Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
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Today I will tell about expressions using numbers. Let us start with the number one. Numbers can be tricky.On the one and">hand, they are simply numbers. On the other and">hand, they have meanings.I for oneuse these expressions a lot.
Many people consider themselvesnumber one, the most important person. They are alwayslooking out for number oneandtaking care of number one. It is as if they are theone and onlyperson on Earth. Some people however, are not so self-centered. My brother is such a person. It is true – no joke. I am not trying topull a fast oneon you.
First, you have to understand that my brother isone in a million.He is such a nice person. All his friends like him. They consider himone of the boys. Recently, my brother had a bad day at the office. It was justone of those days. Nothing went right. So he stopped at a local bar -- a drinking place -- after leaving work. My brother planned to have a glass of beer with his friends -- aquick one– before he went home. But aquick oneturned intoone or two, and soon those becameone too many.
As my brother was leaving, he ordered a last drink --one for the road.His friends became concerned.One by one, they asked him if he was able to drive home safely.
Now my brother is a wise and calm person. He isat one with himself. He recognizes when he has had too much alcohol to drink. So he accepted an offer for a ride home from a female friend.
At one timein the past, my brother had been in love with this woman. She is a great person -- kind, thoughtful and intelligent -- all good qualitiesrolled up into one. But sadly their relationship did not work. He always used to say "One of these days, I am going to marry this girl." But that never happened.
For one thing, she did not love him as much as he loved her. It was justone of those things. The situation was regrettable and my brother had to accept it. But even now, he considers herthe one that got away.
However, they are still friends. And because my brother had been kind to her, she felt thatone good turn deserves another.He was good to her and she wanted to help him in return. So she drove him home.
If my brother had driven home from the bar that night, hisnumber would have been up. Something bad would have happened. Thankfully he made it home safely. And, he and the woman areback to square one.They are back to where they started – being friends.
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This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.
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2013-11-25
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