CROSSROADSCROSSROA DS Language StudioÊs Newsletter July
Ju ly,ly , 201
20 1 4Global warming is a
topic of concern for all of us.
We now know that theEarth’s surface temperature
over both land and waterhas
beenwarmer
throughout the most recent
three decades than in any
preceding decade since 1850.
Since the year 2000, the steady rise in global
mean temperture has taken a pause, though
not a decline.
The cause of the warming is thought to be
due to an accumulation of carbon dioxide andother gases in the atmosphere which produce
a greenhouse effect upon solar radiant energy,
as predicted by Swedish chemist Svante
Arrhenius in 1896. When people burn fossil
fuels (e.g., coal, oil, gas), carbon dioxide isadded to the air at rates that far exceed thecapacity for removal. As well, when people cut
down the Earth's forests (deforestation), lesscarbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphereby plants and the structure of the forest itself
gives up its carbon to the atmosphere.
If the Earth's temperature continues to rise,polar ice will melt and water will expand (as itbecomes warmer), and raise the sea level by
56 to 200 cm by the 22nd century. A rise in sea
level would flood many coastal areas andsubmerge low lying oceanic islands. Scientists
are most concerned about the feed-forward
effects of global warming. A big concern is that
extended summer heat in Arctic areas willlead to a discharge of methane frompermafrost and continental margins. As agreenhouse gas, methane is about 20 times
stronger than carbon dioxide in trapping heat.
Another concern is that the growth of trees isnegatively affected by drought, which causes
heat-related forest stress and dieback. Thisposes a risk of release of the forest carbon pool
into the atmosphere and jeopardizes one of theimportant means of consuming carbon.

The effects of a warming
climateupon
weatherpatterns will be manifold,such as where and how
much rain or snow falls.
Already, we are witnessing
both flooding and drought
in multiple areas of theworld. Deserts will increasein size and drought will fuel wildfires andcurtail crop yields in the breadbaskets of theworld. Storms, especially those with potential
to cause extensive property damage such as
typhoons and tornadoes, are apt to be more
frequent and severe. And heat waves,characterized by the persistence of high nighttime temperature, will mount. The combinationof high humidity and high night-timetemperature currently render this consequenceof global warming more deadly than thecombined effects of cyclones, lightning,tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes.
In this article, we talk about the causes andconsequencesof a warming
world. There
are importantsteps
thatmust be taken
soon to dealwiththeproblem, which
will be thesubject ofanother issue in this series.

Article by Kenneth

NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons through the net!
SITE OF THE MONTH:
Get the basic facts about global warming here:
http://www.justfacts.com/globalwarming.basics.asp

Joshua Says: I always hope that our students will contribute to our
newsletter’s page 3. This month Taro has done just that. Thanks Taro,good job! Writing is a great way to improve your English. It forces youto find the words necessary to express your ideas and, thus, adds toyour vocabulary. I always look forward to getting your contributions in
our newsletter. Who will be next month’s contributor?

Junko Says: Well, our front garden is now, more or less,finished. We planted as many flowers shrubs and even trees as
we could fit into the space, and I think it definitely looks muchbetter now compared to when we first moved here. I hope you
agree. I’d like to thank the students who contributed plants. I’msure your plants are feeling very happy in their new home.

Kenneth Says:

Keep cool in summer by 1 drinking water frequently (8oz per hour);
your wrists or 3 soaking your feet in cold water;
4 eating small (and 5 spicy) meals more often; 6 taking tepid, not cold,baths or showers before bedtime; 7 wearing lightweight, light-coloredcotton clothes; 8 avoiding caffeine and alcohol; 9 keeping the curtains
drawn; 10 using fans; 11 avoiding strenuous activity, jogging, if you must,in the coolest time of the day; or better yet, 12 go swimming!
2 running

Adrienne Says: I don’t know whether the rainy season has officially ended ornot, but it still seems to be rather rainy these days. A few weeks ago, I noticed
that my living room had a heavy, wet, fungus-like smell. Since then, I tellmyself that I will look down the basement to see if there is water down there.
Every night, I forget about it and go to bed. Every morning, the smell seems toget worse than the previous day. Now, I am afraid to look. Maybe if I continue toforget about it, it will just dry up naturally during the hot summer.

Danielle Dit:Au Japon, à l’ été, il y a des feux d’artifice un peu

partout. Saviez-vous que le plus grand feu d’artifice au Canada a lieu le1er juillet? C’est notre fête nationale! La France célèbre en grand le 14
juillet et les Etats–Unis le 4 juillet. Bon été!

Some of your thoughts….
The Benefits of Smart Phones by Taro from S(A)3:

When I travel to Tokyo or Osaka, I notice that most people
pick up their Smart-phones as soon as they get onto the train. Ithas become common nowadays that many passengers kill theirtime gazing at their Smart-phones. Harking back to myuniversity days, I used to read novels until a train stopped, but recently I have tended
to use my Smart-phone unconsciously.
I understand it isn’t good for one’s health to look down on a small display for too
long. However, this tiny device gives several benefits to us, especially to those who
like traveling as much as I do. Before the Smart-phone was invented, I had to prepare
a lot of things before traveling. For example, airline tickets, train time tables andlocal maps. Because Smart-phones include all of these, I can lighten my bag. I have
only to carry a charger nowadays.
Furthermore, a Smart-phone is valuable to me even on weekdays. At my office, wehave our computers but it is forbidden, of course, to use the Internet for private
purposes (although some staff ignore this rule; in fact, I also do it too sometimes).
Thanks to the Smart-phone’s Internet accessibility, I can get information easily. I
can check the results of soccer matches during short break times. Smart-phones
enable us to access the Internet more quickly compared toconventional cell phones. What I have to worry about is overusing it. A Smart-phone requires more battery power and therates are higher than traditional cell phones. If you use one
carelessly, it will harm your wallet as well as your eyes.
Whether you should have a Smart-phone or not depends mainly
on your lifestyle. Considering my interests and hobbies, having
one is more helpful than I had expected. I think we had better
regard them as not phones, but as small computers.

Meet “Swimmer Parker”!
About his family’s new pet, Kenneth says:

The latest addition to our family is a juvenile Reeve’s turtle, also known
as a Chinese pond turtle. It is found in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Thespecies (Mauremys reevesii) is semi-aquatic, and enjoys basking in the sun onrocks or logs. Sumire found him wandering on the sidewalk along Ishitekawa afew weeks ago. Now he is happily feeding in his aquarium and getting frequentbaths. Like many turtles he’ll need plenty of exposure to ultraviolet rays, which
is needed for vitamin B3 synthesis and calcium metabolism.

Don’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.