Tourism Troubles

The picture above was my first view of Japan. I was surprised to see that so many violent extremist groups are so active in Japan. It was a real culture shock for me!
Have you ever travelled abroad? Did you see something that shocked you?
Japanese are famous for going on guided tours to foreign countries but what about tourism to Japan? Have you ever seen a foreign tourist in Japan? Why do so few foreign people visit Japan?
The Japanese government has recently spent a huge amount of money to encourage foreign people to visit Japan. Do you think this is a good idea? Would you like to see more foreign people visit Japan, learn about its culture, and spend a lot of money here? What are some problems that may arise if many foreign tourist visit Japan?
Today, we will listen to an interview with a student from Prague in the Czech Republic. She will talk about the good points and bad points of tourism in her country: Listen Here

Hotel Reservations

Today's lesson is about making a hotel reservation. Hotels in America are quite inexpensive. The average price of a hotel room outside of a big city is usually less than $80 and includes satellite TV, a swimming pool, and sometimes free breakfast. Hotels in America do not charge per person like Japan. The price for 4 people is the same as the price for one person, $80. Very good deals on hotels in America and the rest of the world can be found here: SAVE MONEY HERE!!!

Now let's listen to a guest make a hotel reservations. Answer the questions on your handout and check the webpage for more interesting information.

Whaling Troubles

Have you ever eaten whale meat? Was it tasty? Is there a big demand for whale-burgers in Japan?
How would you feel about eating an animal that was an endangered species? Not good? Well, Japanese whale hunters will do their best in the next few months to kill over 1,000 whales as well as 50 of one of the most endangered species of whales known as the humpback. However, they are not hunting these whales in Japanese waters. Instead they will go to the South Pacific near Australia and New Zealand and then to Antarctica to hunt these protected species. Of course, the people of New Zealand and Australia, as well as the rest of the civilized world are extremely angry that Japan is ignoring the international ban on the hunting of whales, especially endangered species like the humpback.
What do you think? Should Japan ignore international law and international outrage and hunt endangered whales? Why does Japan need to hunt whales at all?
Listen to the report here.

Do the homework on the handout and don't forget you have a test on Wednesday!!!!