スコアアップ大作戦

it という代名詞がありますね。「これは前の文脈中に出てきた名詞を指す」というのは誰でもご存じですよね。
でも，この it の "得意技" は，「後に出てくることばを指す」ことなんです。つまり「この it の内容は，後で話すから，後を見てね」という合図なんですね。なんでそんなことをするかというと，英語は主語と述語を短くして，文全体の骨組みをはっきりさせることが好まれることばだからです。
で，この it が指すことばは，
　 <1> to 動詞の原形
　 <2> 動名詞
　 <3> that 文
　 <4> 間接疑問文
　 <5> 感嘆文
　 <6> if ... や whether ...
ということになります。つまり，it の内容として，上記６つを予想することができれば，英語が余裕で読めるようになるわけです。
These plants look exactly alike. Thus it is virtually impossible for someone other than a botanical expert to distinguish one from the other.
▽ Free Translation
これらの植物は完全に同じに見えます。従って，植物学の専門家でもない限り，見分けをつけるのはぼぼ不可能です。
▼ WORDS
□ plant＜名＞植物：＜動3＞…を植える
□ look＜動2＞外見が…である，…に見える（◆「…」部分（＝C）は主に形容詞で，副詞は置けない）
□ exactly＜副＞まさしく，厳密に（＝ just, practically）
□ alike＜形＞似通っている（＝ similar）
□ thus＜副＞その結果，それゆえ（＝ therefore）
□ virtually＜副＞ほとんど（＝ almost）
□ impossible＜形＞不可能である（◆im-は反意語を作る）
□ someone＜名＞人（◆一般に，単数形の「人」は a person でなくsomeoneで表す）
□ botanical＜形＞植物学の（◆botanical gardens「（一つの）植物園」）：　botany＜名＞植物学
□ expert＜名＞専門家
□ distinguish＜動3or1＞（…を）見分ける，区別する
□ from＜前＞…から（切り離して）（◆「分離」を表す動詞と相性がよい）

▼ Phrases & Patterns
□ It is ... for S to V原形．＝「SがVすることは…である」（◆Sは目的格）
□ other than ...＜形＞…以外の（◆例文では expertを修飾）
□ distinguish A from B ＜動＞AとBを区別する（＝ tell A from B）（◆ distinguish (between) A and B も可能）
□ one ... the other＜名＞（２つあるうちの）一方…もう一方

Foreign workers help to create more good jobs for Singaporeans: PM

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that by allowing the controlled entry of foreign workers, Singapore has attracted one of the largest investments in the country and created more jobs for Singaporeans.
Mr Lee said this during a speech at the opening of chipmakers Intel and Micron's joint venture manufacturing plant IM Flash Singapore Nand Flash Wafer Fab on Thursday.
The 300 millimetre NAND facility is a first in Singapore and is one of the largest investments at US$3 billion.
The plant manufactures NAND flash memory chips using the 25 nanometre process technology that are used in smartphones and tablets.
Mr Lee said it is expected to bring significant spinoffs to supporting industries.
Currently, IM Flash Singapore employs 1,200 workers of which six in 10 are Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs), while four in 10 are foreigners
"Without the foreign workers, we would not have attracted this US$3 billion investment, and Intel and Micron would have built its wafer fab elsewhere," PM Lee said.
"But by allowing in a controlled number of foreign workers, far from disadvantaging Singaporean workers, we have created more good jobs for Singaporeans," he continued.
"For every one foreign worker, we have created 1.5 local jobs in this project," PM Lee said.
So far, Singaporeans and PRs take up about two-thirds of the managerial and professional positions, while two-thirds of technician and manufacturing jobs are done by the foreigners.
The opening of the facility comes as demand for consumer electronics is increasing amid better economic conditions globally.
The construction of the facility was put on hold in 2008 as consumer sentiment collapsed in the wake of the financial crisis.
It now aims to be at full production levels later in 2011.
Save Baglee, vice president and director of NAND manufacturing and operations at Intel said, "The IM Flash joint venture has been able to create tremendous momentum and industry leading manufacturing capabilities. We look forward to adding IM Flash Singapore to our global manufacturing network."

Japan plans no-go zone around nuclear plant

apanese authorities are preparing to strictly enforce a 20-kilometre restricted zone around the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan is set to meet Thursday with local officials and evacuees to discuss plans for enforcement of the restricted zone around the plant, which has been leaking radiation since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami damaged its power and cooling systems.
About 80,000 residents who live within 20 kilometres of the plant were evacuated on March 12, but some have been returning to try to collect their belongings or salvage goods, and police have been unable to stop them.
Authorities want people banned from the area to protect them from radiation and also to prevent thefts.
It is still not clear how access would be controlled.
"There are a number of people who may be entering the area. Under the current regime, we are not in a position to legally enforce - there's no penalty for entering into the area. There is a realization of a need to have a stronger enforcement of the area," Noriyuki Shikata, a government spokesman, said earlier Wednesday.
Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the nuclear plant, also said Wednesday it is distributing applications for compensation to people forced out of the area. The company is offering roughly $12,000 US per person in initial compensation.
Meanwhile, workers trying to get the Fukushima nuclear plant under control are suffering from insomnia, show signs of dehydration and high blood pressure and are at risk of developing depression or heart trouble, a doctor who met with them said Wednesday.

"The conditions at the plant remain harsh," epidemiologist Takeshi Tanigawa told The Associated Press. "I am afraid that if this continues we will see a growing risk of health problems."

China cracks down on obscene online ads

China has launched a nationwide campaign to crack down on false and obscene online advertising about sex-related products, according to a government statement released on Wednesday.
As the sales of such products have moved online in recent years, complaints from the public have also grown - mostly about obscene online advertisements or fake products, according to the statement.
Since 2010, more than 4,000 such complaints have been received, according to the China Illegal Information Internet Reporting Center.
Some illegal drugs, such as ecstasy and crystal meth, are also advertised as sex medicines, but are extremely harmful and can lead to higher rates of crime and juvenile delinquency, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Also, sex products, especially sex-related medicines, usually use obscene pictures and pornographic information online to lure potential customers, which can have a negative influence on netizens, particularly the young.
"The online advertisements have become a new channel for spreading pornography," the statement said.
The campaign, carried out by six government departments including the State Council's Information Office, Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Health, aims to discourage the dissemination of such obscene information.
Websites found to have such content face closure, the statement said.
The campaign also targets alleged sex-related drugs.
According to the State Food and Drug Administration, more than 90 percent of so-called "sex medicines" sold online without government approval numbers are counterfeit, and some might cause harmful side effects.
On Baidu, the most popular search engine in China, more than 7 million entries can be found for the key words "sex medicine".
Deng Shuming, a member of the China Sexology Association, told China Daily that fake sex-related drugs found in online stores often had no effect or even harmed people's health.
"The ingredients of some online drugs have no quality guarantees, and the techniques to make them may not be safe," he said.
So far, only 27 websites in China can legally sell drugs, according to the State Food and Drug Administration.
However, "the number of people purchasing sex drugs on the Internet is about 10 times larger than that in hospitals," Deng said.
"Many online sex drug sellers take advantage of customers who have problems concerning sex and shy away from hospitals," said Ma Xiaonian, chief physician of the sexology department under Beijing's Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital.
"Some patients complain that sex drugs in hospitals are too expensive, and some also say they cannot afford the time to go to crowded hospitals," he added.

New iPhone shipping in September

The Apple rumor mill churns once again, this time off a Reuters reportsaying
a new version of the company's popular iPhone will ship in September.

Citing "three people with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain,"
Reuters says production will begin this summer on the new device, which will
feature a faster processor.

Reuters says they reached out to an Apple spokesperson in Hong Kong, who was
"unavailable for comment."

It's likely Apple may divulge details of a fresh iPhone at this June's
Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

At last year's WWDC keynote, Apple CEO Steve Jobsintroduced the iPhone 4.