The study challenges long-held assumptions within traditional academia.
Acad-（学校）+emia：在象牙塔里的人，统称“学术界”。
Union leaders are bargaining for higher wages and better benefits.
Bar-gain：酒吧（Bar）里讨价还价（gain）买酒，这就是“议价”。
Diplomats worked through the night to draft an armistice that would halt the cross-border shelling.
Arm（手臂）+ istice（像 is-tice 一样静止）：手臂放下，战斗静止。
Investigators unearthed financial records that contradicted the CEO's initial statements.
Un（取消/向下）+ earth（地）：把埋在地下的东西挖出来。
Authorities discovered a significant stash of illegal firearms hidden beneath the floorboards of the abandoned warehouse.
Stash 听起来像“死锁”，把宝贝藏起来就像上了死锁的箱子，谁也打不开。
The sharp decline in consumer confidence reflected growing fears about an impending recession.
Re-lect-ed：Re(再) + lect(选/看)。就像在镜子(光)里再看一遍自己，这就是“反射”或“反映”。
The proposed infrastructure bill includes billions of dollars to modernize the nation’s aging water plumbing.
Plumb(铅垂线/垂直) + ing。铅锤是水管工用来确保管道垂直的工具。引申为“看不见的底层结构”。
The incident was described as a 'isolated mistake' by the company spokesperson, though witnesses disagreed.
De(下) + scrib(写) + ed。写下来让人知道是什么样，就是“描述”。
The deployment of additional soldiers to the border region has raised tensions among neighboring countries.
Sol（太阳）+ dier（弟儿）。弟弟在太阳下站岗，他是士兵（Soldiers）！