第6课单词

It takes no stretch of the imagination…

•It takes no extension of the imagination…/ It does not require much imagination…/ We do not need to extend the imagination…

by no stretch of the imagination / not by any stretch of the imagination

•on no account

•used for saying that you think something cannot be true or possible no matter how hard you try to imagine it

By no stretch of the imagination could he be seriously described as an artist.

It’s not a great work of cinema by any stretch of the imagination.

agent (noun)

•something that causes change

Soil erosion is a major agent of environmental change.

• a person who acts for or represents another

Please contact our agent in Spain for further information.

• a person who represents an actor, artist or writer

literally (adverb)

•(informal) used to emphasize what you are saying

I was literally bowled over by the news.

•having the real or original meaning of a word or phrase

You'll lose marks if you translate too literally (= one word at a time).

•(informal) simply or just

Then you literally cut the sausage down the middle.

make way for

•give way to

•to be replaced by something, especially because it is better, cheaper, easier, etc.

In some areas, modern intensive farming is making way for the re-introduction of traditional methods.

dispose of sb/sth

•to get rid of someone or something or deal with something so that the matter is finished

How did they dispose of the body?

It took a mere five minutes for the world champion to dispose of (= defeat) his opponent. deplete v.

•to reduce something in size or amount, especially supplies of energy, money, etc.

If we continue to deplete the Earth's natural resources, we will cause serious damage to the environment.

That last holiday has seriously depleted my bank account! (humorous)

depletion n.

•(a) reduction

the depletion of the ozone layer

Increased expenditure has caused a depletion in our funds.

terrestrial biodiversity

•Terrestrial refers to things having to do with the land.

•Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem.

•terrestrial biodiversity: the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem that refers to species that inhabit the land.

exponent a mathematical notation indicating the number of times a quantity is multiplied by itself 指数exponential of or involving exponents 按指数率的

We are looking for exponential growth in our investment.

There has been an exponential increase in the world population this century.

•exponentially

mobilize v.

•to prepare to fight, especially in a war

Troops have been mobilizing for the past three weeks.

•to organize or prepare something, such as a group of people, for a purpose

The core in the new rural construction is how to mobilize peasants.

•mobilization n. [U]

underscore

•underline

•to emphasize

She put the figures up on the board to underscore the seriousness of the situation.

To underscore their disgust, the crowd started throwing bottles at the stage.

project v.

•to calculate an amount or number expected in the future from information already known 预计 Government spending is projected to rise by 3% next year.

per capita

•If you state an amount per capita, you mean that amount for each person.

France and Germany invest far more per capita in public transport than Britain.

The per capita income in the country is very low.

accelerate v.

•When a vehicle or its driver accelerates, the speed of the vehicle

I accelerated to overtake the bus.

•to happen or make something happen sooner or faster

Inflation is likely to accelerate this year, adding further upward pressure on interest rates.

They use special chemicals to accelerate the growth of crops.

•Antonym: decelerate

surmount v.

•to deal successfully with a difficulty or problem

They managed to surmount all opposition/objections to their plans.

There are still a few technical problems/obstacles/hurdles to be surmounted before the product can be put on sale to the public.

•surmountable adjective

delude v.

•to make someone believe something that is not true; to deceive

He's deluding himself if he thinks he's going to be promoted this year.

run

•[+ adjective] to be or become

Differences between the two sides run deep (= are serious).