重點講解：
1. first of all
第一；首先；
eg. First of all, answer these questions.
首先，回答這些問題^SAoFn4a4S4Hn。
eg. First of all, could I begin with an apology for a mistake I made last week?
首先，請允許我為上周犯下的錯誤道歉hxmI!,5@^+%qV0_!。
2. to be honest
老實說；說實在的；
eg. To be honest, I've got a better offer.
老實說，我有一個更好的工作機會YA_3=g76kY0!2W,。
eg. To be honest with you, it does not seem to me that you are a management guy.
誠實地說，在我看來你不是個做管理的人.Hh;M.#G%ah+4.。
3. in general
總的來說；總體上來看；大體上；
eg. In general, that's going to generate negative emotions. "
一般而言，這往往會觸發負面情緒!Ao#vE[BYOKGQn。
eg. In general, employers do little to help the single working mother.
一般而言，雇主很少為工作的單親媽媽提供幫助7m3nkOm4a8ds2gs。
4. in common
共有的；相同的；
eg. They had little in common culturally with us.
他們在文化方面跟我們很少有共同之處,@U@efSP-mgB+D。
eg. No matter what type of the reason it was, there was one thing in common: carelessness.
不管是哪種類型的原因，它們都有一個共同點：粗心.Z.m.OJ4YQh8SxA5wiZe。
5. be willing to do sth.
樂意的；愿意的；
eg. In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project.
在目前的經濟環境下，很少有公司愿意投資成本這么高的項目=&3)0ir3Vn3Bmo。
eg. To get one of these uncommon stamps, some collectors are willing to pay a great deal of money.
為了能得到這些不同尋常的郵票，他們往往愿意花大價錢去購買[(EPFVXd0dhFv;。
6. engage in
參與；從事；
eg. Those who are non-smokers are often convinced by smokers to engage in this activity.
那些不吸煙的孩子們也會受到吸煙者的影響，加入這項活動中@+F%#P3aRXxTfU,QK。
eg. Faculty who engage in research seem to have more knowledge to pass on to their students.
從事研究工作的教師似乎有更多的學識可以傳授給學生agr^+E-7WzCU9lNO6wj。
7. get to the bottom of
找到…的真正起因；查尋到…的根源；
eg. I have to get to the bottom of this mess.
我必須查清造成這一混亂局面的真正原因G]^-K1OJQfv。
eg. We need to get to the bottom of the problem between you and me.
我們要徹底搞清楚我們之間的問題vXMpiHw=|)P6ajUfQ+。
8. depend on
取決（于）；有賴（于）；
eg. How much can you get depend on how much you pay.
你能得到多少取決于你付出了多少c^08waV=![rIm。
eg. At many companies, raises depend on a mix of your performance and how much you make compared with others doing the same job.
在很多公司里，加薪是由你的綜合表現以及和別人做同樣的工作你的貢獻有多少決定的bMnS,iP((U。
9. back off
（為避免問題或沖突而）后退，避讓，退縮；
eg. EFF lawyer Jennifer Granick sent Texas Instruments a letter telling the firm to back off.
電子邊界基金會的律師詹妮弗·格拉尼克給德州儀器發出一封信，要求該公司不介入此事8vdYpB[aK,GUTBCK#1**。
eg. They backed off in horror.
他們心懷恐懼地退縮了za#ytymh0kp。
10. speak for
代表…講話；充當…的代言人；
eg. What others think I do not know; I can only speak for myself .
別人怎么想我不知道，我只能代表我自己講話y4%[--A_BbM+NcW。
eg. Obviously I can't speak for other people, but certainly no one I know would entertain the idea.
我顯然不能代表其他人的意見，可是我認識的人當中肯定沒有人會有這樣的想法1KZzVJ(5,am8vMN%。
11. other than
（用于否定陳述后）除了…以外；
eg. But other than that he's a great guy.
但是除此之外他還是個不錯的人xUKsaD#m6W[hzEh.。
eg. We have no alternative other than to follow the sense of our own experience.
除了根據我們的經驗以外，沒有其他辦法RU#FZ!Q3)2OC。
12. to some extent
在某種程度上；
eg. To some extent this was the truth.
在某種程度上，這是事實k)F%iQn2+sY#Keo@dIA。
eg. These problems are to some extent being acknowledged and addressed.
這些問題在一定程度上正得到承認和解決r|O0MQ,OkBzEr=pJMNL。