Soon they became very skillful in answering such questions. 35. competent
a. (of people) having the necessary ability, skill, knowledge, etc. （指人）有能力（技术、知识）的，能干的，胜任的
He's not competent to look after young children. 他不太会照管孩子。 My secretary is perfectly competent, but she doesn't have much patience. 我的秘书完全能够胜任她的工作，只是她耐心不够。 36. fulfill
vt. 1).perform (sth.) or bring (sth.) to a completion 履行，执行，完成 A nurse has many duties to fulfill in caring for the sick. 护士在护理病人时要履行许多职责。
I have fulfilled many of my youthful aims. 我已实现了我年轻时的许多目标。
2).satisfy (sth.); answer 满足；与... ... 相符
Does your job fulfill your hopes? 你的工作符合你的期望吗？
The traveling library fulfills an important need for people who live in the countryside.
流动图书馆满足了乡村居民的重要需求。
37. result in have as a result, cause致使，导致，造成... ... 的结果 Our efforts resulted in success. 我们的努力取得了成功。
The game resulted in another victory by our team. 比赛结果，我们队又取得了胜利。
38. nothing but only 只有，除... ... 以外什么也不
I want nothing but the best for my children. 我只希望能把最好的给予我的孩子们。
The story was nothing but lies. 这个故事只不过是一通谎言而已。 39. account for explain the cause of sth.解释，说明 Please account for your conduct. 请解释你的行为。
How do you account for losing such a large sum of money? 你怎样说明为什么损失了这么大一笔钱？
40. charge for ask (an amount) as a price 收费，要价，索价
I'm not going there again - they charged me $1 for a cup of coffee! 我再也不去那里了，他们一杯咖啡要了我一美元！
How much does the hotel charge for a room? 这家旅馆一个房间要收多少钱？
41. in a rush in a hurry 匆忙的
I'm in such a rush that I can't stop. 我忙得手脚不闲，停不下来。 Everybody is always in a rush to get ready in the mornings. 每天早上，每个人的准备工作都总是很匆忙的。
42. under pressure be influenced; be forced 在压力下，在强力下 She doesn't usually shout; she must be under pressure. 她通常不会大声嚷嚷 ；她一定是压力太大了。 He only agreed to leave the country under pressure.
43. go with exist or take place at the same time; be found together 同时发生，伴随
Money does not always go with happiness. 有钱并不总是幸福。 Responsibility goes with becoming a father. 做了父亲就有了责任。 44. work at put effort into （sth. or doing sth.）; engage in some activity 工作，从事于，钻研
I've been working at my essay all day. 我整天都在不停地写文章。 You will have to work at the weak points in your English if you want to pass the examination. 如果你想要通过考试，就得努力攻克你英文方面的薄弱环节。
45. save for keep sth. for future use; not use up (sth.) 储存，储蓄 Save your strength for the hard work you'll have to do later. 养精蓄锐以应付今后你得去从事的繁重工作。
Can you save it for later? 你能不能把这留到以后（等我空闲的时候）告诉我？
46. at hand 1). being considered正考虑的 the matter at hand 正在审议的事
2). near in time or position 在附近，在手边，临近的
We want to make sure that help is at hand for all children in hunger. 我们想确保所有挨饿的孩子都能很快地得到帮助。
Remember to keep a note-book at hand all the time. 记住要随时带好笔记本。
47. in person physically present 亲身，亲自
The winner will be there in person to collect the prize. 获胜者将亲自去那里领奖。
I had seen her before on TV, but she looked very different when I met her in person.
我以前在电视上见过她，但当我和她面对面相见时却看上去很不一样。
48. due to as a result of, caused by, because of 由于，因为 His lateness was due to the very heavy traffic on the way. (should) be given (sth.) 值得的，配得上的
Their efforts are worthy of your support. 他们的努力值得你们的支持。 Two points in this report are especially worthy of notice. 这篇报告中有两点尤其值得注意。
Detailed Study of the Text:
1. ... no one stands still. (Para.1)
Meaning: No one keeps motionless, everyone moves and advances. stand: v. keep or stay in a particular position or state
For this sense, \ The room stands idle. 这房间闲置着。
They stood ready to move at short notice. 他们已准备好, 接到通知随时可搬。
Stand firm — don't let them tell you what to do. 要坚定, 不要让他们对你指手画脚。
They stand opposed to the new law. 他们反对这项新法律。 In the above sentences, \still: a. not moving, motionless, calm, quiet
Keep still while I do up your shoe. 站着别动，我给你系鞋带。 The sea was calm and still. 大海风平浪静。
Still waters run deep. （谚）流静水深，人静心深。
This word can also be used as a verb with a related meaning. The food stilled the baby's cries. 婴儿吃了东西就不哭了。 2. ... you are falling behind. (Para.1) fall behind:
1) become bit by bit further behind
fall behind in science 在科学方面落后 fall behind one's competitors 落后于竞争对手
The student has been working hard for fear that he should fall behind. 这个学生一直很努力, 惟恐落后。
2) (with) fail to produce sth. at the proper time fall behind with the rent 拖欠房租
I'm falling behind with my work; I must try to catch up. 我工作拖下来了, 我得想办法赶上。
Notice that for this sense, the preposition \is used with the verb phrase.
3. This attitude results in a nation of people committed to researching, experimenting and exploring. (Para.1)
Meaning: As a result of this attitude, Americans tend to devote their time and energy to researching, experimenting and exploring. result in: have as a result; cause
Acting before thinking always results in failing. 做事不先考虑总会导致失败。
The accident resulted in the death of two people (or: ... resulted in two people being killed).
Compare: result from: be caused by Nothing has resulted from his efforts. 他的努力终成泡影。
The child's illness resulted from eating unclean food. 他那孩子的病是由于吃了不洁净的食物。
4. Time is one of the two elements that Americans save carefully, the other being labor.(Para.1)
Notice here in this sentence we have a special type of adverbial clause: \other being labor\The structure is: subject + -ing (or: -ed) verb. This type of clause can also be put at the beginning of the whole sentence.
No further discussions arising, the meeting was brought to an end. 没有作进一步的讨论, 会议就告结束了。
Lunch finished, all the guests returned to the sitting room. 吃完午饭, 所有客人都回到了起居室。
This type of clause can be rewritten by adding the preposition \Time is one of the two elements that American save carefully, with the other being labor.
With lunch finished, all the guests returned to the sitting room. 5. We are slaves to nothing but the clock. (Para.2)
Meaning: We are under the control of time only and nothing else (or: we are only dominated by time).
slave to sth.: a person who is completely influenced or dominated by sth. a slave to drink 酒鬼 a slave to money 金钱的奴隶 6. We budget it, ... (Para.2)
budget: v. plan the spending of (time, money, etc.), or provide (time, money) in the plan
She has made so many commitments that she has to budget her time very carefully.
她答应下来的事太多，因而不得不精心安排自己的时间。
She budgeted for buying a new car. 她为了买新汽车而计划节省开支。 Very often this word is used as a noun to mean a plan of how to spend money, etc. during a particular time for a particular purpose. a family / week's budget 家庭 / 每周预算
It is important to balance this year's budget. 重要的是要平衡今年的预算开支。
7. ... kill it (time), ... (Para.2)
kill time: make time pass quickly by finding sth. to do
We killed time by playing cards. 我们用打纸牌来消磨时间。
He drove to the club to kill a couple of hours. 他驾车去俱乐部消磨了几个小时。
8. ..account for it;... (Para.2) account for :
1) give a satisfactory explanation about (how sth. is used)
Jenny had to account to her husband for every penny she spent.
The man charged with the crime couldn't account for the fact that the money was found in his house. 被告无法解释钱是在他家里找到的这个事实。
Please account for your conduct. 请解释你的行为。 2) be the cause or origin of
North Sea oil accounts for a high proportion (部分) of our trade earnings. 北海石油占我国贸易收入的很大一部分。 9. ... we also charge for it. (Para.2)
Meaning: ...we also ask for money for the time we take to do something for others.
charge for: ask (an amount of money) as a price
How much do you charge for washing a car? 你们洗一部车要收多少钱？
I'm not going there again — they charged me $1 for a cup of coffee! We charge 200 dollars for a single room one night. 单人房每夜收费200元。
10. .. a rather acute sense of ... (Para.2)
acute: a. 1) (of feelings or the senses) fine; sharp
She still has very acute hearing, though she is eighty years old. 尽管她已经80岁了, 但她的听觉仍然很灵敏。
Dogs have an acute sense of smell. 狗有灵敏的嗅觉。 2) severe, very great
acute pain 剧痛 an acute lack of water 严重缺水
The president suffered acute embarrassment from this news. 这一新闻使总统十分难堪。
There is an acute shortage of water in this region.
Please note the use of \A sense of humor is a great quality for a person. 幽默感是一个人的宝贵素质。
a sense of sight (hearing, smell, taste, touch) 视觉 (听觉, 嗅觉, 味觉, 触觉)
a sense of duty 责任感
the sense of place (direction) 方位 (方向) 感
be lost (or: dead) to all sense of shame 全不知羞耻
hourglass: n. a glass container holding fine sand for measuring time, which is narrow in the middle like a figure 8 so that the sand inside can run slowly from the top half to the bottom taking exactly one hour. 11. ... they cannot be replaced. (Para.2)