執筆者 Modern English | 2012年09月11日 | Words
“Mind if I smoke?” To mind something means to be bothered by it. We usually say “I don’t mind,” when something does not bother us. It is less common to see the positive form except in answer to a question: “Do you mind if I smoke?” “Yes, I do mind. It makes me cough.”...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年09月04日 | Words
“Come on, Whiskers, you have to take this pill. Don’t hiss at me! Ouch!” A hiss is the sound of air escaping. Snakes hiss. Cats hiss when they are angry or afraid. A gas leak might also make a hissing sound. People are said to hiss when they whisper angrily....
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年08月28日 | Words
The thief tried to sneak into the museum, but a guard spotted him climbing the wall. “Spot” usually means a patch of color, but as a verb it can mean “to see” or “to catch sight of”. If you are looking around trying to see something, and you finally succeed, you have...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年08月21日 | Words
“What a hideous statue! It’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen!” “Yeah, but it makes a great icebreaker.” When it is very cold, ice forms over water. Before you can drink you must break the ice with a hammer. Before you can travel by boat a special ice-breaking boat...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年08月07日 | Words
“So I heard you and Jane had a big fight at the party last week. What happened?” “Oh, don’t be so nosey. I know you just want to gossip with your friends about our problems.” Someone who is nosey takes too much interest in other people’s affairs. Such people are...
