consistent

 consistent

= staying the same or acting in the same way over time

Mark is consistent with his morning runs, even when work gets busy. 

Mark is consistent in keeping up with the latest IT news.

Susan is consistent with her studies, even during busy weeks.

Susan is consistent in making time for sports.

Susan is consistent about practicing with her university sports team.

Some synonyms and antonyms for “consistent”:

Synonyms:

Steady

Regular

Reliable

Constant

Antonyms:

Inconsistent

Irregular

Unreliable

Erratic

Question: 

Mark follows the same running schedule every week. Which word describes his routine?

A) Consistent

B) Random

C) Rare

D) Unusual  

The Unexpected Personal Trainer

Mark is consistent with his morning runs, even when work gets busy. As a successful IT businessman and professional runner, he treats his weekend jogs along the river pond like sacred meditation. On this particular morning, Mark bumped into his sporty niece, Susan.

Dressed head-to-toe in her signature spy-black shirt and trousers—channeling her alter ego, Susan Bond—she was stretching by the bicycle lane.

“Morning, Uncle Mark! I am ready for any mission!” Susan grinned.

“Just a peaceful run, Susan,” Mark laughed.

They started jogging together side by side down the bicycle lane, enjoying the crisp air. Suddenly, a fluffy little poodle named Wang Choi and its owner appeared right ahead of them on the bicycle path. As Susan and Mark sped past, Wang Choi took it as a personal challenge. Seeing them run so happily annoyed the tiny dog. With an explosive burst of energy, the poodle broke free from its leash, let out a fierce bark, and went into full pursuit.

“Wang Choi! Don’t run too fast! I can’t catch you!” the exhausted owner screamed from far behind.

Fueled by sheer terror and competitive spirit, Susan and Mark accelerated to Olympic speeds. Wang Choi was right at their heels, barking like a furry missile. In a matter of seconds, the trio tore down the bicycle lane at lightning speed, blowing past dozens of shocked cyclists who pulled over in absolute disbelief.

After sprinting half a mile, they finally looked back and realized Wang Choi had given up and turned around to find a fire hydrant. Panting heavily, Susan and Mark collapsed onto a nearby park bench, gasping for breath.

Mark wiped his sweat and sighed, “Well… that dog is really a good pacer!”

Susan chuckled as her soccer-player lungs recovered. “Honestly? If we have a coach like Wang Choi every day, I’m going to break my personal best by tomorrow!”

Why does Wang Choi start running after Mark and Susan?

A. Because Wang Choi is trying to look for Susan’s dropped leash

B. Because Wang Choi gets excited and annoyed, treating their running as a challenge

C. Because the dog wants to chase cyclists on purpose

D. Because Wang Choi is lost and looking for its owner

In the line “that dog is really a good pacer,” what does “pacer” mean?

A. Someone or something that helps set a steady speed for exercise

B. Someone who stops people from running

C. A type of dog collar used on pets

D. A person who trains athletes only for races

accessible

 accessible  

= something that is easy to reach, enter, use, or understand

The sports car showroom is easily accessible from Mark’s office.

Mark finds the new coffee shop downtown very accessible for his morning runs.

Susan finds the university library accessible for late-night study sessions.

The campus gym is accessible without any membership fees.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "accessible":

Synonyms:

reachable

approachable

available

attainable

Antonyms:

inaccessible

unreachable

closed

restricted

Question:

What does "accessible" mean?

A) Hard to reach

B) Easy to reach

C) Expensive

D) Private

The Turtle Race

The sports car showroom is easily accessible from Mark's office. It sits right around the corner on the ground floor, so Mark strolls over every time a new model makes its debut.

One sunny afternoon, Mark stood outside the shiny glass doors and pointed at a strange blue EV sports car. "Hey, what is this?!" he shouted.

The salesman dashed outside. "Mark, this is the latest EV model! Zero emissions, top speed of—"

Mark cut him off. "Oh my God, what the hell is this appearance? It's a bit ugly and looks more like a sleepy turtle than a sports car!"

Suddenly, Susan puttered up on her old scooter, three pizza boxes wobbling on the back. Mark's eyes lit up with a terrible idea. "Susan! Delivery competition! If your scooter beats this turtle on wheels, I'll award you with lifetime bubble tea!"

Susan laughed. "Deal, rich boy!"

The race began. Mark borrowed the blue EV while Susan revved her scooter. The light turned green. Mark floored the accelerator, but the EV crawled forward like a turtle heading to a beach vacation. Susan zoomed past him, her ponytail flying behind her like a superhero cape. She weaved through cars, honked at a pigeon, and crossed the finish line with one hand holding a pizza box high.

Mark arrived ten minutes later, the EV battery flashing red. Susan sipped her victory bubble tea and smiled. "Turtles always win the race, right?"

1. Why did Mark visit the sports car showroom so often?

A) Because he wanted to buy a turtle  

B) Because he loved eating pizza there

C) Because Susan worked there  

D) Because the showroom was easily accessible from his office 

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

A) Difficult to find  

B) Easy to reach

C) Very expensive  

D) Closed on weekends  

criteria

 criteria

= standards or rules used to judge or evaluate something

(“Criteria” is plural; the singular form is “criterion”.)

Mark’s criteria for buying a sports car include speed, safety, and comfort.

The criteria for hiring a manager at Mark’s IT company include experience and problem-solving skills.

Susan’s criteria for choosing a restaurant include tasty food and reasonable prices. 

Susan uses several criteria to choose which campus events to attend.

Some synonyms and antonyms for “criteria”:

Synonyms:

Standards

Requirements

Guidelines

Benchmarks  

Antonyms:

Exceptions

Exemptions

Irregularities

Deviations  

Question: What are criteria?

A) Standards for judging

B) Types of food

C) Weekend activities

D) Personal opinions  

The Red Shiny Sports Car Crisis

Mark, a successful IT businessman and avid runner, stared longingly at a glossy car magazine. Ten years ago, he had bought his dream sports car—a shiny red one that checked every box for speed, safety, and comfort. Now, eager to maintain his professional image, Mark wanted to buy a new sports car.

After careful consideration, Mark decided that his criteria for a sports car included speed, safety, and comfort.

Unfortunately, after weeks of reading every modern manual, he found nothing special. Frustrated and exhausted from debugging code all week, he whispered to himself, "Why not let my robot Mark build one for me?"

Robot Mark was designed to handle Friday office tasks so the real Mark could enjoy running and fishing. At that moment, Robot Mark was charging in the bedroom, sleeping like a baby.

The real Mark shouted, "Wake up, my dear! I have a mission for you!"

Robot Mark immediately stood up, waved his hand, and saluted. "It's my great pleasure to help you!"

After a few weeks of frantic metallic clanging, Robot Mark proudly presented the finished vehicle. It looked suspiciously like an oversized plastic toy.

"Behold!" Robot Mark announced. "It has a one-time-use rocket engine for quick escapes, a bicycle structure for eco-friendliness, a giant airbag, and a high-end carbon spoiler for pure decoration!"

Mark sighed, walked over to test drive it, and noticed something alarming. Instead of a gas pedal, there were bicycle pedals. He pushed with all his might, but the heavy frame didn't budge an inch.

"I can't move this thing even an inch, my dear ROBOT!" Mark shouted.

"Don't worry," the robot replied calmly. "Just press START ENGINE!"

Mark pressed the button. Instantly, the crazy one-time-use rocket engine roared to life, launching Mark straight through the roof and flying all the way across the Atlantic Ocean!

What was the main reason Mark decided to have Robot Mark build a sports car for him?

A) He wanted a car that used bicycle pedals to help him train for a marathon.

B) He felt frustrated after reading every modern car manual and finding nothing special that met his standards.

C) His girlfriend Chloe asked him to build an eco-friendly vehicle for her.

D) Robot Mark forced him to give up his IT job and start building cars.

Based on the story and the provided definition ("criteria = standards or rules used to judge or evaluate something"), which of the following best describes Mark’s criteria when looking for a sports car?

A) The color of the steering wheel, the brand of the tires, and the radio volume.

B) Speed, safety, and comfort.

C) How fast Robot Mark could build it using recycled plastic.

D) Whether the car could fly across the Atlantic Ocean on the first try.

contend

 contend

= to compete, struggle, or argue

Mark contended with elite runners in the city marathon.

Mark contended for the championship title after months of training.

Susan contended with a tough opponent during the final match.

Susan contended in a swimming competition for the first time.

Susan contended with a busy schedule during exam week.

Some synonyms and antonyms for “contend”:

Synonyms:

compete

struggle

vie

contest 

 

Antonyms:

agree

yield

surrender

concede  

What does “contend” mean?

A) Compete or struggle

B) Make a snack

C) Read a book

D) Take a nap

The Unlikely Marathon Champion

Mark loved running for meditation, but this Sunday was different. Instead of a quiet jog, Mark contended with elite runners in the city marathon. He huffed, puffed, and somehow crossed the finish line first. After much struggling, Mark won the race and proudly brought the golden trophy to his IT office to show off his championship.

His girlfriend Chloe, who was visiting, and his sporty niece Susan—dressed head-to-toe in a black James Bond outfit—were completely shocked. Susan whispered, "Uncle Mark, is this real or a glitch?"

Suddenly, the office phone rang. A panicked police officer shouted, "Mark, right? All of you! Get out of your office now. We just discovered a huge historical bomb near your office! Be quick and gentle, otherwise, all of you will become ashes and fly away!"

Panic struck. Everyone went mad, but nobody made a sound because they feared shouting too loud would trigger the bomb!

Mark whispered heroically, "You all leave first one by one, and I will leave last."

Crawling like stealthy secret agents, Chloe, Susan, and the staff crept slowly out of the building under the watchful eye of the police outside.

Finally, it was time for Mark to escape. Sweating nervously, he grabbed his precious championship trophy and headed for the door. Just as he passed the hallway, he saw the ancient bomb sparking fiercely!

The police outside yelled through a megaphone, "Quick!"

Terrified, Mark did the only thing he could think of: he hurled his beloved trophy right onto the bomb to smother the sparks!

Boom! A puff of smoke cleared. Miraculously, everyone was safe, and the bomb was neutralized. Everyone praised Mark for saving the day. The office was saved, but Mark’s shiny trophy was completely broken, dented, and charred black. Chloe sighed, "Well, at least your running career brought home a very different kind of heat!"

1. What does the word "contended" mean in the sentence "Mark contended with elite runners in the city marathon"?

A. Argued about the rules of the race

B. Competed against skilled runners

C. Counted the number of runners

D. Helped organize the marathon

2. Why didn't anyone shout when they heard about the bomb in the office?

A. They were saving their breath for the marathon.

B. They were afraid that shouting too loud would make the bomb explode.

C. Susan told everyone to practice their James Bond stealth skills.

D. They were too busy arguing with the police on the phone.

abduction

 

abduction

= kidnapping (taking someone away by force or deception)

綁架;

The news reported an abduction that took place in broad daylight, shocking the entire community.

報導指出，發生在大白天的綁架事件震驚了整個社區。

He tried to commit suicide after being charged with abduction.

他被指控犯下綁架罪後，竟試圖自殺。

She felt relieved when her brother was found safe after his abduction earlier in the week.

週初她哥哥被綁走後，直到這週後續消息證實他已平安找到，她才放下心來。

The organization raised awareness about the dangers of abduction, providing safety tips to parents and children.

這個組織宣導綁架的危險性，並提供給家長與孩子安全提示。

Some synonyms and antonyms for the word "abduction":

Synonyms:

Kidnapping 

Hijacking 

Antonyms:

Release

Liberation

Freedom 

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

What is the most accurate definition of "abduction"?

A) A legal agreement between two parties

B) The act of taking someone away illegally or by force

C) A type of physical exercise

D) A friendly conversation