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[Easy English Blog] Making paperbacks

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Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

Until this year, we only published our graded readers as e-books. E-books are becoming more popular, and they are usually cheaper than paper books. This year, however, we started making paperback versions of our graded readers.

Some people prefer reading “real” books, so we decided to make books for those people. We hope they enjoy reading our graded readers.

I bought an e-book reader (Kindle) about six years ago. Now, most of the books I buy are on my Kindle. It is easy to carry around, and the books don’t take up any space in my apartment. Now, I read more than I did before. It is easy for me to buy books – I just click a button! (This is also dangerous, because it is so easy to buy many books and spend a lot of money!)

I still buy paper books. If I want a reference book or a textbook, I will buy the paper version. It is easier to switch between pages, and go backwards and forwards. But if I want a novel, I usually buy the e-book version.

How about you? Do you prefer e-books or paper books?

Heather@I Talk You Talk Press

[Easy English Blog] Pets

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Do you have a pet? I want a dog, but I can’t have one. I live in an apartment, and pets are not allowed. When I was a child, I had a dog. He was a West Highland Terrier – like the dog in the photograph above. His name was Mac. I loved Mac. We were always together. I took him for a walk every day when I got home from school. Sometimes I took him out in the morning before I went to school.

He was a very clever dog. He enjoyed watching TV. When a dog came on the TV, he became very excited. He ran to the TV and barked at the dog. Then, when the dog went off the TV, Mac walked around to the back of the TV to look for the dog! He was always confused. Where did the dog go? 🙂

Mac died when I was in Japan. I was so upset. I cried for many days. He was not just a pet. He was a family member. I still have his photograph in my room. When I look at the photograph, I remember our time together. I will never forget him.

If I move to a different place in the future, I hope I can have a dog. I would like a shiba dog. I think they are very cute, but also strong.

Do you have a pet?

Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press

Break a leg!

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Do you know the English expression “break a leg”? It sounds a little strange, but it means “good luck”! People say it to actors or performers before they go on stage. The origins of this expression are not known, and there are many different ideas.

In the world of theatre, it is believed that wishing someone “good luck” is actually “bad luck”. This is a superstition. There are many superstitions in the theatre. You can read more about them here.

So if your friend is going to appear in a play or in a concert on stage, don’t forget to tell them to break a leg!

Don’t upset the apple cart

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Do you know the English proverb “Don’t upset the apple cart“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?

Natalie: I’m going to suggest a new way of working in the meeting tomorrow. I think people will work better and faster if they try my way of working.

Greg: Don’t upset the apple cart. Everyone has been working here longer than you. They don’t like change. The last time someone suggested a change in the way of working, it caused a lot of problems. The boss is happy with the way we work now.

Does it mean

a) Don’t disturb things. Leave things as they are

b) Don’t damage the apples

c) Don’t make people angry

d) Don’t upset the boss

The answer is below　↓

Answer: a) Don’t disturb things. Leave things as they are

 

[Easy English Blog] Has the snow gone yet?

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We had very heavy snow in Japan this year. The week before last, we had 40 cm of snow! The temperature during the daytime was around 1 to 2 degrees, so the snow didn’t melt very much. It stayed on the ground for a long time. Every morning I woke up and saw that it had snowed again during the night.

At night, the roads became very icy and slippery. The snow was cleared from the main roads, but the back roads were bad. Even with new snow tires, my car slid across the road!

In many countries and regions, 40 cm of snow is not a lot. People are used to dealing with it and clearing it away so it doesn’t affect daily life too much. In this area of Japan, people are not so used to it, so it caused problems. On the day when the snowfall was the heaviest, there were traffic jams for many kilometres, and many people gave up trying to drive, and walked for hours to get home from work.

I spent every morning outside, shovelling snow. It was hard, but a great way to keep warm! This week, the weather has been quite mild. I hope this is the beginning of spring.

Hear (something) on the grapevine

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Do you know the English expression “to hear (something) on the grapevine“? Can you guess the meaning?

William: I heard it on the grapevine that Joe is planning to quit the company.

Claire: Really? When did you hear that?

William: The other day.

Does it mean

a) hear something at a farm which grows grapes

b) hear something while eating grapes

c) hear a lie

d) hear a rumor

The answer is below! ↓

Answer:  d) hear a rumor

 

A penny for your thoughts

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Do you know the English expression “A penny for your thoughts”?

Can you guess the meaning?

Sally sees her friend Nicola sitting at her desk at work. Nicola is not working. She looks serious and is thinking. Sally walks over to her and says “A penny for your thoughts“.

Does it mean:

a) tell me what you are thinking and I’ll give you a penny

b) what are you thinking?

c) here is a penny for you

d) if you don’t start working, you won’t make any money

The answer is below! ↓

 

Answer: b) what are you thinking?

[Easy English Blog] The beach in spring

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I love going to the beach in spring in Japan. Even on beautiful sunny days, it is empty! I feel like I have my own private beach. Why are there no other people here? Well, it is not yet “beach season” in Japan. Most people here wait until July, after the rainy season, to go to the beach. During that time, the beaches are packed (crowded) with people enjoying the sun and the sea. There are usually stalls (outdoor shops) selling ice cream, drinks and flavoured shaved ice.

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The beach season does not last long. It usually ends around mid to late August. This is when jellyfish start to show up on the shore…

But until the season starts, I will make the most of (take advantage of) the peace and quiet, and enjoy running and walking on my own private beach!

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[Easy English Blog]New Year in Paris

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Happy New Year! We hope everyone has a wonderful 2017.

We were very busy at the end of last year, but we managed to have a few days off over the New Year period.

I went to Paris for a few days. It was very cold!  I mainly visited the Montmartre area, but I also went to Notre Dame and the Picasso Museum. I couldn’t visit many places because I was only there for a few days. Next time, I want to stay at least a week! There is so much more I want to see!

Here are some of the photographs I took. We hope you like them!

 

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Best thing since sliced bread

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Do you know the English phrase “the best thing since sliced bread“? Look at the conversation. Can you guess the meaning?

Naomi: I really like our new oven. It has so many functions, and I can make so many things in it!

Greg: I love it too. It’s the best thing since sliced bread!

Does it mean:

a) a good invention 

b) a good bread maker

c) a good kitchen appliance

d) a good bread slicer

The answer is below!↓

 

 

 

Answer: a) a good invention