■ To initiate small talk and keep the conversation going.
（スモールトークを始めて、会話を継続発展させる）
■ To share your opinion and discuss a topic.
（自身の意見を共有してトピックについて議論する）
■ To read an article and discuss the topic.
（記事を読んでトピックについて議論する）
■ This is based on the ability to read aloud with understandable pronunciation and intonation.
（音読を通して発音とイントネーションの基礎能力をみる）
※テスト概要の説明、日本語訳はありません。
※テスト概要の説明、日本語訳はありません。
※音読テスト問題は次ページ参照。 テスト概要の説明、日本語訳はありません。
1. Read the title out loud and explain what it means within 1 minute.
2. Read the article out loud. Your tutor will be checking your pronunciation.
3. Read and answer the questions given.
4. Your tutor will ask you some questions. Answer them, listen to your tutor's reply and respond accordingly.
How much control do the big pharmaceutical companies have over what drugs we can have access to for treatment? There has been some news claiming that cancer has been cured and that big pharmaceutical companies will not fund the research because they will not make money from it. Some claim that big pharmaceutical companies are more interested in treating the symptoms simply because of the money that the treatment for symptoms generates.
Researchers have found what they claim to be a potential cure for cancer, called dichloroacetate or DCA. Many are claiming that big pharmaceuticals are not interested in it because they cannot make money since it is an inexpensive drug to administer. It is said that big pharmaceutical companies tend to look for a new drug that they can patent and sell at their price for about 5 years before the patent runs out and it becomes available as a generic drug.
This kind of conspiracy idea is what leads many people to turn to self-medication which can lead to a lot of health complications. We want to believe that pharmaceutical companies are there to help us by spending money on research for new cures. But when we hear news reports such as this, we start to become suspicious.
However, what the big pharmaceutical companies want us to know is that there is no conspiracy to prevent research into the use of DCA as a cure for cancer, there is just not enough evidence to support a widespread use to treat cancer patients. We need to wait until the research is complete and that the clinical trials have produced enough evidence for the FDA to approve DCA as a treatment.