用法学习: 1. pitfall The pitfalls involved in a particular activity or situation are the things that may go wrong or may cause problems. The pitfalls 坏处, 缺点, 潜在的问题 of working abroad are numerous. He also points out that forward planning can help avoid stressful pitfalls. a problem that is likely to happen in a particular situation. She was well aware of the potential pitfalls of running a business. avoid a pitfall 陷进: Her advice helped me avoid some of the common pitfalls. Greenpeace urges Europe to drop short flights, take trains: A study commissioned by the environmental group Greenpeace shows that over one-third of the busiest short-haul flights in Europe have viable train alternatives which are far less polluting. The group called on European governments Wednesday to boost train travel so fewer polluting planes are flying over the continent. The study by OBC Transeuropa showed that 34% of the 150 busiest short-haul flights have train trip alternatives of less than 6 hours. 2. means test 门槛, 最低收入要求 the official process of measuring how much income a person has in order to decide if they should receive money from the government. a measurement of how much income a person has in order to decide if they should receive money from the government, or an act of measuring this: Local authorities will be able to introduce a means test, charging those who can pay to use school buses. An applicant who passes the means test will be granted legal aid. A means test is a test in which your income is calculated in order to decide whether you qualify for a grant or benefit from the state. A means test determines if a person or household is eligible to receive some sort of benefit or payment. Means-tested benefits include many government assistance and state and federal welfare programs that measure a family's income against the federal poverty line. 3. grimace [ɡrɪməs, ɡrɪˈmeɪs] 扭曲变形, 脸抽抽着, 脸扭在一起, 脸抽在一起, 脸狰狞, 疼得脸变形 to make an expression of pain, strong dislike, etc. in which the face twists in an ugly way. to make an ugly expression by twisting your face, for example because you are in pain or do not like something. If you grimace, you twist your face in an ugly way because you are annoyed, disgusted, or in pain. She started to sit up, grimaced, and sank back weakly against the pillow. She grimaced at Cerezzi, then turned to Brenda. He took another drink of his coffee. 'Awful,' he said with a grimace. He tried to stand and grimaced with pain. old-timer noun INFORMAL I. 老员工. 老职工, 公司老人儿. 老手儿 a very experienced or long-serving person. If you refer to someone as an old-timer, you mean that he or she has been living in a particular place or doing a particular job for a long time. someone who has a lot of knowledge and experience because they have been doing something for a long time The company's work force consisted mainly of old-timers. The old-timers and established families clutched the reins of power. "old-timers could reminisce about the days before fax machines". II. NORTH AMERICAN an old person. An old man is sometimes referred to as an old-timer. "hopeful youngsters clashed with old-timers". The old-timers used to recall how hot 1886 was. 4. sleaze [sliːz] (多用来形容道德败坏的人(性行为上或者喜欢行骗的人))
I. You use sleaze to describe activities that you consider immoral,
dishonest, or not respectable, especially in politics, business,
journalism, or entertainment. [informal, disapproval] They have made it easy for Sven to fill his expensive boots while allowing an atmosphere of sleaze to develop. The senator denounced the press for engaging in 'sleaze' and called the story a lie. ...porn movies and sleaze. II. = sleazebag = sleazeball a shady, coarse, or immoral person. My friend's husband is too friendly with me and I want to tell her he's a sleaze. sleazy I. If you describe a place as sleazy, you dislike it because it looks dirty and badly cared for, and not respectable. [informal, disapproval] ...sleazy bars. ...sleazy cinemas in London's Soho. Downstairs in the windowless basement, where the real work is done, it is sleazy and sweaty.
II. If you describe something or someone as sleazy, you disapprove of
them because you think they are not respectable and are rather
disgusting. [informal, disapproval] ...sex
shops and sleazy magazines. ...a sleazy fellow. The accusations are
making the government's conduct appear increasingly sleazy. origin:
Something that is sleazy is low and nasty. It's a perfect word to
describe characters like the sleazy door-to-door con men who cheat old
ladies into selling them their jewelry at a deep discount. Sleazy
originally meant flimsy, but nowadays it's only used to describe morally degraded people or places. Usually it refers to sexual behavior, but it is often associated with people trying to swindle others as well. It's not as bad as perverse or criminal, which suggest that a line has been crossed. But sleazy people make you feel uncomfortable, for sure. slick [slɪk] I. A slick performance, production, or advertisement is skilful and impressive. There's a big difference between an amateur movie and a slick Hollywood production. His style is slick and visually exciting. The products had been slickly marketed. These actors and directors brought a new sophistication and slickness to modern theatre. II. A slick action is done quickly and smoothly, and without any obvious effort. The goal that sealed the points was an exhibition of slick passing football. ...a slick gear change. III. [disapproval] A slick person 油嘴滑舌的 speaks easily in a way that is likely to convince people, but is not sincere. Don't be fooled by slick politicians. ...a slick, suit-wearing detective. He had the slickness but not the sharpness. IV. A slick is the same as an oil slick. Experts are trying to devise ways to clean up the huge slick 漏油. verb. If someone slicks their hair back 大背头, they make it flat, smooth, and shiny by putting oil or water on it. She had slicked her hair back. He slicked down his few remaining wisps of gray hair. His hair was slicked carefully into waves. sleek [sliːk] I. Sleek hair or fur 光滑闪亮的毛发 is smooth and shiny and looks healthy. ...sleek black hair. The horse's sleek body gleamed. II. If you describe someone as sleek, you mean that they look rich and stylish 鲜亮的. She works an array of different looks - from rock chick to sleek and sophisticated - in the stunning photo collection. III. Sleek 闪亮的 vehicles, furniture, or other objects look smooth, shiny, and expensive. ... a sleek white BMW. ...sleek modern furniture. TBBT: Raj: Thanks for skipping the movie. I couldn't sit in that theatre for two hours wondering about Emily and that guy. Sheldon: Oh, quite all right. After my forehead melanoma scare 大惊吓 I've learned not to sweat the small stuff 小事大惊小怪. Well, sorry, I don't have all the ingredients to make chai tea. Raj: You don't have to make me anything. Sheldon: No, I do. You're upset about Emily and you're Indian. I need to make you chai tea. Now, I have all the ingredients except cardamom seeds. Do you happen to have any on you? Raj: Sorry, I left them in my turban. Sheldon: Oh, I'll make English breakfast tea. They destroyed your culture. That's close enough. You know, I'm curious, why are you so upset about seeing Emily with another man? Raj: Wouldn't you be upset if you saw Amy out with someone else? Sheldon: Can't happen. We have an ironclad relationship agreement which precludes ( preclude I. 事先预防. 防患于未然 If something precludes an event or action, it prevents the event or action from happening. if one thing precludes another, the first thing prevents the second one from happening. This policy precludes the routine use of pesticides. Tercek's interviewing style precluded any long-winded answers. At 84, John feels his age precludes too much travel. He would rebuff enquiries in such a way as to preclude any further discussion. II. If something precludes you from doing something or going somewhere, it prevents you from doing it or going there. A constitutional amendment precludes any president from serving more than two terms. In some cases poor English precluded them from ever finding a job. ) her from physical contact with anyone other than me. Raj: But you don't have sex with her, either. Sheldon: Slick 狡猾, 狡诈, 厉害吧 huh? Raj: To be truthful, Emily and I haven't dated that long, and we never agreed to be exclusive to each other. Sheldon: Have you had intercourse? Raj: No. Sheldon: Well, stick to your guns(坚挺住. 坚持住. 别屈服. 紧咬住不放. to maintain one's opinions or intentions in spite of opposition. To remain determined, resolute, or steadfast in one's opinion, belief, or perspective; to refuse to be persuaded by someone else into believing or doing something one does not agree with. Alludes to a soldier remaining and firing their gun(s) at an enemy, even when the situation might be dangerous or hopeless. The prosecution is going to try to trip you up with your statement and your alibi, but so long as you stick to your guns, there's nothing to worry about. I really admire Jess for sticking to her guns during college, and not submitting to the peer pressure of those around her to drink or do drugs. ). There will be a lot of pressure. 5. TBBT: Dan: All right, let's say a physician was prescribing one of our competitor's drugs. How would you convince them to switch to ours? Penny: Um, any chance his car needs to be washed by a girl in a bikini? No. Okay, I'm really sorry for wasting your time. Dan: Don't worry about it. Thanks for stopping by. Penny: Okay, thanks. Um, I'm sorry, listen, could you do me a favour and not tell Bernadette how badly I blew 搞砸 this interview? She'll get upset. And honestly I'm a, a little terrified 怕她, 怕某人, 怵她, 发怵 of her. Dan: Wait, wait. You're scared of Bernadette? Penny: Yeah, kind of. 6. nous [nus] 胆识, 见识 intelligence combined with the ability to be practical. Nous is intelligence or common sense. Few ministers have the nous 见识, 胆识 or the instinct required to understand the ramifications. He is a man of extraordinary vitality 活力, driving ambition and political nous(vitality [vaɪˈtæləti] If you say that someone or something has vitality, you mean that they have great energy and liveliness. Without continued learning, graduates will lose their intellectual vitality. Mr Li said China's reforms had brought vitality to its economy.). The man was chased off 赶跑 and was seen running down Blackbutts Road. "I'm also really impressed that they had the nous to do that," Michelle added. entre nous [ˌɑntrə ˈnu] used for telling someone that you do not want anyone else to know what you are about to say. between ourselves; in confidence. flair [fleər] 天分 I. If you have a flair for a particular thing, you have a natural ability to do it well. to be very skilful at something Our youngest son has a flair for drawing. ...a friend who has a flair for languages. II. If you have flair, you do things in an original, interesting, and stylish way. an attractive, skilful, or interesting way of doing something She always dresses with flair. Their work has all the usual punch, panache and flair 独特, 创新 you'd expect. (punch 感染力, 冲击力: If you say that something has punch, you mean that it has force or effectiveness. the emotional power of something such as a performance that affects how people feel. Many British movies lack emotional punch. My nervousness made me deliver the vital points of my address without sufficient punch. Hurricane Andrew may be slowly losing its punch, but its winds are still around 100 miles an hour. to pack a punch 非常震撼, 非常感人 If something packs a punch, it has a very powerful effect. W. Somerset Maugham's novel still packs an emotional punch. to pull your punches If you say that someone does not pull their punches when they are criticizing a person or thing, you mean that they say exactly what they think, even though this might upset or offend people. She has a reputation for getting at the guts of a subject and never pulling her punches. throw/land a punch 击中: the action of hitting someone or something with your fist (=closed hand) Bellamy landed a series of good punches. can/can't take a punch 不耐打, 不经打 (=is difficult/easy to hurt): Nichols can't take a punch. panache [pəˈnæʃ] 娴熟, 游刃有余 If you do something with panache, you do it in a confident, stylish, and elegant way. an impressive way of doing something that shows great skill and confidence The first few songs are played with typical panache. The BBC Symphony Orchestra played with great panache. Her panache at dealing with the world's media is quite astonishing. penchant [ˈpenʃənt] a feeling of liking something very much or a tendency to do something a lot. If someone has a penchant for something, they have a special liking for it or a tendency to do it. penchant for: He has a penchant for giving lavish parties. ...a stylish woman with a penchant for dark glasses. He had a penchant for playing jokes on people. ). 6. TBBT: Amy: Hey, I found something. It looks like a little man with a briefcase. Leonard: Oh, no, no. That's Clarence Darrow. It's from a game Sheldon made up called Chutes and Lawyers. You slide down a chute and then work your way back up through the appellate [əˈpelət] 上诉系统 system ( [əˈpelət] relating to a legal appeal. Unlike other courts, this court has a purely appellate function. appellate court 上诉法庭[əˌpelət ˈkɔrt] a court of law that can change the decision made in other courts.). Raj: Well, unlike that, my games are much more fun. radiate [ˈreɪdiˌeɪt] (radiation [reɪdɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n]): I. to show a particular feeling or attitude in your expression or behavior Nervous tension was radiating from her. II. intransitive/transitive physics to produce energy in the form of electromagnetic waves such as heat, light, or radio waves. the heat radiated by the sun. III. intransitive if lines, paths, or roads 发散, 散开 radiate from a central point, they spread out from it. premise = premiss(UK) [ˈpremɪs] 基石, 基础, 存在的意义, 基本的问题, 最根本的意义 a principle or statement that you consider to be true, that you base other ideas and actions on. A premise is something that you suppose is true and that you use as a basis for developing an idea. The premise is that schools will work harder to improve if they must compete. The programme started from the premise that men and women are on equal terms in this society. The conclusions in the report were based on a false premise. We started from the premise that the situation can get no worse. After taking a few zoom classes, he started to question the very premise of school. The premises of a business or an institution are all the buildings and land that it occupies in one place. There is a kitchen on the premises. The business moved to premises in Brompton Road. 7. TBBT: Sheldon: Who was he? Mrs Cooper: His name is Ron. I met him at my prayer group. Sheldon: How long have you been involved with him? Mrs Cooper: A few months. Sheldon: And of those few months, how long have you been a demented sex pervert? Mrs Cooper: That is no way to speak to your mother. Sheldon: Perhaps not. But it is a way to speak to a woman who quoted the Bible to me my whole life, and then desecrates one of Ethan Allen's finest sofas. Mrs Cooper: I will give you one opportunity, young man, to apologize. Sheldon: Or what? Mrs Cooper: Or I will send you to your room. Sheldon: That's ridiculous. I am a grown man. I am a professional scientist. And I currently occupy the moral high ground. Mrs Cooper: Go to your room. Sheldon: But I occupy the moral high ground. Mrs Cooper: Go to your room. Sheldon: But I'm a professional scientist. Mrs: Go to your room! Sheldon: I'm a grown man. 8. buzzword 流行词汇, 热门词汇 A buzzword is a word or expression that has become fashionable in a particular field and is being used a lot by the media. a word that has become very popular, especially a word relating to a particular activity or subject. a speech full of buzzwords and empty promises. The buzzword of the moment is 'accountability'. Biodiversity was the buzzword of the Rio Earth Summit.
congenial 让人愉悦的 VS congenital天生的: congenial [kənˈdʒiːnɪəl] adj. (of a person) pleasing or liked on account of having qualities or interests that are similar to one's own. "his need for some congenial = 性格相投的, 脾气相投的, 同病相怜的, 同性相吸的 company". a. friendly and enjoying the company of others. A congenial person, place, or environment is pleasant. He is back in more congenial company. The congenial bartender makes the Hog's Head an inviting place to hang out during the weekends. b. a congenial situation is pleasant, friendly, and enjoyable. c. Having the same or very similar nature, personality, tastes, habits or interests. note: A congenial person is easy to get along with. If you're trying to decide which of your friends to take on a road trip, choose the most congenial one. Congenial means sharing the same temperament, or agreeing with your temperament. You can talk about a congenial person, place, or environment. Maybe you enjoy the congenial atmosphere of the library. Or perhaps for you the disco is more congenial. As you might expect for such a vaguely approving word, there are many synonyms: agreeable, pleasant, delectable, delightful, enjoyable, and so on. uncongenial [ʌnkəndʒiːniəl] 不友善的, 不友好的, 不让人愉悦的, 让人不快的, 让人不舒服的, 让人不爽的, 让人不痛快的, 让人痛苦的 If you describe a person or place as uncongenial, you mean that they are unfriendly and unpleasant. He continued to find the Simpsons uncongenial bores. Hollywood was an uncongenial place to work. People who have the quality of congeniality 亲善, 亲切友好, 平易近人 have a gift for getting along with others. They are warm, friendly, and probably well-suited to serve on welcoming committees. The noun congeniality is closely related to the word geniality, which means "friendliness." The noun congeniality is closely related to the word geniality, which means "friendliness." Congeniality can be defined the same way, but the Latin prefix con, or "with," adds a sense of connection to other people. If you can't get elected as Prom Queen, strive for the title "Miss Congeniality." In beauty pageants such as the Miss America pageant, it's an award given to the friendliest contestant as determined by a vote among the contestants. "Congenial" means friendly, welcoming, amiable. Congeniality is the quality of being friendly or welcoming. It can apply to persons (e.g., a congenial fellow) or it can be used in a more abstract sense (e.g., a congenial atmosphere). collegiality [ˌkɑlidʒˈæləti] 同事关系 the quality of being relaxed, friendly, and cooperative, as is typical among a group of close colleagues. The regular meeting schedule builds a sense of collegiality among the teachers. congenital [kənˈdʒenɪt(ə)l] 天生的, 与生俱来的, 胎里带的, 先天性的, 胎里带的, 先天的, 先天性的, 天生的, 生来就有的 (但不一定是父母继承来的) (genetic 基因决定的. is hard-wired 天生的, 与生俱来的 into her DNA. I. a congenital medical condition is one that a person has had since they were born. A congenital disease or medical condition is one that a person has had from birth, but is not inherited. ...congenitally deaf patients. When John was 17, he died of congenital heart disease. II. if someone has a congenital fault, they have always had it. He's a congenital 天生的, 与生俱来的 liar. A congenital characteristic or feature in a person is so strong that you cannot imagine it ever changing, although there may seem to be no reason for it. He was a congenital liar and usually in debt. I admit to being congenitally lazy. congeal [kənˈdʒil] 变稠, 凝固, 冷凝 if a substance such as blood or fat congeals, it becomes thick and almost solid. if a substance such as blood or fat congeals, it becomes thick and almost solid. The fat had slowly congealed in the pan. a puddle of congealed grease. Abruptly she jerked out of her dream, slime congealing on her skin. At least the blood congealing on the asphalt proved that his groundhog was freshly killed. The steak was left to congeal on the plate, and Jenny ran down to the stable as fast as she could. coagulation [kəʊaɡjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n] 血液凝固, 凝结 the action or process of a liquid, especially blood, changing to a solid or semi-solid state. "a supplement that inhibits blood coagulation". coagulate [koʊˈæɡjəˌleɪt] 结块 if a liquid coagulates, it becomes thick and solid. Blood slowly coagulated round the edges of the cut.
ingenious 天才的 VS ingenuous 纯洁的 VS disingenuous 不真诚的: ingenious [ɪnˈdʒiniəs] 天才的, 创新的 I. an ingenious plan, piece of equipment, etc. uses new and clever
ideas. Something that is ingenious is very clever and involves new
ideas, methods, or equipment. ...a
truly ingenious invention. Gautier's solution to the puzzle is
ingenious. The roof has been ingeniously designed to provide solar
heating. an ingenious device for opening bottles. II. someone who is ingenious is good at inventing things and solving problems in new ways. ), of impromptu brilliance, or of something happily care-free and devoid of fuss. ingenuity [ˌɪndʒəˈnuəti] 创意, 创新, 天才
the ability to solve problems in new and clever ways. Ingenuity is
skill at working out how to achieve things or skill at inventing new
things. Inspecting the nest may require some ingenuity. ingenuous [ɪnˈdʒenjuəs] 纯洁的. 纯真的. 天真无邪的, 天真, 爱相信人的, 轻信的, 性格纯良的 (innocuous 人畜无害的 not at all harmful or offensive. )
someone who is ingenuous believes everything that people tell them,
especially because they have not had much experience of life. If you
describe someone as ingenuous, you mean that they are innocent,
trusting, and honest. He seemed too ingenuous for a reporter.
With ingenuous sincerity, he captivated his audience. Somewhat
ingenuously, he explains how the crime may be accomplished. He smiled,
eyes ingenuously wide. ingenue = ingénue [ˈænʒəˌnu] 天真少女 noun. An ingenue is a young, innocent girl in a play or film, or an actress who plays the part of young, innocent girls. I don't want any more ingenue roles. disingenuous [ˌdɪsɪnˈdʒenjuəs] 不坦诚的, 不诚实的, 不厚道的, 不诚恳的
Someone who is disingenuous is slightly dishonest and insincere in what
they say. not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows
less about something than one really does. "he was being somewhat disingenuous as well as cynical". It would be disingenuous to claim that this is great art. He disingenuously remarked that he knew nothing about strategy.
