Phrasal Verbs and Expressions in English: Vocabulary, Meanings and Practice with a Personal Storm Story

English Vocabulary: Expressions and Phrasal Verbs

Soft drinks: bebidas alcohólicas (note: in English, soft drinks actually means non-alcoholic beverages, such as cola or lemonade)
Withdraw money: retirar el dinero
Join the army: alistarse en el ejército
Make a will: hacer testamento
Hold a licence: poseer una licencia
Toy with: pensar en (de forma superficial), jugar con la idea de
Take on: asumir
Pick on: meterse con, acosar
Leave out: dejar de lado, omitir
Go wrong: ir mal, salir mal
Think twice: pensarlo dos veces
Make sure: asegurarse
Dare: atreverse
Willing: dispuesto, complaciente
Weigh up the pros and cons: sopesar los pros y los contras
Spring up: surgir, aparecer de repente
Break out: estallar, desencadenarse (por ejemplo, una guerra o un incendio)
Get through: superar, pasar
Pass down: transmitir (de generación en generación)
Banned: prohibido
Beat: vencer, derrotar
Sponsorship deals: contratos de patrocinio
Throw out: echar, expulsar, tirar
Turn up: aparecer, presentarse
Pull out: retirarse, abandonar
Call off: suspender, cancelar

Personal Introduction

I'm a friendly and beautiful boy from Terrassa, a city near Barcelona. I really like to talk and laugh, that's why people who know me say that I am a very sociable person. I can talk about many different topics, and I always want to share my opinion.

My Hobbies and Interests

My hobbies are going to the gym and cycling. I also have a great passion for video games and going to parties, and I love techno music.

My Family and Hometown

There are four people in my family: my parents, my older sister and me. We live in Terrassa, a city that has everything needed to live well, and it is also calm. It has the advantage of being only thirty minutes from a city as important as Barcelona.

A Frightening Experience on the Road

Last Sunday I was travelling by car with my father along a lonely road in the Pyrenees. We were going to visit my grandparents, who live in a small town in Pallars.

Suddenly the weather changed and it began to rain hard; it was a heavy storm. At first I told my father that it would be better to stop and wait until the storm went away. My father said that we couldn't wait, because our grandparents were waiting for us. After a while I was frightened and told my father again to stop, and finally he stopped the car.

We were completely alone on the road and the storm was getting stronger. I had never seen anything like it, and my father was also terrified. The next moment something like a tornado passed above us; I do not know how to describe it. I was battered all over my body and I heard my father shouting.

Afterwards, I felt very frightened and excited, but the danger had already passed. My father and I were unharmed. The car had been moved from its place and had some dents and a cracked windscreen. We waited a while and we calmed down. Finally it was all over. It was a very exciting experience and I will never forget it.

Looking to Meet New People

I am interested in getting to know some other interesting girls from other countries in Europe. I would like to visit them and improve my English. In general I like meeting people, and I hope to find nice people who share my interests and sense of humour.