TOEIC(R) Test 満点続出の謎を解く！:ＳＩＭ音読用英文

No.328 SIM音読用英文

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US Football Star Garcon Shines Light Back on Haiti
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The lead-up to Sunday's Super Bowl is a frenzy of media attention

on the top two teams,

the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.


Star players endure hours of interviews,

talking about their football background

and their preparation for the big game.


Colts receiver Pierre Garcon is enjoying his moment

in the spotlight.


But he also wants to remind people

about Haiti, and its struggle to rebuild

following a devastating earthquake.


"Haiti has given me extra motivation,

but every time I play

I try to…, try to do my best."


Garcon was born in the United States

and grew up playing football

not far from the Miami stadium

hosting this year's Super Bowl.


He retains a strong link to Haiti,

the homeland of his parents,

and carries the nation's flag

after crucial football victories.


When news broke about the January 12 quake,

he was shocked.


Garcon was relieved to learn

his relatives were unharmed.


Since then,

he has been drawing attention to the needs

of tens of thousands of Haitians

who lost their homes and relatives

in the disaster.


One of his goals is to raise $150,000

to help a missionary group

in northwest Haiti.


Garcon is among a small group of NFL players

of Haitian descent.


The quake has brought them together

even across football rivalries.


Garcon will face off Sunday

against the New Orleans Saints and Jonathan Vilma,

who also has family in Haiti.


"I was fortunate enough to hear

about my family being OK at that night

that the earthquake hit.


And you know, that was a relief

for myself.


And I was able to you know

actually just put it to the side a little bit,

focus on football.


And you know, I can…, I can now do that

until the season is over with."


For Garcon, it has been a challenge

to put aside his concerns about Haiti,

and focus on football

and the most important game of his career,

but he has a simple message to Haitians.


" We are coming,

we are coming, coming to help.


You know, stay strong, hold on.


You know, we will be there soon."


Win or lose on Sunday,

Garcon says

he plans to return to Haiti in April

and offer help 　　　　　　　　　　

to the battered country.


Brian Wagner, VOA News, Miami

No.327 SIM音読用英文

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Toyota Halts US Sales of Popular Models
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In an extraordinary move

that sent Toyota stock prices plummeting,

the world's largest automaker has suspended sales

of eight of its most popular models

and shut down five North American plants.


Michelle Krebs at online auto advisor Edmunds.com

called the sales freeze "unprecedented."


"It represents two-thirds

of the Toyota brand sales,

more than half

of the whole company's sales.


We've never seen anything like this before."


Toyota announced the recall last Thursday

following reports

that the accelerator mechanism in some models

can wear down and cause the gas pedal to stick.


The company says

it's unaware of any accidents or injuries

as a result of the flaw,

but news reports link the defect

to several accidents in the U.S,

some with fatal results.


One Toyota owner says 　

the company should have acted sooner.


"They probably should've done it a few weeks ago

when they were saying it was the gas pedal

and, you know the floor mats."


U.S. auto dealers,

already reeling from one of the worst sales slumps

in more than two decades,

say the eight models account for 56 percent

of Toyota's U.S. sales.


Fresno State marketing professor William Rice

says the recall could hurt

the company's advertised reputation

for quality and safety.


"And when people have fears, they're not gonna buy,

and so there's gonna be a significant pullback

of consumer confidence,

which is gonna relate all the way down to their sales."


But some customers believe

Toyota is doing

what responsible companies do.


"Things happen, mistakes happen.


If they're doing a recall,

they're open about it with their customers,

so I think it's just gonna be a temporary setback.


I don't think it's gonna hold Toyota back

or take anything away from their brand loyalty."


Company officials say

the problem part has been traced

to one U.S. supplier

and does not affect vehicles

made in Japanese plants.


But the problem is expected to spread to Europe,

where a similar accelerator part is used.


The recall and sales suspension is just the latest

in a string of quality control problems

that have plagued the Japanese automaker.


Last year, Toyota recalled nearly four million cars

for a similar issue.


Mil Arcega, VOA News

No.326 SIM音読用英文

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Japan Airlines Files for Bankruptcy
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Japan Airline's bankruptcy filing is

one of Japan's largest corporate failures in decades.


The former state-owned carrier once symbolized the strength

of the country's post-war economic boom.


But its financial fortunes declined in the last decade

with the fallout from the September 11th attacks,

a surge in fuel prices,

and the worldwide economic slowdown.


The company racked up more than $20 billion in debt

and its share price has dropped

to a record low of about three cents.


The Japanese government bailed out the airline three times

in the last 10 years

but it could not save the company

from bankruptcy this time.


Naoto Kan is Japan's finance minister.


Kan vows the government will do all it can

to reverse JAL's economic fortunes.


The airline will continue to operate daily flights

but the government is planning restructuring efforts

that will significantly reduce JAL's size.


About a third of the workforce is expected to be cut,

along with more than a score of international and domestic routes.


A state-backed group will oversee the restructuring plan,

with a new chairman at the helm.


The government has asked Kyocera founder Kazuo Inamori

to lead JAL.


In exchange for the bankruptcy filing,

JAL will get about $3 billion in capital

from the government.


The company's lenders will be asked

to forgive about $3 billion in loans.


Although the restructuring plan is expected to take three years,

Land, Transport, and Tourism Minister Seiji Maehara says

the government will act swiftly,

without disrupting service to passengers.


Maehara says they will look

to maintain stability and safety in the air

as they move forward with this process.


The Japanese airline's financial failure has opened up a bidding war

among American airlines.


Delta and American Airlines have both offered a $1 billion in
financial support,

in an attempt to form closer alliances with JAL.


Akiko Fujita for VOA News, Tokyo

No.325 SIM音読用英文

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Full Picture of Haiti Devastation Emerges
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Two days after the 7.0 magnitude quake,

the horror of the disaster is undiminished.


In Port-au-Prince, sheet-draped bodies remain unclaimed,

and untold numbers of people are trapped in rubble

or missing and feared dead.


The ranks of the injured

seeking scarce medical attention

continue to grow.


Seemingly countless people lack food and shelter,

leaving streets packed

with increasingly hungry, destitute survivors.


Even among those whose homes did not collapse,

fear of aftershocks has led many to remain outdoors.


Haiti's humanitarian crisis has sparked

the biggest outpouring of international aid

in response to a natural disaster

since the 2004 tsunami

that devastated parts of Indonesia and surrounding nations.


The United States has mobilized thousands of troops

and a massive contingent of civilian workers

to respond to the Haitian crisis.


Speaking at the White House,

President Barack Obama said

the initial U.S. response will exceed $100 million,

and that more assistance will be forthcoming.


"To the people of Haiti,

we say clearly and with conviction:

You will not be forsaken.


You will not be forgotten.


In this, your hour of greatest need,

America stands with you.


The world stands with you."


Dozens of other nations

and a vast array of international organizations and aid groups

have also sprung to action.


But obstacles remain.


Diplomats and aid officials

familiar with Haiti

say that even before the quake,

the country's roads and infrastructure were in poor condition

or virtually non-existent.


The temblor damaged Port-au-Prince's international airport

as well as the city's seaport.


Speaking on NBC's Today show,

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said

U.S. teams have had logistical challenges

to overcome.


"We've got the airport open,

thanks to the U.S. military.


We've got our civilian search-and-rescue teams on the ground.


We are doing all we can."


Haiti is the Western hemisphere's poorest nation,

long-plagued

by frequent hurricanes, political instability and chronic
underdevelopment.


Michael Bowman, VOA News, Washington

No.324 SIM音読用英文

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Google Plans to Put All World's Books Online
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A truck belonging to Google pulls up

at the Stanford University library near San Francisco

just before nine in the morning.


It's loaded with books

that Google checked out

and is now returning,

after having scanned them

so they can be uploaded onto a computer.


Once the truck is empty,

library workers load it up again,

with more books to digitize.


Google Books Director Daniel Clancy says

the company's goal is to scan

up to 40 million books.


"Google said our mission is to organize

all the world's information."


In addition to Stanford,

the University of California in Berkeley and the University of
Michigan have signed agreements

authorizing Google to scan their books.


Stanford librarian Michael Keller says

the initiative can give new life

to obscure books.


"What happens when you digitize these books

and make them accessible on the net

is that they get a lot more use.


People can find the stuff;

10 times more use than formerly was recorded."


Silicon Valley attorney Gary Reback represents the Open Book Alliance,

whose members include Microsoft and Amazon.com.


He warns even though Google may start out

not charging for access to what it digitizes,

it may eventually impose big fees

to use its online library.


"It's not a public library,

it's a private library.


And it's being run for profit, big profits.


Google is gonna charge university scholars, ordinary people, even
school children

to get access to books

that Google copied."


Google insists

the project is about more than money.


"Google hopes to benefit from it

by improving our search

and we expect that we will make some money

as we sell the books,

but the motivation is not the money

we're gonna make from selling books."


Meanwhile, Google continues scanning

truckloads of books at a time.


Hearings on the legal issues involved are scheduled

in front of a federal judge in February.


Rachel Silverman for VOA News, San Francisco

No.323 SIM音読用英文

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The U.S. Constitution was Written in: 1776? 1787? 1904?
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Each year, about 750,000 people become

what's called naturalized U.S. citizens.


They've lived here lawfully at least five years,

know enough English to take a test,

are prepared to swear allegiance to the United States,

and are some of the smartest people in the land

when it comes to U.S. history and constitutional principles,

smarter than a great many life-long U.S. citizens, in fact.


Walker and Company has published a little paperback book

that challenges native-born Americans

to pass their country's own citizenship test.


The book is called

The Great American Citizenship Quiz.


And you don't even have to be a great American

to take it!


While immigrant citizens-to-be know their state's capital,

its two U.S. senators,

and a lot more, like the state motto,

many Americans couldn't even guess.


Ask them who was the only person

to serve as both president and chief justice,

and you're liable

to get a blank stare.


People studying to be naturalized citizens

know there're nine U.S. Supreme Court justices,

know that the electoral college has no campus,

and know who is next in line

if both the president and vice president should die.


You wouldn't want to bet much money

that the average citizen shopkeeper

or pro athlete or secretary or journalist, for that matter

would know all those things.


Those who are about to become naturalized citizens appreciate the
rights

that American citizens enjoy

to meet, to vote, to worship, to speak openly.


They'll even have the right

to forget almost everything they learned about the United States,

after they pass their citizenship tests.


By the way, the fellow who was president and later chief justice was
William Howard Taft,

early in the 20th century.


I’m Ted Landphair.

No.322 SIM音読用英文

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Another One Bites the Dust
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This year, at least five U.S. daily newspapers

and uncounted weekly papers have closed

in the face of falling advertising revenue,

as readers turn to computers and handheld devices

to access their primary news sources online.


And now the industry's oldest journal,

the 108-year-old magazine Editor & Publisher,

is disappearing as well.


Its owner, the Nielsen Company, is selling several other magazines,

including the popular entertainment-industry publications

Billboard and Hollywood Reporter.


But it could not find a buyer

for the magazine

that some call the bible of the newspaper business.


Editor & Publisher, based in New York City,

had already scaled back

from a weekly to a monthly publication

five years ago.


It launched a Web site

that printed breaking journalism news.


That site, too, came down last week.


With a small staff

under editor Greg Mitchell,

the author of eight books about journalism coverage,

Editor & Publisher aggressively attacked

biased reporting

from both left and right.


"The main principle of journalism -

besides being accurate and fair -

is to be skeptical,"

Mitchell wrote in his column.


"It's a sad day,"

Philadelphia Daily News reporter Will Bunch wrote

on the online Huffington Post blog.


But, he added,

the folding of Editor & Publisher gave him hope

for journalism's future.


"If Greg Mitchell and his small staff can ask the right question

and not back down," he wrote,

"then I know it can happen again

and will happen again,

somewhere else and in some other format -

that no-holds-barred journalism is possible 　

even on these weird little newfangled tablet or whatever."


Those newfangled tablets are electronic book readers,

one of the handheld devices

that helped put endangered newspapers,

and the magazine that was their bible,

out of business.


I’m Ted Landphair.

No.321 SIM音読用英文

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Recession Bargain-Hunting Spreads to Colleges
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There's not exactly a rush of good news

across economically stressed America,

unless you work

at one of our 1,200 community colleges.


For most of them,

everything's rosy.


Once dismissed as lowly junior colleges

and commuter schools in urban areas

where students could walk or take public transit to class,

these two-year colleges are attracting

tens of thousands of students

who would normally enroll

in four-year private or state universities.


By living at home,

they will spend $4,500 a year

in tuition, on average.


That's half　　　　

the typical cost at a four-year state school,

and a fraction

of a private university's $26,000-average annual tuition.


Adding room and food charges

and fees at renowned universities

can boost the bill

as high as $50,000 a year!


The Washington Post reports

that even exceptional students are enrolling in community schools

in record numbers.


Community colleges' honors programs,

usually half-empty,

have, in the Post's words, exploded.


There's often a waiting list.


Recently, too, President Obama directed

more than $12 billion in federal stimulus money

to community colleges

for programs

in which older workers train students

in practical job skills.


And just last week, the foundation

backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda,

pledged another $13 million

to upgrade technology

at selected community schools.


The New York Times reports

that the clamor to get into community colleges

has grown so strong

that many have had to plow new, auxiliary parking lots;

rent extra classroom space;

and offer night classes

running as late as 2:30 in the morning,

just to fit everyone in.


They aren't Harvard,

but again, $4,500 tuition is less than one-tenth

of the total cost of an Ivy League school.


I’m Ted Landphair.

No.320 SIM音読用英文

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Maldives Waits for World to Decide on Its Future
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The people of Maldives say

the sea brings life to their country,

but scientists say

it could, one day, take it away.


The nation, which is made up

of more than a thousand small islands

in the Indian Ocean,

is the lowest lying in the world,

with an average ground level of just 1.5 meters above water.


If current global warming trends continue,

experts predict the country could be completely submerged

by rising sea levels

in about a century's time.


Maldives leaders hope

the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen will help

reverse the trend.


Thousands of delegates

from nearly 200 countries

will take part in the event

that begins Monday.


Their aim is to construct an agreement

for controlling greenhouse gas emissions

that lead to rising temperatures.


Maldives Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan says

participants will be in a position

to save his country.
　　　　 　　　　　

A major point of contention

in reaching an accord

is deciding on how to balance the responsibilities

of developed and developing countries.


For years, industrialized nations have enjoyed modern comforts

while polluting the atmosphere,

and it has been agreed

that they should be held more accountable

for reducing the world's CO2 levels.


Meanwhile, the two largest countries, China and India,

are becoming more developed

and Beijing argues

its emissions requirements should be more lax

as it tries to catch up with the West.


But others disagree.


They say if China and India are allowed

to have reduced regulations,

global climate change would accelerate

at a significantly quicker pace.


As the debate continues,

Maldives waits on the sidelines.


Vice President Waheed says

the nation has looked into buying land

in other countries

in case its citizens are eventually forced to move abroad,

but he says the world must take action

before that happens.


Tuesday, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research announced

melting ice on the continent

could add to rising global sea levels.


It's believed waters could climb

by 1.4 meters by 2100

unless measures to reduce pollution are taken.


In an effort to make sure

the prediction doesn't turn into a reality,

Maldives has pledged

to become the world's first carbon-neutral nation.


President Mohamed Nasheed is to reinforce that promise

when he leads the country's delegation in Copenhagen.


Phillip Walter Wellman for VOA News, Malé

No.319 SIM音読用英文

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Hey, Got a Light?
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You've heard of e-mail, e-books,

and maybe e-commerce.


But what a lot of Americans are talking about now are e-cigarettes.


Electronic cigarettes, mostly made in China,

first appeared in the United States a couple of years ago,

and they're no longer a novelty.


An estimated one-half-million Americans,

especially those who are trying to kick the smoking habit,

have switched to them.


The federal government, which heavily regulates tobacco products,

wants to oversee e-cigarettes as well.


But their makers are fighting hard

to prevent it.


E-cigs look like cigarettes.


They even have a cork-like filter.


When the user inhales deeply,

a battery activates an atomizer

that quickly heats a chamber

full of water, nicotine, and a chemical

that has a faintly sweet taste.


But taking a long drag on an e-cig is not smoking.


There's no smoke, no second-hand smoke,

no cigarette butts on the floor.


There's no lighting up with a match or lighter, either -

just a cool, electric-red glow

at the end of the e-cig stick.


So technically, e-cigarettes would not seem to violate

no-smoking restrictions in public places.


The trade group that is supporting e-cigarette manufacturers in court

estimates that an e-cig kit costing a little less than $100

can last a former pack-a-day cigarette smoker ten days.


The industry maintains

that smokeless cigarettes are not stop-smoking devices,

even though many e-cig users say

they almost miraculously helped them end or reduce

their smoking habits.


But several states and the federal Food and Drug Administration
insist that

nicotine is nicotine -

addictive and subject to their control.


The music industry can't be happy

about e-cigs, either.


If sales keep growing,

popular song lyrics

like Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

won't work any more.


I’m Ted Landphair.

No.318 SIM音読用英文

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Renault-Nissan Says Ultra Low-Cost Car Will Be Built by India's Bajaj
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It appears the world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano,

launched this year in India,

will soon get some competition.


Speaking to reporters,

Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive of Renault and Nissan,

revealed the French-Japanese automakers have agreed

to work with Bajaj Auto

to introduce a new ultra low-cost four-wheeled passenger vehicle
in 2012.


"I am practically sure

that the cost of this car will be lower

than any other car

made today in India."


Ghosn also says the new car will have the best performance

on the market for a production conventional engine

in terms of kilometers per liters of fuel consumed.


Bajaj, a maker of motorcycles and three-wheeled taxis,

known as auto rickshaws,

is to design and build the new car

with assistance from the French company,

which is to market and sell the vehicle in India and abroad

under the Renault-Nissan brands.


The car, not yet named, will compete with Tata's Nano,

which hit Indian roads this year

and sells for little more than $2,000.


General Motors of the United States and Toyota of Japan

have also previously announced plans

to launch, within the next couple of years, small passenger cars
in India.


Renault-Nissan next year is to open a passenger car factory

in the southern Indian city of Chennai

with a capacity to make 400,000 vehicles a year.


But the new joint venture small car is to be made

at a Bajaj plant near Pune,

in western India.


The French-Japanese automaker ranks

in the top four globally,

accounting for a 10 percent market share.


But its success in India has been more modest,

trailing most competitors.


Ghosn calls sales here of its Logan brand mid-sized sedan,

a money-losing joint venture

with domestic automaker Mahindra,

not up to expectations.


"We cannot just accept a situation

where in India we represent less than one percent market share.


That's absolutely out of question.


We have to adapt to the Indian market.


We have to adapt to the product

that the Indian people want."


Ghosn is bullish on the future of India's automotive sector,

with a population of more than one billion people,

but where annual new car sales are around two million vehicles.


The Renault-Nissan top executives predict

the number of autos sold in India will triple in 10 years

as more of India's 50 million motorcycle owners move

from two wheels to four.


Steve Herman, VOA News, New Delhi

No.317 SIM音読用英文

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Temperatures Rise at Flu-Shot Clinics
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The title of this essay, Flu Shot Etiquette,

is a poor one.


There hasn't been much etiquette displayed

in health clinics and doctors' offices

where H1N1, or swine flu, vaccinations are usually offered.


Patients are frustrated

by delays in delivery

of the vaccine.


Some are angry

that they're not among the two groups ?

children and pregnant women ?

given priority

because they seem most susceptible to swine flu.


Some women

who are not the least bit pregnant

are lying and saying they are,

just so they can get in line.


So desperate is the search for the vaccine

among men and women, both,

that some are yelling and cursing?

even threatening ? health workers. 　


Medical offices report employees ?

who themselves are highly susceptible to catching

this dangerous strain of flu from patients ?

have been breaking into tears,

even walking off the job.


They say they can't take the abuse any more.


The H1N1 vaccine has been slow to arrive

due to testing and manufacturing delays.


That has led to cancellations of flu-shot clinics,

raising anxieties

as the winter flu season nears.


Worried parents, especially, are clogging clinic telephone lines,

preventing sick patients

seeking appointments

from getting through.


Vaccine shipments that do arrive go quickly,

increasing the frustration

among those turned away.


And frustration can turn to anger

when the staff tells them they have no idea

when the next shipment will arrive.


Add long lines to the aggravation

at places where the shots are available,

and temperatures are up across the land,

not from the flu, from behavior

that some are calling flu rage.


Oh, there is one sort of behavior

that might fall under the heading of flu etiquette.


People aren't shaking hands as much these days.


For instance, hockey coach Bruce Boudreau,

whose Washington Capitals team had already lost

a flu-ridden player for several games,

was heading off to sign copies of his new autobiography.


"Everybody you meet is nice and wants to shake your hand,"

Boudreau said.


"You don't want to be rude and say no,

but…"


I’m Ted Landphair.

No.316 SIM音読用英文

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New York Yankees Win Major League Baseball's Coveted Championship Title
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New York's Japanese-born designated hitter, Hideki Matsui,

was the catalyst

in the Yankees' dominating victory.


Matsui drove in six of the team's seven runs

in the pivotal sixth game of the Series,

including a massive home run

off Phillies pitcher Pedro Martinez

in the second inning

that gave the Yankees their first two scores of the game.


Matsui also drove in two runs

during his at-bats in the third and fifth innings.


His exploits earned him the Most Valuable Player award

for the 2009 Series,

becoming the first Asian-born player,

and first full-time designated hitter,

to win the award.


Matsui said he was happy to take one

for the team.


"I was happy

to be able to hit and contribute to the team's win

but more than that,

just, us as a team,

winning the championship - by far -

that is such a great feeling.


I guess you can say

that this is the best moment of my life right now.


If I were to look back,

yes, this would be the best.''


The Yankees have won 27 World Series titles

over their storied history,

dating back to the 1920's,

making them one of the most successful sports franchises

in North America.


New York won this year's prize

in the first year of their new $1.3-billion stadium.


Yankees manager Joe Girardi says

the team was honored to win another World Series title

for the franchise's 79-year-old owner, George Steinbrenner.


"This is what the Steinbrenner family has strived for

year after year after year

and has tried to deliver

to this city of New York.


And George Steinbrenner and his family are champions.


Um, and to be able to deliver this

to the Boss, the stadium that he created

and the atmosphere that he has created around here,

um, is…, is very gratifying for all of us."


The Philadelphia Phillies were seeking

to become the first National League team

to win consecutive World Series

since the Cincinnati Reds did it in 1975 and 1976.


New York City's mayor has scheduled a parade

through Manhattan Friday,

to honor the Yankees.


Richard Green, VOA News, Washington

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'Big-Box' Stores' Prices, Convenience Thrill Shoppers
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The American landscape is full of gigantic stores

as large as 30,000 square meters,

or 323,000 square feet, in size.


Many are discount operations


like Wal-Mart, Target, and Price Club,
which offer consumers convenient one-stop shopping.


Customers love their low prices and vast selection,

especially during the current recession.


So shopping-center developers keep building them.


But not everyone adores megastores.


The National Trust for Historic Preservation calls them big boxes

and has published guidebooks

on how to keep them out of town.


And cities like Fort Collins, Colorado, and Charlottesville,
Virginia, have banned

big-box stores.


Other places have called a temporary halt to megastores

while they decide how to deal with them.


As Rockville, Maryland's, former mayor, Rose Krasnik, once put it,

"They are not aesthetically pleasing.


When you walk in,

you're looking at a windowless, cinder block warehouse."


And outside at peak shopping times,

you can also be looking at a traffic quagmire,

especially when two or three megastores locate

in the same shopping complex.


Shoppers converging from throughout a metropolitan area are,

of course, exactly why smaller retailers want to cluster

around these big-box stores.


The cities that have banned giant discount stores are not impressed

by their low prices.


They call it predatory pricing

because so-called mom-and-pop shops and downtown department stores

cannot hope to offer the same vast selection and cheap prices.


When smaller stores are driven out of business,

the life is sucked out of downtown and neighborhood shopping centers.


And what happens

when a big-box store goes out of business?


It leaves behind an ugly, empty hulk

that can be hard to fill,

and a sea of empty asphalt around it.


This abandoned eyesore, in turn, drives people away

from the same shopping malls

that the big-box store once made so popular.


I'm Ted Landphair.

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Do You Have Some James Bond in You?
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A few years ago, David Borgenicht

of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

was a book producer.


He found people

who had book ideas

that he liked

and helped them find publishers.


Then one day, he read an article

that gave him an idea

for his own book.


From it, he and Philadelphia magazine writer Joshua Piven

produced an instant best-seller

that developed almost a cult following.


It's about life-and-death situations

and how to survive them.


The article that David Borgenicht was reading

told people

how they might safely land a small plane

if the pilot passes out.


It got Borgenicht thinking

about other hair-raising situations

in movies and TV shows.


Of course it's one thing for an action hero to break down a door,

leap from a moving motorcycle into a car,

or fend off a killer shark.


But how would the ordinary, out-of-shape reader do it?


How would he or she wrestle free from an alligator,

survive if his parachute does not open,

or escape from a mountain lion?


David Borgenicht and Joshua Piven

got together to produce a pocket-sized book

called The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook.


In its first eight months,

it sold more than 1 million copies

and was reprinted 11 times.


Killer bees chasing you?


Not a problem.


Lost in the desert?


Turn to Page 129.


Need to build a fire but don't have any matches?
　　　　　　　　

No sweat, wrote Borgenicht and Piven,

who are just ordinary physical specimens.


We should note that,

despite its helpful tips,

the book is sold

in the HUMOR section in bookstores.


For instance, if you find yourself on top of a moving train,

here's how to survive:

Don't stand up!


Common sense, perhaps,

but it could come in handy.


The authors have since produced a whole series of guides,

including how to survive while traveling

and how to survive in college.


I'm Ted Landphair.