L34 A happy discovery

Words & Expressions

1. pretentious/prɪˈtenʃəs/, 自命不凡的，矫饰的if someone or something is pretentious, they try to seem more important, intelligent, or high class than they really are in order to be impressive. OPP:unpretentious

a pretentious film/movie

2. forbidding, having a frightening or unfriendly appearance 

forbidding place/land/landscape etc

eg.We sailed past the island’s rather dark and forbidding cliffs.

eg. His face was forbidding, even hostile.

3.labyrinth/ˈlæbərɪnθ/ 迷宫，难解决的事

a. a large network of paths or passages which cross each other, making it very difficult to find your way=maze

labyrinth of 

a labyrinth of underground tunnels

b. something that is very complicated and difficult to understand 

labyrinth of

Decisions are frequently delayed in the labyrinth of Whitehall committees.

4. musty/ˈmʌsti/, a musty room, house, or object has an unpleasant smell, because it is old and has not had any fresh air for a long time

eg. the musty smell of old books

There is always hope that in its labyrinth of musty, dark, disordered rooms a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk that litter the floors.

5.rarity, [countable] something that is valuable or interesting because it is rare. [uncountable]the quality of being rare

--Some of these plants are national rarities.

--Such stamps are expensive because of their rarity.

be a rarity, to not happen or exist very often

Visitors were a rarity in the village.

6.litter=litter up, if things litter an area, there are a lot of them in that place, scattered in an untidy way

--Clothes littered the floor.

litter something with something/be littered with something 

The desk was littered with papers.

6.muster (also muster up something), to get enough courage, confidence, support etc to do something, especially with difficulty =summon (up)

muster (up) the courage/confidence/energy etc to do something

--Finally I mustered up the courage to ask her out.

--Senator Newbolt has been trying to muster support for his proposals.

--‘It’s going to be fine, ’ replied David,with as much confidence as he could muster.

7. bargain hunter, someone who is looking for goods at a cheap price.

Bargain hunters will find some good deals in our New Year sales.

8. bent on something, completely determined to do something, especially something bad.

--a crowd of hooligans bent on violence

be bent on doing something

They seemed bent on destroying his career.

Rudi seems bent on finding a new job.

Sentences

There is always hope that in that labyrinth of musty, dark, disordered rooms a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk that litter the floors.人们还常常有希望在发霉，阴暗，杂乱无章，迷宫般的店堂里，从杂乱地摆放在地面上的一堆堆各式各样的破烂货里找到一件稀世珍品。