CROSSROADSCROSSROA DS Language StudioÊs Newsletter February,February , 201
20 1 7

With 2017 bringing in a new US
president and people worrying about whatlaws he may or may not introduce to thecountry, its interesting to look at some of
the crazy legislation that America has
hidden in its legal system already.
The most famous English song in theworld is probably Happy Birthday but did
Ella
you know this song is copyrighted and it isillegal to perform it outside of a “normalsocial setting”. The first version of thisJanissong
was made in 1868 but it was
copyrighted in 1935 with the lyrics we use
today. This copyright is now owned byTime Warner meaning any movie,
restaurant or public gathering that wants
to use it must pay the company royalties.
While Time Warner make $2 million ayear from this it has led to a lot of places
making up special versions of the song to
get around the law.

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Here are some examples of “crazy” laws in America:
http://ijr.com/2014/12/222618-50-state-laws/

As we all know Japan has strict gamblinglaws compared to many countries in theworld. Because of this some Japanese travelto places like Las Vegas to try their hand in
the Casinos. Betting on the outcomes ofsports in America is a big deal and friends
watching NFL or NBA together sometimes
put friendly wagers on who they think will
win. However this common occurrence isactually completely illegal if it involves fiveor more people with revenue of over $2000.
This scenario actually happened when apolice officer overheard a man betting withfriends on College football at a bar. He
befriended the man and convinced him toraise the stakes over a few months. Oncethe total reached $2000 a Police team wasdispatched who ended up shooting the mandead.
The US has a long history of legallyowning certain guns which is a tricky
subject in the country. However in somestates it is illegal to be in possession of apermanent marker if you are under 18. Thisis because of problems in those states withgraffiti but it’s crazy to think you cantechnically spend a year in prison forholding something you would use in artclass.
The legal system ofany country is usually aconfusing thing tounderstand but theUS with its web ofstate and federal
laws throws up
some real puzzles.
I wonder if any
more confusing ideas
will be made Law inthe next few years.

Article by Matt

Joshua Says: Human cultures, we can logically assume, are created byhumans; a result of our brains and our genetics, with each generation passing on
its “culture” to the next. But the latest developments in psychology suggest thatthe cultures we have developed, in turn, develop us - individuals within theculture. Well, this got me thinking. One of the most fundamental characteristics
of any culture is its language. Start using a second language, and......
Junko Says: Leonardo da Vinci’s said, “Painting is
Poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is
painting that is felt rather than seen” Please try toremember this when you visit an art museum next time.
This picture is the face of an angel in “Virgin of the Rock”
by Leonardo kept in the National Gallery in London.

Matt Says: There have been big changes at Crossroads this monthwith Mark leaving. It almost felt like I was starting a new job with all
the changes in classes. I am much busier nowadays but it’s refreshing
to have lots of new challenges. We have all sorts of different students
at Crossroads so every work day feels unique to me.
Nigel Says: Hello everybody, I’m Nigel – the new guy! And I'll be teaching ahandful of lessons at Crossroads. I used to live and work in Nagoya back in2013 and spent the subsequent couple of years travelling to Australia, thenNew Zealand. Now I'm back in Japan and want to teach you how wecommunicate in English! Cheers.
Danielle dit Quand on s’attaque à un problème, il est bon de se rappeler que
tout est lié. Les exemples sont nombreux et variés, de la diminution desemballages plastiques à l’augmentation du pourcentage de femmes dans lemilieu du travail. Ceux qui n’acceptent pas que « améliorer » quelque chose abien souvent des répercussions négatives, au mieux, utilisent leur cœur plus
que leur cerveau, au pire, sont malhonnêtes.
1ACROSS
2 hearing without the speaker's knowing
3 persuaded7 severe, harsh
8 money used in gambling
11 not legal
13 happening
14 unchanging
15 ownership
16 payment to the holder of a copyright
DOWN
1 make or enact the law
4 sent towards a designated goal
5 exclusive rights
6 income (money) before deductions
9 became friends with
10 slightly different from the original
12 related to the law

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(print version here)

The Sports Page withwith S(a)3’s TaroA Japanese Team Gave Soccer Fans a DreamThat’s me!Come True!

If you are interested in soccer, you will remember 2016 as the year of upsets. Inspring a minor team, Leicester City, became the English premier league champions,and in summer, the English national team lost to Iceland in the European nations cup. On topof that, in winter the Japanese club team, Kashima Antlers, went to the final of the FIFAClub World Cup in Yokohama. It was the first time for a Japanese team to reach the final in
an international tournament.
The kashima Antlers hadb eaten Au c kl an dCity FC (from New Zealand),
Mamelodi Sundowns(South Africa) and Atletico
National (Colombia)
in succession to get to thefinal. In the final
they played against Real
Madrid from Spain,
one of the most famous
soccer clubs in theworld. The Spanish club iscalled “The Galaxy”,
which means it employs
many star players.
Most spectators, including
me, considered theAntlers the und erdogs
before the match.
I had to rue the day I
had underestimatedthe Antlers. Although they had conceded a goal within a few minutes, the Antlers never gave
up and made the match level 1 – 1 just before half-time. In the second half, they even took
the lead before Real Madrid scored their second goal. Eventually, Real Madrid added two moregoals in extra time and the Antlers lost 2 – 4. Nevertheless, they played so positively andbravely and made the Japanese fans proud of them.
That game was broadcast all over the world. One Brazilian TV commentator praised theAntlers enthusiastically: “Thank you Antlers. You gave all fans the hope that any team has
the possibility of becoming the champions”. A Chinese newspaper also said, “Money can’t buy
success in soccer. The Antlers proved it”.
There was a third place match between Mexico and Colombia before the final, so I met
many foreign fans at Yokohama stadium. At first I was worried that the Mexican andColombian fans would feel antipathy towards Japan because their favorite teams had been
beaten by a Japanese team. It was an unnecessary fear. All fans communicated with me in afriendly manner and praised the Antlers from their hearts. I would like to recommend theirattitude as an example of good sportsmanship.
MEO
DD O W N R I G H TIIIR
BA V I A NFELSIPCTS E N S I B I L I T I E SROAGDINIHE
C O M M O T I O NTMARS O P H I S T I C A T E DA
E
DV O C A L I Z A T I O N SIHCC O G N I T I V E
E N T I C E
ZSC O M P L E X

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution
ACROSS
3 thorough, plain and blunt honesty
DOWN
6 characteristic of birds
1 changed
9 mental response to external stimuli
2 suitable as food
11 a noisy disturbance4 deep or clear understanding
12 refined, complex
5 hold back, keep
13 sounds made for communicating
7 monkeys, apes and humans
14 relating to how the brain works
15 encourage through promises or persuasion 8 goes against
10 understand the feelings of others
16 not simple

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