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Classroom
Today
Learn American
English idioms
letter M |
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Today in the classroom you are going
to learn some idioms beginning with the letter M. |
Hey
if you cannot understand something on this page,
then use the Fun Easy English
dictionary
(opens in a new window) |
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: American
English Idioms - Letter M
Today learn idioms beginning with the letter M. |
BLUE UPPER CASE LETTERS =
video and detailed written definition and usage
blue lower case letters =
video definition and usage
BLACK UPPER CASE LETTERS =
detailed written definition and usage
black lower case letters =
brief written definition and usage |
Idiom |
Definition |
Usage |
mad as a hornet |
very angry |
He was mad as a
hornet when I saw yesterday. |
made a hit |
was popular |
Her cake made a
hit at the party. |
make a beeline |
go directly and quickly |
She will probably
make a beeline to the travel section. |
make a bundle |
make a lot of money |
He could make a
bundle on the stock market this year. |
MAKE A
CLEAN BREAST OF IT |
to admit and explain some wrongdoing; to confess something
Compare to: wipe the slate clean; get something off (one’s)
chest
Whereas make a clean breast of it concerns a wrongdoing, get
something off one’s chest refers more generally to one’s
troubles, worries, or concerns.
The expression suggests that guilt is kept in one’s breast
(heart) and that by revealing one’s guilt, one cleans one’s
breast. |
1. The thief admitted to the judge that he was guilty and
told him the whole story of his crime. He made a clean
breast of it.
2. The children had lied about taking the candy without
permission. They eventually went to their father and made a
clean breast of it, telling him everything. |
make a day of it |
stay the entire day |
We decided to
make a day of it at the park. |
make a dent |
make progress |
It seemed like we did
not even make a dent towards completing the
project. |
make a
difference |
change anything |
It does not seem to
make a difference if we talk or not. |
make a go of |
achieve success in |
He is trying to
make a go of the business even though he is losing
money. |
make a killing |
make a lot of money |
You can make a
killing in Las Vegas. |
make a living |
make enough money |
You cannot make
a living at your present job. |
MAKE A
LONG STORY SHORT |
to summarize; to tell only the main points |
1. To make a long story short, I think your idea is
terrible.
2. He tried to make a long story short, but she wouldn’t let
him finish. |
make a mistake |
make an error |
Try not to make
a mistake on the exam. |
MAKE A
MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL |
to exaggerate the importance of something; to react more
strongly to a situation than is reasonably called for
A molehill is a very small pile of dirt made by a small
animal, a mole, which digs tunnels underground. To think
that a molehill is as large as a mountain is to greatly
exaggerate. |
1. I know you feel hurt because Jean didn’t invite you to
her wedding, but it was a very small wedding, with just
family members and very close friends. You’re making a
mountain out of a molehill if you get upset about it.
2. The clerk gave me the wrong item, then he charged me the
wrong price and gave me the wrong change. Should I complain
to the manager about him, or am I making a mountain out of a
molehill? |
make a name for
oneself |
become famous |
She is trying to
make a name for herself in the field of literature. |
make a pass at
someone |
make romantic advances
to him |
She tried to
make a pass at him and lost her job. |
make a point of |
have the intent of |
You should make
a point of doing your homework every night. |
make a run for
it |
leave quickly |
I think that she will
make a run for it as soon as the class
finished. |
make away with |
leave with |
The bank robber tried to
make away with the money. |
make believe |
a pretend game |
The children were
playing make believe. |
make do with |
substitute |
You have to make
do with milk instead of cream. |
MAKE
ENDS MEET |
to manage financially; to have enough money for one’s basic
needs
Synonym: get by
Compare to: keep (one’s) head above water
Both keep one’s head above water and make ends meet mean
having just enough money but no extra, although the former
conveys a feeling of desperation. Keep one’s head above
water can also mean survival in situations other than
financial, whereas make ends meet is limited to financial
survival. |
1. We can hardly pay the rent, buy enough food, and keep the
children in clothing. We’re barely making ends meet.
2. Roger was unable to support his family on his teacher’s
salary. He made ends meet by taking a second job. |
MAKE
HEADS OR TAILS OF (SOMETHING) |
to understand something
The head is the top or front of something, while the tail is
the bottom or back. In use since the 1600s, the phrase make
heads or tails of something means to understand it from
beginning to end (top to bottom).
The expression is usually used in the negative or in
question form. |
1. I can’t hear you clearly because the telephone connection
is bad. I can’t make heads or tails of what you’re saying.
2. First Louise turned the book one way, then the other. She
couldn’t make heads or tails of the picture she was looking
at. |
MAKE
(ONE’S) BLOOD BOIL |
to cause someone to become extremely angry
Compare to: hopping mad; hot under the collar; boiling point
The expression suggests that when one is very angry, one’s
blood gets so hot that it boils. |
1. I had told Fred never to borrow my car without permission
again, but he did it anyway. That makes my blood boil.
2. The secretary could hardly believe what one of the office
workers had said about her. She was angrier than she could
ever remember being before. It made her blood boil. |
MAKE
(ONE’S) MOUTH WATER |
to make one salivate in anticipation of something good
The expression is often used in reference to something good
to eat (sentence 1), but it can also be used figuratively
(sentence 2). |
1. The chocolate in the display window looks delicious. It
makes my mouth water.
2. Charles had been saving his money, and now he was so
close to being able to buy the sports car he wanted, it made
his mouth water. He could practically taste it. |
MAKE OR
BREAK |
to be the deciding factor in whether something succeeds or
fails
Compare to: turning point |
1. The Smiths were about to sell their house, but the buyers
didn’t like the color. The Smiths decided to give it a new
coat of paint at no extra cost, in case painting the house
might make or break the deal.
2. Susan decided to study for the test through the night.
She knew that her grade on this test would make or break her
chances of getting admitted to graduate school. |
MAKE
(SOMETHING) FROM SCRATCH |
to make something by putting together the separate basic
components, rather than using a mix or kit or buying
something pre-made
Compare to: start from scratch
The expression make something from scratch is usually used
to describe baked goods (sentence 1). Something made from
scratch is considered to be superior to something pre-made,
because it is probably made more carefully and with the best
ingredients. |
1. My mother never buys cake mixes or ready-made cookies at
the supermarket. She always buys the flour, sugar, butter,
and eggs, and makes cakes and cookies from scratch.
2. George didn’t use a kit from a store to build a playhouse
for his children. Instead, he designed the playhouse
himself, bought all the materials he needed, and made it
from scratch. |
MAKE
THE GRADE |
to meet standards; to be satisfactory
Synonym: up to snuff
Compare to: cut the mustard
Whereas make the grade and up to snuff can be used to
describe both people (sentence 1) and things (sentence 2),
cut the mustard is usually used with people. |
1. Of the ten semifinalists in the competition, only three
made the grade to become finalists.
2. At the end of many manufacturing processes, people check
the quality of the goods produced. If the final products
don’t make the grade, they have to be thrown out. |
MAKE
TRACKS |
to leave, usually quickly
Compare to: beat a hasty retreat |
1. We have no reason to stay around, so let’s get going.
Let’s make tracks.
2. The boys were playing catch when they accidentally broke
one of Mr. Carson’s front windows. You’ve never seen two
boys make tracks as fast as they did. |
make
up your mind |
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main drag |
most important street |
The best hotels in Las
Vegas are located on the main drag. |
make waves |
cause trouble |
Try not to make
waves around the office. |
MARK
TIME |
to wait out one’s time by doing the minimum and without
progressing
The expression originates from the military command “Mark
time!” in which soldiers march in place, i.e., move their
feet up and down (go through the motions of marching)
without moving forward. |
1. Richard isn’t interested in making a career out of the
army. He’s just putting in the minimum amount of time,
marking time until he can leave.
2. Carol doesn’t particularly care for the job she has now,
so she’s decided to mark time until the job she really wants
comes along. |
maxed out |
exhausted |
I am maxed out
at my work and need to rest. |
means business |
is serious |
The boss means
business when he says to finish the project. |
mellow out |
relax |
You need to
mellow out and enjoy life. |
METHOD
TO (ONE’S) MADNESS |
explanation; forethought or logic
Antonym: rhyme or reason, no |
1. There is some method to her madness. It’s just difficult
to understand her way of doing things.
2. There is a method to my madness. I like to work on
difficult jobs in the morning, when I have the most energy.
I save all the simple, boring tasks in the evening, when I
need less brain power. |
mia |
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MIDAS
TOUCH |
the ability to make money or to be successful at everything
one becomes involved in
The expression originates from the story of Midas, a
mythological king of Phrygia, who was given the power to
turn anything he touched into gold. |
1. Everything Linda does is a success. She really has the
Midas touch.
2. When it comes to investing money and buying stocks, they
have the Midas touch. It seems like everything they buy goes
up in value. |
MILLSTONE AROUND (ONE’S) NECK |
a burden or handicap, or a source of worry or concern
Synonym: albatross around (one’s) neck
A millstone is a very heavy stone on which one grinds grain
in a mill. If a millstone were tied around one’s neck, it
would be a great burden. |
1. My elderly parents’ house is a millstone around my neck.
They are unable to keep it up and I have to do all the
repairs myself or pay someone to do them for me. I wish they
would sell the house and rent an apartment instead.
2. This year’s taxes have become a millstone around my neck.
If I had just gotten them done early, they wouldn’t be
stressing me out now. |
MIND
(ONE’S) OWN BUSINESS |
to not inquire about, become involved in, or interfere with
other people’s affairs
Synonyms: none of (one’s) business!
Antonym: stick (one’s) nose in
The expression mind your own business is a common response
of annoyance at a prying or rude inquiry. It is a very
direct, even rude, response, and is only used between people
of equal social standing. |
1. Sarah started to ask them some very personal questions.
They told her to mind her own business.
2. They were just sitting on the bus bench, minding their
own business, when a stranger approached them and started
telling them his life story. |
MISS
THE BOAT |
to miss an opportunity because one is too late |
1. I saw the furniture advertised on sale, but I didn’t get
to the store in time to buy it. I missed the boat on that
one.
2. Daniel plans to apply for college at the last possible
moment. If he doesn’t allow himself enough time, he’s going
to miss the boat. |
miss
the point |
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mom-and-pop |
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MONEY
TO BURN |
extra money; money to spend however one likes
The expression suggests that one has so much extra money
that one can afford to burn it. |
1. The company managers are taking us all out to an
expensive restaurant for lunch. They must have money to
burn!
2. I have to be careful how I spend my money. I don’t have
money to burn. |
MONKEY
AROUND |
to play like a monkey, i.e., climb on or examine things with
curiosity
Compare to: monkey business; clown around; horse around;
fool around
Monkey around emphasizes curiosity or the climbing aspect of
play whereas horse around emphasizes the physical nature of
play and clown around means to act silly. Fool around is the
most general of these and could substitute for the other
three. |
1. The children have to play in their bedroom. The living
room is not for them to monkey around in.
2. Steve likes to monkey around with old cars to see if he
can fix them. |
MONKEY
BUSINESS |
suspicious activity (sentence 1) or mischievous activity
(sentence 2)
Synonym: hanky-panky Compare to: monkey around |
1. The boss wasn’t sure, but he suspected that there was
some monkey business going on with the company accounts.
2. The children had become very quiet in the playroom and
their mother decided it was time to see what kind of monkey
business they were up to. |
MORE
THAN MEETS THE EYE |
some hidden aspect to a situation |
1. I can’t see any reason why this man on the telephone is
trying to give me a free vacation. There’s more here than
meets the eye.
2. When Jerry had received a letter saying that the company
was letting him go, the reason the letter gave was a lack of
work, but Jerry had been busier than ever these last few
months. He thought to himself, “There’s more to this than
meets the eye.” |
MORE
(SOMETHING) THAN (ONE) BARGAINED FOR |
more than one expected
The expression is often used in a negative sense, i.e., more
money, more trouble, more work, etc. than one expected or
wanted. |
1. I agreed to join a book club because the saleswoman said
I didn’t have to buy any book I didn’t want, but I was
shocked when I learned I had to spend a certain amount of
money every month. It was more of a commitment than I
bargained for.
2. I thought you were looking forward to being in the army.
Was it more work than you bargained for? |
MORE
THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT, THERE’S |
there are different ways to accomplish the same thing; there
are different possible solutions to a problem |
1. There must be some way to raise enough money to buy a
car. We’ve put all our savings together but it isn’t enough.
Still, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’ll get a
second job!
2. My friends asked me how they could accomplish something
that seemed impossible. I told them that they simply hadn’t
looked at all the possibilities. I told them there’s always
more than one way to skin a cat and that they would
eventually find a solution. |
MOVE
HEAVEN AND EARTH |
to try very hard to do something
The expression suggests how hard one would have to try if
one tried to move things as big as heaven and earth. |
1. The young man was accused of a terrible crime. His
parents were convinced that he was innocent and swore they
would move heaven and earth to get him acquitted.
2. Linda’s daughter is getting married on Friday, the same
day Linda gets back from an out-of-town business trip. She
will move heaven and earth to get to the wedding on time. |
moving
target |
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muddy
the waters |
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munch out |
eat a lot |
I think that we should
munch out at the buffet. |
music
to my ears |
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my two
cents |
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More Idioms |
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From
YOUR Teacher: Make a
Living
The American English idiom "make a living" more
specifically means to make enough money to cover
monthly expenses. |
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Additional Lessons |
About These
Lessons
The following classroom lessons are great for students
who want additional listening and reading practice. |
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Travel America -
Beginner
Level. Do you love America and American
English? Learn before you travel. Facts and other
cool stuff about your favorite U.S. state. Great
English reading practice.
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Travel
America - Oklahoma
(Beginner -
Reading)
Learn some interesting facts and read interesting
stories about Oklahoma. |
Oklahoma
The name Oklahoma comes from two Choctaw Indian
words, okla, which means "people," and humma, which
means "red." In 1889, Congress opened up 2 million
acres for white settlement (it was previously open
only to Native Americans who were forced to leave
their homelands), and the first of a number of land
runs began. Some of the state's settlers were called
"Sooners" because they had already staked their land
claims before the land was officially opened for
settlement. Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th state
in 1907. Oklahoma's capital is an easy one to
remember--Oklahoma City. The state flower is the
mistletoe, a favorite for kissing under during the
winter holidays. |
Oklahoma
State Flag
The current state flag of Oklahoma, designed by
Louise Fluke, was adopted in 1925 (Oklahoma had 13 previous
flags).
The blue field signifies devotion, the shield is a symbol of
defensive or protective warfare, but always surmounted by
the olive branch and peace pipe which betoken the love of
peace by a united people.
Official Salute to the Oklahoma State
Flag
"I salute the flag of the State of Oklahoma. Its symbols of
peace unite all people." |
Source:
State Symbols USA |
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Oklahoma
State Facts
Picture: state seal of Oklahoma |
State Capital |
Oklahoma City |
Nickname |
Sooner State |
Motto |
Labor Omnia Vincit (Labor Conquers All Things) |
Statehood |
November 16, 1907 (46th) |
Origin of Name |
Based on Choctaw Indian words: "okla" meaning people
and "humma" meaning red." |
Largest Cities |
Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Lawton, Broken Arrow |
Border States |
Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico,
Texas |
Area |
68,679 sq. mi., 19th largest |
State Bird |
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher |
State Flower |
Mistletoe (phoradendron serotinum) |
State Tree |
Redbud (cercis canadensis) |
State Song |
Oklahoma |
Travel and tourism site
for Oklahoma - This state travel and territorial
tourism site provides ideas for your vacations, meetings, and more. |
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Oklahoma Stories |
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The American Indian Exposition in Anadarko,
Oklahoma
Every year in August hundreds of Native American people from all
different tribes come to the city of Anadarko, Oklahoma. Named after
a Plains Indian tribe, Anadarko is now the home of one of the
largest gatherings of Plains Indians in Oklahoma. Because so many
Plains Indian populations have lived in Anadarko, it is known as the
"Indian Capital of the Nation."
This gathering of Native Americans is called the American Indian
Exposition. An exposition is a public exhibition or show. The
purpose of this exposition is to show off Native American arts and
crafts and help preserve their cultural heritage. The Native
Americans who attend sometimes camp out in traditional teepees and
they may wear traditional leather clothing, called buckskin. Lots of
people who are not Native Americans come to observe Indian culture;
they watch the parades or greyhound and horse racing, or they attend
one of the many dances or contests that are held.
Several months before the exposition, each tribe selects a tribal
princess who will represent them for a year. A tribal princess is
smart and strong. She must also possess a fine personality, be
self-confident, and have other qualities that make her a leader.
During the exposition, the princesses have the honor of leading
their tribes in the parades that begin and end the festivities. |
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The Dust Bowl of Oklahoma
Did you know there was once a desert in Oklahoma called the Dust
Bowl?
During the great dust storms of the 1930s in Oklahoma, the weather
threw up so much dirt that, at times, there was zero visibility and
everything was covered in dirt. No matter how tightly Oklahomans
sealed their homes, they could not keep the dirt from entering. Dust
storms were the result of drought and land that had been overused.
Drought first hit the country in 1930. By 1934, it had turned the
Great Plains into a desert that came to be known as the Dust Bowl.
In Oklahoma, the Panhandle area was hit hardest by the drought.
The land of the southern plains, including Oklahoma, was originally
covered with grasses that held the fine soil in place. Settlers
brought their traditional farming techniques with them when they
homesteaded the area and they plowed the land deeply. The topsoil
was already damaged by the overgrazing of cattle and sheep. The
situation was so serious that, by 1935, the government developed
conservation programs to improve the Dust Bowl by changing the basic
farming methods of the region. Even with these measures, the Dust
Bowl lasted about a decade and contributed to the length of the
Great Depression of the 1930s. |
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Oklahoma State University Homecoming
What is a homecoming? If you think it refers to returning home, in a
way, you would be right.
A homecoming is when a school's alumni (students who have graduated)
return for a celebration. Every year, people who attended Oklahoma
State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, are invited to a special
event-filled weekend called homecoming. One of the big events that
people look forward to is the homecoming parade, because it has many
colorful and unusual floats.
Usually a float is built on top of a flatbed trailer used for
transporting materials. The trailer is covered with colorful
material and fringe so its wheels are hidden and the trailer appears
to "float." Then the float can be decorated with just about
anything.
Many floats are in the form of animals. Floats are made by bending
chicken wire into a shape, perhaps an animal, and then attaching
colored paper "flowers" to the wire. Part of the process of building
a float involves "pomping" -- the stuffing of crepe paper or other
decorations into the wire frame of the float to make it look like
whatever it was designed to be.
Can you think of a cool float design? |
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Pawnee, Oklahoma: Where the West Remains
How did someone named Gordon Lillie come to be called Pawnee Bill?
Pawnee Bill was born Gordon Lillie in 1860 and raised in Illinois.
When Gordon was 15, he moved to Pawnee, Oklahoma. He became a
teacher to the Pawnee Indians who lived there and they gave him the
nickname "Pawnee Bill." Because he loved the history of the Old West
so much, in 1883, Pawnee Bill left teaching to join the new Buffalo
Bill's Wild West Show, which featured exciting acts such as a bison
hunt. (You can learn more about Buffalo Bill in the "Amazing
Americans" section of this Web site.)
While Pawnee Bill was performing in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show,
he met a woman named May Manning. Soon after they met, May married
Pawnee Bill and became May Manning Lillie. Then the couple started
their own Wild West show, with May as one of its star performers.
Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show was so popular that today it is still
re-created at Pawnee Bill's Buffalo Ranch in the town of Pawnee,
Oklahoma, for thousands of people to enjoy. |
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The Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma
Why would a museum be dedicated to a highway? Because Route 66 is no
ordinary highway.
Route 66 was built in 1932 and it runs from Chicago, Illinois, to
Los Angeles, California, then known as the "Promised Land." That's
2,400 miles of road! It is different from most other highways
because it takes a diagonal course instead of going in a straight
line. It was designed this way so that small towns would have access
to main roads, giving farmers the ability to transport grain and
produce. This two-lane road passes through eight states and three
time zones.
During the Great Depression, Route 66 was the road from Oklahoma and
the Dust Bowl to California and a better life, so it became known as
the "road to opportunity." Author John Steinbeck wrote about Route
66 in his classic The Grapes of Wrath, calling it the "Mother Road."
The Route 66 Museum was built in Clinton, Oklahoma, because Route 66
passes through 400 miles of Oklahoma. Dozens of artists have
recorded the song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66." Have you ever
heard it? |
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Oklahoma Czech Festival
Have you ever eaten a kolache?
If you go to Yukon, Oklahoma, on the first Saturday in October, you
can. Every year, Yukon celebrates its Czech and Slovak ancestors.
Yukon is officially known as the Czechoslovak Capital of Oklahoma
because so many people from the country of Czechoslovakia, in
Eastern Europe, settled there in the late 1800s. (In 1993, the
country split into two nations, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.)
The most popular food from Czechoslovakia is a pastry called a
kolache (pronounced koh-lah-chuh). A kolache is a delicious, small
bun usually filled with fruit or cheese. In the Czech Republic and
Slovakia, no wedding feast is complete without them. One woman,
Maria Fiala, baked 600 dozen kolache for the festival and was named
Kolache Queen.
The Czech Festival is a way for the people in Yukon with Czech and
Slovak backgrounds to preserve and share their Czech customs,
clothing, and foods. One of the main attractions of the festival is
dancing. Lots of dance performances are held, and people of all
ages, like these kids in the beautiful costumes, are encouraged to
join in. If you aren't Czech or Slovak, the festival is a great way
to learn about their customs. |
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Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
Have you ever heard of the Battle of Washita?
You can learn about this famous battle at the Washita Battlefield
National Historic Site in Oklahoma. This site is important because
it helps us remember the violent conflict between Indians of the
Great Plains and the United States Army.
The Great Plains include the land from the Canadian border south to
the New Mexico and Texas borders, and from the Missouri River west
to the Rocky Mountains. The Indian tribes from this area -- the
Plains Indians -- include the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Kiowa. The Army
fought these tribes because they wanted to gain control over the
Great Plains.
For many years before and after the Civil War, the U.S. government
tried to move Indians to an Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma).
Some Plains Indians agreed to move to reservations but others, like
the Cheyennes, Kiowas, and Comanches, did not. Instead, they
continued to live and hunt on traditional lands outside the Indian
Territory. After the Civil War, settlers wanted to move into this
land, so they attacked.
At dawn on November 27, 1868, Lieutenant Colonel George Custer
attacked a sleeping Cheyenne village in the Washita Valley,
surprising the Cheyenne's leader, Chief Black Kettle. Many Plains
Indians were captured or killed during this battle. Chief Magpie, a
teenager at the time who lived in Black Kettle's village, shot a
soldier and took his horse, then rode off to safety. He lived to
fight Custer again at the famous Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. |
Source:
Library of Congress |
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National
Forests of Oklahoma
The following is a description of national
forests in the state
of Oklahoma. There are no national parks or
monuments in this state. If you plan to visit or live in
Oklahoma for awhile then you should
definitely plan to visit some of these
fantastic places. |
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National Forests |
Ouachita
Including the namesake Ouachita Mountains,
this forest has nearly 800,000 acres
(320,000 ha) of old-growth forest. The
forest has two wilderness areas: Black Fork
Mountain and Upper Kiamichi River. This
national forest is also partially located in
the state of Arkansas. |
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Travel
America
Do you love America and American English? Learn before
you travel. Facts and other cool stuff about your
favorite U.S. state. Visit the Fun Easy English Travel
America pages. Read about the beautiful National
Forests, Parks, and Monuments. Great English reading practice. |
Drive America
Planning to drive in America? Learn the rules and
regulations. Great English reading practice. |
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Additional Information |
Study Tips
(Beginner - Listening)
Avoid Ineffective Study Methods. An audio lesson to help
you study English more effectively. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed. Great English study tips.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program. |
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