2003.08.15 – Animal Idioms

VOCABULARY

idiom noun
1 [C] a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word understood on its own:
To "have bitten off more than you can chew" is an idiom that means you have tried to do something which is too difficult for you.

idiomatic adjective
"Bite the bullet" is an idiomatic expression that means to accept something unpleasant without complaining.
She was born in Italy but her English is fluent and idiomatic (= completely natural and correct in grammar and style).

PHRASAL VERBS

"You can’t pretend that you’re doing OK in this course, Joe. Sooner or later, you’ll have to face up to the fact that you’re failing it."

HALLGATÓ KÉRDEZI

KÉRDÉSEM VAN.

NYELVTAN

Ebben a kis összefoglalóban az igeidõket olyan sorrendben magyarázzuk el, ahogy azokat tanulni érdemes, tehát nem kategóriákban, mint például: jelen idõk, jövõ idõk, múlt idõk. Minél több igeidõt tudsz annál választékosabban tudod majd magad kifejezni, és annál árnyaltabban tudod majd leírni a cselekvéseket.
tovább >>>

1. Wow! It’s raining cats and dogs today! I wish I’d brought my umbrella to school!
   a. I forgot my umbrella today.
   b. It’s raining heavily.
   c. Cats and dogs are falling from the sky.
   Answer b

    

2. When I told my mom I would be home around 2 am, she had a cow!
   a. My mom bought a baby cow.
   b. My mom is really strange.
   c. My mom was really upset.
   Answer c

    

3. Jean: How did you know it was my birthday today?
   Susan: Oh, a little birdie told me!
   a. Jean told Susan it was her birthday.
   b. An unnamed person told Susan about Jean’s birthday.
   c. Susan told Jean it was her birthday.
   Answer b

    

4. Frank: Why didn’t your brother ride the roller coaster with us?
   Sam: Oh, he’s such a scaredy cat! He won’t get on any fast ride.
   a. Sam’s brother is afraid to ride the roller coaster.
   b. Sam’s brother is a cat.
   c. Sam’s brother didn’t go to the roller coaster.
   Answer a

    

5. When the telephone salesman told me I could buy some concert tickets for only $10.00 if I gave him my credit card number, it seemed a little fishy to me, so I hung up the phone.
   a. I thought the telephone salesman smelled like a fish and I didn’t like that.
   b. I thought the phone salesman was a dangerous fish and he scared me.
   c. I thought the phone salesman was dishonest and I felt suspicious of him.
   Answer c

    

6. I never learned how to use a computer, so I lost my job to a new employee. It’s a dog-eat-dog world.
   a. Only the strong or the best survive.
   b. Dogs are eating dogs at the office.
   c. Dogs like to eat dogs for lunch.
   Answer a