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

adapt

 adapt

= to change something to suit new conditions

Mark had to adapt his business strategy after market changes.

Mark quickly adapted his running routine to avoid injury.

Susan adapted quickly to the university’s new online system.

Susan adapted her diet to include more healthy foods.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "adapt":

Synonyms:

adjust

modify

acclimate

alter

Antonyms:

resist

reject

ignore

refuse

Question: What does "adapt" mean?

A) To stay the same

B) To change to fit

C) To refuse to change

D) To forget easily

The Singing Toaster

Mark had to adapt his business strategy after market changes. Last month, he launched a fancy smart toaster that could sing "Happy Birthday" while toasting bread. Sadly, nobody bought it. Zero sales. Not even his neighbor's cat seemed interested in the musical breakfast machine.

Mark sat alone at a luxury restaurant, staring blankly at the expensive menu. He was too stressed to eat. Suddenly, Susan, a waitress and hardworking university student, walked over with a bright smile. "Hi there! What can I get you today?" she asked politely.

Mark looked up with wild, desperate eyes. "I don't need food! I need a business strategy!" he cried.

Susan blinked in confusion. "Um… our special today is grilled salmon with lemon sauce?"

"No! My singing toaster is failing terribly! Help me save my company!" Mark begged.

Susan sighed, pulled out her university notebook, and said, "Sir, I study marketing. Maybe stop making toasters sing? People just want warm toast, not a morning concert."

Mark's eyes went wide. "Brilliant! You are a genius!"

He finally ordered the salmon. It tasted like sweet victory.

Questions

1. Why did Mark have to adapt his business strategy?

A) Because Susan wanted him to order grilled salmon

B) Because his smart toaster had zero sales after market changes

C) Because he was tired of eating at luxury restaurants

D) Because he wanted to become a restaurant manager

2. In the story, what does "adapt" mean?

A) To sing loudly while toasting bread

B) To change something to suit new conditions

C) To order expensive food at a restaurant

D) To ignore advice from university students

suspend

 suspend

= to temporarily stop, delay, or halt something

Susan suspended her soccer practice after hurting her ankle. 

Susan suspended her social media accounts temporarily. 

Susan suspended her lunch plans to study for exams.

Mark decided to suspend his business trip due to bad weather.

Mark had to suspend his running training because of an injury.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "suspend":

Synonyms:

pause

interrupt

defer

hang

Antonyms:

continue

resume

advance

proceed

Question:

What does "suspend" mean in the sentence: "They decided to suspend the meeting"?

A) Keep going with it

B) Stop it for a while

C) Start it early

D) Cancel it forever

The Great Laptop Showdown

Susan’s basketball tryout was a double disaster: she didn’t make the team, and her ankle swelled up like a giant melon. Because of this, Susan suspended her soccer practice after hurting her ankle. Confined to her couch, she was miserably bored and completely unable to walk without hobbling.

Her best friend Mark, a super-successful businessman who treated every daily decision like a multi-million-dollar merger, rushed over with his girlfriend, Chloe. Chloe showered Susan with ice packs, pillows, and endless sympathy, hoping she would recover soon. Mark, however, had a different solution: "You need a new laptop to pass the time! Let's use your student discount."

At the tech store, war broke out. Susan, a broke student, pointed at the cheapest, most basic laptop. "This one! It saves money!"

Mark gasped as if she had suggested buying a calculator. "Nonsense! Time is money! You need the ultimate model with the fastest CPU, quantum cooling, and a built-in espresso machine!"

"I just need to type essays, Mark!" Susan groaned.

They bickered endlessly over gigabytes and price tags. Mark drew complex budget charts on napkins, while Susan dramatically pretended to fall asleep. They argued for hours until the shopkeeper started turning off the lights and sweeping around their feet.

With two minutes left before closing, Susan pulled out a quarter. "Heads, cheap one. Tails, expensive one."

She flipped it. Tails. Mark cheered as if he had won the Super Bowl, completely forgetting that Susan was the one paying for it.

Questions

1. According to the story, why did Susan stop going to her soccer practice?

A) She decided to focus only on her university basketball team.

B) She was too busy arguing with Mark at the tech store.

C) She injured her ankle during her basketball tryouts.

D) She bought a new computer and wanted to play games all day.

2. In the sentence "Susan suspended her soccer practice after hurting her ankle," what does the word "suspended" mean?

A) She permanently quit the soccer team forever.

B) She temporarily paused her practice until she gets better.

C) She changed the time of her practice to the evening.

D) She enjoyed her soccer practice even more than before.

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.