Words and Expressions
I. Vocabulary
mansion a large imposing house; stately residencesubprime subprime lending (also referred to asnear-prime, non-prime, and second chance lending) meaning loans to people whomay have difficulty maintaining the repayment schedule; loans characterized byhigher interest rates and less favorable terms in order to compensate forhigher credit risk 次级贷款
parable example; specifically, a usually shortfictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle
implausible difficult to believe and thereforeunlikely to be true
porte-cochère (French) a passageway through a buildingor a screen wall designed to let vehicles pass from the street to an interiorcourtyard
hyperventilate to breathe rapidly and deeply
bust a business depression
mortgage the pledging of property to a creditor assecurity for the payment of a debt; a legal arrangement by which you borrowmoney from a bank or similar organization in order to buy a house, and pay backthe money over a period of time 抵押贷款
predicament a condition or situation that is difficult,unpleasant,embarrassing, or sometimes comical
foreclosure the legal procedure for satisfyingclaims against a mortgagor in default who has not redeemed the mortgage:satisfaction may be obtained from the proceeds of a forced sale of the property抵押人赎回抵押品权利的取消
mendacious not truthful; lying or false
chandelier a lighting fixture hung from a ceiling,with branches for candles, light bulbs, etc.
tortellini pasta in tiny ring-shaped or roundpieces, filled with meat, vegetables, etc, and served with a sauce or broth 圆形肉馅水饺
thermostat an apparatus for regulating temperature,especially one that automatically controls a heating or cooling unit
microclimate the climate of a small, distinct area,as of a forest, city, or of a confined space, as of a building or greenhouse
replica (n.): an exact copy of something, especially a building, a gun, or a work of art 仿制品，复制品
boom (n.): An increase in amount, frequency, or success
eviction (n.): the act or process of officially forcing someone to leave a house or piece of land
foreclosure (n.): if a bank forecloses, it takes away someone's property because they have failed to pay back the money they borrowed from the bank to buy it （术语）止赎，抵押人赎回抵押品权力的取消
dude ranch an American ranch (= a large farm) where people can go on holiday/vacation and do the sort of activities that cowboys do(美国的)度假牧场，度假农场
yank to pull sth/sb hard, quickly and suddenly猛拉；猛拽
putatively believed to be the person or thing mentioned推定地
pancreatic cancer 胰腺癌
ante n. 赌注，预付的一笔款；分担额 v. 下赌注；付款
whim a sudden wish to do or have sth, especially when it is sth unusual or unnecessary心血来潮；一时的兴致；突发的奇想
wee hours 凌晨 (英 )
microcosm a thing, a place or a group that has all the features and qualities of sth much larger缩影；具体而微者
predisposition n. a condition that makes sb/sth likely to behave in a particular way or to suffer from a particular disease 倾向;癖性;(易患某种病的)体质
stretch to make sth longer, wider or looser, for example by pulling it; to become longer, etc. in this way
abyss a very deep wide space or hole that seems to have no bottom深渊
chasm n. a deep crack or opening in the ground (地上的)深裂口，裂隙，深坑;(两个人或团体之间的)巨大分歧，显著差别
fissure a long deep crack in sth, especially in rock or in the earth(岩石、土地等中深长的)裂缝，裂隙
splay to make fingers, legs, etc. become further apart from each other or spread out; to be spread out wide apart
II. Expressions
divvy sth↔up (informal) to divide sth, especially money into two or more parts分，分摊，分享（尤指金钱）
wear off If a sensation or feeling wears off, it disappears slowly until it no longer exists or has any effect.（感觉等）逐渐消失，消逝
stew (about/over sth) to become/feel very anxious or upset about sth (informal) （为某事）坐立不安，心烦意乱
let it slip 无意中说出
adjacent to sth next to or near sth 地区、建筑、房间等) 与…毗连的；邻近的
default on fail to pay up拖欠，未出席
throw yourself on sb's mercy (formal) to put yourself in a situation where you must rely on sb to be kind to you and not harm or punish you指望某人能够善待（或宽恕）你
eat away wear away or erode 侵蚀;使消耗殆尽
