CROSSROADSCROSSROA DS Language StudioÊs Newsletter February,February, 201
20 1 5It’s an irrefutable fact that the world is getting The Paleo Diet: This diet is sometimes
referred to as “The Caveman Diet” because it
fatter (particularly Western developed countries).
Our lives have changed dramatically over focuses on eating only those foods that were
the past fifty years or so and we have become available during the Palaeolithic era (afar more sedentary than we used to be. This, prehistoric period approx 2.6 million years ago).
There is absolutely no reputable evidence
coupled with a huge increase in theconsumption of convenience foods due to our that participating in one of these diets willbusy work/life schedules has seen our provide controlled, long term weight loss or
waistlines expanding to never before seen better health. In fact, the Atkins diet has beenshown to increase blood cholesterol todimensions.
I’m not
overdangerously high levels while the Paleo dietMarketers have recognised
weight!
results in a nutritional intake deficiency.
and opportunity here andThe Gluten Free diet is a little different astapped into consumers’ desire
it is designed for people who have a medical
to lose weight the fastest andcondition known as Coeliacs disease.
easiest way possible. The mostHowever, for some reason, marketers haveprevalent of all the weight loss
been able to convince consumers that thissolutions they have haddiet is suitable for almost anyone when insuccess with is the fad diet.
fact it can have a negative impact on a
So what exactly is a fad diet?
person’soverall health.
A fad diet is a weight loss plan or aid that
Most reputable nutritionists and dieticians still
promises dramatic results. They become
extremely popular, usually due to extensive advise that the best choice for weight control ismarketing budgets and the obligatory regular exercise coupled with a healthy balanced
Hollywood A-list celebrity endorsement. These diet, eating a variety of foods including wholediets typically don't result in long-term weight grains, vegetables and fruit while limiting yourloss and they are usually not very healthy. In intake of saturated fats and sugar.
When considering weight loss solutions wefact, some of these diets can actually beshould probably all follow the old adage that, if
dangerous to your health.
Some of the more recently popular fad diets something seems to good to be true, then it
probably is.
include;The Atkins diet: A diet that focuses on
Article by Mark
reducing carbohydrate-intake in favour ofconsuming more protein rich foods such asmeat and dairy products. People on the Atkins
Diet usually avoid foods such as breads,
starches (rice, potatoes etc) and sugars.
Vegetables should be restricted to 20 grams aday or less.
The Gluten Free Diet: A diet that excludes
the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains
NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
such as wheat, barley and rye. Participants in…. Try our lessons through the net!
this diet avoid all foods that contain wheat
SITE OF THE MONTH: Lose weight without dieting:flour such as breads, pasta, cakes, cookies etc.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-no-diet-weight-loss

Joshua Says: It seems that almost every day I hear about the Japanese government’s commitment
to upgrading Japan’s “international” or “global” status. The reasons are many and the government’sefforts are serious. But it remains a hard sell if people don’t support this premise. It seems to me that theprocess towards acceptance falls into three phases: first, people have to want to be internationals; second,people must accept English as the international language; and finally, people need to realize that if
English is the international language, by definition, everyone who speaks it is a “native speaker”!

Junko Says: In Northern Japan, it is still snowing heavily though signs ofspring are already here. The days are becoming longer day-by-day and cherry
blossoms are starting to flower even in the Kanto area. And in about 2 weeks
we will be right at the beginning of spring where many things start their newlife cycle. Let me wish everyone, “good luck for your new cycle of growth”!
Mark Says: While Feb 11 is Japan's National Foundation Day, my home country ofNew Zealand also has its national day (Waitangi Day) on Feb 6 each year. Waitangi
Day is a celebration of the birth of NZ as a nation but has recently become a day ofprotest for the native Maori people to highlight past injustices inflicted upon them by
the colonial British Crown almost 200 years ago. Despite this, most people still verymuch enjoy a relaxing mid-summers day off from work - perhaps at the beach.
Aaron Says: Since I have moved to Ehime, I have wanted to study more
about the history of this region and learn exactly how modern Ehime came tobe. The rich history of the Iyo area I have found to be very fascinating, but I
have not had time to really get into the specifics of the history. If you haveany book suggestions, please let me know.
Danielle dit; Cette Année l' hiver canadien est très froid! Les Canadiens doivent

affronter des températures de -30 degrés presqu' à chaque jour. De plus, il y aeu beaucoup de tempêtes de neige. Pour les gens qui aiment skier, patiner etfaire de la luge, c'est merveilleux. Par contre, pour les gens âgés l'hiver est
très rude et très long. C'est dangereux de conduire sur les rues enneigées et demarcher sur les trottoirs glacés. Vivement le printemps!
1ACROSS

2 impossible to disprove
5 taking part in an activity
7 requiring little activity
9 a specialist in the study of nutrition
10 required by convention
12 take in
15 relating to a healthy diet16 having a good reputation

23
4

5

6

7DOWN

1 lacking or needing something
3 someone who takes part in something
4 prehistoric, primitive
6 most frequent or very common
8 promotional statement
11 stay clear or keep away from
13 a short, memorable saying believed to be true
14 the latest superficial trend(print version here)

89

10121113141516
www.CrosswordWeaver.com

Here’s another anecdote from soccer crazy, world Last year Ren sent us a few articles from China
traveler, Taro from S(A)3. This time it’s from Germany! and we featured them here on P3. He had beenposted to China by his company. He has now
English helps us communicate
returned after about a year there and has morewith each other in any country.
to tell us about his experiences. Here is the firstToday, many airports and hotels
installment in a new series:
employ staff who can speak
China has a mid-length holiday from the end of September toEnglish well. However, you can’t
thebeginning of October. I went to some parks in Beijing withdepend too much on yourmyfriends,
who were German, Korean, American, Colombian,English in some cases. I realizedandIndonesian.
We went to a famous park that is located in thethis anew through my travels inmiddleofBeijing,
just behind Tiananmen Square. The name ofGermany last year.
theparkis“TheForbiddenCity”. Unfortunately, the air pollution
I stepped into a restaurant near a soccer stadium on my firstonthatdaywasrelatively
bad.
In China, the air pollution levels
night in Munich. The restaurant’s menus were in English as well aschangesodrastically
inas
short
a time as 3 or 4 hours. But you
German. Skimming the English version, I ordered a veal cutlet, one
can’tforecast
whatthecondition
will be on the day. You canof the popular dishes there. Within a few minutes, the waitersee
theairpollution
inthepicturebelow,
right. That is the viewbrought me a cutlet and a mug of beer. Perplexed by theoftheForbiddenCityfromthetopofasmall
mountain next to
unexpected beer, I supposed he must have thought I had orderedthecity.
It
looks
foggy.
Still
thescenery
lookedamazing, even“a beer, cutlet”, a mistake possibly due to my poor pronunciation. I
thoughwe
couldn’tfigureout
howbad
theday’s
air pollution
justified my error by taking the opportunity to enjoy a golden
levelwas.
Onotherdays
duringtheholiday,I
stayedin mycombination of local beer and veal. (In fact, German beer was very
dormitory
tostudy
becausetheairwasquitebad.
Butit
becametasty, even for a teetotaler like me.)stOn another day, I visited Nuremberg to find some presents for better from October 1 , so I decided, on a whim, to travel out ofBeijing
bytraintoTianjin
City.
my family. At a small shop downtown, the owner asked me what I
Althoughthecityisnear
Beijing, it takes about 40 minutes towanted. “I’m looking for gifts for my parents”, I said. Hearing this,getthere.
I
reservedahotelon the day. I stayed in Tianjin for 2
the owner looked confused and stared at me dubiously. Then, Inights
and3days.
Actually,
I could not find any hotels in
repeated, “I want some souvenirs for my parents”. He started toTianjin,soI
stayedinTanggu,
a city next to Tianjin. I went tosmile and showed me some postcards and cookies. Later, when I
Tianjininthedaytimeandwent back to Tanggu in thewas flipping through my pocket dictionary in a café, I was shocked
evening.......
(Tobecontinued)
to learn that “gift” means “poison” in German! (I also found that“souvenir” has the same meaning in German as in English.) I
understood why the shop owner was confused. I might have beenaccused of plotting to assassinate my parents!
I still believe we should speak English without worrying too muchabout our mistakes. At the same time, we shouldn’t neglect ourefforts to improve our English skills including improving ourvocabulary and pronunciation. What is most important in myopinion, is to laugh at your failures and to learn from them.
EW E A R YVSPG A U N TLPDPUM E R E
S H E A R E RGEOGFHT R I B U T E
ASGN
W H O P P I N GHIDUOTRNIHS U B M I TVIUESR E N E G A D EEA
TRWith my friends in the park

Forbidden City from a mountain

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution
ACROSS

DOWN

2 physically and/or mentally tired
5 very thin
7 being nothing more than
8 a person who cuts the wool off
sheep
10 something given as an
expression of esteem
11 very large
14 give in to the will of anotherperson or thing
16 someone who become an outlaw

1 escape from
3 take into custody, arrest
4 moving slowly
6 the main character in a work offiction
9 someone running from the law
12 go in search of or hunt for
13 prevent from being seen
15 support or carry

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