1. the state of sth.某事的状态
2. toss out an idea抛出一个观点
v. 颠簸The ship was tossed by the waves in the storm.船在风浪之中颠簸着。
3. in the long arc of human history在人类的历史长河中
arc UK /ɑːk/ n.弧 Bend the arc of history towards the better/the justice.
让历史朝着更好/公正的方向发展。
4. fret about担忧，烦恼
=worry about/be concerned about
5. be most/least likely to do sth.最有/没可能做某事
possible:客观可能性（可能性大or小）
likely：现实中大概率会发生
6. leave sb. doing sth.使某人做某事
leave sb./sth. adj. 使某人怎样
Eg. The fire has left four people dead.
这场火灾导致四人死亡。
*上述两个没有主观动机,是客观结果
*有主观动机：leave/make sb. do sth. 使某人做某事
7. illiterate UK /ɪˈlɪtərət/ adj. 不识字的，文盲的 literate adj. 识字的
8. excruciating UK /ɪkˈskruːʃieɪtɪŋ/ adj. 极度痛苦的（agonizing/torturing）
9. paralyzing UK /ˈpærəlaɪzɪŋ/ adj. 使人无力的 paralyze v. 使崩溃，使瘫痪
10. empowering adj. 赋予力量的 empower v. 使赋能
11. appalling UK /əˈpɔ:lɪŋ/ adj. 令人震惊的，令人惊骇的
① In the long arc of human history, 2019 has been the best year ever.
② Since modern humans emerged about 200,000 years ago, 2019 was probably the year in which children were least likely to die, adults were least likely to be illiterate and people were least likely to suffer excruciating and disfiguring diseases.
③There are important concerns. Yet I fear that the news media and the humanitarian world focus so relentlessly on the bad news that we leave the public believing that every trend is going in the wrong direction. I worry that deep pessimism about the state of the world is paralyzing rather than empowering.
④Recognizing that progress is possible can be a spur to do more, and that’s why I write this annual reminder of gains against the common enemies of humanity.
