Notes
days off in a row 連休;
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Welcome to the new Reiwa Era! Yesterday was the end of the longest Golden Week in the history of Japan. Many workers had 10 days off in a row, from April 29 to May 6. About 25,000,000 people were traveling during the holidays. Many people were traveling abroad, and the most popular foreign destinations were China and Korea. There were many people traveling around Japan too, but this year the traffic jams were not so bad. The trains were not as crowded, either. Because the holidays were longer, everyone didn’t have to leave and return at the same time. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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Notes
the Suez Canal 地中海と紅海とを結ぶスエズ運河;
the Mediterranean Sea 地中海
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What happened on this day 160 years ago? Work began on the Suez Canal. This canal goes from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Red Sea in the south. It is 193.3 km long. Ships don’t use locks to go up and down like the Panama Canal because the Suez Canal is at sea level all the way. Actually, the idea of a canal is very old. The first canal that connected the two seas probably goes back 4,000 years. However, the old canals were not kept up. When the Suez Canal opened in 1869, it changed the world. Asia was 7,000 kilometers closer, so trade between Europe and Asia boomed.　(by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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