イルカのこと

カテゴリーのTravelでHokkaidoの記事を3つ書きました。津軽海峡でイルカが遊んでいる様子が見られたことは、とても貴重な経験でした。自由に楽しく生きることをイルカが教えてくれた気がしました。


<今日の写真>立ち泳ぎをするイルカの写真。狙って撮影したのではなく、偶然こんなに可愛い姿が映っていました。関連記事:The Tsugaru Strait and Dolphins

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The Tsugaru Strait and Dolphins

My family was looking at the Tsugaru Strait from Cape Tachimachi. Then, wild dolphins appeared.

At first, I couldn’t believe my eyes because I didn’t know they were visible to the naked eye from the cape. However, a kind gentleman told us that they were dolphins, so we started dolphin-watching.

As time went on, we got better and better at finding dolphins. First, we learned to notice typical splashes made by dolphins, and then learned to recognize their fins. We took their photos.

Dolphins are always with their friends.
Black-tailed gulls are following the dolphins.
These dolphins are floating upright.
These dolphins are jumping.
Sometimes birds gather around dolphins. I guess dolphins show them where the food is.

I still cannot forget the beautiful sea where animals were living in harmony. The dolphins were playful, considerate, and cooperative. Just thinking about them makes me happy.

“Look at those!” We enjoyed dolphin-watching.
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Cape Tachimachi

Cape Tachimachi is the southeastern tip of Mt. Hakodate. It faces the Tsugaru Strait.

My family walked uphill, hearing bush warblers singing and feeling the sea breeze.

We got to Cape Tachimachi.

There is a tanka monument of Hiroshi and Akiko Yosano, who visited Hakodate in 1931. I remember my husband and I were delighted to find OUR names when we came here before.

Tanka monument built in 1956
A dandelion caught my eye.

The cape commands a magnificent view of Hakodate.

The other side is a steep cliff.

You can see Aomori Prefecture across the Tsugaru Strait.

On the rocks, there were many birds, including black-tailed gulls and cormorants.

Japanese cormorants

We enjoyed looking at the sea. It was quiet but full of life. We could never get tired of looking at it.

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Goryokaku Fort

Goryokaku is a star-shaped fort designated as a national special historic site. It was built in the last years of the Edo period and completed in 1866. It was Japan’s first western-style fort. Now it is open to the public as a park.

My family got off the train at JR Goryokaku Station. We enjoyed riding this old train car.

JR Hakodate Line
Goryokaku Station

On arriving at the park, I was stunned by the gorgeous azalea flowers alongside the moat.

We crossed the bridge with excitement.

Then, we walked through a beautiful wisteria tunnel.

In the center of the park sits the Former Magistrate’s Office. It was the shogunate’s administrative center in Hokkaido. The original building was demolished in 1871, but it was restored and opened to the public in 2010.

Former Magistrate’s Office
From another angle

We enjoyed strolling in the park. It was fun to walk along the bank of the moat. While walking, we were not sure we were really on the perimeter of a star shape. If you see the park from the observation deck of the Goryokaku Tower, you can see the entire star shape.

The Goryokaku Tower

Coming down from the bank, we took a nice rest in the shade of trees.

We found a pretty daisy field. Tiffany liked it. It was really peaceful.

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Educationのコーナー

Educationのコンテンツをいくつか書きました。Educationのコーナーでは、アメリカと日本の小学校で習うことを2つの言語で書いています。

基本的なことなのに、日本の「受験英語」の単語集には載っていない語彙も学ぶことができます。興味がある記事を読んでいただけると嬉しいです。カテゴリー:Education


<今日の写真>ティファニーも、元気にしています。

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Energy sources

Different kinds of energy sources are used to generate electricity. Fossil fuels are traditional energy sources. These fuels will eventually run out. Also, they release carbon dioxide into the air. On the other hand, alternative energy sources are renewable, and they do not release carbon dioxide.

<Traditional energy sources>

Fossil fuels: Come from ancient plants and animals. They include coal, oil, and natural gas.

<Alternative energy sources>

Hydropower: Comes from water flowing through dams.

Wind power: Produced by wind turbines.

Solar energy: Captured by solar panels.

Biomass: Comes from living things.


発電はつでんするために、さまざまなエネルギー資源しげん使つかわれます。化石燃料かせきねんりょう従来じゅうらいのエネルギー資源です。この資源は最後さいごにはなくなってしまいます。また、空気中くうきちゅう二酸化炭素にさんかたんそします。その一方いっぽうで、しんエネルギー資源再生可能さいせいかのうで、二酸化炭素を出しません。

<従来のエネルギー資源>

化石燃料:大昔おおむかしきていた植物しょくぶつ動物どうぶつからできています。石炭せきたん石油せきゆ天然てんねんガスなどがあります。

<新エネルギー資源>

水力すいりょく:ダムをとおってながれるみずからられます。

風力ふうりょく風車ふうしゃによってつくられます。

太陽光たいようこう:ソーラーパネルであつめられます。

バイオマス生物せいぶつからできています。

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Correlative conjunctions

Correlatives conjunctions are pairs of words that link words, phrases, and clauses.

Examples:

both A and B
either A or B
neither A nor B
not A but B
not only A but also B


相関接続詞そうかんせつぞくしは、単語たんごどうし、どうし、せつどうしをつなぐついになった言葉ことばです。

れい

both A and B (AエーBビー両方りょうほう
either A or B(AかBかどちらか)
neither A nor B (AもBもどちらも~ない)
not A but B (AではなくB)
not only A but also B (AだけでなくBも)

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Atoms and molecules

Everything is made up of atoms.

Atom: The smallest unit of matter. Atoms are made up of electrons, neutrons, and protons.

Atomic number: The number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. In an uncharged atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons.

Element: A pure substance made of only one type of atom.

Molecule: Two or more atoms that are chemically bonded. For example, a water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.


すべてのものは原子げんしでできています。

原子物質ぶっしつ最小さいしょう単位たんい。原子は電子でんし中性子ちゅうせいし陽子ようしからできています。

原子番号げんしばんごう原子核げんしかくなかの陽子のかず電気でんきびていない原子では、電子の数は陽子の数とおなじです。

元素げんそ 1種類いっしゅるいの原子のみでできている純粋じゅんすいな物質。

分子ぶんし2ふた以上いじょうの原子が化学的かがくてき結合けつごうしたもの。たとえば、水分子みずぶんしは、2つの水素原子すいそげんし1ひとつの酸素原子さんそげんしでできています。

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River processes

River landforms are created through erosion, transportation, and deposition.

Erosion: Flowing water wears away rocks and sand along the river bed and banks. 

Transportation: Flowing water carries the rocks and sand downstream.

Deposition: Flowing water slows down and starts dropping some of the rocks and soil it is carrying. The sediment builds up.


かわ地形ちけいは、浸食しんしょく運搬うんぱん堆積たいせきによってつくられます。

浸食ながれるみずが、川底かわぞこ川岸かわぎしいしすなけずります。

運搬:流れる水が、その石や砂を下流かりゅうへとはこびます。

堆積:流れる水のはやさがおそくなり、運んでいる石や砂の一部いちぶとします。堆積物たいせきぶつもります。

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The layers of Earth

The Earth is composed of four layers: crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.

Crust: The outermost layer of the earth. It is where we live. It includes both land and oceans.

Mantle: This layer lies between the core and the crust. It is made of rock. It is about 2900km deep.

Core: The center of the earth. It is made of iron and nickel.

Outer core: This layer lies between 2900 and 5100km below the earth’s surface. Because it is hot, the metals in the outer core are liquid.

Inner core: This layer lies between 5100 and 6400 km below the earth’s surface. Because it is under intense pressure, the metals in the inner core are solid.


地球ちきゅう地殻ちかく、マントル、外核がいかく内核ないかくという4よっつのそうからなっています。

地殻:地球のもっとも外側そとがわの層です。わたしたちがんでいるところです。りくうみふくんでいます。

マントル:この層は核と地殻とのあいだにあります。岩石がんせきできています。ふかさはやく2900にせんきゅうひゃっkmキロメートルです。

核:地球の中心ちゅうしんです。てつとニッケルでできています。

外核:この層は、地表ちひょうから深さ2900kmから5100ごせんひゃっkmキロメートルのところにあります。高温こうおんなため、外核では金属きんぞく液体えきたいです。

内核:この層は、地表から深さ5100kmから6400ろくせんよんひゃっkmキロメートルのところにあります。内核にはつよ圧力あつりょくがかかっているため、金属が固体こたいです。

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Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that link words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Examples:

I like apples and oranges.

I study English because it is fun.

In the sentences above, “and” and “because” are conjunctions. The “and” links two words and the “because” links two sentences.


接続詞せつぞくしは、単語たんごどうしどうし、せつどうし、またはぶんどうしをつなぐ言葉ことばです。

れい

I like apples and oranges.(わたしはりんごとオレンジがきです。)

I study English because it is fun. (たのしいので、英語えいご勉強べんきょうします。)

うえぶんでは、andとbecauseが接続詞せつぞくしです。andは2ふたつの単語たんごをつなぎ、becauseは2つの文をつないでいます。

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Interjections

Interjections are words that express emotions. They are followed by an exclamation point or a comma.

Examples:

Wow! That bird is big. —Well, I don’t think that is a bird.

In the sentences above, “wow” and “well” are interjections.


間投詞かんとうしは、感情かんじょうあらわ言葉ことばです。そのあとに、感嘆符かんたんふやコンマがます。

れい

Wow! That bird is big. (わあ。あのとりは大きいですね。)
Well, I don’t think that is a bird.(うーん、あれは鳥じゃないとおもいますよ。)

うえぶんでは、wowとwellが間投詞です。

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