acquire

◆他通过用心的学习获得了很好的法语知识。

误：He earned a good knowledge of French by careful study.

正：He acquired a good knowledge of French by carefulstudy.

析：earn 和 acquire 均可表示“获得”，但前者多指通过自身劳动而得报酬或因自身的功劳而获得荣誉等，后者则多指通过自己不断的努力或经过一个漫长的过程而获得某种知识、技能、智力、名声等。

across

◆不要杞人忧天。

误：Don’t across the bridge until you come to it.

正：Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it.

正：Don’t walk across the bridge until you come to it.

析：across 是介词或副词(不是动词)，cross 是动词。

◆湖面结冰了, 所以我们就从冰上走过。

误：The lake was frozen, so we walked through the ice.

正：The lake was frozen, so we walked across the ice.

析：across 和 through 都可表示从一边到另一边的意思，但前者主要涉及平面(与on有关)，而后者则主要涉及立体空间(与in有关)。

◆几天前我碰到了她, 就把这消息告诉她了。

误：I came over her the other day and told her the news.

正：I came across her the other day and told her the news.

析：come (run) across 是习语，意为“碰到(某人或某物)”。

act

◆受过训练的狗可以为盲人引路。

误：A trained dog can act for a guide to a blind man.

正：A trained dog can act as a guide to a blind man.

析：act for 指“代理”或“代表”；act as 指“担任”、“充当”、“起...的作用”。如：As the chairman is ill, I’m asking Mr Smith to act for him.(主席病了, 我请史密斯先生代理)。

◆他在偷东西时被逮个正着。

误：He was caught in the act to steal.

正：He was caught in the act of stealing.

析：catch sb in the act of doing 是固定句型, 意为“抓住某人做某事”。 (from www.yywords.com)

active

◆他积极参加体育活动(踢足球)吗?

误：Is he active in sports (football)?

正：Does he go in for sports (football)?

析：be active in (积极参加)通常不用于体育活动方面。go in for 意为“从事”、“参加”等。注意可以说：He is active in politics.(他积极参加政治活动)。

◆他积极参加俱乐部的工作。

误：He takes active part in the work of the club.

正：He takes an active part in the work of the club.

析：take part in 表示“参加”，take an active part in 表示 “积极参加”，前者不用冠词，后者因有 active 修饰，要用 冠词。

activity

◆爬山是他最喜爱的活动之一。

误：Climbing mountains is one of his favourite activity.

正：Climbing mountains is one of his favourite activities.

析：activity 表示活动的总称或表示抽象意义的活动时, 它是不可 数名词。它若表示具体意义的活动，尤指某一领域内的特殊的 活动或某人具体所做的事(如消遣方面的活动等)，则为可数名 词，此时多用复数形式。比较：Activity is better thandoing nothing.(活动一下比什么都不干要好)。He takes anactive part in social activities.(他积极参加社会活动)。

actual

◆我不是开玩笑，这都是他的原话。

误：I’m not joking.These words of his are actual.

正：I’m not joking.These are his actual words.

析：actual(实际的，真实的，确实的)通常只用作定语，不能用作表语。

adapt

◆你能适应这新的工作吗?

误：Can you adapt (yourself) for the new job?

正：Can you adapt (yourself) to the new job?

析：表示“适应”，通常与介词 to 连用；表示“改造或改编”，通常与介词 for 连用。如：It is difficult to adapt this story for the film.(要把这故事改编为电影不容易)。

◆他们很快就适应了在乡下住。

误：Soon they adapted to live in the country.

正：Soon they adapted to living in the country.

析：adapt to 表示“适应”，其中的 to 是介词。比较下面一句 中的不定式是表目的的状语：These styles can be adaptedto suit individual tastes.( 这些式样均可以改动以适应个人的不同爱好)。