wrack one's mind and heart for
为......绞尽脑汁
eg. Bob wracked his mind and heart trying to remember where he left the book.
鲍勃绞尽脑汁试图回忆起书丢在何处。

expire
vt. 终止；期满
eg. Now her passport has expired.
现在她的护照已过期了。

on hte threshold of
在......快要开始的时候
eg. This country is on the threshold of prosperity.
这个国家即将进入繁荣之境。

extol
vt. 颂扬
eg. They extol the virtues of the peaceful life.
他们都称赞宁静的乡村生活的种种的优点。

crucial
adj. 关键性的
eg. She broke into the conversation at a crucial moment.
她在关键时刻打断了谈话。

quixotic
adj. 不切实际的
eg. At worst his scruples must have been quixotic, not malicious.
从最坏的角度来说，他的疑虑肯定是出于一时冲动，而不含恶意。

paradoxical
adj. 矛盾的
eg. The result of such punishments is often paradoxical.
这样惩罚的结果往往适得其反。

bear with
忍受
eg. We have to bear with his bad temper because he is a bit frustrated these days.
我们不得不容忍他的坏脾气因为这些日子他有点灰心丧气。

strike a balance between
在......之间寻求平衡
eg. This teacher tries to strike a balance between work and play.
老师试图使学生们的学业和娱乐两全其美。