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Word of the Week: Bloom
Spring is coming and flowers are starting to bloom. When a bud opens and becomes a flower, it "blooms". Most often "bloom" is a verb, but occasionally it is a noun, meaning the same as "flower" or "blossom". What flowers are blooming now in your area?...
Picture of the Day: Apricots
These are dried apricots. They are often treated with sulfur for a more orange color. Many come from California or Turkey. They are also delicious raw....
Phrase of the Week: Stay Up
"You look tired. Did you not sleep well?" "I slept okay, but I stayed up late last night doing homework." When you stop sleeping in the morning, you wake up. Then, when you're not asleep at night, you are staying up. Children usually have a fixed bedtime, but they...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"It takes time to ____ up a strong customer base." Fill in the blank. A. set B. build C. take D. put 出店やブースならば「set up」（設置する）や「put up」（建てる、飾る）を使います。寄付なら「take up」（募集する、あつめる）です。毎回買ってくれるお客さんは徐々に増えるものです。自分の意思で顧客を増やすことは出来ません。いい商品を売っているとそのうち勝手にお客さんは増えますね。答えはBです。 Do more...
Trivia of the Week: Recessive Genes
A certain plant can have purple or white flowers. Most of the plants have purple flowers, because the white flowers are a recessive trait. Each plant receives one copy of the gene that controls flower color from each of two parent plants. One version creates purple...
Idiom of the Week: It Came Off the Ark
"Wow, that typewriter is pretty old. Is it an antique?" "Yeah, I think it came off the ark." The ark is the boat that Noah made to survive a big flood in a story in the Bible. The flood was a long, long time ago, so if something was on the ark it must be very old!...
Word of the Week: Poisonous
"These mushrooms look very similar, but this one is poisonous and this one is okay to eat." Something that contains poison is "poisonous". For example, some mushrooms are poisonous, so it's dangerous to eat mushrooms you found growing wild unless you are an expert....
Picture of the Week: Cauliflower
Cauliflower looks kind of like white broccoli. The English name actually comes from "cabbage flower". It also comes in the colors orange, green and purple! カリフラワーは白いブロッコリーみたいな野菜です。名前の由来は cabbage...
Phrase of the Week: Watch Out!
"Watch out! That truck is out of control!" "When you're hiking, watch out for snakes." "Watch out" can means to be careful of some danger, to look around in case the danger is there. However, it can also be used as a quick warning of danger that we have noticed....
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"Mr. Johnson just had a bad haircut and he's very sensitive about it, so please don't say his hair." Find the mistake: A. just had B. very sensitive C. about it D. don't say 「ジョンソンさんは、カットで失敗して変な髪形にされたのですごく気にしています。髪形のことは口にしないでください。」 間違いはどこでしょうか？ Aの just had...
