CROSSROADSCROSSROA DS Language StudioÊs Newsletter November,November , 201
20 1 8Now,
ofSince ancient times people have bought
and sold from each other, originally using
labour or trading animals in exchange for
produce from farmers, before items such asconch shells and the first currencies(estimated 600bc) began to be used.
Then, markets and fairs emerged from daily
fruit and vegetable stalls to annual mass
gatherings, with Roman and Greek ruins still
testament to the great lure that goods proved
to the masses. The market place then evolved
from nomadic, temporary stalls into
permanent, built shops through the Middle
Ages, before emerging as more of a pursuit forpleasure, rather than just for necessities, inthe mid-1700s (in Western Europe at least).
From here, more and more countries’
economies would come to rely on retail trade,but shops became vital socially too. Such
shopping served as a means for social
interaction, providing a central hub Ellaaroundwhich towns were often built and society
flourished, friendships forged and deals
brokered.
As grocery stores and specialist
Janisshops came to be superceded by thesupermarket, though, a trend started whereretailers have been moving further out of city
centres – as typified by the rise of US-style,out-of-town
shoppingmalls
andhypermarkets. Localised trade had also
helped distribute wealth, and created jobs,locally. The emergence of the internet in the1990s increased the flow of wealth and work
away from the point of sale though.

NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
Here’s a list of most of the online shopping sites inJapan: https://www.onegai-kaeru.jp/japanese-onlineshops/

the lure of immense selections
goods online, at a fraction of
the price asked in-store, isstarting to turn city and town
centres into ghost towns, as highshop rates and a lowering customer
turnout forces shops to close up, or move theirretail service online too. Even there, though,with the emergence of gigantic online retailers
like Amazon, Rakuten and Aliexpress,
privately-owned internet shops are beingbrought out or swallowed up as the ‘big-hitters’
undercut their rivals and offer unbeatablediscounts – ‘predator pricing’ - at least until thecompetitors have been defeated.
Opponents of such trends argue that people
are becoming further isolated from each otherand that societies are threatened due to lostjobs, relationships and lost finances (people
still pay out their money, but none of thecorporate profits are reinvested locally). Somealso feel that shopping through the internet
poses risks of scamming and card skimming,
where unscrupulous thieves may steal yourdata and then your money, or of receiving fakeor inferior products when purchasing online.
In some countries, to counter the movement
towards internet shopping, campaigns havebeen set-up to ‘support your local shopkeeper’, combined with a resurgence of local(often organic-produce) markets, garage sales(USA), car boot sales (UK) and people trading
and giving away their fruit, vegetables andother commodities.
What do you think – is it worth preserving
the high street, the local shops, family-run
grocers, farmers’ markets and the communitythat goes with them, or should we continue
movingtowards buying everythingo nl in e an d e n jo ythe convenienceof staying athome?

Article by MarkJoshua Says: I think everyone is now aware of our new business support service; if
you need to use English at work and you’re having trouble dealing with some of thedetails – you don’t understand an email; you need to check your English translationof your company’s pamphlet; the restaurant you work for has asked you to translate
their menu, etc - bring it in and we’ll take a look at it for you. This support is free forall our students and it is our hope that, through you as “English ambassadors,”
Ehime will soon get to join the international business/tourist community.
Junko Says: The Japanese parliament is now discussing new laws concerning foreignlaborers. And every provincial city is trying to expand the marketing of its products toforeign countries. Also, the English entrance examination system for universities isgoing to change from 2021 With these changes, I feel Japan is entering a second
globalization phase. Of course the role of English is becoming more important. Now, theonly thing remaining for us is to go along with the movement and speak English!
Mark Says: I am still hoping for a freak, deep snowfall (especially after
seeing snowflies last week), but am enjoying the crisp air under blueskies. Whenever I’ve lived in temperate (4 season) climates I have always
fattened-up coming into winter, gaining weight naturally as a barrier
against the cold. In Japan though everyone stays slim – including myself.
I think there’s some magic in the air!
Darrin Says: This month, my family are celebrating my daughter’s “Shichi,go, san,” or 7, 5, 3 in English. It’s not something that we do in Australia,
but as the saying goes, ‘When in Rome....” I must say that it’s been fun
watching her getting dressed up in a kimono and taking photos of her atsome different places in Matsuyama and Uwajima. I may be biased, but I
think she looks very cute.
Mandcy dit: C'est bien connu, la France est le pays de l'AMOUR!! Ainsi, Victor
Hugo disait : "Vous voulez la Paix, créez l'amour" Mais le saviez-vous? Cette année, La France fête le centenaire (100 ans) de la Première Guerre mondiale. On necélèbre pas la guerre en fait , mais plutôt la Paix. Je suis d'ailleurs trés heureuse devivre dans un pays aussi pacifique que le Japon. Et j'espere que nous puissions vivre
heureux encore de longues années.
1ACROSS
4 places to gather products for business5 bought and sold8 having no fixed home
9 grown vigorously, successfully
10 strong evidence
13 perform an essential function
14 sell cheaper than the competition
15 a type of seashell
16 begin again
DOWN
1 the common people
2 made with effort and care
3 dishonest, without principles6 developed through time and experience
7 participate in an activity
11 taken the place of
12 a promise of some kind of reward

2345768910111213
141516(print version here)Critic’s corner with S(a)3’s Taro:“If I wasn’t hard, I wouldn’t be alive. If I couldn’t ever be gentle, I
That’s me!

wouldn’t deserve to be alive.”
My father said this, out of the blue, when I was lying on the sofa. Heasked me who said this phrase. I answered it was Philip Marlowe, adetective in the novels of Raymond Chandler. He nodded and told me that
he was going to cite it in front of his students. He was a high school
principle and he was looking for a good message for alumni.
Have you read his stories? You might have heard some titles like “TheLong Goodbye” or “Farewell, My Lovely” (not “A farewell to Arms”). You
can find the phrase my father liked in “Playback,” the last novel byChandler. In the story, Philip Marlowe saved a poor lady who was being
blackmailed. He was very tough and strong, but he treated the ladytenderly. When she asked him, “How can such a hard man be so gentle?”,he answered with this phrase.
The phrase explains briefly the manner of a “hard-boiled detective.” As you know, “Hardboiled” is originally a word describing eggs. In literature, it means a character that is very cool,
tough and uncompromised. On the other hand, Marlowe becomes kind and sentimental once inawhile. He covers his heart with his armor of coolness.
Of course, Chandler’s books are entertaining for readers. Also, they are good for students asEnglish textbooks. They contain a lot of instructive words and phrases. If you read the sentence inthe headline of this article again, you will notice it is a good example of the subjunctive mood.
Marlowe will teach us correct grammar.
Even if you don’t like reading, you can enjoy Marlowe’s adventures on DVD. He has been
portrayed by stars like Humphrey Bogart (“The Big Sleep,” 1946), Elliott Gould (“The Long
Goodbye,” 1973) and Robert Mitchum (“Farewell, My Lovely,” 1975). My favorite is HumphreyBogart. He also acted as another famous hard-boiled detective, Sam Spade, in “The Maltese Falcon”
in 1941.
When you enjoy good books or movies, you can study well. Let’s try together!

“If you didn’t study hard, you wouldn’t be a student. If you couldn’t enjoy studying, you wouldn’t evendeserve to be a student.”C O N S I S T I N GL
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B L E N D I N GNLUSI M M U N I T YEELast Month’s Puzzle Solution
DOWNACROSS
1 made up of
5 poisonous substances
8 lasting for a short time
10 choosing not to dosomething
11 useful or helpful
14 combining into one
15 resisting disease

1 free from confusion, easy tounderstand2 followers
3 removing poisons from4 convert food for use by the body
6 shinier and smoother7 watched closely
9 slowly, step by step
12 loss of strength and energy
13 to clean

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See our notice board, or ask Junko in our office, for the details.