Working World: Construction

A Chinese company is going to build a new shipping route through Central America. Nicaragua has given the company a $40 billion contract to construct a canal across the country. It will join the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This means there will be two waterways to connect the two oceans. The other one is the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914. The new waterway in Nicaragua will be bigger and longer than the 77-km-long Panama Canal. A spokesman said much bigger ships would pass through Nicaragua's canal – twice the size of those that currently use the Panama Canal. The name of the company that will build the canal is still a secret. However, it will have a 100-year contract to maintain the project.

The new canal will be a very important trade route. Shipping companies will save time and money because it will be farther north than the Panama Canal. It will take companies ten years to finish the project, but the first ships will use it within six years. It will be 22 metres deep and 286 km long. Not all Nicaraguans are happy about the canal. Congressman Carlos Langrand said: "This project affects all Nicaraguans, the future of Lake Nicaragua, our environmental resources, and the economy." He complained that the government was not being honest with the people. He told the "Nicaragua Dispatch" newspaper that: "We have many more questions than answers about this project."

"Online activities, the mp3 and printable handouts are available for this lesson at http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com"http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1306/130609-panama_canal.html

ある中国企業は、中央アメリカを縦断する運搬のための航路を構築する予定です。ニカラグアはこの会社に対し400億ドル（4兆円）で国を縦断する運がの設営を依頼しました。これは大西洋と太平洋を繋ぐ航路です。これは２つの海を繋ぐ航路が２つになる事を意味しています。もう一つの航路とは1914年に開通したパナマ運河です。ニカラグアに出来る新しい航路はより巨大で、パナマ運河より全長77km長くなります。広報担当者は、ニカラグアの航路は、現在パナマ運河を航行している船よりも２倍、より大きな船が航行できるとしています。運河を建設する会社の名前は未だに明かされていません。しかしながら、プロジェクトは長期維持するために100年にわたる契約になるでしょう。

この新しい航路は大変重要な交易ルートになる事でしょう。海運会社は、パナマ運河よりも北に位置するため、時間と資金を削減できます。会社がこのプロジェクトを完了させるのには10年は掛かるでしょう、しかし、最初の船は6年以内に使用することになります。運河は深さは22mで全長286kmになる予定です。全てのニカラグア人がこの運河に賛成なわかではありません。下院議員のカルロス・ラングランド氏は「このプロジェクトは、未来のニカラグア湖、我々の環境資源、そして経済など、全てのニカラグア人に影響する」と述べています。彼は政府は市民に誠実で無い事を訴えました。彼はニカラグアディスパッチ新聞に「我々はこのプロジェクトに対する政府の発言よりもさらに多くの疑問がある」と語っています。

Working World: Construction

リーディングを読む前：

What 2 continents are shown here in the map on the right?

Ok, but they aren’t actually separate... so if you are on a shipwanting to go from Hawaii to New York... what are your two choices for how to get there?

Around when was the canal built?

There is a problem now with the size of the canal and the size ofships. Can you guess what the problem is?

リーディングを読む前：

航路___________________________________

大西洋と太平洋を繋ぐ___________________________________

大変重要な交易ルート___________________________________

全てのニカラグア人に影響する___________________________________

Working World: Construction

Reading Questions

(1) Where is a new shipping route going to be built?

(2) Is it farther north or farther south than the Panama Canal?

(3) Who wanted the canal?

(4) Who will build the canal?

(5) How will the new canal be different from the Panama canal?

(6) For how long will the construction company be asked to maintain the canal?

(7) How long will it take before ships can start using the new canal?

(8) What are some reasons why people in Nicaragua may not be in favor of building the canal?

(9) Are the plans for the canal clear to ordinary people in Nicaragua?

Working World: Construction

After Reading

If you were from Nicaragua, do you think you would support this new project or not? Why?

Since we are an island, many, many of Japan’s resources come to us by ship. What kind of things are imported to Japan by ship?

Where are our major shipping ports?

IKEA is a big furniture company from Sweden. They are popular because they sell nice quality furniture for low cost. We have 7 of their stores in Japan. They are in Chiba, Kobe, Saitama, Fukuoka, Yokohama, Osaka, and Sendai. What do these places have in common?

How does that save money for the company?

Working World: Construction

all about canals

Working World: Construction

environmental impact

Working World: Construction

Grammar Day 8

(1) テニスがしたいです＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(2) 私はニューヨークを訪れたいものだ ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(3) お茶を一杯いただきたいのですが。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(4) 映画を見に行きたいな。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(5) 髪を切ってもらいたいんですが。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(6) 映画見に行かない？＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(7) 何か飲みますか。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(8) 緑茶はいかがですか？＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(9) 砂糖は入れますか。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(10) コーヒーをいかがですか。 ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿