- There are many famous news shows on TV. Name one. Do you watch that show? Why?
- There are many famous news anchors on TV. Name one. Do you like that news anchor? Why?
- Is TV your main source of news? If yes, which is your favorite show and how often do you watch it? Why? If no, what is your main source of news? Why do you prefer this format?
- Tell us about a news article from this week or from recent memory (tv news, online or newspaper) that shocked you.
- TV News is usually a series of stories covering politics, crime, disasters, international affairs, business and markets, science and technology, celebrity gossip, obituaries, weather, human interest and sport. Which pieces interest you the least? Why?
- When was the last time the area of Japan where you live or the industry that you work in was in the news? What happened?
Question 1
Last Week Tonight. First and foremost, it's a comedy show. The presenter, John Oliver, discusses recent current events in a humourous way. Despite the fact that it is a comedy show, it is a great source of news. It tackles serious issues and asks difficult questions while making fun of the whole thing, yet it is still respectful of the subject matter. It's a great show.Question 2
I really can't answer this one. Generally speaking, I don't watch the news. I keep up with what's going on in the world by monitoring the alerts on my phone and reading stories that seem important or interesting. I also tend to pay attention to what comedians like John Oliver, Trevor Noah, and Jim Jefferies have to say about current events.Question 3
Like I said above, I don't watch TV news. I don't really watch TV for that matter. These days, I use streaming services as my main source of entertainment.Question 4
I read an article on my phone recently about how "President" Donald Trump wants to reduce the amount of vegetables available in school lunches and increase the number of options like hamburgers and pizza. I could not get my head around that. It just seems like evil for evil's sake.Question 5
I've got to go with sport on this one. Celebrity gossip rarely interests me but occasionally there might be a story that catches my attention. I'm interested in business news and the stock market but I have to admit that most of it goes over my head. The rest of it varies as to whether I find it interesting or not on a case by case basis. I am not a fan of any sport though so I find sporting news tedious and dull. It just isn't for me.Question 6
I'm not sure. Education always seems to be in the news for one reasons or another. Tax cuts to education. Teachers having affairs with students. School shootings. Teacher strikes. Board of Education members being caught up in scandals. The list goes on. I find it all a bit boring to be honest.Tough Vocabulary
| - English - | - Japanese - |
|---|---|
| first and foremost | 何よりも |
| despite the fact | 事実にもかかわらず |
| make fun of | からかう |
| respectful of the subject matter | 主題を尊重する |
| for that matter | そのことについては |
| streaming service | ストリーミングサービス |
| evil for evil's sake | 悪のために悪 |
| got to go with | 選ばなければならない |
| catch my attention | 注意を引く |
| go over my head | 理解できない |
| case by case basis | ケースバイケース |
| not for me | 他の誰かをターゲットに |
| the list goes on | リストは続く |