phrase mix 5

1. They're a bit snug 瘦, 紧身, 收身 around the waistline, don't you think? You're out shopping for clothes with your friend. She's trying on a pair of jeans. You say this because you think they're too tight. a bit snug around the waistline(I. 舒服, 暖和的. If you feel snug or are in a snug place, you are very warm and comfortable, especially because you are protected from cold weather. They lay snug and warm amid the blankets. ...a snug log cabin. Wrap your baby snugly in a shawl or blanket. II. Something such as a piece of clothing that is snug fits very closely or tightly. ...a snug black T-shirt and skin-tight black jeans. Every dress is lined, ensuring a snug, firm fit. His jeans fit snugly. noun. A snug is a small room in a pub. ) The word "snug" means "tight", but in a positive way: Make sure that all the straps on your backpack are nice and snug. If they're too loose, everything will move around a lot more and you'll get tired out more quickly. But in the example at top, the speaker uses "snug" to describe her friend's pants being too tight. In other words, she's saying that her friend is fat. This isn't very positive. But people also use "snug" to describe something that's tight in a bad way, if they're trying to sound polite: Our hotel room was nice. The bed was a bit snug, but otherwise it was all great. When people use "snug" in this way, they often say "a little snug" or "a bit snug". The "waistline" is the area around your stomach where the top part of your pants are. 2. I'm just sitting here, watching the bamboo sway back and forth in the breeze. You're on vacation at a resort hotel in Asia. Outside of the window is a beautiful bamboo forest. It's relaxing to look at, so you've been sitting next to the window admiring it. This is what you say when your husband asks what you're doing. sway (back and forth) in the breeze 摇摆, 摇来晃去 To "sway" means to move back and forth slowly. Here are some examples of "swaying": When a couple is dancing together to a slow song, they sway back and forth. In a large earthquake, buildings may sway. Grass, trees, leaves, etc. sway when the wind blows. Something that's hanging down doesn't "sway", though; it "swings": Even after the earthquake stopped, the chandelier kept swinging for several minutes. You may notice that the word "sway" is often followed by the words "back and forth". "Sway" is also often followed by "in the wind" or "in the breeze". The word "breeze" means "wind" but sounds very soft and gentle. So if you describe something as "swaying in the breeze", it sounds beautiful and relaxing. back and forth "Back and forth" is a common phrase which describes something that goes in two directions. You can use "back and forth" to talk about traveling: They have an apartment in London and a house in Boston, and just travel back and forth between them every few weeks. You can also talk about something that swings or sways: I'm just sitting here, watching the bamboo sway back and forth in the breeze. 3. My grandpa used to tell me about how he had to get up at the crack of dawn 天一破晓 every day to start work on the farm. You're talking to your friend about people who are hard workers. Your grandfather worked on a farm when he was a boy. You tell your friend this about him. (talk about) how (sentence) Usually, when you're talking about what people said with a word like "tell" or "talk about", you follow it with a noun: He used to tell me about his farm. If you want to explain an action, you use the "-ing" form of a verb: He used to talk about waking up at the crack of dawn to work on the farm. But what if you want to express a whole sentence that someone talked about? One way is with "how": He told me about how he hated getting up so early every day. He also talked about how his parents wouldn't let him go to school some days if there was too much work to be done around the farm. Once, he told me about how his father didn't even know how to read. get up at the crack of dawn This idiom means "wake up very early in the morning". Literally, it means to wake up right when it starts to become light outside. People usually talk about "getting up at the crack of dawn" when complaining about how early they had to wake up for work. They also use this phrase to speak admiringly about someone who wakes up early. 4. The question is whether his leg is fully recovered. (something) is recovered To "be recovered" means that your injury or sickness has healed. The word "recovered" can refer to either the body part: Is your shoulder recovered? Or it can refer to the person: I'm glad to see that you're recovered. You could also say: The question is whether his leg has fully recovered. In fact, "has recovered" is probably more common than "is recovered": Has your shoulder recovered? I'm glad to see that you've recovered. 5. To make matters worse, one of the books I need is checked out 借出去了. You have a big research paper due for school in 2 days, and you're worried that you won't be able to make the deadline. You're complaining to one of your classmates who you're working with. You've just listed two problems that are making it hard for you to finish your paper and conclude by saying this. (a book) is checked out When you take a book from a library, you are supposed to "check it out". That means to sign a form or get someone to scan your books into a computer system. That way that library can keep track of who has each book. So when you say that a book "is checked out", that means that another person has the book now. 7. Hopefully it won't come to that 不会到那一步, 不至于如此. You recently quit your job. You're talking to a friend about it. You told him that you could move back in with your parents if you can't find a new job soon. But you don't want to do that, so you say this. come to that When you're talking about something bad that might happen, the phrase "come to that" means for that bad situation to happen. People usually say that they "hope it doesn't come to that": A: Man, I'm so hungry! If they don't get back with the food soon, I'm going to start searching through the couch cushions for old crumbs to eat. B: (Laughing) I hope it doesn't come to that! Another common phrase is "I doubt it will come to that", which means that you don't think something will happen: A: If they aren't able to cool down the reactor, there could be a nuclear meltdown which would force tens of millions of people to evacuate. B: I really doubt it will come to that. The sentence "I hope it doesn't come to that" is also common. 8. That comes with a 90-day warranty. Would you like to purchase an extended two-year warranty? You're buying a new computer at an electronics store. You've told the salesperson which computer you want to buy, and then he asks you this. (something) comes with (something) Sometimes when you buy something, there are extra free items that you also get for free. To describe this, use "___ comes with ___": The chicken comes with french fries or steamed veggies. Which one would you like? A: Where'd you get that case? B: It came with the phone. a (#)-day/hour/month/year (something) The phrase "a 90-day warranty" means a warranty that lasts for 90 days. Here are some other examples of similar phrases: Call now for a free 30-day trial! This is something that you see and hear on advertisements a lot.   There's a 3-day weekend coming up. This is what you call it when there's a holiday on a Monday or Friday. purchase (something) To "purchase" something means to buy it. The word "purchase" is more formal than "buy". Use it when you're communicating with a customer about something that they bought: Which item did you purchase? As a customer, you use "purchase" when you're making a formal complaint to a company: I purchased one of your two-person backpacking tents through your online store last week, but when it arrived there was a large tear in it. Another place where you'll often see the word "purchase" is in written descriptions of things that people or companies bought, like in newspapers: Apple has purchased 收购 Quattro Wireless for $275 million dollars. You can also use the word "purchase" as a noun, without any changes in spelling or pronunciation. For example: Thank you for your purchase. an extended warranty When you buy a new product like a car or a piece of electronic equipment, it usually comes with a warranty from the company that makes the product. The warranty is a kind of legal agreement. The company promises that their product will continue to work for a certain length of time. If it doesn't, the company will replace it or refund the customer's money. In the U.S., products usually come with a "manufacturer's warranty", which is 90 days for a lot of products. But stores also try to sell their customers an "extended warranty", which costs extra but protects the product for a longer time. It's an 8-hour drive, so we should leave here by nine o'clock. You're going on a long car trip with your friend. As you're making plans, you make this suggestion about what time you should leave. a (#)-hour (something) When you're describing something that takes a certain amount of time, you can describe it in this way. Here are several more examples: A lot of people can't stand to sit through a three-hour movie. When you invited me to participate in the conference, I didn't realize that it would be a five-day event. I signed a two-year contract with AT&T when I got my iPhone, so I can't switch carriers for another 8 months. Notice that the unit of time (hour, day, year, etc.) is singular. It's "an 8-hour drive", not "an 8-hours drive." leave (somewhere) by (some time) You use the phrase "leave somewhere by ___ o'clock" when you're explaining when you need to start travelling in order to arrive on time. This can be used when planning for long trips like in the example above. But it can also be used when discussing short trips. I have to leave home by seven thirty every morning for school. 9. It's awfully cold for March.  awfully (something) "Awfully" is an adverb like "very", "really", "slightly", and so on. It can mean two different things: When you're talking about something negative, "awfully ___" can mean "a little too ___": She's awfully close to the edge there. Tell her to come back over this way. You must be awfully tired. I'll go get the bed ready for you. "Awfully ___" can also mean something between "quite ___" and "very ___": Oh wow. That was awfully nice of him to let you do that. I'm awfully proud of you, son. (adjective) for (something) 对...来说 When you say that it's "cold for March", it means that the weather is colder than March days usually are. You can say that something is "___ for ___" whenever you want to compare it to other items in a similar group. For example: It's a good value for the price. You speak Korean well for an American. The atmosphere of St. Laurent's is surprisingly down-to-earth for such a traditional French restaurant. 10. This is our recently built state-of-the-art laboratory facility. You work at a new research laboratory at a university. You say this at the beginning of the tour you're giving a group of visitors. state-of-the-art You call something "state-of-the-art" when it's new and uses the latest, most recent technology: Do you have any idea what a state-of-the-art website like that would cost us? Tens of thousands of dollars, at the least. The city is planning to open a new state-of-the-art light rail system by the end of 2014. a (something) facility A "facility" is a building or group of buildings that are used for a specific purpose. Here are some examples of different kinds of facilities that you may come across: a sports facility, a research facility, a (military) training facility, a water treatment facility, a storage facility. 10. Mom, the faucet's dripping 滴水, 漏水, 滴滴答答的. Your son notices that there's water dripping into the sink in the kitchen. He tells you this. faucet The "faucet" is the thing that hangs over a sink, which water comes out of. The part that you turn is called a "handle" or "faucet handle". (something) is dripping A tiny ball of falling liquid is a "drop". When drops of liquid are falling out of something, you say that it is "dripping". The words that appear most often with "drip" or "dripping" are: dripping water, blood dripping, drip down, drip onto (something), sweat dripping, dripping rain. 11. Try to narrow down your choices through process of elimination. You're tutoring a child in math. You're giving him advice on how to answer multiple choice questions on a test, so you say this. narrow down (choices or a list) "Narrowing down" a list means to get rid of some of the items on the list. "Narrowing down" a list is usually considered to be a good thing, because it makes it easier for you to make a decision when there are fewer choices. Here are some of the words most commonly used after "narrow down": narrow down a list, narrow down your choices, narrow down the suspects (of a crime). narrow down the possibilities. process of elimination 排除法 (不加the or a) "Process of elimination" is a method of solving a problem or deciding something. It means taking out all of the choices that are not possible, so that only the good choices are left. On a multiple-choice test question, you can usually use "process of elimination" to get rid of some answers which are obviously not possible. That allows you to find the correct answer more easily or to make an educated guess. Test-taking is the topic that people most commonly use "process of elimination" to talk about, but it can also be used in other situations in which someone is trying to figure something out. For example: The detective Sherlock Holmes used process of elimination to solve mysteries in a series of detective novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. If you're trying to fix a broken computer, you might try to fix it using process of elimination: replacing one part at a time to see where the problem is. The word "through" often works together with the phrase "process of elimination". The meaning is similar to "with" or "using": I've picked three candidates through process of elimination. A lot of people were able to guess the names of the winners through process of elimination. Notice that "process of elimination" doesn't use "the" or "a". It's just "process of elimination". 12. There's been non-stop coverage (不可数) of it on all the news networks. coverage of (a news story) News stories about a situation are called "coverage": There hasn't been much coverage of the fighting in Thailand. We're trying to get some news coverage of the event as well. The stories can be on TV, in newspapers or magazines, or online. All of these count as "coverage". "Coverage" is uncountable, so you never use the word "coverages". 13. I finally had to swallow my pride 放下尊严, 忍气吞声, 低声下气 and beg my parents to lend me some money. You're telling a story about a situation you had in the past: you lost your job and didn't have enough money to pay for your rent. You tried to find money to pay for it yourself, but you couldn't. So you asked your parents for money. This is how you conclude your story. Here are some examples of "swallowing your pride": Having to ask your older brother for a job, after you refused his help and tried to find a job on your own for 6 months. Admitting that you were wrong after you had an argument with your sister. "Swallowing your pride" means asking people for help, even though it makes you feel embarrassed or lowers your status. 14. The situation in Fukushima is deepening the public's concern over the safety of nuclear power. A nuclear power plant has had an accident. It is getting too hot and is in danger of a meltdown. The news has already been reported for the last day. Now you're watching a news program, and they're talking about how people are reacting to this scary news. The news announcer says this. deepen (someone's) concern over (a situation) 加深担忧, 加深疑虑 "Concern" is a noun that means "worry". You use the word "concern" to talk about people's worried feelings and emotions. For example, if you get injured and someone calls to ask if you're OK, you should say: I appreciate your concern. Here's another example, where the speaker is talking about a business project that she's worried about: My concern is that there may be additional costs that we haven't prepared for. To "deepen" someone's concern means to make them more worried. And finally, you can explain the reason that someone is worried with "over ___" People's concern over the economy is deepening. There's some concern over whether we'll be able to make the deadline. 15. First and most importantly, you need to make sure that all your students are accounted for. You're an administrator at a school. You're giving a presentation to the teachers about your school's plan for what to do in an emergency. You start by telling this to them. (something) is accounted for When something "is accounted for", it means that you know where it is. You usually use this phrase to talk about a group of things, like all of the students in your class:  Everyone's accounted for. This means that you know where everyone is. They might not all be with you, but you know that, for example, 28 of them are in your class, 1 is at home sick, and 1 is in the school counselor's office. Either people or things can be accounted for: Before you leave, please make sure that all your valuables are accounted for. The opposite of "accounted for" is "unaccounted for": Two soldier have been killed, and three more are unaccounted for. The phrase "make sure ___ is accounted for" is common, so you might want to memorize both parts of it together. 16. Do you have any recommendations for a nice, balanced red? You're at a wine store and looking for a good wine to serve to houseguests. You don't know much about buying wine, so you ask this to the store employee for a recommendation. Do you have any recommendations? This is a very useful phrase for when you're visiting foreign countries and want people to give you advice. You can use this in lots of situations. For example, at your hotel you can ask the person at the front desk: Do you have any recommendations for where to eat? At a restaurant, you can ask your waiter: Do you have any recommendations? a balanced wine There's a lot of specialized vocabulary to talk about wine. Some people know a lot of these words, but most people only know a few major ones, like "balanced". A "balanced" wine is not too sweet, not to acidic, not too heavy, and so on. It has the right mixture of tastes. a red When you're talking about wine, you can refer to a red wine or white wine with just the words "a red" or "a white". That sounds like a recipe for disaster. a recipe for disaster When there's a situation that seems like it could cause big problems, you can call the situation "a recipe for disaster". This is often expressed in the form "(doing something) is a recipe for disaster": Leaving security in the hands of multiple air carriers was a recipe for disaster. Giving former corporate executives high-powered jobs in the government agencies that regulate those industries is a surefire recipe for disaster. When you're cooking something, a "recipe" lists several different ingredients. In the same way, a "recipe for disaster" often means that there are several small risks which add up to a very dangerous or annoying situation: The quickly aging population, low rate of immigration, and a younger generation that seems barely interested in working all add up to a recipe for disaster for Japan's economic future. 17. Their powerful flippers propel them through the water in search of prey 猎物. You're reading a website about penguins. It's written in a kind of scientific style. One part of the page is about how they swim. This is what it says. flippers Animals that swim in the water sometimes have flippers. Thes are all considered flippers: a duck's feet, a penguin's wings, a dolphin's tail, a sea turtle's legs.  There's also a tool that humans use for swimming that is called a "flipper 脚蹼". You wear flippers on your feet when you go diving. They look like big duck feet. Fish don't have "flippers". Instead, you call the body parts that they swim with "fins". (something) propels (something) through (the air/the water/space/etc.) To "propel" something means to make it move. This is a scientific-sounding word: Water heated into steam propelled horseless carriages long before the development of the internal combustion engine. The force of the explosion propelled their bodies forward and onto the ground. When you want to tell what medium something is moving through (water, air, outer space, a crowd of people, etc.), use "propel ___ through": His momentum was so strong that he was propelled through the glass doors into the lobby. They're propelled through the air by massive turbine jets at hundreds of miles per hour. An animal that is hunting for other animals to eat is called a "predator". The animals that they're looking for are called "prey". Wildlife documentaries and books that describe animals hunting often use the phrase "in search of prey". It means that an animal is moving around looking for something to hunt down and eat: Bobcats prefer to hunt along ridges and will follow a ridge for miles, padding silently along in search of prey. The snake slides along silently through the forest, in search of prey. 18. I've disposed of 处理掉了 it. There was a spider in your girlfriend's kitchen. She was afraid of it, so she asked you to get rid of it. You killed the spider. Now you want to tell her that the spider is gone, but you don't want to sound too violent. You say this to lessen the situation. To "dispose of" something means to get rid of it. It can mean throwing something away in the trash: All employees must learn the proper way to dispose of hazardous medical waste. The nuclear industry has not found a way to dispose of radioactive waste and protect power plants from terrorist attacks. Sometimes, like in the example at top, you can use the phrase "dispose of ___" as an indirect way to talk about killing something. It can also mean getting rid of a dead body. For example, a gangster character in a crime film might say: Is there a furnace where we can dispose of the body? 19. I've got to work off 消灭掉 this beer belly 啤酒肚! work off (something) To "work off" something means to work hard in order to make something go away. This phrase is used to talk about just a few subjects. One is getting rid of fat or weight by exercising: I need to work off about 15 pounds before beach season! Why don't we go for a little walk after dinner to work off some of those calories. The other situation to use "work off ___" with is a debt or obligation: It takes some graduates over 15 years to work off 还清, 消灭 their college loans. They have their way into the country paid for, and then have to work it off doing cheap labor. In addition to "work off ___", you can also use "work __ off". The word that goes between is usually something like "it" or "them": How long did it take you to work it off? a beer belly Beer has a lot of calories. Drinking a lot of beer makes you fat. People call a large stomach that comes from drinking too much beer a "beer belly". When I think of a "beer belly", I usually think of a person who isn't too fat, but whose stomach sticks out 突出 a lot. This is also called a "pot belly" because it's shaped a little bit like a pot that's sticking out of your stomach. People usually think of a "beer belly" as being something that a man has. If you say that a woman has a beer belly, it sounds funny. Sometimes a woman will say that she has a beer belly as a joke, though. When you say that someone has a "beer belly", it doesn't sound that negative. It kind of sounds cute, actually. 20. Growing up, I had a strong Southern accent. Growing up, (sentence) This phrase is good for explaining how things were when you were a child. Its meaning is something like "When I was growing up,...": Growing up, my family didn't have much money. Growing up, I was a huge U2 fan. This phrase is used in spoken English and in informal writing. May I offer you a complimentary dessert?  a complimentary (something) "Complimentary" means "free", but it sounds a lot fancier and nicer. So hotels, restaurants, theaters, and stores use this word when they want to offer something free to their customers without sounding too cheap. Here are examples of "complimentary" things: two complimentary tickets. a complimentary breakfast. complimentary champagne. complimentary parking. 21. This guy is taking up 占了 the whole armrest! You're on an airplane, sitting next to a stranger. He's big. His arm is on the armrest between you. You think this to yourself. To "take up" space means to fill the space. As a result, other people or things can't use the space. Why don't you get rid of that stuff? It's just taking up space. Move over! You're taking up the whole bed. As you can see, the phrase "take up the whole ___" is a common phrase. Computers back then used to take up a whole room and had less processing power than today's cheapest cell phones. It was a great deal 好价钱. It seemed like a no-brainer. You bought airplane tickets for you and your wife to go to Germany on vacation. You bought them because the tickets were really cheap. Now your wife is angry because you didn't ask her first. You offer this explanation for why you bought the tickets. a (good/great) deal "Getting a good deal on something" means buying something for a really low price. For example, if you're looking to buy a new car, you can say: I haven't bought one yet because I want to wait around and get a really good deal on it. You don't always have to use "get" and "on (something). You can just talk about "a good deal": Five for ten dollars? That's a great deal! a no-brainer 显而易见的事 A "no-brainer" is a decision that's really easy to make because it's very obvious what the best choice is. For example, if someone offers you a job where you can earn twice as much as you do now, taking the job is "a no-brainer": When Chuck made the offer, it was a no-brainer. I immediately accepted. In the example at top, the husband thought that buying the tickets was a no-brainer because of the low cost. But his wife disagreed. You can remember "no-brainer" by imagining a decision that's so easy to make, even a person without a brain can make the right choice. (a decision) is a no-brainer A "no-brainer" is a decision that's very easy to make. You are able to decide immediately without thinking about it. For example, if someone offers you a job at twice your current salary, accepting the job might be "a no-brainer". You can talk about it like this: It was a no-brainer. I said yes immediately. You can remember "no-brainer" by imagining a decision that's so easy to make, even a person without a brain can make the right choice. (someone) resembles (someone) To "resemble" someone means to look like them. You can resemble a family member, or someone that you don't even know. People often talk about what celebrities people resemble: Everyone tells me I resemble Robert DeNiro. Is this place any good? You're looking for a restaurant to eat dinner at with your girlfriend. You pass by a restaurant which you've never been to, but your girlfriend says she's eaten there. You ask her this about the restaurant. Is (something) any good? This question means "Is ___ good?" or "Is ___ good at all?" Use "any good" in spoken English. Use it to ask about something that you don't know anything about, or that you don't have any opinion on. For example, you can ask about a movie that you've seen previews for: Oh, you've seen it? Is it any good? You could also ask: Oh, you've seen it? Is it good? ...but that might makes it seem like like you expect the movie to be good, and you're just asking for to confirm that your expectation is correct. 22. You need to take the express train. take a train You can "ride" a train, or you can "take" a train. What's the difference? You use "ride" when you want to talk about the experience of riding, or when you want to describe something that happened while you were riding the train: I love riding the train in the middle of the day when it's not crowded. I was riding the train, and this guy next to me started telling me a story about how he had just gotten out of prison. As I was riding the train home, I realized that I'd left my keys in the closet at work. You use "take" when you want to talk about how you get somewhere: Just take the #3 train to 72nd Street and I'll meet you there. Do you think it'll be faster to take the train or try to catch a bus? the express train An "express" train is supposed to go faster than a local train because it doesn't stop as often. The express train stops at more major stops. "Express" means "fast" in a few other phrases:   "Express mail" is sent faster than regular mail and is more expensive. The "expressway" is a road that you can drive fast on because there are no stop signs or lights on it. It also has more than one lane. 23. Thank you all for coming. Wow, what a great turnout. You organized an event for people who want to practice giving speeches in English. A lot of people came to the event. Now you're going to welcome everyone and introduce the first speaker. This is the first thing you say. a (good/great/nice) turnout 出席率 The "turnout" to an event means the number of people that come to it. Here are some examples: Are you coming tonight? We're expecting a decent turnout. Voter turnout for the last election was the highest it's been since the mid-'60s. You can use "turnout" to refer to the number of people who come to: a conference, an election, a charity event. But you wouldn't talk about how many people came to work or to a regular class (常规事件的)出席率 with the word "turnout". For things that happen regularly like that, you'd talk about "attendance" instead: Attendance has been down for the past couple of weeks because of that flu that's been going around. 24. I stepped in a big puddle on the way over here, and now my feet are soaking wet. It snowed yesterday. Today the snow has partially melted and turned to slush. You just walked to your child's daycare center, and your feet got wet from some water on the street. You're talking with one of the other mothers at the daycare and tell her this. step in a puddle A "puddle" is a small area of water. Puddles can form after it rains, when snow melts, or even in your house if one of your water pipes breaks. When you "step in" a puddle on a road or sidewalk, it means that you put your foot into the water. "Soaking wet 湿透" is a common phrase that means that someone is very wet, usually because of rain or the weather. To "soak" means to become completely filled with water like a sponge. So when you say that you or your clothes are "soaked" or "soaking wet", it's often an exaggeration. For example, if your coworker comes to work after walking in the rain, you can say this: You're soaking wet! ...even if your coworker is only kind of wet. 25. Valerie's really on a rampage today, huh? The Vice President of your division at work seems to be really angry about something. She's barking out orders, slamming doors, and yelling at employees. You make this comment about her behavior to a coworker. (go) on a rampage "Going on a rampage" means to get really angry, make a lot of noise, and cause problems. A good way to imagine a "rampage" is to think of a wild animal that gets loose from the zoo. Or, if you've ever seen a "Godzilla" movie, you can imagine one of the giant monsters destroying a city. The other situation that people use "rampage" for is when someone goes crazy and kills or hurts a lot of people. This is a sentence from a newspaper report: Police say that Jones, age 42, went on a shooting rampage at a local shopping mall, injuring 12. To "go on" a rampage means to start acting that way: Chuck goes on a rampage when he sees people sitting around and not working. While it's happening, you say that someone is on a rampage. Watch out. Chuck's on a rampage. 26. You've got to practice your pitch over and over until it's really tight 滴水不漏. You're having lunch with a junior salesperson who's just starting her first sales job at your company. You're give this advice to her on how to be successful as a salesperson. "You've got to" is similar to "you need to". They're basically the same in meaning. However, "you've got to" is more common when talking about general qualities that you need in order to achieve a certain goal. "You need to" is more common when you're actually telling the listener what they should do, right now. "You need to" also sound more angry. a (sales) pitch In sales, your "pitch" is what you say to people to introduce your product or to get them to buy something. It's about 30 seconds to 5 minutes long. A salesperson's pitch is usually the same, or very similar, every time they talk to a customer. You can use the word "pitch" as a noun, like in the example at top. You can also use it as a verb: Could I come to the next Directors' meeting and pitch my idea? There are other kinds of "pitches" as well. For example, a writer might have to "pitch" an idea for an article to an editor. At a television studio, a TV show creator "pitches" the idea for the show to the television executives. "Again and again" and "over and over" are similar in meaning. But "over and over" sounds like something that's more work and harder to do than "again and again": What wears you down is when the same mistakes get made over and over again. I keep making the same mistake over and over. A good speaker understands the power of a simple message that is repeated again and again. a tight (presentation) When a presentation or performance is "tight", it means that it's been practiced a lot and seems really professional. There aren't mistakes, or times when the speaker doesn't know what to say. The word "tight" in this situation has a positive connotation. Another word with a similar meaning to "tight" but with a more negative feeling is "slick": Her pitch was certainly slick, but it didn't really make me want to run out and buy one. 27. I'm a lightweight 酒量不行, 没酒量, 不能喝酒, 一杯倒. You're talking with a friend about your drinking habits. Your friend drinks almost every day, but you don't drink much at all because you get drunk easily off of just one glass of wine. You say this because you want to describe your tolerance. a lightweight (I. A heavyweight is a boxer weighing more than 175 pounds and therefore in the heaviest class. II. 大人物. 重量级人物. If you refer to a person or organization as a heavyweight, you mean that they have a lot of influence, experience, and importance in a particular field, subject, or activity. He was a political heavyweight. ...jazz heavyweights. ) A "lightweight" is someone who gets drunk easily. The opposite of "a lightweight" is someone who "can hold their liquor". Obviously, heavy drinking can lead to liver damage and so on. You're discussing your drinking habits with a friend. You've just explained that you like to have a drink every night with dinner because it's good for your health. But you don't want your friend to think that you drink a lot, so you say this. heavy drinking "Heavy" drinking means drinking a lot of alcohol. You can also call a person "a heavy drinker": Growing up, my dad was a heavy drinker, so there were times when my mother would kick him out of the house for a few weeks or months.(something) can lead to (something else) When one action "leads to" another action, it's similar to causing something to happen. But it happens over a long period of time (months or years). This phrase is useful for talking about health problems: Obesity can lead to heart disease. Marijuana use often leads to more serious drug addiction. It can also be used to talk about scientific research: We're hoping that our research will lead to improved cures for victims of skin cancer. And the environment: Carbon dioxide emissions have already led to an increase in the world's average ocean temperatures. (body part) damage When something is "damaged", it means that it's broken, messed up, or isn't working as it is supposed to. "Damage" is the noun form. Permanent damage that occurs in a certain part of your body is called "__ damage": The doctor suspects that there may be brain damage. It contains a chemical that is known to cause nerve damage and irregular heartbeat. "Liver damage" is a common health problem for people who drink too much for many years. 28. Do (不是did 因为一旦练过, 本事就有了, 不会丢掉) you have any formal training? have formal training (in a skill) 练过的, 专业培训过的 If you "have formal training in" something, it means that you learned how to do it in school. Here are some examples of things that some people have formal training. You usually use this phrase to talk about skills that some people learn in school, but other people learn on their own. You might notice that the speaker in the example asks "Do you have..." instead of "Did you have formal training?" That's because "training" is something that sticks with a person. Once you're trained to do something, you can say that you "have" that training: I have training as a lifeguard. You could say this even if you got your training several years ago. What's your problem? This is a phrase that you can use to start an argument with someone who's acting angry or rude. "What's your problem?" means "Why are you acting that way?" But asking someone "What's your problem?" makes it sounds like you're criticizing them, so it usually makes people get angrier and start to argue with you. A: Dude, what's your problem? B: What's my problem? You're the one who's acting like a jerk! People usually say "What's your problem?" to family members or people that they're in a close relationship with. But some people would also use this phrase when talking to a stranger who made them angry. You should not ask "What's your problem?" to ask about someone's health. If someone seems to be sick, ask: What's wrong? Also ask "What's wrong?" if someone seems sad, frustrated, or frightened. 29. Dear Mr. Kent: I am writing to inform you that we have not yet received your rent payment for this month. You work in the management office of an apartment building. One of the tenants hasn't paid his rent yet for this month, and the payment is 10 days overdue. You're writing a letter to warn him to pay his rent immediately. You start the letter like this. Dear Mr./Ms. (Last name), When you're writing formal letters or e-mails, the most common way to start them off is with: the word "Dear" the title of the person who you're writing to ("Mr." or "Ms.") the person's last name a comma (",") for less formal letters or a colon (":") for more formal ones. For example: "Dear Ms. Yokoyama: Dear Mr. Traven, "But you shouldn't address all letters and e-mails this way. Most personal messages just begin with "Hi (first name),". But you should use the more formal greeting above in these situations: You're writing to a customer who you don't personally know. Your message might involve some legal action. You're applying for something like a job or admission to a school. I am writing to inform you that (clause). This is a phrase that people use at the beginning of a very formal letter or e-mail. For example, if you're writing a letter to inform an employee that you are firing them, it might start: I am writing to inform you that we will not be renewing your contract for 2011. In addition to "that...", you can also say "I am writing to inform you of (something)". For example, if you want to quit your graduate school program, you could write to your academic advisor: Dear Professor. Kind, I am writing to inform you of my decision to withdraw from the program. As you may be able to tell, "I'm writing to inform you..." is often used for formally announcing some kind of bad news. (something) has not yet (done something) In normal, conversational English, the word "yet" comes after the verb: He hasn't started yet. But you can also put "yet" before the verb. Doing this makes the sentence seem a lot more formal: It has not yet begun. There's a famous example of this phrase from history. In a battle during the Revolutionary War between America and Britain, a captain in the American navy was told to surrender by the British. He replied: I have not yet begun to fight! This means "I haven't even started fighting yet!" The captain was telling the British soldiers that he would not give up. Here's another example. In a nature film about a family of bears, the narrator might say: The cubs have not yet reached maturity, so they continue to stay very close to their mother. Announcers and narrators sometimes use formal English like this. payment for (a time period) People are supposed to pay their rent each month. If you pay your February rent a month early or a month late, you're still paying "for" February, although you may be making the payment "in" January or March. 30. Hi Tony. Any update on the status of the next shipment 下一批货? You're responsible for coordinating shipments of supplies to a factory for your company. One of your suppliers e-mailed you yesterday to say that their shipment might be delayed. Today you want to know the latest news, so you write an e-mail to the supplier which starts like this. Depending on your culture, this might seem too casual for business e-mail, but this is the most appropriate style for writing to someone within your own company. It even works for writing to people outside of your company if you know them or if your e-mail is just about something simple. (Do you have) any update on (something) An "update" is new information about something. For example, if your uncle is in the hospital for surgery, you can call another family member to get an "update" on his condition. Or if you've hired a realtor to help you sell your house, you might e-mail him to ask for an update if he hasn't contacted you for a few days. To ask someone for an update, use the question: Do you have any update on ___? Or use the shortened version: Any update on ___? For example, Any update on how uncle Harry is doing? Do you have any update on whether you'll be attending the trade show yet? the status of (something) The "status" of something is its present condition. You can also think of it as "what's happening now". Here are some examples: What's the status of my flight? This question means, "Is my flight delayed? Is it on time? Or is it cancelled?" I'll shoot Fran an e-mail and ask her what the current status of the redesign is. This means "Is someone working on the redesign? Is it almost finished?" The word "status" often appears along with "update". a shipment A "shipment" is a collection of stuff which is being delivered somewhere. It's similar to a "delivery", but usually a "shipment" is: big, from somewhere far away (or at least out of town), for business use. A "delivery", on the other hand, can be a package that someone sent you, or even some food that's being delivered to you from a nearby restaurant. Here are things you can do with a shipment: make a shipment,    receive a shipment, await a shipment. A shipment can also "arrive". Shipments usually contain things like: goods, supplies, weapons (or "arms"), drugs.