Frombirthtodeath,thewordkickhasbeengivenanimportantpartinexpressinghumanexperience.Theproudandhappymotherfeelsthefirstsignsoflifekickinginsideherwomb.Andthatsamelife--manyyearslater--comestoitsendinawidely-usedexpression,tokickthebucket,meaningtodie.Theexpressiontokickthebucketisalmosttwohundredyearsold.OnebeliefisthatitstartedwhenanEnglishstablemancommittedsuicidebyhanginghimselfwhilestandin...[
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Thefirstisfacethemusic.Itmeanstoaccepttheresultsofwhatyouhavedone.HereisanexamplefromaReutersnewsreport:Britain’shighestcourthadruledthatformerChileandictatorAugustoPinochetwaslegallyarrested.OpponentsofGeneralPinochetwelcomedthenews.Oneofthemsaid,“Wehavewaitedforyearsforthismantofacethemusic.”Nooneissurehowtheexpressionbegan.Onestoryisthatitcamefromamilitaryceremonyheldwhenasoldierwasforc...[
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Inthenineteenthirties,asong,"Brother,CanYouSpareaDime?,"wasverypopularintheUnitedStates.ItwasthetimeofthebigDepression.Thesonghadmeaningformanypeoplewhohadlosttheirjobs.Adimeisapieceofmoneywhosevalueisone-tenthofadollar.Today,adimedoesnotbuymuch.Butitwasdifferentinthenineteenthirties.Adimesometimesmeantthedifferencebetweeneatingandstarving.TheAmericaneconomytodayismuchbetter.Yet,manyworkersar...[
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SomepopularAmericanexpressionscomefromareasoftheUnitedStateswherepeopleexperienceproblemsoflivingincoldwinterweather.WintersinthenorthernUnitedStatesarealwayscoldandsnowy.Sometimes,heavysnowisbroughtbyviolentstormswithhighwindsandextremelylowtemperatures.Americanscallthesestorms,blizzards.Blizzardsareusuallydescribedasblinding,becausenoonecanseethroughtheblowingsnow.Untilaboutonehundredtwenty...[
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Everymachineisheldtogetherbyitsnutsandbolts.Withoutthem,themachinewouldfallapart.Thatisalsotrueofanorganization.Itsnutsandboltsareitsbasic,necessaryelements.Theyarethepartsthatmaketheorganizationwork.每台机器都是由螺帽和螺栓所连接在一起的。如果少了他们,机器就会分散开来。这也适用于一个组织。螺帽和螺栓就是最基本,必须的元素。是他们使组织可以运作下去。Ingovernment,industry,diplomacy--inmostanyt...[
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Aperson’snoseisimportantforbreathingandsmelling.Thenoseisalsousedinmanypopularexpressions.Somepeopleareabletoleadotherpeoplebythenose.Forexample,ifawifeleadsherhusbandbythenose,shemakeshimdowhatevershewantshimtodo.Somepeoplearesaidtobehard-nosed.Theywillnotchangetheiropinionsorpositionsonanything.Ifsomeoneishard-nosed,chancesarehewillneverpaythroughthenose,orpaytoomuchmoney,foranobjectorserv...[
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Now,theVOASpecialEnglishprogramWORDSANDTHEIRSTORIES.Eachweek,thisprogramexplainsthemanymeaningsofEnglishexpressions.Today’sexpressionsincludeaveryimportantword–heart.
Wewilltrytogettotheheartofthemattertobetterunderstandthemostimportantthingsaboutwordsandtheirstories.Sotakeheart.Havenofearaboutlearningnewexpressions.Besides,popularEnglishwordscanbefun.Thereisnoneedforaheavyheart.Suchfee...[
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Collegeenrollmenthasreachedanall-timehighintheUnitedStates.Aboutfortypercentofalleighteen-totwenty-four-year-olds--oralmostelevenandahalfmillion--wereinschoolinOctoberoflastyear.Anewreportsaysbothnumbersarerecordhighs.RichardFryatthePewResearchCenterpointstoanumberofreasons.
RICHARDFRY:"Thenumberofyoungadultsthathavefinishedhighschoolisalsonowatarecordall-timehigh.Almosteighty-fivepercent...[
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TherearemanyAmericanexpressionsaboutinsects--likebees,forexample.Beesareknownasveryhardworkers.Theyalwaysappeartobebusy,movingaroundtheirhomes,orhives.Soyoumightsayyouwereasbusyasabeeifyouspentyourweekendcleaningyourhouse.Infact,youmightsayyourhousewasabeehiveofactivityifyourwholefamilywashelpingyouclean.Youalsomightsayyoumadeabeelineforsomethingifyouwentthererightaway.Whenwegotoseeamovie,myf...[
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Todaywetellabouttheexpression,"applepieorder."Itmeansinperfectorder,verywellorganized.Nobodyissurewhereandwhentheexpressionapplepieorderbegan.SomesaythatScottishandEnglishwritersusedtheexpressionalongtimeago.OtherssayitfirstwasusedinthenortheasternAmericanstatesknownasNewEngland.ThehousewivesofNewEnglandcuttheirapplesinevenslices.Thentheyfilledpiepanswiththeminanorganizedway,rowupon...[
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