VOA十大最易混淆词汇.doc

Top 10 Commonly Confused Words, Vol. 21: Flush fl Out（冲掉，排出；驱赶出来）/Flesh fle Out（充实，具体化）Question:To provide more details, should you flush out or flesh out your plan?Answer:flesh out How to remember it:Think of fleshing out a skeletonskelitn . To flesh out something is to give it substancesbstns , or to make it fuller or more nearly complete.To flush out something is to cause it to leave a hiding place, e.g., The birds were flushed out of the tree. It can also be used figuratively figjurtivli adv. 比喻地；象征性地, as in flush out the truth.2: Compliment kmplimnt n. 恭维；称赞；/Complement kmplimnt n. 文法补语；数余角；补足物vt. 补足，补助Question:Do your shoes compliment or complement your outfit?outfit autfit n. 机构；用具；全套装备vi. 得到装备vt. 配备；供应Answer:complementHow to remember it:If one thing complements (with an e) another, it completes that thing (e.g., the shoes complete your outfit, or make it perfect). Complement comes from the Latin word for complete.If you compliment something, you express admiration for it.And when something is given free as a courtesy k:tisi n. 礼貌；好意；恩惠adj. 殷勤的；被承认的；出于礼节的or favor, its complimentary. ,kmplimentri adj. 赠送的；称赞的；问候的3: Proceed prusi:d vi. 开始；继续进行；发生；行进/Precede pri:si:d, pri- vt. 领先，在之前；优于，高于vi. 领先，在前面Question:Do the appetizers pitaiz n. 开胃物，开胃食品precede or proceed the main course（主菜）?Answer:precedeHow to remember it:Consider the prefix, ,pri:fiks, pri:fiks n. 前缀vt. 加前缀；将某事物加在前面 pre. It means earlier than, or before as we can see in a phrase like preexisting condition, or in the word prefix itself.To precede is to go or come before, or to be earlier than.The root of proceed means to go forward, a meaning we can see in a sentence like Lets now proceed with the meal.4Accept/ExceptQuestion:He does nothing accept or except complain?Answer:exceptHow to remember it:Keep in mind the link lik （联系）between except and exception.In an example like the one above, except introduces the only thing not referred to by the previous statement in other words, it introduces an exception.5Than/ThenQuestion:Is this room hotter than or then a sauna?Answer:thanHow to remember it:Use then only when youre talking about sequences si:kwns n. 序列；顺序；续发事件vt. 按顺序排好and time, e.g., First well go here, then well go there.When youre comparing things, as in the example above, use than. (If it helps, consider that than, like compare, has an a.)6: Tortuous t:tjus, -tu- adj. 扭曲的，弯曲的；啰嗦的/Torturous t:trs adj. 折磨人的，痛苦的Question:Is an overly-elaborate uvli adv. 过度地；极度地 ilbrt, ilbreit adj. 精心制作的；详尽的；煞费苦心的 plan best described as torturous or tortuous?Answer:tortuousHow to remember it:Torturous (with a second r) really does suggest sdest, s- vt. 提议，建议；启发；使人想起 torture, t:t v/n折磨；拷问；歪曲the word it comes from. Its reserved for things that are very unpleasant, painful, difficult, or slow.But something that is tricky, triki adj. 机警的；狡猾的complicated, kmplikeitid adj. 难懂的，复杂的or circuitous skju:its adj. 迂曲的；绕行的；迂回线路的 such as an overly elaborate plan is tortuous. Think of twists and turns(迂回曲折), and consider a related word: torque, t:k n. 转矩，扭矩；项圈，金属领圈 which refers to a force that causes something to rotate. ruteit, rut-, ruteit vi. 旋转；循环7: Imminent iminnt adj. 即将来临的；迫近的/Eminent eminnt adj. 杰出的；有名的；明显的Question:Is danger imminent or eminent?Answer:imminentHow to remember it:Think of the first syllables silbl n. 音节of immediately and imminent to remember that imminent means about to occur (即将发生) often in a threatening retni sense. Eminent means prominent prminnt adj. 突出的，显著的；杰出的；卓越的 or famous.As it happens, these words have a shared root ru:t, rut n. 根；根源；词根；祖先: -minent comes from a Latin word meaning to project or to stand out. In imminent, this root originally suggested something like a threatening overhang ,uvh, uvh vi. 悬垂；逼近vt. 悬于之上；（危险、邪恶等）逼近n. （船首或船尾）突出部分；悬垂部分 above your head; in eminent it suggested something conspicuous. knspikjus adj. 显著的；显而易见的8: Discrete diskri:t adj. 离散的，不连续的n. 分立元件；独立部件/Discreet diskri:t adj. 谨慎的；小心的Question:Does the process involve a number of discrete or discreet steps?Answer:discreteHow to remember it:Try this one: discrete means separate so picture the letter e, divided from its twin in both discrete and separate.Discreet has an entirely different meaning: its often used to describe something not likely to be seen or noticed (e.g., He made discreet inquiries about the job).9: Persecute p:sikju:t vt. 迫害；困扰；同捣乱/Prosecute prsikju:t vt. 贯彻；从事；检举；依法进行vi. 告发；起诉；作检察官Question:Does the manager persecute or prosecute the employees?Answer:persecuteHow to remember it:To prosecute someone you need a legal process, something most managers dont have.To persecute is to harass hrs, hrs vt. 使困扰；使烦恼；反复袭击 people or treat them unfairly or cruelly.Not surprisingly, given these words similar meanings and spellings, persecute and prosecute share an ancestor nsest n. 始祖，祖先；被继承人: they both come from a Latin word meaning to pursue. psju:, -su: vt. 继续；从事；追赶；纠缠vi. 追赶；继续进行10: Lose/LooseQuestion:Did the speaker loose or lose his train of thought（思路）?Answer:loseHow to remember it:Think of the related words lost, loser lu:z , and loss ls, l:s n. 遗失；亏损；: they all have just one o.Loose lu:s adj. 不牢固的；不精确的；宽松的；散漫的and lose cause confusion knfju:n n. 混淆，混乱；