VOA慢速英语2014 数字相关的短语

 

Numbers 数字相关的短语

Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.

Last week, I told about the number one. Today, I will tell about expressions using other numbers.

Some problems are difficult to solve. But there are a lot of number expressions that can help. For example, if we "put two and two together" we might come up with the right answer. We know that "two heads are better than one" -- it is always better to work with another person to solve a problem.

Sometimes "there are no two ways about it" -- some problems have only one solution. You cannot "be of two minds" over this.

But with any luck, we could solve the problem in "two shakes of a lamb’s tail" -- we could have our answers quickly and easily.

Sometimes we can "kill two birds with one stone" -- that is, we can complete two goals with only one effort or action. But we must remember that "two wrongs don’t make a right" -- if someone does something bad to you, you should not do the same to him.

If you are going out with your girlfriend, or boyfriend, you do not want another friend to go along on your date. You can just say to your friend: "two’s company, three’s a crowd."

When I was a young child in school, I had to learn the three R’s. These important skills are reading, writing and arithmetic¹. These three words do not all start with the letter “R,” but they have the sound of “R.” My teachers used to give "three cheers²" when I did well in math. They gave praise and approval³ for a job well done.

Some of my friends were confused⁴ and did not understand their schoolwork. They were "at sixes and sevens." In fact, they did not care if they finished high school.  They saw little difference between the two choices. "Six of one, half a dozen the other" -- that was their position. But they were really happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were "in seventh heaven." They were "on cloud nine."

"Nine times out of ten," students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office doing the same things every day at "nine-to-five jobs." You do not have to "dress to the nines" -- or wear your best clothes -- for this kind of work.

Last year, one of my friends applied⁵ for a better job at her office. I did not think she would get it. I thought she had "a hundred-to-one shot⁶" at the job. Other people at her office thought her chances were "a million-to-one." One reason was that she had been caught "catching⁷ forty winks⁸" at the office -- she slept at her desk for short periods during the day. But her supervisor⁹ appointed¹⁰ her to the new job "at the eleventh hour" -- at the very last minute. I guess "her lucky number came up." 

This VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories was written by Jill Moss¹¹.

1 arithmetic   

n.算术，算法；adj.算术学的，算术的

参考例句：

• The waiter got his arithmetic wrong.服务员算错了账。
• John was competing against James for the prize in arithmetic.约翰和詹姆斯比赛争夺算术奖。

2 Cheers   

int.干杯，(英口语)谢谢，再见

参考例句：

• The crowd burst into cheers.人群中爆发出一片欢呼声。
• To your health!Cheers!祝您健康！干杯！

3 approval   

n.赞成，同意；批准，认可

参考例句：

• The audience has expressed its approval.观众已经认可。
• The teacher signed his approval.老师做了手势表示同意。

4 confused   

adj.困惑的，烦恼的

参考例句：

• They asked so many questions that they confused me.他们问了许多问题，都把我弄糊涂了。
• A wise man is never confused.智者不惑。

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 shot   

n.炮弹，射击，射手；v.射击，发出，发芽；vbl.射击，发出，发芽

参考例句：

• He shot a wild duck.他射中一只野鸭。
• All the children shot out their hands for the money.所有的孩子突然伸出手来要钱。

7 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

8 winks   

v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• I'll feel much better when I've had forty winks. 我打个盹就会感到好得多。
• The planes were little silver winks way out to the west. 飞机在西边老远的地方，看上去只是些很小的银色光点。 来自辞典例句

9 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

10 appointed   

adj.指定的，约定的v.任命( appoint的过去式和过去分词 )；确定；约定；安排

参考例句：

• They have appointed a new head teacher at my son's school. 我儿子读书的学校任命了一位新校长。
• They appointed a new manager to coordinate the work of the team. 为协调这个队的工作，他们任用了一位新经理。

11 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。