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

dedicated

 dedicated

= being devoted to a task or purpose with strong commitment and loyalty

Mark remains dedicated to training as a professional runner.

Mark is a dedicated businessman who works late every night. 

Susan remains dedicated to her fitness and wellness goals.

Susan is dedicated to balancing school and social life.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "dedicated":

Synonyms:

committed

devoted

loyal

faithful

Antonyms:

indifferent

uncommitted

disloyal

negligent

 

Question: What does "dedicated" mean?

A) Lazy and careless

B) Devoted and committed

C) Indifferent and neutral

D) Confused and distracted

The Slowest Millionaire

Mark was a very successful businessman. He made lots of money every year. One day, he tried to chase a taxi and almost passed out. "Money cannot buy breath!" he cried. So Mark decided to keep fit and go running every day.

At first, Mark's progress was not good enough. He ran like a confused penguin. His expensive shoes were too shiny to be fast. Even his neighbor's cat beat him in a race. Mark felt sad.

Then, he asked Susan for help. Susan was a university student who ate salad for breakfast. She gave him lots of ideas to stay healthy and run fast. "Drink water, sleep early, and stop checking your stock prices while running!" she said.

Mark's girlfriend Chloe laughed when she saw him in tiny running shorts. "You look like a lost tomato!" she said.

But Mark did not give up. Mark remains dedicated to training as a professional runner. Now he runs every morning. He is still slow, but at least the cat is afraid of him now. And Chloe? She now joins him, wearing even tinier shorts.

Questions

1. What does "dedicated" mean?

A) Lazy and sleepy

B) Being devoted to a task with strong commitment and loyalty

C) Rich and famous

D) Fast and healthy

2. Why is Mark described as "dedicated" in the story?

A) He makes lots of money every year.

B) He stops running because Chloe laughs at him.

C) He continues training every day even when running is difficult.

D) He buys the most expensive running shoes.

embroil

 embroil 

= to involve someone deeply in a conflict, argument, or difficult situation, often in a way that is confusing or complicated

Mark was embroiled in a legal dispute over his tech startup. 

Mark got embroiled in a debate about the best running shoes.

Susan was embroiled in a misunderstanding with new friends.

Susan found herself embroiled in a debate over the best food spots.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "embroil":

Synonyms:

entangle

involve

ensnare

conflict

Antonyms:

exclude

free

release

untangle

Question: What does "embroil" mean?

A) To free from trouble

B) To involve deeply in conflict

C) To ignore completely

D) To finish something quickly

Solar System for Sale 

Mark was a successful businessman who always dreamed big. One day, he started his own tech startup and began selling solar systems to his clients. Business was booming until suddenly, a huge company sued him. They claimed Mark was using their patented chips in every solar panel he sold.

Mark was embroiled in a legal dispute over his tech startup. He sat in his office, pulling his hair out. "Should I pay them for every solar system I sell? Or should I reinvent the whole thing?" he groaned.

That's when Susan, his neighbor's daughter and a clever university student, knocked on his door. She was holding a bag of potato chips.

"Mark, why don't you just use potatoes instead of chips?" she asked with a straight face.

Mark stared at her. "Potatoes?"

"Yeah! Potato-powered solar panels. No one has patented that yet," Susan grinned.

Mark laughed so hard he almost fell off his chair. Within a week, he launched "SpudPower" — the world's first potato-based solar system. The lawsuit was dropped, and his clients loved the eco-friendly idea. Mark even put a tiny potato logo on every panel.

Sometimes the best solution is just thinking outside the chip bag.

Question 1: 

What does "embroiled" mean in the story?

A) To cook something in boiling water

B) To be deeply involved in a complicated conflict or difficult situation

C) To start a new business successfully

D) To sell products at a very low price

Question 2: Which sentence uses "embroiled" correctly?

A) Mark was embroiled in a delicious bowl of soup for lunch.

B) The cat was embroiled in a sunny nap on the sofa.

C) After the argument, both neighbors became embroiled in a messy feud that lasted for months.

D) Susan was embroiled in her favorite book and finished reading it quickly.

pint

 

pint

= a unit of measurement for volume ((UK: 568 cc) / US: 473 cc) )

Mark ordered three pints of beer at the pub last night.

Mark 昨晚在酒吧點了三杯啤酒。

He bought a pint of milk from the grocery store.

他在雜貨店買了一品脫牛奶。

After a long run, I enjoyed a refreshing pint of water.

跑了很久之後，我喝到一杯清涼的水，覺得很舒服。

During the picnic, we shared a pint of lemon juice.

野餐的時候，我們一起分享了一杯檸檬汁。

Some synonyms and antonyms for "pint":

Synonyms:

Cup

Mug

Glass 

Antonyms:

Gallon 

Liter (in metric measurements) 

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

What does the term "pint" refer to?

A) A type of food

B) A unit of measurement for liquid, equal to 16 fluid ounces

C) A type of bird

D) A cooking technique