poster child= a person or thing that epitomizes(是…的典范，be a perfect example of…）or represents a specified quality, cause, etc.，后面跟介词for
Joe is a poster child for self-reliant learners.
run counter to= to be opposed to和…相反
Joe’s methods of learning a new language run counter to those recommended by most language teachers.
fly in the face of…= to completely oppose what seems sensible or normal.
Joe’s behavior in school used to fly in the face of the principles set by the principal.
Come one’s way= happen or become available to one被某人碰上
Each time challenges come his way, Joe always takes on and tries to overcome them.
Stick to your knitting= to continue to do sth that you are experienced at and not try to do sth which you know very little about. 做自己理解、擅长的事
Entrepreneurs should not only stick to their knitting but also change accordingly to respond to new demands from their customers.
Competency（competence的另一种写法）作“技能”讲可数
Being able to speak and teach English right now is Joe’s core competency.
come along=arrive，到来，出现，pv，vi
We shall work hard every day and be prepared so that when opportunities come along we can grab them.
speckle= spot斑点，可数
Joe has a pet dog that has some pink speckles on its tail.
Forceps镊子
Forceps are usually used by surgeons when they carry out surgery.
facelift拉皮手术，可数；plastic surgery整形手术，注意surgery不可数，另外注意和cosmetic surgery（整容手术）的区别；
Facelift is a kind of plastic surgery.
move the needle= to make a significant impact or cause a noticeable change，especially in the context of progress or improvement.相当于make a huge positive difference.
Small start-ups are suggested to focus on a narrow target market rather than moving the needle.
running shoes跑鞋；distance runner中长跑运动员，可数
A distance runner once came to Joe to buy some running shoes but Joe sold him some English lessons.
sprain= wrench or twist the ligaments of an ankle, wrist, or other joint violently so as to cause pain and swelling but not dislocation.扭伤vt
Joe landed on one’s foot and sprained his ankle the other day while playing basketball.
be awash with= containing large numbers or amounts of someone or sth，充满…
This company is awash with high-tech talents.
Make a dent in sth = to decrease sth slightly or to make sth somewhat weaker.削减…
The mission of this charity is to make a dent in the suffering of homeless people.
fit out sth= to supply sth with necessaries or means给…提供所需物资
An extra hundreds of dollars have to be expended on fitting out our kitchen.
What better way to do A than to do B？哪有比做B更好的达成A的方式？
What better way to learn a new language than to listen to audio material in that language every day？
loo= a bathroom or toilet，卫生间，可数
One of the cultural elements that impressed Joe when he was in the Netherlands for the first time was that he had to pay to get into a loo.
注意condole和condone的区别，前者是“吊唁”的意思，后者是“容忍”的意思（allow or accept behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive to continue），都是vt
Some parents just condone their children’s immoral behavior and that’s supposed to have a huge negative impact on them in their adulthood.
