Do you know the adjective “gregarious“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Faye: What is the new employee in the office like?
Helen: He’s gregarious. He talks to everyone all the time and always comes out drinking with us on Fridays.
Does it mean:
a) sociable
b) grumpy
c) arrogant
d) annoying
The answer is below! ↓
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Answer: a) sociable
What are the best Christmas presents? When I was not so busy, I used to make most of my Christmas presents. I made clothes and toys for children. I made cookies and jam for adults. I collected small jars and filled them with jam or marmalade. I decorated the jars. They looked very pretty.
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One year I made French mustard. This was fun to make and very popular.
I love to give the special people in my life small gifts, especially at Christmas. It very sad because these days, I mostly buy presents. I wish I had more time and energy, because I think the presents we make ourselves are more special.
Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press
Do you know the English phrase “to embark on (something)“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Evelyn: Do you know anything about this singer?
Greg: I know that she worked in finance before she embarked on a career in music.
Does it mean:
a) to fail at something
b) to start something new and exciting
c) to start something boring
d) to do something reluctantly
The answer is below! ↓
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Answer: b) to start something new and exciting
Every year we have a problem. When should we plant our tomatoes? There is a custom in my country. Everyone says, ‘plant tomatoes in the last weekend of October’.
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In this country, this is spring. In your country it might be 6 months the other way. But maybe the problem is the same. If we plant our tomatoes in the last weekend of October, we can be sure there will be some cold weather in the first weeks of November. Our tomato plants are young and weak. The cold weather is not good for them. They die. In November, we have to go out and buy new tomato plants!
Sometimes the weather is not kind to gardeners.
Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press
Do you know the noun “lull“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Ben: The weather was really bad last night. When did you go home?
Harry: There was a lull in the storm around 9:00pm, so I went home then.
Does it mean:
a) a violent period
b) a lot of rain
c) a very windy time
d) a short period of calm
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: d) a short period of calm
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It’s the time of year when I have to start thinking about Christmas presents. When I first came to Japan, I bought Japanese presents for my family and friends back in the UK. Over the years, I have bought them fans, chopsticks, sake cups, sake, laquerware, tea, ao-jiru (green barley grass drink), ceramic teapots, Japanese sweets, books about Japan, Japanese beauty products…etc.
I wonder what to buy them this year. I don’t think they need any more sake cups or teapots or fans. Every year, I walk around the department stores in my city thinking, “What can I buy?” “What will they like?”
It is time to start doing that again. I want to get all my Christmas shopping done early. I don’t want to leave it to the last minute. But I wonder…what can I buy?
Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press
Do you know the verb “to saunter“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Sebastian: What did you do on your last day in Rome?
Kath: We didn’t do much. The weather was nice so we just sauntered around the city.
Does it mean:
a) walk in a hurried way
b) walk with a friend
c) walk in a slow, relaxed way
d) walk in an aggressive way
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: c) walk in a slow, relaxed way
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I go back to the UK once a year. When I go back, I never fly directly from Japan to the UK. I always fly via another city. This is because I like to spend a few days in a different city.
Over the years, I have had stopovers in various cities. The main ones are Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Amsterdam, and Helsinki.
All the cities are great to visit, but my favourite is Paris. I have visited Paris six times. When I’m on a stopover, I only stay for around two nights, so I don’t have much time. I used to go sightseeing, but now, I like to relax in a cafe and read a book.
I have visited Helsinki three times. Every time, I stayed there on December 31st. There is a big celebration in the main square in the city every year. It is cold, but always good fun.
This year I am going to stay in Amsterdam. It is my third time to visit the city. The first time I went, I just stayed for one night, so I spent that in a bar. The second time I went, I stayed on December 31st, but I had influenza, so I didn’t have a great time. This year, I hope to do some sightseeing and enjoy my time there.
Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press
Do you know the adjective “incredible“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Ian: Did you hear about Joanne? She got 100% in all subjects on the test last week.
Nina: Did she? That’s incredible! She must have worked so hard!
Does it mean:
a) unbelievable
b) annoying
c) stupid
d) not interesting
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: a) unbelievable
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Our garden is very big. We have to work hard to look after our garden. A large garden can be very expensive. You might buy many plants and trees to create your garden. Our garden is not like that.
Our garden is a “friends and family” garden. We think hard about where to put plants and how to create a beautiful garden but we don’t buy many plants from garden centres. Our garden is full of memories. My mother died more than 15 years ago, but I have some plants from her garden. I have some plants from my sister-in-law’s garden. She died about two years ago. They are not sad plants. They are happy memories.
I also have plants from my friend’s garden. She was my best friend in high school. I have plants I grew from seed. The seed was collected on international holidays.
Then some plants are shared with neighbours. My neighbour says, “That looks nice.” I say, “Would you like some?”
Then weeks, months, years later, my neighbour says, “I have something special. Would you like some?”
Maybe memory gardens are not the most beautiful gardens, but they have special meaning. Sometimes when flowers come out in my garden, I see the flowers, but I also see the people.
Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press
I Talk You Talk Press EXTRA 
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