Live and Learn English with Jean Lee

WORKSHEET #55. Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #55 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary!     1.    The author’s fans were so stunned and disappointed when they realized that his life story in the autobiography was no more than a c_________ed-up (*meaning “invented/ made-up”) conf______________ and lies. (*meaning “the creation of false memories without intent to deceive/ conversation or discussion”)   2.    Jeff’s friends had a hard time holding back tears at the w___________ of his brother’s funeral. They knew how close Jeff and his older brother had been to each other. ( *meaning “a gathering for family and friends to share memories and offer support to the grieving family, either before or after the funeral service”)   3.    Quite a few elderly patients tend to become del_____________ when they wake up from a long-hours of surgery. (*meaning “in an acutely disturbed state of mind resulting from illness or intoxic...

Throughout this week, the grocery markets, roads, and the airports are going to be the places in the States where you might see more crowds than usual. The fourth Thursday in November marks one of the biggest national holidays called “Thanksgiving” when family and/or friends get together to celebrate the day with a large meal, most commonly featuring roast turkey. Other activities include watching American football or Thanksgiving Day parades, engaging in traditions like the "Friendsgiving" meal, reflecting on what they are grateful for, or participating in charitable activities. Since the picture of American family has immensely changed for all these years, there are a variety of different ways for people from around the world to celebrate this big holiday. Today, let us have fun with a couple of traditional Thanksgiving Trivia Quiz!   1.    The holiday's origins are thought to date back to ___ ___21 near what is now Cape Cod, Massachusetts. English colonists called...

WORKSHEET #54. Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #54 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary!     1.    The mayor is such a deceiving snolly_______________ who never cares about enhancing the city. He is emblematic of mammonism. (*meaning “shrewd, unprincipled person, especially a politician”)   2.    Theo feels that his girlfriend has been acting sh____________ (*meaning”to ack fake or sketchy and not trustworthy”) lately, which means time is ticking ‘till the moment comes when she for_________ (*meaning “to give up/ to let go of…”) this relationship.   3.    It looks like those two retail stores stand _________ to _________ with each other in our town. (*meaning “to be willing to confront/ compete/ fight with ….”)   4.    Her beauty was out of this ______________ (*meaning “very impressive or extremely good or excellent”) even though she was wearing a cheap ___________off (*meaning “a cheap imitation ...

  This is a phonetic puzzle . I'm going to give you some sentences. Each sentence contains homophones of two opposites/ antonyms . (Ex. People in Al bany e nun ciate well. --> all, none) Try to hear the SOUNDS of words, (NOT their spellings) in each sentence to find two antonyms.   Note: The homophones may be buried inside words, but they're always discreet syllables. They always change spelling from their parts in the sentence.   1. The model wore a timepiece on her ankle. 2. Who will underwrite the cost of the sarong? 3. This is a rare Bolivian diamond. 4. The customer got a souvenir from the pharmacy. 5. Let's celebrate by throwing a party. 6. The stoker must reignite the furnace daily. 7. Can buffalo experience hypertension?   Answer Keys     1.    ( wor e, time piece ): war, peace     2.    (under write , sa rong ): right, wrong     3.    (Bo liv ian di amond): live, die ...

WORKSHEET #53 Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #53 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary!          1.    She has become a painfully disciplined perfectionist because she grew up under the strict parental t_______________e . (*meaning “protection or guardianship of parents”)       2.    My boss doesn’t allow us to enjoy bad____________ in the meeting. He is such a rigid and inflexible man who can hardly ever stand frolic atmosphere at work. (*meaning “humorous and witty conversation”)       3.    So ________ for our plans to travel abroad! (*meaning “an idiom used to express that something has ended or is no longer valid, often with a sense of disappointment or resignation”)       4.    Not every actor could _________ _____ up all their courage like Tom Cruise to pull off such a lot of stunts as hanging from the side of a plane, skydiving, or climbing the wor...

WORKSHEET #52.  Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #52 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary!  1. Jack felt embarrassed each time his wife p_______ him down in front of his friends. (*meaning “to disapprove or criticize someone or something”)          2.    Larry needs to cut down on sweet belly ____________ to stay fit. (*meaning “soft drinks”)       3.    A flo_________t was added to the sample to make the impurities clump together so they could be removed. (*meaning “a substance which promotes the clumping of particles, especially one used in treating wastewater; containing, consisting of, or occurring in the form of loosely aggregated particles or soft flakes”)       4.    Meg didn’t seem to have learned about funeral de____________. She was frowned upon by the way she behaved at her friend’s father’s funeral. (*meaning ”etiquette/behavior in keeping with good taste and pr...

WORKSHEET #51. Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #51 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary!     1.    At some point in life, people come to face the moment of epi_______________ that changes their fixed perspectives towards the world. (*meaning “a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something”)   2.    This had been Arnold’s favorite wa_________ hole in town where he would sit back and enjoy a couple of beers with his buddies after work. (*meaning “a tavern or bar”)   3.    Brian popped the question to Jenn with a bunch of flowers and a diamond ring, which threw her for a ________________. (*meaning “to cause someone to be confused or shocked”)   4.    Back in the Midwest town, it had been dangerous to run outside, especially in the trails when you expected a proc________________ weather outside. (*meaning “stormy or turbulent”)   5.    He ...