常用成语：1) be pressed for time (money) 缺乏时间、金钱：We are pressed for time. We must hurry up. (我们时间不够。我们必须赶紧。) 2) press ahead with 加紧（努力）：We must press ahead with our efforts to reach an agreement. 3) press for 急切要求： They are pressing for reforms. (他们急切要求改革。) Everyone began pressing him for details. (人人都要求他说明细节。)
2.opt v. (=decide to do sth.; choose) 决定做某事，选择：He opted to go Paris rather than London. （他决定去巴黎而不是伦敦。） Fewer students are opting for science courses nowadays. (现在选修理科的学生少了。)
同根词：option n. 选择余地；选择权：1) You have the option of leaving or staying. 2) Every voter should exercise his option. optional 可选择的；选修的：You don’t have to have this radio in your new car; it’s an optional extra.
3. imagine vt. 想象。同根词：imaginable(可以想象出的)；imaginary（假想的）； imaginative（有想象力的）：1) He is the most suitable person imaginable. (他是可以想象出的最合适的人。) 2) The story is not real; it is only imaginary. （这个故事不是真实的，只是假想的。） 3) The artist’s imaginative use of color delighted the critics. (这位画家富有想象力的使用色彩使这些评论家兴高采烈。) image影像，偶像，雕像。imagination n. 想像力：He has plenty of imagination.
4. fund n. 基金，积累的一笔专款：Hard up families receive cash subsidies from the welfare funds. (经济困难的家庭从福利基金中得到现金补贴。) fund (复数) 资金，存款，现款，钱：Through lack of funds the scheme fell through. (由于缺乏资金，这项计划失败了。) They ought to be furnished with the necessary funds. (他们应该得到这些必要的资金。)
fund vt. 资助，为…提供资金：1) We are hoping that the government will fund the project. (我们正在盼望政府给这个项目提供资金。) 2) The university scientists’ research for a cure of this disease is being funded by the government. (这座大学的科学家为治疗这种疾病所进行的研究正得到政府的拨款。)
同根词：overfund vt. 为…提供过量资金。underfund vt. 对…提供资金不足。
Text 4 Word Study
1.rule out (=exclude, eliminate; make impossible, prevent, forbid) 把…排除在外，不把…考虑在内；使不可能，禁止。例如：The regulations rule out anyone under the age of eighteen.(这些规章排除了18岁以下的任何人。) The possibility of suicide was ruled out.（自杀的可能性被排除了。） I’m sure that the doctor would rule out visits from you as much too exciting for the patient.（我确信，医生会禁止你们去探望，因为这样会使病人过分兴奋。）
2. present adj. 1) 在场，出席：Every member of the class was present. 2) 存在：Carbon is present in many minerals. 3) 现在的：At the present moment he is supposed to be in Paris.
present n. 现在：I live in the present, not in the past. 常用成语： at present 目前：At present we are living in New York. for the present 暂且：For the present we had better do nothing.
present n. 礼物：I am just going out to get some presents for my sister. |
