新首相上任、女王辭世、通膨失控…近日英國不斷登上國際版面。今年夏天，英國疫情退去，隨即而來的是飆漲的物價和急速上升的生活成本，又是有生以來最嚴酷的夏天，英國人無奈和不滿的情緒，隨著夏日的氣溫逐步高漲，引發各產業大罷工，被稱作「不滿之夏」（summer of discontent）。
經濟萎縮、通膨飆升
Amid political upheaval, an economic crisis and the potential for mass industrial action, Britain faces a problematic, and possibly pivotal, summer.
Photo: EPA-EFE 照片：歐新社
（在政治動盪不安、一場經濟危機和大規模罷工行動威脅中，英國面臨了一個危機四伏，以及可能是關鍵的夏天。）
an economic crisis解釋為「一場經濟危機」。economic (a)是「經濟的」意思，來自於名詞economy；另外，economics也是名詞，指的是「經濟學」，雖然字尾加上s，但不是複數型態，這類的單字是不可數名詞，因此動詞也必須選擇單數動詞。
She’s in her third year of studying economics at York University.
（她在約克大學主修經濟學，目前為大學三年級。）
Tourism contributes millions of pounds to the local economy.
（旅遊業為當地經濟貢獻數百萬英鎊。）
另一個同樣重要的形容詞economical，意思則是cost-efficient「經濟實惠的」，也就是用低價購買到高價的物品或服務，兩個都是TOEIC測驗金融情境中經常出現的單字。
What’s the most economical way of heating this building?
（要供應這棟大樓暖氣，怎樣做才是最經濟實惠的方法？）
The government’s economic policies have led us into the worst recession in years.
（政府的經濟政策，使我們陷入了多年來最嚴重的經濟衰退。）
經濟危機
crisis是不規則的名詞變化，代表「危機」的意思，也是TOEIC測驗常出現的單字，常見用法如an economic crisis「經濟危機」、an financial crisis「金融危機」。其複數不是加上「-s／es」等規則名詞變化，而是將字尾「-sis」改成「-ses」，變成crises。介系詞片語in crisis則是「陷入危機」。
The country’s leadership is in crisis.
（該國的領導層陷入了危機。）
pivotal (a)代表「關鍵的、重要的」，常見用法如a pivotal figure／role／idea「關鍵人物／角色／想法」。
pivotal來自於名詞pivot，其英文解釋為a fixed point supporting something that turns or balances，意思是「中樞、支點」，支撐一個物品的重要支柱。pivot作為動詞時有個好用的片語pivot on，也就是depend on「取決於」的意思。
The former guerrilla leader has become the pivot on which the country’s emerging political stability turns.
（前游擊隊領袖成了決定該國政治局勢能否繼續穩定下去的關鍵人物。）
Future deals will pivot on easing commercial conflicts.
（未來的協議將取決於緩解商業衝突。）
另外，pivot作為動詞也有「轉動、扭曲」的意思。
She pivots her left foot.
（她扭到了左腳。）
He pivoted on his heels and headed out.
（他腳跟一轉，向外走去。）
勞工是經濟的支柱
Workers across pillars of the economy have been voting for industrial action over below-inflation pay offers.
（身為經濟支柱的各行業勞工，已經針對低於通膨的薪資採取罷工行動。）
pillar解釋為「建築物的柱子」，並可延伸出「中流砥柱、棟樑」的意思，因此pillars of the economy就是支撐起國家經濟的各行各業，代表「經濟支柱」。
A row of reinforced concrete pillars supports the bridge.
（一排鋼筋水泥柱支撐著這座橋。）
Mrs Maple is a pillar of the local church.
（梅波夫人是當地教會的中堅分子。）
below-inflation pay offers解釋為「低於通膨的薪資」。inflation是「通膨」的意思，來自於inflate (v)，字尾加上「-ate」作為動詞變化，代表「膨脹、打氣」，因此延伸出「整體民生價格上漲」的概念，也就是「通貨膨脹」。字尾加上「-tion」是名詞變化，而「-table」則是形容詞變化，意思是「可充氣膨脹的」，通常充氣小艇或是游泳池等標籤上都會看到inflatable。
below是介系詞，意思是「在…下面」，在此代表薪資比不上通膨的速度，解釋為「通膨率之下的薪資水準」。若要表達在實際位置下面的概念，below可以跟under共用。
From the top of the skyscraper, the cars below us looked like insects.
（從摩天大樓頂上往下看，下面的汽車小得像昆蟲一樣。）
In 79 AD, the city of Pompei was buried under a layer of ash 7m deep.
（西元79年，龐貝古城被湮沒在七米深的火山灰下。）
She has three people working below her.
（她有三名下屬。）
【多益模擬試題】
1. The apartments on the lower floors cost less because they are more exposed ________ dust and the noise of traffic.
(A) to (B) without (C) from (D) against
2. By registering for our online payment plan, customers are authorizing the bank to ________ automatic withdrawals on the first day of every month.
(A) consent (B) see (C) make (D) trust
3. Speaking ________ behalf of the vice president, Alan Lee thanked the employees for their contributions to the fund-raising project.
(A) at (B) on (C) by (D) for
解析：
1. 正解為(A)。語意為「低樓層的公寓比較便宜，因為他們暴露在灰塵和交通噪音之中。」本題要考動詞expose的用法，be exposed to是「暴露在…之中」，介系詞要用to表達，故(A)為正確答案。
2. 正解為(A)。語意為「通過註冊我們的網上付費方案，客戶授權銀行在每月一號同意自動扣款。」本題要考consent的慣用語，consent automatic withdrawals「同意自動扣款」符合句意，故(A)為正確答案。
3. 正解為(B)。語意為「李艾倫 代表副總致辭，感謝員工為此次募款活動所做的貢獻。」on behalf of是個常見的介系詞片語，意思是「代表…」，故(B)為正確答案。
SOURCE: https://www.englishok.com.tw/toeic/toeic-issue/uk-economic-crisis
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