Illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories 1 – Lesson 14 MCQ Test

Lesson 14 – The Wild Pigeon

Idioms

show up = arrive at a place; turn up

The owl showed up late at night.
She showed up three hours late.
The man didn’t show up for work.

A: Is Nate coming to the party tonight?
B: Yes. He said he would show up around 7:00.

side by side = next to each other

They walked side by side.
The trees grew side by side along the river.
They sat side by side on the bench.

A: Do you sit next to Amy at school?
B: Yes I do. We sit side by side at the same desk.

slow down = become slower; reduce speed

He should slow down.
The train slowed down as it reached the station.
She slowed down when she drove by the children.

A: Please slow down! You’re walking too fast.
B: Sorry. I’ll walk more slowly.

so far = thus far; up to now

He’s eaten seven hot dogs so far.
The weather has been dry so far this year.
I have met three new people so far.

A: Are you almost finished with that book?
B: No. I’ve only read two chapters so far.

sooner or later = in the end; eventually; in time

Sooner or later, he’s going to hurt himself.
The police will catch the thief sooner or later.
Don’t worry. She’ll be here sooner or later.

A: I love getting into movies for half-price.
B: Be careful Sooner or later they are going to find out that you’re not a college student!

speak ill of = say bad things about; speak badly of; condemn

He began to speak ill of his ex-girlfriend.
The workers spoke ill of the factory owner.
She spoke ill of the man who had married her friend.

A: Why does everybody speak ill of Katie?
B: Because she is greedy and unkind.

speak well of = say good things about; speak highly of; praise

He always speaks well of his parents.
The boss spoke well of the new worker. The teacher speaks well of your son.

A: Do people speak well of her?
B: Yes they do. They say she’s very patient and kind.

spend on = use money to pay for something

How much did you spend on your pants?
He spends all his money on gambling.
I spent too much money on that trip to Hawaii.

A: How much do you spend on food each week?
B: About $50, I guess. How about you?

stand for = represent; mean; be a sign of

The Dove stands for peace.
The heart stands for love.
In China the color red stands for good luck.

A: What does your middle initial stand for?
B: The S is for Simon. It was my grandfather’s name.

stay up = not go to bed; remain awake

The boy stayed up late playing video games.
The children were not allowed to stay up after 9:00.
He had to stay up late to study last night.

A: I went to sleep at 3:00 am last night.
B: Wow! You stayed up late!

stick to = follow; adhere to

The fish should stick to water.
I tried playing the guitar, but I think I will just stick to piano.
I Her doctor said that she should stick to her current diet plan.

A: I promised my parents I would study tonight, but I want to play computer games!
B: Don’t play computer games. Stick to your promise!

such as = for example; like; say

Animals such as monkeys and gorillas are primates.
The store sells electronic goods such as radios, computers, and cameras.
We visited many cities in Italy such as Rome, Venice, and Milan.

A: What does your dad sell in his store?
B: He sells sporting goods, such as basketballs, bicycles, and shoes.

take advantage of = make use of; profit from

We should take advantage of the nice weather and go to the beach.
He took advantage of the low prices and bought a dozen pens.
The kids took advantage of the holiday and went to the zoo.

A: Bob works at a CD store. He can give us a discount!
B: We shouldn’t take advantage of him.

take after = look like; resemble

The boy takes after his father.
She really takes after her mother.
You really take after your grandfather.

A: Joe is an excellent soccer player.
B: He takes after his father. He is very good at sports.

take care of = look after; keep an eye on; protect

You must promise to take care of them.
The nurse took care of the sick patient.
My mother takes good care of me.

A: I’ll be gone for one week. Can you take care of my cat?
B: Yes. I’ll give her food and water, and play with her every day.

take lessons = learn

He is taking singing lessons.
The children take piano lessons.
I took lessons in dancing.

A: How did she learn to play the guitar so well?
B: She took lessons for six years.

take off = rise in flight; leave

The helicopter is ready to take off.
She took off before I could say goodbye.
The plane will be taking off on time.

A: Let’s go for a drive in the country.
B: Okay! After I finish eating we’ll take off!

take part in = be involved in; join in; participate in

I’m sorry. I don’t think you can take part in our game.
It is an honor to take part in the Olympics.
She wanted to take part in the meeting.

A: Are you going to take part in the science fair on Saturday?
B: I want to, but I can’t. I’m going to my grandmother’s house on Saturday.

take place = occur; happen; come about

An eclipse takes place every few years.
The 2000 Olympics took place in Sydney, Australia.
The conference will take place at the Hyatt Hotel.

A: Where will the school picnic be tomorrow?
B: It’ll take place at Simon’s Park.

take pride in = be proud of; pride oneself on

He takes pride in his work.
I take pride in my painting. She took pride in her son’s good grades.

A: Your mom always makes delicious food!
B: Yes, she takes pride in her cooking.

THE WILD PIGEON 

In Japan, there are many stories such as this one that tell children how they should respect their parents.

A long time ago, there was a little boy who didn’t take after his brothers and sisters. He never listened to his mother. If the mother told the boy to do one thing, he would do just the opposite. If the mother told him to speak well of a guest in their house, the boy would only speak ill of the guest. If she asked him to take part in cleaning the house, he would make his room a mess. If the mother asked the boy to slow down so that they could walk side by side, the boy would take off running wildly. If she told him to go to bed, he would stay up all night. The mother loved him very much, but he was a difficult child to raise.

Then, one day the mother had an idea. She decided to take advantage of the fact that her son always did the opposite of what she asked. She wanted her son to take piano lessons, so she told him, “Son, please never learn to play the piano.”

Of course, the boy wanted to do it. He studied very hard and his mother took pride in his wonderful playing.

Sooner or later we all get old. As she neared the end of her life, the mother worried about where her son would bury her. “So far,” she thought, “my son has always done the opposite of what I wanted. I should stick to this same trick. I want to be buried on the hill. I will tell my son to bury me by the ocean. Then he will bury me on the hill.”

When the mother’s death finally took place, the son felt terribly sad. He said, “All of my life I always did the opposite of what my mother wanted. Now that she is dead, I will do exactly what she wanted.”

So the son buried his mother by the ocean. He spent a lot of money on a nice grave. However, when he showed up to take care of her grave later, it was high tide and the ocean’s water covered it. When he stopped by the grave in summer, he saw that the sun had burned the ground and many cracks were growing in the grave. The son felt so terrible about his poor mother’s grave that he fell down dead. At the moment he died, he turned into a wild pigeon and made his home by the ocean.

Now, if you go to the ocean, you may hear the sad cries of a wild pigeon. These cries stand for the sadness that the son still feels for his mother.