"The Icing on the Cake" Vocabulary

​"The Icing on the Cake"

Vocabulary Lesson

night shift

a period during the night when a specific group of employees work

Example: Sarita works as a nurse's aide at the hospital from midnight to 8 am. She works the night shift.

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bowls or other containers to keep candies on a table or desk

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Candy dishes

​Credit: "The Icing on the Cake" by StoryCorps

pajamas for young children that also cover their feet

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pajamas with the little plastic feet

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​Credit: "The Icing on the Cake" by StoryCorps

machines in offices, schools, and hospitals where you can buy snacks or drinks

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Photo Credit: Estera Nicoi on Unsplash

vending machine

take children to their beds so they can sleep

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Photo credit: "kids sleeping" by jencu is licensed under CC BY 2.0

put us to sleep

a different way to say "sofas" in English

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Photo credit: "New stuff in the office" by karlnorling is licensed under CC BY 2.0

couches

went through a lot of things

to experience many difficulties

Example: When we first came here we went through a lot of things, like not eating…

raise

to take care of your children until they become adults

Example: If you could do everything again, would you raise me differently?

trying to make ends meet

to work to have enough money to pay your bills

Example: For me watching you go to school with two kids and trying to make ends meet, that was the biggest inspiration for me to finish college.

stand in my way

to try to stop someone from reaching a goal

Example: There’s nothing that could stand in my way that didn’t stand in yours more.

from here on out

from now and going into the future

Example: I feel like anything I do from here on out is ok because I’ve already achieved my dream.

achieved my dream

succeed and reach an important goal

Example: I feel like anything I do from here on out is ok because I’ve already achieved my dream.

icing on the cake

a good situation is now even better

Example: Everything else is icing on the cake.

Now see how you do with the vocabulary!

You can review the lesson and take the quiz as many times as you like.

Multiple Choice

couches

• chairs

• tables

• lamps

• sofas

Multiple Choice

from here on out

• from now to tomorrow

• from now into the future

• right now

• the past

Multiple Choice

raise

• to build something

• to lift up something

• to take care of your children until they are adults

• to receive more money

Multiple Choice

went through a lot of things

• to experience many difficulties

• to pass through a tunnel

• to enter the subway

• to select some things

Multiple Choice

put us to bed

• to stay awake all night

• to jump on the bed

• to hide under the bed

• to take children to bed to sleep

Multiple Choice

candy dishes

• candies in a bag

• bags of candies on a table

• a bowl or other container with candies on a table or desk

• candies to buy in a store

Multiple Choice

pajamas with the little plastic feet

Multiple Choice

night shift

• to work part-time

• a period during the night when a specific group of people work

• to work from 9 am to 5 pm

• to work from 4 pm to midnight

Multiple Choice

achieved my dream

• to not succeed at an important goal

• to work at reaching a goal

• to succeed and reach an important goal

• to decide on a goal

Multiple Choice

stand in my way

• to try to prevent someone from doing something important

• to help someone to do something important

• to stand in front of someone

• to stand on a line for someone

Multiple Choice

vending machine

• a machine that accepts deposit bottles

• a machine where you can deposit trash

• a machine where you can buy snacks and drinks

• a machine that helps you make things

Multiple Choice

icing on the cake

• a bad situation is worse than before

• a situation stays the same

• an uncertain situation

• something that makes a good situation even better

Image credits

Quiz Credits:

Kids in pajamas (boys): David Shankbone, CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons

Girl in nightie: Image courtesy of sewmuchado.com

Kids on top of each other: Hermione30, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License via DeviantArt