[B] Ears

LET'S UNLOCK WORDS AND PHRASES 🔐

spontaneously

[ spon-'tay-nee-us-lee ]

adverb

- in a natural, unplanned, or sudden way without being forced or planned ahead of time

The crowd spotaneously erupted into cheers after the performance.

circumstance

[ 'sur-kuhm-stans ]

noun

- a fact or condition connected with or affecting a situation or event

Given the difficult circumstance, he handled the situation well.

instincts

[ 'in-stinks ]

noun

- natural or intuitive ways of thinking or acting, often without conscious thought

Her instincts told her that something was wrong with the proposal.

skyrocketed

[ 'skai-rah-ket-ed ]

verb

- increased suddenly and dramatically to a very high level

The price of fuel skyrocketed after the announcement of new taxes.

infuriating

[ in-'fyoor-ee-ay-ting ]

adjective

- causing intense anger or frustration

It was infuriating to wait in line for hours only to be told the system was down.

LET'S UNDERSTAND! 📚

A. play it by ear

to act spontaneously rather than following a set plan

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Dialogue

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Mia

What’s the agenda for tomorrow’s outing?

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James

Let’s play it by ear and decide based on the circumstances. If it’s sunny, we can explore the park.

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Mia

That works for me. Flexibility makes things less stressful.

B. play by ear

to perform a piece of music or handle a situation intuitively, without prior preparation

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Dialogue

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Sarah

How did you manage the performance without any sheet music?

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Ben

I played by ear. I’ve memorized the melody, so I relied on my instincts.

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Sarah

Impressive! That requires both talent and confidence.

C. couldn't believe my ears

to be shocked or astonished by something you heard. It expresses surprise or disbelief at what was said

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Dialogue

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Emma

When the CEO announced a bonus for all employees, I couldn’t believe my ears!

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Tom

Same here! It was completely unexpected, but definitely a pleasant surprise.

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Emma

Motivation levels just skyrocketed!

D. goes in one ear and out the other

to forget or ignore what they’ve heard, not paying attention or retaining the information

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Dialogue

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Liam

My colleague never follows instructions—it goes in one ear and out the other.

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Nina

That must be infuriating, especially when deadlines are tight.

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Liam

Exactly. It disrupts the entire workflow.

E. I'm all ears!

to fully listen and eager to hear what someone has to say

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Dialogue

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Sophia

I have an exciting proposal for our project!

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Jacob

Let’s hear it. I’m all ears!

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Sophia

We could integrate interactive features to make it more engaging.

LET'S PRACTICE! 📝

Part I

Direction: Choose the appropriate idioms to complete each of the sentences.

couldn’t believe my ears	went in one ear and out the other
I’m all ears!	played by ear
play it by ear

When my professor began explaining the advanced concept, I told her, “ .”
Despite being told repeatedly, the instructions just for some team members.
Upon hearing the good news about the scholarship, I !
Since we didn’t have a solid plan, we decided to and adapt as the day unfolded.
During the jam session, the pianist , improvising beautifully without a score.

Part II

Direction: Listen as your mentor reads the statements twice. Then, repeat after your mentor.

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Part III

Direction: Read the sentences and choose the correct synonym for each underlined phrase.

Since I didn’t prepare for the interview, I had no choice but to play it by ear.
.
When they unexpectedly announced a holiday, I was so surprised that I could hardly believe my ears.
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