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TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“My cousin is an _____ author. She has written a couple books but she hasn’t gotten anything published yet.” Fill in the blank. A. aspiring B. perspiring C. professional D. authentic...
Trivia of the Week: Tension
In Japanese, a person with "high tension" is excited or easily excitable. "Tension" is actually a measure of how strongly something (such as a rope) is being pulled from opposite sides. If you hold a rope in one hand, it dangles loosely, but if you pull hard on both...
Idiom of the Week: Say the Word
"If you need a ride, just say the word and I'll come pick you up." It would probably take more than one word to make a request, but we tell people to "say the word" in order to show that we are ready to do them this favor at any time. 「車で送ってほしいならいつでも言って。すぐ迎えに行くから。」...
Word of the Week: Petal
"The petals were falling from the cherry blossom trees. It was really beautiful." Petals are like the "leaves" of flowers. They are usually the most colorful part. 「桜の花びらが舞い落ちてとても美しかった。」...
Picture of the Week: Spinach
Spinach can be eaten raw or cooked. The main character of the cartoon Popeye the Sailorman always uses spinach to give him the strength to beat the bad guys. This has contributed to the popularity of spinach in the US....
Phrase of the Week: In Addition To
“In addition to dogs and cats, we also have rabbits for adoption.” Addition usually refers to adding numbers together, but here it means adding rabbits to dogs and cats. We can use this phrase to include details while putting emphasis on something else. It’s not...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“We won’t have much time to prepare for the presentation, so create the slideshow afterhand.” Find the mistake. A. prepare B. presentation C. create D. afterhand 間違いはどこでしょうか？ 「プレゼン前にスライドショーを作る時間がないので予め作っておいて」という話です。「前もって」という意味の単語は after ではなく beforehand ですので、答えはDです。 Do...
Trivia of the Week: Color Blindness
Color blindness is an inability to see colors. One common type is red-green color blindness. People with this condition can see other colors normally, but red and green look the same. It can be caused when the signals sent by the "cone" cells in the eyes that detect...
Idiom of the Week: Strike a Chord
"This book became popular because it really struck a chord with its audience." If something "strikes a chord" with you it means that it touches on a meaningful subject in a way that you can relate to. You could also say it "speaks to you". 「この小説は読者の共感を呼んで人気が出ました。」 何かが...
Word of the Week: Duh
"Bats aren't bugs. They're mammals, duh!" "Duh" is a word used to show that something is obvious. It's usually childish and insulting, although it can sometimes be used affectionately between friends: "Do I look good in this outfit?" "Duh! Of course you do!"...
