Fujii Nao

Effective Time for Studying

　My classmates study hard because we are college entrance examinees now.  We have to spend a long time on studying, so it’s important for us to find a way in which we can make the most of our time effectively.  When I classify my classmates according to the time they spend studying, there are three types of students.  The most popular type is the nocturnal studiers.  Many of my classmates study from after school to midnight.  People who can stay up at night are the members of this group.  They say night is the best time to study effectively because it’s cooler than the day.  A second category is the morning studiers.  Getting up early and studying in the morning lets us concentrate on studying.  The other category is the short-time studiers, which means they study not for a long time but for a short burst at a time.  The reason why they like this type is they can keep up their powers of concentration.  Not all classmates are classified like this, but all classmates are studying hard now.

Hasegawa Nanami

Emoticons

　We use emoticons when we type e-mail.  This is because we are trying to convey our attitudes and interests to the e-mail readers.  There are similarities and differences between the East and West in this regard.  The similarities concern what emoticons express and how they express our emotions.  Emoticons in both areas express the e-mail writer’s emotions.  The e-mail reader can know the writer’s feelings clearly.  Therefore, emoticons consist of common signs; everybody can make them. 
　One difference lies in the direction of emoticons when we read them.  In the East we read emoticons vertically.  On the other hand, they are read horizontally in the West.  In addition, their width is different.  East Asian ones are wide but North American cones are narrow.  We can make emoticons easily and they make our e-mail interesting.  Please use emoticons when you type e-mail.

Hayashi Takahiro

Valentine’s Day Gifts

　In the USA, there are several differences between what men buy for women and what women buy for men on Valentine’s Day.  Let’s examine them in detail.  According to research, the most popular gift among men and women is a card.  Eighteen percent of men and twenty-seven percent of women buy a card.  But except for the most popular gift, women’s and men’s tastes are quite different.  For example, the second most popular gift men buy for women is flowers, while that which women buy for men is candy, and the third most popular gift men buy for women is jewelry while the choice of women is flowers.  The research dhows many differences in rates of purchases but the items that men and women buy are not very different.

Inaba Yuna

Differences in Emoticons

　Most people use emoticons when they send e-mail.  There are two differences between the emoticons used in the East and those used in the West.  First, emoticons are read vertically in the East, but they are read horizontally in the West.  Secondly, they are written with the same size of letters in the West, but in the East, they are written with different sizes of letters.  I think there are some cultural differences.  On the other hand, there is a similarity between East and West.  It is easy to understand their meanings at a glance.  This is why I think we will continue to use emoticons.

Kaneko Rumi

Gender Differences in Favorite Books

　According to the data in Favorite Kinds of Books for Teens, which is from International Communications Research, the favorite books for girls are Mystery, Crime and Suspense.  The best books for boys are Horror.  Twenty-six percent of both sexes prefer Horror.  But except for that category, the percentage who favor certain books differs between boys and girls.  Science Fiction and Fantasy is more popular for boys than for girls, with a percentage for boys almost four times as high as for girls.  Romance is high in favor with girls, sixteen times as high as for boys. 

Motonaga Marina

In the Hot Season

　In the hot season the students can be classified into three categories by how they endure the heat.  They use several tools.  The first category use their plastic sheets and notes.  Most students are included in this category.  After playing with their friends, they fan themselves with plastic sheets and notes.  Almost all students have these things for studying.  That is a very easy way to fan themselves.  The second category use the fan which is called an uchiwa.   It is given out downtown in this season for nothing and is more useful than a plastic sheet.  Some students have a compact one which can be put in their pockets.  The third category use the fan which is called a sensu.  It is more useful than an uchiwa in that it can be folded.  Its pattern is often Japanese, so it is very elegant.  Few students have sensu.  Students use various tools to endure the heat.  However, they ask their teacher to use an air conditioner in class.

Nakamura Mayuka

Taste in Books

According to the data from International Communications Research, boys and girls aged twelve to seventeen ranked their favorite kinds of books.  It seems Mystery and Horror together represent more than half of all kinds of books, regardless of gender.  Sixteen percent of girls seem to like Romance while only one percent of boys like it.  Instead of Romance, twenty-one percent of boys prefer Science Fiction while girls aren’t interested in it.  As for History and Biography, neither girls nor boys choose it as their favorite kind of books.  There are differences between boys’ and girls’ tastes in books, but Mystery and Horror are popular among teens regardless of gender.

Nakamura Mayuka

Valentine’s Day Gifts

According to a study which shows the types of gifts that men and women in the USA buy for each other on Valentine’s Day, it seems cards are the most popular gifts regardless of gender.  As for women, cards, candy and flowers together represent more than half of all gifts.  In the case of men, their selections seem a bit similar to those of women.  Jewelry, lingerie and perfume or cologne seem less popular for both genders.  Last, only seventeen percent of women buy other gifts to express their love, while twenty-five percent of men do.  Men and women may be different, but the Valentine’s Day gifts with which they express their love seem quite similar.

Osajima Momoko

Our Own Way

Our classmates may be classified into three types.  When we learn a lot of English words by heart, one group of us do it by writing them on a paper again and again.  They repeat it until the paper is filled with writing.  A second group of us memorize many words by looking at our word books.  They do it silently.  The other group of our classmates manage to commit words to memory by repeating them in a low voice.  Not all members can be classified under one of these groups, of course, but most can.  Thus, we all try to enlarge our vocabularies in our own way.

Takajo Daiji

Valentine’s Day Gifts

　Many people in the world give someone a present on Valentine’s Day.  Are you upset when you can’t decide what present to give?  According to a survey which studied the types of gifts that men and women in the U.S.A. buy for each other on Valentine’s Day, the most popular item among both genders is a card.  Moreover, more men tend to send cards to women than women do to men.  The three popular items which are given most frequently are cards, flowers and candy. So if you don’t want to send a card, you should consider flowers or candy.  Other minor items are perfume, personal care, jewelry and lingerie.  They are common among both genders.  When you decide on a present, you can refer to this information.

Uezono Eiko

Teens and Books

　A study on what kinds of books are chosen by teens as their favorites was carried out by International Communications Research.  The group that both boys and girls prefer is Mystery, Crime and Suspense.  The second is Horror.  These two groups together represent nearly fifty percent of all choices.  The number of boys who prefer Science Fiction is about four times as large as that of girls.  A lot of girls prefer Romance while boys show hardly any interest in it.  Furthermore, the tendency to show interest in fiction rather than nonfiction applies to both girls and boys.