CROSSROADSCROSSROA DS Language StudioÊs Newsletter December,December , 2020
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The Japanese Tanuki are members of theThe Tanuki are very well adapted to livingin the vicinity of human settlements. Theycan thrive on a cat or dog food diet andanything they can find in people’s gardens.
The absence of natural predators in urban
areas often leads to overpopulation, and in
turn, culls have to be carried out.

dog family. Their name translates in English
as “racoon dog,” on account of their close
resemblance to racoons, although the twoanimals are not at all related.

EllaJanis

Unlike their dog cousins, Tanukis arenocturnal animals, poor runners, but excellent
swimmers and can climb trees in search offood. Rather than actively pursuing their pray,
they resign themselves to a more scavenging
and foraging lifestyle. Our furry friends caneat just about anything and everything, frompoisonous frogs to slugs to berries, and allmanner of forest morsels. They also hibernate
in winter.
Becauseof
theirstocky
non-athletic
disposition, when attacked, they resort to playing
dead, until the attacker – hopefully – resigns.

The Tanuki are the most popular animals inJapanese folklore. Initially portrayed as evil
tricksters, capable of possessing people with
their belly-drumming and bringing misfortune,
they evolved into an altogether different symbol.
An equivalent of European garden gnome,
Tanuki is now a harmless and fun-loving
creature, fond of drinking and merry-making,encouraging generosity. Many people adorn
their gardens with Tanuki statues, hoping it willbring them prosperity and business success.

Article by Marek
NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
For extensive information about Tanukis in folklore and art,
head to:www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tanuki.shtml

Joshua Says: Reading! Reading regularly in your second language (English),even for short lengths of time, gives a huge boost to your ability to improve yoursecond language communication skills. But you should approach this task notfrom the point of “study”, but from the point of view of enjoyment. Read aboutthe things that interest or entertain you, read for joy and you’ll be surprised
just how much this will improve your all-round ability to communicate.
Junko Says: It’s the end of the year and we’re doing some “housecleaning.” We have quite a few English textbooks that we will not beusing. They are new in the sense that they have never been opened.
Instead of throwing them away, we’d like to offer them free to ourstudents. You’ll find them near the large classroom. Just take home as
many as you want– no charge!
Marek Says: It’s December and I see a variety of flowers still in bloom.
Morning Glory, Cosmos and Dahlias are a real pleasure to see growing inparks and along the rivers. Flowers always manage to uplift my mood duringcolder months of the year. Scottish landscapes are mostly devoid of flowering
plants throughout autumn and winter, so to see flowers almost all year roundmakes the cold and short days a lot more tolerable.
Mandcy dit: Chers étudiants, j'ai été ravie de passer cette année encore avec
vous. On peux dire que cette année a été pleine de rebondissements!! Mais, Jesuis très contente que nous soyons en bonne santé et que la vie continue. Jevous souhaite à tous un Joyeux Noël et une bonne année!! Mes meilleurs vœux.
L'année prochaine sera belle et grandiose. Adieu Monsieur Corona et au revoir
Monsieur Trump. Et Bonjour les Jeux Olympiques!
1ACROSS
1 grow with great success
4 similar to snails but with no shell
5 complete, entirely all
7 feeding on discarded refuse
10 remove things that are not necessary
7
13 having a short and solid appearance
14 give up, accept as inevitable
17 small quantities of anything
18 at the beginning
19 equal to20 a mythological creature resembling a tiny man

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9

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14DOWN
2 similar in appearance
3 make more attractive by adding ornaments
6 described in words or represented visually
8 nearby
9 sleep during winter
11 an acquired habit or characteristic
12 following in order to overtakeor catch
19
15 active at night
16 searching for food(print version here)
www.CrosswordWeaver.com

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12

13

15

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17

18

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Critic’s corner with S(a)3’s Taro:To Have and Have Not"You know how to whistle, don't you? You justput your lips together and...blow."
Humphrey Bogart is a great American actor. Which of hismovies do you like best, Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon,
The Big Sleep or The African Queen...? Without doubt, they
are all truly fantastic. However, you shouldn't overlook To
Have and Have Not. It was the first film in which Bogart and his future wife, Lauren Bacall played
in together.
The film was set in the French colony of Martinique, an island in the Caribbean Sea. At thattime (1944), the island was controlled by Vichy France, an ally of Nazi Germany. Harry Morgan(Bogart) was a captain of a small fishing boat. One day, the French Resistance asked him to helptransport members of their group to the island in his boat. They offered him a lot of money. But,Harry refused their request. He was politically neutral and he didn't want to get involved.
That night Harry met a young American lady, Marie Browning (amazingly, Bacall, who played
Marie, was only 19 years old at the time!), nicknamed Slim. Harry saw her picking someone'spocket. He knew she was a wanderer. She wanted to go back to America, but she was penniless.
Then, there was a gunfight between the local police and the Resistance. Harry and Slim wereinnocent, but they were taken to the police station for questioning. Because the policemen treated
Slim rudely, Harry became incensed. The Vichy inspector decided that Harry was untrustworthy
and seized his money and passport.
Of course, he couldn't let the arrogant police get away with that, so the next day Harry decided
to help the Resistance. Above all, he wanted to earn money to buy an airplane ticket for Slim. Heunderstood she was eager to go home. When she found out why he had changed his mind, shehugged and kissed him. Instead of simply thanking him, she said the famous line above.
Before he engaged in his dangerous mission, Harry met Slim and gave her a ticket and said
good-bye. During the adventure, Harry's boat was seen and fired upon by a navy patrol. His
passenger was wounded, but they escaped and got back to the island. On returning to the hotel,
Harry found Slim waiting for him. She didn't use the ticket and decided to stay with him.
If you watch this timeless masterpiece for the first time, I'm convinced you will enjoy it verymuch. Furthermore, I'm also convinced that you will get the urge to whistle after watching it.
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Last Month’s Puzzle Solution
DOWN
ACROSS
6 people or things that are very
well-known
7 another name for creature
9 to fight10 using the tongue to drink
11 make suitable for
12 very poisonous
14 small round stones
17 active at night
18 back or behind
19 to sort and separate carefully

1 characteristic features
2 odd or unusual
3 nerve endings that respond tostimulation
4 emerge from an egg
5 supporting growth and development
8 feeding on animal life
13 mud, clay, small stones in a river orlake
14 small openings in the skin
15 to dig
16 located at or near the backDon’t forget… Our SPECIAL 1+1 Campaign offer! Up to 50% off!!
See our notice board, or ask Junko in our office, for the details.