画などの)初日,封切り;
camp out 屋外で寝る;
instalment《数回に分かれたシリーズ番組などの》一回[一話]分;
involve ~に関わる;
represent ~を表す,象徴する;
era 時代,時期;
mark ~を記念する,祝う;
occasion(特別な)出来事,イベント;

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In June 2011, the last of the Harry Potter movies hit the movie screens. Thousands of fans travelled miles to see the premiere. One fan even flew from her home in Mexico and camped out in London so she could see the final instalment of the film. She also wanted to see the film’s stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. Many young people have been involved with the Harry Potter story throughout their childhood, and this represents the end of an era for them. To mark the occasion, the famous Imax cinema in London screened all the Harry Potter films over two nights. It lasted over 20 hours and involved the fans dressing up in costumes.
(The final film is called The Deathly Hallows-Part 2 ) (by Prof. Simon Smith)
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2011年7月22日「モバイル英語学習」第108号(エッセイ): Hello. Is Anyone Home?

Notes:
fool into〈人〉をだまして…させる;
burglar 強盗;
fed up 飽き飽きして、うんざりして;
collect 取ってくる;
device 装置;

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A young British boy aged 13, could win a prize of 250,000 pounds (32 million yen) for inventing a doorbell that fools burglars into thinking that someone is home. The invention is called the ‘Smart Bell’ which calls your cell phone when someone rings on the door bell. This allows for a conversation with anyone who comes to your door. As well as tricking burglars the invention can also talk to delivery people. He thought of the invention after his school had a competition asking students for ideas based on a popular TV program. The teenager, said: “At first I designed the idea because my mum was fed up going to the Post Office to collect deliveries made when we were not at home.” The device has already sold more than 20,000 units and could sell many more, making him a very rich young boy. (by Prof. Simon Smith)
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