Notes
character 漢字, 文字;　　

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What are the most popular baby names of 2019? Of course they are different in different countries. In Japan, “Ren” is the most popular name for boys. The most popular name for girls uses the same two characters, but it can be pronounced in two ways: “Hinata” or “Himari.” In the U.S., “Sophia” is the most popular girls’ name again, and “Liam” went from number two last year to number one for boys this year. In Britain, “Olivia” comes in at number one for girls again, and for the first time “Muhammad,” a name from Islam, is number one for boys. (by Douglas Jarrell)
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I heard a speech by a great man on Sunday at a language teaching conference. Oussouby Sacko comes from a French-speaking country, Mali, in West Africa, but he grew up speaking an African language at home. He studied architecture in China and then in Japan. He had many great stories to tell about his experiences and problems in different cultures. In 2002, he became a Japanese citizen, and now he is the president of Kyoto Seika University. He wants all students, Japanese and foreign, to have equal chances, and he wants everyone to learn to understand and accept each other’s differences. (by Prof.Douglas Jarrell)
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