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Picture of the Week: Easter Bonnet
There is an old tradition of having some kind of new clothes at Easter. In recent times, a new hat has been popular. The hat is decorated for Easter and may be worn to church....
Phrase of the Week: At the Last Minute
"Ugh, I stayed up all night writing this essay." "That's because you waited until the last minute to start!" "The last minute" or "the last second" is not literally one minute before the deadline, but it is very close to the deadline. It is better not to wait until...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"The chef will prepare anything you ___." Fill in the blank. A. desire B. despair C. despise D. despite 「シェフがあなたの食べたいものを何でも作って差し上げます。」 最後の部分は「あなたが欲しがるもの」ですので、「欲しがる」に一番近い動詞を選びましょう。Dは動詞ですらないのでアウトです。Bは「絶望する」という意味で、Cは「強く嫌う」なので残るAが正解です。 Do more TOEIC practice here!...
Trivia of the Week: Trolls
Classically, trolls are a kind of humanoid monster that lives under bridges. In one famous story, three goats must cross a bridge without being eaten by the troll that lives underneath. Nowadays, "troll" usually refers to troublemakers on the internet. These trolls...
Idiom of the Week: Mumbo Jumbo
"Let's rent this movie today." "A fantasy movie? You know I don't care for magic and unicorns and all that mumbo jumbo." "Mumbo jumbo" is a negative word for something complicated or confusing that we don't understand. 「今日はこの映画を借りましょう。」...
Word of the Week: Dull
"This knife is getting dull. I think I'll get a new one." "I never did well in grade school. Everyone thought I was just a dull kid, but actually the classes were so dull, I never paid attention. When I took more challenging classes I did better." "Dull" has many...
Picture of the Week: Pineapple
A pineapple is not an apple and it doesn't grow on a pine tree. When English speakers first saw pineapples, they thought they looked line pine cones, but they had fruit inside, like an apple....
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"This venture has been very profiting for both of us." Find the mistake. A. venture B. profiting C. both D. of us 間違いはどこでしょうか？ びっくりするようなことが surprising で、恥ずかしいことが embarrassing なら儲かることは profiting でいいはずなのでは？実は、儲からせてくれるようなことは profiting ではなく profitable になります。答えはBです。 Do...
Trivia of the Week: TNR
TNR stands for "trap neuter return". It's a method to control and help feral cats. Volunteers first trap the cats using humane traps. Then veterinarians perform spay or neuter surgery, and sometimes other health care. Finally the cats are returned to the area where...
Idiom of the Week: A World of Good
"I sure am glad I took a day off. It did me a world of good!" "A world of good" is simply a lot of good. It usually refers to something that makes someone feel better. "Counseling did our marriage a world of good." "You should visit the country. The fresh air will do...
