Column Discussion (Expert)｜コラムディスカッション（上級）Lesson74 : Aluminum Cans or Plastic Bottles?

PART A_1

Let’s learn vocabulary. Listen and repeat the words and the sentences with your tutor.

PART A_2

1.　shift	/shift/
	-to change an idea, attitude, etc.
	When she had a change of heart, she decided to shift to another degree program.
2.　rage	/reyj/
	-very strong anger that you cannot control
	The mother’s rage caused her children to be afraid of her.
3.　infinitely	/IN-fi-nit-li/
	-very much
	Travel is infinitely more comfortable now than it used to be.
4.　pollute	/pol-YUT/
	-to make water, air, soil, etc. dirty or harmful
	The chemical released by the factory pollutes the lake nearby.
5.　contribute	/kon-TRI-byut/
	-to give something, especially money, in order to provide or achieve something together with other people
	She was able to contribute to the music industry.

PART B_1

Let’s read the article. Please read them aloud, and I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

PART B_2

Aluminum Cans or Plastic Bottles?

Bottled water companies have been shifting from the use of plastic bottles to the use of recycled aluminum cans. This is pursuant to the people’s rage stemming from the fact that plastic bottles severely pollute water. But, will the use of recycled aluminum cans, in lieu of plastic bottles be beneficial to the environment? As the aluminum companies claim, the aluminum cans are infinitely recyclable. Furthermore,
compared to plastic bottles with 3 percent recycled content, aluminum cans have 68. However, the problem lies with the production of aluminum cans. It has an estimated carbon footprint twice as much as compared with plastic bottles. With its smelting process, it contributes a lot to air pollution. Despite these, it cannot be said that aluminum cans will permanently replace plastic bottles for a lot of reasons. First, the production of aluminum cans is more costly than plastic bottles. It would mean higher prices for water. Another reason is convenience, while plastic bottles can be open and closed easily, aluminum cans stay open. But what is important and can be seen as development is that companies are trying to venture into new ideas which will help decrease the pollution in the environment.

PART C_1

Let’s answer comprehension questions. Please answer them based on the article.

PART C_2

1.	Why are the companies shifting from plastic bottles to aluminum cans?
2.	What problems does the use of aluminum cans pose to the environment?
3.	What benefits can be acquired with the use of aluminum cans?

PART D_1

Let’s discuss the article. Please answer the questions below and express your opinions.

PART D_2

1.	Which of the two materials would you prefer?
2.	Would affordability matter to you more compared to convenience?
3.	In your opinion, should companies promote the use of aluminum cans?
4.	How should we weigh the advantages and disadvantages of both?
5.	What could be another way to combat the issue of plastic bottles?

REVIEW AND FEEDBACK

Now, let us review the things that you learned in this lesson.

ではこのレッスンで学んだことを振り返りましょう。

(Please give a short feedback on how your student did on your class.)

	Grammar 文法	Pronunciation 発音	Vocabulary 単語	Comprehension 理解
GOOD	文法の誤りはほとんどなく、完全な文章で話すことができる	ほとんどの単語をはっきりと正しく発音することができる	習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を理解し、質問に正しく答えることができる
FAIR	文法の誤りはあるが、完全な文章で話すことができる	発音の練習が必要な言葉がいくつかある	たまにミスはあるが、習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を完全に理解するのは難しく、質問に正しく答えられないときもある
POOR	文章で話すのは難しく、単語だけで話すことができる	発音の練習が必要である	習った単語と表現を少しだけ使うことができる	文章を理解するのは難しく、質問に答えるのは難しい

TUTOR FEEDBACK

GRAMMAR
Good:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with minimal grammatical errors.
Fair:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with evident grammatical errors.
Poor:	Was able to speak using words only.
PRONUNCIATION
Good:	Was able to pronounce most of the words clearly and correctly.
Fair:	Mispronounced a few words.
Poor:	Mispronounced most of the words.
VOCABULARY
Good:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class.
Fair:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class and made a few errors in word choice.
Poor:	Used only a few words and expressions.
COMPREHENSION
Good:	Was able to understand the passages and answer the questions correctly.
Fair:	Had a little difficulty in understanding passages and answering questions.
Poor:	Had a hard time understanding passages and answering questions.

Parts of this lesson material are based on:
An article by Voice of America