More Speak English Like an American » Lesson 13: Mark and Sara Fly to China
Example: Before the debate, all of the presidential candidates were busy boning up on the issues.
Example: When Tanya's ex-husband asked her if she was dating anybody, she replied, "None of your business."
Example: "Glen screamed at me when I walked into his office to ask a question!" - "He must've woken up on the wrong side of the bed."
Example: I hope you're not ticked off at me for forgetting to invite you to my party.
Example: Jay's wife is angry at him for forgetting to pick up their son from school, but he hopes he'll be able to clear the air.
Example: The mayor should come clean and admit that he bought a new car for his wife with taxpayers' money.
Example: My boss's laptop was stolen, and it had lots of inside information about our company's strategic plans on it. What a nightmare!
Example: Ken and Nancy got divorced two years ago, but lately they’ve been talking about getting back together.
Example: As a producer at HBO, Sharon already knows how the popular TV series will end. Her friends are trying to pump her for information.
Example: Our biggest competitor was caught going through our company's trash bins. How could they stoop so low?
Example: I can't believe Seth was cheating on his wife with her best friend. How could he stoop so low?
Example: When the high school football team lost the game, the players pinned the loss on their coach.
Example: Working as an intern in the White House was an eye-opener for Joy. She learned how politics really works in Washington.
Example: "How was your date with the guy you met online?" - "He was a nice guy, but talking to him was difficult. I don't think we were on the same wavelength."
Choose the best substitute for the phrase or sentence in bold:
Mark and Sara are flying to Beijing to research Fu Dong Foods and the Chinese food market. Mark tries to speak with Sara on the plane, but she's still angry with him. He explains why he was with another woman in the restaurant, but Sara doesn't like his excuse.
Mark: I see you're reading Let's Speak Chinese. Boning up on your Chinese for the trip?
Sara: None of your business.
Mark: Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed!
Sara: I'm still ticked off at you.
Mark: Well, I hope we can clear the air. Otherwise, it's going to be a long week!
Sara: Okay, come clean. Who was that woman in the restaurant?
Mark: That woman was my ex-girlfriend. She had inside information on Grand Foods. When Ron found out, he told me to get the information.
Sara: Even if it meant getting back together with her?
Mark: I wasn't planning on getting back together with her. I was just pumping her for information.
Sara: How could you stoop so low?
Mark: Ron demanded the information. He said the company would fail without it.
Sara: Don't try to pin this on Ron.
Mark: Why not? This is all Ron's fault!
Sara: This whole experience has been an eye-opener. You and I are not on the same wavelength.
Mark: Give me another chance.
Sara: I'm going back to my Chinese lessons now.
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Speak Business English Like An American covers over 350 idioms and expressions you're likely to encounter in today's business world. Familiarize yourself with all of them.
English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because idioms don't always make sense literally, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. That may seem like a lot of work, but learning idioms is fun, especially when you compare English idioms to the idioms in your own language.