■phrasal verbs
focus on(集中注意力于,把...集中于...上)
finds it hard to focus his thoughts on one thing for longer than five minutes.
他发现他很难把他的注意力集中在一件事情上超过五分钟。
focus on doing sth/focus sth on sth
chip away at(削弱;损害;一点点地除掉)
He is chipping away at a block marble with a chisel.
他正在用凿子在大理石上不停地凿。
chip/ tʃɪp/
PIECE 片,块a small piece of wood, stone, metal etc that has been broken off something 〔木、石、金属等的〕碎片，碎屑
make for(促成; 造就)
If something makes for another thing, it causes or helps to cause that thing to happen or exist.
A happy parent makes for a happy child.
幸福的家长造就幸福的孩子。
tend to/towards
1. 趋向(于),倾向(于),有...的倾向
2. 照看;注意;办理=attend to
She stayed at home and tended to her mother.
她呆在家里照看母亲。
buy up(全部/尽量买下)
If you buy up land, property, or a commodity, you buy large amounts of it, or all that is available.
He bought up a bankrupt company.
他买下一家破产的公司。
beef up(加强)
If you beef up something, you increase, strengthen, or improve it.
Both sides are still beefing up their military strength.
双方仍在增强各自的军事力量。
beef up＝加强→增益→增益效果=buff beef up→ buff
partner with(与...合作)
McCall said PlaceIQ has been lucky to partner with an amazing agency and a strong client.
■Phrases with nouns or adjective
be thrilled to(非常激动做某事)
But most Democrats would be thrilled to have either of the front-runners as their nominee.
但是大多数民主党人都很高兴有两个领跑者。
be thrilled to bits 兴奋至极
be thrilled to death 爽毙了
to be thrilled to pieces 乐坏了
narrow that gap(缩小差距)
However, more effort is needed to narrow the gap in coverage between urban and rural areas.
但是，仍需要做出更大的努力，缩小城乡地区之间的覆盖差距。
dominated by (被...占主要地位)
Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player who is consolidating its dominance through acquisition.
如今，市场越来越受到一个通过收购巩固其统治地位的玩家的支配。
dom‧i‧nat /'dɒməneɪt/
[I,T] to control someone or something or to have more importance than other people or things 支配，控制
in its infancy(在初始阶段)
The science of love is still in its infancy.
目前，关于爱的科学研究仍处在初始阶段。
the period of a child’s life before they can walk or talk 婴儿期the time when something is just starting to be developed 初期，初创
in revenue（收益）
The burger chain reported $24 billion in revenue last year.
这个汉堡包连锁企业去年公布了24亿美元的税收支出。
■Sentence-making
Both hunger and disease chiped awayhis physical health.
Quantitative change makes forqualitative change.
With regular strangth training,you'll beef up your immunity.
■2017.8.29
精读词汇班阅读的第一篇外刊，是关于沃尔玛和谷歌合作对抗美国电商巨头亚马逊的文章。
体会一：许多背景知识需要补充，关于Target, PetSmart, Costco 等。英语阅读的过程也是增长知识面的一个过程。
体会二：外刊的表达方式确实有独到精妙之处，通过精读文章可以体会到。举个例子：
An estimated 55 percent of Americans begin their online shopping trips on Amazon, according to a survey conducted last year. And Amazon shoppers tend to spend more, too: an average of $157 each month, compared with $27 at Walmart, according to a 2016 survey.
体会三：要达到对文章有深入理解的阶段，需要投入十分的精力和时间。
