sprawl

 sprawl

= to spread out the body, usually arms and legs, in a relaxed or awkward way while lying down or sitting

Mark sprawled on the couch after a long day at work.

After his morning run, Mark sprawled on the grass to catch his breath.

Susan sprawled on the grass during the university sports day.

After a long lecture, Susan sprawled on her dorm bed to rest.

Susan sprawled on the bench, trying to relax before her next class.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "sprawl":

Synonyms:

lounge

stretch

recline

flop

Antonyms:

sit

stand

curl

huddle

Question: What does "sprawl" mean?

A) Sit upright

B) Spread out loosely

C) Walk slowly

D) Stand straight

The Horror Movie Night

Mark sprawled on the couch after a long day at work. He was too tired to move, like a melted ice cream on a hot summer day.

"Chloe, what's for dinner?" he asked weakly.

Chloe smiled. "I made a very special dish today — it's called Nothing!"

Mark sighed and ordered pizza online. While waiting, Chloe opened Netflix. Mark, feeling silly, picked the scariest horror movie he could find.

Soon, the doorbell rang. Susan, a cheerful university student with pizza in her hands, walked in. She glanced at the TV — a zombie was eating a sandwich made of brains.

"Oh wow, this film is absolutely crazy!" Susan shouted, her eyes wide open.

Before Mark could say "thank you," Susan sat down on the couch, grabbed a slice of pizza, and yelled, "Don't pause it! I need to see what happens next!"

So Mark, Chloe, and Susan watched the terrifying movie together. Mark never got his couch back that night.

Question 1: 

What does "sprawl" mean in the story?

A. To run very fast after work

B. To spread out the body in a relaxed way while lying down

C. To cook dinner quickly on the couch

D. To answer the doorbell for the delivery girl

Question 2: 

Why did Susan stay at Mark's home?

A. Because Mark invited her to have dinner

B. Because Chloe asked her to cook pizza

C. Because she wanted to finish watching the crazy horror movie

D. Because she was too tired to go back to the university

shatter

 shatter

= to break something suddenly and violently into many small pieces

Susan’s dreams of joining the basketball team shattered after the tryouts.

The surprise exam shattered Susan’s plans for a relaxing weekend.

The impact of the crash shattered Mark’s sports car windshield.

Mark’s hopes of winning the race shattered after he twisted his ankle.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "shatter":

Synonyms:

break

crack

fracture

splinter

Antonyms:

mend

fix

heal

repair

Question:

What does "shatter" mean?

A) To fix something

B) To break suddenly

C) To clean carefully

D) To hold tightly

The Great Basketball Rescue

It was the second day of the semester, and Susan was loving university life. With practically zero homework, she was completely relaxed. Today was the university basketball team tryout, and Susan was confident she would easily make the team.

There was only one small problem: she was absolute rubbish at basketball. Clang! Another shot bounced off the rim. Airball! The ball hit a passing bird instead of the net.

Just then, Mark, a super-successful businessman in a thousand-dollar suit, walked past the court after signing a huge deal with the professors. Seeing Susan struggle, Mark cupped his hands and shouted, "Susan! Susan Bond! Don't give up! You can do it!"

Spurred on by his sudden yelling, Susan suddenly transformed into Michael Jordan. She dribbled like a wizard and scored five dramatic points in a row!

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Susan’s dreams of joining the basketball team shattered after the tryouts.

She burst into tears. Mark walked up, tapped her shoulder, and said, "Hey, you're pretty good! Don't mind the result—enjoy the day! Besides, don't waste time on basketball. As a secret agent in training, I have lots of missions waiting for you!"

Susan stopped crying instantly. "Missions?"

"First mission: buying iced lattes," Mark declared. They walked straight to a cozy café, put the basketball disaster behind them, and happily drank their coffee.

Questions

1. According to the story, why did Susan stop crying after failing the tryouts?

A) She decided to train harder for the basketball team next year.

B) Mark offered her a coffee and mentioned she had secret missions to do.

C) Chloe invited her to join a different university club instead.

D) The basketball coach changed his mind and gave her a second chance.

2. Which sentence uses the word "shattered" in the SAME way as the story?

A) The glass vase fell off the table and shattered into tiny pieces on the floor.

B) After losing the final match, the young player's hopes of winning the championship were completely shattered.

C) The loud thunder shattered the peaceful silence of the early morning.

D) He accidentally dropped his phone, and the screen shattered completely.

pixie

 

pixie

= a small fairy or sprite in folklore

The story is about a pixie that helps a farmer while he sleeps.

這個故事講的是一個小精靈在農夫睡覺時幫助他。

After Mark claimed a pixie had stolen his lunch, his friends couldn't help but laugh at his wild imagination.

Mark 說有個小精靈偷了他的午餐之後，他的朋友們忍不住笑他天馬行空的想像力。

"You know, I heard a story about a pixie that helps lost hikers," Mark said to his friends, trying to lift their spirits during the tough hike.

「你知道嗎，我聽過一個故事：有個小精靈會幫助迷路的健行者。」Mark 跟他的朋友們說著，想在這段艱難的路程中振作他們的精神。

Mark's imaginative tales about pixies often drew laughter, but his sister found the stories comforting during long nights alone.

Mark 關於小精靈的那些充滿想像力的故事常常引人發笑，但他的妹妹在漫長的夜晚一個人待著時，反而覺得這些故事令人安慰。

Some synonyms and antonyms for the word "pixie":

Synonyms:

Fairy

Sprite

Elf 

Antonyms:

Giant 

Beast

Monster

#English #Vocabulary #EnglishLearning #Grammar #英単語 #英語学習 #TOEIC #IELTS

What does the term "pixie" refer to?

A) A type of mythical creature known for being small and mischievous

B) A variety of flower

C) A style of clothing

D) A traditional dance

imbalance

 imbalance

= a lack of equality or proportion between two or more things

Mark noticed an imbalance in his work-life schedule.

The imbalance in his coffee intake affected his sleep.

Susan felt an imbalance in her study and social life.

The imbalance in her daily routine affected her mood.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "imbalance":

Synonyms:

Disproportion

Inequality

Disparity

Distortion

Antonyms:

Balance

Equality

Harmony

Stability

Question:

What does "imbalance" mean?

A) Equal distribution

B) Lack of balance

C) Perfect harmony

D) Stable condition

The Robot Waiters

Mark noticed an imbalance in his work-life schedule. He was so busy thinking about money that he forgot to eat, sleep, or even smile. One sunny Tuesday, he decided to fix this serious problem by visiting his own restaurant for a relaxing two-hour lunch break.

While slowly eating his expensive salad, he started calculating. "If I replace my human waiters with AI robots, I will save a huge fortune!" he thought excitedly.

Just then, Susan, a curious university student, walked by. She saw Mark talking to himself and sat down. "What are you doing?" she asked. Mark explained his brilliant robot plan. Susan nodded and said, "Interesting idea, but robots can be very weird."

One month later, the robots arrived. They carried plates perfectly, but they never stopped talking. Mark was checking the kitchen when he heard one robot shout, "Manchester United beautifully beat Ipswich. Excellent!" 

Another robot immediately replied, "They are not good enough! You should love Real Madrid. They have Mourinho!"

Susan, who was visiting that day, saw the scene with Mark. Mark covered his ears in frustration. "They're just too loud. It's not McDonald's!" he cried.

Susan thought for a moment and smiled. "Just mute them!" she said.

Mark quickly pressed the mute buttons. The restaurant became beautifully silent. The robots still worked hard, but they finally stopped arguing about football. In the end, this smart investment made Mark save lots of money every month. He even had time to relax—and finally took Chloe out for a quiet, human-served dinner.

Questions

1. In the story, what does "imbalance" mean when Mark notices "an imbalance in his work-life schedule"?

A) A perfect equality between work and rest.

B) A successful business plan.

C) A robot that serves food quickly.

D) A lack of equality or proportion between two or more things.

2. Which situation from the story best shows an "imbalance"?

A) Mark worked all day but forgot to eat, sleep, or smile.

B) The robots carried plates perfectly and talked about football.

C) Susan visited the restaurant and gave Mark good advice.

D) Mark saved lots of money every month after buying the robots.

earmark

 earmark

= to designate or set aside funds for a specific purpose

Mark decided to earmark part of his bonus for a new sports car.

Mark earmarked funds to upgrade the office’s IT infrastructure.

Susan earmarked some money for joining the university gym.

Susan earmarked cash to buy tickets for the basketball game.

Susan earmarked part of her budget for trying new restaurants.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "earmark":

Synonyms: 

allocate

designate

set aside

reserve

Antonyms:

withhold

confiscate

reclaim

divert

Question: What does "earmark" mean?

A) To hide money

B) To spend randomly

C) To set aside for purpose

D) To lose money

The Bonus

Mark decided to earmark part of his bonus for a new sports car. After all, he was a successful businessman, and successful businessmen absolutely needed shiny red toys that went "vroom." He dragged his girlfriend Chloe to every luxury showroom in the city. Chloe stared at the Lamborghinis, yawned loudly, and said, "They all have four wheels and make noise. Just pick one." Mark sighed deeply. She was definitely not helping.

Then Susan, a broke university student who was selling lemonade outside the dealership, walked by. "Excuse me, sir," she said. "I heard you want the best vehicle money can buy?" Mark nodded proudly, expecting expert advice. Susan pointed to a bright pink bicycle with a basket, a bell, and a tiny flag. "This is absolutely perfect for you."

Mark burst out laughing. "Why?!"

"Well, your bonus is huge, but parking in this city costs more than my four years of tuition. Also, with rush-hour traffic, this bike is actually faster. Oh, and the basket perfectly fits your ego."

Mark stared at the bicycle. He bought it. Chloe finally smiled. And Mark learned that sometimes, the best sports car in the world has two wheels, a bell, and zero parking fees.

Questions

1. What does the word "earmark" mean in the story?

A) To spend money quickly without thinking

B) To designate or set aside funds for a specific purpose

C) To share money with friends and family

D) To hide money so no one can find it

2. Why did Mark earmark part of his bonus?

A) He wanted to buy a bicycle for Susan.

B) He set aside part of his bonus specifically to purchase a new sports car.

C) He needed to pay for Chloe's university tuition.

D) He wanted to put all his money in a bank account.

hallucination

 hallucination

= any false or mistaken perception or belief

Mark had a hallucination that his sports car was faster than anyone else's on the road.

Mark’s hallucination that he missed his flight caused him unnecessary panic. 

Susan experienced a hallucination of hearing her name when no one called it.

Susan thought she saw her crush at the cafeteria, but it was a hallucination.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "hallucination":

Synonyms:

illusion

delusion 

Antonyms:

reality

truth

fact

certainty

 

Question:A false perception is called a:

A) wish

B) hallucination

C) memory

D) idea

The Fastest Man on the Road

Mark had a hallucination that his sports car was faster than anyone else's on the road. One day, the successful businessman went to a fancy car showroom and saw a shiny red supercar. It was so beautiful that he signed the deal immediately without even asking his girlfriend Chloe for advice. After waiting more than two weeks, the agent finally drove the car to his home for delivery.

Mark jumped into the driver's seat, revved the engine loudly, and shouted, "I am the fastest man on the road!" Suddenly, Susan, a poor university student, fell from the sky with a parachute. She was delivering pizza to Mark's neighbour and heard everything. She sighed, "No way, Mark! You're wrong. I can beat you easily!"

Mark laughed so hard that Chloe had to wipe tears from his eyes. But they planned a race for the next week. Mark would drive his new supercar, and Susan would use her rusty old bicycle. The first one to reach the Peak would win.

"Get set, go!" Mark shouted. He zoomed off like a rocket, but five minutes later, he was stuck in a terrible traffic jam. Meanwhile, Susan pedalled happily through small streets without any disturbance. She used her bicycle to reach the Peak and fought hard to win.

Susan waited for more than twenty minutes. When Mark finally arrived, she said proudly, "I really knew I would win. So, a lifetime of repairing bicycle tyres, alright?"

Mark looked at his empty fuel tank and replied, "Sure!" 

Question 1: In the story, Mark had a hallucination that his sports car was faster than anyone else's. What does "hallucination" mean?

A. A false or mistaken belief

B. A special type of supercar

C. A traffic jam on the road

D. A new pizza delivery service

Question 2: Who won the race to the Peak?

A. Mark in his supercar

B. Susan on her bicycle

C. They arrived at the same time

D. Mark gave up early