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1. Secretary   n.秘书

词义解读：

说到秘书，可能你想到的都是打打字，接接电话，安排会议这些工作。

You might think that a secretary is not an important job position (工作岗位). A secretary is usually doing simple jobs such as typing letters, answering phone calls, and arranging meetings.

其实秘书也可以指一些非常重要的职位。

But Secretary is also used in the titles of high officials who are in charge of main government departments .

但注意：secretary这个词也可以指非常高的政府管理里的职位

认识几个“大秘”：

the UN Secretary General 联合国秘书长 

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (听记1）                                

Secretary of State of the United States  

美国的国务卿

Secretary of Defense of the United States 

美国国防部长

2. Nervous  adj.紧张

来自于nerve  n.神经的意思

Many people are nervous about speaking in public. Most students are nervous about taking exams.

口语表示紧张：

1)  I had butterflies in my stomach before the exam.

考试前，我心里七上八下，忐忑不安。

2)  I was on pins and needles, when I was waiting for my result of the exam.

在等考试结果时，我如坐针毡，坐立不安。

考试紧张：exam nerves (nerve作为名词表示神经紧张)    

Exam nerves are very common.

如何才能克服紧张呢？

How can we overcome our exam nerves?

Here are some tips for you.

这里给大家一些建议。

The first and foremost thing is to be prepared. 最重要的是：做好准备。

If you treat each exercise as an exam, then you will feel that each exam is like an exercise.                                  

如果你对待每次练习就像对待考试，那么你会感觉考试就是练习。

Besides, you have to know it is natural to feel nervous about exams, because you are going to be judged.

此外，你要知道考试紧张非常正常，因为你将受到评价。

Actually, a certain level of nervousness will help you perform better.

其实，适度的紧张反而是有利于发挥的。

But if you are too nervous, just remind (提醒) yourself of the following words:

但是如果你太紧张,提醒自己以下几句话：

A lot of people are more nervous than I am.

Even if I fail, it will not be the end of the world.  

I believe I can do my best !

I hope those tips will help you overcome your exam nerves, at least to a certain degree.

3.  Afford 动词

1)支付得起

If you can afford something, you have enough money to pay for it.

造句：现如今，几乎人人都能买得起手机。（听记2）

So cellphones are affordable for most people nowadays.      

但是，并不是所有人都能买得起汽车。

But not everyone can afford a car. So cars are unaffordable for some people.  

2) 承受不起（一个事）

If you cannot afford to do something, you must not do it because it could cause serious problems for you.

I have to support my family so I can’t afford to lose my job.

我无法承受失业的后果，因为我要养家。

比如：你和伙伴准备乘飞机，但还有一个朋友Mark一直没来，飞机马上就要起飞了，于是你问机场工作人员能不能再等等。

他说：Sorry, we can’t afford to wait , because the plane will take off soon.  

你哀求说：Can you just wait for 5 more minutes ?

工作人员：Sorry, We have to go now. We can’t afford the time.

4. Weak adj.虚弱

比如：你去看一个朋友，他生了重病。

Frank太虚弱了，话都说不出了。（听记3）

休息了一会儿，他只能用很微弱的声音跟说话。

After taking a rest , he could only talk to me in a weak voice.

He said, “I am all right. Don’t worry about me.”

他虽然身体虚弱，但是精神坚强。

He was physically weak, but mentally strong.         

一个人的优点：strength / strong point

一个人的弱点：weakness / weak point

Everybody has strengths and weaknesses.

weaknesses= Achilles heel   阿喀琉斯的脚后跟  

注：图片来自网络

这个故事记载在荷马史诗《伊利亚特》（Homer's Iliad）中。

Iliad记载了著名的特洛伊战争，起因是特洛伊王子Paris拐跑了斯巴达国王的王后，当时世界上最美丽的女人——Helen.引发希腊城邦一起进攻特洛伊。

Achilles在特洛伊战争(Trojan War)中希腊一方的英雄，身经百战，战功卓著，但是最终却被特洛伊的王子Paris一箭射中了脚后跟而丧命。

为什么脚后跟是Achilles的致命弱点？因为，当Achilles还是个婴儿时，有人预言他会英年早逝。

When Achilles was a baby, it was foretold that he would die young.

他的母亲Thetis[θiːtɪs] 为了防止他早逝，于是把他浸泡在环绕地狱的冥河the River Styx（[stiks]）。

To prevent his death, his mother Thetis dipped Achilles’ body into the River Styx.

据说浸泡之后能够使人刀枪不入。

It was said the river was supposed to offer powers of invulnerability (n.刀枪不入，不会受伤害).

但是，由于他妈妈是抓着他的一只脚的脚后跟，他的脚后跟没有浸泡到神奇的河水里。

However, as his mother held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not dipped into the water of the magical river.

所以脚后跟就成为了Achilles的致命弱点。

So Achilles’ heel became his deathly weakness.

在特洛伊战争中，他被一支毒箭射中脚后跟，很快就死去了。  

During the Trojan war, a poisonous arrow was lodged（射中）in his heel.    

And he was killed shortly afterwards.

所以，人们用Achilles heel来形容一个人致命的弱点 a deadly weakness。

比如：Michael’s Achilles heel is his carelessness.

Mike的致命弱点就是马虎。

5.Interrupt  v.中断，打断

[词根词缀：inter中间(in the middle) + rupt打破(break)] 

interrupt在口语中常表示打断别人的话：

打断别人的话是很不礼貌的行为。 

It is very rude to interrupt others’ words.

别打断我/请让我说完。

Don’t interrupt. / Please let me finish.

对不起打断你们，但是我必须提醒你们要小声一点。（听记4）

interrupt也表示打断一个过程

拿破仑的名言：在敌人犯错误时千万不要打断。

Napoleon said,“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

他的学业由于战争而中断。（听记5）

听记答案

1. 中共中央总书记

2. Nowadays, almost everyone can afford a cellphone.

3. Frank was too weak to speak.

4. Sorry to interrupt, but I need to ask you to be quiet.

5. His studies were interrupted by the war.