増田有華さんを応援しながら英語学習+α

増田有華ファンが英語学習に悪戦苦闘する日記

英検1級1次試験まであと12日

stagger [+obj] to shock or surprise (someone) very much
Their indifference staggers me.
It staggers me to see how much money they've spent on this project.
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帰宅したら,阪神・巨人戦の9回裏ゼロイチ,1アウト走者1塁の場面で,ちょっぴり
野球を見てしまいました。

日の出の時間は4時半頃,お日様とともに暮らすとなると,5時前には起きていないと
いけません。本日はすごく風が強かったですわ。

英検対策

ボキャビル

若桜木虔『“右脳”でラクに覚える英単語』青春出版社,2004年。

Chapter 2/3 

ライティング

阿部清直監修『毎日ミニ模試英検1級』トフルゼミナール,2014年。

DAY 13の続き

リスニング

『英検1級リスニング問題ターゲット改訂新版』旺文社,2000年。

Part 3

形式が違うので,繰り返し聴いて,スクリプトを確認しただけですわ。


Enjoy Simple English

Folklore and Fairy Tales: Thumbelina

Moral Value

1. Never give up, no matter what the cost.
2. Be happy with who you are.


10 Lessons Kids Can Learn From Thumbelina

Originally published as “Tommelise,” Thumbelina is one of the beloved author Hans Christian 
Andersen's earliest stories. For generations of children, this tiny heroine's tale has provided 
endless entertainment, and a valuable lesson or two
Here are ten of the things that kids can learn from her story.

Patience Will Be Rewarded – Though the path to her prince is an arduous one, 
Thumbelina is patient in her quest. Because of her refusal to settle, she manages to successfully 
avoid two ill-fated marriages until her flower-fairy prince comes along.

Good Friends Can Be a Big Help – Along the way, Thumbelina is able to avoid disaster 
through not only her own efforts, but also those of many good friends. Fish, butterflies and mice 
all come to Thumbelina's aid in the course of the tale's events, teaching a very valuable lesson 
about the importance of friends.

Ingenuity Can Make All the Difference – While many fairytale heroines are quite 
passive, allowing others to come to their rescue, Thumbelina makes an effort to extricate herself 
from sticky situations. Her quick thinking, for example, leads her to tie a butterfly to the lily pad 
she's imprisoned on in order to escape the machinations of the toad's mother.

Beauty is a Matter of Perspective – While many are entranced by the pint-size girl's 
staggering beauty, there are those who see her differences and find them displeasing to the eye. 
The beetle friends of an insect kidnapper, seeing her lack of antennae and two legs, declare that 
Thumbelina is ugly, proving that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

Work is Part of Life – While Thumbelina is able to eke out a living during the summer and 
autumn months, the approaching winter sends her to the door of a field mouse, who offers 
her room and board in exchange for her services as a housekeeper and storyteller. 
This arrangement is a great example of the necessity of working to sustain ourselves.

Beauty Isn't a Person's Only Worth – Even though Thumbelina's beauty is central to 
her tale, her talents as a storyteller and a singer cause the field mouse's neighbor, a blind mole, 
to fall in love with Thumbelina for something other than her appearance. While she doesn't wish to 
marry the mole and eventually escapes him as well, he does serve as a great example of seeing 
more than a person's appearance.

Helping Others Can Be Very Rewarding – Despite her desperate wish to escape her 
upcoming marriage to the blind mole, Thumbelina still makes it a point to nurse an injured sparrow 
back to life when she discovers him. Gratitude for her good deed causes the sparrow to offer her 
the choice of escaping, which she eagerly accepts.

We All Belong Somewhere – In her travels with the sparrow, Thumbelina discovers a field of 
flowers that open to reveal other flower-fairies like herself. For kids who feel out of place among 
their peers, this can be a very powerful lesson about finding their place in the world and belonging.

Money Can't Buy Happiness – Though he was very wealthy, Thumbelina knew that money 
could not buy her happiness if she married the blind mole. This is an important lesson for kids, 
teaching them that all of the money in the world can't buy the best things in life.

Determine Your Own Self-Worth – The beetles called her ugly, while others treated 
Thumbelina as if her sole worth was being beautiful. Instead of letting either of these sentiments 
take root, Thumbelina determined her own self-worth and stayed strong through her trials.

The image of a diminutive figure is certainly not a new one; many folklore stories and fairytales 
feature protagonists that are dwarfed by their surroundings. Thumbelina happens to be one of 
the more well known, with a recent film adaptation to her credit.



laundry [noncount] clothes, towels, sheets, etc., that need to be washed or
that have been washed
There's a pile of dirty laundry in the laundry basket.
I have to do the laundry today. [=to wash the dirty clothes, towels, etc.]

detergent a powder or liquid that is used to clean clothes, dishes, etc. : chemical
substance that is like soap [noncount] a box of detergent
[count] We have tried different laundry detergents.

hang to attach or place something so that it is held up without support 
from below
[+ obj] My grandmother used to hang the wash on a clothesline.
[no obj] Your coat is hanging in the closet.

iron to use a heated iron to make clothing or fabric smooth
[+ obj] I ironed the shirt. [no obj] I ironed all morning.


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