EN： The conjunction 'as' is used here to mean 'while' or 'at the same time that', introducing a subordinate adverbial clause showing two actions happening simultaneously or causally.
中文： 从属连词 'as' 在此表示「随着……」或「当……之际」，引导时间或伴随原因的副词从句，说明两件事同时发生且互有关联。
As living costs increase, more families are cutting back on luxuries.
随着生活成本增加，越来越多家庭正在削减非生活必需品的开销。
EN： The superlative adjective form 'the highest' is used with a definite article 'the' to compare three or more items, followed by a prepositional phrase ('in the UK') specifying the domain or group.
中文： 最高级形容词「the highest」与定冠词 the 连用，用以在三个以上的对象中作比较，后常接介词短语（如「in the UK」）指明范围或所属范畴。
This company offers the highest salary in the region.
这家公司提供该地区最高的薪水。
EN： In the UK, island communities such as Shetland and the Hebrides often suffer from significantly higher fuel and grocery prices due to ferry transport costs and a lack of supermarket competition, making energy costs a major political and economic issue.
中文： 在英国，像设得兰和赫布里底群岛等岛屿社区，往往因渡轮运输成本高昂以及缺乏大型超市竞争，导致燃料和民生物资价格居高不下，能源开销也因此成为当地重要的民生与经济议题。
EN： The prepositional phrase 'According to...' is used to cite an external source or authority. It is typically placed at the beginning of the sentence followed by a comma.
中文： 介词短语「According to...」（根据……）用来引用外部消息来源、权威机构或资料。通常置于句首，其后以逗号隔开。
According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow.
根据天气预报，明天会下雨。
EN： The Present Perfect tense ('has reached') is formed with 'has/have + past participle'. It indicates an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past and has an important result or relevance to the present situation.
中文： 现在完成式（has reached）由「has/have + 过去分词」构成，表示过去某个不确定时间点发生的动作，且该结果对现在仍有直接影响或重要关联。
Inflation has reached an all-time high this year.
今年通货膨胀率已达到历史新高。
EN： In the UK, fuel is traditionally priced in pence per litre (p/litre), where 100 pence equals 1 pound (£1). The RAC (Royal Automobile Club) is a prominent automotive services company that regularly monitors and publishes national fuel pricing data.
中文： 在英国，燃油价格传统上以每升多少便士为单位表示，100便士等于1英镑（£1）。英国皇家汽车俱乐部（RAC）是英国代表性的汽车服务机构，定期监测并发布全国燃油价格数据。。
EN： The preposition 'for' is used here to indicate price or cost (e.g., 'sold for [price]'). 'More than' acts as a comparative modifier meaning 'over' or 'exceeding'.
中文： 介词“for”在此处用来表示价格或代价（例如“以……价格售出”）。“more than”则是比较级修饰语，表示“超过”或“多于”。
He bought the rare book for more than fifty dollars.
他以五十多美元的价格买下了这本罕见的书。
EN： The indefinite article 'a' (or 'an') can be used in rates and measurements with the meaning of 'per' or 'each' (e.g., 'a litre' = 'per litre', 'twice a day' = 'twice per day').
中文： 不定冠词“a”（或“an”）可用于表示比率或度量单位，意思是“每一”（例如“a litre”相当于“per litre 每升”；“twice a day”意为“每天两次”）。
Apples cost three pounds a kilo at the local market.
当地市场的苹果每公斤售价三英镑。
EN： In the UK, fuel prices are customarily quoted in pence per litre (p/litre), rather than pounds, even when the price exceeds 100 pence (equivalent to £1.00). Shetland and the Hebrides are remote island communities off the Scottish coast, where high transport costs and limited local competition often make consumer goods and fuel significantly more expensive than on the UK mainland.
中文： 在英国，燃油价格通常以「每公升多少便士（pence per litre）」标示，即使超过 100 便士（即 1 英镑）也习惯沿用便士计价。雪特兰与赫布里底群岛属于苏格兰外围的偏远岛屿，由于货运成本高昂且缺乏加油站竞争，各类消费品与燃料价格通常显著高于英国本土。
EN： The conjunction 'because' introduces an adverbial clause of reason. Here, two parallel clauses ('there is little competition' and 'shipping fuel... is expensive') are joined by 'and' under the same 'because' clause to explain why prices are higher.
中文： 从属连接词「because」引导原因副词子句。在本句中，由对等连接词「and」连接了两个子句（「there is little competition」与「shipping fuel... is expensive」），共同作为说明价格较高的原因。
He stayed home because it was raining and he felt unwell.
他待在家里，因为外头在下雨，而且他觉得自己不舒服。
EN： Gerund phrases (verb + -ing) can function as the subject of a clause and take a singular verb. In 'shipping fuel to remote areas is expensive', the entire phrase acts as a singular subject governing the singular linking verb 'is'.
中文： 动名词片语（V-ing）可作为子句的主词，文法上视为单数，因此搭配单数动词。在「shipping fuel to remote areas is expensive」中，整个动名词片语担任主词，接单数连缀动词「is」。
Traveling to foreign countries broadens your horizons.
到外国旅行能开拓你的视野。
EN： In the UK, island communities like Shetland or the Hebrides frequently suffer from the 'island premium'—higher prices for goods, food, and fuel due to ferry logistics and a lack of large supermarket or petrol station chains.
中文： 在英国，像设得兰或赫布里底群岛等岛屿社区经常面临“岛屿溢价”（island premium）问题——由于依赖渡轮等繁复物流，加上缺乏大型连锁超市或加油站的良性竞争，当地的民生物资与燃油价格往往显著高于本土。
EN： The conjunction 'that' is often omitted after reporting verbs like 'say', 'think', or 'believe' in informal and journalistic styles, introducing a noun clause that functions as the direct object.
中文： 在新闻报道或口语表达中，像 say、think、believe 等引述动词后面常会省略连接词 that，直接接名词子句作为动词的受词。
Locals believe the new policy will improve public transportation.
当地居民认为新政策将会改善大众运输。
EN： The present continuous tense ('are affecting') is used here to describe an ongoing, evolving situation happening around the present time.
中文： 此处使用现在进行式（are affecting）来描述目前正在持续发生、且持续演变中的影响或情况。
High inflation is affecting family budgets across the country.
高通膨正在影响全国各地的家庭预算。
EN： In the UK, particularly in remote regions such as the Scottish islands, fuel delivery incurs high transport surcharges. Because these communities heavily rely on ferries and road transit for essential supplies, oil price spikes have an immediate ripple effect on all aspects of daily life.
中文： 在英国，特别是苏格兰各离岛等偏远地区，燃油必须仰赖渡轮运送，产生昂贵的运输附加费。由于岛民高度依赖航运与陆运获取生活必需品，油价上涨会迅速波及公共服务、食物供应与日常通勤，形成全面的物价压力。
EN： Non-defining relative clause (introduced by 'who'): It provides extra, non-essential information about a specific proper noun ('Adam') and is separated by commas.
中文： 非限定关系子句（由 who 引导）：用来为专有名词（Adam）补充额外说明，前后需加上逗号隔开，省略后不影响主要句意。
Sarah, who works at the local clinic, commutes by bicycle every day.
在当地诊所工作的莎拉每天骑自行车通勤。
EN： Noun clause as direct object (introduced by 'that'): Used after reporting verbs like 'said' to report what someone stated.
中文： 名词子句作宾语（由 that 引导）：常接在 said 等转述动词之后，用以陈述说话者所表达的内容。
The manager said that the project would finish on time.
经理表示该项目将会按时完成。
EN： In the UK, fuel prices are commonly quoted in 'pence per litre' on petrol station signs, but high prices over 100 or 200 pence are often converted and expressed in pounds (e.g., £2.28 / litre). Remote Scottish islands face exceptionally high prices due to transport logistics and lack of filling station competition.
中文： 在英国，加油站看板通常以「便士/公升」（pence per litre）标示油价，但当油价飙破 200 便士时，媒体与民众常以英镑计价（如 2.28 英镑/公升）。由于偏远的苏格兰岛屿仰赖海运运送燃油且缺乏市场竞争，当地居民承受的油价往往显著高于英国本岛。
EN： The causative structure 'make + object + adjective' expresses that a cause leads someone or something to enter a particular state. Here, 'makes' takes 'commute' as its object, followed by the adjective 'costly' acting as the object complement.
中文： 「make + 宾语 + 形容词」是常见的使役结构，用来表达某种原因导致宾语处于某种状态。在此句中，动词「makes」后接宾语「commute」，并以形容词「costly」作为宾语补语。
The heavy rain made the mountain road dangerous for drivers.
大雨使这条山路对驾驶者来说变得非常危险。
EN： Compound adjectives with hyphens: When measurements or descriptions precede a noun to modify it, they are often hyphenated (e.g., '45-mile', 'round-trip'). Note that units remain singular (e.g., 'mile', not 'miles').
中文： 复合形容词（连字符用法）：当数量、度量或描述置于名词前做修饰时，常使用连字符连接（如「45-mile」和「round-trip」）。注意此时度量单位名词须使用单数形（使用「mile」而非「miles」）。
She took a two-hour direct flight to Paris.
她搭乘了两个小时的中转航班前往巴黎。
EN： In rural and remote parts of the UK, such as the Scottish islands (like North Uist), public transport can be limited or nonexistent, making residents completely dependent on private cars. A '45-mile round-trip' commute is common across dispersed island communities, so fuel price surges directly and heavily impact daily household budgets.
中文： 在英国乡村与偏远地区（例如北尤伊斯特等苏格兰岛屿），公共交通非常有限甚至缺乏，居民极度依赖私家车。在岛屿分散的社区之间，“45英里往返”的通勤相当普遍，因此燃料价格飙升会直接且严重地冲击家庭日常开支。
EN： Present participle clause ('adding that...'): A participial phrase functioning as an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstance, indicating an action happening at the same time as the main reporting verb 'said'.
中文： 现在分词从句（adding that...）：作为伴随状况的状语修饰语，表示与主要引述动词“said”同时发生的动作或补充说明。
He walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
他走出房间，顺手重重甩上了门。
EN： Metaphorical verbs in informal English: 'Skyrocket' means to rise extremely quickly, while 'hammer' (transitive verb) informally means to hit or affect someone very severely and negatively.
中文： 非正式英语中的隐喻动词：“skyrocket”指价格等飞速暴涨；而“hammer”在此作为及物动词，口语上意为“沉重打击”或“给……带来重创”。
High inflation is hammering small businesses across the country.
高通胀正沉重打击着全国各地的小型企业。
EN： In rural Scotland and remote island communities (like the Hebrides), almost all goods and fuel must be transported by ferry, which already incurs heavy surcharges. When global oil prices surge, islanders suffer doubly because basic groceries and parcel deliveries include these inflated transportation costs.
中文： 在苏格兰乡村与偏远离岛社区（例如赫布里底群岛），几乎所有民生物资和燃料都必须依赖渡轮运送，本身就承担额外的附加费。因此当国际油价暴涨时，岛民承受的是双重打击，连带日常食品和快递物流都会跟着大幅涨价。
重要单词附有 IPA 发音、定义、例句和互动式测验。
在本文中： 柴油，一種重質石油燃料
在本文中： 本土、大陸（相對於島嶼的地區）
在本文中： 競爭（指商業上爭取顧客或市佔率的情況）
在本文中： 偏遠的、僻靜的
在本文中： 通勤（往返住家與工作地點）
在本文中： 通勤路程或時間
在本文中： 昂貴的、代價高昂的
在本文中： 暴漲、飛漲
在本文中： 沉重打擊、重創
片语包含类型标示、双语定义、用法说明和例句。
The highest (or lowest) price ever recorded in history
创纪录的价格
A journey to a given place and back again
来回的、双程的
Financial difficulties or stress caused by money problems or high living expenses
经济压力
The cost of energy sources such as petrol or diesel used to run vehicles and machinery
燃油价格、油价