Welcome to
The Point
The First All English Newspaper in Kumamoto City, Japan
My name is Randall Miller. I have started an English newspaper here in Kumamoto City Japan named The Point. There are lots of Japanese adults who like to learn and practice English. There are also a lot of Japanese students who enjoy learning English. My newspaper gives Japanese a chance to practice and learn English with a native speaker. Japanese people can exchange emails in English with my native speaking English staff. Japanese can also learn idioms, American culture and other English grammar with our newspaper. My goal is to help improve Japanese citizens in English and to give them a safe and comfortable opportunity to practice English with native speakers. I print the newspaper once a month. My magazine reaches up to 150,000 citizens in Kumamoto City and surrounding areas.
Exchange emails with a native speaker of English
If you really want to improve your English skills, you should practice exchanging emails with a native speaker. Answer the questions below and send your answers to one of our staff members. You can also practice your speaking by skype or meeting in person.
Topic: Family
1. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
2. Do you get along with your brothers and sisters?
3. What do you have in common with your mother?
4. What do you have in common with your father?
5. Did you have any chores when you were a child?
6. When did you move out of your parent's house?
7. What do your parents do for a living?
8. What do your brothers and sisters do for a living?
Send your answers to someone on our staff. We will correct your English and answer you. Write the staff’s name in the subject. Email: bluehillesl@yahoo.com
Male Female
David (USA) Sharon (Canada)
Randall (USA) Lisa (Canada)
Grammar 1
as soon as = first thing you do
Ex. I drink coffee as soon as I get to work.
1. Call me as soon as you get home.
2. Start making dinner as soon as dad gets home.
3. Clean the tub as soon as you get out.
4. Take me home as soon as the date is finished.
Grammar 2
Ex. Would you stick around to watch someone get arrested?
1. Let's stick around for the fireworks?
2. Let's stick around to meet the cartoon character,
3. Let's stick around to meet the actor.
4. I don't want to stick around for the police.
Foreigner's Voice
I was sitting in my apartment one afternoon and I was getting hungry. I decided to go to Hotto Motto which was close to my apartment. It was such a beautiful and sunny day, I decided to walk to get my food. On my way, I saw a police car pass me. I just kept walking and to my surprise, the same police car had made a u-turn. The two police officers in the car turned the red and blue lights on and pulled in front of me. I wasn't nervous because I had not done anything illegal. The first police officer got out of the car and walked up to me. He asked me for my passport of foreigner card. I asked the police officer, "What did I do wrong?" I had only been in Japan for a few months so I could not speak much Japanese. The second police officer got out of the car and told me that I had not done anything wrong. The officers were just stopping me to check my papers to make sure I was in Japan legally. I thought this was not a good way to welcome foreigners into Japan. While I was standing there with the police car lights on, the Japanese in their cars passed by and slowing down wondering what I had done wrong. I felt like a criminal even though I had not done anything wrong. It was so embarrassing so I wondered how many Japanese citizens know that Japanese police stop foreigners at random to check their papers. I didn't feel good so I never walked anywhere again. I hate when Japanese people ask me if I like living in Japan because this bad memory always comes to mind.
English Idioms
Idiom 1 - burn the midnight oil = to work very late
Example:
Sam: We have an exam tomorrow.
Ben: It looks like we will have to burn the midnight oil tonight.
Idiom 2 - go to your head = don't let success make you feel better than everyone else
Example:
Jill: Ralph was promoted to supervisor last week.
Ray: The promotion went to his head because he thinks he knows everything.
Idiom 3 - splitting hairs = to argue about small details that are not important.
Example:
Charles: Are you going to come at 2:00 or 2:30?
Rachel: Let's not split hairs over the time.
Idiom 4 - ring a bell - something sounds familiar
Example:
Student: Your face rings a bell but I can't remember your name.
Teacher: I was in your class 5 years ago and my name is Bill.
March 2022
American Culture
Most Americans like racing. A lot of people build something to race. There are races for horses, dogs, boats, jet skis, cars, go carts, motorcycles and just about anything that can race. In America, there are so many racetracks that people can go and bet on who will win the race. It is fun to watch horses or dogs run around a track trying to win a race. At the dog track, there is a toy rabbit on a stick that the dogs chase around the track. The toy rabbit is mechanically controlled so it is impossible for the dogs to catch it. There are also so many states that border the ocean that boat racing is almost impossible to avoid. There are also a lot of states that get a lot of snow so that makes it possible to have ski and skimobile races. People in the thousands go to watch these races.
Guion Bluford
Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 22, 1942. He was a quiet boy who enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, brain teasers and building model airplanes. In high school he decided he would become an aerospace engineer. He studied aerospace engineering at Pennsylvania State University. He graduated in 1964. After he graduated from college, he joined the United States Air Force and served in the Vietnam War.
After he was honorably discharged by the Air Force, he received his masters degree and in 1978, he had earned his Ph. D. By 1978 he had completed eight years of college and in January, he was chosen by NASA to become an astronaut. After four more years of training, Bluford became a mission specialist for the eighth space shuttle mission. He would be responsible for coordinating scientific activities and engineering experiments.
On August 30, 1983, the space shuttle Challenger’s nighttime launch lit up the sky at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bluford helped launch a communications and weather satellite for the government of India. He also did tests for new drugs to fight diabetes and other diseases. Guion became the first African American in space.
Bluford has logged 688 hours in space during his career. Bluford retired in 1993 and was
inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997.