Cause & Effect

to involve something as a necessary part or consequence

涉及；必然带来

• Expanding the network would entail considerable investment in new equipment.
• Any change to the syllabus entails retraining the teaching staff.

Collocations: entail a risk · entail costs · necessarily entail

to slow down or block the progress or movement of something

阻碍；妨碍

• Poor infrastructure continues to impede economic growth in the region.
• Heavy rainfall impeded the rescue teams' access to the flooded valley.

Collocations: impede progress · seriously impede · impede development

to make it more difficult for something to happen or progress

阻碍；妨碍

• A shortage of skilled workers is hindering the country's recovery.
• Excessive regulation can hinder rather than help small businesses.

Collocations: hinder progress · seriously hinder · hinder growth

to encourage the development or growth of something

培养；促进

• Small class sizes foster closer interaction between students and teachers.
• The programme aims to foster a culture of innovation within the company.

Collocations: foster growth · foster cooperation · foster creativity

to draw out a response, reaction, or piece of information from someone

引出；引起

• The survey was designed to elicit honest opinions about workplace stress.
• The advertisement failed to elicit the emotional response its creators intended.

Collocations: elicit a response · elicit information · elicit sympathy

to produce or provide a result, profit, or amount

产生；带来

• The experiment yielded results that surprised even the researchers.
• Investment in early education yields substantial long-term benefits.

Collocations: yield results · yield a profit · yield benefits

to reduce or limit something, especially by cutting it short

缩减；限制

• The government moved to curtail public spending during the downturn.
• New regulations sharply curtailed the bank's riskier activities.

Collocations: curtail spending · severely curtail · curtail freedoms

to strengthen something or make it more effective

加强；强化

• The latest findings reinforce earlier warnings about air pollution.
• Advertising can reinforce harmful stereotypes about gender.

Collocations: reinforce a message · reinforce stereotypes · further reinforce

to come or happen before something else in time or order

先于；在…之前

• A sharp rise in unemployment usually precedes a recession.
• The lecture is preceded by a short introductory reading.

Collocations: immediately precede · precede a change · the preceding chapter

to emphasise or draw attention to the importance of something

强调；突显

• The pandemic underscored the importance of resilient supply chains.
• These figures underscore just how uneven the recovery has been.

Collocations: underscore the importance · underscore the need · further underscore

to make something seem reasonable or necessary; to justify

使有必要；证明…合理

• The preliminary results are promising enough to warrant a larger trial.
• Such a serious allegation warrants a full investigation.

Collocations: warrant attention · warrant further study · hardly warrant

to reach the highest or final point after a period of development

达到顶点；以…告终

• Years of negotiation culminated in a landmark climate agreement.
• The course culminates in a research project that students present to their peers.

Collocations: culminate in · culminate with · eventually culminate