a couple of = two persons or things joined or related in some way.
- He arrived a couple of days ago.
- Bobby has a couple of pens in his pocket
- A: Have you been in Europe?
- B: Yes, a couple of times.
a long time ago = once upon a time; many years ago; ages ago; a long ago.
- A lon time ago, there were no planes.
- My grandfather was a pilot a long time ago.
- A: When did you go to Germany?
- B: I went to Germany a long time ago.
a lot of = a large amount or number of something; lots of; plenty of.
- The millionaire has a lot of money.
- A lot of students were absent because of the flu.
- A: Why aren't you feeling well?
- B: I think it's because I ste a lot of chocolate today.
a pair of = two things of the same kind used together.
- She wants to buy apair of beautiful gloves.
- I need a pair of socks.
- A: What are you going to buy when you go shopping?
- B: I'm going to buy a pair of earrings.
above all (else) = most importantly; most of all.
- "Above all, you should obey your parents," said my grandfather.
- Above all, a soldier must be brave.
- A: What did you like about this book?
- B: It was interesting and exciting, but above all, it was funny.
according to = as shown or said by.
- According to this book, elephants are endngered.
- According to my mother, television is bad for you.
- A: Where are we?
- B: According to this map, we're somewhere between Johnson street and Second Avenue.
after all = in spite of what was expected; nevertheless; in the end.
- He went with them after all.
- The small country won the battle after all.
- A: Who were you just talking to?
- B: I thought it was someone I know from the college but it wasn't her after all.
again and again = often; repeatedly; over and over again.
- While babies learn to walk, they fall again and again.
- The child wanted to hear the same story again and again.
- A: This computer game is really fun!
- B: I think so, too. I want to play it again and again.
agree with = have the same opinion as share one's view.
- The teacher agreed with the students.
- James agreed with his friend.
- A: Some people didn't like the movie, but I thought it was interesting.
- B: I agree with you. It was very interesting.
all of a sudden = all at once; unexpectedly;without warning .
- All of a sudden, the dog bagan to bark loudly.
- All of a sudden, The earth began to shake.
- A: How did you break your leg?
- B: I was riding my bike, when all of a sudden I hit a bump and fell off.
all over the world = throughout the world; everywhere.
- English is spoken all over the world.
- Shakespeare is famous all over the world
- A: I wish I could travel all over the world.
- B: That would be a lot of fun.
all over the world = throughout the world; everywhere.
- English is spoken all over the world.
- Shakespeare is famous all over the world
- A: I wish I could travel all over the world.
- B: That would be a lot of fun.
all the time = constantly; always.
- Midori practices the violin alla the time
- Mark chews gum all the time.
- A: He looks very happy.
- B: He looks happy all the time.
all the way = the whole distance; the whole way.
- The car broke down and we had to walk all the way home.
- Sue was late. She ran all the way to school.
- A: Can you run all the way around the soccer field?
- No I can't. I can only run halfway around it, then I'm too tired to keep running.
and so on = and so forth; and the like
- Potatoes, onions, carrots and so on are vegetables.
- There are many countries in Africa: Zambia, Kenya,Togo, and so on.
- A: What do you feed your pet snake?
- B: Small animals like mice, frogs, lizards, and so on.
arrive at / in = get to; come to;reach
- They arrived at the restaurant.
- The train arrived at the station.
- A: When will we get to the airport?.
- B: We should arrive at the airport in five minutes.
as a result = so; consequently
- She studied hard. As a result, she got an A on the test.
- Many roads were flooded, and, as a result, there were some delays.
- A: Did you study for the test?
- B: No, and, as a result, I got a bad grade.
as well as = in addition to
- I play tennis on weekdays as well as on Saturdays.
- There were adults as well as children in the park.
- A: Would you like a hamburger or some chicken?
- B: I'm really hungry. I'd like both as well as some cola.
ask for = request; wish for; demand
- For his birthday, Don asked for a new toy truck.
- The chef asked for a spoon.
- A: I asked for some money but my father said no.
- B: That's too bad. Now we can't go to see the movie tonight.
at a time = at one time; at once; at the same time
- The children went down the slide two at a time.
- The elevator holds five people at a time.
- A: Can you help me move these boxes?
- B: Yes,but they're heavy, so let's move them one at a time.
at any time = at any moment; any time
- The library is open 24 hours a day. I can study there at any time.
- People can call the police at any time.
- A: Can I visit you at three 0'clock on Saturday?
- B: I'll be home all day. You can visit at any time.
The sun, the moon , and the bat
1 According to a story from Africa, a long time ago the sun and the bat were good friends. They were seen together all the time . They shared their dreams as well as their problems.2 One day, the moon and the sun began talking about who was stronger. The moon said she was stronger. The sun did not agree with her. They argued, "I am stronger," "No, Iam stronger," "No, I am," and so on . Finally, they decided to have a contest.
3 After a couple of days, they planned to meet at the lake to see who could throw a rock the farthest across the lake. A lot of animals came from all over the world to the lake to watch the contest. They came early because they knew that the contest could start at any time .
4 The moon arrived at arrived at the lake first. She wanted to win, so she practiced before the sun arrived. She picked up rocks one at a time and threw them. Each time, the rocks went farther and farther. By the time the sun finally arrived at the lake, the moon was sure she could win.
5 The moon chose a rock and threw it. It landed near the other side of the lake. The sun chose a bigger rock and threw it. Near the middle of the lake, the sun's rock began to fall toward the water, but all of a sudden it began to go up again! The sun's rock went all the way to the other side of the lake. It seemed that the sun had won the contest after all . However, nobody knew that the bat was carrying the rock!
6 When the bat was sure that no one could see him, he stopped to rest between a pair of banana trees. His wings were tired. It was difficult carrying the heavy rock, but he was happy to help the sun. "That's what friends are for," thought the bat.
7 Many years later, the bat's mother died. Above all , the bat wanted his mother to have a nice grave. The bat worked all day, but he was not finished by the time the sun began to go down. The bat asked for a favor from the sun. "Can you stay up until I finish my mother's grave?" The sun refused. Again and again , the bat begged, but the sun said it was time for him to go down. The bat was very angry. The sun did not help him even though he had helped the sun.
8 When the moon came up, she saw the bat still working hard on his mother's grave. The moon gave the bat enough light to finish his work. As a result , the bat and the moon became good friends. That's why today you will never see the bat near the sun. He is always with his friend, the moon.
This work is based on the book "Illustrated Everyday Expressions with stories" - by Casey Malarcher
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