tales of the city. passing; jilted lover, scorned lover. 始乱终弃, 被抛弃. hubristic VS heuristic VS altruistic;

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Phrase Mix 9

用法学习: 1. This rise in obesity is due to poor diet and lack of exercise. You're writing a blog post about how you think America should solve the problem of having too many overweight people. You just wrote that obesity has increased over the last 20 years, then you off this possible explanation. due to (something) "Due to ___" explains expresses the cause of something. You use "due to" in slightly formal situations. For example, an announcement on a train might include "due to ___":  Due to construction, the uptown 1 train will not be stopping at 50th Street, 59th, or 63rd. The next stop is 72nd Street. The thing that follows "due to ___" should be a noun. As another example, if something happened because it's raining, you don't say "due to it's raining". You have to use a noun: The game has been postponed due to rain. If you want to say that the reason for something was an action, you have to find a way to make that action into a noun. For example: The project was a failure due to lack of communication between team members. The action in this sentence is "team members didn't communicate". But to put it in noun form, you say "lack of communication. You could also say: The project was a failure due to team members not communicating. In this example, "team members not communicating" acts as a noun. a rise in (something) When the number of something increases, you can talk about the situation with the phrase "a rise in ___". For example:   There's been a rise in the number of companies that are cutting employees. a poor diet "A poor diet" means not eating healthy things. You use the word "poor" to mean "not good" in formal situations in English, like when writing. lack of (something) "Lack of ___" means "not having" or "not being". You use this when you want to make a negative action into a noun: A: I don't believe you. B: Your lack of trust is understandable, but... 2. Well, he's obviously biased. You were arguing with your sister about your family vacation plans. She wanted to stay in Spain, but you want to go to Spain and take a short trip to France. She asked her husband for an objective opinion, and he agreed with her. You think that he only agreed with her because they're married. So you laugh and say this. obviously (adjective) A fact is "obvious" when it's easy for anyone to recognize it. For example, when someone asks a really easy-to-answer question, you can say: That's obvious. The word "obviously" is used to modify adjectives or verbs. For example: You're obviously attracted to her. It's obviously a popular place to go on Friday nights. (someone) is biased A person is "biased" if they are not able to give an objective opinion. A person might be "biased" because: They will make money from one of the choices but not the other. They already have strong ideas about the topic. They have a relationship with one of the people who is trying to persuade them. For example, if you ask me "What's the best way to learn English?" then I will say that I am "obviously biased" because I think my website is the best way. Would you consider going into business with me? You're going to start a gourmet catering business. You want your friend to join you as a business partner. You told her about the kind of business you want to start, and she seemed interested in it. You ask her this. Would you consider (doing something)? You ask "Would you consider ___ing?" when you want to carefully and politely propose an idea to someone. You usually use this phrase when asking about big and important decisions. For example: Would you consider moving in with me? Would you consider coming over to work for us? go into business with (someone) To "go into business with" someone means to start a new business with them or to join them as a partner in the business. A "partner" is usually someone who gets a % of the business, not just a salary. You owe me one 欠我的, 欠一份人情. Your coworker asked you to cover his shift on Saturday at your part-time job. You don't want to work on Saturday, but you agreed. Your coworker is happy, but you want to remind him that you might ask him to do the same thing one day, so you say this. You use this phrase to point out that you're doing something nice for someone that will have to be "paid back" later. A: Can you come and pick me up? Please? B: OK, but you owe me one. Family members, close friends, or colleagues who are friendly with each other think about favors in this way with each other. You do something nice for your friend and say "You owe me one." Later, when you want to ask your friend to do something that he doesn't want to do, you can remind him: "Remember that time I covered your shift on a Saturday when you wanted to go to the beach?" The word "one" in "You owe me one" doesn't refer to anything in particular. It doesn't mean "one favor" or "one point" or anything like that. It's just part of the phrase. You might also hear another version of this phrase, which is even stronger: You owe me, big time. Let's just weed out the ones that don't have a photo attached. You're making a short film. You placed an ad for an actor on a website, and got a lot of responses. Now you need to go through the them, but that's going to take a long time. You want to get rid of some of them quickly. You give this task to your assistant director. weed out (something) 删减, 剔除, 排除 When you have a lot of choices, you "weed out" some of the choices by taking away all of the ones that don't match certain requirements. So "weeding out" something means getting rid of it because it's not good. For example, employers often "weed out" job applicants who have spelling mistakes on their resumes, or ones who don't have the right educational background. have a (file) attached An e-mail message sometimes includes a photo or other file. These files are called "attachments". When there is a file attached to an email message, you say that the message "has a (file) attached. Yeah, overall I'd say I am. Your friend has asked you whether you are satisfied with your job. There are some parts of your job that you don't like, but you say this because you like most of it. overall 整体来说 You can use the word "overall" at the beginning or end of a sentence. It's used when your general opinion about something is different from your opinion about some of the specific parts of it. For example: Overall, I think we did a great job. There were some mistakes, of course, but nothing really major. Here's another example. It means that you mostly like the camera: The Canon T2i has some weak points, but overall it's a great camera. Notice that "overall" can be at the beginning of a sentence, or after a word like "but". It can also come at the end of a sentence: I'm really happy with how it turned out overall. I'd say This is a way to answer a question or give an opinion, when you're not really sure: I'd say she'll probably be back at about 2:00. "I'd" is short for "I would". So you can also say "I would say ___":    I would say that you can probably find one for under ten thousand dollars. You can introduce the rest of the sentence with "that": I'd say that I'm two or three weeks away from finishing. "I'd say" can also go at the end of a sentence: It takes about an hour and a half, I'd say. sweet This is a very casual slang expression. It means something similar to "great" or "wonderful". It's used mostly by people in their mid-30's or younger, but it doesn't have any negative associations. "Sweet!" can be used by itself like in the example above. By the way, this use of "sweet" is different from when you call a person "sweet". For example: Thanks, that's really sweet of you. You are so sweet. When you call a person "sweet", it means that they're nice, kind, thoughtful, and so on. When you call a thing "sweet", it means you're excited about it. 3. I need to go get my prescription filled 抓药, so I'll be back in a while. You had a pain in your shoulder. The doctor prescribed pain killers for you. You told your roommate about this, but now you need to go to a pharmacy to get your medicine. You tell your roommate this. get a prescription filled When you "get a prescription filled", you go to a pharmacy and the pharmacist gives you the medicine that is written on the prescription. go (do something) In casual speech, you say "go (do something)" to mean "go (somewhere) and (do something)". For example: Do you want to go see a movie? This means to go to a movie theater and watch a movie. Could you go find me a screwdriver somewhere? This means to go to the place where tools are kept and find a screwdriver for the speaker to use. She wrote me a prescription for some pain killers. You had a pain in your shoulder. You went to see a doctor, and she gave you some medicine. Now you've returned home and you're telling your roommate what happened. You say this about your trip to the doctor. (a doctor) wrote (someone) a prescription for 开药方, 开处方药, 开药 (medicine) When a doctor thinks that a patient needs medicine, they will write a note explaining which medicine, and how much to take, which the patient takes to a pharmacy. This note is called "a prescription". The doctor's action is expressed as "writing a prescription". Notice the different way this phrase can be used: She wrote a prescription. She wrote me a prescription. She wrote me a prescription for some antibiotics. She wrote a prescription for some antibiotics. You can also use the verb "prescribed": The doctor prescribed a pain killer. But "prescribed" sounds a little more formal. You had me there 唬到我, 上你道, 着你道 for a second. Your wife played a trick on you by saying that she hadn't paid your mortgage, when in fact she had. You really believed that she hadn't paid it, and you were worried. After she tells you the truth, you laugh and say this. (someone) had (someone) there When you say "You had me there!" it means "You tricked me! I believed you!" This is a phrase that you usually use when you think the trick was funny and don't mind it. You can also add "going": You had me going there for a minute. Here's how you use this phrase to talk about someone else: She had you there, didn't she? 4. Yeah, I think we're expected to be there. There's a meeting happening this afternoon at work. One of your team members asks if the meeting is mandatory 强制参加的, 必须出席的. No one told you that the meeting was required, but you think that everyone is supposed to go. This is your answer. Attendance is required 必须出席. You're the manager of a group at work, and you want to schedule a meeting. It's important that all of the members of your group come to this meeting. You write an email to the group members, and after describing the meeting you write this. attendance "Attendance" is a noun that means "showing up for something". You use "attendance" to talk about people coming to a meeting, a class, a party, and so on: Comic-Con's attendance last year was estimated at 130,000. Their school has a strict attendance policy. The verb form of this word is "attend (something)": I'm sorry, but I won't be able to attend today's meeting. "Attendance" is used in formal communication for business or school, or when you're talking in an analytical way about the number of people who came to something. In a more casual situation, you can use the word "turnout" to talk about the number of people who came. (something) is required When you say that something "is required", it means that people have to do it. Things that people often say "are required" include: Attendance is required. Registration is required. (You have to register.) Immediate action 立即采取措施 is required. (You have to act quickly.) Further research is required. (This is often used at the end of academic journal articles to say that someone needs to research a topic more.) A permit is required. (You need a permit, which is an official document that shows you're allowed to do something.). 5. Actually, I'm looking to switch careers. You are talking with someone you just met at a party. You're talking about your career. You've told her about your current job, but you want to get a totally different job. You tell her this. I'm looking to (do something) This phrase means that you want to do something: We're looking to buy a house some time this year. When you say "I'm looking to (do something)", it sounds like you are just starting to make your decision. It also sounds like you are going to take your time. You use this phrase when talking about making large decisions like buying a house or car, or changing your career. switch careers 改变职业方向 Your "career" is the long-term history of the jobs you've had and the ones you will have in the future. When you talk about your "job", it brings to mind the everyday activities you do at work. But when you talk about your "career" it means the choices you make about where to work and how it will affect your future. To "switch careers" means to change to a totally different kind of work. For example, you can "switch careers" from being a nurse to being a painter. When you get a different job that's similar to your old job, but with a different company, you say that you "changed (your) job". Meanwhile, can you guys decide on the theme? You're working on a school project with a group of other students. You are going out to pick up some supplies. You want the other group members to work on something while you are gone. You say this after you offer to go to buy the supplies. Meanwhile You use the word "meanwhile" to describe something that's happening (or will happen) at the same time as something else. This word is often used when telling stories. For example, in this scene from The Last Dickens: a Novel, two actions are going on at the same time: As Mason made his way around the thick shrubbery he jumped out at Turner's signal and displayed his sword at the surprised Narain, who put up two trembling hands and lay flat on the ground. Meanwhile the other thief had pushed Turner down and dashed into the dense trees. In the example at top, the speaker wants the group members to make a decision at the same time that he is at the store shopping for supplies. decide on (something) To "decide on" something means to make a final choice about something. For example: It took several months for us just to decide on a new name. 6. I'm trying to break my Facebook addiction 戒掉, so I haven't been on in a while. A friend asks you if you've seen a funny photo that a friend posted on Facebook. You used to use Facebook too much, so you've stopped using it. You haven't looked at it in 10 days, so you say this. break (one's) addiction When you're "addicted" to something, like drugs, it means that you have to have more and more of it, and you can't stop yourself. You call this problem "an addiction". But people also use the word "addiction" to talk about less serious things that they can't get enough of, such as: I'm addicted to "24", so I don't know what I'm going to do now that it's over. To "break an addiction" means to stop yourself from being addicted. Starbucks announced that they're going to offer free Internet access at all their locations 所有分店, 店址. You're reading a news story that says that Starbucks Coffee stores will allow all their customers to use wireless Internet for free. While you're reading the story, you share the news with your husband. After getting his attention, you say this. offer (something) If you want to give or sell something to people, you first need to tell people that you will give it to them or ask if they want it. This is called "offering" something. You usually use the word "offer" when the things you're giving or selling are good or exciting: We're offering 20% off everything in the store, this weekend only. Internet access "Internet access" is the phrase that we use to describe the ability to connect to the Internet. It also explains the services that people use to connect to the Internet: How much do you pay per month for Internet access in France? (a chain's) locations A store or restaurant company that has lots of stores in different places is called a "chain". Each store in the chain is called a "location". For example a representative from such a company could say: We have over 300 locations across the U.S. and Canada. You use the word "location" in this way when you're talking about the company as a business. In everyday life, when you want to talk about one store or restaurant in a chain, you just call it a "store" or a "restaurant". 7. Oh, hey Debbie. Sorry, I meant to call someone else. You wanted to call your friend, but instead you call your landlord's phone number by mistake. You know your landlord pretty well. When she answers the phone, you say this. (someone) meant to (do something) 原打算 When you did one action, but you wanted to do something else, you say that you "meant to" do the 2nd action: Sorry, I meant to call you earlier but my phone died. "Meant to" means that you planned to do something but didn't succeed. From a practical perspective, I don't see how that's possible. In a discussion at work, someone suggested an idea that sounds good. But in reality, you don't think it can be done. You want to say that in a direct but polite way. You say this. from a (something) perspective 从...的方面来说, 从...的角度 You can think about an idea in many ways. You can think about how much it costs, or how long it takes, or how beautiful it is. When you talk about an idea and want to explain how you're thinking about it, you use "from a ___ perspective" at the beginning or end of your sentence: It makes sense from a business perspective, but for consumers it's not very easy to use. I don't see (what/why/how)(clause) This means that you don't understand something or don't agree with it. For example, if you're waiting for a long time on an airplane for it to take off, you can say to the person who's riding with you: I don't see what's taking so long. This means that you don't understand why it's taking such a long time, and you're angry about it. So "I don't see ___" is used when you don't understand the reason for something and you don't think that there really is a good reason. Here are some more examples with different endings: I don't see why not. I don't see what the big deal is. Just give it to me straight. Your friend seems like she wants to say something critical of you, but she's being really polite and not directly telling you what she thinks. You say this because you want to know what she really thinks. give it to me straight 直接说吧, 直说吧, 实话实说 This is what you say when you want someone to tell you negative information honestly, without trying to be polite or concerned about your feelings: Give it to me straight, doc. Am I dying? What did you think of my performance? Give it to me straight. You can say this about yourself also, when you have to give someone bad news: Listen, Lee: I'll give it to you straight. I don't think you have what it takes to make the Olympic team. Why don't we exchange business cards? You're at a business networking event, and you meet someone who you might like to do business with in the future. You want to keep in touch with them. Near the end of the conversation, you say this. exchange (something) When you "exchange" something with a person, you give them something and they give something back to you. In the example above, the speaker suggests exchanging business cards. That means that each person gives the other person their business card. Other words that people often use with "exchange" are: exchange phone numbers, exchange ideas, exchange a glance 对看一眼 (this means to look at each other secretly to communicate a message), exchange words (this means to get into an argument). 8. We really appreciate all of your hard work and effort. You are the director of a division in your company. Last quarter, your company had high sales growth. Now you are leading a meeting and you say this to thank all the employees. hard work and effort 辛勤努力, 努力工作 "Hard work" and "effort" are very similar in meaning, but we often use them together anyway. They're usually said or written in this order, not as "effort and hard work". This is a perfect example of what not to do 反面典型, 反面例子, 反面教材 when you're building a website. You're teaching a group of people about good website design. You show an example of a bad website that you built when you were in college. You want to tell everyone that it wasn't a good website, so you say this. a perfect example of (something) You should know what an "example" is. You call an example "perfect" when it completely matches the idea that you're trying to represent. You can tell what the idea is with the phrase "an example of ___": Can you give me an example of how to use this word in a sentence? Here's an example of the kind of website we want to build. what not to do The phrase "what not to do" is the opposite of "what to do". You use this in situations where you want to point out an action that someone shouldn't do: I appreciate them talking with me about it and explaining what to do and what not to do. build a website When you're talking about making or creating a website, you use the word "build". You can use "build" to describe making things that take a long time and have a lot of steps. kind of (adjective/adverb) "Kind of" means "a little" or "somewhat". People often use it in spoken English: I'm kind of shy when it comes to the opposite sex. It kind of took me by surprise. You can use "kind of" before an adjective ("kind of shy") or before a verb ("kind of took me by surprise"). Another phrase with a similar meaning is "somewhat": Most students find that university courses are somewhat more difficult than the classes that they took in high school. "Somewhat" is more formal. Use "kind of" for most situations and "somewhat" when discussing academic topics or in writing. The pronunciation of "kind of" sounds like "kinda". 9. I had Eric when I was only 18. You had a child when you were very young. Now your child is much older, and you are telling someone about the experience. You say this. have (a child) To "have" a child means to give birth. This can be a little confusing because to "have a child" also simply means that you are a parent and your son or daughter exists. But you usually use "have" in the present tense to mean that you are a parent: I have a son. She has three daughters. And you use "had" in the past tense to mean that you gave birth to a child: I heard she just had a baby. But there is also a case where you use the past tense to mean that someone did have a child, but now the child or the parent is dead: Mark Twain had four children. We had a son, too, but he died soon after birth. From now on, check with me before you do that. Someone who works for you made a decision without asking you, and he made a mistake. You are a little bit angry, and you want to make sure this doesn't happen again. You say this. check with (someone) (run something by someone) To "check with" someone means to ask them if something is OK: You should check with the airline 问一下, 和...确认一下, 商量一下 and see if they charge a fee for checked baggage. I would say something to the waiter. At a restaurant, your friend ordered a steak cooked medium-rare. But when he got it, it was over-cooked. He tells you about it. You say this to convince him to complain to the waiter. I would (do something) This is a shortened version of "I would ___ if I were you." It's a way of giving someone advice without directly saying "You should ___": You should say something to the waiter. This is a direct way of giving advice, but it can seem a little rude. "I would ___" is more polite. I'm up for anything. You're with your friend. You're deciding what to do tonight. He suggests going to a dance club where his friend is DJ'ing & asks if you're OK with that. You don't care what you do, and want to show that you're having fun. You say this enthusiastically. (someone) is up for (something) When you are "up for" an activity, it means that you are willing to do it. When you ask a friend "Are you up for ___?", you want to know if they want to do it, and whether they have enough energy for it. For example, if someone asks: You want to play a game of basketball? ...if you're too tired right now, you could say: I don't think I'm up for it right now. up for anything This means that you are OK with anything that someone suggests: A: What do you want to do tonight? B: I'm up for anything. This phrase sounds fun, positive, and relaxed. 10. Sure. What's up 怎么了, 有什么事吗? One of the people who works under you came to your office to ask a question. He asked you "Can I ask you something?" You were typing an email, but it wasn't that important, so you answer him like this. "Sure" means "yes". But "sure" is more casual than "yes". If you just answer "yes" to a question, it can sound as if you are angry: A: Hey, can you help me with this? B: Yes. A: Uh... Are you annoyed or something? "Sure" is similar to "of course". Both suggest that it's obvious and expected for the answer to be "yes". A: Will you come to my graduation? B: Of course! "Of course" is a stronger response and more positive response than "sure". What's up? You can use the phrase "What's up?" in many different ways. One of its uses is to respond when someone asks to talk with you: A: Hey, can I talk with you for a minute? B: Yeah, what's up? "What's up?" sounds light and casual. You can use this phrase with people who you work closely with, who you're friends with, or who work for you. A more formal alternative to "What's up? is: What can I do for you 怎么了, 有什么事吗? Or, if the person you're talking to seems upset, you can ask: What's going on怎么了, 有什么事吗? Hold on — you might be able to recover it. Your wife was working on a document on the computer at home. The program crashed, and she's upset because she thinks all of the work she did is lost. You think she might be able to get the file back again. You say this. One way to rephrase "You might be able to" is "Maybe you will be able to". So "might" means "maybe" but the grammar of it is different: "Maybe" comes at the beginning of the sentence, while "might" comes right before the verb ("be"). "Might" replaces the modal "will". "Maybe" is used along with "will" or other modals ("should", "can", etc.) For native English speakers, it's more common to say "You might..." than "Maybe you will..." If you can learn to use "might" correctly, it will make your English sound much more natural. recover (something) To "recover" something means to get it back after it has gotten lost, gotten destroyed, or been messed up. Things that people often talk about recovering include: recover a memory, recover a lost object, recover the cost of an investment, recover use of a body part (legs, fingers, etc.) after an accident. 11. I have to put together a presentation for Upper Management. You have to give a presentation to several executives at your company. You need some help with creating a nice-looking presentation. You are asking a coworker who's good with design to help you. You say this to explain why a nice presentation is important. put together (something) When you "put something together", it means that you make something by collecting materials or information from different places. In the example above, you can imagine that the presentation is created using information, notes, photos, and graphics from different sources. Some other things that people sometimes "put together" include: put together an event, put together a portfolio, put together a business plan. When you use a short pronoun like "it", "they", "something", etc. it goes between "put" and "together": We put it together quickly. We can put something together later this week. When you use a noun or noun phrase, it goes after "put together". Upper Management 上层管理层 (the executive) "Upper management" is the group of people who are at the top of a company. These people usually have job titles like "CEO", "CTO" (Chief Technical Officer), "CFO" (Chief Financial Officer), "Vice President of Sales", and so on. When you talk about "Upper Management", you use the singular and talk about them as if they are one unified group. I would've had to pay a hundred-dollar fine if it had been late. You rented a car and returned it at the last minute. The car rental company charges $100 for returning cars late. You say this to your friend about how close you were to being late. I would've (done something) if (something had happened) You use this phrase when you're imagining how things would be different if a certain event had happened differently: I would have gotten home already if I'd left at 7o'clock. a (number)-dollar (thing) When you're talking about an item and want to say how much it costs or is worth, you can say that it is "a ___-dollar ___". This is a similar expression to "an 8-hour drive". Like that example, you should be careful to use the singular: He says he bought a 90-dollar tie. Not "He says he bought a 90-dollars tie." pay a fine A "fine" is money that you have to pay because you did something wrong. For example, banks make you "pay a fine" if you try to take out more money than you actually have in your account. remember how (clause) When you are remembering a past situation, you can say "remember that (something happened): Do you remember that we dressed as super heroes for Halloween in fifth grade? However, this only means to remember the fact that something happened. A good answer to this question would be just "yes" or "no". When you want to talk about remembering the experience of an event, you use "remember how (something happened)": Do you remember how we dressed as super heroes for Halloween in fifth grade? The proper response to this question is to describe some detail of that memory: Yeah, I was Batman and you were Spider-man. 12. I totally bombed it. You applied for an open position at your company. You had an interview earlier today. Now you're telling your friend about how the interview went. You admit this to your friend because you don't think you did a good job. totally In casual conversation, when you want to exaggerate an action or description, you use the adverb "totally". A slightly more formal word with a similar meaning is "completely". "Completely" could be used instead of "totally" in any of the examples above. bomb (something) When you "bomb" an interview, a presentation, a speech, a test, or a performance, it means that you do a bad job and aren't successful. "Bomb ___" is kind of a slang expression. The word "bomb" is also used to describe a movie, album, or TV show that isn't good and that people don't like. I'm not crazy about them. You are out shopping with your girlfriend. She asks you what you think of a pair of shoes that she likes. You say this because you don't like them very much. not crazy about (something) When you say you're "crazy about" something, it means that you really, really like it: I'm absolutely crazy about this band! When you say that you're "not crazy about" something, it means that you don't like it very much. This is an example of understatement. You actually don't like something. But instead of directly saying how much you dislike it, you only say that you're "not crazy about" it. The phrase "crazy about ___" is mostly used by people who are in their mid-30's or younger, although it doesn't sound bad for older people. It's used in casual conversation. But I've managed to do OK. You're a professional photographer. You're talking to someone who's not a photographer about your job. You've told them how difficult being a photographer is because of competition from the Internet and other photographers. But you are successful anyway. You say this. manage to (do something) To "manage to" do something is to successfully do something, even though it was difficult. A few examples: Aaron managed to get us front-row tickets to see The Rolling Stones. Can you believe it!? I was a horrible student. I just barely managed to pass 11th grade. do (well / OK) To "do well" means to get a good result. People usually use this phrase to talk about how much money someone has made: Their software design firm has done extremely well over the last 5 years.You can also say that something "did OK": We did OK in the first quarter, but I think that our second quarter growth will be really great. Use "did OK" when the results are only gotten slightly good, or if something was really successful but you want to downplay it. I've been humming 哼唱 that song all day. You heard a catchy new song a few days ago with your wife that you both liked. Today you were singing the song quietly to yourself while you worked. You want to tell her about it, so you confess this to her. hum (a song) To "hum" a song means to make the notes of the song with your mouth closed, without saying the words. People usually do this quietly for their own entertainment. settle into a routine 步入正规, 回复正规 A "routine" is a way of acting and living that you do the same way, over and over again. For example, your daily routine might include getting up at 8:00, ironing your clothes while watching TV, getting coffee at the local coffee shop on your way to work, etc. To "settle into" a routine means to start to create a routine for yourself and to get used to it. For example: Teaching is stressful at first, but after a few years you settle into the routine and it gets to be easier. To "settle back into a routine" means to get used to it again after you stop doing it for a while. I got this on sale 特价 for only four bucks. You bought a cheap bottle of wine. You say this to let your wife know that it was cheap. get (something) on sale When something is "on sale", it is being sold at a lower price than usual. In this expression, people use the verb "get" instead of "buy" to express buying something while it is "on sale": I always buy my clothes on sale. I never pay full price. "Getting something on sale" is usually considered a good thing, and some people like to brag about the low prices they paid for things. (buy something) for (an amount) When you want to tell the price of something that you bought, you say that you bought if "for ___": I bought that car for two thousand dollars ten years ago, and it's still running. But, if you use the word "cost", you shouldn't use "for": This car cost me fifteen thousand dollars. They are widely recognized as the world's leading solar energy company. You're writing a report about a company. It is #1 among companies of their type. You are introducing the company at the beginning of your report, and write this. (something) is widely recognized 公认为, 普遍认为 as (something) When many people agree that a company is the best, you say the company is "recognized as" the best. Similarly, if you are "recognized as" one of the best athletes at your school, it means that a lot of the people at the school agree that you are one of the best. If most people agree about a description, you can say something is "widely recognized as" being that way. "Widely recognized" means recognized by a large number of people. the (world/nation/industry/etc.)'s leading (something) The #1 person or thing in a group is called "the leading ___". This is often used with job titles and professions: the world's leading doctor, New York's leading personal trainer. You can also use this expression to talk about companies, products, etc: They are the industry's leading seller. We are the East Coast's leading provider of audio-visual equipment. Are you planning on asking her out? Your friend seems to be attracted to his co-worker. You want to find out what he's going to do about it. You ask this. (someone) is planning on (doing something) When you are "planning on" doing something, it means that you intend to do it. You want to do it. But it doesn't necessarily mean that you have a strong plan for getting it done. For example, you can say: I'm planning on throwing a big party for Kevin's 30th birthday in November. If you say this in May, it doesn't mean that you've planned out a party. It just means that you think you're going to do it. ask (someone) out To "ask someone out" means to invite them to go on a date with you. There must be a lot of pollen. You're sneezing a lot. Your friend asks you what's wrong. You think you're sneezing because of your allergies, so you say this. a lot of (something) Some English learners use the word "much" too much! In normal conversational English, "a lot of ___" is far more common than "much ___": There was a lot of dust in the air. My daughter always likes to put a lot of ketchup on her fries. However, you can use "much" when you're saying "not much": There's not much money left. And it's good in the phrase "too much": Sorry, I can't. I have way too much work to do here. You can also use "much" for very, very formal positive sentences. When I hear a sentence like this, it reminds me of the Bible! It has that level of formality and age. There was much rejoicing among the people. "Many" is the same as "much". It sounds strange and old-fashioned in positive sentences, but normal in questions and negative sentences. There were a lot of people there. There aren't very many chairs left. pollen [ˈpɑlən] "Pollen" is the dust that flowers produce. A lot of people are allergic to pollen. pollen count 花粉指数 a measurement of how much pollen there is in the air at a particular time, often given on weather reports in the summer for people who are allergic to pollen. a high/low pollen count. 12. I'll run it by (check with someone) April and see what she thinks. You're trying to think of a name for a band that you're starting with a group of musicians. You and some of the other band members come up with a name that you all like, but one of the members isn't there. You want to know what she thinks of the name, so you say this. run (something) by (someone) To "run an idea by someone" means to tell them about the idea and find out what they think of it. Another example, which can be used in a work setting: Make sure to run it by James before you send it out. In the example above, the speaker uses "it" to talk about the name that the band members chose. "It" is the correct pronoun to use if they're just talking about the name. However, there are some situations where "this" could also be used. For example, if the name was written down on a piece of paper that the speaker was holding, he could point to it and say: I'll run this by April and see what she thinks. see what (someone) thinks The word "see" can be used to mean "find out" or "learn" in situations like this. This phrase can be used in casual or business settings: Show this to the agency and see what they think. I wrote a story, and I wanted to see what you thought of it. (someone) is down-to-earth 不高冷, 易接触的, 好相处的 A "down-to-earth" person is relaxed, casual, and easy-to-please. They like simple and realistic things. (someone) has some (adjective) news You say "I have some ___ news" when you have news to tell someone. "News" is new information that you think they want to know. You can use adjectives to say how you think the listener will feel about your information: good news, bad news, interesting news. When you say "I have some ___ news", it prepares the listener to pay attention to what you're going to say to them. If you don't use this phrase before telling someone important information, it can seem too sudden. The listener might not notice what you're telling them.   "Antje has come," he said, "and brought a letter from Heim." "What does the dear good fellow say?" "Some good news and some bad." "Tell me the bad first." "Six families from Eschenwinkel, thirty people in all, are going to emigrate to America next week." They were both silent and went on quietly. "You must get over that too, Andrees." So he went out and made sure and he came back and said, "Chief, I have some good news and some bad news; which one do you want to hear first?" Then the Chief said, "Gosh, you'd better tell me the bad news first, what is it?" He said, "Looks like all we're going to have to eat this year is dried buffalo chips." And the Chief said, "Boy that is bad news, and what's the good news," and he said, "There's plenty of it." 13. You're going to want to have a nice, comfortable pair of sneakers 运动鞋 to walk around in. Your roommate is going on a trip to a foreign country for a few weeks, and you are helping her pack. You've been there before, so you're giving her advice. You think she should take a pair of athletic shoes to walk around in, so you say this. walk around in (a pair of shoes) When you want to say that a person is wearing a pair of shoes while doing various activities, you say that they are "walking around in" them. Notice that you use the word "in". Think of it as your foot being inside of the shoe. I'm trying to decide whether I should take my laptop. You're going on a trip to a foreign country for a few weeks, and your roommate is helping you decide what to take with you. You aren't sure if you should take your notebook computer with you or not. You make a thoughtful face and say this. (someone) is trying to decide (something) Use this phrase when you are "in the middle" of making a decision – when you're thinking of the different possibilities. Here are a few more examples: I'm trying to decide what to order. Everyone's trying to decide where to go for drinks. I'm trying to decide whether or not I should apply for this job I saw posted on my company's intranet. It may take up to three or four weeks for delivery. You're shopping for furniture with your fiance. You picked out a sofa that you want, and now you're asking to buy it. You will need to get the sofa delivered to you, but the shop staff tells you this about the wait time for deliveries. take up to (a time) When you're preparing or warning a customer of a long wait for something, you usually tell the maximum amount of time that they will have to wait. That way, the customer will be happy if the wait is shorter than this. You prepare someone for a long wait using "take up to ___": Finishing the repairs might take up to ten days. delivery When you send an item somewhere, someone "delivers" the item. To talk about this action, we use the word "delivery". Some common collocations with the word "delivery" include: pizza delivery, an on-time delivery, a delivery truck, a delivery boy, a special delivery, a daily/weekly/monthly delivery, make a delivery.