Idioms
I know that the fight that they had yesterday seemed serious, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
just a small part of a much bigger problem
signify: She considered that Byron's latest efforts in the classroom might signify his desire to make a positive change.
signify: to show or indicate; to be a sign of something
Mr. Johnson looked up at the sky. It was clear as far as the eye could see, except for the cruel sun. The insatiable sun drained the land of all moisture. He cursed the sun. Mr. Johnson ran his fingers through one of the rows of dirt and grabbed a handful. It was bone dry, almost powdery. He let the dirt sift through his fingers and it turned to dust in the wind. Mr. Johnson put his hands on his hips and surveyed the field. It was well seeded, that he knew. He seeded it himself, yet nothing sprang from the dirt. "Well, there's only one thing left to do," he said to himself. Mr. Johnson headed to church.
Mr. Johnson is a farmer.
WHY? I know this because he is surveying a field that he has seeded.
Justin didn't want to get involved in the struggle for civil rights. He just wanted to go to school. Unfortunately, many people in the community did not want Justin to go to their school because of his African American heritage. A simple walk to school becomes a powerful march for rights as Justin, a group of civil rights leaders, and millions of supporters make Justin's case the centerpiece in a heated battle for equal rights.
Protagonist?
Antagonist?
Protagonist: Justin
Antagonist: Society
Type of Conflict: Person vs. Society
Fact or Opinion?
The waltz is danced in triple time.
Fact - Musical experts unanimously agree with this statement.
I would have loved to call in sick everyday until the summer, but I had to face the music one day.
This means to confront something that is troubling.
laborious: Dexter wanted to take honors math, but the course load was too laborious alongside his football practices.
laborious: something that is a lot of work; a task requiring lots of effort over a long period of time
Pablo slowly got off the ground and wiped the dust from his pants. There were several tears in both legs. He could see blood through the holes. He picked the gravel from his wounds, wiped off the dust and looked at the motorbike. The bike was on its side, the front wheel was turned around, and the wheel was spinning. Pablo's elbow and shoulder gave him pain as he struggled to pull the heavy bike upright once again. He resumed his position in the seat and headed once more for home. When he got there, he quickly grabbed the hose and sprayed down the motorbike. He wiped it down with a rag from his father's garage and then parked it against the wall. He walked inside of his house where his mother was shocked to see him. "Oh my! By heavens, what happened to you, Pablo?" Pablo did not even hesitate, "I got attacked by a dog after school by Jalen's house. It was one of his neighbor's dogs."
Why does Pablo wash his bike off when he gets home?
He is attempting to cover up the accident.
I know this because he lies to his mother about what happened to him.
Kelly just wanted a cup of coffee, but the coffee machine in the office is on the fritz. This inconvenient situation turns into an epic battle as Kelly won't take "It's broke" for an answer. Join Kelly as she spends the better part of her workday fiddling with the coffee maker in a desperate attempt to get caffeinated.
Protagonist?
Antagonist?
Protagonist: Kelly
Antagonist: The coffee maker
Type of Conflict: Person vs. Technology
unison: The two girls responded in unison, "We didn't do anything," which only made the principal more suspicious.
unison: two or more things said or done at the same time
Jacob wanted to join karate class, but with the cost of his sister's ballet class, he had to put his karate dreams on the back burner.
This means to place low priority or give less attention to something.
smitten: When I saw that she was making a special Valentine's Day card just for Kevin, I knew that she was smitten with him.
smitten: to feel a strong attachment or love for someone
Virgil slammed his fist against the locker. The hallway was packed one minute ago, but now most of the students had filed into their classes. The bell would ring shortly. Virgil looked around urgently but saw no friendly faces. He faced the locker again and started spinning the lock, first right, then left, then right. He took a deep breath and pulled the lock. It held tight. Virgil let out an expletive at the exact moment that the bell rang. Virgil grabbed the handle of the locker and yanked it repeatedly in a fit of frustration. Then he threw his arms against the locker and burrowed his head into his arms. Finally, he pushed himself off of the locker and went to look for a custodian.
Why did Virgil go to look for a custodian at the end of the passage?
Virgil went to locate a custodian because the custodian probably has keys or bolt cutters with which they can open Virgil's locker.
Kyle thought it was a little weird this morning when his neighbor tried to eat him, but it wasn't until about half way through first period that he realized why: Kyle's community is under a full-scale zombie attack. Kyle escapes from the zombie principal's office to find help, but the school's former bullies are now zombies. Kyle is going to have to get creative to survive this one.
Protagonist?
Antagonist?
Protagonist: Kyle
Antagonist: Zombies
Type of Conflict: Person vs. Supernatural
Tommy's mother didn't even lecture him after he came home late again; it was like beating a dead horse.
This means to argue or stress a point that has already been proven or is understood.
Vince was sick of school, but on Thursday he could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
This means that the end of a challenging ordeal is approaching.
grotesque: The giant garbage monster moved his grotesque head from side to side as he yelled at the children for stepping on his lawn.
grotesque: something that looks disgusting or repulsive
"Honey, I'm home!" Valentino shouted as he crossed the threshold. He walked into the kitchen and put his coat and bag on a counter stool, careful not to damage the flowers that he was carrying. "Where are you, honey?" Valentino asked. "I'm upstairs, dearest!" Dulce shouted as she finished wrapping the tie. Valentino held the flowers behind his back and crept up the stairs. Dulce tied the bow and concealed the package behind her back as she stepped into the hallway. Their eyes met and Valentino and Dulce smiled at one another.
What event is likely to occur next?
They are going to exchange gifts.
Willow loved living by herself in the middle of the woods, until things started moving around her cabin all by themselves. It started with a book falling from the shelf, then a light flickering on and off, and now it's gotten out of control. Willow contacts a medicine man who lives near her, and he informs her that she is dealing with ghosts. Can Willow make peace with these spirits or will they make pieces out of her?
Protagonist: Willow
Antagonist: Ghosts
Type of Conflict: Person vs. Supernatural
Buck is the most skilled banjo player in town and is praised by all, until Chuck arrives from the big city. Soon Buck's fans are going to Chuck's showings instead and Buck decides to settle it. Now Buck must compete with Chuck in a contest of dueling banjos to determine who is the greatest and who will leave town for good. Will Buck's raw, grassroots twang overcome Chuck's more polished big city style?
Protagonist?
Antagonist?
Protagonist: Buck
Antagonist: Chuck
Type of Conflict: Person vs. Person
Chrissy yelled at Alec for taking the last wingding, but he wasn't scared because he knew that she was all bark and no bite.
This means that somebody makes many threats but does not actually follow through on them.
profound: His reading abilities have improved in a profound way since he stopped playing around in class and started doing his homework every night.
profound: great, significant, meaningful
"Nico!" Erin shouted at the top of her lungs as she bounded through the meadow, "Come back, Nico!" She was nearly out of breath but she kept running through the tall grass. "Nico, come on, boy! It's time to go home!" Erin continued shouting, her voice hoarse from shouting similar expressions all day. Then she stumbled over the leash that she was carrying, "Whoa Come on Nico!" Erin shouted, regaining her balance.
Why has Erin been "shouting similar expressions all day"?
Nico is disobedient and / or poorly trained.
I know this because he does not appear to respond to Erin's commands.
lice is surrounded by junk. Everywhere she looks, people are littering, tossing recyclable materials in the garbage, and wasting perfectly good resources that could be reused. Alice decides to take a stand against this. She and a small group of environmentally conscious friends create an antilittering campaign. When one of their videos goes viral, Alice finally gets the attention that she needs to make her point. Will she be able to affect change?
Protagonist: Alice
Antagonist: Society (wasteful habits in particular)
Type of Conflict: Person vs. Society
"Argh!" Amber exclaimed as she pulled off her sweater and threw it into a multicolored pile of clothes. She walked into her closet and swept her hand recklessly through the rows of hanging garments, her face reflecting her dissatisfaction. She scoffed and grabbed a silver dress. She held it up to the mirror against her body for a moment, sighed, and then stepped into the dress. She gazed into the mirror, and then huffed and threw her fists down with disappointment. She heard her mother's voice through the door, "Amber, Scott's here. Are you almost ready?" Amber groaned, "OK, just tell him I'll be down in two minutes!" She slid the silver dress back off and threw it into an ever-growing multicolored pile of clothes.
Will Amber be ready to meet Scott in two minutes? Why or why not?
Amber will not be ready to meet Scott in two minutes because she still will not have an outfit to wear.