Do you know the English expression “to give (something) a whirl“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Oliver: Hey, have you started ballet dancing?
Grace: Yes, it looked fun so I thought I’d give it a whirl.
Does it mean:
a) twirl around something
b) try something
c) do something for a short time
d) do something with a lot of effort
The answer is below!↓
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Answer: b) try something
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The other day, I judged an English speech contest. The contestants were school students. I judge the contest every year. This year was my 11th time. There were about 30 students in the contest. As usual, I was very impressed with the standard of the speeches.
In speech contests, while pronunciation is important, it is also important to think about non-verbal communication and the impact your speech has on the audience. Factors such as eye-contact and gestures are important. Some students used too many gestures, which was unnatural. Others used them well – adding expression to their speech.
When practicing the speech, it is important to ask yourself “what impact do I want to have?” “How do I want the listeners to feel?” The students who scored highly in the contest gave moving speeches. They successfully communicated their feelings, not only their words, to the listeners.
I was impressed with all the contestants though. It must be very difficult for a teenager to stand up in front of everyone and give a speech in a foreign language. I’m sure I couldn’t have done it when I was their age!
Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press
Do you know the English expression “to not be caught dead (doing something)“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Jane: Did you see the dress Helen was wearing today? It was pink, yellow and red.
Michelle: I saw it. I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that!
Does it mean:
a) would never (do something)
b) would not (do something) before I die
c) catch someone and tell them not to (do something)
d) talk about someone who died
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: a) would never (do something)
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I had a meeting with our web designer yesterday. He made our website five years ago. I like the website, but I think it needs an update. So, I asked him to change the layout, add Facebook and Twitter feeds, and to make a mobile version.
Five years ago, I didn’t think about a mobile version. But the world is changing. More and more people are using their mobile phones to access the Internet. So I think we need a website that is easy to use and read on a smartphone.
We are also going to add more books in the future, so we need a better layout. I’m not a designer, so I’m going to let the designer decide which layout is the best. I trust him to make us a nice site which is easy to use. I’m looking forward to seeing what he creates!
Do you know the English expression “to cut to the chase“? Read the conversation below. What does Katy mean when she says “can you cut to the chase”?
Katy: Thank you for your detailed report of your meeting with the client John. We appreciate it. But can you cut to the chase and tell us if the client wants to work with us or not?
John: Sure. She wants to work with us.
Does it mean:
a) chase someone
b) talk in more detail
c) tell us the important point
d) stop talking
The answer is below!↓
Answer: c) tell us the important point
I tried coffee-flavoured Coca-Cola the other day. It tasted like….well…coffee-flavoured Coca-Cola. It was nice. I usually feel sleepy in the afternoons, so I drank it around 1:00pm. I thought the caffeine in the drink would wake me up. Unfortunately, I still felt sleepy after drinking it. I still needed to drink a cup of coffee afterwards to keep me alert.
Here it is. It just looks like normal Coca-Cola. The can is smaller than a usual can though. It is only 250ml. If you are in Japan, why don’t you give it a try?
Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press
Photo by Tookapic on Pexels.com
William is sitting in a classroom. His desk is next to the window. On the desk is an exam paper. It is upside down. The back of the paper has nothing on it. In about 15 minutes, the woman in charge of the exam will say, “Please turn over the exam book. You can begin the exam now.”
William is very tired. He studied all night. This exam is very important. If he can pass the exam he will be able to get a better job.
I hope I can pass this exam, he thinks. The boss said he would promote me to assistant manager, but only if I pass this course. But I am so sleepy.
The sun is coming in through the window. It is very hot. William’s eyes close. His head goes forward onto the desk. William is asleep.
He wakes up suddenly. A bell is ringing. He shakes his head and sits up. What!
The woman in charge of the exam is speaking.
“Time is up. Please put down your pens and pencils. Do not touch the exam papers. We will collect them now.”
Seconds later, one of the woman’s assistants picks up the exam paper from in front of William.
“Stop! Stop!” William is shouting. The assistant looks at him but doesn’t say anything. She moves away and picks up the next exam paper.
Oh, no! I slept all the time. I studied so hard but I didn’t take the exam. My boss will see my score is zero. I will never get a better job. I might lose the job I have now!
William puts his head in his hands. The other students on the course are standing up. They are packing their bags and walking out. William doesn’t move. Finally, he looks up. He is the only student left. The woman and her assistants are putting the exam papers into boxes.
Then, an alarm rings and an announcement comes over the loudspeaker system. “Emergency! Emergency! There is a fire! Leave now. Everybody, leave the building now!”
The woman and her assistants run to the door. William follows them. They hurry down the stairs and out onto the street. The fire is very small. It is on the other side of the building. The fire department arrives soon, and puts the fire out. The danger is over. Everything is fine.
William doesn’t have his bag. He left it in the classroom. He has to wait until he is allowed to go back inside. He is standing next to the woman in charge of the exam. “What happens now?” he asks. “Are you waiting to go back and get the exam papers?”
“Yes,” she says. “But there is no hurry.”
“Why not?” asks William.
“Well, we left the exam papers in the room. That is against the rules. I’m very sorry but all the students will have to take another exam. Maybe next week.”
She smiles at him. “I saw you sleeping. Maybe next time you will stay awake!”
Yesterday’s Easy English Blog was about running. Here are some pictures I took on my run the other day. I live near a beautiful lake, so when I run I can enjoy the scenery and the pleasant breeze from the water.
It was cloudy when I started my run, but it cleared up, and by the time I finished, it was nice and sunny. And hot! I sweated a lot!
Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press
Do you know the English expression “to lose sleep over (something)“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Tanya: I get my blood test results next week.
Eve: Are you worried?
Tanya: A little, but I’m not losing sleep over it.
Does it mean:
a) to not sleep
b) to worry about something so much you can’t sleep
c) to stay awake
d) to worry about something so much you feel sleepy
The answer is below!↓
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Answer: b) to worry about something so much you can’t sleep
Are you losing sleep over anything?
One of my hobbies is running. I’m not a fast runner. I like to run slowly. I usually run 10km-12km at a time. This takes me about an hour and twenty minutes. I don’t think about the time. I’m not interested in running faster, or beating the time of my previous run. I just want to enjoy running.
Now that it is getting cooler, I want to increase the distance I run. My next target is 15km. Someday, I’d like to run a half marathon, but at the moment, I’m just happy to get out in the fresh air and enjoy running.
I think about many things when I run. When I’m running, I get many ideas for new stories. Sometimes, when I am writing a story, I get stuck. I don’t know the next part of the story. When that happens, I go for a run. While I’m running, I can usually come up with a good idea.
I listen to music when I run. I have tried running with no music, but I soon become tired. Music makes me want to move, and it gives me energy. When I finish running, I feel refreshed and ready to work. It is an important part of my life.
How about you? Do you like to run?
Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press
I Talk You Talk Press EXTRA 
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