札幌 英会話 スクール AGREATDREAM 札幌駅前校
10月27日(木)から11月10日(木)までお休みさせていただきます。
休み期間中はメールでお問い合わせください。
11月11日(金)から通常通り営業します。

Category: Advice

Master the Art of Professional Email Writing: Essential Tips for Clear, Compelling Communication

Mastering the Art of Email: A Guide to Clear and Compelling Communication

Crafting the perfect email is like writing a letter to the world. Your message can be a simple knock on the door or an eloquent invitation to step inside. Whether you're just entering the workforce or you're a seasoned leader, the skill of writing impactful emails is one of the most essential tools you’ll use in your professional life. Emails hold power. The power to motivate, clarify and connect or when done poorly, the power to confuse, frustrate or even be ignored. But worry not! With a few key strategies, you can turn your emails into clear, actionable and engaging communication.

So, how do you ensure that your emails don’t just blend into the noise but instead leave an impression? Let’s walk through the steps of mastering this essential skill.

The Building Blocks of a Brilliant Email

Every email you send, whether to a colleague or a new contact, follows a basic structure. However, it’s in how you execute each part that will set you apart from the rest. From the subject line to the final sign-off, each component plays a role.

1. The Subject Line: Your First (and Only) Chance

Read more »

EIKEN Style Tests for English Proficiency Ver. 2.1c

The EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency Ver. 2.1c

A guide to passing the EIKEN test

Hi. My name is Glen and I am making a guide on how to pass style Eiken tests and want to help learners understand the format of EIKEN style tests so they can improve their proficiency. It is for non-commercial purposes only and it is prohibited from being used in commercial situations. It can not be distributed, or reproduced for financial gain. I hope you find it useful though. Feel free to share the URL with your friends and try and get up to level 1.

First let's start off with a few of the tests below. Start with level 5 and go as high as you can trying to get at least 7 out of 12 on each test. Our tests are slightly different from the original tests. You can do the tests multiple times as the questions are randomized each time you try. Level 1 is the most difficult but most people only get up to about level pre 1.

EIKEN Style Sample Tests + Answers
Original 12 Question Test

Read more »

Toxic Hotlinking | How to Prevent Image Hotlinking

Toxic Hotlinking | How to Prevent Image Hotlinking

You can type this: inurl:yourwebsite.com -site:yourwebsite.com into to Google Image Search to see if people are hotlinking your files.

After that you can just can change file names on your server to stop people hotlinking.

In my case, I would search for this:

inurl:agreatdream.com -site:agreatdream.com

Then from the following pages change URLs or image addresses.

Hope this helps you remove toxic hotlinking from your site.

Whitelisting sites to link to your content

Add a code snippet to your .htaccess file

Go to the main file directory of your website and open your .htaccess file.

Scroll to the end of it and paste in the following code:

/* Prevent image hotlinking in WordPress */
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http(s)?://(www.)?yourwebsite.com [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http(s)?://(www.)?google.com [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http(s)?://(www.)?facebook.com [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http(s)?://(www.)?twitter.com [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERE

Read more »

Using Transition Words and Phrases

Using Transition Words and Phrases

What are transition words?

Transitions

Transition words are used to connect ideas and show flow. They help readers move through complex ideas, establish relationships and connections between ideas as well. They are also important when you look at website rankings. Many search engine optimization programs recommend you use them to improve readability, like in Yoast SEO. If you use them correctly they typically results in better rankings in search engines like Google.

Conjunctions are the most basic of transitional words. They join words, phrases or clauses together. Good examples are "and", "but" also "or".

I drove to school and I got there just in time.

I drove home but was still late for dinner.

As you can see in the examples above, the conjunctions serve different purposes. 

The first conjunctive "and" connects the two occurrences equally. 

The second conjunctive "but" introduces a contrast. 

Knowing different categories of transition words will also help you choose the best ones to get your point across.

WRITER’S HANDBOOK >

Read more »

Hitachi Washing Machine: NW-7EX

Hitachi Washing Machine: NW-7EX

NW-7EX: How to remove the impeller screw

洗濯機用パルセータ-用ネジ [PF-3150 JCF]

The NW-7EX Impeller Screw

The screw is right-handed, so undo it with counterclockwise rotation.
You will need a PH3 screw driver head and maybe small spanner to help remove the tight screw.

日立 パーツ HITACHI 【PF-3150-036】 ネジ(Pトメヨウ・サラワツキ)

* This is just an image of an impeller from the same maker but not the actual impeller of the NW-7EX.

The Plastic Cap

Removing the plastic cap will be difficult but you will need a flat head screw driver to pop it out.

Hitachi's Website

NW-7EX-NW-8EXDownload

https://agreatdream.com/sapporo-eikaiwa-language-school-agreatdream/

Read more »

?/trackback – Most trackbacks have been turned off on this website.

?/trackback

?/trackback
If you are searching for this you will have to contact us for more details. We turned off the trackbacks.

What is a trackback?

A trackback allows websites to notify people about an update or updates. It is one of four types of linkback methods for authors to request notification when somebody links to one of their pages or stories. This enables writers to keep track of who is linking to their articles. Some websites, based on SilverStripe, WordPress, Drupal, and Movable Type, support automatic pingbacks. With automatic pingbacks all the links in a published article can be pinged when the article is published. The term colloquially means any kind of linkback.

Can Trackback links help your SEO performance?

The downside with trackbacks is that they are heavily abused by web spammers. 

Website owners that want to improve their own SEO send pingbacks to sites in the hope that they will be approved, thus earning a link from the page. Typically, the links are nofollowed. However, web spammers hope to receive links from sites that are dofollowed and that also auto-approve their links.

Should trackback links be a part of your SEO?

Read more »

Installing Adobe CS6 (Creative Suite) in the wrong language

Installing Adobe CS6 (Creative Suite) in the wrong language

Did you just get a copy of Adobe CS6 (Creative Suite) only to find out it installs in the wrong language? If you did, like I did, then maybe these steps below will help you get it installing in the correct language. This should also work if you downloaded the trial of Adobe CS6, and it isn't installing in English or your main language either. The reason for this problem is usually the region and language settings.

Installing Adobe CS6 Creative Suite

Here are the steps for installing and hopefully fixing the Adobe CS6 Creative Suite when it is coming up with the wrong language:

1. Open the Control Panel

2. Open Region and Language settings

3. On the Formats tab change the format to English (or your native language)

Format: English (United States)

4. Try installing or reinstalling again.

Feel free to email me through the contact page if you find a better way of fixing this problem. Any support or help on fixing problems like this is greatly appreciated.

As a teacher and designer, I'm quite happy with the CS6 Master Collection.

One day, I would like to upgrade to the new Creative Cloud versi

Read more »

Adobe: 32 bit TWAIN scanner problem on Photoshop installation DVD

Adobe Keeps Quiet About TWAIN Drivers

Adobe: 32 bit TWAIN scanner problem on Photoshop installation DVD

No updates for the 32-bit TWAIN scanner...

Adobe released 32 and 64 bit versions of Photoshop CS6 but forgot to mention it wouldn't work with most scanners out of the box. By leaving in the 32 bit version of Photoshop on the installation DVD they said to many users to use that version instead... The main problem is the TWAIN driver is missing from the installation DVD.

TWAIN Driver for 64 Bit Operating System?
Sean Nelson • Forum Pro • Posts: 11,988
In reply to Ron AKA • Nov 22, 2013

Ron AKA wrote:

My investigation of the issue with Epson has kind of come to a dead end. They say that nobody has bothered to write a 64 bit TWAIN driver. And that is the reason it does not work. They blame Adobe and Microsoft, but it seems to me that Epson has to share some responsibility too.

The lack of a driver isn't the real issue, it's the fact that the industry group who came up with the TWAIN standard never updated it for use in a 64-bit environment.   The WIA (Windows Image Acquisition) standard is for 64-bit software and I guess the TWAIN group figured there wasn't an

Read more »

What is a trackback link? Trackbacks, Pingbacks & Linkbacks

What is a trackback link? Trackbacks, Pingbacks & Linkbacks

Trackback Links: A Guide to Boosting Your Website’s Visibility

Trackback links are a powerful way to increase your blog's visibility and attract more traffic. These links allow website owners or content creators to receive notifications when someone links to one of their pages or documents. By keeping track of who’s linking to your articles, you can build relationships with other bloggers and websites, further boosting your reach.

Trackback links are one of four types of linkback methods. They allow website companies or authors to request a notification. The notification is to show when somebody links to one of their web pages or documents. They enable them to keep track of who is linking to their articles. Many popular content management systems (CMS), such as SilverStripe, WordPress, Drupal, and Movable Type, support automatic pingbacks. Pingbacks allow links in a published article to ping when published. Pingbacks are automated and don't send any content. The term

Read more »

Search: Type & hit enter

Search: Type & hit enter

If you just pressed enter or clicked on the search icon in the text field you probably ended up here.

When you just press enter this website will look for "Search: Type & hit enter".

Type the keyword to find specific pages

or

try a few links from the side menu.

Thank you for taking your time to look at this site.

If you have any questions feel free to email us anytime.

verb

1. Try to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly.

"I searched among the rocks, but I couldn't find the phone I dropped."

Synonyms

hunt, look, explore, forage, fish about/around, look high and low, cast about/around/round, ferret (about/around), root about/around, rummage about/ar

Read more »

How to Study in Six Simple Steps

How to Study in Six Simple Steps

Space (1)

How to Study: It is easier to study when you are in a comfortable space. Make room, mentally and physically, for studying. Take a deep breath and pause for a moment before you start. Remember the types of things that make you comfortable. Find a quiet and comfortable space where you can focus without distractions.

Place (2)

Personalize your workspace. Surround yourself with items that inspire and motivate you. This could include quotes, posters or images that help you remember things. Arrange your desk and study materials in a way that makes it easy to study. Use organizers, shelves and containers to keep everything tidy but accessible. Also remove all the things you don't need on your desk. Lots of people just pile up stuff and move it to the side but this makes it difficult to study at times.

Pace (3)

Notice the way you like to work, and adjust your pace accordingly. If you work slowly just allow more time to study. A 10-minute break for 30 minutes study works for a lot of people. Also don't forget to check how much you actually remembering after studying for about 30 minutes. It's easy to st

Read more »

???Search:????type+Enter?????

???Search:????type+Enter?????

???Search:????type+Enter????? shows up in your search if your browser can't display Japanese characters.

How to fix the problem

If you are using Windows 10, you might need to change your regional setting to get the Japanese font loading or add a language pack to your PC.

Watch the videos below for more ideas on fixing the problem.

???Search:????type+Enter?????

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqZxDll9Fhc

 

This article applies to:
Platform(s): Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP
SYMPTOMS

A program displays in an incorrect language.

CAUSE

The system locale is not set to use the language of choice.

SOLUTION

Notes
You must be logged in with an account that has administrative privileges in order to change the system locale.
The appropriate language packs should be installed on the operating system.

View the System Locale settings for Windows
Click Start, then Control Panel
Click Clock, Language and Region
Windows 10, Windows 8: Click Region
Windows 7: Click Region and Language
Windows XP: Click Regional and Language Options

Read more »

Search

Your Current Search

If you are looking for a certain thing and can't find it, use our menu on the right side of this site, or try our search engine :)

Navigation

If a navigation bar is the roadmap to a website, it’s probably best to show every page there, right? That way people are sure to find what they need...

Actually, not so much.

Many people take the “more is more” approach to their top (or side) navigation menu—the logic being that if visitors need to find something, at least they’ll be able to find it in the main menu.

The thing is, navigation menus work best when they are short and sweet. There's a few reasons for this:

User experience: A short menu is easier and faster for people to read through—if they have to hunt through lots of options, they are more likely to bounce.

Search engine optimization (SEO): A short, clear menu makes it easier for search engines to navigate, understand, and index your site.

Design: Most website templates are designed with one line of navigation in mind. Adding more than that can make your navigation look crowded, hard to read, and in some cases “break” the sty

Read more »

Study Tips + How to Excel in Studying English Effectively: Advanced Guide Version 3

Study Tips + How to Excel in Studying English Effectively: Advanced Guide Version 3

Study Tips - Below are a few ideas on studying English effectively.

There are many ways to study English, but many students ask which is the most effective. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a single answer that is right for every student. However... I can certainly give advice. Here are some helpful guidelines as to how to study that should help.

Warming-up to Study English

Just as there are exercises to help you warm up before you play some basketball or other sport, there are exercises which can help you warm up to study English. Here are some simple exercises to help you warm up.

How to Study Effectively
Study Tips

1: Activate Your Vocabulary

Activate your vocabulary by thinking or speaking briefly about the subject you are about to work on. For example, if you are going to study English on topics that focuses on vacations, take a moment to think about your last vacation, what you did, what you enjoyed, etc. This simple exercise will help your brain warm-up to vocabulary that you are likely to encounter as you study English about

Read more »

Hokkaido Explorer ・ 北海道エクスプローラー (hokkaidoexplorer.com)

Hokkaido Explorer ・ 北海道エクスプローラー (hokkaidoexplorer.com)

Hokkaido Explorer: If you are in Hokkaido and looking for English travel information check out this new website. It has stories and videos about food, drinks, famous places and people around Hokkaido.

Hokkaido Explorer ・ 北海道探検家・北海道エクスプローラー

hokkaidoexplorer.com

Hokkaido Tour Guide

If you are looking for hotels or information on Hokkaido, another website you can check out is https://hokkaido.a4jp.com 

It has hotel and event information mainly for East Hokkaido.

The North Island

Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, is known for its volcanoes, natural hot springs (onsens) and ski areas. Daisetsuzan National Park is home to steaming, volcanic Mount Asahi. Shikotsu-Tōya National Park contains caldera lakes, geothermal springs and a Mount Fuji look-alike called Mount Yōtei. If you are looking for a popular ski resort you can visit areas like Rusutsu, Furano and Niseko, also smaller ski areas like Onze and Bunkei too.

Hokkaido Explorer

Area: 83,450 km²

Weather: 0°C, Wind NW at 6 m/s, 77% Humidity

Popula

Read more »

Zucchini (Courgette) – Healthy Snacks

Zucchini (Courgette) - Healthy Snacks

How to prepare and cook the zucchini

Cut a zucchini into 5mm thick circles.

Put the cut zucchini into a bowl, with just enough water to cover the pieces.

Put a microwave safe lid on the bowl.

Microwave at 500W for 5 minutes and 30 seconds.

Eat after it cools down a bit.

Health benefits of zucchini (courgette)

At only 17 calories per 100g, they are great to use in weight reduction and cholesterol control programs.

They contain no saturated fats or cholesterol either.

The peel is good source of dietary fiber which offers some protection against colon cancers and helps reduce constipation.

Relatively moderate source of folates, consists of 24 mcg or 6% of RDA per 100g. Folates are important in cell division and DNA synthesis.

When taken adequately before pregnancy, it can help prevent neural tube defects in the fetus.

Very good source of potassium which is a heart friendly electrolyte and important intracellular electrolyte; helps reduce blood pressure and heart rates by countering effects of sodium.

Fresh zucchinis are rich in vitamin A; the

Read more »

How to find the id of an image (photograph, pic, jpg, png, bmp…) on a WordPress page or post

How to find the id of an image (photograph, pic, jpg, png, bmp...) on a WordPress page or post

How to find the id of an image

If you want to find the id of an image (photograph, pic, JPG, PNG, WebP, BMP...) on a WordPress page or post, just click on Media on the left menu and when the pop-up Media screen shows you can move your mouse cursor over the words title, edit or delete (without clicking) and see the id in the status bar (lowest line or part of the internet program's screen) of the browser.

WordPress 6.9 or 7.0: If you click on the image in the media library, you can then just look at the number in the URL area of your browser.

If you can't see the words title, edit or delete you may need to click on show first then try moving your cursor over those words.

That's all.

There are also some WordPress plugins you can install from the left plugin menu after clicking "add new" to show the IDs.

Read more »

2 Different Galleries on a WordPress Page (Shortcode)

2 Different Galleries on a WordPress Page (Shortcode)

2 different galleries on a WordPress page

If you want to have 2, 3, 4 or even more galleries on a WordPress page you can. Just add short-code like the bold samples shown below.

Inside the square brackets [] write something like

gallery include="a,b,c,d"

then in the next gallery

gallery include="e,f,g,h,i,j,k"

 A-E Gallery

 F-J Gallery

 K-O Gallery

P-T Gallery

U-Z Gallery

Why We Love Fire

By Natalie Wolchover and edited by Glen Charles Rowell

As America's $2 billion candle industry attests, there is something mesmerizing about a flickering flame. Most people love to feel fire's warmth, to test its limits, and to watch the way it consumes fuel. When there's a candle or bonfire around, why can't we help staring?

A dancing fire is pretty, as well as tantalizingly dangerous. But there may be a much deeper reason for our attraction to it. Daniel Fessler, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, has conducted research that indicates an adult's fascination with fire is a dir

Read more »

How can you make extra money through your hobby?

How can you make extra money through your hobby?

[audio mp3="https://agreatdream.com/audio/how-can-you-make-money-with-your-hobby---agreatdream-com---glen-charles-rowell.mp3"]

Extra Money Through Hobbies

Chances are that if you have a hobby,

you know more about it than most people.

If you can write about your hobby,

then you can create a blog.

And if you can take pictures of it,

you can make a photo blog.

You can monetize it in so many ways:

AdSense; affiliate products; eBay; Amazon; Kontera;

or by file sharing through a service like ShareCash.

You can even create your own info products and sell, or build a list with a free report.

Tell me about your hobby,

and why you can,

or cannot make money with it.

Hobby: A hobby is a regular activity done for enjoyment. Typically done during your free time. Hobbies can include collecting items, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other amusements.

How can you make extra money?

Exercise/Questions:

Do you have any hobbies?

Read more »