1. 認識這個詞（基礎篇）
詞：merit
英英釋義：an advantage or good feature of something
例句：The great merit of the solution is its flexibility and low cost.
2. 體會這個詞 （進階篇）
“merit”可以做名詞也可以做動詞，它作名詞的意思是“優點、價值”。這個詞的用法比較正式，可以用來替換 good point(s) 或 advantage，在《經濟學人》中經常可以見到這個詞。下面我們通過幾個例子掌握它的用法。
這個方案最大的好處在于它的靈活性和低成本，可以說：
The great merit of the solution is its flexibility and low cost.
這本導游手冊兼具內容豐富和可讀性強的優點，可以說：
This travel guide book has the merit of being both informative and readable.
這些教學法雖然各有差異，但都有價值，就可以說：
The pedagogies vary, but each has its own merit.
下面來看《經濟學人》中的幾個例子：
1）As in the West, the educational merits of bricks appeal to Chinese parents. Last year 98% of those surveyed by Lego said that play was essential for their child’s well-being, even more than Americans and Danes.
2）Setting aside the merits of her proposals, her focus on policy is clever politics, and unusual.（這里說的是美國民主黨候選人 Elizabeth Warren）
3）By informing consumers about the relative merits of various products, ads improve the quality of purchasing decisions and, conceivably, leave both firms and shoppers better off than they would be in an ad-free world.（這里可以聯想到“什么值得買” App）
4）Kevin Hassett, the chairman of the Trump administration’s Council of Economic Advisers, sees merit in the idea of strengthening America’s automatic stabilisers, as it can take too long to realise a recession is happening for discretionary stimulus to arrive in time.
3. 從認識到會用（作業）
1）翻譯下面的句子：?
這個想法本身有價值，但在實踐中并行不通。
The idea has its merit but does not work in practice.
（參考翻譯：The idea has its merit but does not work in practice/in reality.）
2）結合自己的生活、學習、工作、興趣等，想象在什么語境下會用到這個表達。先簡要描述這個場景，再造句。? ?
這部電影兼具情節曲折和可看性強的優點。
This film has the merit of being both twisty plotted and watchable.
