depression
n. 不景氣，蕭條（期）

engage
V. 使從事于

enormous
a. 巨大的，龐大的

ensure
V. 保證，保證給

explosion
n. 激增；巨變；爆炸

fundamental
a. 基本的

gear
n. （汽車等的）排擋

intelligent
a. 理解力強(qiáng)的；聰明的

junior
a. 資歷較淺的

managerial
a. 管理上的

merely
ad. 僅僅，只不過(guò)

merit
n. 優(yōu)點(diǎn)；功績(jī)

population
n. 人口

prospect
n. （常用復(fù)數(shù)）前景；前程，前途

rank
n. 等級(jí)；地位

recognize
V. 認(rèn)識(shí)；承認(rèn)

root
V. 使扎根；使固定

specialist
n. 專家

specialize
V. 使專門化

steady
a. 穩(wěn)步的

supply
n. 補(bǔ)給；供應(yīng)（量）

technology
n. 技術(shù)

theorist
n. 理論家

unprecedented
a. 前所未有的

virtually
ad. 實(shí)質(zhì)上；實(shí)際上；事實(shí)上

a small army of
一小群

be assured of
使…確信

be engaged (in)
從事…

bring about
引導(dǎo)，導(dǎo)致

build...on/upon
依賴，指望；把…建立于

come of age
成熟；到達(dá)法定年齡

go hand-in-hand with
和…并進(jìn)

not to mention
更不必說(shuō)

take a hand
起作用

Merry Learning

At the dinner table one night, a young boy was telling his parents, who had not had much education, that his schooling made him smarter than people who had not gone to school.
"How is that?" asked his father.
"Well," said the boy, "I can reason better. For example, tell me how many chickens you think are in that dish."
"There are two," answered the father.
"I can prove there are three," said the boy. He pointed to the first chicken and said, "Do you agree that this is one?" The father agreed. The boy pointed to the other chicken and asked, "And this is two?" The father again agreed. "Don't one and two make three?" asked the boy.
"Wonderful," answered his father. "You are very clever. Now I'll serve the first chicken to your mother, serve the second to myself, and you can have the third. Is that all right with you?"