Good, better or the best?

Is London more expensive than Tokyo? Is it cheaper to live there? Which is the most expensive city to live in, and the least expensive, in the world? Does more expensive mean better or worse? Today we will find out... because the cost of living is the topic for Victoria Class to practise comparatives (bigger than) and superlatives (the biggest). Here are the grammar rules to help:

Comparing two things:

• Short adjective + er: Sapporo is colder than Tokyo. Abiko is cheaper than Roppongi.
• More/Less + long adjective: Sapporo is less expensive than Tokyo. Roppongi is more exciting than Abiko.
• As + adjective + as: Roppongi is as expensive as Soho (both the same). New York is not as big as Tokyo (both are different).
• Good/bad - better/worse: Tea in New York is worse than in London, but the coffee is better.
• Much + er or more/less: Roppongi is much more exciting than Abiko. (a lot more).  

Comparing three or more things:

• Short adjective + est: Athens is the oldest city in Europe. London has the coolest clubs in Europe.
• Long adjective + the most/the least: The most expensive city in Europe is London. The least welcoming city is Paris.
• Good/bad - the best/the worst: The best English school is in Kounoyama. Reykjavik has the worst fast food.

OK, those are the rules. So, which is the most expensive place to live in the world? Here are the top 20 (taken from CNN), but remember, the most expensive doesn't always mean the best...)

1. Moscow
   
2. London
   
3. Seoul
4. Tokyo
5. Hong Kong
6. Copenhagen
7. Geneva
8. Osaka
9. Zurich
10. Oslo
11. Milan
12. St Petersburg
13. Paris
14. Singapore
15. New York
16. Dublin
17. Tel Aviv
18. Rome
19. Vienna
20. Beijing

Treasure hunt - 宝探し

今週のKidsレッスンは宝探しを久しぶりに行った。３才から１２才までの子供たちの反応は面白いもの。とっても楽しませてもらった。最後に探し当てたアンパンマンの缶の中にキャンディーが入っているのを見て、喜ぶ小さな子供たち。「えっ？これが宝だったの？」とがっかりする高学年の子供たち。やっぱり宝の内容は年齢によって変えないとダメですね。見つけ出した手紙を一生懸命読もうとし、ヒントを少しづつ英語で出していく間、真剣に「何だ何だ？」と想像している姿はホントにかわいかった。１３枚の手紙のひとつに、Look at the back page of The Japan Times (Newspaper)が入っていた。もちろん難しい問題だったが、Newspaperと聞いて、トイレに駆け込んだ子供たち。Toilet paperだと思い込んで、一生懸命トイレ中を探していたんでしょうね。（笑）みんなお疲れさまでした。宝探しで出て来た新しい言葉、ちょっとどれだけ覚えているか次のレッスンで聞いてみます。

A week of news - in English

If you want to practise your English reading, but don't have the time or patience for any of the books we have here for you to borrow, why not try an English language newspaper? Don't know where to get one? Tower English now subscribes to the Japan Times, so if you want to read the latest news about Japan and the world in English, just ask. We keep a week of copies in the classroom, so there should always be one available for you to take home - for free. 

Car parking spaces

We have two new car parking spaces for students. They are about 100 metres from Tower English, on the road to Kounoyama Elementary school. They are on the left side. There is a yellow chain and a small yellow sign that says "Tower English". Please use the spaces if you drive to lessons. If you cannot find the car park, please ask us and we will show you. 

The best place in the world?

I enjoyed myself during Mums' English Club, our monthly get-together for busy mothers to chat in English. We had a fun game of guess the celebrity (we all had different names on our backs - including David Beckham, Madonna and Queen Elizabeth II, among others - and had to find out who we were by asking others questions). Then, after a chat and a cup of tea, we discussed: "Where is the best place in the world to live?" Can you guess the top answer? Hawaii and Okinawa were popular, but the favourite was... Abiko. What do you think?