Illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories 1 – Lesson 9 MCQ Test

Lesson 9 – The Seal’s Skin

Idioms

have trouble (with) = have a problem; have difficulty

He is having trouble with his battery.
I am having trouble with this math homework.
The soccer player had trouble with his knee.

A: How are your tennis lessons?
B: Good, but I’m having trouble with my serve.

hear from = receive news from

He is waiting to hear from the doctor about his tests.
I haven’t heard from Dave recently.
It’s nice to hear from you.

A: Has Mary called you since she went to China?
B: Not yet. If I don’t hear from her soon I’m going to start worrying.

hear of = know about; hear about

Have you ever heard of a two-headed snake?
I have never heard of an earthquake in this city.
Yes, I’ve heard of that restaurant. I think it’s in the north end of town.

A: Let’s go see a movie sometime.
B: Okay. If I hear of a good one I’ll tell you.

help oneself to = take what one wants

He is helping himself to a cookie.
Help yourself to the cake.
At the buffet, everyone helps themselves.

A: Please help yourself to some pie.
B: Thank you. It looks delicious.

here you are = here you go; here it is

Here you are!
A: Could I use your pen?
B: Sure, here you are.
A: I would like a chocolate ice cream cone, please.
B: Here you are.

A: Can I have a sip of your water please?
B: Sure. Here you are.

hold on = wait; hold the line

We had to hold on while the traffic light was red.
Hold on, I’m coming!
Please hold on while I find your file

A: Here is the pizza you ordered.
B: Hold on. I’ll go get my wallet.

hold up = lift; raise; put up

He held up the mouse for everyone to see.
The soldier was holding up the flag.
The class became silent when the teacher held up his hand.

A: What do you do at your new job?
B: I stand on the sidewalk and hold up a sign advertising the restaurant

hurry up = do something quickly

Hurry up!
Hurry up, or we will be late!
You will miss the bus if you don’t hurry up.

A: Let’s hurry up and finish before dinner.
B: Good idea. I’m hungry!

in a hurry = in haste; in a rush

He is in a hurry.
Why are you in such a hurry?
Don’t be in such a hurry.

A: Why are you in a hurry?
B: My piano lesson starts in five minutes, so I have to run if I don’t want to be late.

in a moment = in a short time; in a second/minute; soon

He will be asleep in a moment.
I’ll be with you in a moment.
She’ll be back in a moment.

A: Can I have a large cola please?
B: Yes. I’ll bring it to you in a moment.

in case of = in the event something happens; if

Take an umbrella in case of rain.
In case of an emergency, press the red button.
In case of fire, do not use the elevator.

A: Please call 911 in case of a robbery.
B: Okay. I’ll remember that.

in fact = as a matter of fact; actually; in reality

In fact, there is no ‘dark side’ of the moon.
I really like you. In fact, I love you!
It rained a lot yesterday. In fact, it was the wettest day of the year so far.

A: This is a great birthday party. Is Heinrich going to come too?
B: Yes, he is. In fact, here he comes now!

in front of = before; ahead of

There is a dinosaur in front of the house.
The conductor stood in front of the orchestra.
She stood in front of the mirror.

A: I’ll meet you in front of the school at three 0’clock.
B: Okay. I’ll see you then.

in general = as a whole; overall; for the most part

In general, Asian food is less fattening than western food.
In general, I like cats.
The movie was, in general, not very interesting.

A: Do you like France?
B: I like Europe in general, because each country is interesting

in harmony (with) = in a friendly relationship with; in accord with

It is important that we live in harmony with nature.
Dogs live in harmony with humans.
The two countries worked in harmony.

A: I’m glad that Jack and Jill got married.
B: Yes. I hope that they can live in harmony.

in honor of = giving respect to; remembering

We lit the candle in honor of our grandmother.
They had a party in honor of the man’s retirement.
The president gave a speech in honor of the soldiers.

A: My parents have been married for twenty five years.
B: You should have a party in honor of their anniversary.

in just a minute = in a short time; shortly

In just a minute. it will be midnight.
We will be leaving in just a minute.
The movie will be starting in just a minute.

A: Can you help me with this program?
B: I’ll be there in just a minute.

in search of = trying to find; looking for

The helicopter went in search of the people missing in the mountains.
We went in search of a good Italian restaurant.
They went to Africa in search of the white elephant.

A: It’s late. Why are you here at the store?
B: We were watching a video and we got hungry, so we’re here in search of snacks.

in silence = silently; not speaking; without a sound

The boy behaved badly, so his mother made him sit in silence.
They walked down the road in silence.
The family ate in silence.

A: Do you mind if I turn on the radio?
B: Actually, I prefer to study in silence.

in the meantime = meanwhile; while

He had to wait for the bus. In the meantime he read the paper.
My car is in the shop. I am using my sister’s in the meantime.
I will be late for the meeting. In the meantime, discuss next month’s agenda.

A: I know we should go to the store, but first I have to wash these clothes.
B: Okay, I’ll read my book in the meantime.

THE SEAL’S SKIN 

Have you heard of the story about the man who got married to a seal? He lived alone in his house by the sea, fishing and dreaming of the day he would get married. However, he had trouble with women. In general, he was very shy in front of women. In fact, if any woman talked to him, he would sweat and he could not speak.

One day, the man was walking on the beach in search of a good place to fish. Then he saw a cave. In front of the cave there was a pile of seal skins. The man heard the sound of laughing and singing inside the cave. He had an idea. A seal’s skin would be good to wear in case of snow. He helped himself to one of the skins, ran home, and put it in a large box. Then he locked the box with a key.

In the meantime, a naked woman stood outside the cave crying. She could not find her seal skin, and all of her friends and family had left her there.

The man returned to the cave and found the woman crying. He asked her, “Why are you crying?” but she did not say anything. She was very cold.

The man said, “Hold on. I have a blanket. You can wear it to keep yourself warm. Here you are.” He gave the woman the blanket. Then the man told the woman that she could stay at his house. They walked back along the beach to his house in silence.

Because the woman did not talk much, the man was very comfortable around her. Soon they fell in love. They got married and lived in harmony with each other for many years.

One day the man was getting ready to go to church in honor of a special holiday. “Hurry up!” he called to his wife.

However, his wife did not feel well. She said, “I want to lie down. You go now. I will catch up with you in just a minute.”

The man left. The wife’s headache became worse, so she began looking for some medicine. While she was looking, she found the key to the box. Because the man was in a hurry to leave for church, he forgot the key at home. The wife opened the large box. There was her lost seal skin! She held up the skin and cried with happiness.

She ran to the beach, put on her skin, and jumped into the sea. In a moment she was with her seal family again. The man never heard from her again. However, every time the man would go out fishing, a seal would always swim around the boat watching him.