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2 Chapter 3: Personality and Character

Personality and Character

A.Read the idioms and their meanings:

  1. A dark horse= Hides surprising skills

Free A man in a hat with a horse in a black and white photo, exuding a mysterious vibe. Stock Photo

cc: Zeynep Uluc (https://www.pexels.com/photo/mysterious-cowboy-and-horse-in-monochrome-29913805/)

 

2. Go-getter= Gets things done, doesn’t wait for things to happen

Free Businesswoman with folder and briefcase standing confidently outdoors, sunlit background. Stock Photo

cc: cutton bro studio (https://www.pexels.com/photo/pretty-woman-holding-a-white-folder-standing-near-a-wall-6533061/)

 

3. A social butterfly= a social person who loves to interact with others

Free Two men enjoying a relaxed conversation with laptops in a cozy Brazilian café. Stock Photo

cc: Helena Lopez (https://www.pexels.com/photo/photograph-of-men-having-conversation-seating-on-chair-1015568/)

 

Cheapskate= Doesn’t like to spend much money.

Free A man hides his face behind banknotes, conveying financial stress indoors. Stock Photo

cc: Diana (https://www.pexels.com/photo/serious-young-male-covering-face-with-banknotes-6832333/)

 

B.Find the idioms in the paragraph:

My colleagues are all so different. Fei, for one, is a bit of a dark horse. None of us knew she could sing so well. Mark, on the other hand, is the go-getter of the team—he always gets things done quickly without being assigned to a job. Lisa is our social butterfly; she always organizes happy hours and knows everyone in the whole company. And John is definitely the cheapskate when it comes to spending money. He’ll never buy something big unless there’s a coupon involved! 

 

C. Let’s watch a video about these idioms and more:

cc: English Espresso (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGCSqt-AihI&t=358s)

 

D. Match the idiom to its meaning:

Idiom 

Meaning 

1. A dark horse 

A. A person who is very social and loves to interact with others.

2. Go-getter 

B. A person who hides surprising skills or talents and reveals them unexpectedly

3. A social butterfly 

C. A person who works hard, gets things done, and doesn’t wait for opportunities to come

4. Cheapskate 

D. A person who is very reluctant to spend money and often tries to avoid spending.

 

E. Fill in the blanks with the correct idiom.

1.
Maya: I didn’t expect Olivia to win the whole tournament!
Zane: Yeah, she’s definitely _________________________.
Maya: Quiet, but full of talent.

2.
Ben: Sarah knows everyone at this party.
Lily: Of course she does. She’s _________________________.
Ben: She never stops moving!

3.
Leo: Who’s that new intern? She’s already leading a project.
Emma: That’s Hannah. She’s such _________________________—always one step ahead.
Leo: Impressive!

4.
Tom: I can’t believe Dan made us split the bill exactly by cents.
Nora: Yeah, he’s such _________________________.
Tom: Next time, I’m not going out with him!

 

 

F. Write your own sentences using some of these idioms.

1. A dark horse 

2. Go-getter 

3. A social butterfly 

4. Cheapskate 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers: D. 1. B 2.C 3.A 4.D

E. 1. a dark horse 2. a social butterfly 3. a go-getter 4. a cheapskate

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Idioms in English for High Intermediate Level Copyright © by Lake Washington Institute of Technology is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.