Japanese Economy and Business

Where: Macroeconomics of Open Economies Chap.29~30, Page 637~677

Words
1. merchant
Context: In 1950 the average merchant ship carried less than 10,000 tons of cargo.
Definition: Someone who buys and sells goods in large quantities
Example: My father is a merchant seaman.

2. currency
Context: The exchange rates at which people can use domestic currency to buy foreign currencies.
Definition: The system or type of money that a country uses
Example: You can't use foreign currency here.

3. deposit
Context: If the Smiths deposit their saving in a mutual fund,
Definition: To put money or something valuable in a bank or other place where it will be safe
Example: He deposited his will with his oldest son.

4. appreciation
Context: That change is called an appreciation of the dollar.
Definition: A rise in value, especially of land or possessions
Example: An appreciation of 50% in property value.

5. phenomena
Context: For understanding many economic phenomena,
Definition: Something that happens or exists in society, science, or nature, especially something that is studied because it is difficult to understand
Example: A greenhouse effect is a phenomenon of the Earth's atmosphere.

6. involve
Context: It involves looking simultaneously at two related markets
Definition: If an activity or situation involves something, that thing is part of it or a result of it
Example: The investigation involved me in the murder case.

7. vertical
Context: The supply curve is vertical,
Definition: Pointing up in a line that forms an angle of 90° with a flat surface
Example: There is a vertical cliff.

8. depreciation
Context: Because a depreciation of the real exchange rate increases net exports,
Definition: A reduction in the value or price of something
Example: An depreciation of 50% in property value.

9. tariff
Context: One common trade policy is a tariff,
Definition: A tax on goods coming into a country or going out of a country
Example: Lower the tariff 5 %.

10. interact
Context: The U.S. economy interacts with other economies in the world.
Definition: If one thing interacts with another, or if they interact, they affect each other
Example: Tectonic movements interact with an earthquake.

This material is about macroeconomics. I had a presentation yesterday. I talked about the interest rates.
In general if the interest rates decrease there is no advantage to putting your money in a savings account. We can get low interest rate loans, so investments will go up. Foreign investors will not hold the currency because the value or the currency is going down so there is no advantage. Export will increase and imports will decrease. Interest's rates and current exchange rates are closely related. the money will always move to the more profitable market. If the Japanese Yen's interest rate is low and the American dollar's rate is high, the people will hold the more profitable one. Because holding the dollar which has a high interest rate, the Yen will weaken against the dollar. That means the price of goods and services from other countries will be higher and the price of domestic goods and services will also go up, which causes inflation.

The Card

Title: The Card
Author: Nick Bullard
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date of publication: 2007/7/5

Words

1. canal
Page 1
Context: Brougham Street goes down a hill to the canal.
Definition: A long passage dug into the ground and filled with water, either for boats to travel along, or to take water to a place
Example: I went to the Suez Canal

2. countess
Page 2
Context: Then he met the Countess.
Definition: A woman with the same rank as an earl or a count
Example: Countess is popular withe citizens.

3. ball
Page 2
Context: Three weeks and three days before the ball.
Definition: A large formal occasion at which people dance
Example: I bought beautiful ball dress.

4. amuse
Page 7
Context: Something in Denry's question amused the Countess very much.
Definition: To make someone laugh or smile
Example: The comedians amused their audience and raised laughs.

5. sensible
Page 16
Context: It was not a sensible idea.
Definition: Reasonable, practical, and showing good judgment
Example: It will be sensible of you to wear sneakers for tomorrow's hiking.


6. pity
Page 28
Context: What a pity!
Definition: Used to show that you are disappointed about something and you wish things could happen differently
Example: it is a pity that you must go home so soon.


The main character of this story is Edward Henry Mahin who was calling Denry by his mother. He made a thousand pounds by his various ideas. The people of Bursley, the town where Denry live, love a young man who makes them laugh. They are saying "He is a real card". People love Denry's ideas and adventure.
I will tell you one of Denry's idea. Denry was working at Mr. Duncalf's office. Mr.Duncalf was the most important lawyer in Bursley. His sister was grateful to Mrs.Machin, and so Denry got a Job in Mr.Duncalf's office. One day, the mayor and his wife had decided to have a ball and to invite all the most important people in the town. Mr.Machin was administering that ball. Mayor's wife came to the office and left lists of invitations. There was only Denry in the office. He really wanted to go to the ball. He added his name to the list. So, He could go to the ball and enjoyed it very much.

SUPERBIRD

Title: Superbird
Author: Brian Tomlinson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date of publication: 1996/06

Words

1. astronaut
Page 25
Context: At this moment Mary Mount is with the other astronauts preparing to travel to Earth.
Definition: someone who travels and works in a spacecraft

Example: There are five astronauts in the spaceship Apollo 11.

I could understand almost all words in this book. The main character of this story is Mary Mount who is alien. One day, her spaceship made an emergency landing in the earth. She survived this accident. Other astronauts were killed by earthlings. She was caught by earthlings and lived 20 years in the earth. Earthlings were very kind to her, she made many friends in the earth. She taught how to make spaceship to earthling. She went back to her planet after the 20 years of living in the earth. She became an bridge between the her planet and earth.

This story is very interesting. It is being written from alien's position. If it is possible to exchange cultures with the people in the other planets, it might be happy.

This book was easy to read, so I will try to read higher level books.

Different Worlds

Title: Different Worlds

Author: Margaret Johnson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date of publication: 2003/9

word
1. deaf
Page: 7
Context: I am deaf.
Definition: Physically unable to hear anything or unable to hear well
Example: He became deaf as a result of a serious illness.

I could understand almost all words in this book.
This book is story about Sam who is deaf. She is living with her mother and working at Busy kids Day Nursery. One day, she fell in love with a man who is working at the shop across the road from her house. His name is Jim. He was living with Sam's friend. Sam went to the party at Jim and Sam's friend's house. Sam and Jim played together in the snow garden.
They sent text messages and E-mails to each other everyday. They fell in love. They got over the language barrier. Jim likes to play drums. Sam can not hear his sound, but she can feel the vibration of his music. They live happy ever after.



Sam was afraid to talk with Jim first. But, she tried very hard and got over language barrier. I was very impressed by Sam's courage and Jim's gentleness. This story is full of the love.