A.T. – Page 25 – Akiko Explores

Soba

09/15/2020 No Comments

Soba are noodles made of buckwheat and wheat flour. They are served either hot in a seasoned dashi broth or cold with a soy sauce-based dipping sauce.

Hot soba are topped with various ingredients such as green onions, tempura, a raw egg, and deep-fried tofu. Cold soba sometimes come with dried shredded seaweed, a raw quail egg, and wasabi.

Japanese people eat soba on New Year’s Eve, hoping for good health and longevity for the coming year. Soba are believed to symbolize longevity because of their long shape.

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Udon

09/15/2020 No Comments

Udon are thick, springy noodles made of wheat flour. They are often served in a hot soy sauce-seasoned dashi broth. Typical dashi broth is made from water, dried kelp, and bonito flakes.

There are a variety of toppings for udon: deep-fried tofu, green onions, kelp, an egg, tempura, processed fish paste, and so on. One of the most popular toppings is sweetened deep-fried tofu.

Udon are very popular among people of all ages and widely available at restaurants in Japan.

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Car suspension

09/14/2020 No Comments

The suspension of a car enables it to drive smoothly on the road. This system absorbs bumps and jolts caused from driving on rough road surfaces and maintains driving stability. A suspension system mainly consists of a coil spring, a shock absorber, and control arms.

Coil spring: This supports the car body and keeps the tire in firm contact with the road surface.

Shock absorber: This reduces the bouncing movement of the spring and provides a comfortable ride.

Control arms: These connect the car body to the wheel and keep the wheel upright.

サスペンションにより、車くるまは道路どうろをスムーズに走行そうこうすることができます。この装置そうちは、でこぼこのある路面ろめんの走行そうこうにより発生はっせいする揺ゆれや衝撃しょうげきを吸収きゅうしゅうし、走行安定性そうこうあんていせいを維持いじします。サスペンションは主おもにコイルスプリング、ショックアブソーバー、コントロールアームで構成こうせいされます。

コイルスプリング：車体しゃたいを支ささえ、タイヤを路面にしっかり接地せっちさせます。

ショックアブソーバー：スプリングの弾はずむ動うごきを抑おさえ、乗のり心地ごこちをよくします。

コントロールアーム：車体を車輪しゃりんにつなぎ、車輪がまっすぐ上うえを向むくように保持ほじします。

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Screw anchors

09/14/2020 No Comments

Screw anchors are used to fix objects to walls where screws do not work effectively. A common type of screw anchor, which is used for plasterboard walls (drywalls), is called a drywall anchor. It is a plastic tube.

A drywall anchor　　　 is inserted in a predrilled hole in the wall, and then a screw is set in it. As the screw is driven into the anchor, the anchor expands inside of the wall, and it is secured to the wall.

*drywall anchor (AmE) = wall plug (BrE)

アンカーボルトは、ネジが効きかない壁かべに物ものを固定こていするために使つかわれます。石膏せっこうボードに使われる一般的いっぱんてきなアンカーボルトは、ボードアンカーと呼よばれます。それはプラスチックでできたチューブです。

前まえもってあけておいた壁の穴あなにボードアンカーを差さし込こみ、ネジをその中なかに入いれます。ネジがアンカーにねじ込こまれるにつれて、アンカーが壁の中で広ひろがり、壁に固定こていされます。

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Screws

09/14/2020 No Comments

Screws have screw heads and threaded shafts. You can tighten or loosen them with a screwdriver. When a screw is driven into a material, it generates friction between the thread and the material around it. This prevents the screw from sliding.

＜Types of screws＞

Flat head screws and round head screws: These are bolts with heads. There are slot head screws and Phillips screws.

Bolts: These are screwed into nuts or threaded holes.

Machine screws: These are small bolts.

Set screws: These are screws that have no heads.

ネジは、ネジ頭あたまとネジ山やまが切きられた軸じくからできています。ドライバーを使つかってネジを締しめたり緩ゆるめたりすることができます。ネジが物ものにねじ込こまれると、ネジ山とその周まわりの物との間あいだに摩擦まさつが発生はっせいし、ネジが抜ぬけるのを防ふせぎます。

＜ネジの種類しゅるい＞

皿さらネジと丸頭まるあたまネジ：これらはネジ頭あたまが付ついたネジです。マイナスネジとプラスネジがあります。

ボルト：ナットまたはネジ山が切られた穴あなにねじ込こんで使つかいます。

小こネジ（ビス）:　小ちいさなボルトです。

止とめネジ（イモネジ）：ネジ頭のないネジです。

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Origami

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Origami is a traditional Japanese papercraft. A square piece of paper is folded into various shapes. One of the most popular origami is cranes.

One thousand origami cranes strung together on strings are called senbazuru. Cranes are a symbol of longevity and good luck. Therefore, it is believed that if you fold one thousand origami cranes, your wish will come true. They are also made for others as a prayer for their recovery from illness.

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Furin (Wind chime)

09/14/2020 No Comments

In summer, you can see wind chimes hanging from the eaves of houses here and there. A wind chime consists of a bell made of glass, metal, or ceramic; a clapper; and a strip of paper.

You can enjoy the soothing sound it produces when the wind blows. You can notice the wind through the sound of the chime, which evokes a feeling of coolness.

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Ryokucha (Green tea)

09/14/2020 No Comments

Ryokucha or green tea is Japanese tea. Japanese people drink it very often. We drink it before, during, and after meals; and many more times during the day.

The tea leaves of green tea are the same as those of black tea. The biggest difference is that green tea leaves are unfermented, while black tea leaves are fermented.

There are different types of green tea. The most popular green tea is called sencha. Powdered green tea is called matcha. Roasted green tea is called hojicha.

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Otsukimi (Moon viewing)

09/13/2020 No Comments

Japanese people have a custom of moon viewing during the night when the moon is most beautiful and brightest in the year. The moon on August 15 in the lunar calendar is called the harvest moon. In today’s calendar, the day changes depending on the year, but it falls on a day somewhere between mid-September and early October.

This moon-viewing custom originated in the Tang Dynasty, and was introduced to Japan in the Heian period. People appreciate and honor the moon by displaying pampas grass and making an offering of rice dumplings to the harvest moon.

BEGINNING JAPANESE

L36: Quiz (2)

09/13/2020 No Comments

Translate the following sentences into Japanese.

1. I live in Tokyo.
2. Ms. Nishi, where are you now?
3. I like beer.
4. Mr. Tani likes beer, too.
5. What kind of food do you like?
6. I don’t like alcohol.
7. Tiffany is good at Japanese.
8. Tiffany is not very good at tennis.
9. This is Percy’s pen.
10. Percy and Tiffany like chocolate.

Possible answers:

1. （わたしは）とうきょうにすんでいます。
(Watashi wa) Tokyo ni sunde imasu.
2. にしさん、いま　どちらですか。
Nishi-san, ima dochira desu ka.
3. （わたしは）ビールがすきです。
(Watashi wa) beer ga suki desu.
4. たにさんも　ビールがすきです。
Tani-san mo beer ga suki desu.
5. どんなたべものがすきですか。
Donna tabemono ga suki desu ka.
たべものはなにがすきですか。
Tabemono wa nani ga suki desu ka.
6. （わたしは）おさけはすきじゃないです。
(Watashi wa) osake wa suki ja nai desu.
7. ティファニーさんはにほんごがじょうずです。
Tiffany-san wa nihongo ga jouzu desu.
8. ティファニーさんはテニスがじょうずじゃないです。
Tiffany-san wa tennis ga jouzu ja nai desu.
9. これはパーシーさんのペンです。
Kore wa percy-san no pen desu.
10. パーシーさんとティファニーさんはチョコレートがすきです。
Percy-san to Tiffany-san wa chocolate ga suki desu.