Uber drama fails to hurt its business, figures suggest （title）——from BBC

必背词汇

Sexual harassment, an overthrown chief executive, bitter boardroom in-fighting and a major lawsuit have not affected Uber's business.

1.harassment

Harassment is behaviour which is intended to trouble or annoy someone, for example repeated attacks on them or attempts to cause them problems.

Another survey found that 51 per cent of women had experienced some form of sexual harassment in their working lives.

...racial harassment.

The party has accused the police of harassment.

Synonyms: hassle [informal] , trouble, bother, grief [informal]

性骚扰 sexual harassment

2.overthrown  弹劾

When a government or leader is overthrown, they are removed from power by force.

That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago. [be VERB-ed]

...an attempt to overthrow the president. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: defeat, beat, master, overcome   

Overthrow is also a noun.

3.bitter

1. adjective

In a bitter argument or conflict, people argue very angrily or fight very fiercely.

...the scene of bitter fighting during the Second World War.

...a bitter attack on the Government's failure to support manufacturing.

On the eve of the poll, campaigning was bitter.

Synonyms: grievous, hard, severe, distressing   

bitterly  adverb [usually ADVERB with verb , oft ADVERB adjective]

Any such thing would be bitterly opposed by most of the world's democracies.

...a bitterly fought football match.

Synonyms: grievously, harshly, cruelly, savagely   More Synonyms of bitter

Synonyms: greatly, terribly, sorely, awfully [informal]   More Synonyms of bitter

Synonyms: sourly, sharply, acidly, tartly   More Synonyms of bitter

bitterness  uncountable noun

The rift within the organization reflects the growing bitterness of the dispute. [+ of]

Synonyms: sourness, acidity, sharpness, tartness   

Synonyms: intense cold, bite, chill, sting   

Synonyms: trauma, tragedy, grief, misery   

2. adjective

If someone is bitter after a disappointing experience or after being treated unfairly, they continue to feel angry about it.

She is said to be very bitter about the way she was sacked.

His long life was marked by bitter personal and political memories.

Synonyms: resentful, hurt, wounded, angry  

bitterly  adverb [usually ADVERB with verb , oft ADVERB adjective]

'And he sure didn't help us,' Grant said bitterly.

...the party bureaucrats who bitterly resented their loss of power.

Synonyms: grievously, harshly, cruelly, savagely  

Synonyms: greatly, terribly, sorely, awfully [informal]   

Synonyms: sourly, sharply, acidly, tartly   

Synonyms: resentfully, sourly, sorely, tartly   

bitterness  uncountable noun

I still feel bitterness and anger towards the person who knocked me down.

Synonyms: sourness, acidity, sharpness, tartness 

Synonyms: intense cold, bite, chill, sting   

Synonyms: resentment, hurt, anger, hostility

3. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]

A bitter experience makes you feel very disappointed. You can also use bitter to emphasize feelings of disappointment.

I think the decision was a bitter blow from which he never quite recovered.

A great deal of bitter experience had taught him how to lose gracefully.

The statement was greeted with bitter disappointment by many of the other delegates.

Synonyms: great, awful, unpleasant, sore   

bitterly  adverb [ADVERB adjective , ADVERB with verb]

I was bitterly disappointed to have lost yet another race so near the finish.

Synonyms: grievously, harshly, cruelly, savagely   

Synonyms: greatly, terribly, sorely, awfully [informal]   

Synonyms: sourly, sharply, acidly, tartly   

4. adjective

Bitter weather, or a bitter wind, is extremely cold.

Outside, a bitter east wind was accompanied by flurries of snow.

...after spending a night in the bitter cold.

Synonyms: freezing, biting, severe, intense  

bitterly  adverb [ADVERB adjective]

It's been bitterly cold here in Moscow.

Synonyms: grievously, harshly, cruelly, savagely   

Synonyms: greatly, terribly, sorely, awfully [informal]  

Synonyms: sourly, sharply, acidly, tartly   

Synonyms: intensely, freezing, severely, fiercely  

5. adjective

A bitter taste is sharp, not sweet, and often slightly unpleasant.

The leaves taste rather bitter.

...as the wine ages, losing its bitter harshness, and becoming softer and smoother.

Synonyms: sour, biting, sharp, acid   

6. variable noun

Bitter is a kind of beer that is light brown in colour.

[British]

...a pint of bitter.

4.lawsuit

countable noun

A lawsuit is a case in a court of law which concerns a dispute between two people or organizations.

[formal]

The dispute culminated last week in a lawsuit against the government. [+ against]

...a lawsuit brought by Barclays Bank.

Synonyms: case, cause, action, trial

It means the most talked-about company in Silicon Valley has been apparently

unscathed by the unprecedented series of scandals that have engulfed the company

in 2017.

5.unscathed    

If you are unscathed after a dangerous experience, you have not been injured or harmed by it.

Tony emerged unscathed apart from a severely bruised finger.

East Los Angeles was left relatively unscathed by the riots. [+ by]

The tobacco industry escaped unscathed from its toughest legal challenge.

Synonyms: unharmed, unhurt, uninjured, whole

6.unprecedented  前所未有

1. adjective

If something is unprecedented, it has never happened before.

Such a move is rare, but not unprecedented.

In 1987 the Socialists took the unprecedented step of appointing a civilian to command the force.

Synonyms: unparalleled, unheard-of, exceptional, new   

2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]

If you describe something as unprecedented, you are emphasizing that it is very great in quality, amount, or scale.

[emphasis]

Each home boasts an unprecedented level of quality throughout.

The scheme has been hailed as an unprecedented success.

Synonyms: extraordinary, amazing, remarkable, outstanding

7.engulfed  vt. 吞没；吞食，狼吞虎咽

1. verb

If one thing engulfs another, it completely covers or hides it, often in a sudden and unexpected way.

A seven-year-old boy was found dead after a landslide engulfed a block of flats. [VERB noun]

The flat is engulfed in flames. [be VERB-ed]

Synonyms: immerse, bury, flood (out), plunge 

2. verb

If a feeling or emotion engulfs you, you are strongly affected by it.

...the pain that engulfed him. [VERB noun]

He looked around his dark, cluttered office and was engulfed by a feeling of emptiness. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: overwhelm, overcome, crush, absorb

Uber posted revenue of $1.75bn in the three months to June, with losses dropping by

9% in the same period, to the still staggering figure of $645m.

8.自六月份以来的三个月 in the three months to June

9.stagger

1. verb

If you stagger, you walk very unsteadily, for example because you are ill or drunk.

He lost his balance, staggered back against the rail and toppled over. [VERB adverb/preposition]

He was staggering and had to lean on the bar. [VERB]

Synonyms: totter, reel, sway, falter  

2. verb    

If you say that someone or something staggers on, you mean that it is only just succeeds in continuing.勉强维持

Truman allowed him to stagger on for nearly another two years. [VERB adverb/preposition]

杜鲁门允许他又硬撑了近两年。

...a government that staggered from crisis to crisis. [VERB adverb/preposition]

Synonyms: lurch, reel, stumble, sway   

3. verb

If something staggers you, it surprises you very much.

The whole thing staggers me. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: astound, amaze, stun, surprise   

staggered  adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]

I was simply staggered by the heat of the Argentinian high-summer.

Synonyms: astounded, amazed, stunned, surprised  

4. verb

To stagger things such as people's holidays or hours of work means to arrange them so that they do not all happen at the same time.

During the past few years the government has staggered the summer vacation periods for students. [VERB noun]

Investors will gloss over those losses, though, as most other key metrics are moving

in a positive direction.

10.gloss over  尽力填补

If you gloss over a problem, a mistake, or an embarrassing moment, you try and make it seem unimportant by ignoring it or by dealing with it very quickly.

Some foreign governments appear happy to gloss over continued human rights abuses. [VERB PREPOSITION noun]

Synonyms: conceal, hide, mask, disguise

The figures may be seen as a rare glimmer of positive news for the company, but a

greater test will come over time as the company continues to struggle filling crucial

executive positions after a spate of high-profile departures.

11.metric

1.Well, there are different metrics to measure success in a debate.

评判辩论是否成功有多种不同的标准。

《NPR News 2015年10月合集》

2.their health metrics were, unexpectedly, no better than the rest of the population in the impoverished country.

但出人意料的是，他们的健康状况并不比这个贫困国家其他人口要好。

《VOA Standard 2014年10月合集》评价该例句：好评差评指正

12.a spate of

countable noun [usually singular]

A spate of things, especially unpleasant things, is a large number of them that happen or appear within a short period of time.

...the recent spate of attacks on horses. [+ of]

...the current spate of scandals.

Synonyms: series, sequence, course, chain

13.departure

1. variable noun [oft with poss]

Departure or a departure is the act of going away from somewhere.

...the President's departure for Helsinki. [+ for]

They hoped this would lead to the departure of all foreign forces from the country. [+ of]

The airline has more than 90 scheduled departures from here every day. [+ from]

Synonyms: leaving, going, retirement, withdrawal  

2. variable noun [with poss]

The departure of a person from a job, or a member from an organization, is their act of leaving it or being forced to leave it.

[formal]

This would inevitably involve his departure from the post of Prime Minister. [+ from]

Reihill's departure from the company is thought to follow disagreements with John Reihill Sr, who now controls the company.

Synonyms: retirement, going, withdrawal, resignation  

3. countable noun

If someone does something different or unusual, you can refer to their action as a departure.

Taylor announced another departure from practice in that England will train at Wembley. [+ from]

Now she's written a novel which is not a mystery and is a considerable departure from her previous work.

Synonyms: shift, change, difference, variation

14.high-profile

A high-profile person or a high-profile event attracts a lot of attention or publicity.

...one of football's high profile chairmen.

...the high-profile reception being given to Mr Arafat.

Synonyms: famous, prominent, eminent, celebrated

15.recruitment (招募)

The recruitment of workers, soldiers, or members is the act or process of selecting them for an organization or army and persuading them to join.

...the examination system for the recruitment of civil servants. [+ of]

...a crisis in teacher recruitment.

16.turmoil  混乱;动荡;骚乱;恐慌

Turmoil is a state of confusion, disorder, uncertainty, or great anxiety.

...the political turmoil of 1989. [+ of]

Her marriage was in turmoil.

Your mind is in such a turmoil you do not know what you are saying.

Synonyms: confusion, trouble, violence, row

In Uber's boardroom, in-fighting has taken a dramatic recent turn, with major

investor Benchmark Capital suing ousted chief executive Travis Kalanick.

17.in-fighting  内部斗争

Infighting is quarrelling and competition between members of the same group or organization.

...in-fighting between right-wingers and moderates in the party. [+ between]

18.ousted

verb

If someone is ousted from a position of power, job, or place, they are forced to leave it.

[journalism]

The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists. [be VERB-ed]

Last week they tried to oust him in a parliamentary vote of no confidence. [VERB noun]

...the ousted government. [VERB-ed]

Synonyms: expel, turn out, dismiss, exclude

19.sue ——suing

vt. & vi. (为要求赔偿损失而)起诉, 控告, 和…打官司

Benchmark accuses Mr Kalanick of fraudulently filling Uber's board with loyal

associates, paving the way for his return as chief executive. In retaliation, other

board members called for Benchmark to booted out.

20.fraudulently

A fraudulent activity is deliberately deceitful, dishonest, or untrue.

...fraudulent claims about being a nurse.

Synonyms: deceitful, false, crooked [informal] , untrue

21. In retaliation

verb  报复

If you retaliate when someone harms or annoys you, you do something which harms or annoys them in return.

I was sorely tempted to retaliate. [VERB]

Christie retaliated by sending his friend a long letter detailing Carl's utter incompetence. [VERB + by]

The militia responded by saying it would retaliate against any attacks. [VERB + against]

They may retaliate with sanctions on other products if the bans are disregarded. [VERB + with]

[Also + for]

Synonyms: pay someone back, hit back, strike back, reciprocate

22.booted out

phrasal verb

If someone boots you out of a job, organization, or place, you are forced to leave it.

[informal]

Schools are booting out record numbers of unruly pupils. [VERB PREPOSITION noun]

[Also VERB noun PREPOSITION]

Synonyms: dismiss, sack [informal] , expel, throw out

Analysis by The Information showed that in places with "high concentrations of

technology employees", who were more likely to be following Uber's woes, use of

Lyft instead of Uber had increased considerably.

23.woes  woʊs

n. 悲哀，悲痛；灾难

1. uncountable noun

Woe is very great sadness.

[literary]

He listened to my tale of woe.

All around women wailed their woe or screamed abuse.

Synonyms: misery, suffering, trouble, pain   More Synonyms of woe

2. plural noun [usually with poss]

You can refer to someone's problems as their woes.

[written]

He did not tell his relatives and friends about his woes.

Synonyms: problem, trouble, trial, burden

24.considerably

Considerable means great in amount or degree.

[formal]

To be without Pearce would be a considerable blow.

Doing it properly makes considerable demands on our time.

Vets' fees can be considerable, even for routine visits.

considerably  adverb [ADVERB with verb]

Children vary considerably in the rate at which they learn these lessons.

Their dinner parties had become considerably less formal.

Synonyms: greatly, very much, seriously 

But overall, these figures represent Uber's staying power. The service has cemented

itself globally as an indispensable part of many people's everyday lives and, despite it

all, shows no sign of being in trouble.

25.cement

verb

Something that cements a relationship or agreement makes it stronger.

Nothing cements a friendship between countries so much as trade. [VERB noun]

noun 水泥

本篇多次出现的近义词

被迫离职、离开

1. be forced to leave

2.be overthrown / (position) be overthrown

3.be ousted from

4.boots sb out of his position,place .etc / be boosted out

Echo补充材料

gloss over

If you gloss over a problem, a mistake, or an embarrassing moment, you try to make

it seem unimportant by ignoring it or by dealing with it very quickly. 无视; 草草了事；掩盖；掩饰

He wants to gloss over his mistakes. 他想粉饰他的缺点。

In retaliation （ 为了报复）

look for:  寻找

拓展：

look after：to take care of someone by helping them, giving them what they need, or keeping them safe 照顾，照料

look ahead：to think about and plan for what might happen in the future

向前看，计划未来，考虑将来

look around：to try to find something 寻找

e.g. Jason’s going to start looking around for a new job.贾森正打算开始找新工作。

force sb to do sth：

Government troops have forced the rebels to surrender. 政府军已迫使叛乱分子投降。

force yourself to do sth：

I had to force myself to get up this morning. 今天早晨我不得不逼迫自己起床。

force sb/sth into (doing) sth：

Bad health forced him into taking early retirement. 健康不佳迫使他提前退休。）

in charge (of sth)： 

He asked to speak to the person in charge. 他要求和负责人说话。

pave the way for: 为...铺平道路

e.g. He says the experiment will pave the way for a real Mars expedition later this century. ）

boot out:

a.  用脚踢出；把 … 逐出：

The trouble-makers were booted out. 那些捣乱分子被赶了出去。

b. 把 把 … 解雇，把 … 开除：

The boss booted her out for coming late. 老板因她迟到把她解雇了。

The service has cemented itself globally as an indispensable part of many people's everyday lives and, despite it all, shows no sign of being in trouble（ （ 陷入麻烦）

Silicon Valley (  硅谷）

Silicon Valley is a nickname for the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. The "valley" in its name refers to the Santa Clara Valley in Santa Clara County, which includes the city of San Jose and surrounding cities and towns, where the region has been traditionally centered.

The word "silicon" originally referred to the large number of silicon chip innovators and

manufacturers in the region, but the area is now the home to many of the world's largest high-tech

corporations, including the headquarters of 39 businesses in the Fortune 1000, and thousands of

startup companies. Silicon Valley also accounts for one-third of all of the venture capital

investment （风险投机资金）in the United States, which has helped it to become a leading hub and startup ecosystem for high-tech innovation and scientific development.

Homework for Day2

The former CEO of Uber, Travis Kalanick, was forced to leave the company. A spate of scandals has hit Uber recently. The company is being engulfed by a feeling of depression. A lot of executives have been overthrown. However, high-profile departures and a succession of scandals have remained the company unscathed. The figures were staggering the analysts around the world. Meanwhile, Uber's services have cemented.

homework for Day 3 

1. Sexual harassment, an overthrown chief executive, bitter boardroom in-fighting and a major

lawsuit have not affected Uber's business. Quite the opposite.

性骚扰，首席执行官的被迫离职，董事会激烈的内部斗争，再加上官司上身，一连串的麻烦事件却没能影响优步的企业运营。实际运营情况竟大大相反。

2. It means the most talked-about company in Silicon Valley has been apparently unscathed by the unprecedented series of scandals that have engulfed the company in 2017.

2017年一连串史无前例的公司丑闻却让硅谷这家让人津津乐道的企业毫发无损。

3. The figures may be seen as a rare glimmer of positive news for the company, but a greater test

will come over time as the company continues to struggle filling crucial executive positions after a

spate of high-profile departures.

尽管当下这个数据可以说是公司内现在唯一仅存的一点好消息， 但在离职高潮爆发后，后继无人的首席执行官位仍是公司需要面对的问题。