steep: implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is difficult: a ~ staircase leading to the attic.    (sharp有5个意思  1、锐利尖锐的having a thin edge or fine point that is able to cut or make holes in things，如sharp knife/pencil/teeth/claws锐利(尖锐)的刀/铅笔/牙齿/爪牙，不过锐角是acute angle  2、突然的快速的sudden, quick，如sharp rise/drop/turn/pain/disappointment突升/降/转/突然疼痛/失望   3、明显的clear and easy to see，如sharp image/image/difference清晰的图像/图片/明显的区别  4、精锐聪颖的able to understand things and solve problems quickly，如a sharp student/pilot/engineer聪明的学生/精锐飞行员/工程师  5、贬义尖锐being sharp in an unpleasant way，如a sharp replay/tongue/noise/odor/wind/business practices/operator粗鲁回复/嘴尖/尖锐噪声/刺鼻气味/刺骨寒风/商业投机/老狐狸)  pitch可以表示坡度the amount or degree of slope on a roof or other surface，如a roof with a steep pitch屋顶是陡的        steep和sharp同义，反义词都是gentle不陡峭not steep or sharp，如a gentle slope/hill/curve平缓的斜坡/小山/曲线


abrupt: implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level: a beach with an ~ drop-off.     level水平，指某平面的高度，如sea/ground level海平/地平是指海面和地面的高度 ，引申指程度等级层次数量等


precipitous: applies to steepness approaching the vertical: the airplane went into a ~ nosedive.      （vertical垂直向上的going straight up，如a shirt with vertical stripes直条衬衣，the vertical axis/integration/communication纵轴/垂直整合/上下交流  perpendicular垂直，但不一定是上下，也可能是和一条斜线或一个斜平面垂直connecting to another line or surface at a 90 degree angle，如a perpendicular line垂直线，这里两个词都表示和地面垂直）     (名词precipitation降水，如雨雪  名词precipice悬崖  precipitous还表示草率的=precipitate, 如a precipitous decision/action草率的决定/行动)    


sheer: suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse: climbers able to ascend ~ cliffs.


steep陡的: 指坡度陡，上下困难，abrupt陡的: 更加得陡，高度突变，precipitous陡峭: 指接近垂直，sheer陡峭垂直: 指完全垂直


记忆方法: 1）首字母SAPS树液<==陡的         "陡"指"坡度很大，近于垂直"，从阜走声。"阜"表示与地形地势的高低上下有关。  "峭"特指山陡

         2）练习一下
         
         3）陡的的意思是坡度接近垂直mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular.