Insurance companies are normally willing to insure anything.

Insurance ^{n.保险；保险费；保险业}

• Insurance company
• Insurance agent / broker
• Insurance policy ^保单
• Insurance premium ^{交的保险费}
• medical care Insurance
• endowment Insurance
• unemployment Insurance
• housing fund ^公积金

Insuring public or private property is a standard practice in most countries in the world.

possession ^可数 / property ^不可数

• property / real estate ^不动产
• belongings / things ^{动产（习惯用复数）}

practice ^{n.习俗，惯例，习惯性的做法}

• On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat—the normally accepted practice in many northern countries.
• It takes a lot of practice to play the violin well.^{拉好小提琴需要多加练习。}
• In practice, however, such an attitude is counterproductive.^{然而在实际中，这种态度会适得其反。}
• Skill comes with practice. ^{熟能生巧。}
• This was a practice sanctified by tradition. ^{这是一种合乎传统的做法。}
• This practice is frowned upon as being wasteful. ^{这种做法被认为是浪费而不被赞成。}

If, however, you were holding an open air garden party or a fete it would be equally possible to insure yourself in the event of bad weather.

open-air = outdoor ^{adj.露天的、户外的}

• an open-air/outdoor concert
• an open-air/outdoor swimming pool

fete ^{n. (BrE) an outdoor event where there are competitions and things to eat and drink, usually organized to get money 游园会，义卖会}

• The Fourth of July is a great American fete. ^{七月四日是美国的重大节日。}
• Despite the bad weather the fete will go ahead. ^{尽管天气不好，游乐会照常举行。}
• The fete will take place on Sunday, rain or shine. ^{游园义卖会定于星期日举行，风雨无阻。}

in the event of ... ^{万一、如果、倘若、产生...}

• Sheila will inherit everything in the event of his death.^{他一旦故去，所有财产都由希拉继承。}
• Even in the event of a fire, fewer trees are consumed.^{即使发生火灾，损失的树木也会更少。}
• You can call me in the event of an emergency you can't handle.^{万一有你不能处理的紧急情况，你可以打电话给我。}

Needless to say, the bigger the risk an insurance company takes, the higher the premium you will have to pay.

The bigger the waves, the higher the fish price.

It is not uncommon to hear that a shipping company has made a claim for the cost of salvaging a sunken ship.

it is not uncommon (for sb.) to do ^{（对于某人来说）做某事一点也不新鲜}

• It is not uncommon for students to have bank loans.
• It is not uncommon for Chinese to be given names of popular slogans.

claim ^{n.索赔要求}

• Fortunately for them, the Bank of England has a team called Mutilated Ladies which deals with claims from people who fed their money to a machine or to their dog.
• The judge allowed my claim.^{法官同意我的要求。}
• The company has put in a claim for damages. ^{这家公司已提出赔偿损失的要求。}

But the claim made by a local authority to recover the cost of salvaging a sunken pie dish must surely be unique.

a local authority ^{当地政府（当地某一个政府）}

• There he was picked up by a policeman and sent back to England by the local authorities.
• Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.
• It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go wrong.
• When the fire had at last been put out, the forest authorities ordered several tons of a special type of grass seed which would grow quickly.
• The French authorities had the plane packaged and moved in parts back to France.