summary of the week

Monday 72 HOUR EMERGENCY KIT

Idioms:
“in a pickle” = a difficult situation “You’ll find yourself in a real pickle if you don’t have enough
water during an emergency.”

“hang loose” = relax or stay calm “Tell the people to hang loose until help arrives.”

“wacky” = silly or foolish “My brother had the wacky idea of packing twenty bottles of ketchup in
his emergency kit instead of water.”

Vocabulary:
 ustain (verb): keep yourself alive – You need a lot of water to sustain yourself in the hot desert
sun.
 flood (noun): a large amount of water that covers an area that is generally dry – We lost a lot of
our possessions in last week’s flood.
 power outage (noun): a period of time when you do not have electrical power – The power
outage lasted over 10 hours, and we had to use flashlights and candles to see in the dark.
 shelter (noun): a structure used for protection from weather or danger – After the hurricane,
many residents fled to shelters because their homes had been destroyed by wind and water.
 pack (verb): fill or put things into a container like a suitcase or box – Hurry and pack your
suitcase. We need to leave in 15 minutes.
 purification (noun): the process of removing dirty parts from something (also a verb purify) –
You really need to purify the water from the stream because it probably contains bacteria.
 murky (adjective): dark and dirty that is difficult to see through – The water that comes out of
the kitchen faucet is really murky due to the fact that the city is working on some of the water
lines in this area.
 spoil (verb): go bad or decay so you cannot eat or drink something any longer – The food in the
refrigerator started to spoil after the power had been off for two days.
 bulky (adjective): something difficult to carry because of its size – Your backpack is too bulky to
carry easily in case of an emergency; you should remove some of the items and then repack it.
 nasty (adjective): having a bad smell, taste, or appearance – The food looked so nasty that I
couldn’t bring myself to try it.
 evacuate (verb): move from an unsafe place to safety – In case of fire, the school will evacuate
all of its students to a safer location.
 be packed together like sardines (idiom): be crowded together in a small place – The emergency
shelter was only designed to accommodate 100 evacuees, but because all other shelters were
overcrowded, this shelter accepted everyone who came, and the people were packed together
like sardines for two days.
 unsanitary (adjective): very dirty and unhealthy – The unsanitary conditions at the refugee camp
were terrible, and nothing could be done until additional aid arrived.
 poncho (noun): a light coat made a one piece of material to protect you from wind and rain – I
always carry a poncho in my backpack when I hike in case it starts to rain suddenly
 be toast (noun, slang): be in a desperate or very difficult situation – If you don’t have supplies
during a severe emergency, you’re toast, and no one will be there to help you.
 stir-crazy (adjective): very nervous or anxious – Many of the people at the shelter have been
there for a week, and they are beginning to feel stir-crazy because they have nothing to do, and
they don’t know their futures.
 wait out (phrasal verb): wait until something unpleasant finishes or passes – We should just wait
out the storm before we attempt to cross the river.
 be bored out of your mind (idiom): very bored – The students were bored out of their minds
during the lecture on ancient religious practices.
 A FREE CELL PHONE

Idioms:

“call someone up” = call “Please call me up if you aren’t busy this weekend. I’ll have my
smartphone with me.”
“a thousand apologies” = say one is very, very sorry “Hey, Steve. A thousand apologies for not
calling you up earlier. My cellphone battery died.”

Vocabulary:

 rebate (noun): a refund of part of all of the amount paid – The company offers a fifty-dollar
rebate on the purchase of a new smartphone.
 catch (noun): a hidden drawback or disadvantage – So, there must be a catch to buying this
smartphone. I mean, why would the company offer it for free?
 in case (adverb): in the event that – Bring your phone in case we need to call for help.
 fee (noun): cost, the amount of money you have to pay for something – There are always a
number of fees you have to pay when buying a car.
 charge (noun, also a verb): fee, the amount of money you have to pay for something or (as a
verb), require someone to pay money for a product or service – The store charged me too much
for the cell phone, so I’m going to return it.
 nationwide (adverb and adjective): happening around the nation or country – The cell phone
company is promoting their services nationwide. – That company offers nationwide cell phone
coverage.
 roll over (phrasal verb): transfer or carry over – This is one of the few companies that allows you
to roll over your minutes to the next month without losing them.
 term (noun): period of time – Over the long term, buying a high-quality phone might make the
most financial sense.
 lemon (noun): a defective automobile – I bought a used car at a really good price, but it turned
out to be a lemon.
Tuesday A GREAT CAR DEAL

Idioms:

“hit the road” = leave or depart from a specific place “Okay. It’s time to hit the road. Everyone get
in the car!“
“drive at something” = What do you mean or imply? “Hey, what are you driving at? Are you trying
to say that I’m a bad driver?“

Vocabulary:

 mileage (noun): the distance traveled in miles equal to 1.6 kilometres – This car gets great gas
mileage in the city.
 tap (verb): to hit lightly and often repeatedly – I tapped on the door, but no one answered.
 extended (verbal adjective): lengthy, extensive – He has driven his car for an extended period of
time without any problems.
 warranty (noun): guarantee – There is a limited guarantee on parts and labor in case the car
breaks down.
 defects (noun): flaws, mistakes, faults – The company decided to recall the car because defects
were discovered in the engine’s cooling system.
 upholstery (noun): a covering often used on furniture or car seats – The upholstery on these
seats needs to be replaced.
 A UNIVERSITY DEGREE
Idioms:
“buckle down” = start to work hard “If you don’t buckle down and save money, you’ll never be
able to afford college.”
“hand to mouth” = with barely enough money to live “My father lived hand to mouth while he
was trying to finish college.”

Vocabulary:

 yahoo (interjection): shouted when you are excited about something – Yahoo! I won two tickets
to the concert.
 accomplishment (noun): something successful you do after a lot of hard work – The company
recognized my father’s accomplishments and gave him a promotion.
 tuition (noun): the money you pay to take classes and be taught – I had to work all summer at
two jobs to earn enough money for college tuition.
 pantry (noun): a small closet or storeroom where food is kept. – My sister took a lot of food from
the pantry before she left for college.
 rations (noun): an amount of food given out for each meal, particularly when there is not much
available in times of war or emergency – The soldiers survived on rations during the darkest days
of the war.
 talk it over (phrasal verb): discuss a problem or situation before you make a decision – You really
need to talk it over with your parents before you decide to transfer to another school.
 analyze (verb ): examine carefully – The rescue workers quickly analyzed the situation before
they entered the building.
 maintain (verb): take care of something so it stays in good condition – You really need to
maintain all of your hiking gear in good condition because you never know when you’ll need it.
 conserve (verb): protect something from destruction or loss – If the missing hikers conserve their
energy and food, they should be able to survive a few more days.
 live out (phrasal verb): do something you have planned or hoped for – Although my grandfather
was quite old, he was able to live out his dream of graduating from high school, something he
wasn’t able to do 60 years ago.
 further (verb): help forward or promote – The university wants to further educational
opportunities by providing additional scholarships.
 be doomed (verb): certain to die or be destroyed – My sister’s plan to go to college was doomed
from the beginning because she had terrible grades in high school, and she hadn’t saved any
money for tuition.
 enroll in (verb): go to or attend – More and more students are enrolling in computer science
because they see a future in that field.
Wednesday ALCOHOLICS ANONYMUS

Idioms:

“go cold turkey” = suddenly stop doing something that is usually a bad habit. “Phil tried to go cold
turkey on his drinking addiction, but he couldn’t stay away from stuff.”
“drink like a fish” = drink alcohol excessively “She tends to drink like a fish when she gets together
with her friends.”
“drown one’s sorrows” = drink to stop your unhappiness “Trying to drown your sorrows in a
bottle of whiskey won’t solve your financial problems.”

Vocabulary:

 be at a loss for words (idiom): not knowing what to say – My parents are at a loss (for words) to
know how to help my younger sister with the drug addiction.
 get on someone’s case (idiom): criticize or give someone a hard time – If you don’t get on his
case for speeding, he’ll end up causing a serious accident.
 dump someone (verb): end a relationship – Sarah decided to dump her boyfriend because he
was involved in self-destructive behaviors.
 siblings (noun): brothers or sisters – Many siblings experience problems as they grow up.
 frank (adjective): direct or open – You often have to be frank with people who are struggling
with serious financial problems, so you can help them get out of debt.
 booze (noun): alcohol (informal) – They were giving out booze at that party to kids who were
drinking illegally. confidential (adjective): private – Marriage therapists always keep conversations
confidential, so you don’t have to worry that your problems don’t become the gossip of the town.
 ASSISTED LIVING
Idioms:

“pull through” = recover from an illness “Grandma had a serious accident in her car, but the
doctors think that she’s going to pull through.”
“run in the family” = to be common in the family “The doctors said that this disorder might run in
the family.“

Vocabulary:

 orphanage (noun): a home for children whose parents have died My parents are going to build
an orphanage next year.
 be committed (verb): dedicated or loyal to something or someone – Maria and James are very
committed to their children. They always spend time with them on the weekends.
 disorder (noun): a health condition that is not normal The doctors are doing a lot of tests to
determine the cause of the disorder.
 cognitive (adjective): having the mental ability to think and learn – The disease is having a
negative effect on her cognitive ability to speak.
 devastating (adjective): causing extreme emotional pain or harm – The loss of their mom has
had a devastating impact on the family.
 carry on (verb): continue doing something – It is often difficult to carry on with your work when
you are worried about the poor health of your family.
 appetite (noun): a desire for food – Maria’s sister has lost her appetite due to her illness, and she
hasn’t eaten much for three days.
 excursion (noun): a short trip for fun or pleasure – The hospital tries to take patients out for
short excursions whenever the weather is nice.
 lighten (verb): make less heavy or difficult – Some of the neighbors have donated meals and
money to lighten the financial load on our family. burden (noun): something that is difficult to do
or deal with – Paying for hospital bills can be a heavy burden on families without the means to pay
for them.
Tuesday BUDGET PLANER

Idioms:

“lie through one’s teeth” = lie so you don’t get in trouble “The man lied through his teeth even
though he was guilty of the crime.”
“rip someone off” = cheat someone “I decided to hire a lawyer because the salesman ripped me
off.”

Vocabulary:

 buck (noun): dollar – Could you load me a buck or two until tomorrow?
 be strapped for cash (idiom): have no money available – He has really been strapped for cash
because he lost his job two weeks ago.
 pinch pennies (idiom): be careful with money – That young couple had to pinch pennies so they
could live.
 in the hole (idiom): in debt – My brother has charged so many purchases to his credit cards that
he’s in the hole.
 make ends meet (idiom): make enough money to live – When I was a student, I had to work
three part-time jobs to make ends meet.
 land (verb): find – I need to land a good job where I can earn a lot of money.
 be loaded (adjective): having a lot of money – Don’t let him borrow money off you because, in
reality, he’s loaded. His rich parents give him $2,500 in spending money a month!
 budget (noun): a financial plan of expenses and income – You should create a budget of your
expenses.
 keep track of (idiom): keep a record of – Any business should keep track of its earnings.
 run out (phrasal verb): use up or exhaust – If you don’t keep a budget, you might run out of
money before your next paycheck.
 utilities (noun): services provided by gas, power, and water companies – The rent for this
apartment includes the cost of utilities.
 pay through the nose (idiom): pay an excessive amount of money – Car insurance is so expensive
that you have to pay through the nose to get any type of coverage these days.
 knack (noun): a special way or ability of doing something – My mother has a real knack for saving
money on her low salary.
 blow (verb): spend thoughtlessly or wastefully; throw away – People sometimes blow money on
things that have no lasting value.
 commute (verb): travel back and forth between work and home – I commute by bus everyday.
 curb (verb): lessen or reduce – Unless you curb your spending, you’re going to run out of money
before the week is over.
 CAR ACCIDENTS
Idioms:
“crash course” = a course in which you learn the material in a very short time period “She took a
driving crash course before she went on vacation.”
“black ice” = a coating of ice on the road that is nearly invisible to drivers “Be careful as you drive
home tonight because there are sure to be patches of black ice on the highways.”

Vocabulary:

 blab (verb): talk too much about unimportant things, some of which might be private matters –
She blabbed to her friends all about the accident and how it was all my fault. How embarrassing.
 jump to conclusions (idiom): form an opinion without all the facts and evidence – Hey, don’t
jump to conclusions. The accident might not have been her fault.
 pull into (phrasal verb): move into a spot like a parking space or driveway – When you arrive, just
pull your car into the garage.
 ruin (verb): spoil or destroy something completely – You’re going to ruin your car if you drive it
like that.
 be in a jam (idiom): be in a difficult situation – I’m in a real jam because I have a date tonight,
but my car broke down this afternoon? What am I going to do?
 tough (adjective): difficult or unfortunate – Not having a car right now must be really tough. How
are you going to get to work without one?
 awesome (adjective): very good, impressive – That’s awesome that your parents are letting you
use their car for the weekend.
 count on (phrasal verb): depend on – I can always count on my kids to drive safely. Otherwise, I
wouldn’t let them use my car.
 wreck (verb): completely destroy or ruin – My father wrecked the family car last night, but
fortunately, he wasn’t hurt.