【文章內容簡介】 anced industrial society in which a lot of goods are bought and sold, or (disapproving) the state in which too much attention is given to buying and owning things. . ? He disliked Christmas time and its rampant (發(fā)瘋似的 ) consumerism. eyesore — n. something ugly to look at . ? They think the new library building is an eyesore. pedal — v. 騎 (自行車 ) 踩動踏板 — n. 踏板 . ? Anne pedaled (her bike) to school. ? In the cities many people now pedal around on bicycles instead of polluting the environment by using cars. ? Bicycles have two pedals, one for each foot. ? This sewing machine is operated by a foot pedal. genuinely — ad. authentically。 truly . ? I’m genuinely sorry for what I said. ? These will be the first genuinely free elections in the country. fuss with — concern oneself with sth. unimportant （ 因小事而 ） 惴惴不安 . ? It irritates me the way she’s always fussing with her hair! gears — n. set of wheels with teeth around the edges used to control the speed of a machine or vehicle,齒輪；排檔 . ? A piece of gum fell onto the gears, bringing the machine to a halt. ? While driving up the hill, Anne shifted to a lower gear. touch a sensitive chord — call up someone’s feelings。 affect or stir someone’s emotions . ? The issue of food safety touches a chord with almost everyone. ? The report touched a chord in the American people. ? The speaker had obviously struck a chord with his audience. is representative of — being an example or type of (a certain class or kind of thing) 代表 … 的 . ? Are your opinions representative of all the workers here? ? Is a questionnaire (調查問卷 ) answered by 500 people truly representative of national opinion? gimmick — n. an unusual action, object or device which is intended to attract attention or publicity (為引人注意而搞的 )小革新 ， 小發(fā)明；巧妙的小玩意兒 . ? I bought a gimmick that purifies ( 凈化 ) water straight from the tap. accessories — n. (oft. pl.) an extra part which makes sth. More effective or beautiful 附屬物；附件 . ? What accessories are available on this automobile? ? She wore a green wool suit with matching accessories (= shoes, hat, bag, etc). attachment — n. something that is fixed to something else 附屬物 . ? This food processor has a special attachment for grinding coffee. think in terms of — give primary consideration to sth./doing sth.。 emphasize sth./doing sth. in one’s thinking。 have sth./doing sth. as one’s priority 首先考慮 (做 )某事 。 認為 (做 )某事是最首要的 . ? You should be thinking in terms of paying off your debts. ? He is thinking in terms of leaving. cushion — n. a soft pillow or pad to rest on。 protection from harm, esp. from impact 軟墊；緩沖 — vt. reduce the force of。 protect from hardship or sudden change . ? My rocking chair has a soft cushion. ? The three goals we scored in the first half give us a useful cushion against defeat. coast along — move along or make progress without much effort . ? coast along on a bicycle (= ride along without pedaling) ? While I struggled and labored, my sister just coasted along with top grades in all subjects. deliciously — ad. very pleasantly 美美地；怡人地 . ? As she dived into the pool, the water felt deliciously cool on her skin. taking (one’s) time — use as much time as is needed。 do not hurry . ? Take your time — there’s no rush. ? He’s certainly taken his time in answering my letter. . ? The students all denied cheating on the test. ? He denied the news to be true. ? Neil denies that he broke the window, but I’m sure he did. ? No one should be denied a good education. ? She denied her son nothing. deny —vt. 1. declare untrue。 refuse to accept as true 2. refuse to give or allow . ? Talking to him makes me feel small. ? He is always trying to make me look small in front of my girlfriend. feel small — feel ridiculous, ashamed or humiliated (Also: look small) feel inadequate — feel lack of abilities or confidence . ? He makes me feel totally inadequate. ? I always feel inadequate when faced by a difficult problem. goes wrong — turn out badly。 make a mistake 壞掉 。 出錯 . ? If that washing machine goes wrong again, I shall plain to the makers. ? These shelves are very easy to put together — you can’t go wrong. appliance — n. a machine for use in the home 器具；裝置 An appliance is a tool or machine designed for a particular use, especially one that utilizes an electric current. . ? Refrigerators, vacuum ( 真空 ) cleaners, washing machines are household appliances. ? The kitchen is full of electrical appliances. at ease with — feel confident and fortable with sth./sb. 自在 , 不拘束 . ? The little boy is at ease with strangers. ? He was ill at ease with things he didn’t understand. ingenuity — n. skill and cleverness in arranging things, solving problems, etc. 靈巧；精巧 . ? We have electricity because of Thomas Edison’s ingenuity. ? Anne’s boss praised her for her ingenuity in designing the unusual new product. lever — n. 杠桿；控制桿 . ? I pushed down on the lever to lift the rock on the other end. ? Push down on that red lever to start the machine. convenience — n. the quality of being convenient。 something that makes sth. easier, quicker, more efficient, etc. 方便；提供方便的用具 . ? I like the convenience of living so near work — it only takes me five minutes to get there. ? Our cabin ( 小屋 ) in the woods had no modern conveniences. merit — n. value。 worth 價值 ， 優(yōu)點 . ? There is little merit in this plan. ? One of her great merits as a teacher is her ability to listen. hung