Paragraphs1-5
overshadow v.
make sb. or sth. less successful, important,or impressive by comparison with others; dominate
e.g. Ben overshadows all his colleagueswith his extraordinary insight and quick wit.
She is overshadowed by her youngerand more attractive sister.
Paragraphs6-11
flunk v.
fail, esp. (in) a course or an exam
e.g. The boy was upset because he flunked (in) anEnglish exam.
flunk out
expel or be expelled from a schoolor course because of work that does not meet the required standards
e.g. We didn’t flunk out, but ourrecords weren’t so good.
traipse v.
walk wearily
e.g. She spent the day traipsing from one shop toanother.
1. epitome n.
anideal; a typical representation
e.g. His father is the epitome of goodness.
epitomizev.
be an epitome of sth.
e.g. He epitomizes the loving father.
She epitomizes all the goodqualities of her family.
Practice: （中文自动出现，每句中文下面设置按钮，点击以后出现英文翻译）
1. 他认为猫是懒惰的化身。
In his eye, the cat is the epitome oflaziness.
2. 这本手册概括了日常卫生的要点。
This handbook is a neat epitome of everydayhygiene.
3. 这位银行经理的身上集中体现了他们家族的一切优秀品质。
The bank manager epitomizes all the goodqualities of his family.
Paragraphs12-15
damper n.
(inf.) sth. that stops an occasion from beingas enjoyable as it was intended to be
e.g. The bad news put / cast / threw a damper onthe party.
Will the snow put a bit of adamper on your hike plans?
blaspheme v.
show contempt or disrespect for (God, adivine being, or sacred things)
e.g. The bank manager began to rage and blaspheme(against) God.
The spiritual leader charged thatthe film blasphemed Islam.
malted milk
a soluble powder made of dried milk, maltedbarley, and wheat flour 麦乳精（由牛奶、大麦麦牙和面粉制成的可溶粉粒）
chunky a.
1. (ofcandy, etc.) containing small, thick pieces
e.g. chunky peanut butter; chunky soup
2. (ofa man) short and strong; stocky
e.g. Achunky man usually has a wide upper body and looks strong.
scan v.
1. examinesth. carefully, with the eyes or with a machine, in order to obtain information
e.g. She anxiously scanned the faces of the youngmen leaving the train in the hope of finding her son.
2. Toscan a text can also mean look through it quickly in order to find a piece of informationthat one wants or get a general idea of what the text contains.
e.g. Now, scan the newspaper article quickly andmake a note of the main points.
1. Somewhere along the line peoplegot the modern idea that fun was there for the asking, that people deservedfun, that if we didn’t have a little fun every day we would turn into (sakesalive!) puritans. (Paragraph 3)
Nowadays, peoplewould believe that they can have fun whenever they ask for it, and they shouldhave fun; otherwise they would be leading a dull and bitter life as a puritan.
2. The god of mirth is paying us backfor all those years of thinking fun was everywhere by refusing to come to ourparty. (Paragraph 13)
We have long assumed that fun was easy tohave, but now we are paying a price for that shallow-mindedness, i.e., ourparty is hardly as much fun as we has expected it to be.
