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TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
It takes patience to deal with demanded customers. Where is the mistake? A. takes patience B. deal with C. demanded D. customers 間違っているのはどこでしょうか？ 「Demand」は「しつこく要求する」という動詞です。このお客様は要求された人ではなく、要求する人なので、正しくは「demanding」です。 Do more TOEIC practice here!...
Trivia of the Week: Pronouncing “N”
In Japanese, the character ん can make several different sounds. We write the word for newspaper as “shimbun” because it sounds like an “M” before the “B” sound. When it comes before a “K” or “G” sound it can sound like “NG”. But when it comes at the end of a word, it...
Idiom of the Week: You Drive a Hard Bargain
“I’ll give you $10 for it.” “I can’t sell it for less than $30.” “You drive a hard bargain. $25 is my final offer.” “Sold!” Someone who is buying, selling, or negotiating an agreement usually wants to get the best deal possible. If you won’t give much ground in the...
Word of the Week: Crust
The crust is the hard part on the outside of something. Some children don't like to eat the crust of bread or pizza. The earth also has a crust. We live there!...
Picture of the Week: Aquarium Fish
This fish lives in an aquarium. An aquarium is a glass box full of water that lets you keep fish indoors. Many people keep pet fish in aquariums. The same word, "aquarium", can mean a large building with many fish to look at. アクアリウムの魚...
Phrase of the Week: Name Your Poison
Bartender: “Name your poison.” Customer: “I’ll have a whiskey.” “Name your poison” is a way to ask what kind of alcohol someone wants to drink. Alcohol can have negative effects (including alcohol poisoning) so in this phrase it is called “poison”. バーテンダー：「何にする？」...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
His _______ at the meeting was so poor that he lost his opportunity for promotion. A. conduct B. behave C. actions D. conductor ミーティングでの彼の態度はあまりに悪くて、出世するチャンスを失くしました。 Ｂの「behave」は動詞なのでアウトです。Ｃの「actions」は、意味は近いですが、複数形なので「was」と一緒に使えません。Ｄの「conductor」は実は電車などの運転手です。残るＡが正解です。...
Trivia of the Week: Foster Care
A foster family provides care for a child or pet that has no place to go. It could be a pet that was abandoned or born homeless, or a child who has lost his parents or whose parents could not take care of him. If the new home becomes permanent, then the child or pet...
Idiom of the Week: Like Watching Paint Dry
“Ugh! I thought that movie would never end. It was so boring!” “Yeah! Like watching paint dry!” Watching paint dry would be very boring, because it takes a long time, and the difference between wet paint and dry paint is not very interesting or easy to see. It is a...
Word of the Week: Braid
To make a braid, you need three long things. Usually these are bundles of hair, but other things can be braided too: from ribbons to bread dough. A braid is a simple hairstyle that keeps long hair out of the way and looks pretty, too....
