Image source
Example sentence:
- Don’t blame your wife for being quick-tempered with you; you haven’t been kind to her lately. A good husband makes a good wife!
QUICK-TEMPERED => becoming angry quickly and easily.
Tag: femfy
English4Gamers -Episode 7 – Prince of Persia part 2
The 7th episode of English4Gamers is out. In this episode, Richard and I are struggling a bit. It’s the second level of Prince of Persia, a famous but difficult retro game. It’s not the first episode based on this game, but there are some new words you can learn. I suggest that you read the vocabulary list below before watching the video. There is a fill in the gaps activity that you can try to do afterwards. You can find the answers in the PDF file.
VOCABULARY
TO LEAD = to take someone somewhere, by going with them.
Ex. She led us to the door.
TO ADVANCE = the act or process of moving forward.
Ex. Our plans are to advance toward the city.
TO PARRY = to defend yourself by turning or pushing aside.
Ex. The big man turned, parried, easily deflecting the swords with his broadsword.
TO SLASH = Cut with a wide, sweeping movement, typically using a knife or a sword.
Ex. The first time I told Madi that I was dating, she slashed my tires.
TO BACK OFF = to move backwards in order to get further away from something.
Ex. Okay, you’re going to have to back off a half step.
SPIKES = 
TO DEFEAT = to do better than another in a competition or battle; to win; to beat.
Ex. Together we might be able to defeat the witch.
SWORDSMAN = 
ASHAMED = feeling shame or guilt; feeling embarrassed.
Ex. I’m not ashamed to be a servant.
TO PICK UP = to lift (someone or something) from the ground or a low surface.
Ex. You must have picked up his jacket by mistake.
Downloadable PDF version: ENGLISH FOR GAMERS – Episode 7 – Prince Of Persia – Vocabulary
Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with the correct words from the box:
- Richard: We killed the _______________________.
- Anna: We have to _______________ the prince out of these _________________________ into the tower where the princess in locked. Because Jaffar _________________________ her.
- Richard: With SHIFT you __________________.
- Richard: I have one life ___________________.
- Anna: There are the spikes and there is the jar with the ________________.
- Richard: Maybe there are these ______________ on the ________________ that you can break, I’m not sure.
- Richard: Such a small jump and you ______________ your legs.
- Richard: It was ___________________.
- Anna: ___________________ the opponent, the swordsman!
- Anna: Slash! Slash! And then back ____________.
- Richard: You have to ________________ when he attacks you, not like … You can’t keep pressing the button. When he attacks, you press it and you ________________________ yourself.
- Richard: You are really ________________ at this game, but you have like half ____________ so …
- Anna: We have _____________ minutes to save the princess. I don’t think we will do that.
- Anna: You can’t change the ______________________.
- Anna: Just keep _________________ what you are doing.
Downloadable PDF version (without answers): English4Gamers – Episode 7 – Prince of Persia part 2 – Fill in the gaps exercise
Downloadable PDF version (answers): English4Gamers – Episode 7 – Prince of Persia part 2 – Answers
“To hit the hay” – English idiom
Image source: 1; 2.
Another way to say it is TO HIT THE SACK ;-).
This is a nice comic on this idiom made by Ploopikoosy:
More example sentences from the web:
- I have a busy day tomorrow, so I think I’ll hit the hay.
- Time to go home and hit the hay!
- I’m tired, I’m gonna hit the hay.
- Well, I’m going to hit the hay, I’m feeling pretty tired. Good night!
Here, you can read about the origin of this idiom: The meaning and origin of the expression: Hit the hay
“Truce” – What does it mean?
Example sentences from the web:
- The warring countries refused to create any official cease-fire, but on Christmas, the soldiers in the trenches declared their own unofficial truce.
Source: Christmas Truce of 1914 - The man at the center of the truce was the former security minister, David Munguía Payés, a general who is now the defense minister […].
Source: El Salvador Throws Out Gang Truce and Officials Who Put It in Place - We break the truce, drive a wedge between them.
TO BREAK A TRUCE => To start fighting again breaking a previous agreement of peace.
“The Story Behind Your Bowl Of Ramen Noodles” – AJ+ – Listening comprehension
This is a listening activity based on the AJ+ video “The Story Behind Your Bowl Of Ramen Noodles”. I suggest that you read the following vocabulary list before watching the video. Then, watch the video and try to complete the sentences with the correct word from the box.
VOCABULARY
Bowl: 
Migrant: a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work.
Ex. Economic migrants move abroad to escape poverty and improve their financial condition.
Labor: workers considered as a group.
Ex. We had this huge harvest, so we had to hire all this cheap labor.
Shortage: a state in which there is not enough of something that is needed.
Ex. In many European countries, agricultural businesses complain about the shortage of skilled workers.
Wheat: 
Consumption: the act of eating or drinking something.
Ex. Alcohol consumption constitutes a major danger to road safety.
Uprising: an act of resistance or rebellion; a revolt.
Ex. He weighed 38 kilos when he escaped from prison during the 1956 Hungarian uprising and fled to the Netherlands.
To lead: to lie or go in a specified direction.
Ex. This way will lead us to the main entrance for sure.
Affordable: inexpensive; reasonably priced.
Ex. Railways have many benefits, as travelling by rail is affordable and environmentally friendly.
Lifestyle: the way a person lives or a group of people live.
Ex. Technology, the internet, they have changed our lifestyle.
Quintessential: the most important part of something.
Ex. Sheep’s milk cheese is the quintessential Corsican cheese.
Dorm: informal, short for dormitory.
Image source
Wildfire/ like wildfire: (informal) very quickly.
Ex. The news had spread like wildfire.
To devour: eat hungrily or quickly.
Image source
Downloadable PDF version: The Story Behind Your Bowl Of Ramen – Vocabulary
Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with the correct word from the box
- This signature Japanese ___________ is now an international favorite.
- Ramen as we know it comes from Japan but its popularity in the country is actually ___________ new.
- Then Japan entered World War II which led to major food ___________ across the country and ramen’s popularity pretty much disappeared.
- When the war ended the US occupied Japan and imported a whole lot of wheat to the country, leading to more noodle _____________________.
- And one reason why there was so much ______________ imported was because there was a fear that food shortages could lead to _________________uprising.
- After those really hard times, from the 1950s to 1970s Japan went through an _____________________ boom.
- And busy lifestyles led to the creation ________________ ramen in the 1950s.
- Then in the 1970s the super convenient just add water ________________ dorm food cup of noodles was made and it took off like ________________ in Japan and internationally.
- But it wasn’t until the 1980s that ramen actually became an_______________ part of Japanese culture.
- Today the love for ramen is real in Japan and what was once a working men’s food is now a ___________________ love and __________________ dish around the world.
Downloadable PDF version (without answers): The Story Behind Your Bowl Of Ramen Noodles – AJ+ – Fill in the gaps exercise
Downloadable PDF version (answers): The Story Behind Your Bowl Of Ramen Noodles – AJ+ – Exercise’s answers
“Night owl” – English idiom
Image source 1; 2.
Some articles on this topic:
Early Bird or Night Owl? It May Be in Your Genes
The Dark Side of Being a Night Owl
“Cock up” – British slang
Example sentences from the web:
- The whole affair was a monumental cock-up from start to finish.
- Nothing goes right, it’s just one cock-up after another!
- I cocked up the orders for table number four.
*Notice that this expression isn’t commonly used in the USA, where it is generally assumed to have a vulgar meaning.
English4Gamers – Episode 6 – Super Mario Kart – Listening Comprehension
Downloadable PDF version (without answers): English4Gamers – Episode 6 – Super Mario Kart – Listening comprehension
Downloadable PDF version (answers): English4Gamers – Episode 6 – Super Mario Kart – Listening comprehension – answers
English4Gamers – Episode 6 – Super Mario Kart
The 6th episode of English4Gamers is out :-)! In this episode, we play Super Mario Kart, a racing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the first game of the Mario Kart series. I suggest that you read the vocabulary list before watching the episode ;-). I’ll upload an interactive quiz based on this episode tomorrow or Sunday. We are trying to improve, so if you have any suggestion, please, let us know :-).
“Corny” – What does it mean?
Image source: 1, 2.
Example sentences from the web:
- My sister said the card was corny, but I thought it was sweet.
- I don’t wanna sound corny, but it’s nice, you and I having one-on-one time.
- I mean, it sounds corny, but my job means more to me than just a career.
- I know it sounds corny, but we made a big difference in that person’s life.
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