壬辰英语学习帖
英语丢丢捡捡，一直没有提高。也曾想通过阅读来提高，但词汇量太小，读了一点就坚持不下去。新年了，准备痛下决心，争取在今年内看完一本英文书，边看边查朗文字典。花一年的时间，看看英语能不能提高。英文书我选《约翰。克里斯多夫》。大学时，我看傅雷译的《约翰。克里斯多夫》看了一年。现在选其英译本，考验自己的毅力。字典也用英英的。虽然以前用的都是英汉字典。力争每天能看一个小时。开个帖子督促一下自己。 多谢版主鼓励！extent：used to say how true something is or how great an effect or change is
fit of：a time when you feel an emotion very strongly and cannot control your behaviour
pique：a feeling of being annoyed or upset, especially because someone has ignored you or insulted you
He stormed out in a fit of pique .
remnanta： small part of something that remains after the rest of it has been used, destroyed, or eaten
remnant of
The remnants of a meal stood on the table.
concerned ： involved in something or affected by it
concerned with
all the people concerned with children's education
expenses
money that you spend on things such as travel and food while you are doing your job, and which your employer then pays to you
engage： to be doing or to become involved in an activity
engage in doing something
Despite her illness, she remains actively engaged in shaping policy.
be/get involved
to take part in an activity or event, or be connected with it in some way
shape： to influence something such as a belief, opinion etc and make it develop in a particular way
People's political beliefs are shaped by what they see in the papers.
influence：to affect the way someone or something develops, behaves, thinks etc without directly forcing or ordering them
Marx was strongly influenced by the historian Niebuhr. policy：a particular principle that you believe in and that influences the way you behave
unceasing： never stopping
his unceasing efforts to help the poor
toil：hard unpleasant work done over a long period
mediocre：not very good
let something slide
to let a situation get gradually worse
flaxen：flaxen hair is light yellow in colour
whither：to which place
destiny：the things that will happen to someone in the future, especially those that cannot be changed or controlled
fully：completely
The restaurant is fully booked this evening.
torpor：a state of being not active because you are lazy or sleepy
She tried to rouse him from the torpor into which he had sunk.
rouse：to wake someone who is sleeping deeply
His banging roused the neighbours.
rouse somebody from sleep/dreams etc
A persistent ringing roused Christina from a pleasant dream.
drowy：tired and almost asleep
The drug can make you drowsy.
drug：a medicine, or a substance for making medicines
a drug used in the treatment of cancer treatment：something that is done to cure someone who is injured or ill
treatment of/for
There have been great advances in the treatment of cancer.
The best treatment for a cold is to rest and drink lots of fluids.
She was given emergency treatment by paramedics.
get/receive treatment
Some of the patients had to wait weeks to get the treatment they needed.
Michael responded well to treatment (=got better when he was treated) .
respond：to improve as a result of a particular kind of treatment
respond to
She has responded well to treatment.
Colds do not respond to antibiotics.
disease：an illness which affects a person, animal, or plant
She suffers from a rare disease of the brain.
Heart disease runs in our family.
infect：to give someone a disease
People with the virus may feel perfectly well, but they can still infect others.
dieorder：a mental or physical illness which prevents part of your body from working properly
a disorder of the brain/liver/digestive system etc
He suffers from a rare disorder of the liver.
ffectionate：showing in a gentle way that you love someone and care about them
an affectionate hug
fierce：done with a lot of energy and strong feelings, and sometimes violent
There was fierce fighting in the city.
resume：to start doing something again after stopping or being interrupted
She hopes to resume work after the baby is born.
brush：to touch someone or something lightly when passing them
Something brushed her shoulders.
comment：an opinion that you express about someone or something
Does anyone have any questions or comments?
candidate：someone who is being considered for a job or is competing in an election
a presidential candidate
candidate for
There are only three candidates for the job.
stiff：firm, hard, or difficult to bend
a shirt with a stiff collar stumble：to hit your foot against something or put your foot down awkwardly while you are walking or running, so that you almost fall
In her hurry she stumbled and spilled the milk all over the floor.
spill：if you spill a liquid, or if it spills, it accidentally flows over the edge of a container
Katie almost spilled her milk.
rug：a piece of thick cloth or wool that covers part of a floor, used for warmth or as a decoration
staircase：a set of stairs inside a building with its supports and the side parts that you hold on to
arise：if a problem or difficult situation arises, it begins to happen
A crisis has arisen in the Foreign Office.
More problems like those at the nuclear power plant are certain to arise.
crisis：a situation in which there are a lot of problems that must be dealt with quickly so that the situation does not get worse or more dangerous
The country now faces an economic crisis .
stiffen：if you stiffen, your body suddenly becomes firm, straight, or still because you feel angry or anxious
He touched her, and she stiffened.
offend：to make someone angry or upset by doing or saying something that they think is rude, unkind etc
His remarks deeply offended many Scottish people.
remark：something that you say when you express an opinion or say what you have noticed
The Senator denied making the remark .
twist：to turn a part of your body around or change your position by turning
He twisted his head slightly, and looked up at her.
clench：clench your fists/teeth/jaw etc
to hold your hands, teeth etc together tightly, usually because you feel angry or determined
Jody was pacing the sidelines, her fists clenched.
sidelines：the area just outside the lines that form the edge of a sports field
on the sidelines
Wenger stood on the sidelines shouting instructions to his team.
coach：someone who trains a person or team in a sport
a tennis coach knit：knit your brows
to show you are worried, thinking hard etc by moving your eyebrows together
frown：to make an angry, unhappy, or confused expression, moving your eyebrows together
She frowned as she read the letter.
fiddly：difficult to do, especially because you have to deal with very small objects
Fixing the TV was a fiddly job .
delickte：made skilfully and with attention to the smallest details
a plate with a delicate pattern of leaves
suffering：serious physical or mental pain
the pain and suffering caused by road accidents
steady：continuing or developing gradually or without stopping, and not likely to change
Paul is making steady progress.
a steady rain
certain：certain of somebody/something
particular people or things in a group
Certain of the payments were made on Mr Maxwell's authority.
whence：from where
I walked to Rainbagh, whence I could complete the journey by car.
immense：extremely large
People who travel by rail still read an immense amount.
Regular visits from a social worker can be of immense value to old people living alone.
infinite：without limits in space or time
The universe is infinite.
lamentable：very unsatisfactory or disappointing
a lamentable state of affairs
a lamentable lack of support for the idea
It is lamentable that the officer failed to deal with the situation.
caress：to touch someone gently in a way that shows you love them
His hands gently caressed her body.
Waves caressed the shore.
acute：an acute feeling is very strong
acute pain
acute embarrassment
acute anxiety
shortage：a situation in which there is not enough of something that people need
shortage of
a shortage of skilled labour
There is no shortage of funds. sevser：severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are very bad or very serious
His injuries were quite severe.
She's suffering from severe depression.
The US faces severe economic problems.
The storm caused severe damage.
setback：a problem that delays or prevents progress, or makes things worse than they were
setback for
The December elections were a major setback for the party.
The team's hopes of playing in Europe suffered a setback last night.
major：having very serious or worrying results
There is a major problem with parking in London.
The loss of their goalkeeper through injury was a major setback for the team.
He underwent major heart surgery recently.It could have sparked a major confrontation.
rejection：the act of not accepting, believing in, or agreeing with something
rejection of
What are the reasons for his rejection of the theory?
They sent me a rejection letter.
lessen：to become smaller in size, importance, or value, or make something do this
lessen the risk/chance/possibility etc (of something)
Exercise lessens the risk of heart disease.
lessen the impact/effect/importance (of something)
The new project will lessen the effects of car pollution.
Gradually her anxiety lessened.
anguish：mental or physical suffering caused by extreme pain or worry
the anguish of not knowing what had happened to her
locate：to put or build something in a particular place
Large retail chains are usually only prepared to locate stores in areas of high population density.
conveniently：in a place that is close or easily reached
The hotel is conveniently located near the airport.
portion：a part of something larger, especially a part that is different from the other parts
portion of
The front portion of the rocket breaks off.
The rent on his portion of the apartment was $500 a month.
represent：to form or be something
European orders represented 30 percent of our sales last year. cure：to make an illness or medical condition go away
Many types of cancer can now be cured.
an operation that can cure short-sightedness in 15 minutes
tear：tear somebody away
to make yourself or someone else leave a place when you or they do not want to leave
He was enjoying the fun and couldn't tear himself away.
bounds：the limits of what is possible or acceptable
We are here to make sure that the police operate within the bounds of the law.
illusory：also illusive
false but seeming to be real or true
First impressions can often prove illusory.
resource：personal qualities, such as courage and determination, that you need to deal with a difficult situation
He proved that he has considerable inner resources .
encounter：an occasion when you meet someone, or do something with someone you do not know
She didn't remember our encounter last summer.
encounter with
His first encounter with Wilson was back in 1989.
Bernstein began training the young musician after a chance encounter at a concert (=a meeting that happened by chance) .
tragic：a tragic event or situation makes you feel very sad, especially because it involves death or suffering
The parents were not to blame for the tragic death of their son.
Lillian Board's death at 22 was a tragic loss for British athletics.
bosom：a word meaning someone's feelings and emotions, used especially when these are bad or unpleasant
Drury harboured bitterness in his bosom.
buddy：a friend
We're good buddies.
mistress：be (a/the) mistress of something
if a woman is a mistress of something, she is in control of it, highly skilled at it etc
She appeared to be very much the mistress of the situation.
flesh：the soft part of the body of a person or animal that is between the skin and the bones
a freshwater fish with firm white flesh
devoted：giving someone or something a lot of love and attention
a devoted father
devoted to
Isabella was devoted to her brother. 多谢zhouy2008 和benhelen 鼓励！
eat：eat something ↔ away
to gradually remove or destroy something
The stones are being eaten away by pollution.
pollution：the process of making air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use, or the state of being dangerously dirty
California's tough anti-pollution laws
intermittent：stopping and starting often and for short periods
The weather forecast is for sun, with intermittent showers.
forecast：a description of what is likely to happen in the future, based on the information that you have now
The weather forecast is good for tomorrow.
outcry：an angry protest by a lot of ordinary people
The closure of the local hospital has caused a huge public outcry .
outcry against/about/over
a national outcry about the lack of gun control laws
outcry from
The proposed changes caused an angry outcry from residents.
closure：when a factory, school, hospital etc has to close permanently
when a factory, school, hospital etc has to close permanently
Several military bases are threatened with closure . factory/hospital/school etc closure the problem of school closures
closure of
the closure of St Bartholomew's Hospital
campaign：to lead or take part in a series of actions intended to achieve a particular social or political result
campaign for/against
a group campaigning against the destruction of the rainforests
permanent：continuing to exist for a long time or for all the time in the future
He gave up a permanent job in order to freelance.
a permanent change in your eating habits
The blindness that the disease causes will be permanent.
Miller soon became a permanent fixture (=someone or something that is always there) on the team.
destruction：the act or process of destroying something or of being destroyed
destruction of
the destruction of the rainforest
weapons of mass destruction the environmental destruction caused by the road building programme The floods brought death and destruction to the area.
wretched：someone who is wretched is very unhappy or ill, and you feel sorry for them
the poor, wretched girl
unformed：not yet developed
the unformed mind of a child unconscious：unable to see, move, feel etc in the normal way because you are not conscious
She was found alive but unconscious.
knock/beat somebody unconscious
Levin was knocked unconscious by the impact.
impact：the force of one object hitting another
The force of the impact knocked the breath out of her.
presentiment：a strange feeling that something is going to happen, especially something bad
presentiment of
a presentiment of disaster
disaster：a sudden event such as a flood, storm, or accident which causes great damage or suffering
One hundred and twenty people died in China’s worst air disaster . the economic consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster
appease：to make someone less angry or stop them from attacking you by giving them what they want
They attempted to appease international opposition by promising to hold talks.
fulfil：to do or provide what is necessary or needed
fulfil a role/duty/function etc
A good police officer is not fulfilling his role if he neglects this vital aspect.
solemn：very serious and not happy, for example because something bad has happened or because you are at an important occasion
a solemn expression
Their faces suddenly grew solemn.
a solemn procession of mourners
moss：a very small green plant that grows in a thick soft furry mass on wet soil, trees, or rocks
marvellous：extremely good, enjoyable, impressive etc
'How was your holiday?' 'Marvellous!'
We had a marvellous time.
I can't stand him, but my wife thinks he’s marvellous.
It's marvellous what they can do these days. something you like or enjoy very much
marvellous/wonderful/fantastic/terrific
flood：a very large number of things or people that arrive at the same time
flood of
The UN appealed for help with the flood of refugees crossing the border.
surge：to suddenly move very quickly in a particular direction
surge forward/through etc
The taxi surged forward.
The crowd surged through the gates.
morrow：the future
Take no thought for the morrow (=do not worry about the future) .
weary：very tired or bored, especially because you have been doing something for a long time
She found Rachel in the kitchen, looking old and weary.
She sat down with a weary sigh.
weary of (doing) something
He was weary of the constant battle between them.
eiderdown：a thick warm cover for a bed, filled with duck feathers
crush：to press something so hard that it breaks or is damaged
His leg was crushed in the accident.
Two people were crushed to death in the rush to escape.
to make someone feel extremely upset or shocked
Sara was crushed by their insults.
oppressed：someone who is oppressed feels unhappy, worried, or uncomfortable
fevered：a fevered imagination/mind/brain
a mind that imagines strange things that are not real
These stories are merely a product of her fevered imagination.
leap：if your heart leaps, you feel a sudden surprise, happiness, or excitement
My heart leaped when I saw Paul at the airport. murmur：to make a soft, low sound
The wind murmured through the trees.
drip：be dripping with something
to contain or be covered in a lot of something
be dripping with jewels/gems/pearls etc
All the princes were dripping with gems.
His tone was now dripping with sarcasm .
wretched：making you feel annoyed or angry
Where is that wretched boy?
cease：to stop doing something or stop happening
cease to do something
He ceased to be a member of the association.
The things people will do for charity never cease to amaze me (=I am always surprised by them) .
cease doing something
the decision to cease using CFCs in packaging
The rain ceased and the sky cleared.
cease trading/production/operations etc (=stop operating a business)
The company ceased production at their Norwich plant last year.
cease fire! (=used to order soldiers to stop shooting)
tragedy：a very sad event, that shocks people because it involves death
The tragedy happened as they were returning home from a night out.
Tragedy struck the family when their two-year-old son was killed in an accident.
wink：not get a wink of sleep/not sleep a wink
not be able to sleep at all
I didn't get a wink of sleep last night.
melancholy：very sad
The music suited her melancholy mood.
shattered：very shocked and upset
I wasn't just disappointed, I was absolutely shattered.
surprised and upset because something bad has happened
devastated/shattered vast：extremely large
vast amounts/numbers/quantities/sums etc (of something)
The government will have to borrow vast amounts of money.
The refugees come across the border in vast numbers .
vast areas/expanses/tracts etc (of something)
vast areas of rainforest
In the past five years, there has been a vast improvement in graduation rates.
tide：a large number of people or things moving along together
tide of
the tide of refugees flowing over the border
the way in which events or people's opinions are developing
tide of
With the tide of public opinion against him, the president may lose.
It was their first major victory.
The tide had turned (=changed) .
The tide of battle turned against the Mexican army.
unfailing：always there, even in times of difficulty or trouble
unfailing help/support etc
I'd like to thank you all for your unfailing support.
She battled against cancer with unfailing good humour .
ebb：also ebb tide
the flow of the sea away from the shore, when the tide goes out
infinite：very great in amount or degree
a woman of infinite patience
an infinite number/variety of something
There was an infinite variety of drinks to choose from.
immense：extremely large
People who travel by rail still read an immense amount.
Regular visits from a social worker can be of immense value to old people living alone.
having a big effect
huge/enormous/immense
inscrutable：someone who is inscrutable shows no emotion or reaction in the expression on their face so that it is impossible to know what they are feeling or thinking
He stood silent and inscrutable.
marking：things painted or written on something, especially something such as an aircraft, road, vehicle etc
The marking on the road is unclear.
There were strange markings on the walls of the cave. beat：one of a series of regular movements or hitting actions
a heart rate of 80 beats a minute
the steady beat of the drum
torpid：not active because you are lazy or sleepy
a torpid mind
cradle：the beginning of something
Like most Catholic children, he had heard stories of Ireland from the cradle .
imperious：giving orders and expecting to be obeyed, in a way that seems too proud
She raised her hand in an imperious gesture.
pendulum：the pendulum
used to talk about the tendency of ideas, beliefs etc to change regularly to the opposite
After several years of Republican government, the pendulum will undoubtedly swing back and voters will elect a Democrat.
the pendulum of
the pendulum of fashion
absorb：to become part of something larger
California absorbs many of the legal immigrants to the US.
be absorbed into something
We were soon absorbed into local village life.
snatch：a snatch of conversation/music/song etc
a short part of a conversation, song etc that you hear
I could hear snatches of the conversation from across the room.
formless：without a definite shape
To the listener, this music is incoherent and formless.
formless horrors that await you in the fog
swarm：if people swarm somewhere, they go there as a large, uncontrolled crowd
Photographers were swarming around the princess. 很强大，相信你会成功的 多谢flora98125 兄！
swarm with somebody/something
to be full of a moving crowd of people or animals
The museum was swarming with tourists.
atom：the smallest part of an element that can exist alone or can combine with other substances to form a molecule
carbon atoms
atom of
two atoms of hydrogen
dizzy：feeling unable to stand steadily, for example because you are looking down from a high place or because you are ill
The heat and the champagne made him feel dizzy .
She started to suffer from dizzy spells (=a short period when you feel dizzy) .
dizzy with
Ruth felt dizzy with relief.
whirl：to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this
We watched the seagulls whirling and shrieking over the harbour.
whirl about/around/toward etc
She whirled around and her look shook him.
whirl somebody/something about/around/away etc
He whirled her round in his arms.
outcry：an angry protest by a lot of ordinary people
The closure of the local hospital has caused a huge public outcry .
outcry against/about/over
a national outcry about the lack of gun control laws
outcry from
The proposed changes caused an angry outcry from residents.
grin：to smile widely
grin at
She grinned at me, her eyes sparkling.
grin broadly/widely
He walked out of the pool, grinning widely.
grin like
He was grinning like an idiot (=grinning in a silly way) .
grin from ear to ear (=grin very widely)
chaos：a situation in which everything is happening in a confused way and nothing is organized or arranged in order
The country was plunged into economic chaos.
complete/utter/absolute etc chaos
There was total chaos on the roads.
in chaos
The kitchen was in chaos. surge：to suddenly move very quickly in a particular direction
surge forward/through etc
The taxi surged forward.
The crowd surged through the gates.
unconscious：a feeling or thought that is unconscious is one that you have without realizing it
unconscious feeling/desire/need etc
an unconscious need to be loved
turbulent：a turbulent situation or period of time is one in which there are a lot of sudden changes
the turbulent times of the French Revolution
He has had a turbulent political career.
prison：an unpleasant place or situation which it is difficult to escape from
The farm felt like a prison for her.
reveal：to make known something that was previously secret or unknown
He may be prosecuted for revealing secrets about the security agency.
a test that can reveal a teacher's hidden skills
reveal (that)
He revealed that he had been in prison twice before.
reveal yourself (as/to be something)
The violinist revealed himself as a talented interpreter of classical music.
universe：the universe
all space, including all the stars and planets
in the universe
everything in the universe
uncharted：uncharted waters/territory/area etc
a situation or activity that you have never experienced or tried before
This new project will take us into uncharted territory.
not marked on any maps
an uncharted island
peep：to look at something quickly and secretly, especially through a hole or opening
peep into/through/out etc
The door was ajar and Helen peeped in.
Henry peeped through the window into the kitchen.
twilight：the small amount of light in the sky as the day ends
in the twilight
The end of the cigarette glowed in the twilight.
the period just before the end of the most active part of someone's life
twilight of
in the twilight of her acting career
Depression in the twilight years (=the last years of your life) is usually related to illness. monotonous：boring because of always being the same
a monotonous diet
a little boy who wet his bed with monotonous regularity
resonant：a resonant sound is deep, loud, and clear, and continues for a long time
the violin's smooth, resonant tone
omnipotent：able to do everything
reign：to rule a nation or group of nations as their king, queen, or emperor
George VI reigned from 1936 to 1952.
reign over
Pharaohs reigned over Egypt for centuries.
caress：to touch someone gently in a way that shows you love them
His hands gently caressed her body.
torrent：a large amount of water moving very quickly and strongly in a particular direction
After five days of heavy rain the Telle river was a raging torrent (=a very violent torrent) .
in torrents
The rain came down in torrents.
howl：to make a long loud cry because you are unhappy, angry, or in pain, or because you are amused or excited
Upstairs, one of the twins began to howl (=cry) .
howl in/with
Somewhere, someone was howling in pain.
He makes audiences howl with laughter .
clamour：a very loud noise made by a large group of people or animals
He shouted over the rising clamour of voices.
cease：to stop doing something or stop happening
cease to do something
He ceased to be a member of the association.
The things people will do for charity never cease to amaze me (=I am always surprised by them) .
cease doing something
the decision to cease using CFCs in packaging
The rain ceased and the sky cleared.
cease trading/production/operations etc (=stop operating a business)
The company ceased production at their Norwich plant last year.
cease fire! (=used to order soldiers to stop shooting)
silvery：shiny and silver in colour
her silvery hair
the silvery light of the moon rock：to move gently backwards and forwards or from side to side, or to make something do this
see also sway
She covered her face, rocking to and fro in her grief.
The waves rocked the boat from side to side .
Paul sat gently rocking the child in his arms.
Jim rocked with laughter when he heard what had happened.
generation：the average period of time between the birth of a person and the birth of that person's children
for generations
Some families have lived here for generations.
The country's attitude toward government is harsher than it was a generation ago.
fluid：a situation that is fluid is likely to change
harmony：notes of music combined together in a pleasant way
in harmony
a choir singing in perfect harmony
the gorgeous vocal harmonies on 'Mexicali Rose'
three-part harmonies
cemetery：a piece of land, usually not belonging to a church, in which dead people are buried
melancholy：very sad
The music suited her melancholy mood.
host：a (whole) host of people/things
a large number of people or things
A host of showbusiness celebrities have pledged their support.
desire：a strong hope or wish
desire to do something
a strong desire to win
desire for
a desire for knowledge
desire that
It was Harold's desire that he should be buried next to his wife.
express/show a desire
She expressed a desire to visit us.
have no desire to do something (=used to emphasize that you do not want to do something)
I have no desire to cause any trouble.
overwhelming/burning desire (=very strong desire)
Paul had a burning desire to visit India.
mourning：great sadness because someone has died
The Armenian authorities declared May 29 a national day of mourning.
in mourning
(=feeling great sadness)
It was the custom to visit those in mourning and sit quietly with them. 多谢版主鼓励！
festival：an occasion when there are performances of many films, plays, pieces of music etc, usually happening in the same place every year
the Newport Jazz festival
festival of
the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts
moist：slightly wet, especially in a way that is pleasant or suitable
Make sure the soil is moist before planting the seeds.
a rich, moist chocolate cake
warm moist air
Her eyes were moist (=she was almost crying) .
sunbeam：a beam of light from the sun
slip：to go somewhere, without attracting other people's attention
Ben slipped quietly out of the room.
One man managed to slip from the club as police arrived.
effort：the physical or mental energy that is needed to do something
Lou lifted the box easily, without using much effort.
make the effort (to do something)
He made the effort to say something pleasant.
it takes effort (to do something)
It takes a lot of time and effort to get an exhibition ready.
An automatic car takes all the effort out of driving (=it makes driving very easy) .
Frank put a lot of effort into the party.
Visit the cathedral when you're there. It's well worth the effort (=it is definitely worth doing) .
classify：to decide what group something belongs to
classify something as/under something
In law, beer is classified as a food product.
We'd classify Drabble's novels under 'Romance'.
Families are classified according to the father's occupation.
tile：to cover a roof, floor etc with tiles
a flat square piece of baked clay or other material, used for covering walls, floors etc
bathroom tiles
antics：behaviour that seems strange, funny, silly, or annoying
We're all growing tired of his childish antics.
stammer：a speech problem which makes someone speak with a lot of pauses and repeated sounds
Jeff spoke with a slight stammer.
immaterial：not important in a particular situation
If you sign a document, it is wholly immaterial whether you have read it carefully or not.