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用法学习: 1. surge into (something) 暴力闯进 I. Of a liquid or gas, to enter into something or some place in a great gush or burst. Cold air comes surging into the house if you leave the doors open for more than a couple of seconds. Rainwater started surging into the room through a crack in the window. II. Of people, animals, or things, to enter something or some place in large numbers and all at once. Hundreds of people surged into the store to nab one of their amazing Black Friday deals. A huge colony of bats surged into the sky from the mouth of the cave. Scores of teenagers and young adults were participating in so-called "link-ups" – using social media apps including TikTok and Snapchat before surging into shops. "Without a government seriously cracking down on crime and a mayor that prioritises effective policing, we are powerless," he said. London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the scenes in Clapham as "utterly unacceptable" and pledged that "the culprits will face the full force of the law." Khan’s office stated that police are now working with social media companies to clamp down on viral online content that promotes violence and theft. 2. mow the/(one's) lawn I. Literally, to cut the grass in one's lawn or yard using a mower. I need to go mow the lawn before it starts to rain. II. slang To comb one's hair. Go mow your lawn before church. III. slang To smoke marijuana. Just tell your parents you're going to mow the lawn with us—they won't know what you mean. mow the lawn 隔三差五地教训一下, 时不时教训一下, 时不时修理一下, 教育一下, ku chua 几下: Mowing the grass (Hebrew: כיסוח דשא) is a metaphor used to describe periodic Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip to manage the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. During such attacks, Israel has targeted Palestinian militants, civilians, and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. The strategy is usually carried out by conducting short, sharp military operations to maintain a certain level of control over the area without committing to a long-term political solution, similar to how one would mow a lawn to keep it neat and tidy. The term was coined by Efraim Inbar and Eitan Shamir, two scholars associated with the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, where they described how "Israel is acting in accordance with a "mowing the grass" strategy. After a period of military restraint, Israel is acting to severely punish Hamas for its aggressive behavior, and degrading its military capabilities – aiming at achieving a period of quiet." According to Adam Taylor in The Washington Post, "the phrase implies the Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and their supply of crude but effective homemade weapons are like weeds that need to be cut back." 3. the adult/adults in the room 一群人里唯一成熟的人, 唯一的大人 The person in a group who is behaving in a mature or responsible manner. the mature and intelligent people in a given situation These meetings always devolve into petty finger-pointing, leaving me feeling like the only adult in the room. Bill, enough with the stupid, juvenile remarks. The adults in the room are trying to have a real discussion here. A frequent thought-terminating cliché (A thought-terminating cliché is a form of loaded language – often passing as folk wisdom (似是而非的)民间智慧, 警世名言, 格言, 名言警句 – intended to end an argument and reinforce cognitive dissonance with a cliché rather than a point. Some such clichés are not inherently terminating and only become so when used to intentionally dismiss dissent or justify fallacies. The term was popularized by Robert Jay Lifton in his 1961 book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, who referred to the use of the cliché, along with "loading the language", as "the language of non-thought". The concept is also known as a semantic stop-sign, a thought-stopper, bumper sticker logic, or cliché thinking. 例子: "There are worse things in life to worry about." – implies that less significant issues are not worth addressing since they are not as significant as other issues and implies that a person's situation is not significant enough to even warrant discussion or action. "Here we go again." – implies that the redundant, cyclical nature of a given disagreement means it will never be resolved. "So what? What effect does my action have?" – used to dismiss an individual's involvement in a larger cause on the grounds that one person is too insignificant to ever have a meaningful impact. "Let's agree to disagree." – used to stop discussion of an issue rather than attempt to resolve it; may, however, instantiate a dialectic. "It is what it is." – a tautology which implies that things are unchangeable, therefore there is no point in further discussion. ) about our governance situation in the US is something like: "Where are the adults in the room?" This useless utterance implies some superiority of the speaker, that an adult like them could fix things easily; the same dead-end of thought applies to those who quickly agree to these clichés. 4. half-truth a statement that is intended to deceive someone by telling only part of the truth. A half-truth is a deceptive statement that includes some element of truth. The statement might be partly true, the statement may be totally true, but only part of the whole truth, or it may use some deceptive element, such as improper punctuation, or double meaning, especially if the intent is to deceive, evade, blame or misrepresent the truth. A deceptive statement, especially one that is only partly true, is incomplete, misrepresents reality by telling part of the truth, or alters the time sequence of truths. Usage notes: Half-truths may use various tools, including statistics, unexpected meanings of words, facts taken out of context, or even nonstandard punctuation to corrupt 歪曲 the meaning conveyed by an otherwise true statement. assume the mantle = pick up the mantle = take up the mantle 继承衣钵, 继承遗志, 代为履行职责 (idiomatic, with "of") To take on a specific role or position, along with any associated responsibilities. "Taking up the mantle" means assuming a significant role, responsibility, or leadership position previously held by someone else, often signifying a continuation of their legacy. This idiom implies inheriting authority, duty, or a specific, often challenging task. It is frequently used in contexts of mentorship, leadership succession, or in heroic/fictional narratives. Etymology: From the act of putting on particular robes of office. 5. Meerkat fights 领土之争, 互相争抢, 都得死去活来 refer to either violent territorial battles between rival groups (mobs) or play fighting among juveniles to develop social and physical skills. They are highly territorial, frequently engaging in aggressive intergroup aggression, making them one of the most violent mammal species to their own kind. TBBT: Howard: You guys going to Professor Tupperman's memorial? Raj: I don't know. Leonard: Probably not. Sheldon: Barely knew him. Howard: Yeah, you wouldn't want to look like you guys are brown-nosing 谄媚 the tenure committee, who will all be there. Oh, yeah, that's what I was hoping for, meerkats. Amy: She plans on flirting with members of the tenure committee to further Leonard's cause. Sheldon: Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do. Don't just stand there. Take your breasts out. Howard: Ooh, meerkat fight! Amy: You're all wasting your time. Sheldon is the most qualified for the job, and no amount of gravity-defying bosom's going to change that. Seriously, is that tape? Like, how are they staying up like that? 6. a day late and a dollar short/shy 太晚了, 太少了 Too late and too feeble to achieve the desired effect. His apology was a day late and a dollar short. Usage notes: Permits relatively little variation, but can be found with shy for short, other units for day and dollar, and occasionally a unit of distance instead of dollar. make headway 取得进展, 有进步 to begin to succeed. If you make headway, you progress towards achieving something. He is not disappointed at the failure to make headway towards resolving their differences. There was concern in the city that police were making little headway in the investigation. Has the city made any headway in attracting new businesses? show/give no quarter 杀光 If you say that someone was given no quarter, you mean that they were not treated kindly by someone who had power or control over them. no pity or mercy. used to say that an enemy, opponent, etc., is treated in a very harsh way. The soldiers showed/gave no quarter to the enemy. This is not war as you learned it. It is brutal work, with no quarter given. a military phrase meaning to refuse enemy surrender and show no mercy, resulting in killing all enemy combatants rather than taking prisoners. Offering "no quarter" is illegal under international law, specifically the ICRC Casebook, the Geneva Convention, and the US military's own rules of engagement. 7. Independent expenditure-only political action committees, commonly known as super PACs( His work in office has included efforts to regulate artificial intelligence (AI), drawing intense opposition from AI industry-aligned lobbying groups and super PACs.), are a type of political action committees (PACs) in the United States. Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs are legally allowed to fundraise unlimited amounts of money from individuals or organizations for the purpose of campaign advertising; however, they are not permitted to either coordinate with or contribute directly to candidate campaigns or political parties. However, in practice, restrictions on such coordination are considered flimsy and poorly enforced. Super PACs are subject to the same organizational, reporting, and public disclosure requirements as traditional PACs. Many super PACs are candidate-oriented but some focus on specific issues, an industry, a piece of legislation or a federal administrative rule. Super PACs were made possible by two judicial decisions in 2010: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission by the U.S. Supreme Court and, two months later, the federal Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit decision in Speechnow.org v. FEC. While Citizens United became widely recognized as enabling unlimited political spending, the SpeechNow v. FEC decision has been identified by scholars and journalists as the actual catalyst for super PAC proliferation. Unlike Citizens United, which addressed independent expenditures by corporations and unions, SpeechNow eliminated limits on contributions to political committees making independent expenditures, thereby creating the modern super PAC. The popular focus on Citizens United has largely overshadowed the SpeechNow opinion and its impact on campaign finance practices in U.S. elections. In the years following the SpeechNow ruling, several states attempted to enact contribution limits on super PACs. All were struck down, with judges citing the SpeechNow precedent. A "pop-up" super PAC is one that is formed within 20 days before an election, so that its first finance disclosures will be filed after the election. In 2018 the Center for Public Integrity recorded 44 pop-up super PACs formed on October 18 or later, a year when the Federal Election Commission pre-general election reports covered activity through October 17. In 2020 there were more than 50. Pop-up super PACs often have local-sounding or issue-oriented names. However, they can be funded by much larger party-affiliated PACs. In 2021 the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the FEC, listing 23 pop-up Super PACs which had failed to disclose their affiliation to other PACs mostly affiliated with leaderships of the two major parties. In the 2024 election cycle, there were 2,458 super PACs that raised $4,290,768,955 and spent $2,727,234,077. Because super PACs were able to coordinate with campaigns on canvassing for the first time, Donald Trump's campaign relied on Elon Musk's America PAC, a super PAC, to lead his get-out-the-vote efforts in swing states. 7. Deus vult" (Latin for "God wills it") 上帝的意旨 is a historic Christian motto and battle cry, famously shouted by Crusaders during the First Crusade in 1096. It signifies divine providence and, at the time, was used to justify holy war. Today, it is associated with Crusader history and occasionally used in modern religious or cultural contexts. Deus vult (Latin for 'God wills it') is a Christian motto historically tied to ideas of divine providence and individual interpretation of God's will. 8. The just war theory (Latin: bellum iustum) is a doctrine, also referred to as a tradition, of military ethics that aims to ensure that a war is morally justifiable through a series of criteria, all of which must be met for a war to be considered just. It has been studied by military leaders, theologians, ethicists and policymakers. The criteria are split into two groups: jus ad bellum ("right to go to war") and jus in bello ("right conduct in war"). There have been calls for the inclusion of a third category of just war theory (jus post bellum) dealing with the morality of post-war settlement and reconstruction. The just war theory postulates that war, while it is terrible but less so with the right conduct, is not always the worst option, but justifiable when justice is an objective of armed conflict. Important responsibilities, undesirable outcomes, or preventable atrocities may justify war. Opponents of the just war theory may either be inclined to a stricter pacifist standard (proposing that there has never been nor can there ever be a justifiable basis for war) or they may be inclined toward a more permissive nationalist standard (proposing that a war need only to serve a nation's interests to be justifiable). In many cases, philosophers state that individuals do not need to be plagued by a guilty conscience if they are required to fight. A few philosophers ennoble the virtues of the soldier while they also declare their apprehensions for war itself. A few, such as Rousseau, argue for insurrection against oppressive rule. 

1. slight adj. I. small in amount or degree: He speaks with a slight French accent. She had a slight 轻微的感冒 cold, but wasn't feeling too bad. a slight improvement. a slight incline. She had a slight headache 轻微的, 些微的. the slightest idea I don't have the slightest idea what he's talking about. II. (of people) thin and delicate: He was a young man of slight build 瘦削的 with sensitive eyes and expressive hands. Like most long-distance runners she is very slight. III. not dealing with very serious or important subjects, or not needing much serious thought: It's a slight 轻松的, 不严肃的 but enjoyable tale. His terrific performance lifts this otherwise slight film. verb. I. to insult someone by ignoring them or treating them as if they are not important. to insult someone by not paying attention or by treating the person as unimportant: He slighted his wife by neglecting to introduce her. I felt slighted 不搭理, 爱答不理的, 看不起, 看不上, 被鄙视 when my boss thanked everyone but me for their hard work. noun. I. an action that insults a person because someone fails to pay attention to them or to treat them with the respect that they deserve: I regarded her failure to acknowledge my greeting as a slight. 2. shimmy 摇肩摆臀的跳舞, 摇头摆尾, 摇头晃脑, 爬上, 爬下 verb. I. to do a dance in which you shake your hips and shoulders. If you shimmy, you dance or move in a way that involves shaking your hips and shoulders from side to side. Dancers shimmied in the streets of New Orleans. The singer shimmied across the stage in an incredibly sexy dress. She shimmied across the dance floor. II. mainly UK (US usually shin, shinny) to climb smoothly up, down, or along something by holding it tightly with your arms and legs: He could shimmy up 爬上, 爬下, 攀爬 a drainpipe with ease. Workers on the roof shimmied down ladders. III. to move up and down and from side to side with small, quick movements, especially in order to put on or take off clothes: Every woman has had that moment of elation when she shimmies into something a size smaller than usual. She shimmied out of that brown dress while her daughter was still fiddling with buttons. IV. US If a car shimmies, it makes a very light shaking movement that is not the usual movement of the car. 

1. Sand pagodas 沙塔 ( known as sand stupas [ˈstuːpə]), are temporary pagodas or stupas erected from mud or sand as a means of cultivating Buddhist merit. The practice is common to Theravada Buddhists throughout mainland Southeast Asia, primarily in Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Thailand. In Northern Thailand, sand pagodas are constructed during Songkran. The largest such festival in Chiang Mai is held at Wat Chetlin; the resulting pagoda has five tiers, stands about 8 metres (26 ft) tall, and uses 700 cubic metres (25,000 cu ft) of sand. A stupa is a dome-shaped, often solid, South Asian Buddhist monument created to house sacred relics and for circumambulation ( circumambulate [ˌsɜːkəmˈæmbjʊˌleɪt] 围着走, 绕着走, 转圈 I. to walk around (something). To walk around something in a circle, especially for a ritual purpose. II. (intransitive) to avoid the point. ). A pagoda is an evolution of the stupa—a, multi-storied tower with, projecting roofs found in East/Southeast Asia. While both serve as reliquaries, pagodas often have, vertical, tiered, designs, and sometimes, interior, spaces. Burmese sand pagodas are typically of graduated five tiers, tapering to the top, with each tier flanked by bamboo masts. The five tiers represent five layers of Mount Meru, the legendary peak of Buddhist cosmology. Devotees offer fruits, flowers and other offerings, and circumambulate the sand pagoda thrice before paying homage. On the full moon day of Tabaung, the sand pagoda's umbrella crown or hti is removed. 2. The Yakshas 夜叉 (Sanskrit: यक्ष, IAST: Yakṣa, Pali: Yakkha) are a broad class of nature spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, as well as ancient and medieval era temples of South Asia and Southeast Asia as guardian deities. The feminine form of the word is IAST: Yakṣī or Yakshini (Sanskrit: यक्षिणी, IAST: Yakṣiṇī; Pali: Yakkhini). The Yakshas are a broad class of nature spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. In Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, the yakṣas have a dual personality. On the one hand, a yakṣa may be an inoffensive nature-fairy, associated with woods and mountains; but there is also a darker version of the yakṣa, which is a kind of (bhuta) that haunts the wilderness and waylays and devours travellers, similar to the rakṣasas (Rakshasa 罗刹 (Sanskrit: राक्षस, pronounced [ɾɑːk.ʂɐ.s̪ɐ], romanized: rākṣasa; Pali: rakkhasa; lit. 'demon' or 'fiend') are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Indonesian folk Islam. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually use for evil acts such as disrupting Vedic sacrifices or eating humans. The term is also used to describe asuras, a class of power-seeking beings that oppose the benevolent devas. They are often depicted as antagonists in Hindu scriptures, as well as in Buddhism and Jainism. The feminine form of rakshasa is rakshasi (राक्षसी, IPA: [ɾɑːk.ʂɐ.s̪iː], rākṣasī). In the world of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, Rakshasas were a populous race. There were both good and evil rakshasas, and as warriors, they fought alongside the armies of both good and evil. They were powerful warriors, expert magicians and illusionists. As shape-changers 变身, 变形, they could assume different physical forms. As illusionists, they were capable of creating appearances which were real to those who believed in them or who failed to dispel them. Some of the rakshasas were said to be man-eaters and made their gleeful appearance when the slaughter on a battlefield was at its worst. Occasionally, they served as rank-and-file soldiers in the service of one or another warlord. Aside from their treatment of unnamed rank-and-file Rakshasas, the epics tell the stories of certain members of these beings who rose to prominence, sometimes as heroes but more often as villains. Thapar suggests that the Rakshasas could represent exaggerated, supernatural depictions of demonised forest-dwellers who were outside the caste society.). 3. Saraca asoca, commonly known as the ashoka tree 无忧树 (asoke 曼谷地铁站) (lit. "sorrow-less"), is a plant belonging to the Detarioideae subfamily of the Fabaceae family of plants (also referred to as the legume, pea, or bean family). The ashoka tree is used as a traditional medicinal plant. It is considered sacred throughout the Indian subcontinent, especially in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. This tree has many folklorical, religious and literary associations in the region. Highly valued as well for its handsome appearance and the color and abundance of its flowers, the ashoka tree is often found in royal palace compounds and gardens as well as close to temples throughout India. The ashoka tree is closely associated with the yakshi mythological beings. One of the recurring elements in Indian art, often found at gates of Buddhist and Hindu temples, is the sculpture of a yakshini with her foot on the trunk and her hands holding the branch of a flowering ashoka tree. As an artistic element, often the tree and the yakshi are subject to heavy stylization. Some authors hold that the young girl at the foot of this tree is based on an ancient tree deity related to fertility. Yakshis under the ashoka tree were also important in early Buddhist monuments as a decorative element and are found in many ancient Buddhist archaeological sites. With the passing of the centuries the yakshi under the ashoka tree became a standard decorative element of Hindu Indian sculpture and was integrated into Indian temple architecture as salabhanjika, because there is often a confusion between the ashoka tree and the sal tree (Shorea robusta) in the ancient literature of the Indian subcontinent. 4. 湿婆(Shiva)是印度教三大主神之一，与梵天 (Brahma)、毗湿奴 (Vishnu)并称，被湿婆派信徒奉为最高神。他兼具毁灭与再生、苦行与舞蹈、恐惧与慈爱等多重矛盾属性，额头上的第三只眼能释放灭世之火。作为毁灭之神，他通过“舞王”姿态演绎宇宙的毁灭与循环。Ganesha 象头神, the elephant-headed Hindu deity, is revered as the remover of obstacles, patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the Lord of Beginnings, he is honored at the start of new ventures, rituals, and ceremonies. He signifies wisdom, prosperity, and the ability to overcome life's challenges. Ganesha 是湿婆的儿子. The three supreme gods in Hinduism, collectively known as the Trimurti (Sanskrit for "three forms"), are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. They represent the cosmic functions of creation, preservation, and destruction/transformation. Together, they embody the continuous cycle of life, existence, and rebirth. Ganesh in Thailand Ganesha is revered in Thailand as Phra Phikhanet or Phra Phikanesuan, primarily worshipped as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences, and the deity of success, wisdom, and prosperity. Despite Thailand being a predominantly Buddhist country, Ganesha is integrated into Thai culture through historical Hindu influences and a, syncretic approach to spirituality that honors Hindu deities. Shiva 湿婆 is a principal deity in Hinduism, known as the "Destroyer" within the Trimurti, alongside Brahma and Vishnu, and as the Supreme Being in Shaivism. As the lord of meditation, yoga, and arts, he is often depicted with a third eye, a trident (trishula), and a serpent. He represents the auspicious, infinite, and non-physical nature of the cosmos. Brahma 梵天 is the Hindu god of creation, serving as the first member of the Trimurti trinity alongside Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer). Known as the "Creator" and "grandfather" of all beings, he is depicted with four heads holding the Vedas, symbolizing supreme knowledge and the origin of the universe. Vishnu 毗湿奴 is a principal deity in Hinduism, revered as the "Preserver" (Sattva) within the Trimurti, which includes Brahma (Creator) and Shiva (Destroyer). As the Supreme Being in Vaishnavism, he upholds cosmic order (Dharma) and incarnates on Earth in various avatars—most notably Rama and Krishna—to restore balance during times of crisis. Usually depicted with blue skin (symbolizing the sky/ocean) and four arms, which hold a conch (sound), discus (mind/power), mace (strength), and lotus (purity). 5. King Naresuan the Great (颂德·帕·纳黎萱·玛哈拉, 讪佩二世，暹罗阿瑜陀耶王国国王（1590年－1605年在位），中兴雄主，传说为泰拳的开创者。后世尊称为纳黎萱大帝) (1555–1605) is associated with chickens—specifically fighting roosters—because his favored bird won a legendary cockfight against a Burmese prince, which bolstered his morale and is said to have paved the way for Siam's independence. Today, thousands of chicken statues are offered at his shrines to symbolize victory and request good fortune. Naresuan (1555/1556 – 25 April 1605), commonly known as Naresuan the Great, or Sanphet II was the 18th monarch of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and the 2nd of the Sukhothai dynasty. He was the king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1590 and overlord of Lan Na from 1602 until his death in 165. Naresuan is one of Thailand's most revered monarchs as he is known for his campaigns to free Ayutthaya from the vassalage of the First Toungoo Empire. During his reign, numerous wars were fought against Taungoo Burma. Naresuan also welcomed the Dutch. The Legend of the Fighting Cock: According to legend, while held as a hostage in Burma in the 16th century, Prince Naresuan (later King) was involved in a cockfight with the Burmese Prince. Naresuan’s rooster won, humiliating the Burmese and helping to ignite his drive to win freedom for the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Throughout Thailand, particularly in Ayutthaya, thousands of chicken and rooster statues are placed at shrines and temples dedicated to King Naresuan. Devotees offer these statues in gratitude after a wish or blessing asked of the warrior king comes true. 6. blind alley 死路一条, 死局, 死胡同一条 a situation or method that is not effective or will not produce results. something that leads you nowhere or is of no use: ll our work has only led us up a blind alley. This sort of thinking just seems to be leading us up/down a blind alley. shortfall 缺口, 不足, 稀缺, 缺少 an amount that is less than the level that was expected or needed: The county had to close three of its four libraries because of a budget shortfall. The drought caused serious shortfalls in the food supply. the difference between the amount of something, especially money, that you have and the amount that you need: a shortfall of sth The state is facing a budget shortfall of $1.75 billion for the fiscal year. a shortfall in sth The organization is grappling with a major shortfall in its final salary pension scheme. a shortfall on sth I recently received notification of a potential shortfall on my low-cost endowment. make up/cover/meet a shortfall 弥补缺口. a pension/funding/budget shortfall. the long and the short of it 总之, 总的来讲, 总而言之, 简短来说, 简单来说, 总之一句话 said when you want to explain the general situation without giving details: The long and the short of it is that they are willing to start the work in January. misadventure 事故 an accident or bad luck. bad luck, or an experience with a bad result. His death was ruled a medical misadventure. death by misadventure 遇难 law UK specialized the official expression used in court for a death that happens by accident: The coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

 The Middle East war depleted US weapons. Rebuilding will require China's cooperation. Beijing has a stranglehold on the critical minerals the U.S. needs to rebuild its weapons cache following five weeks of war. The Middle East war has depleted a key part of the United States' missile defense system in the region. To rebuild, the U.S. needs to go through China. In just over a month of war, Iran has targeted several U.S. radar units spread across the region, cutting-edge defensive weapons that are used to detect and shoot down incoming missiles and drones. Military experts believe many have been damaged, if not destroyed. A key component of those interceptors is gallium, a critical mineral that is also used in other high-tech products like semiconductors. China has a near total monopoly over the processing of gallium. And it has already proven willing to limit access. Increased U.S. demand for the metal to rebuild its interceptors — a process that will take years — only strengthens Beijing's hand in the upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “Broadly does it make us more vulnerable? Yes, I think so,” said Mikhail Zeldovich, an investor focused on critical minerals. “I don’t think there’s any doubt there.” Already, prices for gallium have increased by 32 percent in the past month, after months of lower prices following an Oct. 30 agreement between the U.S. and China. The negotiations were sparked in part by China’s near total control over the processing of critical minerals, including gallium, leverage the country used to cut off supply and force the U.S. to the negotiating table. If the demand for critical minerals increases as the U.S. attempts to restock its weapons cache, it would only strengthen China’s hand. “The minute you look like a demander and there’s things you want, then this relationship is at that point where the other side, then, is smelling leverage, right?” said Wendy Cutler, a former USTR negotiator. “And so [Beijing] can up their demands.” In addition to a range of consumer products, including semiconductors, electric vehicles, wind power generators and smartphone and laptop chargers, critical minerals are a key component of U.S. weapons systems and other defense technologies. Not only do interceptors rely on gallium for accurate threat detection, other heavy rare earth metals like terbium and dysprosium are key components in the missile targeting. China controls more than 90 percent of heavy rare earth metal processing. “Disrupting those supply chains can create new bottlenecks in the defense industry supply chains, which we already have enough challenges in meeting demand within our defense industry,” said Brian Hart, is the deputy director and fellow of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “So adding on critical mineral bottlenecks there just complicates things a lot.” As the U.S. regroups during the two-week ceasefire with Iran the president announced Thursday night, the military will be able to assess the damage to its weapons cache and what it will take to rebuild them. In the early days of the war, Iran launched strikes at seven U.S. military sites, aiming at communications and radar systems, according to The New York Times. Weakening those systems requires the U.S. and its allies to shoot more missiles to take out an incoming threat, at times using 10 or 11 interceptors to take down one missile, rapidly depleting U.S. supplies, according to an analysis by the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines. The conflict in Iran adds further urgency to the federal government’s efforts to build alternative supply chains for critical minerals independent of China. “President Trump’s top priority is safeguarding America’s national and economic security, and the Trump administration is taking unprecedented action to shore up America’s critical minerals supply chain,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said via email. “This is a robust, nimble, and multi-faceted strategy, and no tool is off the table — from direct investments into mining projects to international dealmaking.” In just the past year, the U.S. trade representative has set out to negotiate a plurilateral critical minerals trade agreement with multiple countries, the administration requested $1.1 billion for a critical minerals office in the Department of Energy and it has directed the State Department to work with allies to help secure the critical minerals supply chain. Last July, the Pentagon became the largest shareholder in MP Materials, which owns the only operational rare earth mine in the country, buying $400 million in preferred stock. In October, the White House announced a critical minerals deal with Australia, in which both countries plan to spend $3 billion on critical minerals projects, including a Defense Department investment in a gallium refinery in Western Australia that will produce 100 metric tons per year. “We are making large strides in the United States in regards to domestic self sufficiency 自给自足 for rare earths,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute, a conservative-leaning D.C. think tank, on Tuesday. “We’re working with partners on this, talking about stockpiling, doing deals, not just mining facilities, but processing, refining, manufacturing and talking about pricing mechanisms to make sure it would be economically sustainable.” Minerals experts say gallium is one of the most promising areas for the U.S. to increase its supply. Not only is the market small, the metal is often a waste product from the refining of other metals, like aluminum and zinc. That means a company with the ability to capture gallium in its smelting process could help increase the global supply. But those efforts take time, much longer than it takes for the U.S. to deplete its weapons supplies. Alcoa, the U.S. company looking to mine in Australia as part of the Defense Department’s gallium effort, declined to comment for this article, saying it does not yet participate in the gallium supply chain. “In the medium to short term, I think we’re still going to be in a position where China can leverage this dominance in some of these critical minerals,” said Hart. “And I think that Beijing has been successful in doing that. That was clearly their biggest bargaining chip in bringing the Trump administration to the negotiating table and getting to the Busan agreement last year.” That trade truce has remained relatively stable over the past five months, as the Chinese have followed through on their promise to loosen export controls on critical minerals. But any efforts to alter that status quo could instantly swing the two countries back into a series of trade escalations that carried significant consequences for the U.S. economy — at one point erecting what was essentially an embargo between the two countries. It remains to be seen whether China will seek to use any new leverage from the Middle East War to its advantage. Ahead of Trump’s visit to the country in mid-May, Greer said the relationship between the two countries is stable. The Chinese, who seek predictability from Trump, may not want to disturb that balance. “I don’t see a reason for them to upset the apple cart(upset the apple cart = tip/knock over the applecart, overturn the applecart, rock the applecart to disrupt a procedure, spoil someone's plans, etc. to cause trouble or spoil something: The state-run media is hardly likely to upset the applecart and criticize the government. He is not very happy with how things are but he doesn't want to upset the apple cart. The occasional unexplained event is hardly enough to overturn the applecart of science. ),” said Derek Scissors, the chief economist for the China Beige Book, which tracks the Chinese economy. “Things are going fine. We’re alienating our allies, which is like a high priority for China internationally. So why mess with it for a small amount of leverage?”

cape, gulf, bay, sound, fjord

 

timing is off/out, your timing is perfect.

用法学习: 1. The beautiful lie: It's too late. We've got to go. You were up for it 15 minutes ago. Your timing's all out( "Timing is off (the moment is not right) 时机不对, 不是时候": an action, event, or statement is occurring at an unsuitable, awkward, or unsynchronized moment, rather than the ideal time. It indicates poor coordination, a missed opportunity, or that circumstances are not aligned for success, often implying something is too early, too late, or out of rhythm. I wanted to ask for a raise, but the timing was off because the company just lost a major client. timing I. the time when something happens. the time at which an activity or event starts or happens, or is planned to start or happen: Timing and location are crucial when opening a new business. the timing of sth The timing of the plant manager's departure came ahead of an investigation into safety management at the site. "Are we too early?" "No, your timing is perfect 来得正好, 来得时间 - dinner is almost ready." timing device The bomb contained a timing device 计时器, 计时设备 set to make it go off at rush hour. II. the hours when someone is usually at work, or when an office or business is open: What are your office timings? III. 做事的时间. 时机. the ability to do something at exactly the right time. the ability to choose the right moment to do or say something, or the time when something happens: The difference between a joke told well and a joke told badly is the timing. The timing of the airline strike was bad for our vacation plans. good timing To be a good tennis player, you have to have good timing. the fact of doing something at the right time, or the ability to do this: bad/good/perfect timing There is a risk of bad timing - investing a lump sum just before prices fall. a matter/question/sense of timing Finding the right solution to the problem is partly a question of timing. Even fund managers can find it hard getting the timing right when it comes to making investment decisions. IV. the ability to play or sing all the notes in a piece of music at the correct speed and rhythm: There are one or two places where the timing 拍子不对 isn't quite right. V. the length of time an activity or event takes, or is planned to take: The job sheet includes data and precise timings for every stage of the job. ). What, MY timing's out? You're the one who just spent half an hour in the shower. What happened to, 'it only takes three minutes'? Have you booked a cab? Kasper, come on, mate. We've gotta go. 2. desecrate [ˈdesɪˌkreɪt] 亵渎 to deliberately spoil something special or holy. consecrated [ˈkɒn.sɪ.kreɪ.tɪd] 开光, 加持(charging), 封圣, 加冕 ( = canonize 特蕾莎修女封圣) = ordain, enshrine adj. Something that has been consecrated has been made holy and is able to be used for religious ceremonies: consecrated bread/wine/ground. I don't think the authorities would allow the burial on consecrated ground. consecrate [ˈkɒn.sɪ.kreɪt] I. to officially make something holy and able to be used for religious ceremonies: The new cathedral was completed and consecrated in 2002. II. to officially give someone the title of bishop in the Christian Church in a religious ceremony. ordain (someone) to a sacred office, typically that of bishop. "he was consecrated bishop of York". In 2015, Dame Sarah became just the fourth woman in the church's history to be consecrated as a bishop. III. make or declare (something, typically a church) sacred; dedicate formally to a religious purpose. When a building, place, or object is consecrated, it is officially declared to be holy. When a person is consecrated, they are officially declared to be a bishop. The church was consecrated in 1234. He defied the Pope by consecrating four bishops without his approval. ...the consecration of Barbara Harris as a Bishop. "the present Holy Trinity church was consecrated in 1845". 3. Former nurse Sarah Mullally tasked with healing a wounded Anglican Church: When Sarah Mullally is officially installed as the leader of the Church of England, many senior clerics won't be in attendance. Conservative members of the church are appalled that the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury is a woman, the first in its 492-year history, and have refused to take part in the ceremony today. The boycott is emblematic of deeply entrenched issues within the church, issues that Archbishop Sarah will eventually have to address. Having worked in hospital wards, at the top levels of government, and in church naves, Professor Atherstone believes the new archbishop is well-positioned 有能力, 有资历 to navigate the challenges of 游刃有余, 来往穿梭( In power since 2019, Ms Frederiksen, 48, had campaigned on a promise that her tough and tested leadership skills would help the Nordic nation of 6 million people navigate 应对, 对付 a complex relationship with US President Donald Trump and the European response to Russia's war in Ukraine.) one of the most complicated and high-profile religious offices in the world. Speaking after her appointment, the incoming archbishop said the church had failed to recognise and take the misuse of power 滥用职权 seriously. She vowed that under her leadership, the church would listen to survivors, care for the vulnerable and foster a culture of safety and wellbeing. While there is strident opposition to the archbishop's installation 就职, there is also a sense of joy and excitement within the church. "She is a person who is full of hope, and she wants the church to be full of hope," he told ABC News. "That's not a hope that flies in the face of challenges and realities( fly in the face of 与...相悖, 背道而驰 be openly at variance with (what is usual or expected). to completely oppose what seems sensible or normal. If an action or belief flies in the face of accepted ideas or rules, it seems to completely oppose or contradict them. ...scientific principles that seem to fly in the face of common sense. He said that the decision flew in the face of natural justice. This is an argument that seems to fly in the face of common sense. "a need to fly in the face of convention". ), but I think it's a hope that I believe should carry us beyond those sometimes-difficult realities." 4. prickly pear (梨果仙人掌, 刺梨) I. a cactus with jointed stems and oval flattened segments, having barbed bristles and large pear-shaped prickly fruits. a type of cactus (= desert plant) that has oval fruit with sharp spines on them. A prickly pear is a kind of cactus that has round fruit with prickles on. The fruit, which you can eat, is also called a prickly pear. The fine golden dunes are dotted with local flora such as prickly pears. II. the edible orange or red fruit of the prickly pear. 有害仙人掌泛滥: Mr O'Connor said millions of hectares of arid land 干燥的土地(arid [ˈær.ɪd] I. 干燥的 very dry and without enough rain for plants. Arid land is so dry that very few plants can grow on it. ...new strains of crops that can withstand arid conditions. ...the arid zones of the country. The desert is so arid that nothing can grow there. (of land or weather) having little rain; very dry: an arid region. II. unsuccessful: After several arid years, the company has started to become successful. III. not interesting and showing no imagination: I found his writing extremely arid. 单调无聊的, 乏善可陈的, 枯燥乏味的. If you describe something such as a period of your life or an academic subject as arid, you mean that it has so little interest, excitement, or purpose that it makes you feel bored or unhappy. She had given him the only joy his arid life had ever known. ...the politically arid years of military dictatorship in the 1960s and '70s. ) could potentially come under threat from the cacti, which could be as invasive as common prickly pear (Opuntia stricta), one of Australia's most notorious plants, "They're tough, they're hardy( I. 不怕苦的. 坚韧的. 坚强的. 能吃苦的. strong enough to bear extreme conditions or difficult situations. able to bear difficult or extreme conditions; strong and healthy. strong enough to deal with difficult situations: a hardy economy. a hardy group of campers. A few hardy souls continue to swim in the sea even in the middle of winter. II. 耐冷的, 耐寒的. Hardy plants can live through the winter without protection from the weather: a hardy perennial. ), they enjoy the semi-arid conditions, and they can propagate and reproduce quite easily by a piece of vegetation touching the ground." He said the "little town block", about 950 kilometres west of Brisbane, was mostly unoccupied as the owners would "come and go" to fossick ( [ˈfɒsɪk] I. rummage; search. to search for something amongst other things: fossick around (probe) We then had to spend about half an hour fossicking around for our bags. "he spent years fossicking through documents". II. search for gold in abandoned workings. to look for gold or valuable stones, especially in places where these things were once dug from the ground: fossick for They travelled to Glenalva to try fossicking for sapphires. note: In Australia, New Zealand and Cornwall, fossicking is prospecting, especially when carried out as a recreational activity. This can be for gold, precious stones, fossils, etc. by sifting through a prospective area. In Australian English and New Zealand English, the term has an extended use meaning to "rummage". The equivalent term used in searching for opal is noodling. "Noodling 筛查, 晒找: The practice of sifting through rejected mullock heaps for small pieces of precious opal inadvertently discarded by the miners. A number of people on the opal fields rely entirely on noodling for a living. They either sift through the waste material by hand ... or use a noodling machine. These people are 'professional' noodlers. Tourists and others casually searching the dumps for pieces of opal are also noodling." ) for opals. The Australian outback is already grappling with 挣扎, 苦恼不已, 烦恼不已, 不知如何是好 the spread of other pest succulents, including mother-of-millions (三角叶落地生根（學名：Kalanchoe daigremontiana）也叫大叶虎纹落地生根、大叶虎纹不死鸟、锐叶掌上珠，日语名缀弁庆. As the name suggests, mother of millions reproduces rapidly, producing hundreds of tiny plantlets which quickly form new colonies. It is adapted to dry conditions and can survive long periods of drought. This increases the plant's potential to persist and spread. Mother of millions is toxic when ingested by livestock; it is also poisonous to humans and household pets.), jumping cholla, and coral cactus — often from a rogue pot plant. Paroo Shire Mayor Suzette Beresford said the council was "monitoring the situation" closely, but the cacti appeared to be "contained 控制住了" and had not escaped the garden. "Just purchase from nurseries, because nurseries won't be selling plants that are invasive or prohibited, rather than just getting cuttings 剪枝 from someone else." A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) said an "extensive" visual sweep of the Yowah township had not detected any additional cacti. The ABC understands the owners of the home with the confiscated cacti live at a primary residence outside of Queensland. Ms Milson said young cacti also blend easily into dry landscapes, their spines digging into native animals and making it even more difficult to stop their spread. She said anyone who believes they have "suspect" plants in their yard should contact their local council or DPI to get them identified and destroyed correctly. "If what you've found is an invasive plant, please don't just drop it at the dump." 5. probe I. to try to discover information that other people do not want you to know, by asking questions carefully and not directly 试探性的问. to try to discover information about a situation by asking questions and examining facts: probe into sth High-end investors began to probe into the fund's performance and demanded better returns. He says the problems prompted him as a journalist to probe deeper, even after the issues disappeared from the media. The interviewer probed deep into her private life. Detectives questioned him for hours, probing for any inconsistencies in his story. The article probes (= tries to describe and explain) the mysteries of nationalism in modern Europe. II. to examine something with a tool, especially in order to find something that is hidden: Using a special instrument, the doctor probed the wound for the bullet. They probed in/into the mud with a special drill. III. to search into or examine something: Investigators are probing into new evidence in the case. noun. I. a careful and detailed examination: The probe explored allegations of corruption in the police department. II. 探测器. A probe is also a long, thin tool used by doctors in medical examinations or operations. III. the process of asking questions and examining facts in a situation, often in order to discover information that someone may be hiding: corruption/criminal/federal probe Alarm bells rang around the City after the investment bank revealed it had widened its accounting probes. a probe into sth The fund manager was arrested following a probe into alleged corruption. launch/conduct/open a probe The Swiss Banking Commission is conducting a probe into possible insider dealing. probing (of a question) difficult to answer without telling the truth. intended to get information: She asked me a few probing questions. probing questions. 6. Hormones and steroids 激素, 生长素 have not been used in Australia's meat chicken industry for more than 60 years. The myth that hormones are behind rapid growth in meat chickens remains, despite the industry's efforts to dispel 驳斥谣言 it. Chicken meat is the most consumed meat in Australia. The Australian Chicken Meat Foundation (ACMF) has been battling to convince people that selective breeding, improved nutrition and animal husbandry are behind the change. Free range chicken meat is advertised in Australia as hormone-free, but ACMF deputy executive director Kylie Hewson said the reality was hormone use in meat chickens was outlawed in Australia decades ago. "A meat chicken, a broiler 肉鸡, reaches a market weight within 42 days and you never get that in your chook in the backyard," He said the modern meat bird was less physically active and more efficient at converting grain into growth, and was often raised in large sheds to control lighting, temperature, humidity, diet and biosecurity risks. "Factory farming is an aversive term, honestly it's a bit of an insult to the industry and all of the work that it puts into maintaining and optimising the welfare of our chicken flocks," she said. Professor Hoffman said poor animal husbandry ( husbandry I. Farming. Husbandry is farming animals, especially when it is done carefully and well. the care, cultivation, and breeding of crops and animals. "all aspects of animal husbandry". ...soil-conserving methods of good husbandry. He gave a lecture on crop and animal husbandry. II. 资源精打细算. 资源优化使用. The prudent management or conservation of resources. the careful use of money, food, supplies, etc. management and conservation of resources. "low borrowing demonstrates astute husbandry of resources". ) would be unprofitable. "A really long time ago, back in the 50s and 60s, some people in the industry did trial using steroids or hormones to grow chickens bigger," Dr Hewson said. "What they quickly realised was that it was a lot more effective to use selective breeding to breed the traits they wanted in meat chickens." Dr Hewson said steroids and hormones had not been used in Australia's meat chicken industry for more than 60 years and antibiotic treatment was kept to an absolute minimum. On Tuesday, she emerged bruised both from the left and the right at home, where the cost-of-living crisis has come to the front of voter concerns, observers said. 7. self-suggestion = autosuggestion 心理暗示 psychology specialized a process of suggestion in which the person unconsciously supplies or consciously attempts to supply the means of influencing his or her own behaviour or beliefs. the influencing of your physical or mental state by thoughts and ideas that come from yourself rather than from other people: We believe that self-suggestion is the key to building confidence. Individuals who had been hypnotized always acted in accordance with their own self-suggestions. note: Autosuggestion is a psychological technique related to the placebo effect, popularized internationally by pharmacist Émile Coué in the 1920s. It is a form of self-induced suggestion in which individuals guide their own thoughts, feelings, or behavior. The technique is often used in self-hypnosis. 8. Graphene [ˈɡræfiːn] 石墨烯 is a single-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a 2D hexagonal (honeycomb) lattice. Known as a "wonder material," it is exceptionally strong (200x stronger than steel), flexible, transparent, and acts as an superior conductor of heat and electricity. It has massive potential in electronics, batteries, and composite materials. Graphene is a variety of the element carbon which occurs naturally in small amounts. In graphene, the carbon forms a sheet of interlocked atoms as hexagons one carbon atom thick. The result resembles the face of a honeycomb. When many hundreds of graphene layers build up, they are called graphite ([ˈɡræfaɪt] 石墨). Graphene is not a metal; it is a semi-metal or quasi-metal made of carbon, a non-metal element. While composed of non-metallic carbon atoms, graphene conducts electricity and heat exceptionally well, similar to a metal, due to its unique delocalized electron structure. It is often described as a 2D semimetal. Silicon [ˈsɪl.ɪ.kən] 硅 is not a metal; it is classified as a metalloid 类金属, which is an element that shares properties 属性 of both metals and non-metals. It has a shiny, metallic lustre, but it is brittle and acts as a semiconductor (not a conductor). It is commonly used in electronic chips and solar panels due to these intermediate properties. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic lustre, and is a tetravalent non-metal (sometimes considered as a metalloid) and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic table: carbon is above it; and germanium, tin, lead, and flerovium are below it. It is relatively unreactive. Silicon is a significant element that is essential for several physiological and metabolic processes in plants. Silicon is widely used as a semiconductor material in various electrical devices such as transistors, solar cells, and integrated circuits. It dominates semiconductor applications due to its low cost, excellent electronic properties, and adaptable physical characteristics. 9. deadfall [ˈdɛdˌfɔːl] 倒下的树, 砍倒的树 (sawdust 锯木屑) I. a type of trap, used esp for catching large animals, in which a heavy weight falls to crush the prey. II. (uncountable, Canada, US) Coarse woody debris; deadwood. III. (countable, specifically) A fallen tree. Let's find out about the fish. Oh, yeah... I'm already on that. Find out who was clearing deadfall. The fresh sawdust out back. You didn't notice? Eyes wide, Sid. There'll be no stopping you. 10. The walls are closing in on someone 感觉压抑, 喘不过气来, 压迫感越来越重(We both love to travel. Hong Kong twice. Uh, but never Shanghai. Maybe that's your next trip. You're old before you know. At some point the walls start closing in on you. Then it's done.): But what if we are inside a room too long? Those same walls can start to feel like a prison. We can feel trapped by them. When that happens, we can say the walls are closing in on us. This means you are feeling confined, or stuck, in an area. For example, after a year of living with the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt like the walls of my house were closing in on me. When that feeling came over me, I knew I needed to go outside for a walk! When you feel trapped or confined indoors, a walk outside usually helps. Not only are you in the fresh air, but you are also looking at different things. A change of scenery 换个环境 can help when you feel like the walls are closing in. Sometimes the "walls" in this idiom are not actual walls in a building. Instead, they are walls in our minds or in a certain situation. We can use the expression the walls are closing in when we are sick and tired of something. For example, if you unable to make advances in your job, you could feel like the walls have closed in on your career. You may feel like you don't have the chance to advance or try new things. It can feel like the "walls" are closing in on a relationship too. When people find themselves in very restricted relationships with someone who is trying to control them, it may feel like the walls are closing in on them. In these cases, a change of scenery is not found outside in the woods. The change of scenery is a new job or a new relationship. When the walls feel like they are closing in, we can also use another word to describe what we are feeling: claustrophobic. Claustrophobia is defined as an abnormal fear of being in closed or confined spaces. Sometimes, we use the term "claustrophobic" to mean we feel uneasy by a situation that is limiting or restricting 拘束人, 限制人的. This feeling of unease could be from physical or non-physical reasons. A job and a relationship can also feel claustrophobic. up the walls 忙得要死, 非常忙, 忙得脚不沾地 I. Extremely busy or overworked; having many things to contend with at once. (idiomatic, UK, Ireland, regarding a workplace, etc.) Very busy, swamped. It means that you are extremely busy and stressed with work. I'm up the walls at work/with work. We were up the walls last week and I got ten hours overtime. We didn't go to the restaurant as it was up the walls. Sorry I haven't been in touch, but between work and our new baby, I've just been up the walls lately! Thank goodness you're here, Mary, we're up the walls in here! Could you take this order out to table 10 straight away, please? II. 让人发疯. 让人发狂. 让人抓狂. In a state of intense frustration, vexation, distress, or anxiety.  in a very bad situation; very upset or anxious. He's really up the wall about Mary's illness. We were all up the wall until the matter was resolved. I've been up the wall trying to get this problem with my tax bill resolved. That car alarm next door is driving me up the wall! wall somebody/something up I. 砌墙堵住. 堵死. to fill in an entrance, window etc with bricks or stone. The entrance had long since been walled up. II. to fill in all the entrances and windows of a place so that someone cannot get out. III. to keep someone as a prisoner in a building. keep walls up = the wall is up = have walls up 拒绝, 拒之门外, 拒之于千里之外, 四面防备, 设防 = guarded, closed off, distant, or standoffish metaphorically means a person has established emotional barriers to protect themselves, resulting in them being uncommunicative, guarded, or distant. It signifies a refusal to be vulnerable, preventing intimacy or close connection with others. not letting anyone into my life, keeping my walls up. I'm keeping my walls up and not dating you. 10. A petrostate, oil state or petrocracy 石油独裁, 石油经济体 is a polity whose economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and export of oil or natural gas. Petrostates are conventionally independent nations; however writers like Samuel Weston and Andrew Nikiforuk describe major oil-producing subnational entities like Wyoming, Alberta and Louisiana as also petrostates. A petromonarchy or oil monarchy is a petrostate run by a dynastic absolute monarch; one run by another type of autocrat is a petro-dictatorship. petrostate usually disapproving a small oil-rich country in which institutions are weak and wealth and power are concentrated in the hands of a few. a country with an economy that depends on money from extracting (= removing from the ground) and selling oil and has few other industries or assets, often a country where a small number of people have a lot of power and may be corrupt (= dishonest): A combination of extensive oil resources and widespread poverty is common in petrostates such as Venezuela. Oil companies are key actors in African petrostates. The shale revolution (shale a type of soft, grey rock, usually formed from clay that has become hard, that breaks easily into thin layers. We hope shale will be the next industry.  ) is the rapid expansion of US oil and natural gas production driven by advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") to extract resources from shale rock formations. Starting roughly in the 2000s, this, according to the IEA, transformed the US into a global energy superpower, drastically lowering energy prices, boosting manufacturing, and strengthening energy security. wiki: Shale gas is an unconventional natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations. Since the 1990s, a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has made large volumes of shale gas more economical to produce, and some analysts expect that shale gas will greatly expand worldwide energy supply. Shale gas has become an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States since the start of this century, and interest has spread to potential gas shales in the rest of the world. China is estimated to have the world's largest shale gas reserves. wiki: Shale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock (kerogen) into synthetic oil and gas. The resulting oil can be used immediately as a fuel or upgraded to meet refinery feedstock specifications by adding hydrogen and removing impurities such as sulfur and nitrogen. The refined products can be used for the same purposes as those derived from crude oil. The term "shale oil" is also used for crude oil produced from shales of other unconventional, very low permeability formations. 11. drink the Kool-Aid 被说服, 心服口服, 说什么就是什么, 无脑接受, 听话, 不质疑, 全盘接受,  informal (chiefly US, colloquial, derogatory) To come under the influence of a leader, organization, or movement to the point of believing uncritically in an espoused idea or ideology. to do or accept someone's ideas or suggestions willingly or without asking questions: He really gets his players drinking the Kool-Aid - they believe in him. I totally drank the Kool-Aid at her talk. I drank the Kool-Aid at the conference and was hooked. Everyone fell for his charm and drank the Kool-Aid he was serving. He accuses the news media of "drinking the Kool-Aid" and not being tough enough on the president. Etymology: Referring to the Peoples Temple cult movement, whose members committed mass suicide in 1978 by drinking a powdered drink mix (popularly, but erroneously, believed to be Kool-Aid) laced with cyanide. in short order 马上, 很快 without delay; Quickly, efficiently, and without any delays. I can straighten out this mess in short order. The maids came in and cleaned the place up in short order. The repair shouldn't take long at all. We'll get you on the road in short order. Bob is the best trainer. He'll whip you into shape in short order. When you know you'll be going to war with a group of guys, you become good friends in short order. junket [ˈdʒʌŋkɪt] noun. I. countable ​informal [informal, disapproval] a journey or visit made for pleasure by an official that is paid for by someone else or with public money. an unnecessary trip by a government official which is paid for with public money. a trip or party for a group of employees or politicians that is paid for by their company or government:  journey or meeting that people say is for business but is really for pleasure. If you describe a trip or visit by an official or businessman as a junket, you disapprove of it because it is expensive, unnecessary, and often has been paid for with public money. He took frequent junkets 公费旅游, 公款旅游 with friends to exotic locales. A group of MPs was criticized last week for spending thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money on a junket to Hollywood. a corporate/press junket. The senator is off on another junket to Hawaii at taxpayers' expense. If you describe a trip or visit by an official or businessman as a junket, you disapprove of it because it is expensive, unnecessary, and often has been paid for with public money. an extravagant trip or celebration, in particular one enjoyed by a government official at public expense. "the latest row over city council junkets". He took frequent junkets with friends to exotic locales. II. uncountable a sweet food made from milk that was popular in the past. verb. INFORMAL attend or go on a trip or celebration at public expense. "the mayor junketed off to Christchurch for a cricket match last week". press junket = film junket 媒体见面会 A promotional event for a film to which media representatives are invited. a highly scheduled promotional event where cast, crew, or creators of a film, TV show, or product give rapid-fire, back-to-back interviews to journalists in a single day. Actors often stay in one room while dozens of media outlets rotate in for 5–15 minute slots. These events are designed to maximize publicity, generate media coverage, and build audience awareness through consistent, often approved, messaging. Angus Taylor, the current leader of the Opposition and the man who was Energy Minister for a significant period of time during which this crisis was created, has hit the media junket claiming we need urgent measures to address Australia's fuel insecurity. She had been asked these questions during a press junket a couple weeks earlier and wasn't quite prepared. Ryan Gosling was on hand at a recent press junket for Blade Runner 2049. Junket operators are best described as a mixture of a travel agency, VIP hospitality service, and semi-banking firms. These companies have the objective of reaching out to high rollers and provide them with specialized offers to come and gamble at a particular casino. Junket operators reach out to wealthy gamblers directly and lure them to Macau by offering luxury travel and accommodation promotions and other personalized services. In essence, junkets are responsible for a large portion of the casinos' VIP revenue. 

 Castro's grandson: If the Castros are – as some Cubans refer to them – "the royal family" of the island, then Sandro Castro seems to be applying for the role of court jester. In a country where regular access to the internet is still considered a luxury, Cuban nightclub owner Sandro Castro – a grandson to deceased leader Fidel Castro – has amassed 聚敛, 收货 over 150,000 followers on Instagram with outrageous and often bizarre antics that appear like an audition for an inevitable reality show about a wastrel ( wastrel [ˈweɪ.strəl] 乱花钱的人, 花钱无度的人, 花花公子, 浪荡公子, 浪费生命的人, 废物, 无用的人 If you describe someone as a wastrel you mean that they are lazy and spend their time and money on foolish things. a person who does nothing positive with their life, making no use of their abilities or the opportunities that are offered to them. ) heir to a revolutionary dynasty. Think "One Hundred Years of Solitude" meets "Keeping up with the Kardashians." Unlike the rest of his intensely private, often secretive, relatives, Sandro openly seeks out fame and notoriety, even daring to troll the island's communist-run government. But in an exclusive late-night visit interview during one of the frequent blackouts roiling the island, the 33-year-old told CNN that he is misunderstood. "I am making videos about a tense, sad situation," Castro said referring to rising tensions between the island and the Trump administration that have further hastened Cuba's economic collapse. Castro's posts offer a rare peek into a life of privilege unimaginable to most Cubans while taking the occasional swipes at the communist apparatchiks ( apparatchik [ˌapəˈra(t)tʃɪk] historical a member of a Communist Party apparat. a loyal and senior member of a political party, especially the Communist Party in the former USSR: A former apparatchik in the Communist Party, she became a diplomat. ) who succeeded his grandfather, who died in 2016, and great uncle Raúl, who stood down as president in 2018. Poking fun at Trump's threat to take over Cuba and the country's worsening economic crisis would seem tone deaf 不识时务 if not dangerous in a nation that has warned its citizens they need to prepare for war. It's hard to imagine anyone not named Castro getting away with a similar stunt. But Sandro Castro said he is just like many other Cubans, fed up with the country's direction. "It's so difficult," Castro said of the worsening crisis that has driven some Cubans to protest against the government and others to search dumpsters for food. "You suffer thousands of problems. In a day, there might not be electricity, no water. Goods don't arrive. It's so hard, really hard," Castro told me, as his manager handed him another ice-cold beer. It was night, but he was wearing designer sunglasses for our interview at his apartment in the secluded Kohly neighborhood of Havana, where many Cuban military and intelligence officials live. Sandro Castro, grandson of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, gives CNN a tour of his apartment, featuring foreign branded appliances and free-flowing 源源不断的, 随便用的 electricity, among other luxuries many on the island cannot afford. Amid an island-wide energy crisis, debate over how much Castro is really suffering as he downs chilled 冰的 Cuban Cristal beers and powers his modern looking bachelor pad with an EcoFlow battery generator will likely only deepen controversy around a scion ( scion [ˈsaɪ.ən] a young member of a rich and famous family: He's the scion of a very wealthy newspaper-publishing family. ) of Cuba's most famous family. Castro claims he is not "Dubai-rich," that his family does not own mansions or yachts and says he does not even have gas to put in his car. But in a country where the average salary is below $20 per month, Castro seems to be doing more than OK for himself. Even as Cuba's economy collapses, on social media, for Castro and pals, the party never stops. He is perhaps the rarest figure in Cuba; someone who unites the two political extremes that have been battling over the future of the nation for nearly 70 years in their shared disdain for him 共同鄙视他. For Cuban exiles who fled the 1959 revolution, he is a symbol of rank hypocrisy, one of the descendants of a communist leader who outlawed private industry for decades and advocated for austerity, but who themselves enjoy the fruits of capitalism. For die-hard supporters of the Cuban revolution, he is a proletariat class ( proletariat [ˌprəʊlɪˈtɛːriət] 工人阶级 working-class people regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxism). "the growth of the industrial proletariat". ) traitor, cashing in on his revolutionary lineage 革命家的血脉, 革命家的传统 for clicks and likes. "He's trading on "hate me,'" said Ted Henken, a sociology and anthropology professor at Baruch College in New York who has studied the spread of the internet in Cuba. "The Kardashians and Paris Hilton and him, they are also trading on this envy or 'look at my fabulous lifestyle.'" Castro denies that he is a millionaire and rejects the possibility that his family connections protect him or make his life any easier than that of other Cubans. His nightclub on a main avenue of Havana "only" cost him $50,000, he said – a sum beyond the wildest imagination of most Cubans. "The little I have is thanks to my effort, my sacrifice," he said. The couple had five sons together, Alexis, Alex, Alejandro, Antonio and Angel. Fidel Castro, either wanting to protect his family's privacy or maintain the mystique of a revolutionary 革命家, 革命者 ( adj. I. involving or causing a complete or dramatic change. "a revolutionary new drug". II. engaged in or promoting political revolution. "the revolutionary army". noun. a person who advocates or engages in political revolution.) who only had time for his country, never publicly disclosed the family. Alexis Castro Soto del Valle, Sandro's father and a telecommunications engineer, has also dabbled in social media. He has posted on X memories of his childhood in the famous family, as well as veiled criticism of the Cuban government's recent economic decisions. There are no signs though that Sandro Castro has any intention of slowing his barrage of videos, even though he admitted to CNN that his family sometimes asks him to remove his controversial posts where he has mocked blackouts and fuel shortages. "I am a revolutionary, but a revolutionary of ideas, of progress, of change," he said, referencing current Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel's slogan of "continuity."