Trying to consolidate pertinent ideas and concepts from English, Chinese and Science to prepare my child for the Primary School Leaving Examination
Idioms
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Come rain or shine Meaning: Regardless of whatever happens. Example: I am Justin Bieber’s biggest fan; come rain or shine, I will be at his upcoming concert!
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Fair-weather friend Meaning: Somebody who is not a true friend and abandons one when the going gets tough. Example: Donald had his fair share of fair-weather friends—people who paired with him when he was still a millionaire but vanished when he declared bankruptcy.
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It never rains but it pours Meaning: When one bad thing happens, other bad things happen too. Example: Nicholas, who is usually a healthy boy, suddenly fell ill with a fever, then accidentally tripped and fell down the stairs, leaving him with a broken foot. It never rains but it pours!
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Storm in a teacup Meaning: To exaggerate the seriousness of a situation; making a mountain out of a molehill. Example: Mrs. Ho made a storm in a teacup out of Tessa’s eating in the classroom, threatening to expel her.
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Throw caution to the wind Meaning: To disregard one’s responsibilities and act on impulse. Example: In the heat of the moment, Sally threw caution to the wind and quit her well-paying job at the university to travel the world.
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RAINING CATS AND DOGS
- Heavy rain. Really heavy.
- Origin: In 17th-century England, torrential weather resulted in garbage and animal carcasses — mainly strays like cats and dogs — being washed up on the streets due to bad drainage. The sight would seem like these things fell from the sky. Voilà!
成语
- 风和日丽：形容天气晴朗，风和日暖。
- 烈日当空: scorching hot and dry. 炎热的太阳高挂天空。 形容天气酷热
- 倾盆大雨: downpour. 形容雨大势急。
- 遮风挡雨: keep out wind and rain. 比喻起保护作用。
- 雨过天晴：after the rain, the sky clears.
Science
- It feels stuffy before a heavy rain. In summer, the ground temperature is high, and the temperature of the air near the ground also increases, making it easy to rain heavily. Before a heavy rain, the humidity in the air is relatively high, and the amount of water vapor also increases. When the air contains a large amount of water vapor, the moisture on the ground is not easy to evaporate. As a result, the sweat on people’s bodies also does not evaporate easily, causing a feeling of extreme stuffiness and heat.