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Modern English Phrase of the Week #8: Pluck up your courage
“The girl plucked up her courage and asked the boy out on a date.” Sometimes we need to have a lot of courage. In English, when we need courage, we usually “pluck” or “muster” it up. “The hero mustered up all his courage and entered the dragon’s cave.”...
Today’s TOEIC Practice Question
I would like to change my appointment from 4:00 ___ 3:00. Which word goes in the blank? A. to B. at C. in D. with どの単語が空欄に入りますか？ ４時に変えたいのですね。ここは日本語では「に」ですが、英語に訳すと「to」だったり「in」だったりします。この場合はＡの「to」しか使えません。何かを変えるときは大体「to」を使います。”I want to change the color to...
BYOピクニックにご参加いただきありがとうございました！
５月２０日（日）に開催しましたピクニックにご参加頂きありがとうございました。 自然の中でゆったりとした時間を過ごすというのもいいですね。子どもたちが川に入って水遊びをしたり、ペットと一緒に参加頂いたり、本当に楽しい一日でした。...
Trivia of the Week: See you later, alligator
“See you later, alligator!” “After a while, crocodile!” Alligators and crocodiles are both called “wani” in Japanese. Alligators live in the U.S. and China, while crocodiles live all over the world. One way to tell them apart is to look at their noses. An alligator’s...
Modern English Idiom of the Week: Around the clock
“I’ve been working around the clock to get this finished.” “You need a break!” When something continues throughout the whole day, we say “around the clock”. That means twenty-four hours. But a clock face has only twelve hours! It’s a little different from “pulling an...
Word of the Week #8: twinkle (キラキラする)
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is a famous children’s song. Stars in the sky appear to twinkle because we are looking at them through the Earth’s atmosphere. In English, usually only stars twinkle. Other things, like stickers and ribbons, sparkle....
Picture of the Week: Australia: Watch for Animals
In which country could you hope to find a sign warning you of camels, kangaroos and wombats crossing the same roads? Australia of course! A diverse land that is full of surprises! 動物の飛び出しに注意！...
Modern English Phrase of the Week #7: You’ve got to stand out!
“I keep going to interviews, but I can’t get a job!” “You’ve got to stand out from the crowd! Hundreds of people are job-hunting right now.” When everyone else is dressed in black and grey, a man in a sky blue suit stands out. Another way to say something stands out...
Today’s TOEIC Practice Question
It is more easier for me to write with a pen than a brush. Which part of the sentence is incorrect? A. more B. for me C. with a D. than a この文のどこが間違っていますか？...
Trivia of the Week: Years and Years
How many years are there in a decade? There are ten! The “dec” part of the word means “ten”. You can find it in other words such as “decimal” and “decimetre” (one tenth of a metre). How many years in a century? One hundred! “Cent” means one hundred. There are one...
