SEMESTER / QUARTER / TRIMESTER　　　学期

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Warm greetings to you! Welcome back to WordMaster, your daily 5-minute English coffee break. Has it been a busy day for you? If so, make this WordMaster an excuse to slow down for a few minutes. You deserve it!


In U.S. schools, when the school year is divided into two terms, each term can be called a semester. In the U.S., students may say either "the first semester" or "fall semester", "the second semester" or "spring semester". (Remember that in the U.S., the school year usually begins around the start of fall and ends in late spring.)

In schools with three terms, each term may be called a quarter or a trimester. In such schools in the U.S., the first, second, and third quarter/trimester may also be called "fall", "winter", and "spring" quarter/trimester, respectively. In Japan, the first quarter/trimester is "spring quarter/trimester", etc.　

アメリカでは、学年が2つの学期に分けられているとき、それぞれの学期のことを semester ということができます。最初の学期のことを the first semester または fall semester 、2番目の学期のことを the second semester または spring semester と呼びます。（アメリカでは、学年は普通、秋のはじめ頃に始まって、春の終わりごろに終わります）

アメリカでは、３学期の場合は、そのうちの１つの学期のことを quarter または trimester ということができます。そのような学校では、最初の学期のことを the first quarter/trimester または fall quarter/trimester 、２番目の学期のことを the second quarter/trimester または winter quarter/trimester、３番目の学期のことを the third quarter/trimester または spring quarter/trimester と呼びます。 日本では、the first quarter/trimester は、spring quarter/trimester になります。
 
 
1.Did you hear the exciting news about Nancy? She's going to be spending the second semester studying in Paris! 
 
2.I didn't do very well in school last quarter, so this quarter I'm really going to concentrate on my studies.
 
3.What classes are you taking in the winter quarter?
 
4.Karen was sick for most of the third trimester. That's why she's taking summer classes.
A very happy weekend to you! And please look forward to another week of "back-to-school" from Monday -- brought to you by WordMaster!