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Word of the Week: Twilight
"I love to walk along the beach at twilight." Twilight is the time after sunset before it's completely dark. Its adjective form is "twilight" (lit by twilight): "The twilit garden was a romantic setting." 「黄昏の海辺を歩くのが大好き。」 黄昏とは日没直後のまだ完全に暗くなっていない時間です。 Twilight...
Picture of the Week: Pink Hydrangeas
Why are some hydrangeas blue and some pink? Aluminum in the soil turns the flowers blue, but when the pH is not acidic enough the plant can't use the aluminum. Which color do you prefer?...
Phrase of the Week: My Least Favorite
"Yuck. Licorice is my least favorite jelly bean flavor." Your favorite is the one you like most. Your least favorite is the opposite, the one you like least. Despite the use of the word "favorite", it's the one you dislike most. 「ゲ―ッ、アニスは一番嫌いなジェリービーンの味だ。」...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"I'm sorry, but your insurance doesn't ____ fire damage." Fill in the blank. A. cover B. support C. apply D. pay 「申し訳ありませんがお客様の保険では火災損害は対象外です。」 Bのsupportでは保険が逆に火災のほうを支えているようにきこえるのでアウトです。Cは、前置詞のtoさえあれば使えますが、ここにはないので使えません。Dも同じく、pay...
Trivia of the Week: Stay!
Most American dogs don't know how to "wait!" before they get their food, but a well-trained dog knows how to "stay!" even when her owner walks away. Other dog commands such as "sit", "lie down" and "shake" are the same as in Japan. アメリカの犬のほとんどは、ご飯の時の wait!...
Idiom of the Week: I Can’t Wrap My Head Around It
"I've read the explanation for this homework problem eight times but I just can't wrap my head around it. Can you explain it more clearly?" In order to understand something difficult or complicated, you must "wrap your head around it" like a big snake coiling around...
Word of the Week: Shy
"Come say hello to our guest. No? Sorry, he's shy." Someone who is shy is afraid or nervous to meet or interact with people they don't know well. An introverted person is not necessarily shy, although the two words are sometimes used interchangeably. An introvert is...
Picture of the Week: Lilies
These lilies would make a beautiful decoration in your home, wouldn't they? But you must be careful, because lilies are poisonous and can be dangerous for pets and children....
Phrase of the Week: I’ve Had Enough
"I've had enough of your constant arguing! If you two can't get along, go fight somewhere else." When you've had enough of something, you can't take it anymore. You're sick and tired of it. Of course, you can also say, "I've had enough," to indicate that you don't...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"I realize it was an honest mistake, but nevertheless there will be consequence." Find the mistake. A. realize B. honest C. nevertheless D. consequence 「わざと間違えたわけではないことはわかっていますが、それでもその結果に責任を取らないといけません。」 Realizeは「わかっている、気づいている」で問題ありません。「Honest...
Trivia of the Week: Heel!
When you tell your dog to “heel!” he should walk next to you and a little bit behind you. He should keep the same pace and not get ahead of you. Many people haven’t trained their dogs to walk politely. Many dogs have bad manners and pull on the leash when they go on a...
Idiom of the Week: Driving Me up the Wall
"The neighbor's kid joined the school band. He's practicing his saxophone all day, but he's still not any good. The noise is driving me up the wall!" If you can't stand something, it can make you restless. If you're very restless in a small space, you might try to...
Word of the Week: Rare
“This bird is very rare. There are only a few left in the wild. We are very lucky today. It’s a rarity to see two of them together.” Something that is very unusual and hard to find is rare. It’s also often valuable, such as a rare vase or a rare trading card. “Rarity”...
Picture of the Week: Peonies
Peonies are in season now. The peony is a large, fragrant flower that blooms in late spring and early summer. These peonies are growing outside a farmhouse in Quebec, Canada....
Phrase of the Week: I’ll Miss You
“Have fun on your trip. I’ll miss you!” When someone close to us is not nearby, or we can’t see or talk to them for a while, we miss them. This phrase tells someone who is leaving that the speaker will feel lonely while they are gone. We want our friends to enjoy...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“Because the question asks about the student’s personal life, answers will ____ between students.” Fill in the blank. A. vary B. differs C. various D. different 「生徒の私生活についての質問なので、様々な答えがあるでしょう。」 Vary も differ も「異なる」という意味なので、基本的にはどれも正解です。文法的に正しい単語を選ばないといけません。 will...
Trivia of the Week: Newton’s Cradle
A popular office toy (an interactive decoration for your desk at work) is Newton's cradle. It's named after the physicist Isaac Newton. If you pull back and drop a ball on one end, the momentum will transfer through the middle balls to the ball on the other end and...
Idiom of the Week: Get the Picture
"No, I don't want to see you next week either. I don't want to see you ever again. Get the picture?" To get the picture is to understand something. You can take in information and words without really understanding it, but when you can "picture" the information...
Word of the Week: Dash
"Hearing the crash, he dashed into the garage to see what had happened." "Dash" can be a noun or a verb. Its most common meaning is a short, fast run. It's more exciting than "sprint", and more likely to be used to describe an action scene. It can also be to violently...
Picture of the Week: Dandelion
Dandelion seeds have tufts of white fluff so that they can float far away from the parent plant. If you pick a dandelion and blow away all the seeds while making a wish, your wish is said to come true....
