VOA慢速英语:Cohousing Community Offers Washington Homeowners Modern Village Living

短语讲解：

1. There is a Monday night group that consists of thirty, forty people.

consist of由…组成，由...构成
例句：The atmosphere consist of more than 70% of nitrogen.
大气中含有 70% 以上的氮气。

2. We have a specific person who cleans the bathrooms, and, in between, people are expected to pick up after themselves when they use the common house.

pick up 收拾东西〔屋子〕
例句：The room must be picked up before the guests arrive.
这个房间在客人到达之前必须收拾出来。

3. My husband and I were young architects studying in Denmark when we came across this idea.

come across出现在脑海中, 留下印象
例句：A good idea came across my mind.
我忽然想到一个好主意。

4. I think what we did was sort of take the Danish model and adapt it to an American model, to our crazy, modern twenty-first century lives.

adapt to变得习惯于…, 使适应于, 能应付…
例句：I adapted quickly to the new climate.
我很快地适应了这种新的气候。

5. She says cohousing also makes sense for economic and environmental reasons.

make sense有道理；有意义；是明智的, 是合情合理的
例句：It would make sense to leave early.
还是早点走好。

6. And I’ve got to figure out a way to live on my wits because my back is getting tired.

figure out计算出; 解决;想出
例句：Could you help me figure out this problem?
你能帮我解决这问题吗?
live on以…为食; 靠…为生
例句：That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.
那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。

7. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." and some things that belong to neither tradition -- like singing a Beatles song

belong to属于
例句：Victory belongs to the most persevering.
胜利属于最有毅力的人。

8. If you marry someone from your own community, there’s a common sympathy and understanding, tradition, a culture, social events, that you’re just familiar with.

familiar with熟悉的
例句：I am not very familiar with European history.
我对欧洲历史不太熟悉。

9. The United States is sometimes described as the world's most religiously diverse nation.

describe as描述为
例句：I should describe the attempt as a failure.
我认为这次尝试失败了。