31/10 Chapter 3&4

Words and Expressions

1. sprout

New varieties sprout overnight,

【义】v. ① to produce new leaves; to start to grow

                ② to appear, to develop sth 

           n. 苗，新芽

【记】 spr(spring)+out(出)  春天来了，嫩芽长出来了

2. in direct ratio to 

Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.

【义】 和……成正比

【例】Your gain in direct ratio to you pay.

3. debase

thereby,debasing both language and friendship.

【义】v. to make sb/sth less valuable or respected

【例】debase the value of the dollar 使美元贬值

4. laborious 

Cultter is the laborious phrase that hs pushed out the short word that means the same thing.

【义】adj. taking a lot of time and effort

          在这里的 laborious phrase 的意思是生硬的，佶屈聱牙的短语。

          a laborious excuse 牵强的借口

5. put on airs

The reader will notice if you are putting on airs.

【义】behave in a way which shows that you feel you are importan 摆架子，装腔作势

【例】The nice thing about her is that, in spite of being so rich, she doesn't put on any airs.

6. solid weight of authority

You think that it must have the solid weight of authority.

形容一个人很有权威，很形象。

Skills

1.检查有没有冗余可以从这几方面入手：

   ①unnecessary preposition

   ②the adverb that carries the same meaning as the verb

   ③the adjective that states a known fact

   ④repeted sentence

    每个人的习惯不一样，容易冗余的的地方也不一样，要多审查自己，和他人互评。

2. If you aren't allowed to use "i ", at least think "i" while you write, or write the first draft in the first person and then take the " i"s out. it will warm uo your impersonal style.

My Thinking

1.平时，为了表达的多样性，在一篇文章中，常常将“now”, "at present time", "presently" 交换使用。这种做法和作者所讲的 "the long word that's no better the short word" 有矛盾吗？

2. “At the prestent time we are experiencing precipitation.” 这里好好笑。在写作时，你也要避免这样的错误。