1. A breath of fresh air: 带来新气象的人
　　“Joelle is so lovely and lively that she is a breath of fresh air for the whole family.”

　　2. The calm before the storm: 暴风雨来临前的宁静
　　“The serene atmosphere in the factory is just the calm before the storm. Once the new boss comes, things will radically change.”

　　3. A dose/ taste of one's own medicine: 尝尝自己的药，即用同样方法对待对方
　　“Tony has smeared John's reputation. It is now time for Tony to have a dose of his own medicine.”

　　4. A drop in the ocean: 海洋中的一滴水，即沧海一粟
　　“For a banker like Mr Huang, a donation of one million dollars is nothing but a drop in the ocean.”

　　5. Force of circumstances: 时势所逼
　　“Owing to force of circumstances, the man has to dispose of his house to settle all his debts.”

　　6. （All） grist to one's mill: 可利用之物
　　“As a writer, social ills and problems are all grist to his mill.”

　　7. A home from home: 第二个家；宾至如归之地
　　“Many foreigners come to work and stay in Singapore; they regard this country as a home from home.”

　　8. A jack of all trades: 一个样样都懂的人
　　“If you have any repairing work to do, just ask Xiao Li, who is a jack of all trades.”

　　9. A leap/ shot in the dark: 不顾后果的冒险行为；没事实根据的猜测
　　“To enter the hiding place of the gangsters is a leap in the dark. Don't do it!/ Tom's answer, though correct, was only a shot in the dark.”

　　10. The lesser of two evils: 两害之较轻者
　　“Employing a person who is loyal but not very capable is better than employing one who is very capable but disloyal; the former is the lesser of two evils.”

　　11. The life and soul of the party: 聚会的灵魂人物
　　“Thanks to Helen, all had a good time at the get-together. Helen was really the life and soul of the party.”

　　12. The man in the street: 一个普通人
　　“Such sophisticated music cannot appeal to the man in the street.”

　　13. The man of the hour: 风云人物
　　“Jason achieved one success after another. No doubt, he is the man of the hour.”

　　14. A pack of lies: 一连串的谎言
　　“Don't listen to him! What he has said is a pack of lies.”

　　15. Rule of thumb: 凭经验而来的方法
　　“Many people consider English verbs difficult. Is there a rule of thumb for mastering English verbs?/ As a rule of thumb, you have to pay $100 a month for every $1000 you borrow.”

　　16. The run of the mill: 例常的事
　　“There is nothing special about my work; it is just the run of the mill.”

　　17. A shot in the arm: 一剂兴奋剂
　　“The favourable opinion poll gave the biggest opposition party a shot in the arm.”