WORDS AND USAGE

　　Close/shut the door on sth (idiom)

　　●To make it impossible for something to happen, especially a plan or a solution to a problem.（将…拒之门外，使…不可能发生）

　　Examples:

　　1.There are fears that this latest move might have closed the door on a peaceful solution.　　

　　2.Last quarter's poor sales figures have shut the door on any expansion plans.

　　A burnt child dreads the fire (proverb)

　　●If something has hurt you once, you avoid it after that.（一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳；见过鬼怕黑）

　　Examples:

　　Tom: "Let's go ride the roller coaster!"　　Jane: "No, thanks. I got sick on one of those once, and a burnt child dreads the fire."　　Ever since Rose rebuffed me so rudely, I've avoided asking her for anything; a burnt child dreads the fire.

　　Per se (adverb)

　　●by, of or for itself.（严格地说，应该是，本质上是）

　　Examples:

　　1.Research shows that it is not divorce per se that harms children, but the continuing conflict between parents.

　　2.This candidate is not a pacifist per se, but he is in favor of peaceful solutions when practicable.

　　Swollen-headed (adj.)

　　●Characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance.（自负的，傲慢的）

　　Examples:

　　1.I couldn't sit down to eat my meals with a lot of swollen-headed nobodies.

　　2.Dora has been so swollen-headed since she won that scholarship.

　　With your nose in the air (idiom)

　　●Behaving as if you think you are better than other people and do not want to speak to them.（目空一切，目中无人）

　　Examples:

　　1.I quite often see him in the street and he always walks past with his nose in the air.

　　2.She thinks she's so smart; she's always walking around with her nose in the air.