Spring is the time of year
when it is summer in the sun,
and winter in the shade.
Charles Dickens
A Homestay in Auckland – Quiz
This is a short quiz about the homestay phrases in the I Talk You Talk Press graded reader “A Homestay in Auckland”.
Click the button below to start the quiz. Good luck!
Start QuizHaste makes Waste
Do you know the English proverb “Haste makes waste“?
Look at this conversation. Can you guess the meaning?
A: What score did the teacher give you for your essay?
B: She gave me 30%!
A: 30%!? That’s bad!
B: I know. I made so many mistakes.
A: Really? How long did it take you to write the essay?
B: I had no time. I wrote it in 15 minutes.
A: 15 minutes!? Haste makes waste!
B: You’re right…
Question: What does “haste makes waste” mean?
a) if we do something too quickly, we will make mistakes
b) if we type quickly, we will get a bad score
c) if we hurry, we can waste time
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: a) if we do something too quickly, we will make mistakes
Cost an arm and a leg
Do you know the English idiom “to cost an arm and a leg“?
Look at this example conversation. Can you guess the meaning?
A: “Wow! Is this your new car? It looks expensive.”
B: “Expensive? It cost an arm and a leg!”
———-
Does “to cost an arm and a leg” mean:
a) to be very cheap
b) to be very expensive
c) to be on sale
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: b)
to cost an arm and a leg = to be very expensive!
[Easy English Blog] Plum blossoms
(Picture: By Nishimura Goun (1877 – 1938)[Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
The plum blossoms are in bloom now. They look and smell lovely. I especially like the deep pink blossoms. They add a touch of early spring colour to a snowy landscape. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any snow left when I took these photographs, but they still look nice!
Many plum blossoms bloom in the grounds of Tenjin shrines. Tenjin shrines are dedicated to the deity Sugawara no Michizane, who is the god of learning. The plum blossoms bloom around exam time in Japan, when students are visiting the shrine to pray for luck in their exams. It is said that Sugawara no Michizane loved plum blossoms, so many of the shrines dedicated to him have plum trees.
The plum blossoms also remind us that, very soon, the cherry blossoms will be in bloom, and spring will be here.
English Quiz – Snow Vocabulary
Japan and many other countries have had snowstorms this year. So, here is a short quiz, all about snow. The pass mark is 80%. Good luck! (And if you are in a snowy area, keep safe and warm!)
Start QuizWinter is the time for…
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.”
Edith Sitwell
Skating on thin ice
Do you know the phrase “skating on thin ice”? Can you guess what it means?
Example:
A: Jason hasn’t prepared his sales presentation for this afternoon yet.
B: Really? Does he know the president will be at the meeting?
A: I think so. He said he doesn’t need to prepare.
B: He’s skating on thin ice. If he makes a bad presentation, there will be a lot of trouble.
To be skating on thin ice means:
a) to be on an ice rink
b) to be indecisive
c) to be in a dangerous/risky situation
d) to be depressed
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: c) to be in a dangerous/risky situation
Warm as toast
Have you heard the expression “warm as toast“?
My friend used this phrase yesterday. I hadn’t heard it for a long time.
Yesterday, I visited my friend’s house. It was very cold outside. My friend took my coat and said,
“Sit next to the heater. You will soon be as warm as toast!”
Can you guess the meaning?
Does it mean
a) You’ll burn next to the heater.
b) You’ll feel comfortable and cosy.
c) You’ll feel too hot.
The answer is below!
Answer b) to be warm as toast = to be warm, comfortable and cosy!
[English Quiz] – Shopping Vocabulary
How is your “shopping” vocabulary? Find out with this short quiz from I Talk You Talk Press.
The pass mark is 80%. Click the button below to start the quiz. Good luck! 🙂
Start Quiz
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