Ⅰ、vocabulary

1、insipid

意思：ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词 枯燥乏味的;令人厌烦的 If you describe someone or something as insipid, you mean they are dull and boring.

原句： The second is necessarily longer and it has an insipid quality:something was done by somebody to someone else.

造句： On the surface she seemed meek, rather insipid.

2、sap

意思： VERB 动词 消耗(精力);削弱(信心) If something saps your strength or confidence, it gradually weakens or destroys it.

原句： A style that consists of passive constructions will sap the readers energy.

造句： Analysts say the recession in Japan has sapped investor confidence.

3、redundant

意思： ADJ 形容词 多余的；不再需要的；过剩的 Something that is redundant is no longer needed because its job is being done by something else or because its job is no longer necessary or useful.

原句： Again and again incarelesswriting, strong verbs are weakened by redundant adverbs.

造句： Changes in technology may mean that once-valued skills are now redundant.

4、dilute

意思： VERB 动词 削弱;降低;减轻 If someone or something dilutes a belief, quality, or value, they make it weaker and less effective.

原句： They dilute your style and your persuasiveness.

造句： There was a clear intention to dilute black voting power.

5、mire

意思： N-SING 单数名词 泥潭;困境;艰难处境 You can refer to an unpleasant or difficult situation as a mire of some kind.

原句： If you find yourself hopelessly mired in a long sentence, it's probably because you're trying to make the sentence do more than it canreasonably do

造句： We must not be drawn into the mire of civil war.

Ⅱ、Reflection

 My revised sentences aren't jumping with vigor, partly because the material I'm trying to knead into shape is shapeless dough. But at least they have real people and real verbs. Don't get caught holding a bag full of abstract nouns. You'll sink to the bottom of the lake and never be seen again.

这句话本身有很多有意思的表达：

jump with vigor 跳跃出/迸发出活力

knead into shape 揉成型

material is shapeless dough 材料是不成型的面团

get caught 被抓住→陷入...的境况

holding a bag full of abstract nouns；ink to the bottom of the lake（单纯欣赏一下修辞）

句子中没有人的成分，整句话是冷冰冰的，即使将很多形容词或动词人格化，也毕竟只是一个物摆在那儿，句子也就没了生气。要让句子生动，可尽量使一些句子成分人格化，比喻、拟人等修辞就很派的上用场，结构上也会很新颖。如果一个句子里没有真人和真动词，那么满满的抽象名词会让人窒息，也会让写作者陷入创作窘境。