英語でなんて言う？【#25 TOEIC speaking testで学ぶ】自分の意見を伝える

I prefer to live in a big city. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, I have many opportunities to meet different kinds of people in a big city. For example, I work at a firm where more than three thousand people are employed. I get to meet people with different interests on a daily basis, particularly during lunchtime. Also, my colleagues sometimes introduce me to other people working in different fields from my own. As a result, my social and professional network is pretty broad now. The second reason is that there are many events going on in a big city. For instance, I went to see an exhibition of French artwork last weekend, and I am going to attend a concert next weekend. There is so much stuff going on in the city I live in, so I never get bored. For these reasons, I prefer to live in a big city.

I absolutely feel that a rural lifestyle is preferable. Natural life is healthier, more peaceful, and better for both the body and the mind. In a rural environment, our bodies naturally slow down and adjust themselves to the rhythm of nature. In urban settings, we are under a huge amount of man-made stress that shortens our lives and keeps us unhappy. In fact, many people want to escape to the countryside when they have vacations. It is where we belong.
There are pros and cons to both, but I feel that city life is more suited to a younger generation.

I like hiking. One reason is that it is pleasant to spend time around nature. I especially like taking riverside walks, and there are several places that I like to go. I love the feeling of the wind and the fresh air. Depending on the season, I enjoy different views. In spring, sprouts of new leaves appear on the mountainside, and in the fall, I especially enjoy the changing colors of the leaves. Another reason is that hiking is good exercise for me. Usually, I am stuck behind my desk at work, and I definitely suffer from a lack of exercise. So, hiking is a good opportunity for me to move my body. Hiking is more pleasurable for me than doing a workout at the gym. On top of that, mountain hiking is mentally relaxing for me. So I think that hiking is my favorite leisure activity.

Owning a home might be the dream of many people, but it’s not for me. I prefer the freedom to change neighborhoods, cities, even countries depending on the opportunities. These days, business is more global, and people are being sent by their companies to work in foreign countries much more than before. Actually I work for such company. I don’t want to deal with the burdens of a mortgage and home maintenance in such a situation. I wonder if the value of home ownership might belong to another time. I don’t think it matches the modern work situation.

It seems to me that having a pet is one of the best ways to deal with the stress of urban life. Therefore, even if a person lives in an apartment, I would recommend keeping a pet for peace of mind. Pets provide affection and give us something natural to live for and enjoy. Otherwise, the lives of many city dwellers end up being just about work, and maybe some time to have fun on weekends. When people come home from work, and see the sparkling eyes of a dog or a cat who is overjoyed to see them, it is a magical experience. Keeping a pet in a small room isn’t perfect for the pet, of course. But they are so happy to receive our love and affection, and it is really good for our mental and spiritual health.

I prefer traveling with a friend. I want someone whom I can share my experiences with. In the past, I have traveled with family members, friends, and partners, and the experiences have all been wonderful. To me, nothing matched the excitement of exploring a new local with someone.
Also, if I am planning to travel someplace where I will possibly face danger, I certainly want to have someone along with me.

I don’t really consider it a major problem if people read less. Technology changes and people find new ways to access information. For hundreds of years, people read books, because that was the best way to learn. But, if television had been invited three hundred years ago, people would have switched to that, and this discussion would have taken place earlier. Now, it’s the internet age, and people like getting information in more immediate and time-effective ways. To be honest, I don’t really feel there is something all that different between reading a book and reading blog articles or stories on the internet. People become accustomed to something and resist change, but that doesn’t mean the old way is better.

If you make use of e-books, you don’t have to carry many books.

I get much more out of reading fiction than non- fiction. I know that nonfiction can be quite useful in helping us stay informed, but I think of reading as primary a pleasurable experience. When I read a novel or a short story, I always end up developing a rich relationship with the characters. I look forward to reading a new chapter just as if I was going to an actual place to meet real people. I also love reading cities or rooms described in fiction. I can picture myself in them. So it is like taking vacations. Truly, I feel that reading fiction is a kind of travel.

I don’t feel they need to be compared. They both offer advantages and dis advantages. On the one hand, the internet offers immediate access to information about the world, plus it gibes you the option of exploring as deeply as you want about matters that interest you. On the other hand, television filters the information that comes to you through trained, professional journalists. Their job is to keep you informed and up to date about things that really affect your life. Therefore, I recommend taking advantage of both resources. I watch the news on TV every evening, but for stories I want to go deeper into, I use the internet every day.

I am strongly of the opinion that English education should begin as early as possible. I would recommend starting even earlier than primary education. I feel Japan should have immersion programs like they have in Canada, where all the citizens grow up able to speak both English and French. The reason I feel so strongly about this is that Japanese people are at a great disadvantage by not knowing English. In all international affairs, such as politics, business and science research, English is the international language that everyone is using. Japan can not remain an important country without English. We have to accept that and deal with it.

Frankly speaking, I don’t feel that requiring students to do extra activities enhances their education. Of course it can be a valuable experience. Nevertheless, education time must be spent on learning, and students must be given ample time for studying. If students don’t acquire excellent study habits, it can be a huge disadvantage to them throughout their whole lives. Some students will want to volunteer or part time job, and that is a good thing. However, the big picture must not be lost, and that is the importance of learning. That is the purpose of high school, after all.

There would be tremendous benefits to Japan bringing in more international students. Japanese universities are ranked quite low internationally compared to other developed countries. It is not a coincidence that Japan also has a very low rate of international students compared to other those same countries. International students add to an atmosphere of fresh ideas, challenging perspectives, open-mindedness, etc. All of these help a university achieve excellence. Furthermore, Japanese students need to experience other cultures. In so many ways, we are like Galapagos Islands. We need to turn to our universities to address this issue, or we will fall behind the rest of the world. Our young people need to interact with their counterparts around the world.

I am a big fan of online learning. These days, college and university tuition is rising, while at the same time jobs are becoming more scarce. Many people are beginning to question the value of traditional university education. Online courses are much cheaper. Even more in their favor, online courses are often taught by the true experts in a field. The best online courses are created by distinguished professors from world class universities. They provide a tremendous learning experience for people who can’t attend their actual classes and couldn’t learn from them otherwise. Of course many local instructors are excellent, but why not learn from the best?

Online courses can’t replace the benefits of having professors to meet with directly or fellow students to study with. There is obviously a place for both.

As I see it, the answer is yes and no. By that I mean, a certain amount of money enables a person to be happy. If a person doesn’t have enough money to eat well, live someplace warm and dry, and take care of his or her family, they will find it very difficult to be happy. So, in that sense, enough money to do those things brings happiness. However, once you go beyond those basic needs, having extra money doesn’t make you feel happier. Moreover, if a person is obsessed with money, that person probably won’t be very happy. So, I maintain that money brings us happiness only to the point where it provides for our human needs.

One company for life is an outdated concept in general. Times have changed, and the relationship between workers and the company has evolved. And things are changing even more rapidly now. We don’t know which companies will be tomorrow’s winners, and which industries will disappear in ten years. So I think both workers and companies need to be more flexible. If I am lucky enough to work with a company that successfully responds to rapid social changes, I will want to stay there. But I don’t want to end up at a dead-end company or in a dead-end industry. I think more and more people are feeling the same way these days.

The seniority system is outdated, and it is one of the things that is holding Japan back, economically. For one thing, the promotion system is a disaster at many traditional Japanese companies. People become managers just because they have been there longer than anyone else, even if they have no leadership skills. Ambitious people with great ideas will always seek out companies that will reward them for the contributions they make. Japanese company lose the best people because they fail to recognize that. The only way Japan can regain its international competitiveness is to abandon the seniority system and embrace the merit system.

An individual should most definitely be allowed to end their life if they are suffering terribly, especially from an incurable condition.

I think having friendly staff is most important when you want your store to become successful.