自考高级英语下Lesson 15 Is America Falling Apart.pptVIP

Lesson Fifteen Is America Falling Apart? at the drop of a hat at the drop of a hat: immediately and without pausing to think about what you are going to do Some of these corporations threaten to sue at the drop of a hat. Neo- Neo-: based on a style, set of ideas, or political system that existed in the past SYN new neo-Georgian architecture neo-fascists shrink shrink: to become or to make something smaller in amount, size, or value OPP grow The city continued to shrink. shrink to The firm’s staff had shrunk to only four people. Vicious Vicious: unpleasantly strong or severe SYN violent a vicious gust of wind a vicious headache have/be to do with somebody/something have/be to do with somebody/something: to be about something, be related to something, or be involved with something I’m sorry about the accident, but it’s nothing to do with me (=I am not involved in any way). This question doesn’t have anything to do with the main topic of the survey wrest wrest: to take power or influence away from someone, especially when this is difficult They are fighting to wrest control of the party from the old leaders. draw draw: if a fire or chimney draws, it lets the air flow through to make the fire burn well Kafka Kafka: (1883–1924) a Czech writer who wrote in German, known for his novels such as The Trial and The Castle, and his short stories such as Metamorphosis, in which a man turns into a large and ugly insect. His stories deal with the struggle of ordinary people on their own against the state or large organizations. The word Kafkaesque is used to describe this type of experience, in which you feel that no one understands you and there is no way of escaping from an unpleasant situation. be coming/falling apart at the seams: if a plan, organization etc is coming apart at the seams, so many things are going wrong with it that it will probably fail The health service seems to be falling apart at the seams. burgeon burgeon: to grow or develop quickly the burgeoning