Beginners. There is an invasion going on in our house. It started out as an unnoticed thing, but it has grown to huge proportions. Every room of my house is affected. Every corner shows a sign of this invasion. Even my friends and neighbors have mentioned it. And the scary thing is, is that it is unstoppable. It is Hello Kitty. Every time I open a cupboard, some Hello Kitty thing falls out. When I go to the shoe closet to get my sneakers, I have to shake them upside down, not because there might be a spider inside one of the shoes. Oh, no. But, because there might be a small, hard, Hello Kitty figure hiding inside. Even when I eat, I have no rest. The Hello Kitty cups, plates, and cutlery stare at me while my little girl eats away happily. The other day, when I was in the supermarket, I found myself humming a familiar tune. Can you guess what it is? It goes something like, "Hello Kitty, it's a lovely day. We'll laugh and sing in a very happy way...." and it never ends! Sometimes, when I'm in bed, trying to go to sleep, I see faces, of big, white, cute cats dancing about the room; it's terrifying! Will it ever stop? I don't think so. My daughter has a birthday coming up, and all of her friends have the same obsession. The day will be filled with Kitty! Grammar notes. Related vocabulary: obsession, to hum, sneakers, proportion, invasion. Exs: Egypt is her obsession. Her whole house is filled with egyptian replicas. He is such a happy little boy. He hums happy tunes all day long. I want to go for a run, but I can't find my sneakers. That home looks out of proportion; the garage is huge, but the house is small. After the invasion of Spain by the Moors in 711, they stayed for 800 years! Advanced. Okay, it's not that scary, I just wanted to get your attention. Hello Kitty is, however, a part of the U.S culture now. Originally created by Ikuko Shimizu, this Japanese character has taken the world by storm, won the hearts of little girls everywhere, and created a profit of one billion dollars a year. Not bad for a little kitty! Her appeal is on many levels. First, she is just absolutely cute. Her pretty face, the bow in her hair, and her girly clothes, all go straight to the heart. Also, the stories of Hello Kitty take place in the context of friends and family, adventures and fun. So children feel happy and comfortable watching the movies or reading the books. She first came to the U.S in the form of a vinyl purse in 1976, two years after her creation in Japan. Now, there seems to be no end to the products that depict her character. Even expensive jewelery and clothes for women are quite common here in the United States. In Tokyo Japan, there is a place called Sanrio Puroland, where you can find Hello Kitty in all her glory. It is like a theme park that includes other japanese anime characters such as Pokemon. It's a big business. There are theme park rides, restaurants, musicals, and big gift shops. It's amazing how a well designed and appealing character can create such a globally successful business. Grammar notes. Vocabulary: character, design, to depict, profit. Common expressions: to take the world by storm, to win the hearts, to be common, not bad for.... Exs: Mickey mouse is one of the most famous characters of children's entertainment. The architect designed the biggest hotel in the world. That picture depicts the rebuilding of London after the war. The business will have to close. It doesn't make a profit. The new french singer has taken the world by storm. The politician has won the hearts of his people by his well written speeches. It's very common to see deer walking around the town in Winter. She won the gold medal. Not bad a disadvantaged girl who never had formal training! Tweet //

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.