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Picture of the Week: Raspberries
The raspberries we eat are usually red, but other colors do exist. Some people say raspberries have too many seeds. What do you think? Is the taste of fresh raspberries worth getting seeds caught in your teeth?...
Phrase of the Week: Pass Out
"He passed out from lack of oxygen, but he's okay now." If you lose consciousness for a reason such as illness or overexertion, we say you pass out. Normally this phrase isn't used for sleep, but occasionally you might hear something like, "I was so exhausted I just...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"We really need this contract. Do whatever you have to _____ them to sign." A. persuade B. engage C. renounce D. pronounce...
Trivia of the Week: Stick Bug
Stick bugs, stick insects, or walking sticks, are a kind of insect that is camouflaged as a small stick. Some insects in the same family also look like leaves. They look like sticks or leaves so that predators will not notice them. However, some kinds also use bright...
Idiom of the Week: I Don’t Have All Day
"Would you hurry up? I don't have all day here!" You can say this when someone is taking a long time to do something and you feel impatient. For example, you are waiting in line at the grocery store and the person ahead of you is very slow to pay. Or you ask someone a...
Word of the Week: Missing
"My favorite pen is missing. Have you seen it?" "We can't finish the puzzle. One of the pieces is missing." "We went into the maze together, but when we got out, Steve was missing." Although "missing" can mean "lonely" in a sentence like "I'm missing you a lot...
Picture of the Week: Mint
Mint is a popular flavor for candy and gum. There are actually many kinds of mint in this family of herbs. Some people find it too sharp unless it's only a mild mint flavor accompanied by plenty of sugar. It also goes well with chocolate!...
Phrase of the Week: You Have Only Yourself to Blame
"I didn't do very well on the test." "Well, you have only yourself to blame. I know you never studied and stayed up all night playing video games before test day." When something goes wrong, people want to know whose fault it is. When something bad happens to someone,...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"All students must abide to the school rules." Find the mistake. A. All students B. must abide C. to the D. school rules 「全ての生徒は学校のルールに従わないといけません。」...
Trivia of the Week: Praying Mantis
The "praying mantis" gets its name from the way it holds its front legs as if it were praying. Sometimes female praying mantises decapitate and eat males during mating. However, this seems to be more common in the laboratory than in nature. カマキリは祈っているような姿から praying...