關鍵字彙：
compendium/ consequential/ crucial/ crux/ dregs/ epitome/ gist/ hub/ inane/ junk/ kernel/ momentous/ overarching/ paltry/ paramount/ peripheral/ petty/ pivotal/ purport/ quintessence/ refuse/ rubbish/ scum/ snapshot/ subsidiary/ tenor/ trash/ trifling/ trivia/ trivial
1. 「重要的」可用consequential，形容由於影響或涵蓋一切而重要用overarching（正式），形容因為和未來有重大關聯而重要用momentous，至於「最重要的」、「首要的」則用paramount（正式）：
•Let me think it over for some time, for it will be a consequential decision for me.
•Kissinger used to be a consequential man in the field of international diplomacy.
•Patience and love are the overarching concerns at the school.
•The overarching theme of the election campaign was political reform.
•On this momentous occasion, we must be very solemn.
•The momentous news of the president's death shocked the nation.
•Whether or not to study abroad was a momentous decision for her.
•Of Jack's many praiseworthy traits, his integrity is paramount/ is of paramount importance for our company.
2. 「關鍵的」、「決定性的」可用crucial或pivotal，「關鍵」、「核心」可用crux或kernel：
•He promised to help at a crucial moment.
•During the stagnation the company was undergoing a crucial test.
•It was the crucial event that decided the outcome of the war.
•This is a pivotal question that cannot be ignored.
•I wonder if he understands the crux of the matter.
•In the heated debate, the members of the club digressed from the kernel of the matter under discussion.
3. 「重點」、「要點」、「大意」、「主旨」可用gist、purport（正式）或tenor（正式）：
•The teacher asked her to give the gist of the essay in two sentences.
•The purport of his speech was to arouse the rabble.
•The tenor of the book is first expressed in the introduction.
4. 「簡要說明」、「概述」可用compendium或snapshot，「縮影」、「典型」叫epitome，「精華」、「典範」可用quintessence（正式），它經常以the quintessence of的形式出現，「（活動的）中心」、「樞紐」可用hub：
•The professor made a compendium of chemistry in a slim volume.
•Leave out details of the book and give me a compendium of useful information instead.
•The book gives us a snapshot of life in the Middle Ages.
•This final book is the epitome of all his previous ones.
•My cat is the epitome of laziness.
•He is the epitome of American humor.
•These books display the quintessence of wit.
•In former times, some people regarded mercury as the quintessence of the human body and of all substances.
•Tom is the quintessence of bravery.
•Taipei is the political and commercial hub of Taiwan.
5. 「較不重要的」、「次要的」可用subsidiary，「無關緊要的」叫 peripheral：
•This information may be used as subsidiary evidence but is not sufficient by itself to prove your argument.
•None of the peripheral criticism would do any harm to the project itself.
•The scholar regarded exercise and recreation as matters of peripheral interest.
6. 「瑣碎的」、「不重要的」可用paltry、petty、trifling或trivial，「無意義的」、「空洞的」可用inane，「瑣碎的細節」、「瑣事」可用trivia：
•Do not be upset by the paltry gossip; just ignore it.
•The two parties were engaged in petty quarrels and intrigues.
•The expected research turned out to contribute nothing but a few trifling discoveries.
•Why are you get angry over such trivial matters?
•His comment is inane because it doesn't help us solve our problem.
•The couple became bored with the trivia of everyday life.
7. 「無價值的東西」（垃圾）可用junk（非正式）、refuse（正式）、rubbish 或trash（主用於美國），「人渣」、「敗類」可用dregs或scum（非正式）：
•The author called his own writing all junk.
•There was a heap of kitchen refuse at the corner of the street.
•"Refuse collector" sounds better than "dustman."
•This book is all rubbish.
•It is his opinion that this essay is mere trash.
•Thieves and murderers are regarded as the dregs of society.
•Billiards is a good indoor game, but the billiard saloon is often filled with the scum of the town.
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