[Easy English Blog] Christmas decorations

brown beside fireplace near brown wicker basket

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Do you usually have a Christmas tree? For many years, I decorated a tree. I tried hard to have a real tree, but sometimes it was too difficult and I used an artificial tree. These days I don’t have a Christmas tree. Our house is small and there is nowhere to put a tree. But I still decorate the house. I like to put shiny balls of different colours in glass bowls. I think they look very pretty.

I always decorate the mantelpiece and fireplaces. Of course, it is summer here so we do not have fires but I put pine cones, shiny balls and foliage in one fireplace and flowers in the other. I decorate the mantelpieces too – with pine branches and  artificial berries and lights. (This picture is not from my house!)

Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press

[Short Story]Marcus and the Boss

photography of airplane during sunrise

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It’s Friday afternoon. Marcus is sitting in the airport lounge. He is waiting for his girlfriend to arrive from Sydney. Marcus feels bad. He works in a department store. Fridays are always very busy. But he wanted to be at the airport when his girlfriend arrived.

On Friday morning, Marcus said to his boss, “I have a terrible toothache. I must go to the dentist.”

His boss was angry. “But it’s Friday! We are always very busy on Fridays. And today is very difficult. My grandmother died. I cannot be here this afternoon!”

Marcus said, “But I cannot talk to customers. The pain is very bad. I must go.”

Marcus wants to meet his girlfriend, but he feels very bad. I said something that was not true, he thinks. I don’t have a toothache. It will be very difficult for my co-workers this afternoon. I am not at work. My boss is not at work. His grandmother is dead. My boss must be very sad.  I am not a nice person.

Then Marcus sees his boss! His boss looks very happy. His boss is wearing vacation clothes! He is wearing shorts. He is wearing a shirt with a pattern of pink flamingos and palm trees. He is walking towards the counter that has a sign ‘Wonderful weekend vacations on a beach in the Pacific’.

Oh, thinks Marcus. My boss does not have a dead grandmother! He is having a three- day weekend vacation!

Marcus does not feel so bad. I did a bad thing, he thinks. I said my tooth was very painful. But my boss said his grandmother died. On Monday, I will say to my Boss, ’I like your flamingo shirt!’ He can never say anything to me because I will tell our co-workers that his grandmother did not die! Maybe I can have many more free days. My girlfriend will be very pleased.

Willpower

Do you know the noun “willpower“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?

Sally: Karen, how many chocolates did you eat yesterday?

Karen: Twenty. I didn’t intend to eat so many, but I have no willpower.

Does it mean:

a) self-control

b) hunger

c) diet

d) physical strength

The answer is below!↓

round chocolate coated pastry on white stick

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Answer: a) self-control

[Easy English Blog] Roses

beautiful bloom blooming blossom

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A friend of mine has many beautiful roses in her garden. One of her roses is a beautiful apricot colour. It smells wonderful.

Yesterday she told me that the rose bush blooms about the time of her mother-in-law’s birthday. She told me she always picks some and puts them on the memory table in her house.

I have never seen her table, but I thought about the things we might put on a memory table. Photographs of family members who have died? Yes I think so. Maybe some small things that belonged to them, like a small box or ornament. And, of course, flowers.

J.M. Barrie, the man who wrote the book, Peter Pan, said “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”  Of course, he lived in the northern hemisphere, so December is winter. I live in the south, so it is summer in December. I can change his quote to suit me. “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in winter.”

Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press

Breathtaking

Do you know the adjective “breathtaking“? Read the converation below. Can you guess the meaning?

James: How was your trip to Scotland?

Sarah: It was wonderful. The views of the mountains were breathtaking.

Does it mean:

a) boring

b) uncomfortable

c) suspicious

d) spectacular

The answer is below!↓

scenic view of mountains

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Answer: d) spectacular

Questionable

Do you know the adjective “questionable“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?

Marcy: What do you think about Tom offering to help us with the project?

Jerry: I think his motives are questionable. Maybe he expects to get some money from it.

Does it mean:

a) interesting

b) doubtful

c) difficult to understand

d) honest

The answer is below!↓

close up photography of a man holding ppen

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Answer: b) doubtful

[Easy English Blog] Technology

karan

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Some people like to keep up with new technology. They like to have the latest smartphone, camera, TV or computer. I am different. I get used to the technology I have. I don’t want to change it, even when it is old.

I was thinking about this yesterday.  We have an iTouch in our house. It fell on the floor and the screen broke. I took it into the city, to see if it could be repaired. The people in the shop were very helpful, but they were surprised to see such an old iTouch. It is maybe 12 or 13 years old.  It is so old, they the store cannot find a screen to fit it. We will have to buy a new music player. Or maybe use our smart phones instead!

Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press

Give (someone) a lift

Do you know the English expression “to give (someone) a lift“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?

Wanda: How are you getting to the station?

John: I’m going to walk.

Wanda: I can give you a lift if you want.

John: That would be great, thanks.

Does it mean:

a) take someone somewhere by car

b) take someone somewhere by elevator

c) carry someone somwhere

d) call a taxi for someone

The answer is below! ↓

crowd on the subway

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Answer: a) take someone somewhere by car

[Easy English Blog] Breakfast

slice of loaf bread with dog face

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What do you have for breakfast? I notice that most people have the same thing for breakfast every day.  I have coffee and toast. I put Vegemite on my toast. Most people don’t know about Vegemite. It seems to be unique to Australia and New Zealand. There is a similar product called Marmite. It came from England I think. If you grow up eating Vegemite, you like it. But most people think it tastes awful.

If you eat toast for breakfast maybe you put margarine and jam, or butter and honey, or margarine and peanut butter, or margarine and Vegemite on it. People like different things, but maybe everyone has the same experience when they drop their toast on the floor. The toast always lands upside down! It always lands jam side down!

Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press