wrench

 wrench

= to twist or pull something suddenly and forcefully, often causing pain or damage

Mark wrenched the cables apart to fix the IT network issue.

Mark wrenched the door handle when it got stuck.

Susan wrenched her backpack strap when it got tangled. 

Susan wrenched her ankle while trying to make a quick turn.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "wrench":

Synonyms:

twist

jerk

pull

yank

Antonyms:

release

loosen

relax

let go

What does "wrench" mean as a verb?

A) To twist gently

B) To twist violently 

C) To hold carefully

D) To push slowly

Reading comprehension

One day, Mark was working hard on his computer. Suddenly, his computer couldn’t access the WiFi. Mark wrenched the cables apart to fix the IT network issue. He pulled and twisted the cables like a pro, but nothing happened. Mark was frustrated because he was preparing a very important business proposal for next week. He checked everything again and again but didn’t know how to solve the problem.

Just then, Susan, a university student who worked part-time delivering invoices, walked into Mark’s office. She was carrying a big stack of papers and looked a little lost. Mark shouted, “Susan, I need your help!”

Susan smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m good with tech stuff!” She bent down, unplugged one cable, plugged it back in, and suddenly, the WiFi was working perfectly. Mark was amazed.

Then Chloe, Mark’s girlfriend, came in with coffee and asked, “Did you fix it, or did Susan?” Mark laughed and said, “Susan saved the day! I just wrenched the cables apart and made it worse!”

Everyone laughed, and Mark promised to let Susan handle all tech problems from now on.

Question 1: What did Mark do to try to fix the WiFi problem?

A) He rebooted the computer.

B) He wrenched the cables apart.

C) He called a technician.

D) He drank coffee.

Question 2: What does "wrench" mean in the story?

A) To gently pull cables.

B) To twist or pull something suddenly and forcefully.

C) To fix the computer carefully.

D) To relax and wait.

approach

 approach

= to come near or nearer to someone or something in distance or time

The weekend approached, and Mark planned his meditation run.

The new IT project deadline is approaching for Mark.

The university event approached, and Susan got excited.

The professor approached Susan to ask a question.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "approach":

Synonyms:

come near

advance

draw near

move closer

Antonyms:

retreat

withdraw

recede

move away

Question:

Which sentence shows the correct use of "approach" as a verb meaning "to come near"?

A) Mark approached the finish line quickly.

B) Susan enjoys eating delicious food.

C) Mark reads books every weekend.

D) Susan makes many new friends.

The Sneaky Reservoir Runners

The weekend approached, and Mark planned his meditation run. Mark was a very successful businessman, but his brain was completely fried from endless corporate meetings. He needed absolute silence. Opening his map app, he found a picture-perfect reservoir surrounded by sunny mountains and cheerful, singing birds.

"I'm going to recharge my soul in total solitude," Mark announced peacefully.

"Can we come?" asked his girlfriend, Chloe, and Susan, a university student.

Mark sighed deeply. "Chloe and Susan, no way. It’s for my meditation. Please don't disturb me. Just leave me alone."

Susan rolled her eyes and sighed, "Alright, I will go shopping with your girlfriend Chloe!"

Saturday morning arrived. Mark put on his trendy running gear, plugged in his noise-canceling headphones, and closed his eyes to stretch. What Mark didn't know was that Chloe and Susan had secretly followed him in a bright pink sports car.

As Mark began his slow, peaceful jog around the water, Chloe and Susan tiptoed right behind him. Susan wore giant, noisy sunglasses, and Chloe tiptoed in ridiculously loud, squeaky sneakers. Every time Mark stopped to breathe deeply and embrace nature, the girls quickly hid behind small wooden benches and thin bushes, giggling uncontrollably.

A wild goose suddenly honked loudly at Susan, causing her to leap straight into a bush. Mark turned around, but only saw a rustling shrub. He smiled serenely, thinking, Ah, nature is so alive today.

They followed him for five full kilometers without getting caught. Mark finished his run feeling completely refreshed and peaceful, while Chloe and Susan had the time of their lives playing secret agents. In the end, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful weekend!

 

 

Questions 

Why did Mark refuse to let Chloe and Susan join his run?

A) He wanted to race against professional runners.

B) He needed quiet time alone to meditate and recharge.

C) He was going to a dangerous mountain trail.

D) He wanted to go shopping by himself.

Which of the following sentences uses the word "approached" correctly to show that time or distance is coming nearer?

A) Mark approached his shoes under the bed before going out.

B) Susan approached a funny story to her university friends.

C) As the final exam date approached, Susan started studying in the library.

D) The water reservoir approached very delicious during the hot afternoon.

apply

 apply

= to make a formal request or submission

Susan applied to volunteer at the university sports day.

Susan applied to join the campus basketball team.

Mark applied for a business loan to expand his company.

Mark applied to join the professional running club.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "apply":

Synonyms:

request

submit

petition

seek

Antonyms:

reject

deny

refuse

withdraw

Question: What does "apply" mean in this sentence?

"Mark applied for a business loan."

A) To reject something

B) To make a formal request

C) To cancel a request

D) To finish an activity

The Accidental Agent

Susan was a university student who loved running, but her feet had been aching terribly for weeks. Realizing she couldn't compete, she felt sad. Instead of giving up on the event entirely, Susan decided to apply for a volunteer position to help at the university sports day.

Her application was accepted, and she was assigned to media duty. When she arrived, the coordinator handed over an iPhone and ordered her to capture photos and videos of the track events.

Meanwhile, Mark, a successful businessman, had just completed a deal with a professor near the sportsground. Looking around, he tried to find a good place to watch the sprinting race. Seeing Susan with a camera instead of running shoes, Mark sighed to his girlfriend Chloe, "Oh, Susan Bond didn't join the race, just filming it. What a waste!"

The 100-meter sprinting race was about to start. Susan and the runners were both ready.

BANG!

After the gunshot echoed across the field, the athletes took off. Instinct took over, and Susan also ran while filming the race. Backwards, sideways, and sprinting at full speed, Susan sped past the frontrunners! She crossed the finish line first, leading the top athlete by more than two seconds—all while keeping the iPhone perfectly steady.

The entire crowd burst into applause, assuming she was just an extraordinarily responsible volunteer dedicated to getting the perfect close-up shot.

Mark turned to the professor in complete shock and said, "Susan is really ready to be a secret agent!"

Questions

1. Why did Susan decide to volunteer at the university sports day?

A) She wanted to win a camera from the university.

B) Her feet were hurting, so she could not run in the competition.

C) Mark asked her to film his business deal with the professor.

D) Chloe persuaded her to join the media team.

2. What does the word "applied" mean in the sentence: "Susan applied to volunteer at the university sports day."?

A) She put on sports shoes to get ready for the race.

B) She made a formal request to join as a helper.

C) She fixed a broken camera with tools.

D) She forced the professor to give her a job.

ransomware

 ransomware

= a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or data until a ransom is paid

Mark’s company was hit by ransomware, locking all their data.

After the ransomware attack, Mark had to pay to recover his files.

Susan’s university laptop was infected with ransomware during exams.

Ransomware forced Susan to lose access to her research files.

To avoid ransomware, Susan regularly backs up her study notes.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "ransomware":

Synonyms:

Malware

Virus

Trojan

Spyware

Antonyms:

Antivirus

Firewall

Security

Protection

Question:

What does ransomware do?

A) Deletes files

B) Encrypts files

C) Speeds up computer

D) Repairs system

The Ferrari Rescue

Mark's company was hit by ransomware, locking all their data. Every computer was hacked and frozen. No one could open a single file until the ransom was paid. Mark was going crazy. He had no idea what to do — pay the money or refuse? So he jumped into his shiny red Ferrari and drove to the beach to breathe some fresh air and think.

Suddenly, he remembered Susan. She was just a university student, but she was amazing with computers. Mark called her immediately. "Susan! My whole company is under attack! Please help!"

Susan arrived with her laptop and a large cup of bubble tea. She looked at the locked screens, smiled, and said, "Uncle Mark, did you know your girlfriend, Chloe, makes a backup every Friday while watching cat videos?"

In ten minutes, Susan restored everything from Chloe's secret backup. The hackers got nothing. Mark was so happy that he bought Chloe a new laptop and Susan a lifetime supply of bubble tea.

Questions

1. What does "ransomware" mean?

A) A computer program that helps businesses make more money

B) A type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or data until a ransom is paid

C) A security tool that protects Ferrari cars

D) A university course about computer science

2. Why couldn't Mark use his company's computers at the beginning of the story?

A) Because Susan forgot to charge her laptop

B) Because Chloe accidentally deleted all the files

C) Because Mark's company was hit by ransomware, locking all their data

D) Because Mark drove his Ferrari over the computers

precursor

 

precursor

= something that comes before another thing 

Some symptoms may be precursors to various health problems.

有些症狀可能是各種健康問題的先兆。

 

Mark noticed that frequent stomachaches were a precursor to his increased stress levels.

Mark 注意到，頻繁的胃痛是他壓力變大的先兆。

Mark thought that the changes in weather patterns could be precursors to natural disasters.

Mark 認為天氣型態的變化可能是自然災害的先兆。

The dark clouds were a precursor to the coming storm.

烏雲密布是暴風雨即將來臨的先兆。

Some synonyms and antonyms for "precursor" in English:

Synonyms:

Forerunner 

Predecessor 

Antonyms:

Result

Consequence

Outcome 

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

Which of the following best describes the term "precursor"?

A) A final outcome that has been achieved.

B) A warning sign that indicates a future event.

C) A substance or entity that comes before and indicates the approach of something else.

D) An established fact that requires no further explanation.

strand

 strand

= to leave someone or something stuck or trapped in a difficult or isolated situation, often unable to move or escape

The storm stranded Mark in the parking garage for hours.

Susan was stranded in the campus elevator during a power cut.

The sudden rain stranded Susan far from the cafeteria.

The bus delay stranded Susan at the university gate for an hour.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "strand":

Synonyms:

trap

maroon

immobilize

leave helpless

Antonyms:

free

release

rescue 

 

Question: Choose the correct meaning of stranded.

A) Free from danger

B) Stuck in place

C) Very excited to travel

D) Sleeping peacefully

The Duck Deal

Mark woke up excited. Today, he would drive his shiny red Ferrari to meet his most important client. He put on his best suit and walked to the parking garage. But then—BOOM! Thunder crashed. Rain poured down like a waterfall.

Mark looked at his Ferrari. "No way," he said. "I am NOT drowning my baby."

The storm stranded Mark in the parking garage for hours. He paced back and forth. He kicked a tire. He even tried to negotiate with the rain. "Please stop? I will pay you!" The rain did not listen.

Mark was frustrated. Then he had an idea. He called Susan, his clever university student neighbor.

"Help! I'm trapped!" Mark shouted.

Susan arrived on a giant inflatable duck. She wore goggles and a raincoat. "Hop on!" she yelled.

Mark stared. "That is... a pool toy."

"And your Ferrari is a car. Your point?" Susan grinned.

Mark sighed, climbed onto the duck, and floated through the flooded street. The client saw them arrive and immediately signed the deal. "Anyone who rides a duck to a meeting is clearly a genius," the client said.

Mark smiled. Maybe supercars were overrated anyway.

Questions

1. What does the word "strand" mean?

A. To decorate something with colorful lights

B. To leave someone stuck or trapped in a difficult situation, unable to move or escape

C. To wash a car with soap and water

D. To drive very fast on a highway

2. Why was Mark stranded in the parking garage?

A. Because Susan borrowed his Ferrari

B. Because he lost his car keys inside the garage

C. Because the heavy storm and rain made it too dangerous to drive outside

D. Because his client told him to wait there