日期：2009-03-03 What is the biggest cultural barrier for a Chinese to overcome when dealing with people from other countries? For me personally, it is none other than looking into the eye of the other party. I knew early on while I was still in school that Western... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-03 Reader question: What does it mean when people say things don't add up? My comments: Two and two don't add up to five. Two and two add up to four. Five is incorrect. When numbers don't add up, they don't work out right. For example, if a survey clai... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-03 Reader question: In this paragraph from a story on climate change ('Crunch time' for climate change, BBC.co.uk, December 12, 2007) If the world were changed by words, it would have shifted today. One head of state after another took to the podium de... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-02 Reader question: In this sentence You've got to make allowances for their British accents what does make allowances mean? My comments: It means you've got to tolerate their British accents sounds like some American talking. When one makes allowances... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-02 Reader question: In this sentence from an AP story on the NBA (James' Triple-Double Leads Cavs Over Raptors, November 24, 2007) If he continues with this scoring and stats, I would hate to see the numbers at the end, Cleveland teammate Damon Jones s... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-01 Chinese learners of English have a greater difficulty when it comes to picking up a new word or expression. Well, I guess that's speaking the obvious. Native speakers, you see, pick up a new word or expression via hearing it first from other people.... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-01 Reader question: In this newspaper headline The Trouble with Tough Love what's tough love? My comments: Tough love is the harsh measures parents sometimes take in disciplining children. For example, some parents administer beatings to a kid who come... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-28 Steven asks: In this sentence However, firm's human resources, in and of themselves, did explain improved performance, and some firms gained IT-related advantages by merging IT with complementary resources what does in and of themselves mean? My com... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-28 Reader question: In this sentence It goes with the territory and when you take up the job you expect it what does it goes with the territory mean? My comments: It means you have to accept the unpleasant aspects (whatever they are) of the job because... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-27 Reader question: In this paragraph from an NBA story about Kobe Bryant, who could have been traded from Los Angeles to Detroit, according to some The Pistons and Lakers have not had any discussions about Kobe since the summer. Joe Dumars, doing his... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-27 Reader question: How to put the phrase dark horse into use? For example, is Liu Xiang a dark horse? My comments: The dark horse is someone people don't know about who surprises everyone by winning a competition or is all of a sudden successful in so... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-27 Reader question: How to express the idea of something that is不以人的意志为转移的? Give examples. My comments: How about there's nothing I can do about it. Or it's not up to us, or whether you like it or not, or willy-nilly. Willy-nilly indeed, that... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-26 Reader question: In this sentence On the issue of deportations, I will cut to the chase what does cut to the chase mean? My comments: I'll not beat around the bush but get right down to the point of our discussion. Cut to the chase means exactly tha... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-26 Reader question: In this headline of a story about Yao Ming Can T-Mac and Yao get over the hump (www.msnbc.msn.com, October 17, 2007) what does hump mean? My comments: Hump first reminds one of camel's humps, the two big lumps it carries on its back... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-25 Reader question: In this paragraph Don't think it's enough? What did the Raptors get for Vince Carter, or the 76ers for Allen Iverson? Squat, by comparison what does squat mean? My comments: It means nothing. Really. Squat is an American slang term.... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-19 1.individuals,characters, folks替换(people ,persons) 2: positive, favorable, rosy (美好的)，promising (有希望的)，perfect, pleasurable , excellent, outstanding, superior替换good 3:dreadful, unfavorable, poor, adverse, ill (有害的)替换bad 如果bad做表... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-01 51) inspiration 灵感 aspiration 渴望 52) march 三月, 前进 match 比赛 53) patent 专利 potent 有力的 potential 潜在的 54) police 警察 policy 政策 politics 政治 55) protest 抗议 protect 保护 56) require 需要 inquire 询问 enquire 询问 acquire 获得 57) r... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-01 26) monkey 猴子 donkey 驴 27) chore 家务活 chord 和弦 cord 细绳 28) cite 引用 site 场所 sight 视觉 29) clash （金属）幢击声 crash 碰幢，坠落 crush 压坏 30) compliment 赞美 complement 附加物 31) confirm 确认 conform 使顺从 32) contact 接触 contract... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-01 1) quite 相当 quiet 安静地 2) affect v 影响, 假装 effect n 结果, 影响 3) adapt 适应 adopt 采用 adept 内行 4) angel 天使 angle 角度 5) dairy 牛奶厂 diary 日记 6) contend 奋斗, 斗争 content 内容, 满足的 context 上下文 contest 竞争, 比赛 7) principal... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-01-22 41. Pigs might fly! [字面意思] 猪也许会飞起来 [解释] 第一个意思是：根本不可能的事！第二个意思是：下事无奇不有，不可能的事也许可能发生。变体有两个：Pigs may fly! 和When pigs can fly! 42. Practice makes perfect. [字面意思] 多实践能使技术完美。 [解释]... 阅读全文>>