"The" at the beginning of paragraph As far as I know, the is used to mean something known in common between speakers/subjects. However sometimes I see "The" at the very beginning of a paragraph. How can you explain this grammatically? Example: Title: DOCUMENT <<The>> purpose of this document is to clarify....

How to use "this" to mean the thing mentioned just before Someone, please tell me if it is okay to replace <<this>> below with 'that' or 'it'. Example: 1) But China is becoming more a source of risk than resilience. The number to look at is not Chinese GDP, which is almost certainly a political statement. The country’s imports have collapsed. <<This>> is troubling because it is the epicenter of global trade. Shockwaves from China test all the global fault lines, which makes China a potent source of financial turbulence. 2) "Over one third of New York City public school students are either overweight or obese. <<This>> is troubling because childhood obesity predicts obesity in adulthood and is strongly associated with success in school,"

I dislike Monday morning Monday morning is the time when I have the most negative feeling in a week. I realize that it's already Monday as soon as my alarm clock starts making some noise. I'm half asleep while I eat breakfast though I am okay on other days of the week. Because I am half asleep, it takes longer to prepare my breakfast, though it's not a complexed one at all. I shouldn't forget to collect garbages from all the rooms because it's a day that garbage man collects garbage. Otherwise I will regret myself a few days later. Because I'm still half asleep, I sometimes forget to draw my eyebrow. I regret myself again when I look at myself in a mirror in a restroom at work. I turn on PC at work, and make a sigh finding too many e-mails in my mailbox. I become energetic as time goes by, usually around 3pm in the afternoon. Then I keep the tension till Friday.

One day trip in Hong Kong I am going to enjoy one-day excursion in Hong Kong because of transit. I'll fly in Hong Kong early in the morning, and It would be so much fun to visit Victoria Peak for a breakfast. Isn't it so gorgeous to enjoy breakfast in such a spot? I have no idea about good restaurants, but any Yam Cha restaurants would satisfy my fastidious stomach. After I become full, I start walking for some sightseeing and morning exercise. Then I come down to downtown for shopping. Clothes, food, drinks and sweets should be reasonably priced, and I don't have to worry about my money. I will find my another favorite place in the world. When I get tired of walking, it's nearly time to return to the airport with a lot of good memories and souvenirs. Which area should I go?

I like Taylor Swift. Which song of hers do you recommend to sing Karaoke? Some songs goes too fast to sing along, and I can't follow the melody and can't pronounce each word properly.  I want to practice some of her songs, and it would be even nicer if they are good practice materials to me.

Invitation to Japan, Where You can See Cherry-Blossom in Full Bloom Right Now **Would someone kindly correct my writing, and preferably in better phrases.** Have you ever thought of visiting Japan? If you have, which season do you think of? If it is difficult for you to visit Japan frequently, I recommend you to come to Japan in spring. You can see rows of cherry-blossom trees everywhere. Yes, even in cities. You cannot ignore them because the world is pink at that time. If you take a picture casually by a river or in a park, three-quarters of it will be in pink. They make people happy to walk by. Moreover, it is a start of new life for many people. School starts in April, so parents take pictures with their children by the trees for a good memory. Their faces are shining with full of hope for the new life. School graduates start their first work wearing a creaseless new business suit. When I see them, I make up my mind to set a new goal for the new fiscal year. Cherry-blossoms invigorate those who are a little tired of too-busy life. Come and watch cherry-blossoms and surrounding people with smile. It will make you happy as well.

I wonder how I can make the best use of italki. I recently started to use italki and am wondering how I can make the best use of it. With respect to teaching my native language, I can be of someone's help in any ways. I can explain the meaning of words, the situation to use them, paraphrases, the word with opposite meaning, and casual/formal ways to say them etc. When it comes to my learning, I manage to say what I want to say. But sometimes my expression may not sound very natural, and it is usually skipped by people I'm talking to because it does not interrupt the conversation in most of the time. I wonder what the good way to improve my speaking is. What about time management? I also wonder how smart people make use of conversations here to improve language skills. One thing to add, I'm quite lazy.

Mr. Firstname? I heard my colleagues said Mr. First name, as in "Mr. Keisuke" (Keisuke, HONDA; soccer player). Is it an appropriate English in business scene? I've never heard it before.