abstain
He took a vow to abstain from alcohol.
他发誓戒酒。
63 members voted in favour, 39 opposed, and 15 abstained.
63人投赞成票，39人反对，15人弃权。
During a recent general strike, employees of all major trade unions abstained.
在最近一次大型罢工期间，所有大型工会的成员都拒绝工作。
addict
a drug/heroin/gambling addict
吸食毒品/海洛因/赌博成性的人
I’m a chocolate/shopping addict.
我是个吃巧克力成瘾的人/购物狂。
fanatic
a fitness/film fanatic
健身／电影迷
amble
He was ambling along the beach.
他沿着沙滩漫步。
She ambled down the street, stopping occasionally to look in the shop windows.
她沿街慢行，不时停下来打量商店橱窗里的商品。
There’s nothing I enjoy more than a leisurely amble in the park.
我最喜欢的莫过于公园散步。
leisurely
We enjoyed a leisurely picnic lunch on the lawn.
中午我们在草地上悠闲的享用了一顿野餐。
accommodate
New students may be accommodated in halls of residence.
新生可以住在学校宿舍楼里。
I think I can accommodate you.
我想我可以为你提供方便。
It took a long time for me to accommodate myself to the notion.
我花了很长时间才接受这个观念。
aggravate | ˈaɡrəveɪt
Attempts to restrict parking in the city center have further aggravated the problem of traffic congestion.
在市中心限制停车的尝试使交通拥堵问题更加严重。
The treatment only aggravated the condition.
这种治疗方法反而使病情恶化。
ameliorate
Foreign aid is badly needed to ameliorate the effects of the drought.
急需外援以缓解干旱造成的灾情。
to ameliorate living standards
提高生活水平
alleviate
alleviate boredom 解闷
The drugs did nothing to alleviate her pain.
这些药物对减轻她的病痛没有丝毫作用。
acute
The problem of poverty is particularly acute in rural areas.
贫困问题在农村地区尤为严重。
an acute attack of appendicitis
阑尾炎急性发作
acute eyesight/hearing
敏锐的视觉/听觉
an acute sense of smell
敏锐的嗅觉
appealing
The idea of not having to get up early every morning is rather appealing to me.
每天不用早起，这对我很有吸引力。
He had a nice smile and an appealing personality.
他的微笑非常迷人，个性也充满魅力。
assuage
The government has tried to assuage the public’s fears.
政府努力消除公众的恐慌。
to assuage one’s thirst/hunger/pain 解渴/充饥/镇痛
appeal
They are launching an appeal to raise money for famine victims.
他们正呼吁社会为饥民捐款。
The police have issued an appeal to the public to stay away from the area over the weekend.
警察呼吁公众在周末远离这一地区。
Church leaders have appealed to the government to halt the war.
教会领袖呼吁政府停止战争。
It’s a program designed to appeal mainly to 16 to 25-year-olds.
这个节目的目标观众主要是16到25岁的年轻人。
I think what appeals to me about his painting is his use of color.
我想，他的画感染我的地方在于他对色彩的应用。
ascendant
in the ascendant 交好运的、占优势的
He’s very much in the ascendant in Hollywood.
他在好莱坞的事业蒸蒸日上。
assess
Exams are not the only means of assessing a student’s ability.
考试并不是评定学生能力的唯一手段。
We need to assess whether the project is worth doing.
我们需要评估一下这个项目是否值得去做。
appreciable
There has been an appreciable drop in the number of unemployed since the new government came to power.
自从新政府执政以来，失业人数明显下降。
assertive
If you really want the promotion, you’ll have to be more assertive.
如果你真想得到晋升，就必须更加坚定自信的说出来/
apprehension
under the apprehension that 认为
It’s normal to feel a little apprehension before starting a new job.
再开始新工作前感到有些忐忑不安是很正常的。
axiomatic
It is an axiomatic fact that governments rise and fall on the state of the economy.
经济状况决定政府的兴衰成败，这是不言自明的。
It seems axiomatic that everyone would benefit from a better scientific education.
更好的科学教育会使每个人受益，这似乎是不言而明的。
brevity
Brevity is the soul of wit. 言贵简洁
His essays are models of clarity and brevity.
他的散文简洁，清晰，堪称典范。
Brevity is, in almost everything, a virtue.
在任何情况下，简洁都是一种美德。
commensurate | kəˈmɛnʃ(ə)rət
a salary that is commensurate with skills and experience
与技能和经验相称的薪水
concomitant
Some people see pain and illness as concomitants of the stresses of life.
有些人认为病痛是随生活压力而来的。
Loss of memory is a natural concomitant of old age.
上年纪后记忆力自然会随之衰退。
conducive
A quiet room is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.
置身一个安静的房间更有利于学习。
congruent
Our goals are congruent; there is no conflict.
我们的目标是一致的，没有冲突。
deploy
The company is reconsidering the way in which it deploys its resources/staff.
该公司在重新考虑其资源／人员的使用之道。
My job doesn’t really allow me fully to deploy my skills/talents.
我在工作中并不能真正发挥技能／才能。
exploit
We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.
我们需要确保尽可能充分利用资源。
diffuse
Television is a powerful means of diffusing knowledge.
电视是传播知识的有力工具。
The company has become large and diffuse.
公司规模大了，业务范围也更广了。
diversity
the diversity in education 教育的多元化
Does television adequately reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of the country?
电视节目能充分反映出这个国家民族和文化的多样性吗？
There is a wide diversity of opinions on the question of unilateral disarmament.
对于单方面裁军问题，人们的看法各不相同。
enlighten
Should the function of children’s television be to entertain or to enlighten?
儿童电视节目的作用应该是娱乐还是启蒙？
entice
The adverts entice the customer into buying things they don’t really want.
广告诱使顾客购买他们并不真正需要的东西。
People are being enticed away from the profession by higher salaries elsewhere.
别处更加丰厚的薪水诱使人们辞职另谋高就。
perpetual
a perpetual student
终生学习者
pervade
The film movie is a reflection of the violence that pervades our culture.
这部电影反映了充斥于我们文化中的暴力。
pinnacle | ˈpɪnɪkl
By the age of 32 she had reached the pinnacle of her career.
她在32岁时事业达到顶峰。
plateau | ˈplatəʊ
I’d been losing about a pound a week on my diet, but recently I’ve plateaued and haven’t lost an ounce.
我通过节食体重每周减轻1磅左右，但最近体重稳定了下来，1磅也没少。
The economic slowdown has caused our sales to plateau.
经济发展减速导致我们的产品销量停滞不前。
acquaint
Take time to acquaint yourself with the rules.
花时间熟悉一下规则。
The museum offers workshops to acquaint children with the world of radio.
博物馆还举办讲习班让孩子们了解无线电世界。
liberal
a liberal society/attitude
自由开放的社会／态度
Her parents were far more liberal than mine.
她父母比我父母开明得多。
abundant
an abundant supply of food
充足的食品供应
a country abundant in natural resources
一个自然资源丰富的国家
orient
It is essential that the public sector orientates itself more towards the consumer.
公共部门要更多地适应消费者，这是最基本的。
momentous | məˈmɛntəs
Whether or not to move overseas was a momentous decision for the family.
是否移居海外对这个家庭来说是个重要的决定。
intermittent
intermittent rain
阵雨
an intermittent noise
时断时续的噪音
Although she made intermittent movie appearances, she was essentially a stage actress.
她虽然断断续续地在电影中露面，但基本上还是一个舞台演员。
intrigue ｜ ɪnˈtriːɡ
Throughout history, people have been intrigued by the question of whether there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.
纵观历史，人们一直被这样一个问题吸引着：宇宙的其他地方是否也存在着有智力的生物？
menace ｜ˈmɛnɪs
the menace of industrial pollution
工业污染的危害
Drunk drivers are a menace to everyone.
醉酒驾驶者对每个人都构成了威胁。
Dogs running loose are a public menace.
没有拴起来到处乱跑的狗对公众安全是一种威胁。
bracing
We enjoyed a bracing walk on the beach.
我们在沙滩上散步，感到心旷神怡。
bolster ｜ ˈbəʊlstə
More money is needed to bolster the industry.
需要更多的钱来扶持该产业。
She tried to bolster my confidence by telling me that I had a special talent.
她说我有特别的才能，想要增强我的信心。
They need to do something to bolster their image.
他们需要设法改善他们的形象。
pathetic
The refugees were a pathetic sight – starving, frightened, and cold.
难民看起来实在可怜，饥寒交迫，担惊受怕。
plight
the plight of the poor/homeless
穷人／无家可归者的困难处境
Few of us can be unmoved by the plight of the refugees.
我们几乎无一不被难民的困难处境所触动。
clumsy
The first mobile phones were heavy and clumsy to use, but they are much easier to handle nowadays.
第一代手机用起来很笨重，而现在的手机就轻便多了
confluence
The change has been brought on by a confluence of factors.
这种变化是由多种原因共同促成的。
A confluence of events is pushing nuclear policy into the national spotlight.
一系列事件促使核政策成为公众关注的焦点。
cramped
a cramped room/house
狭小的房间/房子
I have a very cramped schedule.
我日程安排的很紧。
consensus ｜ kənˈsɛnsəs
The general consensus in the office is that he can’t do his job.
办公室成员一致认为他无法胜任工作。
Could we reach a consensus on this matter? Let’s take a vote.
我们能在这件事上达成共识吗？我们来表决吧！
demonstrate
Research has demonstrated that babies can recognize their mother’s voice very soon after birth.
研究表明，婴儿出生后很快就能辨识母亲的声音。
These problems demonstrate the importance of strategic planning.
这些问题显示出了战略规划的重要性。
diminish
I don’t want to diminish her achievements, but she did have a lot of help.
我不想贬低她的成就，但她确实得到了很多帮助。
These memories will not be diminished by time.
这些记忆不会随着时间的流逝而淡漠。
What he did has seriously diminished him in many people’s eyes.
他的所作所为严重损害了他在许多人眼里的形象。
We’ve seen our house diminish greatly/sharply/substantially in value over the last six months.
在最近6个月里，我们这座房屋的价格暴跌。
disparate
The two cultures were so utterly disparate that she found it hard to adapt from one to the other.
这两种文化截然不同，她发现很难由一种文化转而去适应另一种文化。
facilitate
The current structure does not facilitate efficient workflow.
当前的体系不利于实施高效的工作流程。
forefront
The issue should be brought to the forefront.
这个问题应当成为关注的重点。
Since its inception in 1968, the company has been at the forefront of computer development.
这家公司自从1968年成立以来一直处于计算机开发的最前沿。
integral
He’s an integral part of the team, and we can’t do without him.
他是球队不可缺少的一员，没有他我们可不行。
Bars and terrace cafés are integral to the social life of the city.
酒吧和露天咖啡座是这个城市社交生活不可缺少的一部分。
gourmet
gourmet coffee
优质咖啡
a gourmet meal
佳肴
a gourmet chef
金牌厨师
idyll ｜ ˈɪd(ɪ)l
Every year thousands of people flee the big cities in search of the pastoral/rural idyll.
每年成千上万的人逃离大城市，去寻找田园式／充满乡野气息的快乐生活。
imperative
It’s imperative to act now before the problem gets severe.
必须现在就采取行动，而不是等到问题变得难以收拾。
insulate
Children should be insulated from the horrors of war.
应该让孩子远离战争的恐怖。
Until recently the country’s economy has been insulated from recession by its reserves of raw materials.
该国由于原材料储备充足，直到最近其经济也没有受到衰退的影响。