wearing-out: 穿破

Better to wear out than to rust out.

与其锈掉，不如用坏；与其闲死，不如忙死。

thermodynamics : 热力学

moot point : 有争议的 moot :means 'rally'.

moot：在词义上延伸为“有待商榷的问题”。

moot court: 模拟法庭

run-down : 破旧的（机械的）

decrepit : 衰老

dilapidated ：破旧的

shabby ： 破旧的（房子）

Notes on the text 课文讲解***

The Process of Ageing

课文开始 ：At the age of twelve years, the human body is at its most vigorous. ...

vigorous 后省略 stage

同义词: lively robust dynamic

接下来课文...It has yet to reach its full size and strength,and its owner has(to reach ) his or her full intelligence;...

yet=however

yet 可在句中,不用标点

however 要用逗号隔开

stealthy slide out of room 溜出房间

play truant : 逃学

接下来课文...but at this age the likelihood of death is least. Earlier we were infants and young children, and consequently more vulnerable;...

injection: 注射

cry one’s eyes out： 嚎啕大哭

接下来课文...later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigour and resistance which, though imperceptible at first, will finally become so steep that we can live no longer, ...