近义词辨析

Unit1

Synonyms

1. shake shudder

Both refer to involuntary (不由自主的) vibratory (振动的) movement that often suggest mental strain or discomfort.

shake vt. & vi.

The most general word, suggesting something that is done to as well as by a person or object.

1) to shake with fear, cold, laughter, anger, fever, ect.

E.g. The child's small body shook with fear.

2) vibrate, rock

E.g. The explosion shook the house. / The house shook with the explosion.

3) move … (vigorously)

E.g. The medicine is to be shaken before use.

shake one’s head

shake hands with each other

4) wave, especially in anger

E.g. shake one’s fist at / to sb.

5) waver, be unsteady

E.g. The branches were shaking in the wind.

shudder vi.

Applying chiefly to convulsive (痉挛的) shaking caused by fear / horror or revulsion (反感；厌恶).

E.g. He shuddered when he saw the dead body.

Extra Exercises

I __ to think how big the bill will be. (shudder)

The ground _____ under his feet. (shook)

The wet dog _____ himself. (shook)

He _____ as he heard the strange noise in the night. (shuddered)

2. answer reply

Both can be used as noun and verb respectively. As verb, answer is transitive while reply intransitive.

answer常用词,使用范围广

1) to use either words or actions in response to a question, request, letter or polite greeting.

E.g. He answered the question / the teacher.

2) to speak or act in response to a sign

E.g. answer the telephone /

answer the door bell

3) reply to others’ argument or charge 答辩；抗辩

E.g. He answ ered his critics by …

4) do sth. in return for an act

Eg.I answered his threat with a blow on his nose.

n. any satisfactory conclusion or solution

reply

reply 和answer 常常可以互换使用，reply 较answer正式E.g. “Are you coming?” “Yes,” he answered / replied.

He answered / replied that he was coming.

I asked his a question, but he didn’t answer / reply.

reply和answer虽然有时可以互换使用，但含义不同。Reply refers to an answer in the form of a statement appropriate to the question.

E.g. 1) answer a letter “回信”，但对来信提出的问题并不一定作了答复。

reply to a letter 回答了来信提出的一切细节。

2) The officer answered the guard's salute by a nod.

那位军官点一点头以回答卫兵的敬礼。

The officer replied to the guard's salute.

那位军官对卫兵的敬礼回了礼。

3. common general ordinary

common

found or happening often and in many places, widely used, or well known

常见的, 普通的，熟悉的

E.g. Pine-trees are common in many parts of the word.

the common man / people 常人，普通人，老百姓

common sense 常识

general

1) concerned with or applicable to the majority of the persons, things, or cases

意为“普遍的”、“一般的”

2) not limited to one thing or place

E.g. This book is intended for the general reader, not for the specialist.

这本书是为一般读者写的，不是为专家写的。

ordinary

not unusual, having no exceptional ability or quality

强调“平常的”，没有什么特别之处

E.g. Tom Sawyer was an ordinary American boy who kept getting into trouble.

汤姆.索耶是个常常惹事生非的普普通通的美国男孩。

4. tiny small

small一般表示“容量、面积、数量、体积等物理量值方面的小”，也可修饰“在价值方面的小”

tiny: extremely small, sometimes suggesting a miniature (微缩的) model of something. 指极小的, 微小的

5. special peculiar particular

special：not ordinary, or different from what is normal.

E.g. School will only allow this in special circumstances. peculiar: strange or unusual, especially in a way that is unpleasant or worrying

E.g. There was a peculiar smell in the kitchen.

particular: greater than usual, deserving special notice or attention; referring to an individual person, thing, or type and not others.

E.g. Most students choose one particular area for research.

6. spend cost take

spend spend (time / money) on sth. / in doing sth.

cost sth. costs sb. (money) E.g. A full day’s activities will cost you ￡45.

take sth. takes (time, money, effort, etc.) / It takes sb. (time) to do sth.

E.g. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dark.

It takes two men to do this.

Vocabulary Exercises

IV. Synonyms

1. shake shudder

Both refer to involuntary (不由自主的) vibratory (振动的) movement that often suggest mental strain or discomfort.

shake vt. & vi.

The most general word, suggesting something that is done to as well as by a person or object.

1) to shake with fear, cold, laughter, anger, fever, ect.

E.g. The child's small body shook with fear.

2) vibrate, rock

E.g. The explosion shook the house. / The house shook with the explosion.

3) move … (vigorously)

E.g. The medicine is to be shaken before use.

shake one’s head

shake hands with each other

4) wave, especially in anger

E.g. shake one’s fist at / to sb.

5) waver, be unsteady

E.g. The branches were shaking in the wind.

shudder vi.

Applying chiefly to convulsive (痉挛的) shaking caused by fear / horror or revulsion (反感；厌恶).

E.g. He shuddered when he saw the dead body.

Extra Exercises

I __ to think how big the bill will be. (shudder)

The ground _____ under his feet. (shook)

The wet dog _____ himself. (shook)

He _____ as he heard the strange noise in the night. (shuddered)

2. answer reply

Both can be used as noun and verb respectively. As verb, answer is transitive while reply intransitive.

answer常用词,使用范围广

1) to use either words or actions in response to a question, request, letter or polite greeting.

E.g. He answered the question / the teacher.

2) to speak or act in response to a sign

E.g. answer the telephone /

answer the door bell

3) reply to others’ argume nt or charge 答辩；抗辩

E.g. He answered his critics by …

4) do sth. in return for an act

Eg.I answered his threat with a blow on his nose.

n. any satisfactory conclusion or solution

reply

reply 和answer 常常可以互换使用，reply 较answer正式E.g. “Are you coming?” “Yes,” he answer ed / replied.

He answered / replied that he was coming.

I asked his a question, but he didn’t answer / reply.

reply和answer虽然有时可以互换使用，但含义不同。Reply refers to an answer in the form of a statement appropriate to the question.

E.g. 1) answer a letter “回信”，但对来信提出的问题并不一定作了答复。

reply to a letter 回答了来信提出的一切细节。

2) The officer answered the guard's salute by a nod.

那位军官点一点头以回答卫兵的敬礼。

The officer replied to the guard's salute.

那位军官对卫兵的敬礼回了礼。

3. common general ordinary

common

found or happening often and in many places, widely used, or well known

常见的, 普通的，熟悉的

E.g. Pine-trees are common in many parts of the word.

the common man / people 常人，普通人，老百姓

common sense 常识

general

1) concerned with or applicable to the majority of the persons, things, or cases

意为“普遍的”、“一般的”

2) not limited to one thing or place

E.g. This book is intended for the general reader, not for the specialist.

这本书是为一般读者写的，不是为专家写的。

ordinary

not unusual, having no exceptional ability or quality

强调“平常的”，没有什么特别之处

E.g. Tom Sawyer was an ordinary American boy who kept getting into trouble.

汤姆.索耶是个常常惹事生非的普普通通的美国男孩。

4. tiny small

small一般表示“容量、面积、数量、体积等物理量值方面的小”，也可修饰“在价值方面的小”

tiny: extremely small, sometimes suggesting a miniature (微缩的) model of something. 指极小的, 微小的

5. special peculiar particular

special：not ordinary, or different from what is normal.

E.g. School will only allow this in special circumstances. peculiar: strange or unusual, especially in a way that is unpleasant or worrying

E.g. There was a peculiar smell in the kitchen.

particular: greater than usual, deserving special notice or attention; referring to an individual person, thing, or type and not others.

E.g. Most students choose one particular area for research.

6. spend cost take

spend spend (time / money) on sth. / in doing sth.

cost sth. costs sb. (money) E.g. A full day’s activities will cost you ￡45.

take sth. takes (time, money, effort, etc.) / It takes sb. (time) to do sth.

E.g. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dark.

It takes two men to do this.

Vocabulary Exercises VI. Word transformation

1. industry

Other forms: industrial industrialism industrialist industrialize industrialization

Compare:

industrious: hard-working, diligent

2. describe

Other forms: description descriptive

3. suspect

Other forms: suspicion suspicious suspect v.怀疑n. 嫌疑犯

4. assist

Other forms: assistance assistant n. 助手助理adj. 辅助的, 副的

E.g. assistant engineer 助理工程师assistant professor 副教授

5. employ

Other forms: employee employer employment unemployed adj. 失业的

6. prove

Other forms: proof

Unit3

1. To praise someone or something is to express approval for their achievements or qualities; compliment often applies to praise given insincerely as all empty formality or as a self-interested gesture, as well as to a genuine admiration, and this word often appears in the structure "compliment somebody on something."

a. praised

b. compliment

c. praise

d. complimented

2. Enjoy is to find pleasure and satisfaction in doing something, and often appears in the structure of "enjoy oneself," meaning "take pleasure in a situation one is in." Appreciate means “be thankful or grateful for something," as well as "like or value something for its good qualities."

a. appreciated

b. enjoyed

c. enjoying

d. appreciated

3. The differences between these two words can be very subtle. Willie precious emphasizes the fact that something is valuable, rare and important, and should not be wasted, lost or used badly, priceless refers to something that is worth a lot of money, or that cannot be calculated in monetary terms.

a. priceless

b. priceless

c. precious

d. precious

4. Notice suggests the taking in, almost by chance, of a small detail that may yet be important to some larger pattern. It can also be used in the imperative as a call to attend to some small detail that might otherwise be overlooked. See is a general word to suggest an accidental or deliberate viewing of all occurrence and it carries few connotations beyond those the context may give it.

a. see

b. Notice

c. see

d. noticed

Vocabulary Exercises

IV. Synonyms

1. compliment praise

praise: to express approval for others’ achievements or qualities. “praise somebody for something“

compliment: often applies to praise given insincerely as well as to a genuine admiration恭维;称赞

"compliment somebody on something.“

2. appreciate enjoy

enjoy: to find pleasure and satisfaction in doing something

"enjoy oneself“: take pleasure in享受...的乐趣, 喜爱appreciate

"to be thankful or grateful for something,"

"to like or value something for its good qualities."

3. precious, priceless/invaluable, valuable

precious: implies uniqueness and irreplaceability 宝贵的, 贵重的; 珍贵的, 珍爱的

priceless/invaluable: refers to something that is worth a lot of money, or that cannot be calculated in monetary terms

valuable: applies to what has a high market value as well as immaterial qualities such as benefit, importance, or utility

4.notice see

notice: suggests close observation or taking in a small detail by chance;

(used in the imperative) call others’ attention to some small detail

see: a general word to suggest an accidental or deliberate viewing of an occurrence;

often implies recognition, understanding, or appreciation.

unit5

1. Morality means the rightness or pureness of behaviour;ethics refers to (the study of) questions about what is morally right and wrong.

a. Morality

b. morality

c. ethics

d.

ethics

2. Demand commonly suggests a speaker in authority who bluntly

insists upon being obeyed and does not intend to be contradicted,

while ask means to “call on somebody for an answer; request information; invite.” Also, the usage and structural requirements of

these two words are different, as is shown in the exercises.

a. demands

b. asked

c. asking

d. demanded

3. Genuine emphasizes the fact of not being spurious, adulterated, imitated or counterfeit, while real refers to physically existent things.

a. real

b. genuine

c. real

d. genuine

4. Preserve emphasizes keeping something that is valuable exactly

as it is, without change and even without using it at all. Save suggests rescuing something with a sense of great urgency.

a. preserve

b. preserve

c. save

d.

save

unit12

?Claim suggests that a right is being asserted or one has the right

to something.

?Request: suggests a courteous statement of desire, and it is frequently used as a euphemism for “demand” in order to hide the latter’s harshness.

?a. requested b. claim c. requested d. claim

Connect attach

?Both verbs apply to things that are brought or fastened together.

?Connect is used of things that come into contact at some points while clearly remaining separate. The word may also suggest a contact that results in the transfer of power from a source to a receiver.

?Attach applies to the fastening on of a part to a whole, of a lesser thing to a greater, or of something movable to something fixed.

?a. connecting b. connected c. attaches d. attached

Instance example

?Example may indicate something physically present as a specimen, and more often it suggests the citing of supplementary material. The word often implies brief citations given for clarity rather than to corroborate a thesis.

?Instance: points to particular or concrete exaples or occurrences.

?a. Instances b. example c. instances d. example

Unit14

Synonyms

1. acquire get obtain gain

sometimes interchangeable 得到、获得

acquire: points to a gradual process of possession that is continuous and often slow; very often suggesting an effort required to

gain less tangible (可触摸的，有形的) things, as in the

learning process强调"经过漫长的努力过程而逐渐获得"；

习得

e.g. acquire knowledge /a habit / a trait / a quality

get: (the common word) come into possession of （最普遍，使用范围最广的词）"以某种方法或手段得到某种东西"

obtain: (more formal) get as the result of endeavor or request 常指“通过努力工作、奋斗或请求而得到所需的东西”，包含着“努力”、“希望”或“决意”去获得某物的意思

e.g. Having divided the tasks among us, we set out to obtain useful information.

gain: obtain through effort or action sth. that is beneficial or valuable

gain有obtain的含义，但更强调目的物需要努力奋斗才能得到，而且这种东西具有价值，特别是物质价值。

e.g. A penny saved is a penny gained. 省一文是一文。(谚语)

2. characteristic trait

characteristic: implying neutral description of any aspect of something; often suggesting an aspect that is regarded

as typical 是对某一事物各个方面的中立性描述，

常指整体中被认为是典型的某一方面，指“特殊的、

易于辨认的特性或特征”

trait: often used to describe long-lasting behavior patterns特征, 特点; 品质, 性格（常形容人的长期行为模式，个人特点）

3. persist insist

persist: indicating the continuation of doing something despite obstacles, warnings, or setbacks

persist in (sth. / doing sth. )

persist with (one’s eff orts) 继续努力，坚持不懈

sth. persists: continue in existence; last; linger on 继续存在下去，持续

e.g. The snow is likely to persist in most areas.

insist: usually used with “people”, who stick to an idea / ideas firmly and refuse to give in 坚持：强烈并持续地主张或要求（某物）insist on (sth. / doing sth.)

insist that (subjunctive mood): 坚持主张或要求, 一定要做

insist that 坚决认为

e.g. I insisted that he was wrong.

4. manners politeness

manners: referring to the general behavior by which a social group has traditionally acted. Here a positive or negative

evaluation may depend on subjective taste. 礼貌; 礼仪,

礼节

politeness: good manners and socially correct behavior 有礼貌

unit2

1. Funny is a very informal word, focusing mainly on whatever results in laughter because of oddness, abnormality, or inappropriateness. Interesting refers to something that attracts people's attention, usually because it is exciting, unusual and deserves their observation and study.

a. Funny

b. interesting

c. interesting

d. funny

2. Still suggests an unruffled or tranquil state, and often refers to a moment of calm between periods of noise and movement, and during this moment there is no sign of activity. Silent simply means

becoming speechless or being without noise; it does not necessarily suggest serenity or motionlessness.

a. silent

b. silent

c. still

d. still

3.Dispute is often used as a transitive verb, meaning to say that something is incorrect or untrue, to fight passionately for control or ownership of something. Argue usually refers to a reasoned presentation of views or to a heated exchange of opinion; very often when used intransitively, it is followed by prepositions like "with," "for/against,” “about,” etc.

a. dispute

b. arguing

c. disputing

d. arguing

4. Usual is applied to whatever recurs frequently and steadily, referring to natural happenings as well as to occurrences based on the customs of the community or the habits of an individual, while regular emphasizes a conformity to the established or natural order of things, referring to events that happen often, or events that have equal amounts of time between them, so that they happen at the same time, for example, each day or each week.

a. usual

b. usual

c. Regular

d. regular