Blog
Word of the Week: Mistake
“I made a mistake on this form. Can I have another copy?” “There must be some mistake. I don’t have a reservation under that name.” “Mistake” is most often used as a noun. You can make a mistake. You can find or notice a mistake someone else made. You can catch a...
Picture of the Week: Black Cat
Halloween season has started. The holiday isn’t until the last day of October, but the decorations are already up! This black cat is perfect for Halloween. The orange eyes match the color of the jack-o-lanterns. ...
Phrase of the Week: Not a Good Idea
“I’m going to skateboard on the roof.” “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” “It’s not a good idea to feed wild alligators.” This phrase is used to advise someone not to do something. It can also be used about things that were done in the past and had bad results. “I...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"The information is correct, but the presentation is not very exciting. Please ______ the text and email it to me by Friday." Fill in the blank. A. revise B. review C. write D. undo 「情報は正しいのですがプレゼンテーションの仕方が面白くないです。書き直して金曜日までにメールで送ってください。」...
Let’s go to the aquarium! I see a shark! 水族館に行こう！サメがいるよ！
Classroom Tip This chant from Happy Valley Student Book 2, Unit 3, introduces several sea animals. Listen to the chant and then do again with the gestures. After, put the teacher or student flashcards around the room and pretend to be in an aquarium. Use the dialogue...
Trivia of the Week: Purring
Purring is a rumbling sound made by happy cats. However, other animals make sounds also called “purring”, including raccoons, squirrels, bears and elephants. We don’t know exactly how cats purr. Some bigger cats cannot purr—they can roar, instead. Cats don’t only purr...
Idiom of the Week: Get the Hang of It
“It’s tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.” Getting the hang of something is suddenly being able to do something that was difficult before. It’s like an insight that you get from a certain amount of experience, but it usually can’t be explained...
Phrase of the Week: Out of the Way
“Get out of the way!” If you’re riding your bicycle and suddenly realize you’re going to hit someone, and don’t have time to stop, you should yell, “Get out of the way!” In this situation, “the way” is the path of something moving. It will sound rude if you tell...
Picture of the Week: Forget-Me-Not
The name “forget-me-not” was translated from the German name of the flower around the year 1400. Given the name, it’s not surprising that it has been used as a symbol of remembrance. Another name for this type of flower is Myosotis, which comes from Greek for “mouse’s...
Phrase of the Week: Do Your Best
“Do your best and I’m sure you’ll pass the test.” “I don’t care if we win or lose the game, so long as we play our best.” “Do your best” is a handy phrase to cheer someone on. Sometimes we can replace the word “do” with another verb, like “play” in the case of a sport...
