Blog
Word of the Week: Autograph
Man: Can I have your autograph? I’m a huge fan. Star: Sure. Do you have a pen? An autograph is a signature as a present to a fan. When you sign your name on a receipt or contract, it is a signature, not an autograph. 男の人：サインしていただけませんか？大ファンなんです。 スター：いいですよ。ペン持ってますか？...
Picture of the Week: Skiing
In this picture a man creates a spray of powdery snow while skiing on a scenic mountain. Have you ever been skiing? Where did you go?...
Phrase of the Week: Fall in Love
Child: How did you meet Mom? Father: We met at college, but we didn’t fall in love until after graduation. Falling in love is a bit like falling into a lake. It is involuntary. It can come as a great shock. It can cause a lot of problems. Perhaps this is why we say...
Vote for Nathan
Nathan and Brad, our Happy Valley musicians, have entered a competition on Facebook with their band, Nathan and the Naturals. You can download their song and vote for them here or view their home page here.
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
I usually leave 15 minutes early, but I was running late, so when the train is delayed, I was late for work. Where is the mistake? A. leave 15 minutes early B. was running late C. train is delayed D. was late for work 「いつもは１５分早く出発しますが遅れてしまい、さらに電車が遅れたので仕事に遅刻してしまいました。」...
Trivia of the Week: New Year’s Resolutions
On January 1, people declare a goal for the new year. This is called a New Year’s resolution. Many people say they will exercise more or learn a new skill. But often they quit after only a month or two. Some people choose a very easy resolution as a joke (like “eat...
Idiom of the Week: Snowball
“Then the dog’s leash got tangled in a lawn chair, which got dragged into the neighbor’s yard.” “Really? That must have been funny.” “Yeah, if my boss hadn’t been sitting in the chair.” “Oh no!” “And then the dog turned a corner and the chair and my boss went in the...
Word of the Week: Pedestrian
Brakes: SCREEECH!!! Olive: What happened? Bruce: I almost hit that pedestrian! A pedestrian is a person who is walking. When driving, you should watch for pedestrians. When walking, you can use a pedestrian overpass to cross the road. ブレーキ音：キィ―――――ッ！！ オリーブ：何があったの？...
Picture of the Week: Frost
Frost is ice that clings to things such as leaves, branches, or, in this case, a window pane. If you sit next to the window in an airplane, you can see some frost on the window. It is cold outside the plane and the air trapped in the window cannot hold as much water...
Phrase of the Week: Take Care of Him
Jim: Oh no! This puppy is hurt. Paul: Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him. Jim: Oh no! Fred is a spy. Paul: Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him. Taking care of someone usually means looking after their needs. If you take care of a child or animal, you give it food, a...
