时间:2019-01-03 作者:英语课 分类:2018年VOA慢速英语(九)月


英语课

 


Welcome to Ask a Teacher –? a new program where readers ask questions and teachers answer them.


Have you noticed that English is full of words that have similar meanings? In today’s Ask a Teacher, Mika from Japan asks how to decide among three verbs that all mean “give an idea about something.”


Here is her question:


Question:


I don’t understand the difference between "look," "appear" and “seem." If I say, “His new haircut makes him appear younger,” is it correct? - Mika, Japan


Answer:


Hello Mika and thanks for your question!


You can use “appear” in that situation, but the better verb would be “look.”


Let me give you the reasons why.


Look


We use both the verbs “look” and “appear” to talk about a condition we have observed. In your sentence, you can see with your eyes how stylish 1 the man’s new haircut is. You also see that it gives his face a more youthful 2 shape.


But “look” is more informal than the verb “appear.” Your sentence sounded informal, as if you were talking to a friend.


Appear


In contrast, you might see the word “appear” in writing, or hear it in formal speech, such as an official news report. For example, a news reporter might say, “The suspect appeared to be fleeing the scene.”


As that example shows, “appear” is commonly used to talk about events and facts.


Seem


Your third choice, “seem” also means “to create an idea or impression.” But “seem” does not suggest a direct observation. For example, you and I may have talked on the phone, and you told me about your great new job and recent vacation. Afterward 3, I could say, “Mika seems happy,” even though I never saw you smile.


Take Note


Keep in mind one other difference among the three words. “Seem” and “appear” are often followed by an infinitive 4 verb, such as “The baby seems to want her bottle…” or “The man appears to be waving.”


But, in everyday English, the verb “look” is often followed by an adjective 5. For example: “He looks tired.”


And that’s Ask a Teacher.


I’m Alice Bryant.


Words in This Story


haircut – n. the act or result of cutting and shaping someone's hair


informal – adj. having a friendly and relaxed quality


formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing


impression – n. an appearance or suggestion of something



adj.流行的,时髦的;漂亮的,气派的
  • He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
  • What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。
adj.年轻的,有青春活力的
  • Exercise will keep you youthful.体育锻练会使你充满活力。
  • The boy looked very youthful.这孩子看起来岁数很小。
adv.后来;以后
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
n.不定词;adj.不定词的
  • The use of the split infinitive is now generally acceptable.分裂不定式的用法现在已被广泛接受。
  • Modal verbs generally take the bare infinitive.情态动词通常用不带to的不定式。
n.形容词;adj.形容词的,用作形容词的
  • Don't apply that adjective to me.不要用那个字眼来形容我。
  • The adjective loose has several senses. 形容词loose有几个义项。
学英语单词
admitted region of deviation
antiplatelet
aphasmidias
appendices epiploic?
Arnold Schonberg
atpc
axtel
bifemoral
Breitbrunn am Chiemsee
bulk bread
bulk raw materials
cepha-loparasitus
chinese national standard code for information interchange
chlorpalladium Fluid
Chokok, Pulau
chondromucoid
composite structrue
compounding of cylinder
constant return
corrected curve
counterrevolutionaries
de broglie wave length
defending zones
diecast alloy
difluoro compound
direct dialing
divergences of prices from values
double magic nucleus
drawing hardness
dutifulness
electrocardiographically
epilating dose
Etimonis
extra x-ray reflection
fault complex
final analysis
foot-runner
formula of integration
gabbronorite
general-purpose locomotive
glass sand paper
gustnadoes
hafnium hydroxide
half sphere
harleman
hauled
high-camp
highlight-halftone
hydrological map
infective destruction of testis
k out of n system
Karachaite
kremenyuk
land levelling
land waters
lard with
leave no doubt
Macafuma
maccurdy
mass merchant
mekill
mud compartment
nocturnal paroxysmal hemoglobinuria
non-metallic mould material
non-residents
Om.
opinable
original of the contract
OSS (operational storage site)
out of spite
outlay
Paleaeodonta
Payable date
plowing from center
pocket cartoon
porkless
precision of measuring instrument
radar bombing
ramus pharyngeus n. fac.
raphe of tongue
repeat dial
RFenvelope indicator
Rhodesia and Nyasaland
screwed cap
semiconductor nanocrystals
simple stress
spawn eater
starin'
state-owned property
steep
sulfide stress corrosion cracking
toluene trichloride
tremaine
two-stage rocket
unable to make ends meet
undertake an enterprise
vaeyrynenite (v?yrynenite)
visual sensitivity to colour saturation
visual testing
wet boy
Wood Cree
year-in