essay - TOEFL5

Question:
A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.

Answer:
As easily imagined, inviting a factory brings some negative byproducts to the region. First, production activity possibly undermines the nature of the region. Smog from the chimneys or filthy water from the drain ditches may damage the forests or rivers of the region. And we can easily imagine that many trucks which convey materials to the factory overload the traffic of the town resulting in traffic congestion.

However, inviting a factory to the town has a lot of benefits that the residents can enjoy. First, we can pick out financial benefits. The factory might bring a huge amount of taxes to the local government. The factory might also bring jobs to the town, resulting in the huge wage that the workers can take at the factory.

Second, the factory can sustain long-standing prosperity in the community. If the factory goes well, people will gather around the factory as workers, their families, and business people who sell products to them them. They will live around the factory, get married, and make children. The town will achieve prosperity according to the lives.

In summary, the factory itself has disadvantages, like pollution or heavy traffic. However, whereas the people can curb the disadvantages by demanding emission control to the factory or expanding the traffic capacity, inviting a factory can bring invaluable merits to the community, like financial benefits and long term prosperity. So, I support the idea of bring a factory to the community for sure.

essay - TOEFL4

Question:
It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?

Answer:
Needless to say, both of theory and practice are necessary to make a progress on human beings. Only theory makes nonsense, and only practice cannot make advance. So, in a proper fashion, people need to weave both theory and practice at the time they learn something they want to master. But in face of this question, I must answer that experience is much more important than knowledge from books.

The first reason why I think so is that experience stems from one's own characteristic. Experience from the person's deep emotion is quite valuable for the person's growth. For instance, I can learn about love from book, but the time I truly recognize love is when I feel love with someone actually. So, experience can teach people what we cannot get from books.

The second reason why I think experience is more important than books is that experience can bring significant images to the person taking the experience. Of course, books can also bring the same kind of stimulation to the person reading the book, but the magnitude is pretty much different. For instance, touching fire or drowning in the sea bring a real sense to the man, whereas knowledge from books brings a little stimulation to the man.

Knowledge from books, however, promote significant merits to people. People can learn what they cannot experience only by themselves. People can learn some framework or theory that many scholars have studied for many years. So, as I mentioned earlier, people need to weave both of them at a proper timing and in a proper manner. That's a key point to make a big advance on the life.

In summary, experience from actual lives bring remarkable advantages to people. I think that the most important thing is to weave both of experience and theory from book, but I'd like to insist that experience is much more precious than knowledge from books because of the uniqueness and the reality. Those make experience pretty much precious for human beings.

blog - That is what hope is.

We cannot advance our roads without light of hope. We cannot feel serenity, passion, and true lives without the light of hope. Hope is not to just see dreams. Hope is made up of strong determination and strong actions. I saw the hope in him.

I'm now reading "Dreams From My Father". That's simple where the hope has come from. Steady endeavor, endless feeling for something, like love for human beings or America.


That is what hope is.

essay - TOEFL3

Question:
Nowadays food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Answer:
Recent improvements on kitchen apparatuses have been changing people's lives drastically. Nowadays people don't need to prepare their foods spending hours; People can use a microwave so that the meals is easily ready for their dinner. Also, various frozen foods have brought a wide range of dishes onto their dinning tables. These technical advances make people's lives definitely better.

First of all, people can spend much time to their favorite things like hobbies, studies, or communication with their family from the fact that people can prepare their meals much more quickly than ever. If people buy frozen foods like pilaf or vegetables, only few minutes are required to provide their dishes. Using the saved time, people can enjoy their lives more.

Also, the advance of preparing food leads to richer and more varied diet. For instance, through technical development on transportation of foods, people can easily get foods like that people had never seen before, like tropical fruits or foreign foods from very far countries.

However, these advances have come with disadvantages. One of them is that people have lost their skills of cooking. This is self-evident, because the fact that people don't need to cook has taken away their opportunities to learn cooking. So, in order to prevent loosing their skills of cooking, people need to consciously prepare their food by themselves without any technologies.

In summary, people have gotten tremendous merits from the advance of freezing technologies and kitchen apparatuses. People enjoy their lives by using time that they can earn with current progresses. And also they can enjoy a variety of foods without hard efforts to prepare the meal.

essay - TOEFL2

Question:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Answer:
My opinion on this subject is that parents can be the best teachers for their children. The reason why I used "can" in the previous sentence is that there is a possibility that parents can also be bad teachers. Parents are inclined to be too gentle to their children mainly because of their overly strong love. However, if parents have a discipline of education, they can surely be great teachers.

One of the reasons why parents can be the best is that they know their children the best by their natures. Suppose their child is a 10-year-old boy, the mother and father are most likely to know his disposition as well as his history of learning until then. From this point of view, the parents can teach him very well by adapting most suitable teaching methods for him.

Another reason why parents can be the best is that, since we can say generally that the best teacher is supposed to have deep love to the students, parents can be the best candidates for the best teacher. There's no parent who doesn't love his child, although any general matter has its exception. The love must make parents the best teachers.

As I mentioned earlier, however, parents have a disadvantage in being a good teacher. It is that parents possibly cannot be stern to their children even if sternness is required to provide better education. We can hear such a story that a child became so rude or brutal due to a lack of sternness of his parents.

In summary, we can say that parents have a great possibility to be the best teachers for their children, mainly because of their awareness and love. If they have self-discipline, parents are surely the best teachers.

essay - TOEFL1

Question:
People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Answer:
In recent years, almost 50 percent of people attend college in Japan mainly as the result of the declining birthrate. Although this means that the merit to attend college is falling down, people in Japan are relatively eager to attend college in order to obtain the following merits: higher career, cross-disciplinary understanding, and lifetime friends.

First, this thought is prevalent in Japan; Attending college is an indispensable prerequisite to join first-class companies. Even if he has an outstanding talent, it's difficult to join that kind of company as a new employee. From this point of view, almost all people who want high careers enroll college in this nation.

Second, college students are able to learn various subjects while in school. Even though he majors economics, he can take other subjects like science, politics, or environmentology. This makes the students more cross-disciplinary, bringing them faculties to handle general affairs in their lives.

Third, people can make their friends through their school lives. It's easy to understand that friends that people win in school become their lifetime friends more than others. They usually make a graduate journey abroad together, and have a wide range of experiences together in their school lives.

People in this nation are getting eager to attend college more and more, because they aim at higher careers, educated lives, and best friends. While the declining birthrate becomes a serious social problem in Japan, people are more and more enthusiastic about getting better lives.

blog - You can change me.

I'd got depressed with some feeling yesterday. At the time, I heard the word, "Yes, we can."

The guy can really inspire me. I know the guy deeply now. The guy believes in hope. The guy really believes in what we can do. And I would recall what I can do, what I should do, and what I am.

People can do anything they believe they can do it. Unless people loose their confidence. Unless people give up their hope.


Sometimes people can change with a small thing. The simple three words, "Yes we can."

blog - About THE New Stage

As I wrote on my Japanese blog, I found out my new era in the Business Area. I've been struggling for a long time thinking of how to advance my career. I have a technical insight, so I can be a great software architect. I also have a good managerial faculty, so I can also be a great project manager. Again I have a good business analysis ability, so I can even be a good business consultant.

I've been spiraling between the choices. But the time is closing to make a decision. The time is closing to boost my breakthrough by narrowing my choices. In my twenties, the strategy was almost right. I got broad knowledge and insights. It was a preparation to make a big leap toward a higher stake.

The time has come. Throughout two weeks experience on my new project, and various, a lot of underplots, I finally got an insight to determine my future career. Finally. That is, my speciality is literally to be able to do anything. And continuous concentration on improving my performance has deepened that areas. I can even speak English. "High level work" is waiting for me. I should be in charge of that kind of work. Now is the time to really take a high step toward that goal.


For this to realize, I will complete my last unfinished business.

Let's roll.

blog - Training for Rock-climbing (New Stage)

I've been doing the following things to heighten my rock-climbing ability to the next level:

1. 100 pull-ups a day
2. 100 minutes stretching a day
3. Climb up and down at the office
4. Be really careful of nutrition
5. Go to a rock gym three times a week
6. Do hand grip (40kg) 60 times a day
7. Do air hand grip in a bath 300 times a day


In addition to mentioned above, I'd like to start the following activities to ensure the accomplish at the end of April:

8. 35 push-ups with a single hand a day
9. 30 arm curls (15kg) a day
10. Back muscle exercise


There's not an impossible thing human beings think they can do.

blog - Learning English (Newspaper & Books)

Recently I spend much time on reading a newspaper or books. Needless to say, that's for enriching my English proficiency, but also for getting news or knowledge from the materials. I finished "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama, a masterpiece, several days ago. And I started reading "A Dream from My Father" also by Barack Obama to know him more and more. Although there are a lot of difficult words, I can read it without a dictionary.

There are two types of book. On the one hand, a book to read it thoroughly with a dictionary and writing down the must-learn expressions on a notebook. On the other hand, a book to read through it quickly in order to get insight from the book at a maximum in a shorter time. The both are really important for me now.

I check an English-language newspaper everyday. Reading it, I use a dictionary and a highlight pen to mark must-memorize words in order to try to memorize again and again for months after the time. This is also enormously useful to input vocabulary into my brain. Now I can read a hard to read book, "A Dream from My Father", without a dictionary in a bath.


People started advancing their lives with a pen and a note in history. I should learn from it.

blog - Progress: Three Focal Areas: 5/13 Week

It started last week to work for a new client in Shibuya. The project is to restructure global IT infrastructure service model through streamlining the vendors it uses. The headquarters is located in Europe, so I'm fairly in a global project using English everyday. But, I caught cold in the mid of the week, so I couldn't wield my full power in the last half of the week.

About rock-climbing, I feel power emerging. People enjoy their lives through feeling their growths like a child. Yeah, like a child, I enjoy rock-climbing, and my life. I do pull-ups at home more than 100 times a day, and rock-climbing at a gym more than three times a week, leading to a physical culmination I've never felt.

About learning English, I'm convinced that if I continue doing the tasks I imposed on myself, I will end up getting desired targets at the end of April: Speaking English like a person who has learned English abroad around four years. After this, I will take an exam in June, which is a last challenge in this area.


The time has come!

blog - Hey! Stand up, American!

The world is waiting for you. The world is waiting for the time you represent yourselves in a proper way. JFK was a great leader of your country. The rest of the world was excited about seeing the country as a dream they should pursue. Why aren't you realize a clear fact that the time has come to you again?

I can't understand your country now can't decide Democratic nomination between Hillary and Obama. From my perspective and the world's perspective, the decision is completely easy. The one brings your country great benefits, the other makes your country still struggled. You should take a serious look at the fact.


Again, the world is waiting for you standing up again, America!

blog - Regarding Business Area

I set one of the targets in Business Area for gaining further qualifications of ITIL, which is a framework for IT infrastructure maintenance projects. You know, I've gotten one of the qualifications, ITIL Foundation, obviously the entrance exam, last month.

That exam itself is pretty easy for real IT practitioners. But the framework itself is highly great for all IT practitioners, although I don't need to say this again. You know, I'm now working on a global IT infrastructure restructuring project in one of major pharmaceutical companies. It's of course including software or services, as well as hardware, networking devices.

There are four or five qualification on ITIL. So my aim is to get all these qualification during my tenure on this project. A true professional should harness his chance at a maximum, as Caeser once harnessed something to do something.


Again, my endeavor will never finish until the world is over.

blog - Progress: Three Focal Areas: 4/13 Week

I've set my three focal areas as the following at the start of February: English, Rock-climbing, and Business. And I've tracked the progress on a weekly basis, writing them on the blog. So far, the status is not bad, which means I'm doing well so as to accomplish my targets in the areas.

Anyway, let me start reviewing this week's status on the respective areas.

1. English
Terrible. Especially, reading newspaper at least 3 pages everyday, one of my tasks in this area, couldn't be done properly. It's because first I've been too focusing on a rock-climbing area, and I fell in a certain situation I've never experienced ever. That was a kind of apathy syndrome. Although describing the reason I can figure out later in this blog, due to this syndrome, I can't see any progress on this area. But, at the same time, I see this as a preparatory period in order to make a bigger jump from next week.

2. Rock-climbing
Seems good. I went to a rock-gym on Wednesday and Thursday, Isara. Almost I was able to climb up a second grade problem. Um.. I'll get it done next week for sure. I vow it. On Saturday, with friends I went to Mitake, a famous rock area, to raise my climbing level to much higher. Although I couldn't get Ninja-gaeshi, a first grade problem, I was convinced that I would do that in the near future.

3. Business
My first intention to set this area as one of three focal areas for the three months was to make a plan to launch my own business in the near future. But one day I noticed that I was not ready for that yet. That was too bad, but I should have accepted the fact. After that, I set the target to accomplish shorter targets, like winning a certain training nominee, or passing a job interview. Looking back at it from now, that was a right choice. But, as mentioned earlier in this topic, I suddenly fell in a pitfall. According to my analysis, that was due to the fact that I would need to engage in a project I'd ever desired over time.

The project is a IT infrastructure project again. Further more, that's not a project of my company. That's a project I will engage in by myself from my company. It means I can't experience Offshore development model that I'm supposed to do at this company. That's out of my projection. That's away my aim. But now, I've accepted the fact naturally as a new kind of challenges. I can experience a truly global project rather than merely India-Japan projects. I can experience a new industry I've never worked for, which is a pharmaceutical industry.


So, again, the time has come!

blog - Hope!

We will never forget hope. Hope! What a sweet, blissful word!

Hope! I should not forget this word. Never!


Hope... Yes, I can.

blog - The Judgement Day has passed!

I was supposed to take an interview in English for a new position involved in an EAI project last Monday. But the chance had passed by me without bringing any effects on me. In short, the interview was held only in Japanese, and the position was not for EAI, which is for me the most exciting area.

I was disappointed at the fact that my challenge or turning point had passed. I was supposed to make a big deal or get extraordinarily disappointed at my current English ability. Both are really welcome for me, because any change can bring to me great growth.

But today, I got a new challenge. The company offered another interview which will be held in English tomorrow. Oh my god! Oh my godness! Thanks God! The time has come! My English will be tested in the real situation. My endeavor from three years ago will be judged whether the time is meaningful or not.


The day will come!

blog - Obama, Win!

The time is closing that Obama becomes the President of the United States of America. I'm 99% sure that that will surely happen. 0.5% is that Hillary will defeat Obama in Ohio and Texas, and the other 0.5% is that Obama will be defeated by MaCain in December, but the both are unrealistic as of now.

The world would start considering what will happen when Obama will be the president of the most powerful country of the world. The world would start anticipating how the world will change by the fact that the ever most thoughtful person will be at the most powerful position influencing the world.

I'm excited about this. I've already started envisioning the world after the time will have come. I've already been ready for the change in the area of investment, life planning, and a new kind of politics.


Don't overlook this significant change the world has never experienced ever.

blog - Judgement Day has come!

I'm not sure what I should do one day before the Judgement Day. At the day, I will be tested whether I have a proper language skill to work on a global project. I will be tested whether my direction to the goal is right or not. I'm fired up, or I'm scared up. :-)

I've done what I should do. I've started reading a great book, "Enterprise Integration Patterns". I've prepared scripts titled "Let me introduce myself". I've focused on improving my English skills this weekend and sharped my body and brain with a strict attitude.

Tonight, I had better get the bed early rather than stay up late to prepare more. Generally speaking, the previous night needs to be calm and quiet enough. Anyway, I'm doing my best so as to see the person. I'm doing my best continuously from now on in order to make my dream realize.


The day has come!

blog - Blunder in investment

I made a mistake. I should have sold my stocks at the time, but I couldn't. More worse, I justified myself after that, saying that was under a plan. Looking back from now, that was not just a blunder, but a very critical moment at which I became a mediocre investor from a wise investor.

I should have sold my Chinese stocks at that time not one third, but more than two third. This will cost me not only more than 10 million in fact, but also more than 30 million in potential. So, I need recover the damage in an enthusiastic way. Well, road to a wise investor again.


I expose my blunders to public for further growth.

blog - I'll have an interview next week

Yeah, I'll have an interview next week to get a position of a Japanese engineer on a certain project in my company. That was weird to me at first in a sense of being needed to have an interview to work on a normal project. But it's natural, when a buyer is stronger than a seller. Um...too bad.

Anyway, I will have to have an interview session after a long time. The previous ones were held at the time I looked for a job last year. I'm a plan-driven person, then let me plan for that. To be honest, I've already prepared for that since last week like by writing "let me indrocude myself" stories.

By the way, it's exciting to have an interview in English. I will be able to try my English ability in a formal situation. It's frightening too, because if I fail to get the job done, it will disappoint me seriously in a sense that I'm not ready for the level, as well as that I won't achieve my goal in the Business area.

In the Business area, as I wrote the story in my Japanese blog, my target has been settle to enroll a management curriculum in US which is sponsored by my company. And for this to be realized, I need to accomplish two bussiness achievements including the thing mentioned above.


I'm a professional, so I'm eager to win.