More Speak English Like an American » Lesson 14: Mark and Sara Visit the Great Wall
Example: We're off to the movies. See you later.
Example: "I'm off to Singapore tonight." - "Have a great trip!"
Example: "Did you visit Fisherman's Wharf during your trip to San Francisco?" - "No, our friends who live there told us it was a tourist trap full of souvenir shops and silly museums."
Example: The president of our company says he doesn't want to manufacture in China. But when he realizes how much money we can save, he'll change his tune!
Example: After a full day of sightseeing in Moscow, Grace was ready to drop.
Example: I just returned from four days in India. I've got jet lag.
Example: "I'd better be going home now." - "Why don't you stick around and have dinner and watch a movie with us?"
Example: Wendy puts lemon peels on her forehead whenever she has a headache. She says it works wonders.
Example: Tim thought his two-year-old daughter was going to fall asleep, but then she got a second wind and started singing and dancing.
Example: "Every weekend, I sit around the house and watch videos." - "You're such a couch potato!"
Note: This expression was first used by a man named Tom lacino in 1976. He loved to watch TV (or the "boob tube") and belonged to a group called the "boob toobers." A potato is a type of "tuber," and the couch is the favorite place to sit and watch TV.
Example: Ed's boss offered him a six-month assignment in Beijing, telling him it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Example: Do you want to grab a bite before the movie starts?
Fill in the blank with the missing word:
Mark and Sara are in China. Sara asks Mark if he wants to visit the Great Wall with her. Mark is tired and doesn't really want to go, but Sara convinces him.
Sara: I'm off to the Great Wall. Do you wan to come?
Mark: We're here on business!
Sara: We've got a whole week here. Let's get to know the country better.
Mark: By going to a tourist trap?
Sara: You'll change your tune when you see it. I hear it's amazing.
Mark: I'm ready to drop. I've got jet lag. I think I'll stick around the hotel.
Sara: Exercise and fresh air will work wonders for your jet lag! You'll definitely get a second wind.
Mark: I don't feel like sightseeing.*
Sara: Don't be a couch potato! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Mark: Okay, let's go see the Great Wall.
(at the Great Wall)
Mark: Wow, this wall is long!
Sara: It's over 4,000 miles long.
Mark: I feel like we've walked about 2,000 miles already. I'm hungry.
Sara: Let's grab a bite!
Mark: We passed a woman selling dumplings about a mile back.
Sara: Okay, let's go find her.
*(to) sightsee - to visit interesting places as a tourist
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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.