Vocabulary

surpass vt. be better or greater than sth. else 优于，超过（某事物）

e.g.

1. We will surpass our predecessors, and future generations will certainly surpass us.  我们会超过前人，后人也必然会超过我们。

2. The task surpassed his skill.    以他的技术，这项工作他难以胜任。

3. Do you alone surpass these in doctrine, in your manner of life, and in every other respect? 

难道你真的在做人原则、生活习惯和其他方面都比这些人卓越吗？

dispatch n. & vt.

1) n. [C] a report that a military officer sends from a battlefield (=a place where a battle is being fought) or a government official sends from a foreign country 战报

e.g.

1. Our unit received a dispatch from headquarters ordering us to tighten security.   我们小分队收到了司令部的战报，命令我们加强安全措施。

2. In his battle dispatch he described the gunner's bravery.

2) vt. (fml) send  someone  or  something  somewhere 派遣；发送；派送

e.g.

Please dispatch the TV sets we ordered by sea. 请海运我们订购的电视机。

amends n. (make ~) recompense or compensation given or gained for some injury, insult, etc. 赔偿；补救

e.g.

1. He repented of his wrong doing and tried to make amends. 

他后悔自己的错误行为，想尽力补救。

2. I want to make amends to my friend for breaking her precious vase. 

我打破了朋友的贵重花瓶，想赔偿她的损失。

Phrases

on the brink of (doing) sth.: on the point in time when sth. very bad or very good is about to happen 在……的边缘

e.g.

1. She believed she was on the brink of discovering a cure for cancer.

她相信自己快要找到治愈癌症的方法了。

2. We're often told that the world is tethering on the brink of destructio.    

我们经常被告知世界处于毁灭的边缘。

3. The stock market was on the brink of collapse.   股市已到崩盘的边缘。

date back to: be made or begin at a particular time in the past 始于（过去某个时候）；追溯到

e.g.

1. The history of hockey can date back to thousands of years ago.

曲棍球的历史可以追溯到数千年前。

2. While mini-books have become a big business, there are few people who would believe that these books date back to 15th century. 

现在迷你书已经风行市场，但却少有人知道它们的历史竟可以追溯到15世纪。