1st Session (Small Talk)
1. Introduce yourself
2. Where do you currently live?
3. How long have you been living in your current house?
4. Do you often clean your room/house?
Why People Choose to Live in Tiny Homes
"Tiny homes" ― houses that are around 40 or fewer square meters ― have become more popular in recent years, with 53% of Americans saying they would consider buying one.
Tiny homes are found all over the world, but they're most popular in the US, where there are over 10,000.
Pre-built tiny houses are available, though many people opt to build their own. Inside, they often look like a regular house, but much smaller. There might be a small open-plan kitchen and living area, a bathroom and a bed that can be reached by a ladder. Most are built on trailers, making it easy for people to change location.
One big advantage of a tiny house is cost. According to iPropertyManagement, in 2018 the average cost of an 8.5-meter-long tiny home was $65,000, while a normal home in the US cost an average of $272,000.
Some people also like tiny homes because they are good for the environment. They need less energy to heat, and they often use solar power, or are built using sustainable and local materials.
Some people choose to live in a tiny house because they want a smaller home after they retire, or because they're trying to reduce their cost of living.
For many, though, they just can't afford anything bigger.
Carwyn Lloyd-Jones, who teaches a course on building tiny homes at the UK's Centre for Alternative Technology, told the BBC that these types of houses are an attractive option for young people. "It's because they want to have that space to live in, but they are not necessarily able to afford that plot of land to build a full-size house," he said.
1. What are your thoughts on the growing popularity of tiny homes?
2. Would you ever consider buying a tiny home?
3. Are tiny homes popular in your country?
4. Would you describe housing as affordable where you live?
5. Would you like to build a home someday?
2nd Session (Small Talk)
1. Introduce yourself
2. Do you often order food from your house?
3. What do you often order?
4. Do you enjoy eating food during the night?
Uber Eats Begins Using Delivery Robots in Tokyo
Food delivery company Uber Eats has begun using self-driving robots to make deliveries in the center of Tokyo.
On March 6, little green robots began delivering food in the area of Nihombashi, but Uber Eats plans to use the robots in more areas in the future.
Uber Eats delivers food to customers from different restaurants, but for now the robots will only be used to collect orders from two restaurants ― Tonkatsu Aoki and Benihana Annex.
The robots make deliveries between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Uber Eats Japan said these robots can help with the country's labor shortage.
The robots use artificial intelligence to travel around but they can also be controlled remotely. They have cameras that let them move without hitting things or people.
They can travel at up to 5.4 kilometers per hour and can carry as much as 20 kilograms of food and drink.
Developed with a US company called Cartken and made with the help of Mitsubishi Electric, the 60-centimeter-high robots are insulated to keep food and drinks warm or cold.
The robots can't yet enter buildings to deliver food, so customers must go out onto the street and use their apps to open the robot and take the delivery.
And people aren't able to choose to have a robot deliver their order ― the company said it might be a nice surprise to see one arriving!
Uber Eats began using robots to deliver food in the US in 2022.
1. What are your thoughts on Uber Eats using delivery robots in Tokyo?
2. How would you feel if your food was delivered by a robot?
3. Can you think of any problems with using robots to deliver food?
4. Do you think robots will eventually replace all delivery drivers?
5. Can you think of any other jobs or industries where robots could be used instead of people in the future?