用法学习: 1. sit exam 参加考试: The school issued a statement on Thursday confirming it would be closed to everybody except those sitting year 12 exams "following an onsite death overnight". "No students were involved and there is no ongoing threat," a school spokesperson said. "An area of the school, not accessible to students, is a crime zone, and we await the approval of police before bringing everyone back on site." School counsellors have been called in to offer support for parents and students. "The only students onsite are those sitting exams, and we ask that the media does not seek to interrupt their concentration or state of mind as they sit exams that are significant 事关重大的 for their graduation," the spokesperson said. A search of the South Head area was underway 进行中 on Thursday morning with a police helicopter and its marine command on the scene. "We're currently looking for a male person also in his early 20s who we believe can assist us … we believe he was also employed by the school," Superintendent Fileman said. "That male person is currently outstanding ( outstanding I. If you describe someone or something as outstanding, you think that they are very remarkable and impressive. an outstanding performance/writer/novel/year. It's an area of outstanding natural beauty. Derartu is an outstanding athlete and deserved to win. ...an area of outstanding natural beauty. He was outstanding at tennis and golf. II. Money that is outstanding has not yet been paid and is still owed to someone. The total debt outstanding is $70 billion. You have to pay your outstanding bill before joining the scheme. III. Outstanding issues or problems have not yet been resolved. not yet paid, solved, or done: $450 million in outstanding debts. There are still a couple of problems outstanding. We still have some outstanding issues to resolve. a. an outstanding debt has not yet been paid: Most of the proceeds from the house sale were used to pay the outstanding mortgage. an outstanding debt/balance. b. used to talk about the total number of shares held by a company's shareholders at a particular time: As of July 23, the chip maker had about 12.3 million shares outstanding. outstanding shares/securities/stock. c. an outstanding problem or subject has not been solved or discussed: You must pay any outstanding corporate card balance immediately. We still have some outstanding issues to discuss. IV. Outstanding means very important or obvious. The company is an outstanding example of a small business that grew into a big one. His mother, whose influence on his development was outstanding, came of a distinguished American family. )." 2. stink out 臭死了 British fill a place with a strong unpleasant smell. to give a very bad smell to (something). His cigars stink out the house. the smell of orange peel stinks out the room. "her perfume stank the place out". Don't put your kit in the laundry basket, it stinks it out. not look a day over to appear to be no older than (a certain age) "Today's my 50th birthday." "Really? You don't look a day over 40.". US launch retaliatory airstrikes targeting Iran-linked bases in Syria: In a statement, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the "precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17". He said President Joe Biden directed 指示 the narrowly tailored strikes "to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests." And he added that the operation was separate and distinct from Israel's war against Hamas. Austin said the US does not seek a broader conflict, but if Iranian proxy groups continue, the US won't hesitate to take additional action to protect its forces. According to the Pentagon, all the US personnel hurt in the militant attacks received minor injuries and all returned to duty. In addition, a contractor suffered a cardiac arrest and died while seeking shelter from a possible drone attack. The retaliatory strikes came as no surprise. Officials at the Pentagon and the White House have made it clear for the past week that the US would respond, with Ryder saying again Thursday that it would be "at the time and place of our choosing". US officials have routinely stressed that the American response is designed to be proportional, and is aimed at deterring strikes against US personnel who are focused on the fight against the Islamic State group. US officials have not publicly tied the recent string of attacks in Syria and Iraq to the violence in Gaza, but Iranian officials have openly criticised the US for providing weapons to Israel that have been used to strike Gaza, resulting in civilian death. The Pentagon, meanwhile, has beefed up air defences in the region to protect US forces. The US has said it is sending several batteries of Patriot missile systems, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and additional fighter jets. 3. withstand If something or someone withstands a force or action, they survive it or do not give in to it. to be strong enough, or not be changed by something, or to oppose a person or thing successfully: a bridge designed to withstand earthquakes. Our toys are designed to withstand the rough treatment of the average five-year-old. The aircraft base is protected with specially designed shelters which are built to withstand ground and air attacks. She is an artist whose work will undoubtedly withstand the test of time (= it will still be popular in the future). ...armoured vehicles designed to withstand chemical attack. Exercise really can help you withstand stresses and strains more easily. tip out I. 倒掉. 倒出来. (transitive) To extract (something) by tipping over the container that contains it. After baking and cooling, tip the cake out of its pan. Tip it out of the jar. They say security guards on public patrols are constantly in contact with Aboriginal people, and moving them out of the city. We also heard allegations from rough sleepers they were woken from sleeping in parks and quiet spots on the streets, that their alcohol was tipped out, or they were manhandled. Government data obtained through Freedom of Information reveals that in June alone, public patrols moved on 驱赶, 赶走 283 people. She doesn't know of any other instances in Australia of private security doing patrol work on public streets and moving people on. II. (of a person who receives tips for their work) To provide a percentage of tips to certain co-workers who support the work done by the waiter. It was my first day on the job, so when I tipped out the bus boy but didn't tip out the bartender, my shift supervisor let me know that bartenders should be tipped out too, and to make sure that my tip outs were at least 5% of my day's total tips. tip-out An amount or percentage of a server's tips that the server shares, either voluntarily or as mandated in a tip sharing or tip pooling agreement, with other employees such as bussers, bartenders, back waiters and host/hostesses whose job duties indirectly assist the server. bitumen [UK: ˈbɪtjʊmɪn], [US: bɪˈtjuːmən, baɪ-] 沥青( = asphalt) Bitumen is a black sticky substance which is obtained from tar or petrol and is used in making roads. a black, sticky substance such as tar or asphalt, used for making roads and roofs. a sticky, black, highly viscous 浓稠的 liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. In the U.S., it is commonly referred to as asphalt. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term asphaltum was also used. He throws the boy onto the road, where his head hits the bitumen. The guard sits on the boy for 41 seconds, using his body weight to hold him down. asphalt [æsfælt, -fɔːlt] Asphalt is a black substance used to make the surfaces of things such as roads and playgrounds. a black, sticky substance, often mixed with small stones or sand, that forms a strong surface when it becomes hard. A sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid, composed almost entirely of bitumen, that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits. ...the school's asphalt driveway. 4. sniff around/about/round I. If a person is sniffing around, they are trying to find out information about something, especially information that someone else does not want known. But really, what harm could it possibly do to pop down there and just sniff around? A couple of plain-clothes men had been sniffing round his apartment. II. If a person or organization is sniffing around someone, they are trying to get them, for example as a lover, employee, or client. to try to get (someone) as a romantic partner, employee, etc. His engagement hasn't stopped him from sniffing around other girls. Rival companies have been sniffing around her for years. When I went away, I was convinced that other men would be sniffing round her. The manager knows the big clubs have been sniffing around his star player. fly the nest 离巢 I. (of a young bird) leave its nest on becoming able to fly. II. INFORMAL (of a young person) leave their parents' home to set up home elsewhere. do a number on INFORMAL NORTH AMERICAN I. treat someone badly, typically by deceiving, humiliating, or criticizing them in a calculated way. to abuse or mistreat in some way, as by injuring, disparaging, cheating, or humiliating. II. to injure someone or something, or to hurt or embarrass someone: I really did a number on my ankle when I fell. She really did a number on her old boyfriend, making him beg her to come back and then turning him down. 5. space I. If a place gives a feeling of space, it gives an impression of being large and open. Large paintings can enhance the feeling of space 空间感 in small rooms. The sense of space 空旷感 and emptiness is overwhelming. II. If you give someone space to think about something or to develop as a person, you allow them the time and freedom to do this. You need space to think everything over. We will give each other space to develop. III. The amount of space for a topic to be discussed in a document is the number of pages available to discuss the topic. We can't promise to publish a reply as space is limited. ...some work which we couldn't include because of lack of space in this issue. IV. A space of time is a period of time. They've come a long way in a short space of time 短时间里. I have known dramatic changes occur in the space of a few minutes with this method. in/within the space of before the end of (a stated time) : in (a stated time) or less They finished in/within the space of an hour. V. A particular kind of space is the area that is available for a particular activity or for putting a particular kind of thing in. ...the high cost of office space. You don't want your living space to look like a bedroom. Finding a parking space in the summer months is still a virtual impossibility. There is a communal space for people to gather. VI. (countable, figuratively) A field, area, or sphere of activity or endeavour. innovation in the browser space. We could do something in that space as long as you are willing to compromise too. verb. If you space a series of things, you arrange them so that they are not all together but have gaps or intervals of time between them. Women once again are having fewer children and spacing them further apart. His voice was angry and he spaced the words for emphasis. He talks quite slowly and spaces his words out. I was spacing out the seedlings into divided trays. Their last four games are spaced out over three weeks. Its houses are large, well-spaced and surrounded by gardens. The RAC is calling for rest areas spaced at regular intervals on major roads. Generous spacing gives healthier trees and better crops. personal space I. If someone invades your personal space, they stand or lean too close to you, so that you feel uncomfortable. I felt my body involuntarily stiffen against her invasion of my personal space. II. If you need your personal space, you need time on your own, with the freedom to do something that you want to do or to think about something. Self-confidence means being relaxed enough to allow your lover their personal space. (staring) into space 两眼放空 If you are staring into space, you are looking straight in front of you, without actually looking at anything in particular, for example because you are thinking or because you are feeling shocked. He just sat in the dressing-room staring into space. Molly turned away and gazed off into space, a faraway look in her eyes. faraway look 抽离的, 游离的表情 an expression that makes you appear to be thinking about something completely different from what is going on around you. an expression on your face which shows that you are not paying attention but thinking about something very different His eyes had a distant faraway look, like a sailor staring out to sea. glaze over If your eyes glaze over, they become dull and lose all expression, usually because you are bored or are thinking about something else. ...movie actors whose eyes glaze over as soon as the subject wavers from themselves. 6. gnarly I. rough and twisted, especially because of old age or no protection from bad weather: There were low trees with thick, gnarly branches. He served an amazing artichoke soup with gnarly black truffles and Parmesan shaved over the top. II. mainly US slang used to describe something extreme, especially something that is very dangerous and exciting: The waves were what surfers would call "pretty gnarly". Have you ever had a gnarly car incident? III. difficult to deal with because of being very complicated: This is a gnarly, worldwide problem. His relaxed delivery helps him to sail smoothly through the gnarliest of topics. IV. (slang) Excellent; attractive. Usage notes: Note the
word’s contradictory senses of "good" and "bad". Its meaning varies by
community and context, and may be indicated by extra-verbal cues such as
tone of voice. The sense of "good" is particularly associated with surf
culture, to the point of being somewhat clichéd as in "gnarly wave, dude!". dictionary: Something gnarly is twisted, knotty, or bent, like the gnarly branches of an old apple tree or the gnarly fingers of an elderly person. "Gnarled and knotted" is the original meaning of this adjective, from the Middle English knar, "knob, knot, or mass." Confusingly, though, it's just as commonly used in two other (completely opposite) ways, to mean both "difficult" and "wonderful." In the 1970s, North American surfers adopted gnarly into their slang to describe a huge, dangerous wave. Later it came to mean "awesome," as in: "Listen to this gnarly guitar solo!" gnarled I. rough and twisted, especially because of old age or no protection from bad weather: a gnarled 老树枝桠, 狰狞的 tree trunk. The old man drew a long, gnarled finger across his throat. II. rough and twisted in shape: ancient gnarled trees. gnarled hands. helmsman [helmzmən] 舵手, 掌舵人 The helmsman of a boat is the man who is steering it. a person who directs a ship or boat, using a handle or wheel. Love of alcohol had indeed become the helmsman of my life, but I don't think I realised just how much it controlled me until one night when I was out with my girlfriend at the time. at the helm (of something) in control: She is the first woman to be at the helm of this corporation. ease the helm to relieve the pressure on the rudder of a vessel, esp by bringing the bow into the wind. answer the helm to maneuver or remain steady according to the position of the rudder. move the needle 有影响 To cause a noticeable change in something. The imagery refers to the pointer ("needle") on a measuring instrument, which moves to indicate the level that has been reached. It seems all my efforts to get in good with 示好, 讨好 the CEO have done little to move the needle in my favor. Is any other department working as hard as we are to move the needle on environmental conservation? get in good with (someone) To become the object of someone's favor; to do something that causes someone to be pleased. The superintendent is a powerful woman in the school district, so I hope you can get in good with her. I only got in good with John after I baked him a cake. prissy [prɪsi] (straight-laced, prggish, prudish) [informal, disapproval] If you say that someone is prissy, you are critical of them because they are very easily shocked by anything rude or bad. I grew to dislike the people from my background–they were rather uptight and prissy. caring too much about behaving and dressing in a way that is considered correct and that does not shock: My sister told me that my prissy attitude annoys her. Most of the students achieved the 8-minute mile goal. I mean they are all eighteen and spent the last three months taking this class seriously. But yet again, Mr. "I'm too rich for this", dares to waltz his prissy ass to the finish line five minutes after everyone else. vocabulary: A prissy person likes things to be neat and tidy, and expects people to follow the rules and be extremely polite. If your prissy cousin invites you to a tea party, you'd better arrive on time and wear your white gloves. Prissy people are extremely prim and proper, and they may also be so fastidious that the sight of your muddy dog running through the dining room will disgust them. You could also complain about your school's prissy dress code, which doesn't allow you to wear your Wonder Woman costume to math class. Prissy is thought to be a Southern US invention from the late 1800s, either rooted in precise, or a combination of sissy and prim. priggish If you describe someone as priggish, you think that they are a prig. If you call someone a prig, you disapprove of them because they behave in a very moral way and disapprove of other people's behaviour as though they are superior. a person who obeys the rules of correct behaviour and considers himself or herself to be morally better than other people. vocabulary: If you act like you're better than everyone else, they might start calling you a prig — a snobby and arrogant person. A prig might lecture his friends about their manners, or complain about having to eat at a diner instead of a fancier restaurant. Prigs tend to be self-centered and uptight and aren't much fun to be around. In the eighteenth century, prig meant "precise in speech in manners," and implied someone who was deeply religious. The origin of the word is a mystery — its earlier meanings included "dandy or fop" and "thief." Priggish people are snobby and self-righteous. An overly prim and proper movie character who's always telling other people what they should do is priggish. If you offer your opinion on how your friends should live their lives, and especially if you're very uptight and snooty, people will think you're priggish. The adjective priggish comes from the eighteenth century prig, "precise in speech and manners," which was also used to mean "religiously devout." Earlier, a prig was "a petty thief." prudish [disapproval] If you describe someone as prudish, you mean that they are too easily shocked by things relating to sex. easily shocked by rude things, especially anything relating to sex: I don't consider myself prudish but I do think the sex scenes in the film were a bit excessive. I'm not prudish but I think these photographs are obscene. Older people will have grown up in a time of greater sexual prudishness. snooty [disapproval] If you say that someone is snooty, you disapprove of them because they behave as if they are superior to other people. behaving in an unfriendly way because you believe you are better than other people: She was one of those really snooty sales assistants that you often find in expensive shops. ...snooty intellectuals. Everyone thought Annabel was being snooty. snoot I. informal a person's nose. "a remark that might warrant a good smack in the snoot" II. informal a person who shows contempt for those considered to be of a lower social class. "the snoots complain that the paper has lowered its standards". III. a tubular or conical attachment used to produce a narrow beam from a spotlight. "a small flash unit was fitted with a snoot". snotty I. full of or covered with nasal mucus. "a snotty nose". II. [informal, disapproval] having or showing a superior or conceited attitude. If you describe someone as snotty, you disapprove of them because they have a very proud and superior attitude to other people. ...snotty college kids. She smiled a snotty smile. "a snotty letter". effeminate [ɪˈfɛmɪnət] 贬义词 (指男性)女性化的, 女气的 [disapproval] If you describe a man or boy as effeminate, you think he behaves, looks, or sounds like a woman or girl. ...a skinny, effeminate guy in lipstick and earrings. His voice was curiously high-pitched, reedy, almost effeminate. effeminacy [ɪˈfɛmɪnəsi] Interest in clothes was taken as a sign of effeminacy. The "effeminacy" attributed to her work is not the sign of her own gender, but of a cultural taste. vocabulary: The word effeminate is used to describe a man or a boy with characteristics that are more often associated with females. You were once teased for your effeminate, high-pitched voice, but now you're a world-renowned singer. The adjective effeminate comes from Latin roots that mean "womanish." The term is usually meant as an insult. You once thought it was too effeminate for a man to carry a purse, but now you realize how convenient it is. Besides, you often use it to swat at anyone who makes fun of you. If you think it's effeminate to cry during sad movies, that explains why you watch them alone. feminine [femɪnɪn] 褒义词, 女性的, 女性化的 I. Feminine qualities and things relate to or are considered typical of women, in contrast to men. Women all over the world are abandoning traditional feminine roles. ...a manufactured ideal of feminine beauty. II. [approval] Someone or something that is feminine has qualities that are considered typical of women, especially being pretty or gentle. I've always been attracted to very feminine, delicate women. The bedroom has a light, feminine look. III. In some languages, a feminine noun, pronoun, or adjective has a different form from a masculine or neuter one, or behaves in a different way. vocabulary: Feminine is the opposite of masculine [ˈmaskjʊlɪn]. If it has anything to do with girls and women, it's considered feminine. Anything feminine is associated with females. In American culture, that includes wearing pink, playing with dolls, sporting high heels, and getting weepy during sad movies. Many women find the traditional feminine roles to be sexist and limiting, while many men pick on each other for acting in a stereotypical feminine manner. But ideas about what is feminine are always changing: pants used to only be a masculine thing to wear, for example. Femboy (alternatively spelled femboi) is a modern slang term used to refer to a male who displays traditionally feminine characteristics, such as wearing dresses, skirts, and/or thigh-highs. It is a portmanteau of feminine and boy. 7. creeper 变态的人 I. 遮挡. A creeper is a plant that grows very low to the ground or close to a wall or fence. Many types of ivy and other vines are creepers. You might want to create some privacy in your yard by planting a creeper beside your chain link fence — it will creep along the ground and up the fence itself, forming a leafy barrier between you and your neighbors. Other kinds of creepers are small birds that tend to stay on the ground or creep around in trees and bushes. II. You can also use this word informally to mean someone who acts in a creepy, or inappropriate, way. A person who creeps people out; a creepy person. Don't go to a nightclub to find a boyfriend. They're all creepers there.
sloppy VS slobby (不整洁的, 懒散无礼貌的): 1. sloppy (湿的, 懒散的不尽力的, 情绪化的, 松散的宽松的松垮的) I. [disapproval] If you describe someone's work or activities as sloppy, you mean they have been done in a careless and lazy way. not taking care or making an effort: Spelling mistakes always look sloppy in a formal letter. Another sloppy pass like that might lose them the whole game. He has little patience for sloppy work from colleagues. His language is disjointed and sloppy. They lost because they played sloppily. Miss Furniss could not abide sloppiness. II. If you describe someone or something as sloppy, you mean that they are sentimental and romantic. It's ideal for people who like a sloppy movie. ...some sloppy love-story. III. very wet or liquid, often in a way that is unpleasant: The batter was a bit sloppy so I added some more flour. She covered his face with sloppy kisses. (of ground, especially a track for racing) very wet and soft: In the show-jumping, accuracy was difficult on the rain-soaked, sloppy ground. Maybe it will rain and the track will be sloppy. IV. Sloppy clothes are large, loose, and do not look neat: At home I tend to wear big sloppy sweaters and jeans. vocabulary: Sloppy means "untidy" or "messy." If your bedroom has clothes all over the floor, it's sloppy. And, if you end up with food all over your shirt every time you eat something, you're sloppy. Besides "out of order" or "not clean," sloppy can also mean "careless" or "overemotional." So you might do a sloppy job on an important paper for school. Or you might go to a sad movie and cry while you watch it, even though you know it's sloppy and sentimental. The original 18th century meaning of this adjective was simply "muddy." And before it meant "ground beef sandwich on a bun," a sloppy joe was a "loose, messy sweater." slobby lazy and having low standards of cleanliness. "a slobby tourist blithely tosses his sweet wrapper on to the floor". lacking neatness in dress or person an unlikely romance between a slobby, bighearted galoot and an uptight career woman. slob [informal, disapproval] If you call someone a slob, you mean that they are very lazy and untidy. a lazy, untidy, and often rude person: He's a big fat slob of a man - I can't stand him. My boyfriend used to call his brother a fat slob.
TBBT: 1. Amy: When did Howard learn to sew? Bernadette: When he was a little boy, every couple months, he would have to let his mom's pants out (改大, 放大, 扩大). Amy: I don't even understand why they go to these conventions. Penny: I know. The four of them work at a major university. They're all super smart. How can they still be into something made for 12-year-olds? Bernadette: I don't mind it. I think Howie's just in touch with his inner child. Although when he comes to bed in his Batman pyjamas, sometimes it feels like I'm touching his inner child. Amy: It's probably because they were bullied growing up. In a world where you can't fight back, superheroes provide meaningful wish-fulfillment 心愿达成. Penny: Mmmm. Now I feel bad for picking on all those kids. Although, in my defence, if Danny Biffle didn't want to eat a mouthful of dirt, he shouldn't have shown up to school wearing a bow tie. 2. Leonard: Hey, will you steam my uniform next? Sheldon: Interesting. Do you recall this conversation? Leonard, want to go halfsies on a steamer? No, Sheldon, we don't need a steamer. Looks like that rumpled ( rumpled [ˈrʌmpld] 起皱的, 皱巴巴的 creased, ruffled, or dishevelled in appearance. I hurried to the tent and grabbed a few clean, if rumpled, clothes. ...a sprawl of white, rumpled sheets. He arrived, somewhat rumpled and unshaven. "a rumpled bed". verb. I. If you rumple someone's hair, you move your hand backwards and forwards through it as your way of showing affection to them. I leaned forward to rumple his hair, but he jerked out of the way. II. To make wrinkled, particularly fabric. to make something become creased (= not smooth) or untidy: You'll rumple your jacket if you don't hang it up properly. I'll rumple my bedsheets so it looks like I was here last night. ) chicken's come home to roost. Penny: Hi. Here are the make-up sponges you asked for. Leonard: Oh, thanks, I thought I had more. 3. Bernadette: Why are they staring? Amy: Who cares? Just soak it in. Hello, boys. Stuart: Oh, hey. Could you please stop staring? They're just girls. It's nothing you haven't seen in movies or in drawings. 4. Raj: I'll call 911. What, oh, no, my phone is in my other pants. Howard: Oh, so is mine. Leonard: Mine, too. Anybody got any ideas? Sheldon: Nope. The only thing left to do now is assign blame. (To Raj) Nice going.
AU-EU Trade deal collapsed - How a lucrative trade deal collapsed at the 11th hour, causing shock and disappointment: The bloc also wants Australia to scrap the luxury car tax, to give manufacturers including BMW, Volkswagen and Citroën more competitive access to the Australian vehicle market. Farrell said Australia could do something in that space, particularly for electric vehicles, but only if the Europeans come to the table with a better offer on agricultural market access. "That could be part of a final package deal, but again, it's got to be related to what sort of offer we get for our agricultural products," he said. The European Union is already Australia's largest two-way trading partner, but with about 446 million people and a total market value of about $24 trillion last year it offers significant opportunities for Australian businesses. But Farrell said the deal was about much more than the flow of goods, and in an era of international instability Europe should also consider the geostrategic benefits of having closer ties with Australia. This issue of volume is apparently what Farrell raised with Dombroskis in their Sunday afternoon meeting, highlighting the gulf 巨大差距 between what Australian farmers wanted and what the EU was offering. Suspicions — on both sides — are running high. The Europeans believe Farrell has been captured by Australia's influential farm lobby while the Australians suspect the surprise presence of the EU's agriculture commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski, in Osaka altered the outcome. "To move forward, we need more realistic expectations and a balanced approach that fully respects the viability of our farmers," Wojciechowski said following the break-down of talks. Australian farmers' concerns weren't limited to volumes or quotas, they were also worried about the conditions a deal with the EU would impose on them. The Europeans, for example, only wanted to take Australian beef that had spent up to 50 days being grain fed, before processing: a clause that would exclude huge amounts of Australian beef from being exported to Europe. sundowner I. informal British an alcoholic drink taken at sunset. an alcoholic drink that is drunk at around the time the sun goes down: Everyone gravitates to the bar for sundowners. By 6pm we were sipping sundowners around a campfire. On a Sunday afternoon inside Osaka's prestigious RIHGA Royal Hotel, trade ministers from the world's largest economies were enjoying a sundowner while two men held a closed-door meeting to seal a deal five years in the making. II. a person with dementia who becomes increasingly irritable or difficult as the day progresses. high-stakes adj A high-stakes game or contest is one in which the people involved can gain or lose a great deal. ...a high-stakes poker game. ...the high-stakes political battle over the New Jersey Senate campaign. a. involving the possible loss of a large amount of money. Before the two teams sat down at the table for the high-stakes talks, Farrell requested an informal meeting with Dombroskis at their Osaka hotel. b. involving serious risks if there is no success: a high-stakes negotiation. c. A high-stakes test 作用巨大的考试 is one that is very important for the person who takes it. low-ball 压低价格, 压价 to make a very low estimate or offer for (a service, product, company, etc). at a level that is unfairly low: lowball bid/offer/price. The board issued a statement to make it clear that they would not consider any lowball offers. to calculate something at a price or level that is unfairly low. The campaign accused insurance companies of using computer programs designed to lowball claims and increase company profits. The key sticking point is market access for Australian beef, mutton, lamb and sugar. The Australian side reckons the Europeans are low-balling them.
Matthew Perry brought layers to the sarcastic goofball 怪咖 and underdog that was Chandler Bing. It made him all the more enjoyable to watch: Perry's Chandler elevated the mood with his sarcastic comic relief. He was self-deprecating 自嘲的 but intelligent; he was first to mock someone when they needed taking down a peg or two (Ross), but he was supportive when it counted. Like most people, he didn't have superlatives to ( superlative [suːˈpəːlətɪv] I. If you describe something as superlative, you mean that it is extremely good. Some superlative cheeses are made in this region. The Regent hotel has a superlative view of Hong Kong island. The Philharmonia played this staggeringly difficult music superlatively well. II. If someone uses superlatives to describe something, they use adjectives and expressions which indicate that it is extremely good. ...a spectacle which has critics world-wide reaching for superlatives. III. n grammar, the superlative form of an adjective or adverb is the form that indicates that something has more of a quality than anything else in a group. For example, ' biggest' is the superlative form of 'big'. Compare comparative 比较级的 superlative 最高级的. Superlative is also a noun. ...his tendency towards superlatives and exaggeration. ) define him — just a few jokes, a decent-yet-boring job and some amazing people in his life. He didn't get the most emotional character arcs in Friends' early seasons — he was there to break up the tension — but as time passed, he became the show's voice of reason. Chandler Bing was a "textbook" child of divorce (as diagnosed by Phoebe's psychiatrist boyfriend, Roger), resorting to humour as a defence mechanism 保护色. Perry likely brought his own insight to the role, as he mentions in his memoir, having been in the shared custody of separated parents at five years old. What started out as a comedic device became an enduring storyline of Chandler's ability to reconnect with his father. Chandler's struggles with women were a frequent trope for the sitcom, at one point seeing him stranded in an ATM vestibule [ˈvɛstɪbjuːl] with model and actress Jill Goodacre but unable to talk to her. His relationship with the irritatingly nasal Janice set an early spark for his path to character growth. Their early romance was tumultuous. We felt for this woman, oblivious to Chandler's disdain for her. His inability to break off the relationship in season one, as he chugged double-digit numbers of espressos to muster up the courage to end their courtship, showed his inability to have a difficult conversation with a woman. Because he was human, he was imperfect and dammit( [ˈdamɪt] used to express anger or frustration. "Stop, Ruth, dammit. I said stop it, right now"), Chandler Bing, you couldn't have BEEN more funny. As for whether this was all Chandler or Perry, there was little difference. Perry said of the character in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: "It wasn't that I thought I could play Chandler; I was Chandler." Vale ( [ˈvɑːleɪ] farewell; goodbye. ) Matthew Perry. His parents, Suzanne Morrison and actor John Bennett Perry, and his stepfather – TV crime journalist Keith Morrison – arrived at the house that evening looking ashen-faced ( 面色苍白的. very pale with shock, fear, or illness. Someone who is ashen-faced looks very pale, especially because they are ill, shocked, or frightened. The survivors were ashen-faced and visibly shaken. "it was several minutes before he emerged, ashen-faced"). In a brief statement, the family said: "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend".
Opinion We use opinion as a noun to mean beliefs or judgements about someone or something. When it refers to the beliefs or judgements of individuals, it is countable: I've never agreed with Chris’s opinion on taxation. A lot of people have strong opinions about bullfighting. (referring to their individual opinions) When it refers to the beliefs or judgements of a group of people, opinion is usually uncountable: The government is worried about public opinion. We use phrases such as in my opinion, in your opinion, in Peter’s opinion to show whose opinion we are referring to: In Maria's opinion, we paid too much. We often introduce ideas, especially in writing, with the phrase in my opinion: In my opinion, there are too many cars on the road with just one person in them. Not: On my opinion/To my opinion/According to me/In my point of view. Warning: We don't use in my opinion and I think together: In my opinion, she's wasting her time. Not: In my opinion I think she's wasting her time. The phrases It is my opinion that … and I am of the opinion that … are more formal: It is my opinion that everyone should have free healthcare. I am of the opinion that the Prime Minister should resign. According to: According to means ‘as reported by’ or ‘as stated by’ and refers to an opinion which is not the speaker’s opinion. According to usually occurs in front position. It is commonly followed by a noun phrase and sometimes by a clause: According to Jeff, the film starts at 7.30. According to the instructions, you'll need to buy some glue. The government, according to a poll taken last month, may lose the next election. We often use according to in formal contexts to refer to official evidence such as statistics or reports: According to a recent report by the Department of Health, most people still do not take enough exercise. According to also means 'depending on' or 'in agreement with': They take a test and are then put in to groups according to their ability. The rents are high but they vary according to whether you want a garden. Typical error: We only use according to when we refer to an opinion from someone else or somewhere else. When we talk about our opinion, we use phrases such as 'in my opinion' or 'in our view': In my opinion, they were not very polite. Not: According to me ….
