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Picture of the Week: Tomato
These tomatoes are sliced, so you can see the seeds. Do you like tomatoes? Raw or cooked? このトマトは切ってあるから種が見えます。あなたはトマトが好きですか？生で食べられますか？
Phrase of the Week: It’s Been a While
“Nice to see you. It’s been a while!” “Wow, it’s been a while. I used to come here all the time!” You can use this phrase when it’s been a long time since you saw a certain person, went to a certain place, ate a certain food, etc. It’s slightly less informal than...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“You must abstain the room key from the front desk when you check in.” Find the mistake. A. must B. abstain C. from the D. when you 「チェックインするときに受付から鍵を取得しないといけません。」 「取得する」なら「abstain」ではなく「obtain」です。Abstainは、何かをしないことです。例えば、手術の前に物を食べたらいけない場合はabstain from eatingやabstain...
Trivia of the Week: Sinkholes
A sinkhole is a hole that forms when the surface collapses after the rock below is worn away. They can also form when a cave or tunnel collapses. They can form gradually or suddenly and they can be big or small. Some can become huge lakes, and others can suddenly...
Idiom of the Week: You and What Army?
“Be quiet or I’ll make you be quiet!” “Oh yeah? You and what army?” In an argument or fight, this phrase is used to tell someone they can’t make you do something, or that you won’t let them do something. They would need an army helping them, and they don’t have one....
Word of the Week: Mouthful
“This is delicious,” the child said around a mouthful of cake. “That’s his name? It’s really long.” “Yeah, it’s a mouthful.” A mouthful can be the amount of food or drink that fits in your mouth, or it can be something that is long and complicated and difficult to...
Picture of the Week: Amethyst
Amethyst is a violet quartz often used for jewelry. In ancient Greece, it was believed to protect against drunkenness, and drinking vessels were made from it. It’s also the birthstone for February. ...
Phrase of the Week: You Know
“You know, I think I have a copy of that book you need for your class.” “I can’t wait around all day, you know.” At the beginning of a sentence, “you know” can be a thoughtful introduction. At the end of a sentence, it is often used to remind the listener that they...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“Not many customers will participate in the survey if it is too _________.” Fill in the blank. A. entertaining B. time-consuming C. brief D. rewarding 「あまり時間がかかるとアンケートを書いてくれるお客さんは少ないです。」...
夏季休暇について
夏季休暇について 8月5日（金）～8月18日（木）の間は、レッスン並びに受付業務はお休みとなっております。 レッスンのご予約・ご変更は19日以降にご連絡ください。 無料体験レッスンのご予約や新規お問合せはこちらの問い合わせフォームからご連絡ください。...
Trivia of the Week: Instinct
Animals can do many things by instinct. For example, baby sea turtles crawl into the ocean. Birds can build nests. Some behaviors that seem like instinct also require learning from older animals. Of course, humans also have instincts! ...
Idiom of the Week: Cat Got Your Tongue
“What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?” If someone can’t speak (perhaps because they are nervous or afraid) we say the cat has got their tongue. This idiom probably appears most often as a question. If someone is not speaking, you can ask this to jokingly ask...
Word of the Week: Hop
“The rabbit hopped across the grass.” A hop is a small jump. Rabbits don’t walk very much; they hop instead. Other things that are known for hopping include frogs and children! 「ウサギがぴょんぴょんと草の上を跳びはねました。」...
Picture of the Week: Pearl
Do you know how pearls are formed? Very rarely, they form inside an oyster or other mollusk, when a very small object gets inside its shell. The pearl builds up around the object....
Phrase of the Week: I Can’t Help It
“Stop shivering.” “I can’t help it. I’m cold!” We use this phrase when we have no choice. It’s impossible not to do something. Here are some more variations: “He couldn’t help but smile when his daughter showed him the picture she’d drawn.” “When I hear this song, I...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“After the accident, more safety regulations were added to prevent it from occurring.” Find the mistake. A. accident B. were added C. prevent D. occurring...
Flower Chant! Learn some common and useful words. フラワーチャントで役に立つ日常的な単語を覚えましょう！
Classroom Tip This chant from Happy Valley 1, Unit 2, isolates the main vocabulary from this unit. These pictures are often seen throughout the book, so knowing these objects will allow them to do picture talk (discuss what they see in the picture before listening to...
Trivia of the Week: Black Hole
A black hole is very dense. It forms when a massive star dies and collapses. Its gravity is so strong that close to the black hole not even light can escape. In the center of a black hole is a point of infinite density. ...
Idiom of the Week: Don’t Let It Get to You
“The other kids were teasing me today.” “Oh, don’t let them get to you.” If something or someone “gets to you” it means it bothers you or makes you feel bad. This phrase often appears in advice such as, “You can’t let it get to you.” But you might also hear it...
Word of the Week: Tease
"Mom, Billy's teasing me!" "Don't tease the dog or he might bite you." Teasing is speaking or acting in a mean way. It usually isn't meant to really hurt anyone. However, it can easily go too far—a sibling's teasing could cause serious pain or teasing a dog could...
