The storm took a heavy toll. (暴风造成重大损失。)
The severe earthquake may have taken its toll on the economy of Taiwan. (或 Taiwan's economy) (强烈地震对台湾的经济造成损失。)
The boss eliminated several senior positions to save money；it took a pesonal toll on him.（老板为了省钱删除了几个资深职位，对他个人倒有不良影响。）
(注：to take its toll 较为常用)
7. to have the floor：指在开会时取得发言权，有人发言时，其他与会者应该注意听。
(Everybody at the meeting should keep quiet and listen carefully when someone speaks to the audience.)（floor 本意是全体议员或全体与会者。)
例如： Will you mind letting Miss Wang have the floor？ (王小姐发言时，请大家安静注意听好吗？)
Everybody should be able to have the floor during the meeting. (开会时，每个人都应该有发言权。)
Let Mr. Chen have the floor for ten minutes. (让陈先生发言十分钟，大家注意听。)
He was given the floor by the chairperson. (主席让他发言。)
8. to hold water：意思是站得住脚，禁得起考验或有足够的证据可证明一件事的可靠性.
（to have evidence to prove something) (反之，「hold no water」就是没有足够的证据，站不住脚。)
例如： I think his statement does not hold water.
（我想他的声明是站不住脚的）
也就是： There is no enough evidence to prove what he has said.
(可见「hold no water」=「does not hold water」) His theory holds water.
（他的理论是有足够证明的）
Her constant excuses for being tardy holds no water.（或 does not hold water)
(她时常的迟到藉口，没有足够的理由。)
The U. S. bombing excuse did not hold water with China.
（美国轰炸理由不足取信中国）也就是：
China feels that the reason given by the U.S. for bombing the Chinese embassy does not hold water. 所以： The argument does not hold wate r= The argument holds no water. (这争吵是没有足够的理由)
9. to tighten (one's) belt：意思是束紧裤带，省吃俭用或缩紧预算（to cut the budget)
例如： The government has to tighten its belt due to a large deficit. (由於庞大的赤字，政府必须缩紧预算。)
He tried to tighten his belt after he lost his job. (他失业後，想办法省吃俭用。)
但也可指真正的束紧腰带： Mrs. Chen has tightened her belt because she lost twenty pounds. (陈太太缩紧了腰带因为她瘦了廿磅)
10. to put (one's) best foot forward: 意思是全力以赴，给人以尽可能好的印象，包括礼貌、举止、说话、外表等等
(to get first good impression including manners, speech, appearance, etc.)。
例如： When you go for a job interview, put your best foot forward.
（当你求职面试时，首先要尽量给人良好的印象。)
We all have to put our best foot on this project.
（我们对这个计画要做得好才能给别人一个好印象。)
11. to miss a trick: 意思是不了解全部实况或不能细心察看
(not to figure out a situation； don't know everything that is going on；not very perceptive of every situation.)
(反之，does not miss a trick 就是对全部情况非常了解。)
例如： He states emphatically that he never seems to miss a trick with his staff.
（他强调他对下属是明察秋毫，无所不知。)
We can not pull the wool over his eyes because he does not miss a trick.
（我们瞒不过他，因为他对所有的事，都很清楚。)
Parents should not miss a trick regarding what their children are doing.
(父母对儿女所做所为，应该细心察看，不可忽略。) He was fired because he missed all the tricks.（由於他对事不能细心观察而被解雇。) (有人认为：如果说一个人十分「精明」，事事「明察秋毫」，似乎有点「spy」的味道，所以不是恭维话，读者以为然否？)