12.This memo told me I was being transferred to Buffalo, where winter is really bad. I was worried when I saw people laughing at me, and I remembered it was April Fool's Day, and I realized my friends are pulling my leg.
他说：这份通知说我要被调往Buffalo去工作。Buffalo那儿的冬天可真糟糕。我正发愁的时候看到人们都在笑我，我这才想起今天是愚人节，原来是朋友们在骗我跟我开玩笑。
从这段话可以看出pull one's leg是跟某人开玩笑，或者是不带恶意的恶作剧。

13.pull the plug. 其中的plug ，这是电线一端的插头，插进墙上的插座就能得到电力。Pull the plug，当然就是把插头从插座上拔出来，那就是切断电源，或者等于是关了某一电器用具。这是从字面上来解释pull the plug
Business has been terrible for six months and is getting worse every day. I hate to say this but maybe the best thing to do is pull the plug and just close up shop for good.
他说：这六个月来生意很差，而且目前也一天不如一天，出于无奈我不得不说，最好还是结束业务关店算了。从这段话可以看出pull the plug可以解释结束、中止某一业务或者事业。

14. coffee shop, cafe 咖啡屋； suburb n.市郊, 郊区
There are all sorts of things  all sorts of 各种各样 a cup of coffee 一杯咖啡 linger
v.逗留, 闲荡, 拖延, 游移； do crossword puzzles 做纵横字谜；

15.outreach v.到达顶端, 超越;                                                       
n. a)The act or process of reaching out: 伸出展开的行为或过程：
could not allay the outreach of human intellect.
不能控制人类才智的发展
b)Extent or length of reach:所能达到的程度或长度：
the vast outreach of technology; the outreach of a forest fire from mountains to suburbs.
知识的广阔领域；从高山蔓延至市郊的森林火灾
c)A systematic attempt to provide services beyond conventional limits, as to particular segments of a community: 扩大服务项目有系统地尝试向一团体的特别部门提供超常规的服务：
an educational outreach to illiterate adults.
对文盲的教育服务项目扩大

16.Let's hear about the reason why he chose to work at a cafe over a high paying, high stress job. (高薪，压力大的工作） choose sth over sth else.
slow you down 让你放松；hang out居住；停留 He hangs out in an old house. 他住在一所旧房子里。
exponential指数的, 幂的increased exponentially 大幅增加，指数级增加