We all have colleagues who like to speak their minds. Perhaps we could even call these people aggressive or harsh. However, there are definitely other pieces of vocabulary we could use here. Today we're looking at the word "direct", "to speak one's mind", and "to sugar coat" something.

DAILY Business English VOCABULARY builder

This is terrible work. I can't believe you did this!

日本語の早口言葉を紹介します。
みなさんもチャレンジしてみてください！
最後のは、めちゃくちゃ難しいです…

podcastで出てきた早口言葉をここに書きます。

レベル1
隣の客はよく柿食う客だ…柿（かき　persimmon）

レベル2
かえるぴょこぴょこ３（み）ぴょこぴょこ　あわせてぴょこぴょこ６（む）ぴょこぴょこ
…ぴょこぴょこ　はかえるの動きのオノマトペですね

レベル３
東京特許許可局局長今日急遽休暇許可拒否
とうきょう　とっきょ　きょかきょく　きょくちょう　
きょう　きゅうきょ　きゅうか　きょか　きょひ
…全部漢字！

日本語聞いてみよう！

チャレンジ！早口言葉（はやくちことば）

The European Union (EU) has encouraged citizens across the continent to stockpile food, water and other essentials to last at least 72 hours as war, cyberattacks, climate change and disease increase the chances of a crisis.

The call to action for the EU's 450 million citizens comes as the 27-nation bloc rethinks its security, especially after Donald Trump's US administration warned that Europe must take more responsibility for it.

In recent years, the EU has been forced to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and the threat from Russia, including its attempts to exploit Europe's dependence on its natural gas to weaken support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned that Russia could be capable of launching another attack in Europe by 2030.

"Today's threats facing Europe are more complex than ever, and they are all interconnected," said Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib as she shared a new strategy for dealing with future disasters.

While the commission is keen not to be seen as alarmist, Lahbib said it's important "to make sure people have essential supplies for at least 72 hours in a crisis." She listed food, water, flashlights, ID papers, medicine and radios as things to stock.

Lahbib said the EU should build up a "strategic reserve" and stockpile other critical resources including firefighting planes; medical, energy and transport equipment; and specialized assets against chemical, biological and nuclear threats.

The EU's plans are similar to those in France, Finland and Sweden.

Last year, Sweden updated its civil emergency advice "to better reflect today's security policy reality" such as what to do in case of nuclear attack.

Not all EU countries have the same level of crisis preparedness, and the commission also wants to encourage them to coordinate better in case of emergency.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: "New realities require a new level of preparedness in Europe."



Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

EU Asks People to Gather Supplies in Case of Crisis

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