Blog
Picture of the Week: Watermelon
Watermelon is a popular fruit in the summer. How do you eat watermelon? Do you cut it with a knife, or hit it with a stick? Do you add salt, or any other flavoring?...
Phrase of the Week: Make a Living
Teenager: “I’m going to be an artist!” Parent: “You’ll never make a living doing art!” Making a living is earning enough money to live on. If someone has a job that they do not enjoy, but it makes them enough money to pay all their bills, they might say, “Eh, it’s a...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
The substance rise in prices has affected our profit margin. Find the mistake: A. substance B. rise C. affected D. margin 「大幅な値上げが利益幅に影響を与えました。」 どこが間違っているでしょうか？ 「Substance（物質）」は名詞です。ここは形容詞に変えないといけません。「Substantial」が正しいです。正解はＡです。 ...
Trivia of the Week: Leo
If you were born in late August or early September, you are a Leo. Leos are said to be confident, ambitious and loyal, but also stubborn and melodramatic. They are passionate and like to show off to others. Do you believe in horoscopes? Do you think Leos are always...
Idiom of the Week: Pull the Plug
“This project is way behind schedule. If we don’t catch up, management is going to pull the plug on it.” Pulling the plug on something means ending it. If you pull the electrical plug of a computer or other machine out of the wall socket, it will shut down. If you...
Modern English Word of the Week: Peach
A peach is a sweet fruit that comes in yellow or white, with pink skin. The skin is fuzzy. The English word “peach” comes from “Persian apple” although it may actually have first appeared in China. White peaches are more common in Japan, and yellow in Europe and North...
Picture of the Week: Snow
In Japan, August is hot. But in the southern hemisphere, August is winter! Some nice cold snow would be great right about now. 日本の8月は暑いです。でも南半球では、8月は冬です！今、冷たい雪が降ったらいいのにな～。
Phrase of the Week: Wrong Side of the Bed
“You sure are crabby today. Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?” The story is that if you get up on the wrong side of the bed, you will be in a bad mood for the rest of the day. It is not clear which side of the bed is wrong. If you are grumpy all the time,...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
Please check in to report your progress _______. A. periodically B. terminally C. everyday D. always 「定期的に進展状況を報告してください。」 「定期的に」なので、答えはＡです。なぜＣの「everyday」ではダメなのかというと、間にスペースが入っていないからです。「Every...
Trivia of the Week: The Tooth Fairy
What do you do when you lose a tooth? Many English-speaking children put the tooth under their pillow at night. During the night, the Tooth Fairy comes and takes the tooth away. The Tooth Fairy leaves a little money in exchange for the tooth....
