unit2-词汇

Unit 2

Words and Expressions

1 When the going gets tough, the tough take accounting. (Para. 1)

Meaning: When conditions or situations become difficult, determined people choose to study the subject of accounting, hoping they can more easily find a job in the future.

★when the going gets tough: when the situation becomes difficult 当形势变得严峻时

e.g. When the going gets tough, women can get as tough as men. 当形势变得严峻时，

女人可以变得跟男人一样坚强。

★accounting: n. [U] the work of accountants or the methods they use 会计；会计学

e.g. Students’ major objective is to be financially well of

f. Accordingly, today

the most popular course is not literature or history but accounting.

学生的主要目的是在经济上富裕。因此，当今最流行的课程不是文学或历史，而是会计。

★take accounting: choose to study the subject of accounting 选择学会计

2 When the job market worsens, many students calculate they can’t major in English or history. (Para. 1)

Meaning: When there are fewer job openings, many college students make a judgment from the situation and think they can’t study English or history as their major. Meaning beyond words: Many students will not take the classes that won’t help them locate a decent job later.

★major in: (AmE) study sth. as your main subject at college or university 主修（某一）科目

e.g. The high demand for persons with knowledge about computers is why I chose to

major in computer science at the university.

对具有电脑知识人才的高需求是我选择在大学主修计算机科学的原因。

3 They have to study something that boosts their prospects of landing a job. (Para.1) Meaning: They have to study something that improves their chances of success in finding a job.

★boost: vt. increase or improve sth. to make it more successful 促进；推动；使兴旺

e.g. Some countries hope that warmer weather and more rain will boost their farm

output.

一些国家希望更温暖的天气和更多的降雨能提高他们的农业产量。

★prospect: n. [C, U] sth. that is possible or likely to happen in the future, or the possibility itself 可能的事情；很可能发生的事情；前景

e.g. Career prospects in science and technology are virtually unlimited.

科技类职业的前景几乎是无可限量的。

4 The data show that as students have increasingly shouldered the ever-rising cost of tuition, they have defected from the study of the humanities and toward applied science and “hard” skills that they bet will lead to employment. (Para. 2) Meaning: The facts and information show that as students have spent increasingly more money on tuition, they have turned away from the humanities to some practical courses that they believe will enable them to get a job more easily.

★defect:

vi. leave a country, political party, or organization to go to another one 背叛；叛逃

e.g. He defected from the party in the late 1970s.

他在20世纪70年代后期背叛了该党。

n. [C] a fault in sb. or sth. 缺点；欠缺；不足之处

e.g. Stammering is probably an inherited defect.

口吃可能是一种遗传缺陷。

Usage NOTE

defect, deficiency

1 在表示“人的缺点，设计制造方面的缺点或缺陷”时，名词defect和deficiency的词义相近。例：physiological defect / deficiency 生理缺陷

The new car had to be withdrawn from the market because of a mechanical defect.

这款新汽车因有机械缺陷，必须被撤出市场。

The deficiency of this plan is very clear, so it can’t possibly succeed.

这项计划的缺陷是很明显的，所以它不可能成功。

2 但表示“缺少；不足”（shortage）时，只可用deficiency。

例：There are serious deficiencies in the number of suitable aircraft.

符合要求的飞机数量严重不足。

During the war children suffered from a deficiency of food.

战争期间孩子们遭受了缺乏食物之苦。

★applied: a. (usu. before noun) used for describing educational subjects when they are studied for their practical uses （学科）应用的，实用的

e.g. Industry leaders want scientists to engage in basic research, not applied

research.

产业领导者们希望科学家们从事基础研究，而不是应用研究。

5 In other words, a college education is more and more seen as a means for economic betterment rather than a means for human betterment. (Para. 2)

Meaning: In other words, a college education is more considered as a method to