1. Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates said he'll pick up the tab for all US college graduates to download a copy of Hans Rosling's book, "Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World -- and Why Things Are Better Than You Think".
tab 除了“标签”的意思以外，还有“账单”的意思
a bar tab 酒吧账单
Can I put it on my tab? 我可以记账吗？
pick up the tab: pay the bill
2. They have fared particularly well in the flatlands of the Po valley in northern Italy.
fare well/ badly/ better etc: to be successful/ unsuccessful in a particular situation 成功（或不成功、更好等）
The party fared very badly in the last election.
3. The end result is a sickly, disheveled appearance.
sickly 这里不是一个副词，而是一个形容词，意为病态的，面色苍白的。
sickly还可以指多病的，或者令人恶心的、生厌的
He was a sickly child. 体弱多病的小孩
She gave me a sickly smile。一脸假笑
a sickly sweet smell 香得发腻的气味
dishevel: [dɪ'ʃevəl] (v.) 使蓬乱；使头发凌乱；使衣服弄皱
disheveled: (a.) 凌乱的
4. Ivanka Trump details wealth.
detail: (v.) 详细列举；详细说明
The brochure details all the hotels in the area and their facilities.
5. After Paul the Octopus hogged the limelight by correctly predicting Spain as the winners of the FIFA Would Cup 2012, ...
limelight: 聚光灯
hog the limelight/ steal the limelight/ be in the limelight: 成为公众注目的中心
stay/ be out of the limelight 避免引人注目
she's afraid this new actor will steal the limelight from her.
SYN spotlight
be under/ in the spotlight; put/ turn the spotlight on sth
Education is once again under the spotlight.
A new report has turned the spotlight on the problem of poverty in the inner cities.
6. But some people are pathological liars, meaning they can't stop spreading misinformation about themselves and others.
pathological: [ˌpæθəˈlɒdʒɪkl] 病态的；由疾病引起的
He experiences chronic, almost pathological jealousy.
pathology: [pəˈθɒlədʒi] (n.) 病理学；（比喻）异常状态
7. It could also be down to people spending more time on technological devices instead of reading books.
be down to sb/ sth: 1. be the result of sth
Chris's success is all down to him.
2. if an action or decision is down to you, it is your responsibility = be up to sb
It´s down to me to make sure that everyone is happy.
3. including everything or everyone, even the smallest thing or the least important person
Everyone uses the cafeteria, from the managing director down to the office boy.
The plans were all complete down to the last detail.
网友评论