voa special english

 

Now, the VOA Special English program-Words and Their Stories.

I'm Rich Kleinfeldt with some expressions using the word "heart". People believed for a long time that the heart was the 1. __center___ of a person's emotions. That is why the word "heart" is used in so many expressions about 2. _emotional____situations.

One such expression is to lose your heart to someone. When that happens, you have 3. ___fallen__ in love. But if the person who won your heart does not love you, then you are 4.__sure___ to have a broken heart. In your 5.___pain__and 6.__sadness___, you may decide that the person you loved is hard-hearted. And in 7.__fact___, has a heart of stone.

You may decide to pour out your heart to a friend. Telling someone about your 8.__personal___ problems can often make you feel better. If your friend does not seem to 9._understand____ how painful your broken heart is, you may ask her to have a heart. You are asking your friend to show some 10._ sympathy ____ for your situation. Your friend has her heart in the right place. If she says she is sorry, and shows great 11._concern____ for how you feel.

Your friend may, however, warn you, not to wear your heart on your sleeve. In other words, do not let everyone see how lovesick you are. When your heart is on your 12.__sleeve___, you are showing your deepest 13.__emotions___. If your friend says my heart bleeds for you, she means the 14.__opposite___. She is a cold-hearted person who does not really 15._care____ about your situation.

In the ever-popular motion picture the Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man seeks a heart. He wanted to feel the emotion of love, and re-seeking help from the powerful Wizard of Oz to find a heart.

The Cowardly Lion, in the same movie, did have a heart. But he lacked 16.___courage__ and wanted to ask the Wizard of Oz to give him some. You could say that the Cowardly Lion was chicken-hearted. That is another way of describing someone who is not very brave.

A chicken is not 17._____ for its bravery. Thus, someone who is chicken-hearted does not have much courage. When you are 18._____ or concerned, your heart is in your mouth. You might say, for example, that your heart was in your mouth when you ask a bank to 19.___lend__ you some money to pay for a new house. If that bank says no to you do not lose heart, be strong-hearted. Sit down with the 20.___banker__and have a heart-to-heart talk. Be open and 21.__honest___ about your situation. The bank may have a change of heart. It may 22._agree____ to lend you the money. Then you could stop 23.___worrying___ and put your heart at rest.

 

Homework 1.

Please fill in the blanks. Tips: Be careful when you are doing this part.

Homework 2.

Please check out the English meaning of the underlined phrases. And send me back the explanation.

Homework 3.

Make a sentence with each underlined part.