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分享一个知识点： Reader question: Please explain this news headline – Businesses get grim news with pep talk – and “pep talk” in particular. My comments: In this overall economic downturn or recession businesses big and small receive a lot of grim news – bad, bleak stories, no good news. Grim news, that is, sprinkled with bits and pieces of encouragements, such as hopeful remarks made by political leaders as well as businesspeople themselves. Pep talk is such encouraging speech aimed at giving hope and energy to people who find themselves in a tough situation. Pep is the word to learn here. Pep is a colloquial term for vigor and energy. The common phrase is “pep up”. If you’re down in a gloomy day, for example, you may perhaps want to listen to some 1940s jazz, music of the swing era. This music will force you to have your toes tapping… and perhaps that’ll help “pep you up”! “Pep talk” is most commonly used these days to describe a coach’s rallying speech to his players before a big game, especially against a formidable foe and when their team’s chances of winning are slim. The coach will try to have his players ignore the odds against them, and try to focus on information that’s more encouraging, or at least more consoling. Take the ongoing NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic for example. The Lakers are heavy favorites. They are playing in the Finals for a second straight year. The Lakers have home court advantage – they get to play 4 of the seven games at home in front of their own audience. And they have Kobe Bryant, the closest thing to Michael Jordan the NBA has to offer right now. The Magic, on the other hand, are in their first finals since 1995…. | 
