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用法学习: 1. One day after Taylor Swift dominated the 2015 MTV VMAs, the show's host, Miley Cyrus, explained that she has no interest in having her own "squad 帮派" or being in Swift's. She explained why she hangs out with non-celebs and mentioned Swift's crew. Swift has "musicians, actresses, models, entrepreneurs" in her Squad, but she told the Times, "I'm not trying to be in the squad(squad I. a department in a police force that deals with a particular type of crime. the drugs squad. II. a small group of soldiers who do a particular job. the bomb squad. firing squad 行刑队 a group of soldiers who shoot and kill someone as a punishment. circular firing squad 自相残杀 a situation in which a group of people who have a common enemy engage in behaviour that ends up harming themselves more than the enemy. The Republican Party is going to be a circular firing squad for the foreseeable future. hit squad I. a group of people who are sent to do a difficult job. II. a group of trained people who are sent to kill someone. squad car a car used by police officers. death squad a group of people who illegally kill other people, especially their political opponents.). None of my friends are famous and not because of any other reason than I just like real people who are living real lives, because I'm inspired by them.". 2. deluge [ˈdelju:dʒ] I. 雪片般的. 蜂拥而来的. 前促后拥的. a lot of things all happening or arriving at the same time, especially if they are hard to deal with. The company received a deluge of complaints about the defective product. II. a very heavy fall of rain. a. a flood. v. if you are deluged with things, you have a lot of them to deal with. The Commission has been deluged with complaints. II. to fill or cover a place with water. Amazon 公司文化报道: The Times article, which cited more than 100 current and former employees, describes a wildly successful but ruthless company where workers are encouraged to report each other to supervisors 打小报告 for transgressions 犯错, 违规, 违纪. ( to do something that is not allowed by a law, custom, or religion. ) such as "inflexibility and openly complaining about minor tasks." According to the article, employees are expected to answer emails 回复邮件 well into the night and workers crying at their desks is not an uncommon sight 常见现象, 习以为常的事. One former worker says Amazon fosters a culture that prioritizes the success of the company above all else 公司成功高于一切. "She and other workers had no shortage of career options but said they had internalized 同化, 归化 ( I. make (attitudes or behavior) part of one's nature by learning or unconscious assimilation. II. Economics incorporate (costs) as part of a pricing structure, especially social costs resulting from the manufacture and use of a product. ) Amazon's priorities. "Here's why I'm writing you. The NYT article prominently features anecdotes describing shockingly callous 没有人情味的, 冷漠的 management practices, including people being treated without empathy while enduring family tragedies and serious health problems. The article doesn't describe the Amazon I know or the caring Amazonians I work with every day. But if you know of any stories like those reported, I want you to escalate to HR. You can also email me directly at jeff@amazon.com. Even if it's rare or isolated, our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero. The article goes further than reporting isolated anecdotes. It claims that our intentional approach is to create a soulless, dystopian workplace where no fun is had and no laughter heard. Again, I don't recognize this Amazon and I very much hope you don't, either. More broadly, I don't think any company adopting the approach portrayed could survive, much less thrive, in today's highly competitive tech hiring market. The people we hire here are the best of the best. You are recruited every day by other world-class companies, and you can work anywhere you want. But hopefully, you don't recognize the company described. Hopefully, you're having fun working with a bunch of brilliant teammates, helping invent the future, and laughing along the way 一路欢声笑语. 3. platter I. 大盘子. a large plate used for serving food. a. a meal with a particular type of food, served on a large plate in a restaurant. a seafood platter. on a (silver) platter if something is given to you on a silver platter, you do not have to do much in order to get it. He's the kind of rich kid who's had everything given to him on a silver platter. want sb's head on a plate/platter if you want an individual's head on a plate you are annoyed with them and want them to endure a punishment. The manager was antagonised by Ben and wanted his head on a plate. relish 珍视, 珍贵 to get great pleasure or satisfaction from something. Being a role model for younger players is something he relishes. a. to enjoy the thought of something that you are going to do. She obviously relishes the opportunity of campaigning against her old rival. I just want to relish the moment. 时态的区别: I'll be working late 加班 at the office tonight. That seems like a comment to a spouse/partner as you leave the house for work. Just to let them know that they'll shouldn't expect you back at the usual time. I'll work late at the office tonight. It sounds a bit like you're planning something. I'll work late at the office tonight, then I'll walk home with Bob, so I'll have an alibi when the police question me... Hope you've caught my drift. His phone is out of range 没信号 or he is just working late. Don't worry about him. 4. VMA礼服爆抄袭风云: Miley's barely-there costumes, pieced together by her stylist Simone Harouche, were laden with sequins [ˈsikwɪn] ( CD形状的小亮片: Sequins are disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes. In earlier centuries, they were made from shiny metals. Today, sequins are most often made from plastic. They are available in a wide variety of colors and geometrical shapes. Sequins are commonly used on clothing, jewelry, bags, shoes and many other accessories. Sequins are sometimes also referred to as spangles, paillettes, or diamantes. Paillettes themselves are commonly very large and flat. Sequins may be stitched flat to the fabric, so that they do not move, and are less likely to fall off; or they may be stitched at only one point, so that they dangle and move easily, to catch more light. Some sequins are made with multiple facets, to increase their reflective ability. ) and 'evil eyes'( The evil eye 诅咒 is a curse believed to be cast by a malevolent glare, usually given to a person when they are unaware. Many cultures believe that receiving the evil eye will cause misfortune or injury. Talismans created to protect against the evil eye are also frequently called "evil eyes". The idea expressed by the term causes many different cultures to pursue protective measures against it. The concept and its significance vary widely among different cultures, primarily in West Asia. The idea appears several times in translations of the Old Testament. It was a widely extended 流传广泛的 belief among many Mediterranean and Asian tribes and cultures. Charms and decorations with eye-like symbols known as nazars ( an eye-shaped amulet (=a small object worn to protect against bad luck) to protect against "the evil eye" ), which are used to repel the evil eye 驱邪 (likes repel opposites attract Any charged object - whether positively charged or negatively charged - will have an attractive interaction with a neutral object. Positively charged objects and neutral objects attract each other; and negatively charged objects and neutral objects attract each other.) are a common sight across 常见场景 Turkey, Greece, Albania, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Southern Italy (Napoli/nNàpule), the Levant, and Afghanistan and have become a popular choice of souvenir with tourists. ) – replicating Discount Universe's trademark style. Signature style: Designs by Discount Universe are heavily sequinned featuring 'evil eyes' and toothy grins. We are obviously distraught, and this couldn't have come at a worse time as we are on our official last day of making the new collection, so we are trying our best to rise above and stay focused,' they wrote. One design featured a multi-coloured, one-legged sequinned pant suit that covered her chest with a blue eye and pink lips. The design is similar to a pink Discount Universe leotard (leotard [ˈli:əˌtɑ:(r)d] a piece of clothing that covers the body tightly from the neck to the top of the legs and is used for dancing or exercising. a close-fitting one-piece garment, made of a stretchy fabric, that covers a person's body from the shoulders to the top of the thighs and typically the arms, worn by dancers or people exercising indoors.) she wore on stage during her Bangerz Tour that also featured lips and eyes. 5. empty vessels make [the] most noise (or sound) something that you say which means that people who talk a lot and frequently express their opinions are often stupid David talks as if he's an expert on everything, but empty vessels make most noise. broken vessel 空架子, 空壳子, 一无所有 Someone who is or feels completely destroyed, hollow, forsaken, or inadequate. Taken from the biblical symbolism of a person being a vessel into which God fills divine wisdom and grace. I have no one who cares about me, and I have no job or prospects. I'm feeling like a broken vessel these days. burst/bust a blood vessel (informal) I. to use a lot of effort doing something I'd like the designs as soon as possible, but don't bust a blood vessel! II. to become very angry and start shouting He nearly burst a blood vessel when he heard what they'd done to his car. Vessel meaning mind, Means that when we come to God, we should bring an empty mind that He might fill it with his truth. When we pray for instance, there is no need to tell God what he already knows by asking for this or that. We should meditate or remind ourselves of the presence of God and give all our problems or needs to Him without any idea held in our mind as to how we should be fulfilled. In other words develope a listening ear that can hear, intuition maybe, God's wisdom can only be obtained in silence, because you can not hear Him while your mind is chattering 喋喋不休. Prayer is the Word of God which comes to you when you are silent enough, still enough, expectant enough and empty enough to receive it. This Word of God which you receive in Silence becomes visible as health, harmony, success, peace, joy and dominion where all the world may see it. 6. 神奇乒乓球对攻: Table tennis fans were left in amazement after two players battled out one of the longest ever points in a major competition, lasting an astonishing 91 hits. Playing in the Czech Open, Sweden's Par Gerell and Frenchman Adrien Matternet were locked in a gruelling battle at 10-10 in the seventh set when the extraordinary exchange 对攻 unfolded. In a mesmerising rally回合(hold the attention of (someone) to the exclusion of all else or so as to transfix them. "she was mesmerized by the blue eyes that stared so intently into her own".), Gerell was the aggressor 进攻者, forcing Matternet almost 2m behind the table as the pair exchanged shots for a staggering one minutes and 35 seconds. At one point Metternet disappeared from the camera range as a he retrieved a powerful topspin forehand before lobbing the ball back into play. The Frenchman eventually conceded the point when one of his returns failed to clear the net回球下网, with Gerell going on to win the match. 7. 儿童节目取消引发抗议: 'We've gone through the stages of grief in a matter of moments, denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, and acceptance,' Joseph's mother Alisha Luxford wrote on the Facebook page. Another mother said her son was 'boycotting' the replacement program, Dinosaur Train, and posted an image of the boy completely distraught. 'This is my son's reaction tonight when I told him Curious George wasn't on anymore,' the mother, Melanie Henry, wrote. 'We had a mini meltdown when Dinosaur Train came on instead of our favourite monkey,' Amanda Blakely wrote alongside a picture of her daughter in tears. For some homes, the devastation was unbearable. 'Today has been a very sad day in our home! My four-year-old is quite distressed and she would like to find whoever it was that decided that kids don't need Curious George and to make them feel as sad and as hurt as she is,' Miriam Ashford wrote of her daughter. Many parents said the change disrupted their children's bedtime routine, explaining that the program was the only way to ensure their children ate their dinner and wound down for bed. The sudden change in programming was made worse, according to the parents, because they had not been informed by the national broadcaster and could not prepare their children for the change. A moderator of the ABC KIDS for Parents Facebook page responded to the parents on their posts. The much-loved program was not available to be streamed on ABC's iView, which frustrated many parents, which the page explained was due to the ABC's inability to acquire digital rights to Curious George. 8. 母亲锁住吸毒儿: A desperate mother has installed a $3000 steel-reinforced cage in her home to house her ice-addicted teenage son. The woman told A Current Affair that her 17-year-old son had pleaded with her to lock the door. "He was crying in bed, and screaming for help. He said 'Mum, Mum, you have to lock the cage, you have to lock the door'," she told ACA reporter Chris Allen. "Because I can't be trusted – I will do anything," her son said. The teen said he willingly lived in the cage to stop him from being "out of control" when high on the illicit drug. "I would rather look at my mum as a jailer than be in a real jail," he said. The cage includes steel beams and poles that are secured by plates in the floor and the ceiling inside the Rockhampton home. Inside, the room is spacious, with a double bed and space to move around. "She went to a lot of effort, spent a lot of money," he said. The woman said she had to go to extreme measures 极端措施 to protect her son. "Until you see ice rage first hand, you've got no idea what you're dealing with. You're dealing with a monster." She also said her son had taken a pitchfork to his brother, and said she believed he would kill him during an "ice rage". 9. 女明星的吵吵闹闹: Lining up on the VMAs red carpet this week, Taylor Swift's girl squad read like a who's who list of the hottest women in Tinseltown right now. For most it triggered envy, with #squadgoals being the go-to hashtag. But for the more skeptical of us, it nagged at that feeling that ( nag at someone (about someone or something) to pester someone about someone or something. Don't keep nagging at me about her. Stop nagging at me! nag (away) at sb 坐卧不宁, 驱之不散 If ​doubts or ​worries ​nag (away) at you, you ​think about them all the ​time: The same ​thought has been ​nagging away at me since last ​week.) "friend collector" Tay Tay was putting on a show. And well, it would appear we're not alone. A source tells TheFIX that Lorde has cooled her friendship with Taylor due to concerns she isn't that genuine真心的. "Lorde is on good terms with Taylor, but no longer considers her a close friend," says the source. "She now realizes that Tay is very strategic in who she befriends and has some kind of plan to make sure all of her potential competitors become her supporters so that there is no one around to dis her." It's a move we've seen time and time again from Taylor, 25. She even used her VMAs opener as an opportunity to makeup with Nicki Minaj after their Twitter spat in July. But it is a strategy that down-to-earth Kiwi Lorde struggles with, especially as her "girl squad" are school friends from her hometown. "She now feels Taylor was not really sincere but fickle 喜怒无常的(changing frequently, especially as regards one's loyalties, interests, or affection. "Web patrons are a notoriously fickle lot, bouncing from one site to another on a whim".) and prefers to be pals with people she know she will be in touch with for decades to come, whether or not her fame is long lasting," said the source. "The two didn't really chat at this year's VMAs and Lorde noticed that Taylor cosies up to whoever might help her profile." And Lorde isn't alone in her observations 并不是只有她这么看. VMAs host Miley Cyrus also slammed Tay's collection of supermodels, hot actresses and fellow singers, including Selena Gomez, Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevingne. 8. Brie ([bri:]) is a soft cow's milk cheese named after Brie, the French region from which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern département of Seine-et-Marne). It is pale in color with a slight grayish tinge under a rind of white mold. The whitish moldy rind is typically eaten, its flavor depending largely upon the ingredients used and its manufacturing environment. 意外导致失业: The 23-year-old Illinois man was set to start with a business in St Charles, about 60km west of Chicago, but scuppered ( scupper [ˈskʌpə(r)] I. British informal to spoil someone's plans or hopes of success. II. to make a ship sink by deliberately letting water in. ) his chances by sending two nude pictures to – of all people – the human resources director. Worse still, the hapless 倒霉的 Don Juan might have gotten away with it if he hadn't diligently called the company to follow up after his interview, causing his number to be identified. "We're seeing it much more often now with our young people sending inappropriate photos of themselves," Elmhurst Police Chief Michael Ruth told the newspaper. "They're sharing it with someone else and the next thing you know it takes on a life of its own 生了翅膀, 长了翅膀, 不受控." Indeed – and though this particular case appears to be nothing more than a hellishly unfortunate accident, it's not the first time phoneplay has turned a new member of the workforce back into a jobseeker in a trice. 9. 新西兰新国旗: New Zealanders will be given a choice between three ferns (Cyathea dealbata, also known as the silver tree fern or silver fern, also as ponga [ˈpɒŋə] or punga [ˈpʌŋə] (from Māori kaponga or ponga), is a species of medium-sized tree fern, endemic to New Zealand. It is a symbol commonly associated with the country both overseas and by New Zealanders themselves. This fern is known to grow to heights of 10 m or more (though it occasionally takes a rare creeping form). The crown is dense, and the fronds tend to be about 4 m long and have a silver-white colouration on the undersides背面. This distinctive silver colouration has made them useful for laying along tracks for night walking. The scales are a dark brown and are often twisted and glossy.) and a koru (or unfurling 蜷曲的, 蜷缩的 fern frond (a large long leaf divided into many narrow sections. fern/palm fronds. furl to fold or roll a piece of cloth or paper. a furled sail), in black and white. furlong a unit for measuring distance in horse races, equal to 220 yards or 201 meters. furlough [ˈfɜrlou] 休假, 休憩 a period of time during which someone is allowed to be away from a job or the military.) for a possible new flag, after the government-appointed panel published its final shortlist of four alternative designs. Retired broadcaster Murray Deaker is a strong supporter of the silver fern. He laughed at the suggestion it might be mistaken for the IS colours. "That is the usual Aussie wind-up ( wind-up adj. a wind-up toy or machine is one that works when you turn a key several times. n. I. the process of ending something. II. British informal 说笑. 取笑. 戏谑. something that you say or do to deliberately annoy or trick someone. get the wind up to become nervous or frightened. When he saw his opponent he got the wind up.). They know that a black flag would be even more powerful. [The silver fern] is recognised worldwide as the symbol of our country, as something we have all taken huge pride in," Deaker said. The flag furore gained new momentum yesterday as The Times newspaper in the UK reported on what it called a growing movement against the Union Jack in the Pacific, citing Key's labelling of it as a relic and Fiji's new prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, saying he wants a new flag to reflect a sense of national renewal. "A potential new flag should unmistakably be from New Zealand and celebrate us as a progressive, inclusive nation that is connected to its environment, and has a sense of its past and a vision for its future." Zwanikken said he felt that there had been a backlash against the push to change the flag – instigated by Key – in part because of the cost and duration of the process, which will include a two-step postal vote and is estimated to cost just under $NZ26m ($A25m). "I think there is a strong sentiment 情绪 that this process isn't something the public really asked for at this time, but rather something pushed upon 强加于人的, 强加给的 them," he said. "But that said, it's happening now so I think we should turn our energy towards making sure that this money isn't wasted and that we take the opportunity to create something good out of it." The panel is now faced with the task of whittling down the longlist ( whittle something down (to size) and whittle something down to cut or diminish something to a more appropriate size or to the proper size. I whittled the peg down to size and it fit in the hole perfectly. You are going to have to whittle down expenses. whittle: to make an object out of wood by cutting pieces off the wood with a small knife. ) of 40 to four designs that will be put to a public vote in a binding 绑定的, 捆绑式的 referendum in November or December. A second referendum, to be held in March 2016, will be a run-off ( elope [ɪˈloup] 私奔, 逃跑, 逃婚 if two people elope, they go away secretly to get married. To elope, most literally, merely means to run away and to not come back to the point of origination.  More specifically, elopement is often used to refer to a marriage conducted in sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting married. Today the term "elopement" is colloquially used for any marriage performed in haste, with a limited public engagement period or without a public engagement period. Some couples elope because they dislike or cannot afford an expensive wedding ceremony, or wish to avoid objections from parents, or religious obligations. do a runner 跑路, 开溜, 溜走, 逃跑, 离家出走 If people leave a restaurant without paying, they do a runner. to leave a place in order to avoid a difficult or unpleasant situation or to avoid paying for something. He did a runner with his girlfriend. A relative of Lucas told The Daily Telegraph his family was distraught by his running away跑路. run-off I. That portion of precipitation or irrigation on an area which does not infiltrate or evaporate, but instead is discharged from the area. II. Dissolved chemicals, etc, included in such water. The runoff 溶解掉的, 融化了的 of nitrates is poisoning the lake. III. 附加赛. 又一轮, 第二轮. A second or further round of an indecisive election, after other candidates (often all but the last two) have been eliminated. There will now be a runoff as neither front runner received more than 50% of the vote. run off I. [intransitive] 私奔. 离家出走. to suddenly leave a place or person. Their dad ran off when they were little. run off with someone to secretly leave a place with someone in order to marry them or have a sexual relationship with them. They said Phil had run off with his wife's best friend. run off with something to steal something or to take it without permission. A man in the street approached her and ran off with her purse. II. [transitive] to quickly print a copy of something. Would you mind running off some more copies of the agenda? III. [transitive] 信手拈来, 一挥而就. to quickly and easily write something such as a poem or speech. James can just run off a poem for any occasion. IV. [intransitive/transitive] if a liquid runs off, or if you run it off, it flows away from or out of something. This channel allows rainwater to run off. V. [transitive] run someone off American very informal to force someone to leave a place. VI. run off at the mouth American spoken to talk too much. go/run off the rails 离经叛道 I. to no longer work as planned or intended. The campaign for independence seems to have gone off the rails. II. to start behaving in a way that is not socially acceptable. ) between the current flag and the preferred alternative design. The New Zealand public will now rank these four designs in order of preference in a binding postal referendum to be held between 20 November 20 and 11 December. A second referendum, to be held in March next year, will pit the preferred alternative against the current flag. Reaction to the shortlisted four at the hashtag #nzflag was by and large disparaging, reflecting a general sense of fatigue 厌倦 with the process and disgruntlement 不满 at the lack of transparency.