美国候任总统特朗普已选定埃克森美孚行政首席执行官雷克斯•蒂勒森出任国务卿。请看本报周五的报道：

    As chief of ExxonMobil, Rex Tillerson honed many of the skills inseparable from the exercise of high-level diplomacy: navigating complex geopolitics and pushing tough negotiations with friends and foes around the world.

    The question now facing the 64-year-old Texan, as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, is whether he can bring those skills to serve American interests, and break free from the oil industry that shaped him over a lifetime.

    报道中的hone the skills就是“提高技能”，例如：

    Jane’s new job requires her to talk to lots of people. She’s really honing her people’s skills.

    因为简的工作每天都要与人打交道，所以她的人际交往能力越来越棒。