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Quiz 1: Vocabulary Focus
  1. I usually take the on my way to work.
  2. So what is with the project?
  3. We need to all these extra shoes.
  4. People are often cheery before the holidays and after them.
  5. Her smile always my day.

Quiz 2: Comprehension Q's
Answer the following questions about the interview.
Quiz 3: Questions for You!
Play the audio and answer the following questions. Click the blue box to view the questions and possible answers.





Audio Notes Game #67 Rainy Day!

gloomy

I read a book when it's gloomy outside.

“Gloomy” means something that makes us feel a little sad. Gloomy weather is usually cloudy, rainy or cold. We also use gloomy to talk about other things. Notice the samples:

  1. The weather in London is gloomy most of the year.
  2. He felt gloomy for months after his girlfriend went to study abroad.

brighten my mood

A good book can brighten my mood.

When we feel happy we are in a good mood. When we feel angry or sad we are in a bad mood. Here, “brighten” means to make someone feel better. Here are two examples of “brighten my mood”:

  1. When I feel gloomy, a phone call from my best friend always brightens my mood.
  2. My teacher is usually a serious person, but today she was in a bright mood.

what's been going on

We talk about what's been going on.

People talk about what’s been going on when they want to know about each other’s lives; school, work, family, relationships, just about anything. Note the following:

  1. My Tam, our last interview was 2 years ago. What’s been going on with you?
  2. We went to a great Mexican restaurant and talked about what’s been going on.

rehang pictures

I rehang pictures that I have had up.

We hang pictures on a wall. “Re” before an action word means do something again. “Rewrite for example means write again. Here, “rehang” means to hang pictures again in a different place on the wall. Here are two more examples:

  1. After the storm, workers had to rehang the telephone lines.
  2. I lost my internet connection so I resent the file.

back roads

I go for long drives on back roads.
Back roads are roads far outside the city. On back roads we can see flowers, fields, trees, hills, mountains and other beautiful scenery. Note the example sentences.

  1. Another great thing about back roads is that there is no traffic.
  2. On a gloomy day, a long drive on the back roads really brightens my mood.

get rid of

Warm up the house and get rid of the cold.

We get rid of something or someone means to throw it away or send it away. To get rid of the cold in a house, we usually turn on a heater, which forces the cold out and brings the warmth in. Note the following:

  1. I got rid of my old CD’s. Now I download everything.
  2. To get rid of a bad headache, it’s helpful to take some aspirin and stay in bed.