Blog
Phrase of the Week: I Can’t Stand It
"Can you use headphones if you're going to listen to that? You know I can't stand that song." "My wife loves garlic, but I can't stand it." If you really don't like something and can't tolerate being around it, you can't stand it. You can also use this phrase when...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"I'm afraid this product isn't ______ for the deal. The sale only applies to items priced $9.99 and up." Fill in the blank. A. applicable B. eligible C. usable D. purchasable 「残念ながら、この商品はこの割引の対象外です。セールは＄9.99以上の値段の商品が対象です。」...
Trivia of the Week: Doughnut Holes
When you make the ring shape of a doughnut, the hole in the center leaves a bite-size round lump of leftover dough. At some point, people started frying the leftover pieces and eating them as “doughnut holes”. Now, you can even find doughnut-hole-sized versions of...
Idiom of the Week: Learning Curve
“This game has a steep learning curve, so it’s good for people who like a challenge.” A steep learning curve means that, even if something is easy at the most basic level, the difficulty increases very quickly. A more gradual learning curve can be less...
Word of the Week: Tap
“Just tap this button to take a picture.” “It’s common to tap someone on the shoulder if you have trouble getting their attention.” A tap is in between a gentle touch and a hit. If I hit your shoulder, it will hurt and you will be angry. If I touch your shoulder, you...
Picture of the Week: Caterpillar
Have you seen any caterpillars lately? They make cocoons and then turn into moths or butterflies. 最近青虫や毛虫を見ましたか？繭を作って蝶々か蛾になります。
Phrase of the Week: Get used to
"When you live near a busy road, you get used to the sound of cars and sirens." "This class was really hard at first, but after I got used to it, it was kind of fun." When something new and unfamiliar becomes familiar to you, you "get used to" it. This is usually a...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"We'll get there faster if we take the expressive train." Find the mistake. A. get there B. faster C. we take D. expressive...
The most important meal of the day! Let’s learn some breakfast words! 一日でもっとも大切な食事！朝ごはんの言葉を覚えましょう！
Learn some breakfast words from this week’s video. Then you’ll have a chance to practice English every morning! 今週の動画で朝ごはんに関する言葉を覚えると、毎朝英語の練習ができますね！ Classroom Tip This chant from Happy Valley 3, Unit 1, isolates vocabulary for popular breakfast foods....
Trivia of the Week: Boomerang
A boomerang is a traditional weapon from Australia. It’s a long flat piece of wood that in an “L” shape. It’s famous for coming back when thrown, but there are both returning and non-returning types. The ones that return are more commonly used for sport and...
Idiom of the Week: Off the Rails
“His life really went off the rails when he started abusing alcohol.” “The party went off the rails when someone tried to fill the whole pool with punch.” When a train goes off the rails, it is a big problem because it will crash and not reach its destination....
Word of the Week: Spare (Adjective)
“Do you have any spare change?” “Don’t worry. There’s a spare tire in the trunk.” Something that is spare is extra. It’s not needed, at least not right now. A spare tire becomes necessary when one of your regular tires goes flat. 「小銭はありますか？」 「心配ない。トランクに予備タイヤがあります。」...
Picture of the Week: Hydrangea Flowers
It looks like this hydrangea is only starting to bloom! Actually, the small flowers in the middle are the ones that reproduce. The larger flowers on the edge cannot. ...
Phrase of the Week: Make Do
"I can't afford a new dress for the party, so I'll make do with the clothes I have." "I didn't have all my equipment, so I had to make do." When we don't really have everything we need to do something properly, sometimes we have to "make do" with what we do have. We...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"If the public finds out about this mistake, it will damage the ______ of the company." Fill in the blank. A. reliability B. reputation C. repetition D. reliance 「このミスが知られたら会社の評判が傷つきます。」 ...
Trivia of the Week: Doughnuts
“Doughnut” sounds like a nut made of dough. It is actually a sweet, fried ring made of dough. It can also be spelled as “donut”. Some doughnuts, especially when filled with cream or fruit, don’t have holes in the middle. ...
Idiom of the Week: The Brains Behind It
“I can’t believe you guys threw me a birthday party.” “Well, I helped decorate, but John was the brains behind the operation.” Sometimes it takes many people to do something (something good like a birthday party, or something bad like a major crime). Often there is...
Word of the Week: Spare
“Can you spare a dollar?” “Spare my life,” said the magical fish, “and I’ll grant you one wish.” In war stories or fairy tales, “spare” is often used to mean “not hurt or kill”. “Do what you want to me, but spare my children.” A more everyday use is “Can...
Picture of the Week: Fog
Fog is basically a cloud that is touching the ground. It’s dangerous to drive in, but it looks beautiful on the mountains in the distance. ...
Phrase of the Week: This Won’t Do
“Oh dear, your clothes are all dirty. This won’t do. Come get changed before the party.” “This won’t do. The milk has expired. I can’t cook with this.” When something has gone wrong or isn’t good enough, we say it “won’t do”. 「あら、服が汚れてしまっている。これではダメね。パーティーの前に着替えましょう。」...
