conventional written letter is being used less and less.I am fond of sending and receiving what I must now call "old fashioned"letters.Some kind folks have told me they enjoy my letters.I always wonder whether that's because they're kind,because they get dull letters usually,or because my letters are better than average.One sometimes just cannot be sure whether words are wholly sincere,in jest,or flattering.If I write "I love writing"and you doubt my sincerity for one second,it's not too much to say you're way off track on this matter. Vocabulary: l,prosaic:ordinary and not sharing any imagination平谈的、乏味的 eg:a prosaic style,the prosaic side of life 2.dabble:take part in a sport or an activity,but not very seriously涉猎、浅尝 eg:He dabbles in local politics. He dabbled at painting,but soon gave it up. 3.avid:very enthusiastic about sth.热衷的、酷爱的，渴望的、渴求的 eg:He has taken an avid interest in the Harry Potter Series. He was avid for more information I read avidly.=I read voraciously. 4.,voracious:.eating or wanting large amounts of food贪吃的、狼吞虎咽的；wanting a lot of new information and knowledge求知欲强的 eg:He has a voracious appetite. He is a boy with a voracious and undiscriminating appetite for facts. 5.slacken:to gradually become,or to make sth.become slower,,less active放慢、减缓 eg:We've been really busy,but things are starting to slacken off now. 6.boost:to make sth..increase,or become better or more successful使增长、兴旺 eg:boost one's ability/confidence/profits/exports 7.prioritize:to put tasks,problems in order of importance,so that you can deal with the most important first按重要性排列、划分优先顺序 eg:You should make a list of all the jobs you have to do and prioritize them. 8.imbibe:to drink alcohol;;to absorb sth.,especially information喝（酒）：吸收（信息） 9.flunk:(informal)to fail an exam失败、不及格：to make sb.fail an exam给某人不及格 eg:I flunked math in the eighth grade. She has flunked 13 of the 18 students. l0.thrive:to become strong,.or successful,:flourish兴旺、繁荣，蓬勃发展 eg:New businesses thrive in this area. ll.strain:pressure on sb.压力、重负；不堪承受 eg:Their marriage is under great strain at the moment. The dispute has strained relations between the two countries. 12.elucidate:to make sth.clearer by explaining it more fully eg:He elucidated a point of grammar. l3.pertinent:appropriate to a particular situation有关的、恰当的、相宜的 eg:Please keep your comments pertinent to the topic under discussion. l4.tangent:not related to,digressive离题的：正t切的 eg:tangent remarks l5.irksome:(formal)annoying or irritating令人生气的、恼人的conventional written letter is being used less and less. I am fond of sending and receiving what I must now call "old fashioned" letters. Some kind folks have told me they enjoy my letters. I always wonder whether that's because they're kind, because they get dull letters usually, or because my letters are better than average. One sometimes just cannot be sure whether words are wholly sincere, in jest, or flattering. If I write "I love writing" and you doubt my sincerity for one second, it's not too much to say you're way off track on this matter. Vocabulary: 1. prosaic: ordinary and not sharing any imagination 平淡的、乏味的 eg: a prosaic style, the prosaic side of life 2. dabble: take part in a sport or an activity, but not very seriously 涉猎、浅尝 eg：He dabbles in local politics. He dabbled at painting, but soon gave it up. 3. avid: very enthusiastic about sth. 热衷的、酷爱的;渴望的、渴求的 eg: He has taken an avid interest in the Harry Potter Series. He was avid for more information. I read avidly. = I read voraciously. 4. voracious: eating or wanting large amounts of food贪吃的、狼吞虎咽的; wanting a lot of new information and knowledge 求知欲强的 eg：He has a voracious appetite. He is a boy with a voracious and undiscriminating appetite for facts. 5． slacken：to gradually become, or to make sth. become slower, less active 放慢、减缓 eg：We’ve been really busy, but things are starting to slacken off now. 6. boost: to make sth. increase, or become better or more successful 使增长、兴旺 eg： boost one’s ability/confidence/profits/exports 7. prioritize: to put tasks, problems in order of importance, so that you can deal with the most important first 按重要性排列、划分优先顺序 eg: You should make a list of all the jobs you have to do and prioritize them. 8. imbibe: to drink alcohol; to absorb sth., especially information 喝（酒）；吸收（信息） 9. flunk：（informal）to fail an exam 失败、不及格；to make sb. fail an exam 给某人不及格 eg：I flunked math in the eighth grade. She has flunked 13 of the 18 students. 10. thrive: to become strong, or successful; flourish 兴旺、繁荣，蓬勃发展 eg: New businesses thrive in this area. 11. strain: pressure on sb. 压力、重负；不堪承受 eg: Their marriage is under great strain at the moment. The dispute has strained relations between the two countries. 12. elucidate: to make sth. clearer by explaining it more fully eg: He elucidated a point of grammar. 13. pertinent: appropriate to a particular situation 有关的、恰当的、相宜的 eg：Please keep your comments pertinent to the topic under discussion. 14. tangent: not related to, digressive 离题的；正切的 eg：tangent remarks 15. irksome: (formal)annoying or irritating 令人生气的、恼人的