baffle

 baffle

= to confuse, perplex, or bewilder someone so that they are unable to understand or solve something

Mark's fishing technique baffled his friends.

The new software update baffled Mark completely.

The math problem baffled Susan at university. 

The complicated sports rules baffled Susan during the game.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "baffle":

Synonyms:

confuse

perplex

bewilder

puzzle

Antonyms:

clarify

explain

understand

enlighten

Question: 

What does "baffle" mean?

A) To confuse

B) To explain

C) To support

D) To enjoy

Reading Comprehension

The Weekend Fishing Mystery

Mark, a successful businessman, was determined to spend his weekend catching fish using a bold, unheard-of strategy. On Saturday, he brought his girlfriend, Chloe, to the lake to test it out. Instead of using normal bait, Mark tied bright yellow rubber ducks to his fishing line.

Mark's fishing technique baffled his friends. Everyone giggled and whispered that he would go home empty-handed. No one thought he would catch a single fish with floating bath toys.

Just as Mark was about to give up, Susan, a clever university student, walked over. She realized the ducks needed to sink, so she quickly attached heavy silver coins underneath them. Instantly, the shiny metal caught the sunlight underwater.

Suddenly, dozens of curious fish swam up to bite! Mark and Susan pulled in fish after fish until their buckets overflowed. Amazed by the silly success, everyone gathered at Mark’s house that night for a huge, delicious fish party to celebrate.

Questions

1. Why did Mark's friends laugh at his fishing technique?

A) He forgot to bring any fishing rods to the lake.

B) He was using rubber ducks as bait instead of normal bait.

C) He fell into the water while trying to catch a fish.

D) He asked the fish nicely to jump into his bucket.

2. In the story, the word "baffled" means that Mark's technique made his friends feel —

A) confused, because the idea seemed so unusual.

B) excited, because they wanted to try it immediately.

C) angry, because he was taking up too much space.

D) bored, because he took too long to set up.

impose

 impose 

= to force something (such as a rule, tax, or opinion) to be accepted or put in place by authority or power

The government decided to impose new taxes on luxury goods.

Mark didn’t want to impose his ideas on the team without asking.

The teacher imposed strict rules for the exam. 

Susan imposed a healthy eating plan on herself during exams. 

Susan imposed strict workout times to improve her sports skills.

Some synonyms and antonyms for impose:

Synonyms:

enforce

inflict

levy

dictate

Antonyms:

remove

lift

revoke

cancel

 

What does "impose" mean?

A) To remove something

B) To force something

C) To ignore rules

D) To relax limits

Reading comprehension

Mark's Bad Shopping Day

Mark's app went viral overnight. Money poured in like a broken fire hydrant. "I'm buying everything!" he shouted, dancing in his living room. He called Chloe and Susan to join his luxury shopping spree. He even wore sunglasses indoors to look rich and important.

At the mall, Mark grabbed a shiny watch. "I'll take three!" he said proudly. Susan, being a broke student, just wanted free food court samples. Chloe tried to stop Mark from buying a golden toilet brush. "It's practical," Mark argued with a straight face.

Suddenly, the news flashed on every screen: "The government decided to impose new taxes on luxury goods. Effective immediately." Mark's smile froze. The watch price doubled in seconds. The golden toilet brush now cost more than a small car.

"Well," Mark sighed, putting the watch back, "who needs luxury when you have student discount coupons?" Susan cheered and waved her thick coupon book. Chloe laughed. They spent the rest of the day eating free samples and window shopping instead.

Questions

1. Why did Mark stop buying luxury things at the mall?

A. Because Chloe hid his credit card.

B. Because the government decided to impose new taxes on luxury goods.

C. Because Susan ate all the free samples.

D. Because the mall was closing early.

2. What does "impose" mean in the sentence "The government decided to impose new taxes"?

A. To politely request something

B. To force a rule or tax to be accepted by authority

C. To cancel or remove something

D. To secretly hide information

skyrocket

 skyrocket

= to increase or rise very quickly and suddenly, often used to describe prices, numbers, or levels 

Mark's profits skyrocketed after launching his new app.

The price of Mark's favorite sports car has skyrocketed recently.

Susan's social media followers skyrocketed after posting sports videos.

Susan's energy levels skyrocket after eating her favorite meal.

Susan's confidence skyrocketed after winning the university race.

Some synonyms and antonyms for skyrocket:

Synonyms:

soar

surge

rocket

escalate

Antonyms:

plummet

decline

drop

fall

What does "skyrocket" mean?

A) To decrease quickly

B) To rise very fast

C) To stay the same

D) To move slowly

Reading comprehension

Mark was over the moon because Mark's profits skyrocketed after launching his new app. The app was a hit, and he owed it all to Susan’s creative idea. To celebrate, Mark threw a big party and invited Susan.

At the party, Mark said, “Susan, your idea made my app famous! I want you to be the full-time product manager as soon as possible.” Susan smiled but said, “Only if I get a lifetime supply of coffee!”

Chloe, Mark’s girlfriend, laughed and whispered, “Mark, don’t forget to include snacks too, or Susan might turn into a coffee zombie!”

Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the DJ played Susan’s favorite song. Everyone danced, and even the office plants seemed to join in. Mark thought, "This party just skyrocketed from boring to awesome!"

Susan winked and said, “Looks like your app isn’t the only thing skyrocketing tonight!”

Everyone laughed, and Mark knew this was just the beginning of their fun partnership.

Question 1:

What happened to Mark's profits after launching his new app?

A) They decreased slowly

B) They skyrocketed

C) They stayed the same

D) They disappeared

Question 2:

What does "skyrocket" mean in the story?

A) To rise quickly

B) To fall suddenly

C) To stay low

D) To stop moving

peckish

 

peckish

= (informal) to describe a feeling of slight hunger or a desire for a snack.

Mark, I’m feeling a little peckish. Do you have any snacks?

Mark，我有點餓了。你有什麼零食嗎？

I know it's a short session, but I'm starting to feel a bit peckish. Can someone pass around the snacks?

我知道這是一段很短的時間，但我好像有點餓了。有人可以把零食分一分嗎？

I thought I was full, but now I'm feeling a little peckish. Maybe I’ll grab a sandwich.

我以為我已經飽了，但現在我又有點餓。也許我去拿一個三明治。

Susan, I thought we had a big lunch, but I’m feeling a bit peckish. Do you have any snacks in your bag?

Susan，我以為我們吃了很大的午餐，但我現在有點餓了。你包包裡有零食嗎？

Some synonyms and antonyms for "peckish":

Synonyms

Hungry 

Snacking

Munchy 

Antonyms

Full

Satisfied 

Stuffed 

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

What does the term "peckish" mean?

A) Extremely hungry

B) Slightly hungry

C) Satisfied or full

D) Indifferent to food

vulnerability

 vulnerability

= the state of being open to harm, damage, or attack

The sports car’s vulnerability to theft worries Mark.

Mark's vulnerability to injury is a concern during long runs.

In sports, Susan hides her vulnerability to stay strong.

Susan learns to manage vulnerability during tough exams.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "vulnerability":

Synonyms:

weakness

susceptibility

exposure

fragility

Antonyms:

strength

protection

security

invulnerability

Question: 

What does "vulnerability" mean?

A) Being strong and safe

B) Open to harm or risk

C) Feeling very confident

D) Always successful

Reading comprehension

The Garage Guard

Mark was a very rich businessman who loved expensive vehicles. But lately, the local economy was terrible, and thieves were everywhere. The sports car’s vulnerability to theft worries Mark greatly every single night.

To solve this, Mark asked Susan, a smart university student, to build a ultimate security system.

The next day, Susan arrived with her special secret weapon: a giant, dramatic attack goose named Sir Honks-a-Lot.

"Is this a joke?" Mark asked, staring at the aggressive bird. "My girlfriend, Chloe, wanted a high-tech laser alarm!"

"Lasers are expensive," Susan replied calmly. "A furious goose is cheap and terrifying."

That midnight, a sneaky thief crept into the dark garage. Before he could even touch a car door, Sir Honks-a-Lot let out a blood-curdling screech and chased the thief down the driveway while biting his pants.

Mark watched from his window, sipping tea. His luxury sports cars were finally safe, thanks to a college student and a crazy goose.

 

Comprehension Questions

1. Why did Susan bring a goose to Mark's garage?

A) Mark wanted to give his girlfriend Chloe a cute farm pet.

B) She wanted to sell the bird to help the bad economy.

C) It was an affordable and scary way to protect Mark's cars from thieves.

D) Sir Honks-a-Lot was trained to drive Mark's sports cars away.

2. In the story, "the sports car’s vulnerability to theft" means that Mark's cars were:

A) Easily open to being stolen or harmed by thieves.

B) Too fast for normal people to drive safely.

C) Completely protected by expensive high-tech laser alarms.

D) Broken down and unable to run smoothly.

showcase

 showcase

= to present, display, or highlight something in a way that emphasizes its best features

Mark showcases rare books from his favorite authors.

Mark showcases smart solutions in the IT project reports. 

Susan showcases her cooking ideas when she shares new recipes. 

Susan showcases her talents in beginner sports activities.

Some synonyms and antonyms for “showcase”:

Synonyms:

present

display

highlight

feature

Antonyms:

hide

conceal

downplay

ignore

 

Question: What does “showcase” most closely mean?

A) Hide

B) Present clearly

C) Ignore

D) Interrupt

Reading comprehension

Mark invited Susan to come home for a BBQ party. Before the party, Mark showcased rare books from his favorite authors. Susan’s eyes widened like they’d just spotted free dessert. She whispered, “Those books are amazing! Can I borrow one?”

Mark smiled politely. “No.”

Susan frowned, then quickly sat down and opened her notebook—like she was planning a serious business deal. “I have a university strategy,” she said. “I’ll borrow the book… using the BBQ.”

Mark blinked. Chloe walked in, holding a spatula. “What kind of plan is that?” Chloe asked.

Susan pointed at the bookshelf and announced, “Tonight’s theme is Literature Meets Fire! If the book looks at the flame, it can’t resist… it will ‘lend’ itself.”

Chloe and Mark stared.

Then Susan started a pretend “book interview” beside the BBQ grill. Mark, too curious to stop it, leaned closer—right next to the shelf. Susan calmly slipped one book into a paper bag labeled “Spare Napkins.”

At the party, everyone cheered. The only thing roasted was Mark’s pride.

 

 Question 1: What did Mark do before the BBQ party?

A) He borrowed books to Susan

B) He showcased rare books

C) He hid the books in the fridge

D) He sold books online

Question 2: How did Susan try to get the book home?

A) She asked and got it

B) She cooked it in the BBQ grill

C) She used a “BBQ plan” and took it in a bag

D) She broke the shelf for it