Thursday, 16 July 2026

drink-driving

 drink-driving

= operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, which impairs the driver's ability to drive safely


Mark reads articles on how drink-driving impacts professional athletes like runners.

Mark often warns his colleagues about the severe legal consequences of drink-driving.

At university, Susan discusses how drink-driving can ruin young lives.

Susan tells her friends that drink-driving can cause serious accidents.


Some synonyms and antonyms for "drink-driving":

Synonyms:

DUI

drunk driving

driving under influence

impaired driving


Antonyms:

sobriety driving

designated driving

sober driving

safe driving


Question:

What is drink-driving?


A) Driving after drinking

B) Drinking coffee driving

C) Running after drinking

D) Fast car driving

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

appeal

 appeal

= to make a serious or urgent request for help, support, or a decision


The Hospital Authority appeals for urgent heart donation for a 6-month-old baby in critical condition.

Mark appealed to the board for more funding for his startup.

Mark appealed to the city council to improve the local park.

Susan appealed to her professor for an extension on the assignment.

Susan appealed to the university to add more clubs for students.


Some synonyms and antonyms for "appeal":

Synonyms:

request

petition

plead

entreat


Antonyms:

refuse

reject

deny

ignore


Question:

What does "appeal" mean as a verb?

A) To refuse a request

B) To make a serious request

C) To ignore a problem

D) To give up easily

Tuesday, 14 July 2026

nothing to write home about

 






nothing to write home about
= something is not particularly impressive, noteworthy, or special 

The Italian pizza restaurant was okay; it wasn't expensive, but the food was just nothing to write home about.
那家義大利披薩餐廳還可以;不算貴,但食物就是沒什麼好大肆稱讚的。

Mark bought a new phone, but it turned out to be nothing to write home about compared to his old one.
 Mark 買了一支新的手機,但跟他舊的相比,結果也沒什麼值得一提的。
 
Mark thought the movie was entertaining, but it was nothing to write home about.
Mark 覺得這部電影挺好看有趣的,但其實也沒什麼值得特別稱讚的。

Susan found the vacation relaxing, yet the hotel accommodations were nothing to write home about.
Susan 覺得這次度假很放鬆,但飯店的住宿條件卻沒什麼好令人稱讚的。

Some synonyms and antonyms for "nothing to write home about":

Synonyms
Unremarkable 
Ordinary
Average 

Antonyms
Exceptional
Outstanding
Impressive 
Remarkable 

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

What does the phrase "nothing to write home about" mean?

A) It is very impressive or extraordinary.

B) It is unremarkable or not worthy of much attention.

C) It is very exciting and thrilling.

D) It is important and significant news.









spur

 spur

= to encourage or stimulate someone or something to take action or to make progress


The government plans to spur economic growth through new investment policies.

Mark’s new business strategy spurred rapid growth in sales.

A recent marathon win spurred Mark to train even harder.

A delicious meal at campus spurred Susan’s love for cooking.

Susan’s coach’s encouragement spurred her to train harder.


Some synonyms and antonyms for "spur":

Synonyms:

encourage

motivate

prompt

stimulate


Antonyms:

discourage

deter

hinder

inhibit


What does the verb "spur" mean?

A) To stop suddenly

B) To encourage action

C) To ignore something

D) To delay progress

Monday, 13 July 2026

state-of-the-art

 state-of-the-art 

= the most advanced and developed level of technology, technique, or knowledge currently available


Mark bought a state-of-the-art sports car that everyone admires.

His office is equipped with state-of-the-art IT systems to enhance productivity.

Susan uses a state-of-the-art fitness tracker to monitor her workouts.

Her university lab has state-of-the-art equipment for experiments.


Some synonyms and antonyms for "state-of-the-art":

Synonyms:

cutting-edge

advanced

leading-edge

modern


Antonyms:

outdated

obsolete

old-fashioned

primitive


Question:

What does "state-of-the-art" mean?

A) Old and outdated

B) Most advanced and modern

C) Simple and basic

D) Unreliable and weak

Friday, 10 July 2026

outclass

 outclass

= to surpass or be significantly better than someone or something in a particular skill, ability, or quality


Mark was happy to see France outclass Morocco to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Mark outclassed the other runners in the marathon.

His coffee brewing skills outclass those of his barista friends.

Susan outclassed her teammates in the university soccer match.

She outclassed everyone in the cooking contest last semester.


Some synonyms and antonyms for "outclass":

Synonyms:

surpass

outperform

excel

exceed


Antonyms:

underperform

lag

fail

trail


What does "outclass" mean?

A) Do worse than them

B) Be far better than them

C) Be the same as them

D) Avoid competition