Oct 8

1.  Textbook Chapter 6

6.1 Listening 1,2,3
6.2 Listening, Speaking 2,4
6.3 Listening 2,3
6.4 Speaking 2 , Listening 1
6.5 Listening 1

2.  Anki  (131-140)

3.  Japan Times

4.  Translation homework

Article 1

Japan Petroleum Exploration Co.'s test extraction of oil from deep underground shale rocks, a first for Japan, has raised hopes of improving energy security in a nation that relies on imports for almost all of its fossil fuel needs.

But newly tapped"unconventional"resources, such as shale oil and shale gas, require complicated methods of extraction that also raise environmental concerns.

Because it also entails relatively high drilling and extraction costs, it doesn't appear likely to become a primary source of energy in Japan, where the need for different resources has grown acute since the Fukushima crisis shut down nuclear reactors across the country.

Oil was confirmed Wednesday at the Ayukawa oil and gas field in mountains in the city of Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture.

Officials at the company, known as JAPEX, appeared more preoccupied with the challenges of commercialization than feeling the joy of achieving a "first" for Japan.

"This oil is costly, in part because we need to pay heed to the environment," said Keisuke Inoue, the head of the company's Akita mining office who oversaw the test exploration project.

The extraction process required pumping a large volume of hydrochloric acid into rock layers about 1,800 meters deep to dissolve limestone that clogs cracks through which oil can be obtained.

Article 2

Everywhere a visitor turns at this year's CEATEC, Japan's biggest high-tech exhibition, smartphones are being used to connect to everything from TVs and microwaves to air conditioners and automobiles.

At your service: NTT DoCoMo demonstrates a robot that recognizes voices and provides personalized assistance at the CEATEC electronics trade show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture on Tuesday. AFP-JIJI

Not to miss out, NTT DoCoMo Inc. is adopting this strategy in a big way. Japan's largest cellphone carrier is introducing a robot concierge that communicates verbally with its master in addition to plucking personal data from the user's smartphone.

The prototype, called Shabette Robo, is designed to provide helpful everyday information and entertainment, such as recommending what music to listen to or the fastest way to get somewhere and tourist information before leaving, based on the user's smartphone data stored on the Internet.

Article 3

Former Bank of Japan executive Eiji Hirano says Japan should take advantage of the annual meetings next week of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group to play up the country's resilience following the March 11, 2011, quake and tsunami.

Hirano, a former executive director of the central bank, said in an interview that the events in Tokyo will be "a great opportunity" for Japan to demonstrate that the country has achieved recovery and regained stability by overcoming the devastation from the disasters.

Japan should also tell the world how seriously it is tackling energy issues, the aging of society and low birthrate, and massive fiscal deficits, all of which are common problems among developed nations, he said.

The IMF and World Bank meetings will run six days starting Tuesday.