用法学习: 1. genre fiction 体裁小说, 通俗小说 fiction (= books or stories about imaginary characters and events) that is written according to a particular model or style, for example crime fiction, romantic fiction, or science fiction: These stories will be enjoyed by readers of both genre fiction and literary fiction. Genre fiction is usually written with a specific audience in mind. wiki: In the book-trade, genre fiction, also known as formula fiction, or commercial fiction, encompasses fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre. These labels also commonly imply that this type of fiction places more value on plot and entertainment than on character development, philosophical themes, or artistic depth. This distinguishes genre fiction from literary fiction 纯文学. The main genres are crime, fantasy, romance, science fiction and horror—as well as perhaps Western, inspirational and historical fiction. accrue [əˈkruː] 累积 I. to increase in number or amount over a period of time. or to get an amount of something gradually over time. If money or interest accrues or if you accrue it, it gradually increases in amount over a period of time. I owed £5,000–part of this was accrued interest. If you do not pay within 28 days, interest will accrue. Officials say the options will offer investors a longer time in which to accrue profits. Interest on this savings account accrues at the rate of 4 percent. Interest will accrue on the account at a rate of seven percent. Little benefit will accrue to the city (= it will receive little benefit) from the new transport links. II. to allow something to increase in amount over a period of time: By the time they leave, they'll have accrued a year's holiday pay. She has accrued $80,000 of student debt in her educational pursuit. III. if a payment or an advantage accrues to you, you receive it or have the right to receive it: accrue to sb 获得, 得到 If things such as profits or benefits accrue to someone, they are added to over a period of time. ...the expectation that profits will accrue. ...a project from which considerable benefit will accrue to the community. In many cases, the fee structure alone will exceed the tax benefits accrued. Building societies are mutually owned, and benefits accrue to members rather than shareholders. The school district is being criticized for allowing $74 million in vacation pay to accrue to school administrators and other nonteachers. 2. make waves I. 惹麻烦, 兴风作浪, 挑起事端. 挑事. 找麻烦. 惹是生非. 惹事. to be very active so that other people notice you, often in a way that intentionally causes trouble. to cause trouble; disturb the status quo It's probably not a good idea to start making waves in your first week in a new job. II. to shock or upset people with something new or different: When I started the job, a friend told me not to make waves because the managers didn't like people to disagree with them. surgical I. used for medical operations: ...an array of surgical instruments. ...a pair of surgical gloves. surgical supplies/instruments/gloves, etc. II. involved in performing medical operations. Surgical treatment involves surgery. A biopsy is usually a minor surgical procedure. ...surgical removal of a tumor. In very severe cases, bunions may be surgically removed. surgical procedures/techniques/intervention. surgical staff. III. (of clothing) worn in order to treat a particular medical condition: a surgical shoe/collar/corset. IV. Surgical military actions 精准打击 are designed to destroy a particular target without harming other people or damaging other buildings near it. The government claim to have achieved a surgical strike against military targets. For a decade he has been adamant that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon. Iran decided to forego diplomacy in pursuit of a bomb. This is a surgical strike, operated perfectly. weigh I. to have a heaviness of a stated amount, or to measure the heaviness of an object: Yesterday a satellite weighing 15 tons was successfully placed in orbit. weigh yourself She weighs herself every week on the scales in the bathroom. Your luggage must be weighed before it is put on the aircraft. II. (of something such as a fact or an event) to have an influence or be important. to have an influence: The factor that weighed most heavily in her favor was her record of success as a lawyer. weigh with Easy access to a skilled workforce weighed heavily with us when we chose a site for the new factory. III. 掂量, 权衡. to carefully consider, especially by comparing facts or possibilities, in order to make a decision. to consider something carefully, esp. by comparing facts or possibilities, in order to make a decision: The judge told the jury to weigh the facts and the evidence. You have to weigh the advantage of early graduation against the disadvantage of being younger than everyone else. Only when we have weighed all the factors involved can we decide when would be the best time to start. be weighed against Economic benefits must be carefully weighed against the possible dangers of handling radioactive waste. While President Donald Trump weighs the single most consequential decision of his time in office so far — the possibility of US military intervention in Iran — he's also completing a personal project years in the making. weigh sth against sth The installation and operating costs have to be weighed against lost revenue. weigh benefits/factors/risks The network executives have to weigh all kinds of factors in their decisions. IV. weigh anchor 起锚 to lift the anchor (= a heavy metal object) of a ship from under the water so that it can move freely: When will the cruise ship weigh anchor? I don't want to get stuck on shore. weigh your words = weigh each word 推敲, 字斟句酌 to carefully think about everything you are going to say before you say it: He gave evidence to the court, weighing each word as he spoke. weigh a ton informal to be very heavy: What on earth have you got in this bag, Elaine? It weighs a ton! 3. impervious I. geology, engineering specialized not allowing liquid to go through: How does glue bond with impervious substances like glass and metal? II. If someone is impervious to something, they are not influenced or affected by something. not able to be influenced, hurt, or damaged: He seems to be impervious 不受影响的 to pain. Granite is almost impervious to acid-rain damage. impervious to He is impervious to 不屑一顾的 criticism and rational argument. That he's taking on such major White House building projects in his second term – after coming under fire for changes to the space during his first – reflects an emboldened Trump impervious to 不惧的 criticism. exculpatory [ekˈskʌl.pə.tər.i] 摆脱嫌疑的, 洗清罪责的, 洗清嫌疑的, 开脱罪责的 adj involving the removal of blame from someone. tending to clear from a charge of fault or guilt: Exculpatory evidence was ignored. He dismissed the exculpatory remarks concerning the woman's innocence. moribund [ˈmɒr.ɪ.bʌnd] 死水一潭的, 死水微澜的, 不活跃的, 死气沉沉的, 半死不活的 adj. formal disapproving (especially of an organization or business) not active or successful. used to describe a business, market, etc. that is not active or successful. If you describe something as moribund, you mean that it is in a very bad condition. ...the moribund economy. ...the moribund housing market. The figures show a moribund remortgage market. How can the department be revived from its present moribund state? remortgage [ˌriːˈmɔː.ɡɪdʒ] verb [ I or T ] (US refinance) to change the conditions of a mortgage (= agreement by which you borrow money to buy property), usually by increasing the amount you borrow. to replace a mortgage that you already have with a new mortgage, for example one with lower interest rates: Fears that interest rates might increase before the end of the year spurred homeowners to remortgage. remortgage your home/house/property. They remortgaged the family home in order to finance the business. Many borrowers remortgage every three or five years to take advantage of cheap fixed rates. Robin decided to remortgage his house to pay off his debts. noun. (US refinancing [ U ]) a mortgage (= an agreement by which you borrow money to buy property) that has different conditions to a previous one, usually by being for a larger amount: The building society will arrange a remortgage for a fee of £100. 340,000 loans and remortgages were granted to buy-to-let landlords in 2007. Our deal offers free valuation and free legal work on remortgages. remortgage deals/packages/schemes. spotty I. 斑斑点点的. 有斑点的. used to describe a person with spots on their skin: abounding in or characterized by spots or marks, esp on the skin a spotty face. I knew him when he was just a spotty youth. II. (= UK patchy) 时好时坏的. bad in some parts. Something that is spotty does not stay the same but is sometimes good and sometimes bad. not consistent or uniform; irregular or uneven, often in quality He quit in 1981–had a spotty political career. His attendance record was spotty. She has a fairly spotty work record. Sales have picked up a little but they're still spotty. 4. diddler informal a person who cheats or swindles. diddle [ˈdɪdəl] verb informal I. (transitive) to cheat or swindle. to get money from someone in a way that is not honest: He diddled me! He said that there were six in a bag, but there were only five. I checked the bill and realized the restaurant had diddled me out of £5. to work with something in a way that is not serious, or to play with something: He diddled with the washing machine, but it still wouldn't work. I'm not much of a musician, I just like to diddle around. III. US very informal to have sex with someone: He's been diddling his secretary for years. II. (intransitive) an obsolete word for dawdle. dawdle [dɔːdəl] I. If you dawdle, you spend more time than is necessary going somewhere. Eleanor will be back any moment, if she doesn't dawdle. They dawdled arm in arm past the shopfronts. II. If you dawdle over something, you spend more time than is necessary doing something. He got fed up as bank staff dawdled over cashing him a cheque. ...pals who dawdle over coffee. "Pillion dink" refers to a motorcycle pillion passenger riding on a Kymco Super Dink motorcycle, specifically when referring to a backrest or sissy bar for increased comfort. It can also refer to a pillion backrest or support cushion for the Super Dink, Grand Dink, or other models. Pillion: This refers to the passenger seat on a motorcycle or scooter. Dink: In this context, "dink" specifically refers to the Kymco Super Dink model. Backrest/Sissy Bar: These are accessories that provide back support and comfort for the pillion passenger. A sissy bar 靠背, also called a "sister bar" or "passenger backrest", is an addition to the rear of a bicycle or motorcycle that allows the rider or passenger to recline against it while riding. Alternatively, it can serve as an anchor point or support for mounting luggage or equipment that is not part of the bike. They can serve as one of the main mounts securing the rear fender to the motorcycle. Over the years, the sissy bars have been a focal point of expression for the bike builder. Custom sissy bar designs can be simple or extravagant. They can be built for comfort, purpose, style or a combination of all three. SHAD: SHAD is a manufacturer of motorcycle accessories, including backrests and sissy bars. So, "pillion dink" is essentially a way to describe a pillion passenger's comfort, often enhanced by a SHAD backrest or sissy bar, specifically when riding a Kymco Super Dink. The term "dink" also has other meanings, including a gentle hit in pickleball, or a colloquial Australian term for a bicycle ride. However, in the context of motorcycles, it specifically refers to the Kymco Super Dink model. dink verb. I. to hit a ball gently and accurately: The midfielder then dinked a shot over the diving goalie and into the net. He ran at the ball at high speed and then tried to dink it over the line. The middle hitter dinked the ball behind the blockers. noun. I. a gentle and accurate hit of a ball: Both players only bothered to approach the net when the other played a little dink. At match point, she finessed a perfect dink across the net. II. abbreviation for double (or dual) income no kids: a member of a couple in which both partners earn money and have no children: DINKS are often the target of marketing for luxury items such as expensive cars and vacations. Most of my friends are single or DINK couples who do not live with their parents. DINK MARKETING informal abbreviation for double/dual income no kids: used to refer to either one of a couple who both have jobs and who have no children: Luxury goods are marketed to DINKs, who are more likely to have the disposable income needed. III. (Australia, colloquial) A ride on the crossbar or handlebars of a bicycle. I gave him a dink on my bike 汽车载人. verb. To carry someone on a pushbike: behind, on the crossbar or on the handlebar. 5. Second wind ( a return of strength or energy that makes it possible to continue in an activity that needs a lot of effort: I was tired, but I ignored it until I got my second wind. We started to feel we couldn't walk any further but when we saw the town in the distance we got our second wind.) is a phenomenon in endurance sports, such as marathons or road running (as well as other sports), whereby an athlete who is out of breath and too tired to continue (known as "hitting the wall 达到极限"), finds the strength to press on at top performance with less exertion. The feeling may be similar to that of a "runner's high", the most obvious difference being that the runner's high occurs after the race is over. In experienced athletes, "hitting the wall" is conventionally believed to be due to the body's glycogen stores being depleted, with "second wind" occurring when fatty acids become the predominant source of energy. The delay between "hitting the wall" and "second wind" occurring, has to do with the slow speed at which fatty acids sufficiently produce ATP (energy); with fatty acids taking approximately 10 minutes, whereas muscle glycogen is considerably faster at about 30 seconds. Some scientists believe the second wind to be a result of the body finding the proper balance of oxygen to counteract the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles. Others claim second winds are due to endorphin production. Heavy breathing during exercise also provides cooling for the body. After some time the veins and capillaries dilate and cooling takes place more through the skin, so less heavy breathing is needed. The increase in the temperature of the skin can be felt at the same time as the "second wind" takes place. The runner's high is a transient state of euphoria coupled with lessened feelings of anxiety and a higher pain threshold, which can come either from continuous moderate physical exertion over time or from short bursts of high-intensity exercise. The exact prevalence is unknown, but it seems to be a relatively rare phenomenon that not every athlete experiences. The name comes from distance running, and it is alternatively called "rower's high" in rowing. 6. hard up 手头拮据的, 手头紧的 having very little money: We're a bit hard up at the moment so we're not thinking about holidays. hard-up pensioners. having very little money: It is not only pensioners in villages who are hard up. Three hard-up governments are preparing to sell shares in state-owned assets in the next two weeks. be hard up (for sth) 需要, 欠缺, 缺少 to not have enough of something important or valuable: They're hard up for options because of their financial troubles. to not have enough of something important or valuable: If you're so hard up for friends, why don't you join a club? Lavalier [ˌlævəˈlɪə] microphone: A lavalier microphone or lavalier (also known as a lav, lapel [ləˈpel] 翻领 mic, clip mic, body mic, collar mic, neck mic or personal mic( Lavalier [ˌlævəˈlɪə] 别在领子上的麦克 I. a necklace chain with one jewelled pendant. II. a small microphone clipped to the user's clothing or (formerly) worn around the neck.)) is a small microphone used for television, interview and other studio applications to allow hands-free operation. They are most commonly provided with small clips for attaching to collars, ties, or other clothing. The cord may be hidden by clothes and either run to a radio frequency transmitter kept in a pocket or clipped to a belt, or routed directly to the mixer or a recording device. These miniature microphones are often supplied with a choice of push-on grills of differing lengths that provide gentle high-frequency boost by forming a resonant cavity. A peak of approximately 6 dB at 6–8 kHz is considered beneficial for compensating loss of clarity when chest-mounted, as is a peak of a few decibels at 10–15 kHz when mounted in the hair above the forehead. This method of boosting high frequencies does not worsen noise-performance, as electronic equalization would do. 7. unmet 得不到满足的 not satisfied, or achieved: These children have many unmet needs. The demand for affordable housing is largely unmet. Unmet needs 欲求未满, 没满足的需求 refer to situations where basic or essential requirements for well-being are not being adequately addressed or fulfilled. These can be physical, emotional, or social needs, and their lack can significantly impact an individual's health, development, and overall quality of life. More than a million older people now have at least one unmet need for social care, compared with 800,000 in 2010. Perhaps her greatest unmet need was for stimulation of her mind. Given the huge unmet need in this area, this should not be allowed. Our own projects have scratched the surface of a huge unmet need among older people, and the problem will only get worse. The combination of unmet need and disappointment so often then plays out as suppressed, or expressed, hostility. "Meet one's brief 满足需求, 满足要求, 达到要求" means to fulfill or satisfy the requirements of a set of instructions or responsibilities, especially in a professional or legal context. A brief can be a concise document outlining specific tasks or goals, or it can be the overall instructions given for a project or task. Meeting one's brief implies successfully completing or achieving what was assigned. A brief can refer to a concise summary, legal document (like a lawyer's brief), or a set of instructions. Brief as a Verb: To brief someone means to provide them with essential information, instructions, or updates. Meeting One's Brief: This phrase implies fulfilling the obligations or requirements outlined in the brief. It suggests a successful outcome or completion of the assigned tasks. In essence, "meeting one's brief" means successfully delivering on what was expected or requested. If a marketing team is given a brief to create an advertising campaign for a new product, meeting the brief would involve developing a campaign that successfully reaches the target audience, achieves the marketing objectives, and stays within the allocated budget and timeline. meet one's maker: to die —often used figuratively. meet one's doom: to die. meet one's fate: to die. meet one's match: to be opposed by someone as good as one is and who could defeat one. meet one's Waterloo: to be defeated. brief (one) on (someone or something) To tell one key information about someone or something, especially some imminent issue or situation. Please brief me on the candidate that I'll be interviewing this afternoon. Someone needs to brief the CEO on the investigation before he speaks to the media. Who is going to brief the president on the mass casualty incident? kleptomaniac [ˌklep.təˈmeɪ.ni.æk] 偷窃病, 偷盗狂 A kleptomaniac is a person who cannot control their desire to steal things, usually because of a medical condition. someone with a very strong wish to steal that they cannot control, usually considered to be a type of mental illness: I knew she was a kleptomaniac of extraordinary skill. He has severe kleptomaniac tendencies. rueful [ˈruː.fəl] 遗憾的 (deplorable, remorseful, regretful) adj. expressing sorrow or regret, especially when in a slightly humorous way. feeling sorry and wishing that something had not happened: "she gave a rueful grin". He turned away with a rueful laugh. in a way that shows that you are feeling sorry and wishing that something had not happened. If someone is rueful, they feel or express regret or sorrow in a quiet and gentle way. He shook his head and gave me a rueful smile. 'Our marriage was a mistake,' she said, looking rueful. "I wish we'd started six months earlier," he said ruefully. She shook her head and smiled ruefully. contrite [kənˈtraɪt] 悔过的, 悔悟. 懊悔的, 惭愧的 ( contrition [kən'trɪʃən] ) feeling very sorry and guilty for something bad that you have done. feeling regret and guilt for something bad that you have done: She seemed genuinely contrite when she apologized. a contrite apology/expression. If you are contrite, you are very sorry because you have done something wrong. She was instantly contrite. 'Oh, I am sorry! You must forgive me.' The next day he'd be full of contrition, weeping and begging forgiveness. He feels no contrition for what he did. Those involved in the crime have failed to express contrition. stickybeak noun. INFORMAL AUSTRALIAN I. 爱打听的人. 爱八卦的人. an inquisitive and prying person. II. 爱看热闹的人. An act of looking at or watching something, especially something which does not directly concern the one looking. Want me to have a stickybeak at that? Shall we take a stickybeak at that shop? verb. pry into other people's affairs. "I don't mean to stickybeak, but when is he going to leave?" tentatively 拿不准的, 拿不定主意的, 犹豫不决的, 不确定的, 犹疑不定的 I. in a way that shows you are not certain or confident. If someone is tentative, they are cautious and not very confident because they are uncertain or afraid. My first attempts at complaining were rather tentative. She did not return his tentative smile. "I have come to see Mrs Edgerton," she said tentatively. II. 暂时的. 暂定的. 临时的. in a way that may be changed later: The project, tentatively called Viva, is in the early design stages. The meeting has been tentatively scheduled for next week. Tentative agreements, plans, or arrangements are not definite or certain, but have been made as a first step. Political leaders have reached a tentative agreement. Such theories are still very tentative. The next round of talks is tentatively scheduled to begin in October. quizzical [ˈkwɪz.ɪ.kəl] 质疑的, 狐疑的, 面带疑问的 I. Questioning or suggesting puzzlement. II. Strange or eccentric. seeming to ask a question without saying anything: She gave me a quizzical look/glance/smile. If you give someone a quizzical look or smile, you look at them in a way that shows that you are surprised or amused by their behaviour. expressing slight uncertainty or amusement: a quizzical look/smile. He gave Robin a mildly quizzical glance. She looked at him quizzically. vocabulary: Quizzical usually means puzzled or questioning, though it can also mean confused, surprised, comical, or mocking. If someone's looking at you with a quizzical expression when you mention your summer, it might mean they don't know about your adventures at space camp. The word quiz tucked inside quizzical should help you remember the idea of questioning that this adjective often suggests. The word also comes in handy to describe being eccentric or odd, as well as skeptical or derisive. You raise a quizzical eyebrow every time you see me in my giant fur hat. Does that mean you don't like it? bill of goods I. a consignment of merchandise. II. something intentionally misrepresented. something passed off in a deception or fraud. sell someone a bill of goods 卖了一票货 = UK sell someone a pup to deceive someone into buying or believing something that has no value. 8. "Be it resolved 现已决定" is a phrase often used in formal contexts, particularly in meetings, to introduce a motion or decision that is being formally proposed and voted upon. It signifies the formalization of a decision or the expression of an opinion through a vote. It indicates that a group has reached a conclusion and is ready to take action or record their decision officially. The phrase is most commonly found in formal settings like legislative bodies, board meetings, or organizational gatherings. It's a way of saying, "We have discussed this, and now we formally agree to the following..." or "We have decided the following...". Resolution: The phrase is closely linked to the concept of a "resolution," which is a formal expression of opinion or intention agreed upon by a legislative body, committee, or other formal assembly. In a meeting, after a discussion, someone might say, "Be it resolved that the council approves the new budget." This would be followed by a vote to formally adopt the budget. Therefore, be it RESOLVED - Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians. Therefore, be it RESOLVED. 9. demarcate [ˈdiː.mɑː.keɪt] 标线, 划线做标记, 标记, 标出来 (US also demark) to show the limits of something: Parking spaces are demarcated 标记 by white lines. If you demarcate something, you establish its boundaries or limits. A special U.N. commission was formed to demarcate the border. Responsibilities within the department are clearly demarcated. However, Thailand does not recognize the ICJ's jurisdiction and claims that some areas along the border were never fully demarcated, including the sites of several ancient temples. 电影: When it was released in 2005, Brokeback Mountain entered the collective consciousness in a way that is vanishingly rare 非常少见的, 极其罕见的 ( 越来越少的, 开始消失的. beginning to disappear: They expressed concern about the city's current budget crisis and its vanishing work force. Around here, window cleaners are a vanishing breed. ) for a film with queer subject matter 主题. Even non-cinephiles would have been aware of the "gay cowboy movie", as it was often described in the press, and the subsequent controversy when it lost the Academy Award for best picture to Crash, a clumsy crime film that now regularly appears on lists of the worst Oscar winners ever. For Ennis, the prospect of living in a gay relationship with Jack is simply too much to countenance [ˈkaʊntɪnəns] ( noun. I. the appearance or expression of someone's face: He was of noble countenance. Her countenance masked her feelings. II. approval 认可: give countenance to We will not give countenance to any kind of terrorism. lend countenance to I cannot find any authority which lends countenance to that theory. verb. to approve of or give support to something: This school will not countenance lateness 迟到. The school will not countenance bad behaviour.), so for the next 20 years, their passion is limited to sporadic fishing trips that are separate from their everyday lives. The men are affected by overt external homophobia: when Jack returns to Brokeback Mountain, he is told by a prejudiced rancher that there is no work there for men "who stem the rose", a deceptively elegant euphemism for gay sex. But ultimately, it is Ennis' deep-rooted internalised homophobia that thwarts their potential happiness. "As a piece of cinema, it remains as ravishing ( 美丽异常的. If you describe someone or something as ravishing, you mean that they are very beautiful. She looked ravishing/She was a ravishing sight in her wedding dress. She looked ravishing. ...driving through the ravishing scenery of Cumbria and Yorkshire. The Beaujolais hills are ravishingly pretty. ) and disarming ( 让人卸下心防的 making someone like you, especially when they had not expected to. making someone begin to like you: He had a disarming reason for arriving late – he was reading to his children. He displayed a disarming honesty by telling them about his father's bankruptcy. With a disarming smile, O'Reilly tried to put her at ease.) as ever," Betancourt argues, "but as a pivot point for queer representation, it remains as singular but limiting as it was then." It is, after all, the story of two closeted gay or possibly bisexual men who "pass" as straight in their everyday lives. 10. Study load 学业, 课业 generally refers to the amount of coursework 课业量 a student is enrolled in during a specific period, often measured in credit points or equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL). It determines whether a student is considered full-time or part-time, and can impact things like tuition fees and eligibility for financial aid. Credit Points: Many universities use a system where each subject or course is assigned a certain number of credit points. The total credit points a student takes in a given period (e.g., a semester or year) determines their study load. Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL): EFTSL is a standardized measure of a student's workload, often used to compare study loads across different institutions or courses. One EFTSL typically represents a full-time load for one year of study. Full-time vs. Part-time: A full-time study load is generally defined as a certain number of credit points or EFTSL per semester or year. Anything below this is typically considered part-time. Impact: Study load affects things like tuition fees, eligibility for financial assistance (like Austudy or Youth Allowance), and visa requirements for international students. At MIT, Netanyahu studied a double-load 修两个专业 while simultaneously taking courses 上课 at Harvard University, completing his bachelor's degree in architecture in two and a half years, despite taking a break to fight in the Yom Kippur War. Professor Leon B. Groisser at MIT recalled: "He did superbly. He was very bright. Organized. Strong. Powerful. He knew what he wanted to do and how to get it done." 11. open question 答案未知的问题 If something is an open question, people have different opinions about it and nobody can say which opinion is correct. a matter or problem that is being discussed but to which the answer is not yet known Whether voters will support him remains an open question. He thought it was an open question whether sanctions would do any good. Open problem 没有解决的问题, 未解的问题, or open question, a known problem which can be accurately stated, and which is assumed to have an objective and verifiable solution, but which has not yet been solved. A problem that has been posed in a field of study such as mathematics or theoretical computer science, but whose answer is not yet known. capitulate [kəˈpɪtʃ.ə.leɪt] 认栽, 认怂, 认输 I. to accept military defeat: Their forces capitulated five hours after the bombardment of the city began. II. to accept something or agree to do something unwillingly: The sports minister today capitulated 妥协 to calls for his resignation. Tail risk(Tail risk refers to the risk of an asset or portfolio of assets moving more than three standard deviations from the mean, potentially leading to huge losses or gains.), sometimes called "fat tail risk", is the financial risk of an asset or portfolio of assets moving more than three standard deviations [ˌdiːvɪˈeɪʃn] from its current price, above the risk of a normal distribution. Tail risks include low-probability 低概率事件 events arising at both ends of a normal distribution curve, also known as tail events. However, as investors are generally more concerned with unexpected losses rather than gains, a debate about tail risk is focused on the left tail. Prudent 谨慎的 asset managers are typically cautious with the tail involving losses which could damage or ruin portfolios, and not the beneficial tail of outsized gains. The common technique of theorizing a normal distribution of price changes underestimates tail risk when market data exhibit fat tails, thus understating asset prices, stock returns and subsequent risk management strategies. acquiesce [ˌækwiˈes] (爱亏爱死) 无奈接受, 服从大局 to agree to something or to accept something, although you do not want to. If you acquiesce in something, you agree to do what someone wants or to accept what they do even though you may not agree with it. Steve seemed to acquiesce in the decision. He has gradually acquiesced to the demands of the opposition. When her mother suggested that she stay, Alice willingly acquiesced. acquiesce in/to: Despite acquiescing in the board's decision, he had never really changed his own view. John Bellinger, who was a legal adviser in the White House under President George W Bush, said: "Over the last several decades, Congress has acquiesced more and more in presidential uses of military force for a variety of purposes without congressional authorisation."
'Culture of disrespect': Australian teachers say students' behaviour is driving them from profession: Government review is welcome but teachers say their needs must be considered to arrest dramatic decline in retention 留置率 rates. It took three weeks for Amanda, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, to resign as a casual 临时工, 临时的 relief teacher 代课老师. Now in her 60s, Amanda has had teaching stints for decades, including time at remote communities in the Northern Territory. She thought this year's contract in Victoria would be a breeze. But she'd never experienced behaviour that was so poor. Every lesson 每一节课, a year 11 boy would repeatedly ask her if she was a "gooner" and was going to "goon" ( I. To masturbate for long periods of time without reaching a climax. II. (by extension, Internet slang) To masturbate. III. To legally kidnap a child and forcibly transport them to a boot camp, boarding school, wilderness therapy or a similar rehabilitation facility. IV. ) – a colloquial phrase for masturbation – when she got home. During class, she found it impossible to get the attention of students, who would "refuse to shut their computers" and continued playing online games. "I was shattered," she says. "I just couldn't go back. What I experienced was a culture of total disrespect." This week, the federal government opened submissions for a review into bullying at Australian schools, with the aim of developing a nationally consistent 全国统一的回复 response. According to the Australian Council for Educational Research (Acer), Australia's disciplinary climate 管教学生 is significantly worse than the OECD average. Exposure to bullying is higher than all comparison 用以做比较的, 比较中的 countries ( "The comparison process involved scrutinizing data from different sources". Here, "comparison" modifies "process," indicating that it's the process of comparing. Example: "The comparison chart clearly showed the differences between the two products". Here, "comparison" modifies "chart," indicating it's a chart used for comparison. comparison [kəmˈpær.ɪ.sən] I. the act of comparing two or more people or things: make a comparison They made a comparison of different countries' eating habits. by comparison with By comparison with the French, the British eat far less fish. in comparison with Maxwell and Thorne is tiny in comparison with most other firms in the industry. II. the fact of considering something similar or of equal quality to something else: draw a comparison She drew a comparison between life in the army and life in prison. comparison between Comparison between the three groups is difficult as their backgrounds are very different. there's no comparison To my mind there's no comparison between the two restaurants (= one is much better than the other). bear comparison with He's a good writer but he doesn't bear comparison with Shakespeare (= he is not nearly as good as Shakespeare). stand comparison with 比得上, 比得起 It stands comparison with (= is about as good as) the best Japanese cars in its price range. comparative I. 使用比较作为研究方法的. comparing different things. Using comparison as a method of study, or founded on something using it. A comparative study is a study that involves the comparison of two or more things of the same kind. ...a comparative study of the dietary practices of people from various regions. ...a professor of English and comparative literature. comparative anatomy. She's carrying out a comparative study of health in inner cities and rural areas. comparative comfort/freedom/silence, etc. II. a situation that is comfortable, free, silent, etc. when compared to another situation or what is normal. You use comparative to show that you are judging something against a previous or different situation. For example, comparative calm is a situation which is calmer than before or calmer than the situation in other places. ...those who manage to reach the comparative safety of Fendel. The task was accomplished with comparative ease. ...a comparatively small nation. ...children who find it comparatively easy to make and keep friends. I enjoyed the comparative calm 比较的, 比较而言的 of his flat after the busy office. III. relating to the form of an adjective or adverb that expresses a difference in amount, number, degree, or quality: The comparative form 比较级形式 of "slow" is "slower". The comparative of 'pretty' is 'prettier'. comparable 有可比性的 similar in size, amount, or quality to something else: The girls are of comparable ages. Our prices are comparable to/with those in other shops. The two experiences aren't comparable. ), except Latvia. The government's review is focused on the experience of children, with evidence suggesting bullying is undermining student wellbeing, attendance, engagement and learning outcomes. But teachers say they're not immune from the impacts of behavioural issues. And they need support. Guardian Australia has spoken to more than a dozen teachers who have faced mental health issues or decided to exit the system due to the poor behaviour of students. One teacher, who is on stress leave after 20 years in the sector 教育界, says they used to face three or four difficult young boys in class. It had since grown to almost half. Another former teacher in north-west New South Wales recently medically retired due to repeat instances of bullying and violence by students and parents across multiple schools. He says the schools would fail to respond to suspension guidelines and appropriate child-safety plans. "I'd report violence, assault and drug use and nothing would happen," he says. The proportion of Australian teachers reporting they plan to leave the profession jumped from less than a quarter in 2020 (22.25%) to more than a third (34.21%) in 2022, data from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) has found. And the reasons are multifaceted 多方面的. A Deakin University study into the turnover rates of teachers, published this year, found emotional demands and experiences of work-related violence were strongly associated with an intention to leave the profession. Dr Mark Rahimi, a psychosocial researcher at Deakin University, says a shift towards more "teacher-centred" policies, that recognise the profession as "complex emotional and intellectual work" is needed. "This means examining how the pressures and challenges teachers experience daily, the levels of respect and recognition they receive, and the support they are given in their work are shaped by policies and decisions at both the school and systemic level," he says. Workloads also play a factor. One teacher retired this year after experiencing "out of control" behaviour at a government school in Sydney when numbers exceeded capacity. "We had teachers punched, pushed, spit on, name-called, intimidated," he says. "A woman on canteen duty who was in a wheelchair was surrounded by 10 year-nine boys. "We had no CCTV, so no evidence of what was happening on the playground each day." Another high school teacher with three decades of experience temporarily retired in 2020, "exhausted and disillusioned". After the floods in northern New South Wales, she returned to work in 2023. "I was verbally abused more times than I had experienced in all my previous teaching years," she says, citing sexual harassment and physical intimidation, including being referred to as a "poxy [worthless] skank ( skank US slang disapproving a promiscuous girl or woman. an unpleasant person, especially a woman who has sex with a lot of different people. skunk I. 北美臭鼬 a small, black and white North American animal that makes a strong, unpleasant smell as a defence when it is attacked. a small, furry,
black-and-white animal with a large tail, which makes a strong,
unpleasant smell as a defense when it is attacked. II. US slang disapproving 令人生厌的人 an unpleasant person: He was an oily, opportunistic skunk. )". "The pervading culture is misogynistic … what keeps me going is my belief that there are many kids who are also suffering … and that we teachers can and do make a difference." Other teachers still in the system are unable to speak out due to Department of Education employee guidelines, but say they are experiencing daily verbal abuse from students and, often, their parents. They've pointed to a significant shift post-Covid lockdowns, with dropping attendance and a decline in respect for the profession, exacerbated by the continued underfunding of public schools. "I have been punched, kicked, grabbed, slapped, pushed, head-butted and stabbed with a pencil all within the last 12 months," one teacher says. "The system is very broken." Senior lecturer at Monash university's school of education, Dr Fiona Longmuir, says the retention issue is "massive", particularly for mid-career teachers who are the most likely to indicate a desire to leave the profession. "We can keep recruiting until the cows come home ( till/until the cows come home for a very long time: You can crank the engine until the cows come home, but it won't start without fuel. I could sit here and argue with you till the cows come home, but it wouldn't solve anything. Usage notes: The phrase is often used to describe activities regarded as futile or unproductive. Etymology: Possibly from the fact that cattle let out to pasture may be only expected to return for milking the next morning; thus, for example, a party that goes on “until the cows come home” is a very long one. The phrase was first coined by John Dunton in 1691 in his account of Ireland: in Teague Land: or A Merry Ramble to the Wild Irish (1698) he says “on Sundays and Holydays, all the people resorted with the piper and fiddler to the village green. Where the young folk dance till the cows come home", probably because the Irish would often bring their cows into their homes at night as mentioned by Dunton. ), but if we're not keeping teachers in the job and keeping them healthy and sustaining … we're just pouring water into a leaking bucket," she says. Longmuir describes the problem as "death by 1,000 paper cuts". Teachers are passionate about their job, but they're demoralised, and their time and energy is increasingly being directed away from the bread and butter of teaching. "They can't switch off, particularly with the increasingly complex and demanding needs of young people who we know are struggling – probably more than they ever have before," she says. "They're also seeing a lack of respect [towards teachers] in the public discourse. We've lost this sense of shared responsibility … as we're seeing decreasing respect across the community." Longmuir says what teachers, and students, are "crying out for" is more sector-wide effort 全部门内的 to foster care and connection in schools. "We've had such pressure for schools to be good at achievement in certain narrow areas … and those pressures have increased over the years," she says. "We need to make more room for kids to have fun and connect and for teachers to be able to find joy in the work that they do." One teacher, who's been in the profession for more than a decade and currently teaches at a private boys school, used to love his job. He has a file of thank you notes from students and parents. The issue, he says, is children are less eager to learn. I loved being a principal, but Australia has grown complacent about the growing violence directed at educators. "Managing the behaviour of a vocal minority in every class takes up more and more time and – crucially – more and more of the teacher's emotional energy," he says. "Their attention spans get shorter and shorter by the year, something most teachers anecdotally attribute to mobile phone use and 'TikTok brain'." He says "rudeness, defiance and a lack of basic respect" – especially towards female teachers from boys – is persistent. He worries about the rise of the "manosphere", popularised by figures like Andrew Tate. "I have – more than once – been physically threatened by students to beat me up," he says. "I'm under the care of a psychologist as a result of the stress. I've been advised that the best course of action for my mental health is to retire but I can't afford to. "Teachers need far more support … We deal with dozens of students at a time and many of them have poor impulse control. We're legally responsible for their safety. But who's taking care of ours?"
