Blog
Picture of the Week: Dragonfly
Has a dragonfly ever landed on you? They are so light that you might not notice. To a human, a dragonfly is beautiful and harmless, but to a smaller insect it is as scary as dragon!...
Phrase of the Week: On the Other Hand
“I’d like to stay up and watch the end of this movie. On the other hand, I do have a big test tomorrow. I should get plenty of sleep.” “On the one hand, I really like coffee. But on the other hand, I don’t want to drink caffeine so late at night.” You can compare the...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“They are always finding new security flaws, so it’s important to check for updates _______, so you will be protected right away.” Fill in the blank. A. always B. constantly C. never D. occasionally 「いつも新しいセキュリティーの弱点が見つかっているから、すぐ守られるように更新がないか確認し続けるのが大事です。」...
Trivia of the Week: Dolphins
Dolphins live in the ocean, but they are mammals. There are many kinds of dolphins, but the most well-known is the Bottlenose Dolphin. Dolphins use sound waves to “see” objects in the water. This is called echolocation. ...
Idiom of the Week: In a Flash
“I opened the door, and in a flash the dog ran into the yard.” A “flash” is a short, bright light, like a camera flash. “In a flash” means “very quickly”. Think of it as happening in the same amount of time as a camera flash. 「扉を開けたとたん犬が庭に走り出した。」...
Word of the Week: Count
“That doesn’t count!” In tennis, if your opponent doesn’t hit the ball back, you get a point. However, if the ball doesn’t bounce inside the lines, it doesn’t count. We don’t count that point when we calculate your score. We can say something counts or doesn’t count...
Phrase of the Week: Give It Your All
"The other team is good, but if we give it our all, we can win today!" "I don't care if you win or not, so long as you give it your all." Giving something one's all means to try as hard as possible, to put all your strength and energy into a task. We often hear this...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“We were able to catch a glance of the deer through the trees.” Find the mistake. A. able B. glance C. deer D. through 「木々の間に鹿がチラッと見えました。」...
Kids love vehicles! Let’s learn some vehicle names in English. 子供は乗り物が大好き！英語で名前を覚えましょう！
Many children love cars and trains, whether toys or the real thing. This week’s video will make English more fun by teaching them words for things that they like! 多くの子供はおもちゃであれ、本物であれ、車や電車が大好きです。今週の動画で好きな物の名前を教えることで英語をさらに楽しくします！ Classroom Tip This is the...
Trivia of the Week: Gills
How can fish breathe underwater? They have gills instead of lungs. Lungs are organs that extract oxygen from air. Gills do the same with water. The slits on either side of a fish’s head are its gills, but other animals have gills that look different....
Idiom of the Week: Crack the Case
“The witness gave the police enough information to find a clue that cracked the case.” A “case” here refers to a mystery or a crime. Think of it as a hard nut that is impossible to open by hand. A good clue makes a crack that allows you to open it all the way....
Word of the Week: Absolutely
“Are you going to read the next book in this series when it comes out?” “Absolutely!” “There are absolutely no monsters under the bed.” “Absolutely” can be a more enthusiastic way to say “yes”. It can also emphasize that something is 100% true—not mostly true but...
Picture of the Week: Raspberries
Raspberries are tart, sweet berries. The most well-known kinds are red. The shape is similar to that of a blackberry and the center is hollow. Be careful of the seeds! ...
Phrase of the Week: Fend for Yourself
“After they leave their mother, the young animals must fend for themselves.” “Fend” is a word that doesn’t appear by itself, but it appears in this common phrase meaning “look out for/take care of oneself”. It originally came from the word “defend”....
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"Don't ______ to call me if you have any questions." Fill in the blank. A. dare B. feel free C. hesitate D. afraid 「質問があれば是非電話してください」...
Trivia of the Week: Acquired Taste
“Coffee is an acquired taste.” Children instinctively like sweet foods such as candy, but often don’t like bitter foods such as coffee or grapefruit the first time they try them. As you get used to these foods, you may come to like them, or acquire a taste for...
Idiom of the Week: Pulling the Strings
“She’s the president of the company but actually her husband is the one pulling the strings.” Whoever is “pulling the strings” is in control, but hidden, like a puppeteer who controls a puppet using strings. 「彼女が社長だけど本当に糸を引いているのは夫なんだ。」 ...
Word of the Week: Gentle
“A gentle breeze was blowing.” “Pet the kitten gently.” To be gentle is to be very soft and not cause any damage, even to something delicate like a young kitten. 「優しい風が吹いていた。」 「子猫を優しくなでてね。」...
Picture of the Week: Pallas’ Cat
The Pallas’ cat is a kind of cat that lives in central Asia. It’s called Pallas’ cat after a German naturalist named Peter Simon Pallas....
Phrase of the Week: I wouldn’t miss it for the world
“Are you coming to my birthday dinner?” “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” When an event is very important, usually because it’s a special occasion for a person we care about, we can express it with this phrase. It suggests we wouldn’t decide not to go to...
