Phrase Mix 16; ethnic VS race; have a drink VS drink something;

I can't wait to get it home and try it out! You bought a new tablet computer today. You're excited about it, so you say this to your partner as you're leaving the store. get (something) home 拿回家 When you buy something new, you take it back home with you. To describe this action, use the phrase "get it home". This phrase is only used for new things that you buy, get as a gift, or are given at work. I can't wait to (do something)! You say this when you're excited about something: I can't wait to see you! I can't wait to finally be finished with school. You can also just say "I can't wait!" A: So I'll see you next weekend. B: Great! I can't wait! try (something) out 试用 The phrase "try ___ out" means to use something for the first time. The phrase "try ___" is good for actions: I'd like to try skiing 试玩. Or for eating things: Have you tried the crab cakes 试吃? But when you're talking about using an object, like a tool, an electronic device, etc., "try out" is usually better. Do you have any preferences as to the ages, genders, ethnicities [eθˈnɪsəti], etc. of the actors? You've been hired to direct a commercial for a local business. You're going to hire some actors, but you want to know if the client cares about what the actors look like. You write an email and include this question. Do you have (a preference / any preferences)? This question means "Do you care which one?" or "Do you care whether...?" Here are some examples: We can either fly or take a train. Do you have a preference? A: Let's put on some music. B: Sure! A: Do you have any preferences? This phrase is a little more formal than something like "What do you prefer?" or "What do you want?" a preference as to (clause) (preference 不接 about) "As to" is a preposition like "on", "of", "about", etc. In the expression "a preference as to ___", it means something similar to "about". It introduces the topic of the preference. Note that "about" does not fit with the word "preference". Here are some examples: Let me know if you have any preferences as to where to meet up. Did Margaret express any preferences as to how we should get started? Sentences that use "as to ___" are usually pretty formal. Some other words or phrases that use "as to" as a preposition include: I'm puzzled as to ___ I'm curious as to ___ Do you have any ideas as to ___. "Gender" means the quality of being a male or female. For example: They split us up by gender. Everyone, regardless of gender, should have an equal opportunity to get an education. Another word for "gender" is "sex". For example, you can ask a pregnant woman: A: Do you know the sex of the child? B: It's a boy. In recent years in the U.S., there has started to be a small difference between "sex" and "gender" (Gender describes the characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine. So while your sex as male or female is a biological fact that is the same in any culture, what that sex means in terms of your gender role as a 'man' or a 'woman' in society can be quite different cross culturally. The distinction between sex and gender differentiates a person's biological sex (the anatomy of an individual's reproductive system, and secondary sex characteristics) from that person's gender, which can refer to either social roles based on the sex of the person (gender role) or personal identification of one's own gender based on an internal awareness (gender identity). In this model, the idea of a "biological gender" is an oxymoron: the biological aspects are not gender-related, and the gender-related aspects are not biological. In some circumstances, an individual's assigned sex and gender do not align, and the person may be transgender. In other cases, an individual may have biological sex characteristics that complicate sex assignment, and the person may be intersex. ). (someone's) ethnicity A person's "ethnicity" refers to their ethnic background, which means which group of people their ancestors belonged to. Here are some examples of different ethnicities: Irish Korean Native American Jewish French Canadian Persian "Ethnicity" is a little different from "nationality", which is just the country that a person is from: American Russian Indian ...and "race", which describes a few major groups of people based mostly on skin color: white black Asian. The word "ethnicity" sounds kind of formal and scientific. It's usually more polite to talk about people's "ethnicity" than their "race". et cetera "Et cetera" means "...and so on". It indicates that there are more items in a list. It's usually written "etc." We print magazines, catalogs, posters, etc. You've got to think about memory, cpu speed, hard drive space, etc. Do you mind if I ask what your ethnic background is? You're talking to a guy at a party. He speaks with a normal American English accent, so you think that he grew up in the U.S. But you're curious what country his parents or other ancestors came from. You ask this. ethnic background In countries like the U.S. that have a lot of immigration, asking "Where are you from?" can sometimes be complicated. For example, a person might have been born and raised in the U.S., but his parents might be from Germany. So if you want to know what a person's family background is, it's not enough just to ask "Where are you from?" Instead, you should ask the question above: What's your ethnic background? A person's "ethnic background" means the country, social or religious group, etc. that their ancestors came from. Some examples of different ethnic backgrounds include: Irish, Korean, Native American. However, you should also know that there are a lot of native English speakers who confuse "ethnicity" and "race". In common use, "race" describes a few major divisions of people that are mostly based on skin color. The major groups that most English speakers would think of as different "races" are: White, Black, Asian. A lot of people would also add these categories as "races": Latino or Hispanic (people from Mexico or further south in the Americas), Native American, Arabic, Indian. Of course, these groups are not very accurate and don't have any scientific basis. But it's good to know about the popular definition of "race". People who are not very well-educated may ask about your background this way: What race are you? This is an impolite and disrespectful way to ask, in my opinion. That new guy is so eager to please 急于讨好, 太急于表现. I wish he'd tone it down a little. There's a new employee at your job. He's really energetic and tries to be helpful to everyone. It's nice, but it's also a little annoying. You complain about him to one of your close work friends. I wish (something) would (happen) This phrase is used when you want something to happen, but you don't think it's very likely. People often mix up "I wish..." and "I hope..." The difference is in how realistic your wish is. For something that's not very likely, or is impossible, use "I wish..." I wish I could fly. Or you can talk about changing the past: I wish I'd studied something a little more practical. For something that hasn't happened yet, but might still happen, use "I hope..." For example, if the weather forecast calls for rain, you can say this before the rain starts: I hope it doesn't rain. This is OK because it's still possible that the rain won't start. After the rain starts, you can't say that but you can say: I hope it stops raining soon. (someone) is eager to please Sometimes a person really wants other people to like him or her. When people seem this way, you can call them "eager to please". "Eager to please" people do things like: smile constantly, do whatever someone asks them to do, agree with other people's opinions. Calling someone "eager to please" is positive in a way, but slightly insulting at the same time. It makes the person seem a little weak. A more positive description for someone who acts this way is "friendly" or "helpful". tone it down 收敛一点, 稍微低调一点 "Toning it down" means doing less of something, or making something less extreme. You can "tone down" a lot of different things. Here are some examples: If your children are playing really loudly, you can ask them to "tone it down", meaning to play more quietly. If someone is playing a sport really aggressively even though it's not a serious game, you can comment that this person should "tone it down", meaning to play less aggressively. If your boyfriend usually likes to talk a lot about politics, you can ask him to "tone it down" when you bring him to have dinner with your parents. Well, it's the thought that counts 心意最重要, 有心就好. Your cousin sent you a birthday present. It was a book, but you're actually not interested in reading that book at all. Even though you don't like the gift, you're happy that your cousin sent you something. You think this to yourself. It's the thought that counts. This is a set phrase that English speakers use to talk about gifts. It means that it's OK if a gift isn't perfect; the purpose of giving someone a gift is just to show that you care about that person. People say this when someone gets a gift which doesn't match what they wanted. There's a tournament being held in April that I was thinking about signing up 报名参加 for... You take kickboxing classes. You saw an advertisement for a competition and thought that you'd like to try it. You mention it to your teacher to see what she thinks. sign up for (something) When you "sign up for" an event or activity, it means that you fill out a form that shows that you want to join. For example: I signed up for an aerobics class at the gym. We decided to sign up this year for the Walk Against Cancer. You can also "sign up" someone else (usually a child) for an activity: Maybe we should sign Gavin up for violin classes. there's (something)(doing something) Use "there's ___" when you're describing a situation that's happening now: There's someone at the door. There's some food in the kitchen, if you're hungry. Or something that's planned for the near future: There's a game coming on at four. It's also common to describe what something is doing using "there's": There's a woman staring at you over there. There's a humming noise coming from the refrigerator. There's some cake sitting on the counter. a tournament is held (at a certain place and time) A "tournament" is a competition between lots of people or teams. Usually one person or team is named as the champion at the end of the tournament. To talk about a tournament happening, use the phrase "be held", followed by the time of the tournament, the location, or both: It's held between late March to early April each year. Where is next year's tournament being held? Aside from tournaments, other events that are "held" include: conferences concerts, meetings a hearing. I was thinking about (doing something) Talk about a plan that you've considered with this phrase: I've been thinking about signing up for an English writing course. I've been thinking about dyeing my hair again. Where do you stand 立场是什么 on gun control? You're talking about politics and social issues with someone who you've recently become friends with. A recent topic in the news is whether there should be laws to make it harder to buy a gun. You want to know what he thinks about this. Where does (someone) stand on (an issue or debate) (position = stance 立场) English speakers often compare opinions to positions or locations in an imaginary space. For example, you can call a person's official opinion their "position": What's your position on health care reform? Debates and disagreements have "sides", which you can imagine as people standing on opposite sides of a room to show which idea they agree with: Why are you taking her side? A. Whose side are you on? B. I'm not on either side. I'm staying out of it. And when you ask someone "Where do you stand?" it means "What's your opinion?" or "What side of this debate are you on?" You identify the question or the topic with "on": Where do you stand on gun control? It's hard to tell where she stands on this topic. There's also a noun for talking about where someone stands on a topic. It's "stance". Your "stance" is similar to your "opinion" or "position": What's her stance on the topic of immigration? We use "stance" and "Where do you stand?" in business discussions, political discussions, academic debates, and other formal situations. gun control "Gun control" is a political and social issue that people debate about often in the United States. U.S. citizens have had the freedom to own guns since the country began. However, since the 1960s, some people have started to believe that this is dangerous. They believe that citizens should not be allowed to own guns, or that the government should have stricter laws on who can get guns, or what kinds of guns people can own. Other people feel very strongly that the right to own guns should not be taken away. This issue or debate is called "gun control". If you are "in favor of" 赞同 gun control, it means that you think that guns should be controlled more by the government. If you're against gun control, it means that you think that citizens should remain free to own guns. If it doesn't fit you, let me know and I'll give you the receipt to exchange it. You bought your niece a shirt for her birthday. You weren't sure what size she wore, so you say this when you give her the shirt. exchange (an item from a store) for (another item) 换 To "exchange" two things means to switch them: We exchanged business cards, but that was the last I ever heard from her. At a store, "exchanging" 退换 an item means returning it to the store, and getting something else from them instead. This is different from "returning" an item, which is when you give the item back to the store and they give you back your money. In the U.S., most clothing stores will allow you to exchange clothes that you buy for something else. Other stores like electronics stores will also let you exchange something if it's broken. A lot of stores will also allow you to return items, though some places only let customers exchange their items for store credit. This is money that can only be used in that store (clothes) fit (someone) Say this about clothes: Does it fit you? You can also just say: Does it fit? I need to swing by the office and drop off a few documents. You're talking on the phone to your friend, who you're supposed to meet after work. You've just left a late-afternoon meeting at a client's office. You explain why you can't drive directly to meet your friend. swing by (somewhere) "Swinging by" a place means visiting it quickly before going somewhere else. It's very similar to "stopping by": Can we stop by an ATM on the way there? But when someone says "swing by", it's even more casual and the visit sounds even shorter. You can tell someone to "swing by" a place when you want the trip to sound short and easy. drop off (something) To "drop off" something means to leave it in a place. But you only use it for things that you leave on purpose, not by accident. For example: I need to swing by the office and drop off a few documents. Could you drop this off for me at the post office? When you're talking about doing something at the office that you work at, you can call it "the office" (not "my office" or  "my company's office"). "The office" refers not only to the location, but also the people who work at your office. For example: I only go into the office two or three days a week. The rest of the time, I can work from home. I just got a call from the office. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cut this meeting short. "Documents" are pieces of paper or electronic files which contain important information. "Documents" can include: applications forms, financial records, presentation materials that you've written. Books, handwritten notes, and magazine articles are not usually considered "documents". There's some kind of bug 流行病毒 going around. It's winter. A lot of people that you work with are getting sick with colds and flus. You're worried that you're going to get sick too. You're talking to your wife about it. There's (a contagious sickness) going around. When a lot of people are sick with a cold, a flu, etc., you can say that it "is going around". For example: Be careful. There's a flu going around. I've noticed a few people sniffling. I hope that there's not something going around. a bug You can call a slight illness like a cold, a flu, or a stomach virus a "bug". A: Are you OK? B: I think I got some kind of stomach bug. The more common meaning of "bug" is insect, but when you use it this way, "bug" means a virus or bacterial infection. Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I've been swamped. A professional contact calls you. He left a voicemail message for you last week, but you forgot to call him because you were so busy. After saying hello, you apologize and explain why you haven't called him back. (something) has been (adjective) Use "has been___" or "have been ___" when you're describing a situation that started at some time in the past and is still continuing now: Sales have been pretty good. It's especially common to use "has been ___" with "this week", "today", "this year", or other phrases that indicate the current time period: I've been worried about this all day. get back to (someone) To "get back to" someone means to respond. You can "get back to" someone who sent you an e-mail or left a telephone message. You can also use "get back to ___" to talk about answering someone's question later: Please get back to me by the end of the day. (someone) is swamped 忙死了 When someone is very busy at work, you can describe them as "swamped". A: Hey, do you want to go out for lunch? B: I can't today. I'm swamped. The word "swamp" means a big pool of mud. So when you're "swamped" with work, it's like being stuck in a pool of mud that you can't get out of. If someone is busy but not extremely busy, just use the word "busy" instead. I feel sorry for young folks these days, entering this job market saddled with these enormous student loans.... You're having a conversation with a friend about the difficult economy. It's difficult to find a job now and the cost of university tuition is very high. You comment on how hard it is for young people. student loans When people study at a college or university, they sometimes need to borrow money to pay for their tuition. Banks offer special loans for students which the students can pay off after they've graduated from school. These loans are called "student loans". (something) is enormous "Enormous" means "very, very, big". Here are some things that you can describe as "enormous": an enormous amount of money, an enormous explosion, enormous potential, an enormous responsibility. young folks "Folks" means "people". It's a casual phrase, used especially by older people and people from the country. "Young folks" is a common combination which means people who are younger than the speaker (but usually not babies, toddlers, or young children). enter the job market When a person starts looking for a job, they are "entering the job market". People usually enter the job market when they graduate from school. The "job market" is all of the activity connected to people looking for jobs and businesses looking for employees. (someone) is saddled with (debt) 负债累累 A creative way to say that someone owes a lot of money is to describe them as "saddled with debt". A "saddle" is a seat that you put on a horse's back so that a person can ride the horse. So being "saddled" with debt is like having something heavy on your back. It sounds tiring. This place is dead! You go to a nightclub. There aren't many people there, so you're disappointed. You say this to a friend who's with you. You can call a restaurant a "place" in casual conversation: There's a place on 6th Street that's pretty good. You can also describe what kind of restaurant it is: Have you been to that new pizza place up on 83rd Street? There's this amazing Italian place we go to sometimes. I have to take you there. And you can call a bar or dance club a "place" as well: Do you want to have a drink? I know a place nearby. (a party/bar/club) is dead Parties are supposed to have a lot of people and be loud and exciting. When there aren't many people at a party, or when the people aren't having fun, you can say that the party is "dead". You can also call a bar or a dance club "dead". I'm sorry. What was your name again? You're at a professional networking event. You've been talking to someone for a few minutes. He introduced himself at the beginning of the conversation, but now you've forgotten his name. You ask again. You can also apologize for problems that aren't your fault. I'm sorry. I didn't catch what you said. The implied question here is "Can you say that again?" The reason for apologizing in these situations is that you're supposed to listen and pay attention carefully when speaking with people who you don't know well. However, when someone says "I'm sorry" in this way it probably doesn't mean that they feel truly sorry. What was (someone's) name again? If you've been told someone's name before, but have forgotten it, you should ask for that person's name again this way: What was your husband's name again? This expression shows that you remember hearing the person's name once before. Excuse me, I could use a little help... You're cleaning your house because you're having guests over this weekend. Your husband isn't helping you. You're annoyed, so you ask for help this way. You already know that people say "Excuse me" when they do something rude to someone. But we also say "Excuse me!" to people when they are rude to us. For example, it's normal to say it when: A family member burps 打嗝 while you're eating dinner together at home. Your friend took your seat at a party when you got up to get a drink. Someone lets a door close on you instead of holding it open for you. If you ask someone a question, and you're sure that they heard you, but they don't answer, you can say "Excuse me!" because that's rude. The meaning of "Excuse me!" in these situations is something like "You need to say 'Excuse me' to me." When people say it in this way, they pronounce the words with more stress. It sounds like a statement rather than a question. The speaker might also make an angry face with raised eyebrows. I could use (something) You say "I could use ___" to indicate that you really want or need something, like a drink, but for some reason you haven't been able to get it yet. In the example at top, you say "I could really use a cup of coffee" because you're very sleepy and need some coffee, but there's no coffee nearby. Here's another example - when you're struggling with something, and there's someone nearby who isn't helping you, you can say: I could use a little help. A similar phrase is "I could go for ___." Only use this to talk about things that you suddenly want, like food or drinks: I could go for a beer right now. You want one? a little help Ask for "a little help" when you're stressed or feel like other people aren't helping you enough. For example, if you're carrying two heavy boxes and your friends or family aren't carrying anything, you can say: A little help, please? Before you pull out, check in your rear view mirror to see if there's anyone behind the car. You're teaching your teenage son to drive. You're in your driveway now, and you give him instructions on what to do first. Before you pull out, check in your rear view mirror to see if there's anyone behind the car. check to see if (something is true) It's a little bit repetitive, but English speakers sometimes use the phrase "check to see". It just means to check something and find out what the situation is. Here are some examples: I'll check to see if they have one of these at the hardware store around the corner. pull out (of a driveway or parking spot) When you park a car, you "pull in" to the parking space or driveway. When you're leaving the parking space, you "pull out" of it. You can use this phrase to talk about cars entering a road from some other road, parking lot, or driveway. For example: Can you believe that guy pulling out in front of me like that? What the hell! a rear view mirror 后视镜 There's a mirror in the middle of a car which allows the driver to see behind the car. This is called the "rear view mirror". Cars also have mirrors that stick out from the side, which are not called "rear view mirrors". They're called "side mirrors 边镜". might as well 1: We might as well sell it for scrap metal 卖废铁. Your car's engine broke down. The car is really old, so you'll have to spend more to fix it than the actual value of the car. You suggest getting rid of the car at a junk yard. (someone) might as well 还不如, 还是干点...吧 (do something) Use "might as well" to talk about doing something that you didn't originally want to, but is now your best choice. For example, if you wanted to wanted to go to sleep, but you can't sleep, you might think: I might as well read a book. Your first choice was sleeping, but reading a book is better than laying in bed without sleeping. Here's another example: A: There's so much work to do! B: You might as well get used to it. That's how things normally are around here. might as well 2: I guess I might as well stick around and have one more. You go out to a bar with some coworkers after work on a Friday. You were planning to just have one drink and then leave, but after the first drink you're having fun so you decide to stay. You say this as you order another drink. You use "I guess" to show that you have changed your mind when someone is trying to convince you of something. For example: A: Why don't you stay and have one more drink? B: OK, I guess I can have one more. In this example, speaker B makes it seem that it was speaker A's idea to stay and have another drink. "I guess" is a phrase which shows that you're making a decision that's different from what you originally were planning on doing. If you simply say "I will ___", it sounds as if you wanted to do it from the start: I'll stick around and have a few more drinks. (someone) might as well (do something) The phrase "might as well ___" is used when there's an action that's not happening yet, but it's almost happening. For example, if you're eating a dessert and you finish 90% of it, there's not much difference between eating 90% and eating 100%. You say: I might as well go ahead and finish it 还是吃完好了. Or if you have to travel to another city for work, you might decide to spend the weekend there as well and explain your reason like this: I might as well enjoy myself since I'm there. stick around "Stick around" means to stay. It is a more casual way to describe staying somewhere. You can use it when talking to people in social situations: Hey, why don't you stick around and have dinner with us? I'd love to stick around, but I have to go pick up the kids from soccer practice. Or you can use it in professional situations if you want to sound casual: Hey, would you mind sticking around for a bit after the meeting? There's something I want to run by you. have (a drink) English speakers often use the phrase "have ___" instead of "drink ___". For example: Do you want to have a glass of wine with me? You use "have a drink" when you're talking about the experience of drinking something, or you're talking about drinking in a social situation. If you're describing what you drank in a scientific- or medical-sounding way, you would use the verb "drink" instead of the phrase "have a drink". For example, if you got sick while on vacation in a foreign country, you might describe what made you sick: I drank some fruit juice with ice in it on the second day, and I think that the ice is what gave me the stomach virus. sell (something) for scrap metal "Scrap metal" is metal that's taken from old cars, machines, and appliances. The metal is melted down to be used to make new things. When you have something like a car or washing machine that's old and can't be repaired, you can sometimes sell it for a very low price to be used as scrap metal. They're down to four teams now. You're watching a basketball playoff game. You're explaining the playoffs to your girlfriend, who doesn't watch basketball. They're down to four teams now. (something) is down to (a number of something) 还剩下 When there used to be more of something, but now there's less of it, you can use the phrase "down to ___". For example, you can talk about a sports playoff: They're down to four teams now. Or about getting rid of things that you own: We sold the van, so we're down to two vehicles now. Or about food: We're down to half a bag of rice 只剩. Usually you say the number of things that you are down to, but you can also list what's left like this: Now it's down to just me, Brad, and Gbenga. Notice that it's common to include "now" somewhere in the sentence. The doctor said that it would take a few days for the antibiotics to take effect. You went to a doctor for a bad cough and got some medicine. Now you're at home and telling your husband what the doctor said. "Antibiotics" are a kind of medicine that kills bacteria. They cure various kinds of infections. People almost always refer to "antibiotics" in the plural form. It's rare to talk about "an antibiotic". (a drug) takes effect 起效, 生效 When medicine or drugs start to change a person's body, they're "taking effect". We also use "take effect" to talk about a new law starting to be enforced: A new law governing boating safety in Georgia will take effect in mid-May. I'm on it. "I'm on it" means "I will deal with this" or "I will handle this problem." You can use it in work situations: A: Bobby, there's something wrong with the phone system. Can you look into that? B: I'm on it! "I'm on it" sounds helpful and positive. When you say this, it seems like you're in control and you've already started to fix the problem. I've been on one of those low-carb diets for the last few months. You've recently lost quite a bit of weight. Someone at work asks you how you lost so much weight. You tell him about your diet. I've been on one of those low-carb diets for the last few months. low-carb (food) 低糖 Food that is "low-carb" does not have a lot of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are a component of food. They include starches, which are found in foods like bread, rice, and potatoes; sugar; and fiber, which is found in food like beans and apples. Some people eat food that is low in carbohydrates in order to lose weight. You can also say that food is: low-fat, low-calorie, low-sugar, low-sodium. It's not bad... for what it is. There's a small, cheap pizza shop across the street from your apartment. A friend is visiting you and asks if their food is good. The food is not fancy, but it tastes OK. You answer like this. for what (something) (is/are) Use this expression to talk about the limits of something, and compare it to other things that have the same limits. For example, if a city is small and not very exciting, but is more fun than other cities of the same size, you can say: It's a fun town for what it is. We usually use "for what it is" in these expressions: accept (something) for what it is, enjoy (something) for what it is, appreciate (something) for what it is. Or you can use it when evaluating something: It's pretty good, for what it is. There's also a similar but separate meaning of "for what it is". It can mean "the true quality of something". That's the meaning of phrases like: recognize (something) for what it is. see (something) for what it is. For all meanings of this expression, there are also the forms "for what he is", "for what they are", "for what I am", etc.: I wish they could just accept me for what I am, instead of always trying to change me. Make a right at the next light. You're riding in a car with your friend. Your friend is driving but she's never been to the store that you're going to. make a (left/right) When you're giving someone driving instructions, you can tell them where to turn using the phrases "make a right" or "make a left". This is a little more casual than telling someone to "turn right" or "turn left". the light When you're talking about driving on a street, the phrase "the light" usually refers to a traffic signal. For example: I think we were supposed to turn at the last light. You can let me out right after the light. We tee off at 9am sharp. See you there! You're going to play golf tomorrow with a group of friends. You're texting a friend to tell him the time that you're going to start. tee off Starting a game of golf is called "teeing off". This expression comes from the name of the tool which golfers use to raise the golf ball above the ground when they start at a new hole, which is called a "tee". (some time) sharp When you're making plans for a specific time, and don't want people to be late, you can use the word "sharp" after the time: Be there at 8 o'clock sharp. We start at 9:30 sharp. Don't be late! Adding "sharp" to the time makes you seem strict, but not rude or unfriendly. What prompted you to contact me? Your ex-boyfriend called you and invited you to have coffee together. Now you're sitting with him. You want to know why he called and invited you out. contact (someone) To "contact" someone means to call, email, or send a letter to them. Those words are all specific, but "contact" can mean all three. In more casual speech, the phrase "get in touch with ___" can be used to mean "contact ___". What prompted (someone) to (do something)? You can ask "What prompted you to ___?" to find out why someone did something. Specifically, you're asking what event made the person decide to start doing that action. For example, here's a short conversation: A: So what prompted you to look for a new job after all of these years working there? B: Well, they just hired a new manager, who is totally incompetent. I couldn't stand it any longer. "What prompted you to ___?" is also a little more formal than asking "Why did you ___?" Hi. Do you have any vacancies? You had to travel to another city at the last minute. You don't have a hotel reservation, so you go to a hotel and ask this at the reception desk. That region holds a special place 有特殊含义 in my heart. You've just met someone. He comes from an area that you've been to before on vacation. You really loved visiting that area, so you comment on it. A "region" is an area. The size of a region varies. It can be an area the size of a few cities, or the size of several countries. If you're talking about outer space, it can even mean an area that's hundreds of millions of times bigger than the earth. (something) holds a special place in (one's) heart If something "holds a special place" in your heart, it means that it's very emotionally important to you. For example: Vikki will always hold a special place in my heart. That job was horrible... but strangely enough, it still holds a special place in my heart. You usually use this phrase to talk about things that you don't encounter very often any more, like a friend from your school days, a neighborhood that you don't live in any more, a pet you had when you were a child, etc. I think the guy in the fedora just winked at me. You're at a bar with a friend. There's a man who's been looking at you, and he just blinked one eye. You think he did it for you and you don't know how to respond, so you tell your friend about it. (someone) in the (something) You can talk about what a person is wearing with "in the ___": the woman in the blue skirt the kid in the gray hoodie. You can also identify someone with "with the ___": the man with the big glasses. a fedora A "fedora" is a kind of hat. It has a narrow brim going all around the head. Fedoras were most popular in the mid-1900's. wink at (someone) When someone briefly closes one eye while looking at you with the other eye, they may be "winking at" you. Winking is a gesture that suggests that the winking person is sharing some kind of secret with you. People sometimes use a wink to suggest that there's some kind of sexual attraction between them and the person they're winking at. You can also wink at someone to show that you're lying to another person. For example, you might tell your brother that the dinner he cooked was really good, while winking at your brother's children to show that it actually wasn't very good. It's about this seemingly normal suburban couple who are actually undercover spies. There's a new TV show that you've started watching. You're trying to get your husband to watch it with you, so you describe the show's main premise. a seemingly (adjective) (something) Use the phrase "seemingly ___" to talk about something that seems to be one way, but is actually something different. For example: The drive back was seemingly endless. It's amazing how even seemingly reasonable people can get caught up in believing this kind of stuff. a suburban couple A "suburban couple" are two married people who live in the suburbs, which is a small town that's nearby a larger city. In the U.S., living in the suburbs is associated with having a "normal" family life. The suburbs seem safe but boring. an undercover spy A "spy" is someone who pretends to be part of one group, but is actually giving information to another group. For example, the U.S. has spies living in other countries who send information back to the U.S. government. When a person "goes undercover", they use a false identity in order to get some kind of information. In addition to spies, police officers also sometimes go undercover. These readings are off the charts 爆表! You're watching a science fiction TV show about space explorers. The characters find a strange object in space that's releasing a lot of radiation. One character says this while looking at a computer screen. (instrument) readings 读数, 测量值 Some scientific instruments have "readings", which are the information that the equipment shows to the person using it. (something) is off the charts/scale (off (or wide of) the mark I. a long way from an intended target. If something someone says or writes is off the mark, it is not correct: His criticisms are way off the mark. Bedini and Curzi were probably not far off the mark in their analysis. "most of his shots went wide of the mark". "his answer was wide of the mark". "his shot was wide". II. incorrect or inaccurate. "past demographic projections have been way off the mark". off course not following the intended route. "the car went careering off course". on course/off course 偏航 If a ship or aircraft is on course, it is travelling along the correct route. If it is off course, it is no longer travelling along the correct route. The ill-fated ship was sent off course into shallow waters and rammed by another vessel. far adrift 偏差太远, 偏差太大Its operating system, Windows Phone, is far adrift of 远远落后于 Google's Android and Apple's iOS. Trump also appeared rattled by recent opinion polling which suggests he is far adrift of where he needs to be to challenge Clinton in crucial swing states. His form slipped 状态下滑 thereafter but we saw enough signs in Houston, where he shot a bogey-free 65 on Saturday, to suggest he will not be far adrift at Augusta. adrift I. If a boat is adrift, it is floating on the water and is not tied to anything or controlled by anyone. They were spotted after three hours adrift in a dinghy. II. If someone is adrift, they feel alone with no clear idea of what they should do. Amy had the growing sense that she was adrift and isolated. III. If something comes adrift, it is no longer attached to an object that it should be part of. [British] Three insulating panels had come adrift from the base of the vehicle. IV. In sporting competitions, if a team or a player is adrift of their rivals, they are behind them, usually by a specified number of points or by a specified distance. [British] Aberdeen are nine points adrift of 落后于 Rangers at the top of the Scottish League. V. If something has gone adrift, it is no longer happening in the way that was intended. We have seen this as an attempt to place the blame for a policy that has gone adrift. deviation I. the action of doing something that is different from the usual or common way of behaving:  Deviation from the norm is not tolerated. To abstain from meat was a serious deviation. Any deviation from the party philosophy is seen as betrayal. We do not expect any significant deviations from the business plan. II. technical the difference between a number or measurement in a set and the average of all the numbers or measurements in that set. III. a noticeable difference from what is expected or acceptable. In statistics, deviation is the difference between the value of one number in a series of numbers and the average value of all the numbers in the series. A 10 to 15 percent deviation is considered acceptable. deviate [ˈdiviˌeɪt] To deviate from something means to start doing something different or not planned, especially in a way that causes problems for others. They stopped you as soon as you deviated from the script. He planned his schedule far in advance, and he didn't deviate from it. He was determined to become a doctor and never deviated from that ambition. outlier [ˈaʊtˌlaɪr] 偏差太大的, 游离在外的值: a point in a sample widely separated from the main cluster of points in the sample. II. a person who is very unusual or successful and not like others in the same group. wiki: In statistics, an outlier is a data point that differs significantly from other observations.An outlier may be due to variability in the measurement or it may indicate experimental error; the latter are sometimes excluded from the data set. An outlier can cause serious problems in statistical analyses. scatter diagram 分布图: a graph that plots along two axes at right angles to each other the relationship between two variable quantities, such as height and weight. wiki: an anomaly is the deviation in a quantity from its expected value, e.g., the difference between a measurement and a mean or a model prediction. Similarly, a standardized anomaly equals an anomaly divided by a standard deviation. If something is an anomaly, it is different from what is usual or expected. The computer's software detected an anomaly 异样 caused by a virus. ) When a value is too high to be measured, you can say that it's "off the charts". For example: The last earthquake was pretty bad, but that one we had five years ago was absolutely off the charts! To understand this phrase, imagine that you made a graph or chart of all of the normal values of something, like the strengths of all the earthquakes that have occurred in a region. An "off the charts" value won't be able to fit onto the graph. You can also say that a value is "off the scale". This guy over there with the dreadlocks, Johnny... he's kind of the boss's right hand man. There's a new employee working with you. You're training him and showing him around. You point to one of the other people you work with and explain who he is. "Dreadlocks" are hair which is tangled together into thick pieces. People who have dreadlocks either let their hair naturally grow into this style or do things to form the dreadlocks. Each individual bunch of hair is called "a dreadlock". All together, you can say that a person "has dreadlocks" or "wears her hair in dreadlocks". the boss When you're talking about your boss with someone else who works with you, you can use the phrase "the boss". For example: The boss says we have to be here at 9:00 tomorrow. It's more common to call your boss "the boss": when you don't know your boss well when you work in a service or labor job, rather than in an office setting. (someone) is (someone's) right hand man Your "right hand man" is the person who helps you out the most. It's not like an assistant, but more like a "second in command". This is the person you trust and depend on. By the way, when you're talking about a woman who holds this position, you might use the phrase "right hand woman", but you might also use "right hand man" anyway. Moving on, let's review the differences between ionic and covalent bonds. You're a chemistry teacher. You're giving a lecture to your class. You've finished one topic and now you want to start talking about the next topic. Moving on, (sentence) Use the phrase "Moving on" to transition from one topic to another in formal situations like when you're leading a meeting, interviewing someone, teaching a class, etc. You use it at the beginning of a sentence like this: Moving on, let's discuss the budget cuts. ionic and covalent bonds This is a concept from the study of chemistry. Atoms can be bonded (meaning stuck together) to each other in two different ways: A covalent bond happens when atoms share electrons between them. An ionic bond happens when one atom removes electrons from another atom, and they are attracted to each other as a result. This topic doesn't come up in conversation much outside of science classes. We don't have much of a mass transit system here. You live in a small city. The city only has a few buses and no trains. You're talking to a friend who's visiting from a larger city, and he asks about how people there get around. a mass transit system "Mass transit" means forms of transportation that can be used by a lot of people in a city. It includes local buses, subways, and other trains. All of the mass transit for an area together is known as the area's "mass transit system": Our mass transit system is surprisingly good for such a small city.  Wouldn't you know it, my car broke down on the way to the interview! You had an interesting experience one time when you were going to a job interview. You're telling someone the story of what happened. Wouldn't you know it, (sentence) Use this phrase when something really inconvenient – maybe the most inconvenient thing in that situation — happens. For example, if you drove 30 minutes to a library in order to check out a specific book, but the book was already check out, you'd say: Wouldn't you know it, it was checked out! The tone of "Wouldn't you know it" is disappointed but accepting, like you're thinking that inconvenient things always happen to you. (a vehicle) breaks down When a vehicle like a car, truck, motorcycle, etc. stops working, we say that it has "broken down". Hey, can you come pick me up? My car broke down on the side of the road. (something happened) on the way (to somewhere) When you're going somewhere, and something happens while you're traveling, use the expression "on the way ___": I got stuck in traffic on the way to work. My luggage got lost on the way to Denver. All I need is a few shirts, a couple of changes 换洗的 of underwear, one pair of pants, and my toiletry kit. That's about it. You're visiting friends in another city. Your friend is surprised that your suitcase is so small. You explain that it's small because you don't pack a lot of stuff. a change of (clothes/pants/etc.) A different set of clothes that you can change into is "a change of clothes": Did you bring a change of clothes? We also use the phrases: a change of pants. a change of underwear. a change of socks. However, "a change of shirt" is uncommon. a toiletry [ˈtɔɪlətriz] kit 梳洗用品 "Toiletries" are items like toothbrushes, razors, deodorant, dental floss, soap, etc. When people travel, they sometimes put all of their toiletries together in a small bag. This is known as a "toiletry kit". Other examples of "kits" are: a first aid kit. an emergency kit. That's about it 就这些, 就这样. When you're listing things, and you can't think of anything else to add to the list, finish with "That's about it." A: ...some coffee, a loaf of bread... and some fruit, please. B: Anything else? A: No, that's about it. We don't have nearly as much leverage with our distributors as we used to. Your company sells products through stores. This year, you're negotiating a contract with the companies who deliver the products to the stores. The negotiation isn't going well. Now you're in a meeting and explaining why you're having trouble. You use the phrase "used to be ___" to describe a quality that someone had in the past, but doesn't have now. It's useful for describing your life when you were much younger than you are now. Of course, you can also use "was": I was such a procrastinator when I was younger. But "used to be" makes it clear that you're describing something far in the past, not something recent. not nearly "Not nearly" means "very much not". You usually use it in the expression "not nearly as ___ as ___": There aren't nearly as many cases of malaria as there were 25 years ago. I'm not nearly as full as I thought I'd be. You can also say "not nearly ___ enough": That's not nearly big enough. have leverage (with someone) In a negotiation, "leverage" is some kind of advantage that helps one side to get what they want. For example, if Company A buys more than half of Company B's products, Company A "has leverage" in negotiations. They can ask for a large discount because Company B needs to keep Company A as a customer. distributors 分销商, 代理商 A "distributor" is a company which buys products that a company makes, ships the products to different locations, and sells them. Distributors either sell the products directly to customers or sells them to to stores, which then sell them to the customers. If you're talking about distributors that your company works with, you call them "our distributors".