第一、 地道表达

【地道短语】take its/a toll

【解词释义】toll愿意为“通行费”，引申为“代价，损失，伤亡人数”，例如：the toll of road deaths and injuries（车祸伤亡人数），take its/a toll的意思就是“造成损失和危害”。

【语法用法】表示在......上造成损失或伤害，在短语的后面用介词on或者是of，即：take its toll on或者是take a toll of。

【典型范例】His hard work will eventually take its toll on his health.

他的辛劳工作，最后对他身体会造成伤害。

The war took a heavy toll of human life.

这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

Every year at Christmas drunken driving takes its toll.

每年的圣诞节都有醉酒驾车的伤亡事故。

The mental strain and physical pressure of trying to provide for a family at levels that the community regards as desirable can take its toll on the health of both parents.

想要按社会公认的必需水平来供养家庭，精神上的紧张与压力会损害父母双方的健康。

第二、 词海拾贝

1. used to be+adj.

【释义】过去常常处于......

【范例】She used to be terribly shy, but a year abroad have completely transform her.

她过去十分害羞，但在国外呆了一年以後完全变了。

Americans used to like big cars, and gasoline used to be very inexpensive.

过去美国人喜欢大型轿车，那时汽油很便宜。

2. bad egg

【释义】（1）坏家伙，不可信任的人，坏蛋（2）失败的计划

【范例】The bad egg tried to nip away but was caught on the spot.

坏蛋想赶紧溜掉，但被当场抓。

We are so worried;our daughter has made friends with a very bad egg.

我们很担忧，我们的女儿交上一个不三不四的朋友。

Wherever he goes, he makes trouble—he is a sheer bad egg.

无论到哪，他总要闹事，他是个十足的坏蛋。

They were greatly disappointed, for their scheme turned out to be a bad egg.

计划最终失败了，他们大失所望。

3. insist on doing something

【释义】坚持，坚决要求，强调

【范例】If you insist on leaving now, please go ahead.

你一定要走，那就请便吧。

We'll insist on discussing this issue.

我们将抓住这个问题不放。

Alexander threatens to stand in your way if you insist on taking up the same profession as his.

亚历山大威胁说如果你坚持要从事和他一样的职业，他会从中作梗。

Since they insist on going, we'll simply push the boat with the current and let them go with us.

既然他们坚持要去， 干脆我们就顺水推舟，让他们和我们一同去吧。

4. make one’s own decision

【释义】自己做决定

【范例】I just want to be able to make my own decision.

我只想能够自己决定。

That's quite true, but everyone should make his own decision.

这很正确，但每个人都应自己拿主意。

5. regret for

【释义】对......感到后悔，对......感到遗憾

【范例】 We regret for the loss you have suffered and agree to compensate you by $500.

我们对你方遭受的损失深表歉意，同意向你们赔偿500 美元。

The old man felt regret for the folly of his youth.（PS:用作名词性短语）

老人很後悔他年轻时的愚行。