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TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
We need to _____ our product to consumers with disposable income. Fill in the blank. A. advertisement B. teach C. tell D. promote 「自由に使える収入のあるお客様に我が社の商品を宣伝する必要がある。」 広告などを使って宣伝しますが、Aは名詞なのでここでは使えません。Bは「使い方を教える」という意味になります。Cは目的語が情報ではないので使えません。「We need to tell consumers...
Modern English Trivia of the Week: Dates
Dates are a very sweet fruit. It comes from a type of palm tree. It is usually brown and oval-shaped. It first appeared around Iraq and was an important food in the Middle East. The name “date” comes from the Greek and Latin words for “finger”....
Idiom of the Week: My back was to the wall!
John: How could you sell my mother’s necklace? It’s been in my family for five generations! Marcia: My back was to the wall! If I hadn’t sold it, we would have lost the house! You say your back is to the wall when you are in a desperate situation. Imagine you have...
Word of the Week: Procrastinate
“Don’t procrastinate and put off your homework until the last minute.” Procrastinating is ignoring something you need to do and spending time on something else. When a teacher gives students a lot of time for a big project, it’s a sure bet that most students will...
Picture of the Week: Morning Glory
Morning glories are flowers that bloom in the morning and then curl up again. Some types bloom at night instead of in the morning. In Victorian flower language, they represent “love in vain”....
Phrase of the Week: Drop Me Off
Can you drop me off at the movie theater on your way to the store?” To drop someone or something off, you take it somewhere and leave it there. It is convenient to drop people or things off on your way to somewhere else. If you stay along with them, you have not...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
No penalty was exacted because the evidence was not conclusion. Find the mistake: A. penalty B. exacted C. evidence D. conclusion 「証拠が決定的ではなかったので罰せられなかった。」 間違いはどこでしょうか。...
Trivia of the Week: S’mores
A s’more is a traditional campfire snack. It is made by taking two graham crackers and sandwiching a toasted marshmallow and a piece of chocolate between them. Ideally, the marshmallow is toasted in a campfire or bonfire. The name comes from the phrase “some more”....
Idiom of the Week: Keep Your Shirt On
“Is dinner ready yet?” “Keep your shirt on, it’ll be done in five minutes.” “Keep your shirt on” means “be patient.” Why would an impatient person take off his shirt? Well, sometimes we see images of people getting very angry and ripping off their shirts, like the...
Word of the Week: Courtesy
“Please do me the courtesy of knocking before you come into my house.” Courtesy is a noun that means good manners. “You should show courtesy to your elders.” It is a good idea to treat people with courtesy. Sometimes it also means something a company gives you for...