2024年7月20日「モバイル英語学習」第836号 (英語のエッセイ): Amazon’s 30th birthday


Notes
used items 中古品;
loyalty 公約・義務などへの)誠実,忠実;

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Amazon was started by Jeff Bezos 30 years ago. It began as a small online bookstore but has now become a giant company that sells almost everything. Amazon is important in many people’s lives, offering a wide range of products and fast delivery.

In Japan, Amazon is very popular, competing with big local companies like Rakuten. Rakuten is famous for its loyalty program and many services. Other important Japanese online stores are Yahoo! Shopping Japan, which offers a marketplace for different sellers, and Zozo, which specializes in fashion. Mercari is another favorite, known for buying and selling used items.

Big online stores like Amazon and Rakuten will keep growing by using new technology, entering new countries, and offering more services. However, they will also face problems like stricter rules, new competitors, and the need to be more eco-friendly. How well they handle these issues will decide their future success.
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2024年7月15日「モバイル英語学習」第835号 (英語のエッセイ): France’s National Day: Drones and Fireworks Light Up Paris


Notes:
National Day 国家記念日;
Bastille prison バスティーユ牢獄. 1789年、7月14日、国民議会を支持したパリ市民がバスティーユ牢獄襲撃.フランス革命の発端となった。フランス革命のはじまりの日とされる;
Eiffel Tower エッフェル塔;
motto 標語;
smoothly 順調に;

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July 14th is France’s National Day. It celebrates the day in 1789 when people took over the Bastille prison, ending the king’s rule. Since 1880, the French have celebrated this day every year. This year’s celebration was special because the Summer Olympics will be in Paris.

On July 14th, there was a fantastic celebration near the Eiffel Tower. It featured 1,100 drones and fireworks. The drones made impressive shapes in the sky, like the motto of Paris and an athlete with the Olympic flame. This show was unique because it mixed traditional fireworks with new drone technology. There was no live audience because they are preparing the area for the Olympics.

The event also had the traditional military parade, but it was moved to a different street. The Olympic flame began its journey through Paris, visiting famous places like the Sacré-Cœur and Moulin Rouge. This celebration was a practice run for the Summer Olympics to ensure everything goes smoothly and safely.
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