Blog
Word of the Week: Sweet
"I like candy and other sweet foods." "What a sweet child." "Check out my sweet new bike!" The basic meaning of sweet is a taste that most people enjoy, like sugar. When used to describe a person, it doesn't mean "naïve" but rather "kind" and "charming". We can also...
Picture of the Week: Coffee Art
Recently people have been making very complicated pictures using coffee and milk. This heart design is relatively simple. Have you drunk anything like this?...
Phrase of the Week: It’s the Thought that Counts
"I actually already have this book, but oh well—it's the thought that counts." Sometimes we receive a gift that we didn't really want, but we appreciate it anyway. In these cases we say, "It's the thought that counts." We might be happy that the gift shows the giver...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"If you don't have buttermilk, you can ______ regular milk with some lemon juice." Fill in the blank. A. change B. exchange C. substitute D. substantial 「バターミルクがない場合は普通の牛乳と少しのレモンジュースで代替ができます。」...
Trivia of the Week: Extroverts and Introverts
It's hard to quantify a person's personality scientifically, but one factor that is relatively easy to measure is introversion vs extroversion. We think of an extrovert as someone who enjoys being with other people and an introvert as someone who is shy and likes to...
Idiom of the Week: Tailor-Made
"This movie is a fantasy about an elementary school teacher and a talking mongoose. It's like it was tailor-made for me!" "This car isn't tough, but it's tailor-made for speed." When clothing is tailor-made for someone, the tailor sews it to fit their body exactly. We...
Word of the Week: Spoiled
"He's really spoiled. His parents give him whatever he wants." "Her parents really spoiled her, and then when she went to college she was upset that the teachers actually made her work." You spoil someone, usually a child or a pet, when you give them everything they...
Picture of the Week: Chihuahua
The Chihuahua is the smallest dog breed. Next to this man's watch, it looks very small! Chihuahuas come in many colors and can have short or long fur. Have you seen any in your neighborhood?...
Phrase of the Week: I hate to tell you
"I hate to tell you this, but we're out of gas." "I hate to tell you" is a phrase we can use to prepare someone for bad news. It's not pleasant to give someone bad news, so this set phrase assumes the speaker doesn't enjoy doing it. 「大変申し上げにくいのですが、ガソリンが切れたみたいです。」 「I...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"There is always some risky of losing your money when you invest." Find the mistake. A. There is B. always some C. risky of D. losing your money 「投資するときは必ずお金を失う危険はあります。」...
