1.tolerant    a. willing to accept other people’s beliefs, way of life etc without criticizing them, even if you disagree with them 容忍的；宽容的

e.g. 1. Closely related with this is the capacity to be tolerant —not, indeed, of what is wrong, but of the weaknesses and immaturity of human nature which induce people, and again especially children, to make mistakes. (CET4-2003-06)

   与此密切相关的是容忍的能力——当然，不是容忍错误，而是容忍人性的弱点和不成熟，正是这些弱点和不成熟使得人们，尤其是儿童，犯错误。

2. They need to be tolerant of different points of view.

     他们需要容忍不同的观点。

Word family: tolerance n.      tolerantly ad. 

2.democracy       n. [U] a system of government in which people vote in elections to choose the people who will govern them 民主；民主政体

e.g. 1. Ancient Athens is said to be the cradle of democracy.

  据说古代雅典是民主的摇篮。 

2. The principal’s democracy made him popular among teachers and students. 

校长的民主作风使他受到师生的欢迎。 

Antonym: autocracy

Word family: democratic a.

3.surpass      vt. to be better or greater than sth. else 优于，超过（某事物）

e.g. 1. We will surpass our predecessors, and future generations will certainly surpass us.  

    我们会超过前人，后人也必然会超过我们。

2. The task surpassed his skill.  

     这项工作超出了他的能力范围。

3. The second half of the match comfortably surpassed the first in entertainment value. 

   下半场比赛的精彩程度远胜于上半场。

4.tyranny      n. [C, U] 

1. a government that treats people in a cruel and unfair way, using force to control them 施行暴政的政府；专制政府

e.g. The removal of the regime may be the end of a tyranny.

    推翻该专制制度可能意味着一个专制政府的结束。

2. cruel and unfair treatment by sb. in a position of power 暴虐；暴行；专横

e.g. Love is a sweet tyranny, because the lover endures its torment willingly.  

爱情专横而又甜蜜，因为恋爱者心甘情愿忍受其折磨。

5.lamentable       a. (fml) so bad that you feel disappointed or angry 令人痛惜的；糟糕的

e.g. 1. The decision they made is a lamentable lack of foresight. 

    他们做的决定实在缺乏远见。

2. His death is a lamentable loss of our work. 

    他的死对我们的工作来说是令人悲痛的损失。

3. Nothing is more lamentable than a dead heart.

     哀莫大于心死。

Word family: lamentation n.       

                         lamentably ad. 

                         lament v. & n. 

6.degenerate      vi. to become worse 恶化；堕落；退化

e.g. 1. Liberty is apt to degenerate into lawlessness.  

    自由容易沦为无法无天。

2. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.  

   我们不能容许我们富有创造性的抗议沦为暴力行动。

3. He denied that some young people today were degenerating.

    他否认现在某些青年在堕落。

7.shabby           a. dressed in clothes that are old or in bad condition 衣衫褴褛的

e.g. 1. Grant was of humble origin, shabby in dress, rough in speech and manners.

    格兰特出身低微，衣着寒酸，说话粗鲁，态度生硬。 

2. What if my clothes are shabby and worn; they cover a warm heart.  

    我的衣服破破烂烂又怎么样，它们包裹的是温暖的心灵。

8.dispatch

1. n. [C] (mainly journalism) a report that a journalist sends to a newspaper office 报道；电讯

e.g. 1. He couldn’t quite believe the dispatch sent by his reporter.

   他不敢相信记者发来的报道。

2. In his battle dispatch he described the gunner’s bravery.

    他在战报中描述了枪炮手的英勇。

2. vt. (fml) to send sb. or sth. somewhere 派遣；发送；派送

e.g. Please dispatch the TV sets we ordered by sea.  

       请海运我们订购的电视机。 

9.renowned      a. (~ as / for) famous and admired for a special skill or achievement 有名望的；著名的

e.g. 1. Perry was renowned as an aggressive competitor.

    佩利是出了名的强有力的竞争者。

2. Suzhou is renowned to the world for its arts and crafts. 

    苏州以其工艺品闻名全球。

10.swap     v. to give sth. to sb. in exchange for sth. else 交换

e.g. 1. If you like this one better, I’ll swap with you.

    如果你更喜欢这个，我和你交换。

2. Members are encouraged to swap books with each other.

    鼓励成员们互相交换书籍。

3. I liked her coat and she liked mine, so we swapped.

    我喜欢她的外套，她喜欢我的外套，于是我们就交换了。

11. brutal     a. extremely violent or cruel 野蛮的；凶残的

e.g.1. He eliminated his rivals in a brutal struggle for power.  

     他在一场残酷的权力争斗中将对手一一铲除。

2. With brutal honesty she told him she did not love him.  

     她残忍地对他说了实话：她不爱他。

3. Over the last couple of decades the number of people opposed to fox hunting, because they think it is brutal, has risen sharply. (CET4-2002-01)

    近几十年来，反对猎狐的人数剧增，因为他们认为这种行为十分残忍。

12.offensive                             

1. n. [C] a planned military attack involving large forces over a long period（军事）进攻，攻势

e.g. 1. They decided to take the offensive in the end. 

    他们最终决定采取攻势。 

2. There was no longer any doubt that the enemy offensive was under way. 

    敌人的攻势已经开始，这点不再有什么怀疑了。

2. a. unpleasant or insulting, and likely to make people upset or embarrassed 无礼的，冒犯的，令人恼火的

e.g.1. The advertisements were highly offensive to women.

    这些广告令女士们大为反感。

2. His hasty temper made him offensive.

    他急躁的脾气使他令人讨厌。

3. a. (only before noun) used for attacking 攻击的，进攻性的

e.g. Jane was convicted of possessing an offensive weapon.

       简因为拥有攻击性武器而被定罪。

Word family: offend v.              Antonym: defensive

13.onset                 n. [sing] the beginning of sth., especially sth. bad （尤指某种坏事情的）开始，发作

e.g. 1. He went to see a doctor at the onset of a fever.

     他一发烧便去看医生了。

2. His first hit record marked the onset of an astonishing career. 

    他的第一张风行一时的唱片标志着惊人事业的开始。

3. With the onset of a global knowledge economy, Hong Kong is going through a process of economic restructuring.  

   随着全球经济趋向以知识为本，香港现正经历经济转型。

14.unswervingly                             ad. used for emphasizing how strong sb.’s feelings continue to be in difficult situations 坚持不懈地；坚定不移地

e.g. 1. We will unswervingly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace.  

   我们将始终不渝地奉行独立自主的和平外交政策。

2. We will continue to adhere unswervingly to the policy of reform and opening, which is the only way to invigorate the country.  

   我们要继续坚定不移地推进改革开放，这是唯一的强国之路。 

Word family: unswerving a. 

15. loyal                      a. willing to support, work for, or be a friend to sb., even in difficult times 忠诚的；忠心的

e.g. 1. He was always loyal to the Party.  

    他始终忠于党。

2. A loyal man stands by his friends in weal or woe.

     一个忠诚的人无论祸福都会支持他的朋友。

Word family: loyalty n.               loyally ad.

16. retreat

1. n. [C] a peaceful and private place where you can go in order to rest   退隐处；静居处；修养处

e.g. 1. We have found ourselves a beautiful exurban retreat.        

     我们已在市郊之外找到了一个美丽的静居处。

2. A heavy fog had suddenly enveloped the Presidential retreat.  

   大雾突然笼罩了总统的休养地。

2. vi. to avoid a dangerous, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation, especially by moving away from it 退缩；退却

e.g. He tried to retreat from reality.  

         他试图逃避现实。

17.infuriating          a. extremely annoying 使人大怒的；使人极为愤怒的

e.g. 1. Don’t you think that the unsolicited calls at night are infuriating?

   你不觉得深夜时分不速之客打来的电话极其招人嫌吗？

2. One of the most infuriating aspects of spam is that it changes continually to adapt to new attempts to stop it. 

    垃圾邮件最令人生气的地方，在于它会不断变化，以适应各种新的拦阻方法。 

18.irony                   n.

1. [C, U] a strange, funny, or sad situation in which things happen in the opposite way to what you would expect 具有讽刺意味的事；出乎意料的事；啼笑皆非的事

e.g.1. The great irony was that despite all his explanations nobody believed him.  

    最具讽刺意味的是：尽管他竭力解释，可没一个人相信他。

2. History has many ironies.

    历史上有许多充满讽刺意味的事。

2. [U] a form of humour in which you use words to express the opposite of what the words really mean 反语；反话；讥讽

e.g.1. The phrase is loaded with irony.

     此语满含讽刺意味。

2. She said to him with slight irony.

     她略带嘲讽地对他说。

3. I glanced at her and saw no hint of irony on her face.  

     我瞥了她一眼，没有在她的脸上看到一丝嘲弄。

19. eccentricity      n. [U] strange or unusual behaviour 古怪行为

e.g. 1. Here are a few stories which indicate the originality, not to say eccentricity, of his character.  

这里有几个故事，表明了他独特而非怪僻的性格。 

2.  His eccentricity was a stubborn reluctance to entrust his savings to a bank.

   他的怪癖是坚决不愿把钱存入银行。

Word family: eccentric a.

20. on the brink of (doing) sth.: almost in a very new, dangerous or exciting situation 在…的边缘

e.g. 1. She believed she was on the brink of discovering a cure for cancer.

    她相信自己快要找到治愈癌症的方法了。

2. We’re often told that the world is tethering on the brink of destruction .  

   我们经常被告知世界处于毁灭的边缘。

3. The stock market was on the brink of collapse.  

     股市已到崩盘的边缘。 

21. pack off: to send sb. away somewhere suddenly 把…打发走；突然让某人去某地

e.g. 1. In the morning I have to pack my son off to nursery and then go to work.   

   早晨我必须把我儿子送到托儿所，然后去上班。 

2. I wish you’d pack yourself off at once. 

    我真希望你马上离开这儿。

22. date back to: to be made or begun at a particular time in the past 始于（过去某个时候）；追溯到

e.g. 1. The history of hockey can date back to thousands of years ago. 

   曲棍球的历史可以追溯到数千年前。

2. While mini-books have become a big business, there are few people who would believe that these books date back to 15th century.  

   现在迷你书已经风行市场，但却少有人知道它们的历史竟可以追溯到15世纪。

23. take off: to leave a place suddenly 突然离开

e.g. 1. I caught sight of him taking off in a jeep.

    我看到他乘吉普车匆匆离去。

2. As soon as she saw George arrive, she just took off.

     她一看见乔治来，就突然离开了。

3. I think I’ll take myself off now.

     我想我现在就得走。

24. sit out：

1. to stop doing sth. for a period of time  坐在一旁不参加 

e.g. 1. He’ll sit out the next dance.  

    下一个舞他不准备跳了。

2. He sat out the 2001 presidential campaign.

     他没有参加2001年的总统竞选。

2. to stay until the end of sth., especially sth. unpleasant 一直坐到（不愉快之事）结束

e.g. I know it’s boring, but we’re just going to have to sit it out.

        我知道这很无趣，可我们不得不等到它结束。