broad& wide
broad侧重指表面或幅面的宽广, wide则强调从一边到另一边的距离。
○ broad通常用来形容人的脸、肩、背、胸以及植物,如: broad shoulder
○ wide形容人的口、眼睛等之大,如: wide eyes
【温馨提示】用于引申义,表示“广泛的”,通常用 wide。如: wide reading广泛的阅读
【牛刀小试】(请选择本组辨析合适单词或短语填入下面空白)
This restaurant has become popular for its______ range of foods that suit all tastes and pockets.
答案: wide
cause& reason
表示造成某一事实或现象的直接原因或起因,一般要用 cause(后常接 of),不用 reason。如: the cause of traffic事故的起因
【温馨提示】表示“理由”时,两者虽然常常互换,但也有区别:
( 1) cause是不可数名词,而 reason可用作可数或不可数名词,因此当需要用复数或受 a, every, many等修饰时,通常要用 reason。
( 2) reason之后可接 why引导的定语从句,而 cause不能。
【牛刀小试】(请选择本组辨析合适单词或短语填入下面空白)
It is necessary to research into the______ of cancer.
答案: cause
certain& sure
只能用 certain而不能用 sure的情形:
( 1)当句中用了形式主语或形式宾语 it时:
I don’ t think it wise to cheat in the exam. 我认为考试作弊不明智。
( 2)当表示“某一”或“某些”时:
A______ Jim is waiting for you. 有个叫吉姆的正在等你。
【牛刀小试】(请选择本组辨析合适单词或短语填入下面空白)
It is certain that something have gone wrong with the machine.
答案: certain
chance& opportunity
表可能性只用 chance。
【正误对照】我有可能通过这次驾照考试。
误: There is an opportunity that he will pass the driving test.
正: There is a chance that he will pass the driving test.
【牛刀小试】(请选择本组辨析合适单词或短语填入下面空白)
______ are that they would have replied," Because it's fun."
答案: Chances
collect& gather
gather通常只表示把分散的人或物集拢在一起,意为“集合,采集”而 collect则往往指有计划、有条理地为了某一目的而进行的较为精心的搜集,例如集邮,募捐或收票(税)等。
【比比看】 gather books把书聚集在一起↔ collect books收集藏书
gather money攒钱↔ collect money筹募资金
gather stamps把邮票集中在一起↔ collect stamps集邮
gather thoughts集中思想↔ collect thoughts组织思想
【牛刀小试】(请选择本组辨析合适单词或短语填入下面空白)
All of you________ at the school gate! We’ ll soon start.
答案: gather
complete& finish
finish后接动名词,可用作不及物动词,其形容词形式为 finished“完成的,完美的,精巧的”。
complete不接动名词,可用作形容词意为“全部的,完成的”。
【牛刀小试】(请选择本组辨析合适单词或短语填入下面空白)
Whenever my brother______ writing his homework, he will take me out to play basketball.
答案: finishes
country, nation& state
country侧重指国土或疆域; nation侧重国民或民族;而 state则侧重指政权或国家机器。【巧学妙记】地理老师用 country;人口老师用 nation;政治老师用 state。
【牛刀小试】(请选择本组辨析合适单词或短语填入下面空白)
The whole______ was deep sorrow at this news.
答案: nation
cure& treat
cure强调结果意为“治愈”;而 treat强调过程意为“治疗”。
cure sb. of+疾病
treat sb. for+疾病
【牛刀小试】(请选择本组辨析合适单词或短语填入下面空白)
Many medical scientists are racing against time to find a______ for H 1 N 1 as soon as possible.
答案: cure