1. copper and silver circles: This refers to the small coins in the jar, which are made of copper or silver.

2. each and every time: Here (and in another sentence in the same paragraph) the writer uses each and every time for emphasis.

3. see to: to deal with or take charge of someone or something 办理；照料

E.g. You can take a rest. I’ll see to the cleaning up.你休息一下吧。我来打扫卫生。

4. serve its purpose: if something has served its purpose, it has done what you needed it to do 起到应有的作用

E.g.It would serve its purpose to make another investigation.再展开另一轮调查会有作用的。

5. A lump in your throat: a feeling that you want to cry 某人喉咙哽住；某人哽咽欲泣

e.g. It’s the kind of film that can put a lump in our throat. 这部电影让人哽咽。

6. a man of few words: a man who doesn’t speak much

7. lecture sb on/about sth: to talk to sb seriously in order to criticize them or warn them about sth, esp when this is annoying教训；告诫；训斥

e.g. My grandmother began to lecture us about making too much noise.

祖母开始教训我们，说声音太吵了。

8. lay off: to end sb’s employment, esp temporarily, because there is not enough work for them (尤指临时性地)解雇（雇员）

e.g. The company is considering laying off some workers for the next six months.

公司在考虑下半年裁减一些工人。

9. take turns:if people take turns or take it in turns to do sth, each of them does their share of it, one after the other轮流；依次

E.g. Did you guys take turns driving or was Mike the only one who could drive.

你们是轮流开车，还是只有迈克会开车。

10. gamut: n. [sing] the complete range of things of a particular type (某一类东西的)全部，整个范围

E.g. Prices in the restaurant run the gamut from cheap to very expensive.

这家饭店提供从便宜到昂贵的各种价位的菜肴。

11. lock: (literary)if two people’s eyes lock, they look directly into each other’s eye 对视

E.g. Their eyes locked together for an instant. 他们四目相交，对视了片刻。