Phrase of the Week: My Mind Went Blank

“I studied a lot, but when the teacher asked me a question in front of everyone, my mind went blank and I couldn’t answer.” Sometimes in a stressful situation, you can’t think of what to do or say, even though you would normally know. In...

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...

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....

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。」...