Elementary

I don't play video games. I get addicted and spend too much time playing them! But a friend who is a gamer told me about a new game called Death Stranding, by video game designer Hideo Kojima. In this game, gamers help each other win. One player can build a bridge or road, then leave it there for other players to use. The point of the game is to bring a broken world back together. The reviews of the game are mixed—there are good and bad things about it—but I like the idea of a game based on working together rather than against each other. So many video games are about trying to beat other players. But, as my friend said, this is a different kind of game. You help each other out. The point is to connect people, both in the game and among gamers. I still won't play Death Stranding, or any other video game, but I'm glad to hear about one based on the value of working together.
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The killing of the Japanese ex-prime minister, Shinzo Abe, shocked the whole world. Even though some of the people in Japan did not agree with his policies, the ex-prime minister’s murder is a sad event for the entire nation. 

The murder is shocking because it happened in Japan, where deaths from guns are very rare. It is also uncommon to hear about politicians being killed in developed countries. 

Please, have a look at the graphs below and discuss them with your teacher. 

Harvard Business Review has researched the mindsets that affect a person’s leadership ability. Here are different mindsets they have found.

Growth and Fixed Mindsets. People with a growth mindset believe that people change. Everyone can develop their abilities, intelligence, and talent. However, people with a fixed mindset believe people are born with specific skills and cannot develop them. 

Learning and Performance Mindsets. Learning mindsets mean people are motivated to learn something new just because they like learning. They want to learn without any external factors. On the other hand, people with performance mindsets are motivated to learn to get positive feedback or because they are afraid to get negative critiques. 

Elon Musk is a famous Twitter user. He wants to change Twitter rules on what is allowed to be posted. However, recently he surprised everyone by saying that he would buy this social media company. Musk has been offered loans of $25.5 billion from big American banks and he promised to pay the rest of the $21 billion out of his pocket.

The next day after Musk’s proposal, the board announced they will implement a "poison pill"—a measure that forbids anyone to buy more than 15% of the company’s shares. People fear that Twitter’s shareholders will pressure the board to accept Musk’s offer. Shareholders may want to do it because the share price that Musk has offered is much higher than the current one. On the other hand, this deal means that Twitter will become private, which may lead to unknown consequences for the company. 

Tokyo Paralympics were amazing not only because of sports results. There were also a few truly heartwarming moments. 

One of them happened after a Paralympic runner Keula Nidreia Pereir came fourth in a 200-meter race. Even though she didn’t get a medal, something happy was waiting for her at the finish line. Her running guide and a partner got down on his knee and proposed to her. She said yes. 

Visually impaired runners often run together with a guide. Their arms are connected with a rope. The guide should match the runner step by step and inform the runner how far is left to go. The runners and guides train together and perform together. If a runner wins a medal, a guide wins a medal too. 

A cat named Forbes disappeared in 2011. Its owners were trying to find the cat for months. They made posters and went door-to-door asking about the cat. The cat’s owner said, “We'd had him from when he was a kitten and we had such a special bond. He was such a unique and friendly character, we absolutely adored him.” After almost eight or nine months of constant searching, they lost hope to find Forbes. 

Ten years later, the Scottish SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) found a cat with a microchip. The chip led them to the cat's owners. SPCA called the owners. The owners immediately went to collect their beloved pet. They were very happy to find him, even after 10 years. "At the moment, we are just gradually introducing him to our two dogs and two cats. This is just the best outcome for us.”

Since smartphones first connected us to the Internet, the time we spend on our phones has been increasing. 

2020 showed us that our whole life can be on the Internet. It is no longer a tool to work. It is something that gives us a voice, an opportunity to build relationships and connect with people. Some people find this useful. Others are worried about developing Internet addiction—when people use the Internet so much that other areas of their lives are damaged (relationships, work, studies, etc...) The American Academy of Pediatrics even proposed the idea of Facebook Depression. It is when people compare themselves with what they see on mass media platforms, and they feel incomplete, depressed and unhappy. 

Most of us have the Internet in our pocket at all times. That means our media consumption and screen time has changed significantly over the last decade.

Please have a look at the graph below about American media consumption.

The life expectancy of people in Japan has been increasing for the past 65 years. Life expectancy means the prediction of how long people are expected to live. There are many reasons for the increase in life expectancy, such as better food, cleaner water and improved medicine.

Please have a look at the chart below and discuss what you see with your teacher.

Crossing the street is very easy in most countries. You simply wait for the crosswalk light to turn green. The cars stop and let you walk safely to the other side.

However, in Hanoi, Vietnam, crossing the road is an adventure. There are few traffic lights, and the cars and motorbikes will never stop for you. You need to just walk into the street and the vehicles will go around you. It can be very scary, but that is the only way to cross the street in Vietnam. You have to trust the drivers not to hit you.

You get used to it very quickly and then laugh when you see tourists panic while crossing the street.