First English Listening Comprehension Test 首次高中英聽測驗分析
The number of students who did well in last month’s High-school English Listening Comprehension Test increased compared with last year, but so did those who failed. The College Entrance Exam Center says today that of the 116-thousand test takers, 21-percent received the best score of A, which means they understood the test almost entirely. 7.8-percent...Continue reading
English in the News–Living Hand to Mouth 僅夠糊口，生活窮困
Living (from) hand to mouth: To be very poor, having only enough money to provide food and shelter each month 處境窮困，收入只夠負擔吃住 Example: My dad earned very little and there were 4 kids, so we lived hand to mouth. (BBC, 10/12, 2017) Tonight 120,000 children in England will spend the night in temporary accommodation. This week...Continue reading
English in the News–On a Roll 鴻運當頭,運勢正旺
On a roll: in the midst of a series of successes 正在連串成功或是勝利的時刻 Examples: 1) Don’t stop me now. I’m on a roll. 2) Once you get on a roll you feel as though you’re unbeatable. (Reuters Business News, 6/29, 2017) Reuters poll: Global stock markets still on a roll, led by Europe, Asia 路透社調查顯示全球股市在歐洲和亞洲領導下,將持續上揚 Global stock market indexes are set for more gains by...Continue reading
English in the News–Take with a Pinch of Salt 半信半疑
Take with a pinch (grain) of salt—持保留態度,半信半疑 (to consider or evaluate something, such as a statement, while keeping in mind that it may not be completely accurate, typically due to the unreliability of the source) Examples: Take whatever that paper publishes with a pinch of salt—it’s really tabloid. You have to take what he says...Continue reading
English in the News–Fly by the Seat of One’s Pants 隨機應變
Fly by the Seat of One’s Pants 隨機應變，憑感覺做事 to pilot a plane by feel and instinct rather than by instruments to proceed or work by feel or instinct without formal guidelines or experienceContinue reading
English in the News–Locked and Loaded 槍已上膛，準備好了
Locked and loaded–A command to prepare a weapon for battle 槍已上膛，準備作戰; Prepare for an imminent event, ready to go 為即將來臨的事準備好Continue reading
Universiade–Javelin Gold Medalist Zheng Zhaocun
Taiwan’s Zheng Zhaocun (鄭兆村 on the left) staged a dramatic comeback Saturday night from trailing behind Germany’s Andreas Hofmann and Taiwan’s Huang Shifeng (黃士峰) to win a gold medal in the men’s javelin at Taipei Universiade. At his sixth and last try, he secured a throw of 91.36 meters, a new Asian record, breaking the previous record...Continue reading
English in the News-Wheels Coming Off 螺絲鬆了
When the wheels fall off (come off) something, it goes wrong or fails. It’s used to say that something suddenly stops being successful. (It’s used for saying that things start to fail or go wrong, especially after a period of success.) Example: The team was leading 3–1 at half-time, but then the wheels came off and they ended up...Continue reading
English in the News—Crown Jewel 皇冠上的珠寶，最有價值之物
Crown jewel—the best or the most valuable thing that a person or place has, the most valuable or attractive thing in a collection or group 御寶，最有價值之物 Examples: Prague’s crown jewel is the old town center. These two paintings are the crown jewels of the museum’s collection. (Forbes, (2017/06/29) China took control of Hong Kong, which...Continue reading
English in the News–Dressed to the Nines 盛裝，穿戴整齊時髦
Dressed to the Nines 盛裝—dressed very stylishly with nothing overlooked, wearing very fashionable or expensive clothes Examples: She showed up at the picnic dressed to the nines. Clare is usually dressed to the nines in order to impress people. (CBS8, 2016/06/26) Demi Moore staged a family reunion at a friends’ wedding in Denver, Colorado, over...Continue reading
English in the News—Guinea Pig 白老鼠
If someone is used as a guinea pig, new ideas or products are tested on them. Often times it to discover the effect of drugs in human. Examples: 1) They’re looking for volunteers to act as guinea pigs for a new AIDS vaccine. 2) They’re looking for students to be guinea pigs in their research...Continue reading
English in the News–Lightning Rod 眾矢之的
Lightning rod—避雷針，眾矢之的 one that is a frequent target of criticism or focus of controversy Example: The senator has become a lightning rod for criticism. (Wall Street Journal, 2016/9/28) Hillary Clinton’s Key Aide Huma Abedin Is a Lightning Rod for Attacks 希拉蕊柯林頓的重要幕僚阿貝丁成了各方抨擊的目標 Huma Abedin, Clinton’s longest-serving...Continue reading
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