Lesson 16

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as soon as = right after; when

A: Are you coming to lunch?

B: I'll be there as soon as I finish this.

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attribute A to B = say A is a result of B

Most people attribute the good economy to the new president.

Scientists attribute the warm weather to pollution.

Many of the deaths in the earthquake were attributed to poor construction.

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be apt to = be likely to; will probably

He is apt to fail the test because he didn't study.

A: Let's go shopping!

B: It's a holiday. Stores are apt to be closed.

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cut down on = reduce; do/have less

After that night, he decided to cut down on alcohol.

A: Why don't you want some cake?

B: My dentist told me to cut down on sugar.

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end up = finally be; be in the end

The ice-cream ended up on the floor.

The extra food at the party ended up in the garbage.

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get over = recover from; overcome

A: How did you get over your cold so fast?

B: I ate 30 oranges a day for 3 days.

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get used to = be accustomed to; be familiar and comfortable with

A: It's almost midnight. Aren't you tired?

B: No. I'm used to going to bed late.

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in comparison with = looking at in order to see the difference

A: Your house is so small.

B: Yes, but in comparison with my old house, it's a palace!

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in no time = very quickly

The police arrived in no time.

A: Are we almost there? I am so hungry!

B: Don't worry. We'll be there in no time.

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used to = occurring or existing in the past

My family used to eat dinner together, but now we are too busy.

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Research has found that as soon as a man and a woman get married, they start putting on weight. Men usually gain about four pounds. Women gain about five.

Researchers attribute the weight gain to changes in the exercise habits of newly married couples. A newly married man who used to spend several hours each week exercising is apt to stop exercising in order to spend more time with his new wife.

After the couple gets used to their new life together, they may begin to exercise again. However, usually the couple ends up exercising for a shorter time together in comparison with the time they exercised separately before marriage. One way a husband and wife can get over this problem is to begin to exercise together soon after the wedding.

The food a couple eats can also help the couple control their weight. In general, most people need to cut down on the foods which are high in fat. Couples who are used to eating a lot of beef, fried food, and deserts should try to eat more vegetables, chicken, and fish.

Couples who start putting on weight after marriage can get back to their old healthy weight in no time with the proper diet and exercise.

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