Text  2  Word  Study

1. argue  argue against …据理反对; 证明……是不能成立的: 1) All the evidence argued against the theory that the disease was transmitted by water. 所有证据都证明这个理论是不能成立的: 这种疾病是由水传播的。  2) Father argued fiercely against any increase in expenditure for the children’s birth-day party. 父亲据理反对增加孩子们生日聚会的花费。 argue about 争论关于某事：I won’t argue about the matter.  argue sb. into doing sth. 通过争论使某人做某事：We argued him into surrendering the control of the chain company. 我们通过争论使他放弃对链锁公司的控制。 同根词 argument n. 辩论，争论；论点，论据。argumentation  n. 立论，论证；辩论，争论。argumentative  adj. 爱争论的，好辩论的。

2. sure adj. 确实，无疑，有把握：I think he’s coming, but I’m not quite sure. You are sure of a warm welcome. 你一定会受到热烈欢迎。You’re sure to fail if you do it that way. You seem very sure of yourself, young man. 小伙子，你未免太自信了吧！  常用成语：for sure肯定： One thing is sure. We’ve won a great victory. I think he lives there but I couldn’t say for sure. 我想他住在那里，但我不能肯定。 make sure 确保： I think the door is locked, but I’d better go and make sure. 我想门已经锁了，但我最好还是去查一下。 to be sure 当然：He’s clever, to be sure, but not very hard-working. 当然，他很聪明，但是不怎么勤奋。

3. critical adj. 决定性的，关键的；危急时刻的。 be critical of 批评的, 爱挑毛病的: 1) Don’t be so critical of everyone else. (不要对别人如此挑剔。)  2) If you really understood the difficulties facing the government, you wouldn’t be so critical of its spending reductions.（如果你真地理解政府面临的困难, 你就不会对其削减开支的做法如此挑剔。）

Text  3  Word  Study

1.press vt./vi. 1) 按，压，踩：Press the button to start the engine. (请按按钮起动发动机。)  I don’t like shoes that press. (我不喜欢紧的鞋。)  2) 熨烫 vt.：Will you press my trousers for me before tomorrow?  3) (人群)挤，涌：The people were pressing so hard against the President’s car that they almost overturned it.  4) 敦促，催逼：His daughters pressed Shelley to join them.  It’s no use pressing him; he doesn’t like to be hurried.  The matter does not press. (这件事不紧迫。)  The police pressed the students back behind the barriers. (警察迫使学生退到路障后面。)
press n. 新闻界，舆论，报章杂志（和the连用）：Defend the freedom of the press. (维护新闻自由。)  The press will give us a great backing. (舆论会大力支持我们的。)  The meeting was reported by the press. 
同根词：pressing  adj. 紧迫的，急待解决的：Is the matter pressing?   Their attention ought to be focused on the more pressing problems.  The professor is returning on account of pressing duties at home.