用法学习: 1. allure 吸引力, 吸引人的地方 The allure of something or someone is the pleasing or exciting quality that they have. a special, exciting, and attractive quality that someone or something has. sexual allure. allure of: the allure of gambling. It's a game that has really lost its allure. alluring [UK əˈljʊərɪŋ, US, AU əˈlʊərɪŋ] adj powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating; seductive. "the town offers alluring shops and restaurants". A string of sparkly new hotels, shops and cafes have popped up in Chennai in recent times, adding an alluring new layer to a city immersed in history and tradition. animate [ˈænɪˌmeɪt] (stoke) 激活, 活跃气氛, 刺激兴趣 to make someone or something more lively, active, or interested. Sports were the only thing that really animated him. an attempt to animate the discussion. 2. 北极圈会谈: The same day a troubling UN report warned that incessant economic growth is driving all life on Earth toward unprecedented rates of extinction, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told Arctic Council members in Finland that climate change in the region presents a magnificent economic opportunity. "Steady reductions in sea ice are opening new naval passageways 航道, 通道 and new opportunities for trade," Pompeo said. "This could potentially slash the time it takes to travel between Asia and the West by as much as 20 days." New routes, where the nuisance 烦人的 of sea ice has conveniently disappeared, could "become the 21st century's Suez and Panama canals." "We're entering a new age of strategic engagement in the Arctic, complete with new threats to Arctic interests and its real estate," he said, emphasizing that the US won't stand for any "aggressive" moves by Russia or China. On Twitter, Trump accused Beijing of attempting to run out the clock on his administration in the assumption it will be dealing with a Democratic administration after 2020. Speaking at a rally in Florida later Wednesday, Trump said the new tariffs were because China "broke the deal". 3. meteoric [miːtiɒrɪk , US -ɔːr] adj I. If you use meteoric when you are describing someone's career, you mean that they achieved success very quickly. used to describe something that develops very fast and attracts a lot of attention: The group had a meteoric rise to fame飞速上升, 火箭上升 in the 70s. Her political career has been meteoric. ...his meteoric rise to fame. His early career had been meteoric. II. relating to or caused by a meteor: The sudden flash of light in the night sky was caused by a meteoric fireball. bullet point: A bullet point is one of a series of important items for discussion or action in a document, usually marked by a square or round symbol. Use bold type for headings and bullet points for noteworthy achievements. take the points raised: When you "raise a point", you are bringing up an issue to be discussed. After someone has raised a point, you can refer to it as "the point [that has been] raised." Thus, when you want others to examine the issue that someone brought up, you can ask them to "take the point raised". make one's point(make/prove your/a point) put across a proposition clearly and convincingly. to prove that you are right about something. Okay, you've made your point, there's no need to keep going on about it. "he sat back, satisfied he had made his point". I've got some points I'd like to make here. make a point I. (idiomatic) To argue or promote an idea. I suppose the people who wrote that stuff on the wall were trying to make a point, but they mainly made a mess. You made a point 专门强调that we all should remember. He spoke for an hour without making a point. II. 一定要. (idiomatic) To take care in doing something of something; to pay attention or ensure that something is done. to do something deliberately, even when it involves making a special effort. to always do something or to take particular care to do something. Treat something as important or essential She makes a point of 专门地 keeping all her shopping receipts. He made a point of 看重, 认为很重要, 坚持要, 不辞辛苦的做某事 spending Saturdays with his children. I always make a point of being early. Make a point to carry [or of carrying] your calendar with you at all times. make a play for sth/sb to try to get something, or start a relationship with someone, sometimes by using a plan: I wouldn't have made a play for him if I'd known he was married. score/ make points (with someone) 得分, 赢得好感 To do something that receives a positive reaction or enhances one's reputation or standing with someone. Tom is trying to make points with Ann 投其所好. He wants to ask her out. He's trying to make points by smiling and telling her how nice she looks. I made some points with my mother-in-law by offering to wash the dishes after the big meal. You're not going to score any points with the coach by showing up late to practice. Ben thinks he can score points with Leslie by donating to the fundraising campaign she's promoting. Boilerplate text, or simply boilerplate, is any written text (copy) that can be reused in new contexts or applications without significant changes to the original. The term is used in reference to statements, contracts and computer code, and is used in the media to refer to hackneyed or unoriginal writing. 4. a one-man show 一人包揽所有, 一个人的公司, 单打独斗 to be reliant on one person alone. A person who does or manages just about everything, as in This department is a one-man show—the chairman runs it all, or John conducts the interviews, writes the articles, solicits ads, deals with the printer—he's a one-man band. This idiom alludes to the actor or artist responsible for the entire performance or exhibit, or the musician who plays every instrument in the group. Rovers are not a one-man show. Crewe's victory was no one-man show 不是一个人的功劳, 不是一个人的努力, 不是一个人干成的, though. wiki: A solo performance, sometimes referred to as a one-man show or one-woman show, features a single person telling a story for an audience, typically for the purpose of entertainment. This type of performance comes in many varieties, including autobiographical creations, comedy acts, novel adaptations, vaudeville, poetry, music, and dance. 5. fizz [fɪz] I. If a drink fizzes, it produces lots of little bubbles of gas and makes a sound like a long 's'. After a while their mother was back, holding a tray of glasses that fizzed. I wonder if there's any fizz left in the lemonade. II. If something such as an engine fizzes, it makes a sound like a long 's'. to make a hissing or sputtering sound. When I started the engine it sparked, fizzed 斯斯的响 and went dead. III. If you say that someone puts fizz into something, you mean that they make it more interesting or exciting. A Brazilian public relations firm has brought some fizz 带来的声响 into his campaign. IV. Champagne or sparkling wine is sometimes called fizz. [informal] ...a bottle of fizz. downcast [daʊnkɑːst , -kæst] 闷闷不乐的, 不高兴的 I. If you are downcast, you are feeling sad and without hope. Barbara looked increasingly downcast as defeat loomed. ...a glum, downcast expression. II. 眼睛不敢正眼看人的. 眼睛一直向下看地. If your eyes are downcast, you are looking towards the ground, usually because you are feeling sad or embarrassed. downcast eyes are looking downward, especially because you are sad, embarrassed, or shy. She was silent, her eyes downcast. 6. I don't like people over 30 years old now, but I might get there in 10 years, who knows. genetic [dʒɪnetɪk] adj You use genetic to describe something that is concerned with genetics or with genes. relating to genes, or to the study of genes. Doctors believe the condition is caused by a genetic defect. Cystic fibrosis is the most common fatal genetic disease in the United States. Some people are genetically predisposed to diabetes. Look at him, he got a amazing body no matter how much he eats, he never gets fat. That must be genetic 基因问题. good riddance 终于走了, 送瘟神, 欢送 You say 'good riddance' to indicate that you are pleased that someone has left or that something has gone. He's gone back to London in a huff and good riddance. I left Texas and said good riddance to all that. lost cause 徒劳无功的事情, 没意义的事情 a person or thing that can no longer hope to succeed or be changed for the better. something that cannot be achieved: It rained all weekend, so painting the house was a lost cause. "their opposition to planning for full employment was a lost cause". someone or something that has no chance of succeeding: I used to try to get him to do some exercise but then decided he was a lost cause. student teaching 实习老师, prac student. Preservice teacher education is the course which is offered by the students before they join teaching profession and leads to a degree and certification, to make a person eligible to join teaching profession. It's nearing that time of the year again – the start of prac. Whether you are a first year or fourth year student, it can be a daunting experience for everyone – mentor teacher included (yes, that right – having a pre-service teacher can be daunting for some). While on prac, you really need to make a fantastic, long lasting impression. I say this because you may be welcomed back as teacher one day. I loved being on prac. I learnt so much from working with my mentor teachers and staff within each different school community. I still use some of the practices that I learnt from my first year of prac in my classroom today. This year is my fifth year of full time teaching – and boy has time truly flown. I have had some pre-service teachers and an intern and will be having another one later on in the year. I thoroughly enjoy having pre-service teachers in my class. I always use it as a time to reflect on my own pedagogy and love learning new things from prac students. Here are some of my tips to survive your prac: Meet you're your mentor teacher prior to your placement ( Ithe temporary posting of someone in a workplace to enable them to gain work experience. a temporary position or job in an organization: I think we can find a placement for 实习岗位 you in the sales department. The trainee teachers do a school placement in the summer term. "students spend one year on industrial placement". HR UK also job placement, US also practicum 实习工作 (a practical section of a course of study During my practicum in a school site I made notes of some games that I was definitely going to purchase.) a temporary job that someone does in an organization, usually to get some work experience: He got a two-week placement in the accounts department. a service for finding a suitable job for someone, especially a temporary job for a student or unemployed person: In a slow economy, placement of unpaid interns is often easier. II. the act of finding the right place for something. the act of placing something in a particular position, or the position of something: The placement 摆放, 放置 of the furniture makes it hard to walk around. The director gives instructions for the placement of the camera. III. the rank someone or something has when compared to others: A bunch of new freshmen (= students in the first year of a program of study) are taking the university's math placement exam.) – This is a great way to meet on a more informal level and get some background info on the class and school. 7. darkling [ˈdɑːklɪŋ] 越来越黑的, 逐渐变黑的 growing dark or characterized by darkness. darkening or almost dark; obscure. "the darkling sky". sound out If you sound someone out, you question them in order to find out what their opinion is about something. to try to find out someone's opinions, ideas, feelings, etc. by talking to them. Candidates will be sounding out voters during the months before the election. He is sounding out governments in the region on ways to resolve the conflict. Sound him out gradually. Make sure it is what he really wants. You really should sound out the full name before you settle on it. Amy Shumer's baby's name is Gene Attell Fischer. You wouldn't realise it sounds strange if you didn't sound it out first. a change of tack 改变方式, 改变方法, 改变策略 A change or reverse in one's position, opinion, or course of action. Likened to the act of tacking in a sailboat, in which the boat is brought into the wind so as to change direction. Following low approval ratings, the president had a change of tack regarding his immigration policy. Our sales are doing very poorly; we need a change of tack if we're going to survive the year. to change tack If you change tack or try a different tack, you try a different method for dealing with a situation. In desperation I changed tack. This report takes a different tack from the 20 that have come before. to try a different method to deal with the same problem: I've written twice and received no reply, so I might change tack and call her. tact 技巧 the ability to say or do the right thing without making anyone unhappy or angry: He's never had much tact and people don't like his blunt manner. The editors of this book have shown tact and good sense in their selections. tactful You were very tactful 说话不得罪人的, 顾全大局的, 识大体的, 滴水不漏的, 说话讲究的, 说话得体的 about the awful meal my mother fixed. I tried to say as tactfully as I could that she was totally wrong.
worth VS worthy VS worthwhile: worthy I. If a person or thing is worthy of something, they deserve it because they have the qualities or abilities required. [formal] The bank might think you're worthy of a loan. The Minister says the idea is worthy of consideration. I hope he was worthy of her. I have not become chief constable, a rank I know I could have worthily held. Some people are afraid to take risks because their belief in their own worthiness is so low. He had shown himself to be worthy of their respect. be worthy of note/attention/consideration etc.: The committee is voting on one or two initiatives that are worthy of attention. The following points are worthy of note. worthy of note that: It is worthy of note that these systems are used worldwide. be worthy of support/ admiration/ praise etc.: Local councilors decided the plan was worthy of support. II. A worthy person or thing is approved of by most people in society and considered to be morally respectable or correct. a worthy person or thing has qualities that make people respect them. a worthy champion/opponent 众望所归的, 实至名归的, 理所应当的, 物有所值的, 旗鼓相当的, 非徒有虚名的, 配得上的. a worthy aim/objective. worthy cause (=an activity or organization that helps people): The money will go to a worthy cause. ...worthy members of the community. You can refer to worthy people as worthies. A group of local worthies began to plan their own exhibition. a. used in a negative way to say that someone or something has good qualities but is boring. Saturday evening viewers want programming that is a little less worthy. III. formal deserving respect, admiration, or support: He is unlikely to succeed in getting his bill through Congress, however worthy it is. Every year she makes a large donation to a worthy cause. worthy of attention, notice, etc. IV. formal deserving to be given attention, noticed, etc.: Two points in this report are especially worthy of notice. formal Something that is worthy is not very interesting but should be admired for its good and useful qualities: a worthy book. trustworthy, creditworthy, newsworthy suitable or deserving to receive a particular thing. seaworthy, roadworthy used to describe a boat, aircraft, or vehicle that is suitable to be used safely in a particular substance or environment. worth I. having a particular value, especially in money: Our house is worth £200,000. Heroin worth about $5 million was seized. II. informal having a particular amount of money: She must be worth at least half a million. be worth it I. to be of reasonable or good value for the price: Four days' car hire costs £150, which is well worth it for the freedom it gives you. II. enjoyable enough or producing enough advantages to make the necessary effort, risk, pain, etc. seem acceptable: It was a long climb to the top of the hill, but it was worth it for the view from the top. Don't tire yourself out, Geri, it's really not worth it. After the plastic surgery I had two black eyes and my face was very swollen. But I knew it would be worth it 值得, 不值得. Forget him, sweetheart, - he's just not worth it 他不配. be worth sth to be important or interesting enough to receive a particular action: I think this matter is worth our attention. When you're in Reykjavík, the National Museum is worth a visit. be worth having/doing sth to be important or useful to have or do: There's nothing worth reading in this newspaper. If you are a young, inexperienced driver, it is worth having comprehensive insurance. It's worth remembering that prices go up in February. what's it worth (to you) 多少钱? informal mainly humorous said when you want to know what someone will give you if you give them the piece of information they have asked for: "Do you know where Dave's living now?" "What's it worth?" be worth your/its weight in gold 非常值 to be very useful or helpful: This recipe book is worth its weight in gold - it tells you everything you need to know. Boys who can sing like that are worth their weight in gold to the choir. be worth your while to be an activity or action that you will get an advantage from: It's worth your while taking out travel insurance before you travel. make sth/it worth your while 不白费 informal to pay someone money to do something: If you can get me the list of names I want, I'll make it worth your while. for all you are worth informal If you do something for all you are worth, you put a lot of effort into it: We pushed the car for all we were worth, but we still couldn't get it started. for what it's worth 有没有用我不知道 informal said when you are giving someone a piece of information and you are not certain if that information is useful or important: For what it's worth, I think he may be right. They are, for what it's worth, the single most successful playhouse in the West. if it/a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well 要做就做好 used to emphasize that if you are going to spend time doing a piece of work, you should do it as well as possible. not worth the paper sth is printed/written on 一文不值 If a document or agreement is not worth the paper it is written/printed on, it is of very little value. worth your salt good at your job: Any accountant worth their salt should be aware of the latest changes in taxation. worth noun I. the amount of money that something can be sold for; value: The estimated worth of the plastics and petrochemical industry is about $640 billion. £20, $100, etc. worth of sth the amount of something that you could buy for £20, $100, etc.: $4 million worth of souvenirs and gift items have been produced for the event. worthwhile useful, important, or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money ortime spent or the effort made. If something is worthwhile, it is enjoyable or useful, and worth the time, money, or effort that is spent on it. The President's trip to Washington this week seems to have been worthwhile. ...a worthwhile movie that was compelling enough to watch again. It might be worthwhile to consider your attitude to an insurance policy. She considers teaching a worthwhile career. The time and expense involved in keeping up to date with all the changes has been worthwhile. If you need him on this project, you've got to make it financially worthwhile for him (= you will have to pay him a suitable amount of money for the amount of work involved). Worth or worthwhile? Worth is only used after verbs such as be, seem, look (as a predicative adjective). It means 'having a particular value', especially in money: A: I wonder how much the house is worth? B: About half a million, probably. To be worth doing something is a common expression. It means that something is useful or important enough to do: A: I haven't had a reply to my email to Jane. Is it worth phoning her, do you think? (Would it be useful to phone her?) B: You could try, I suppose. We decided it wasn't worth going all the way to London to buy books we could get on the Internet. To be worth it means 'to be of reasonable or good value for the price': A business class ticket cost £2,000, but it was worth it for such a long flight. It was very comfortable. We use worthwhile before a noun (as an attributive adjective) or after verbs such as be, seem, look (as a predicative adjective). It means 'useful', 'important' or 'good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent or the effort made': Do you think working in a supermarket is a worthwhile career for a highly intelligent person? We had thought of buying a bigger car, but we didn’t think it was worthwhile, since there's just the two of us.
Salvia officinalis (sage, also called garden sage [seɪdʒ] 鼠尾草, common sage, or culinary sage) is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and native to the Mediterranean region, though it has naturalized in many places throughout the world. It has a long history of medicinal and culinary use, and in modern times as an ornamental garden plant. The common name "sage" is also used for a number of related and unrelated species. In Britain, sage has for generations been listed as one of the essential herbs[by whom?], along with parsley, rosemary, and thyme (as in the folk song "Scarborough Fair"). It has a savory, slightly peppery flavor. Why do people use sage to 'cleanse' a person or house? Whether you have attended a house cleansing or seen people waving smoke around after an investigation during your paranormal journey, you have likely come across white sage. People that work with house clearings use it to clear a house and others use it as a form of protection after a paranormal investigation. It is referred to as 'smudging'. So why do they use white sage and what exactly does it do? House Clearings: A lot of people conduct house clearings or cleansings and they all have a different way that they perform this ritual [ˈrɪtʃuəl] ( adj. I. done regularly and always in the same way, and often boring for that reason. the ritual exchange of presents at Christmas time. II. done as part of a ceremony. a ritual dance. noun I. a formal ceremony. II. something that you do regularly and always in the same way. Their meetings became a weekly ritual. go through/perform a ritual 仪式般的, 例行公事的: He went through his nightly ritual of locking all the doors.). The general theme is that they start with an intent as this is important in the ritual of burning sage. Usually the intent is to clear the space of any negative energies. In most cases they would open windows and doors in the house and walk around to ensure every area of the house is 'smoked'. Every corner every crevice. You watch the smoke blow out the window and with it, take all the negative energy away. Again everyone does this differently this is a generalisation and is not a how to guide on how to sage. Most people use this when they want to rid their house of a negative spirit causing them trouble or it is also quite popular to do when you move into a new house. It clears out all of the left behind negative energy. They then encourage filling the space with positive energy - but again everyone works differently. Self Cleansing: Whether you feel you have been affected during a paranormal investigation or it is just part of your ritual afterwards so that nothing follows you home, everyone has a personal reason as to why they would sage themselves. Again it starts with intent and again the intention would be to rid the body of any negative energy. You generally start at the feet and work your way upwards in circular motions making sure to get in between legs etc until you get to the top of the head. While this is happening you may also practice visualisation techniques such as white light or bubbles. Picture all of the neagative energy blowing away with the smoke. Again this is a generalisation and not a how to guide on how to sage. Why Sage? The question is .... why sage? What does it do? When I refer to sage, I am referring to 'White Sage'. Whilst used in many different cultures, it is traditionally a Native American practice of burning herbs and resins which healers use to offer blessings and purify people, places and objects. It does however date right back to ancient Druids of Ireland who used it for both medical and spirtual purposes. The general belief amongst all cultures is that the practice the burning of sage can heal not only physically, but spirtually as well. They also use lavender, cedar and sweetgrass, however white sage is the most common and is most definately the most common used in paranormal investigations and clearings. With the spirtual side being a very important part of the paranormal, it is no wonder that sage is used to spirtually heal a person or rid them of any negative energy that they may have picked up during and investigation. Sage comes in different forms. You can simply burn an incense stick or you can go as far as having a sage stick - again individual choice. How do you know if it is working? There are a few different beliefs as to how sage will work. People often believe the smoke will go where it needs to go and if you point it in the general direction, the smoke will go where it is needed. It is said that the smoke starts out white or grey and turns black when it comes in contact with negative enegry in a room or within a person. So how would smoke know where to go? Sage emits negative ions just like running water does. A person's aura holds positive ions or any 'negative energy' in a space holds these too so when these positive ions meet the negative ions in the sage, it clings to the positive ions and neutralises them - cleaning them. It works in a similar way that a salt lamp does. If the smoke is quite thick again it indicates it is attracted to a certain area, however if it is thin and light, it means that area is 'clean'. So there actually a natural reasoning behind it all, regardless of your spirtual beliefs. Even if you are not a spirtual person, try a cleansing, I assure you, you feel fantastic afterwards!
beforehand, up front, in advance, ahead of time, ahead ( 1. beforehand特殊意义在于可以表示事先, 提前, 在现在之前或者一些随机事件之前, 同时也可以和其他的一样表示: 是在...之前, 在预计的计划的事情之前. 2. upfront 通常用来说money, 支付的. (of money) paid out at the beginning of a business arrangement. upfront costs or payments are paid before you get the goods or services that you are buying 不用来表示时间, 如 a week in advance, beforehand, ahead of time. 3. upfront 还有open; frank; honest. completely honest and not trying to hide anything. I wish she'd been a little more upfront with us.): 'Up front' is informal, but is still used in the sort of written context you give, and I would say it is interchangeable with 'in advance', and it means before some kind of scheduled process, point in time, or agreement for something to take place. 'Beforehand' can also be used in the same context - before a scheduled point in time, before the arranged or agreed start of something. However, 'beforehand' or just 'before' can also mean 'at some stage earlier than now', or before something happened that was just a random event, it wasn't planned or scheduled. 'Up front' and 'in advance' aren't used in this latter sense. She wants half her fee up front / in advance / beforehand - before the (agreed or scheduled) start of her task. The course fees must be paid up front / in advance / beforehand - before the (scheduled) start of the course. The visa application fee is payable up front / in advance / beforehand - before the visa has been issued. You should have told me before(hand) that you don't like spicy food - before now, or before the time I served the food (but the food was not served at any planned or arranged time, it was an event that happened at random). So the essential point is: before what? Before now or a non-planned event that just happened, or before some agreed or scheduled point in time? So as you can deduce, if you're not sure, use 'beforehand' and you can't go wrong! Those kind of things need to be said up front 提前说, 事先说. For example, if your talking about money, you can say "Can you pay me beforehand/ ahead/ in advance/ up front", but you can't use "up front" if your talking about time, For example "Please tell me a week in advance/beforehand/ahead of time."
Taylor Swift's new song: So what's the song that's roadblocking "ME!" on the Hot 100? It's the same one that's been America's obsession since early April and is now in its fifth week at No. 1: "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus — ironically, another genre-disrupting song that, like Swift's "Mine" or "Never Ever" a decade ago, intentionally blurs the line between country and pop. Live by the crossover, die by the crossover 跨界(live by the sword, die by the sword I. 引火烧身. 引火自焚. One who uses violence can expect a violent response; it is better to try to use peaceful means wherever possible. II. (figuratively) One can expect dire outcomes from any vice; used to convey a sense that poetic justice is inevitable. III. 成也萧何败萧何 (figuratively) The means of one's success can become the means of one's downfall. Etymology: 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Gospel of Matthew, 26:52. Then said Jesus unto him, "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."). What is ominous 不祥的, though, is how the new single fell shy of No. 1 despite tactics that have worked for Swift on all of her previous album cycles: a fan-stoking, breadcrumb-dropping prerelease campaign; a heavily hyped, self-referential video; a televised performance on the Billboard Music Awards. Couple all that with the launch of Swift's rich new recording contract with Republic Records and Universal Music, and you have to imagine the "ME!" campaign was No. 1 or bust.
