圖：Vocabulary

　　•pledge

　　（誓言，承諾 n./v.，保證n.）Thousands of people made pledges to the charity campaign.

　　（作出承諾／保證，抵押v.）We are asking people to pledge their support for our campaign.

　　•chronically（慢性地，長期地，持續地adv.）

　　He uses a standing desk at work to relieve his chronically aching back.

　　•skewed（傾斜的，失衡的，有偏差的，偏頗的adj.）

　　Her smile is slightly skewed.

　　•scarcely（幾乎不，幾乎沒有，勉強，剛剛adv.）

　　I was scarcely able to move my arm after the accident.

　　•erroneous（錯誤的，不正確的adj.）

　　The presentation of correct forms immediately following the child's erroneous forms allows the child to contrast them with his/her own errors.

　　•sow（播種，散布（如謠言、恐懼）v.）

　　Now that you've sown doubts in my mind, I'll never be sure I can trust him.

　　•dampen（使減弱，使洩氣；使潮濕v.）

　　物理意義上（使潮濕）：Rain had dampened the tent so we left it to dry in the afternoon sun.

　　抽象意義上（使洩氣）：I didn't want to dampen his spirits. 我不想給他潑冷水。

　　•epoch-making（劃時代的，開創新紀元的，開天闢地的adj.）Every scientist would like to accomplish such an epoch-making advance.

　　•trajectory（軌跡，彈道，（發展）路徑n.）

　　（雖然意義不同，但在寫作中可以用來代替「development」）

　　Previous events in a sequence influence outcomes and trajectories, but not necessarily by inducing further movement in the same direction.

　　•revamped（翻新，改造v./adj.；改進v.；翻新的，改造過的adj.）

　　We revamped the management system, but the business is doing no better than it was before.

　　片語

　　•Drawing a lesson from the bitter experience 痛定思痛

　　例句：It is hoped that the Government can learn from the bitter experience and make thorough-going improvements.

　　•Give/make pledge to 作出承諾

　　例句：All the candidates have given/made pledges not to raise taxes if they are elected.

　　•borne + responsibility 承擔責任

　　例句：The important responsibility borne by the members of the Council cannot be overstated.