2．almost 和nearly

　这两个词意思均为"几乎"、"差不多"。但从程度的角度上说almost更接近些，感情色彩也更浓。在与表示否定意义的词never、nobody、no one、nothing、nowhere、none连用时，要用almost，不能用nearly。但可以说not nearly，而不能说not almost。例如：

　　It's nearly time . 时间快到了。

　　It's almost time. 时间马上就到了。

Almost nobody knew the accident that happened in the street yesterday.

几乎没有人知道昨天发生在街上的那起交通事故。

3 . the number of 和 a number of

　　the number of 意为"……数目"，用单数谓语动词。a number of 意为"许多的"、"一些"，用复数谓语动词。例如：

　　A number of students visited the factory last month. 上个月许多学生参观了那个工厂。

　　The number of the students of our school is more than three thousand. 我校学生的人数是三千多。

1. must和have to

　这两个词均表示"必须"，must常偏重主观意志，而have to偏重客观需要。must一般只用于一般现在时和将来时态，而have to则有更多的时态。例如：

　　We must get up at six o'clock every day. 我们每天必须六点钟起床。

　　It is no time, we have to get up in a hurry. 没有时间了，我们必须快点起床。

　　We must follow the Party forever. 我们必须永远跟着党走。

　　He said he would have to go with her the next day. 他说他第二天得和她一道去。

400. The problem had become _____ in his mind, and he could not decide what to do about it.

   A. simplified   B. exaggerated   C. matured   D. isolated

[答案] B. exaggerated.

[注释]exaggerate(=say or believe more than the truth about sth.)夸张，夸大：It was a rabbit, not a lion. You are exaggerating as usual. (这是一只兔子，不是狮子。你经常夸大事实。)

simplify 简化；mature使成熟；isolate使孤立。

本题译文：这个问题在他头脑里夸大了，因此他无法决定该怎么办。

八．英语中的易混词,词组辨析

399. She tried to _____ out of the window to see the procession more clearly.

   A. bend   B. lean   C. bow   D. slope

[答案] B. lean.

[注释]lean vi. 倚，靠；lean out of the window(倚着窗户探出身去)，lean against a tree(背倚靠着树)，lean back in a chair (坐在椅子上背向后倾)，lean on a desk(靠在桌上)，指胸对桌子。

398. Through exposure to air, water, and organic matter, rocks _____ changes known as weathering.

   A. undergo   B. transform   C. undertake   D. suspend

[答案] A. undergo.

[注释]undergo (=experience esp. suffering or difficulty) 经受：1)She underwent a thorough examination at the hospital. (她在医院接受了全面的检查。)2)The travelers underwent many difficulties. (这些旅行者经受了许多困难。)

undertake (=take up a [position]; start on [work]) 从事，负责（某事）：1)He undertook the responsibility for changes. (他负责对各种变化作出安排。)2)At first we could only undertake repair jobs.(起初我们只能干修理活。)3)We shall undertake the construction of this bridge. (我们将负责这座桥的修建工作。)

transform 改变；suspend吊，悬挂；推迟，暂定。

本题译文：由于暴露于空气、水和有机物，岩石经受了称之为风化的变化。

397. Throughout most of their lives, humans _____ learn and increase their mental capacity.

   A. actually   B. readily   C. fairly   D. primarily

 [答案] B. readily

[注释]readily (=with no difficulty)容易地；They can readily be bought anywhere. (这些 东西在任何地方都能容易地买到。)

actually 实际上；fairly 公平地；相当，划算；primarily主要地，首先；根本上。

396. The sailor _____ time to visit his family before the ship went to sea.

   A. put in for   B. got round to   C. ask after   D. hold on to

[答案] A. put in for.

[注释]put in for(=make an application or request) 提出申请或请求；May I put in for five days' leave?( 我可以请5天假吗？)

get round to (doing sth.) 找到时间作某事；ask after 询问，问候；hold on to 坚持(接to 加名词)。

395. The president has told his friends that he is sick but will not admit it _____.

   A. in private   B. in secret   C. in public   D. in detail

[答案] C. in public.

[注释]in public 公开地，当众；in private 私下；in secret秘密地; in detail 详细地。

394. Walking down the street, she noticed a long _____ of houses, all exactly alike.

   A. queue   B. rank   C. train   D. row

 [答案] D. row.

[注释]a row of houses (desks, books etc.) 一排房子(书桌、书等)，戏院的"一排座位"即为a row of seats. queue (乘车，购物的)队，队伍。Rank(军队队列中的)排、横列。train指"（行进中的）长列，队列"；a long train of visitors(一长列参观者)。

393. Margaret liked all her classes, but she liked sewing class _____.

   A. above all   B. in general   C. after all   D. in particular

[答案] D. in particular.

[注释]in particular (=especially, particularly) 特别是：1) You should avoid eating fat meat, in particular pork. (你应该避免吃脂肪多的肉类，特别是猪肉。2)The speaker talked about sports in general and about football in particular.

In general 是in particular 的反义结构，从上述例2)中可以看到。about all最重要的；after all毕竟。