Words and Usage
McCarthy - 麥卡錫（Joseph Raymond McCarthy，1908-1957）
是美國極端反共的共和黨人。1946年他當選為參議員後，曾任國會政府活動委員會主席，利用其職權以清共為由，傳召調查政敵和對他有意見的社會各界人士。不少人被撤職、逮捕甚至迫害致死。後來他試圖把「忠誠調查」擴展到軍隊，引致艾森豪總統的不滿。1954年，參議院通過法案譴責麥卡錫的政治迫害行為。「麥卡錫主義」（McCarthyism） 成為「政治迫害」的同義詞。
Baffle (verb) - If something baffles you, you cannot
understand or explain it.（難倒，困惑）
Examples: 1.An apple tree producing square fruit is
baffling experts. 2.I was baffled by many of the scientific terms used in the article.
A thorn in one's flesh/side (idiom) - A constant source
of irritation（眼中釘，肉中刺，長期令人煩惱的人或事）
Examples: 1.A relentless campaigner, he was a thorn
in the government's flesh for a number of years.
2.Mother's always comparing us children—it's
a thorn in our sides.
Maul (verb, often used in the passive) –If an animal mauls
someone, it attacks them and injures them with its teeth or claws.（撕咬，攻擊）
Examples: 1.A small boy had been mauled by the
neighbour's dog.
2.A bear killed one hiker and badly mauled the other.
Hit/strike home (idiom) - To cause you to fully realize
how unpleasant or difficult something is.（打中要害）
Examples: 1.His criticism hits home.
2.The teacher's comment struck home and
the student vowed to work harder.
