2008高考必背英语词汇讲座-O字头

1、offer, provide, supply

　　这组词都有“供给，装备”之意。

　　offer: 常用词，意为" 提出，提供，呈现"，表示向别人提供可接受也可拒绝的某物，如帮助，服务或物品，这可能是对方要求也可能是自己主动提出的。offer to help sb. 表示愿意帮助某人；offer sb. sth./ offer sth. to sb.提供某人某物。例如：The river would offer power production estimated at 500,000 kilowatts if a dam were constructed. 如果筑起水坝，这条河就能提供大约50万千瓦的电力。An international corporation offered him a well-paid job, which he refused politely, since taking it would involve traveling abroad most of the time. 一家跨国公司向他许诺一份待遇优厚的工作，而他婉言谢绝了，因为接受那项工作就意味着大多数时间都得在国外出差。

　　provide: "供给，提供，装备，准备"，强调有预见，并通过储存或准备的方式为某事做准备，以在需要时提供所需物品。常用词组：provide sb. with sth./ provide sth. for sb. 提供生活费，养活，为……做准备。例如：Through the long days his wife sought by every possible means to provide him with occupation.在漫长的日子里，他的妻子试图用各种可能的办法给他找事干。As equipment improved, satellites began providing scientists with weather maps of the entire globe. 设备改进后，人造卫星开始向科学家提供整个地球的气象图。

　　supply: "供给，补充，弥补"，着重表示替换或不足所需之物以及弥补缺陷，满足要求的意思，还可作名词，意为“供给（量），物资，存货”。常用短语：supply the market with new commodities 向市场供应新产品；supply a want 弥补不足；supply...for把……供给。The book would be incomplete without such discussions as I have tried to supply. 如果没有我努力提供的这样一些论述，这本书就会显得不完整。What I admire most in my life is doctors and others supplying medical care to assistance recipients. 我一生中最敬佩的是那些向受援者提供医疗护理的医生和其他人。　

2、opinion, proposal,advice

　　advice: "忠告，意见", 指凭借丰富的知识，足够的经验及正确的判断,对他人提出自己的劝告，见解。My advice to you as a friend is that you should treat your wife with more consideration. 作为朋友，我给你的忠告是你要多体贴妻子。It was only by her husband's advice that Julia had given up the idea. 只是在她丈夫的劝告下，朱莉亚才放弃了这个念头。

　　opinion: "意见，看法，主张，见解"，可指个人或权威人士的判断，主要表示对于有争议，有疑问的事经过仔细考虑后得出的结论，但暗含其中有个人因素，可能有误会或会遭到驳斥。常用词组：in one's opinion 依某人看。The professors arguing about the cause of the disease, the young doctor listened attentively waiting for a chance to put forward his own opinion. 教授们在争论着这种疾病的病因，而那位年轻的医生专心倾听着，等待着提出自己见解的机会。Our doctor says it is due to a nervous disorder, but I think we should take another opinion. 我们的医生说这是由于神经失调，但是我认为我们应该再请一位医生诊断。

　　proposal：“提议，建议，请求（如求婚）”，指较为正式的建议等，提出以供别人参考，接受或实施，但也可能被拒绝。The steel industry refused to make any wage proposals until it obtained federal clearance for higher steel prices. 钢铁工业直到获得联邦政府提高钢价的许可后才不再拒绝提出任何有关工资的提议。She told me that the second proposal of marriage which she received came from an Italian prince. 她告诉我第二个向她求婚的是一个意大利王子。　

3、outstanding, distinguished

　　这组词都含有“杰出”之意。

　　distinguished: "卓越的，卓著的，杰出的", 一般指人的才华，品德达到受正式认可的水平，尤指因优越的品质而超越于同类之上，从而为公众所知。其动词词组：distinguish A from B, distinguish between A and B （分辨A和B）。例如：Dwight D. Eisenhower was a distinguished general in American history, who made outstanding contributions to the victory of World War II. 艾森豪威尔是美国历史上战绩卓著的将军，他曾为二战的胜利作出了杰出的贡献。Unlike their obscurer colleagues, distinguished composers do not have to struggle to get a hearing for their music. 著名的作曲家不像没有什么名声的同仁，无须为自己的作品得到上演而奔波。His mind could no longer distinguish between illusion and reality. 他的头脑已经不再能分清幻觉和现实。

　　outstanding: "杰出的，突出的"，非正式的普通用词，一般指优于同类其他事物的人或事物，也可指某种与周围环境截然不同的特点。These organizations have done outstanding work in promoting friendship and cooperation between the countries. 这些组织在促进邻邦间友谊和合作方面作出了杰出的贡献。He was one of the outstanding legislators who had to resign simply because they couldn't afford to serve any longer. 他是那些由于不能继续工作而不得不辞职的杰出议员之一。　

4、occupation, career, profession

　　occupation: "职业，事业", 是个较有概括性也较正式的词。即某人经常做或训练有素的工作。The report pointed out that society and occupation normally play an important part in determining mortality. 报告指出，社会与职业的因素在正常情况下对死亡有重要影响。You can see in her face that life was full of interest, expectation and occupation. 你可以在她脸上看到对她来说生活中充满兴趣，期望和事业。

　　career:“事业，职业“，指一个人为之受过训练并愿终生或相当长一段时间从事的职业。还含有 “生涯，生活历程”之意。It was a thousand pities so clever a fellow should be shut out from a career. 这么聪明的一个人不能在事业上一显身手，实在太可惜了。As far as I was concerned, it didn't make much sense to be changing careers at this point in my life. 就我个人来说，到了这个年纪改行干别的，不会有多大出息。

　　profession: "职业"，指只有受过相当高的专门教育或训练，具有了某种专业知识和技能并有创造力的人才能从事的职业，过去专指法律，医学和神学，现在扩展到其他许多具有相当社会地位的工作，如教育，演艺等。常用词组：by profession （就职业而言）。例如：He chose to make his friends mostly among members of the advertising profession. 他喜爱主要在以设计广告为职业的成员中交朋友。He was found early that he had a vocation for the ministry, though he ended up in the law profession instead. 尽管他最后当上了律师,但人们发现他早年从事的是神职工作。　

5、of one's own, one's own

　　这两个词组都是“自己的”的意思。

　　of one's own中的own作名词用。整个短语表示“属于某人自己”的意思，只作后置修饰语，修饰带有a(n), this, that, some, any, no, one, two, 等限定词的名词或修饰one, nothing, something, anything 等不定代词。例如：She has a mind of her own. 她颇有主见。I have nothing of my own. 我自己一无所有。The workers took him as one of their own. 工人们把他当作自己人。

　　one's own既可用作名词，意指“自己的东西”；亦可用作形容词，意指“自己的”。例如：This house is his own. (= This is his own house.) 这座房子是他自己的。（= 这是他自己的房子。）I saw it with my own eyes. 我是亲眼看见的。She makes all her own dresses. 她的衣服都是她自己做的。　

6、officer, officia

　　officer一般指“军官”或引申而指组织近乎军事化，穿特殊制服的工作人员，如警察等；也指商船的高级船员如大副，二副等。例如：He was promoted to the rank of the first officer. 他被提升为大副。

　　official一般指政府的“文职官员”，在美国它也可指运动会上的田径赛裁判员。例如：Everywhere he went he was accompanied by a group of officials. 他每到一处都有一群官员陪同。Nepotism and corruption among government officials can ruin a nation without foreign aggression. 政府官员的裙带关系和贪污腐化，虽无外患亦能毁灭国家。　

7、on board, on the board, on the boards

　　on board泛指“在船上”，它还可指“在飞机（火车，共用车辆等）上”。这个习语也可接船名（如：on board the Dongfeng 在东风号上）或船的类型（如：on board a liner在油轮上，on board a warship在军舰上）。例如：As soon as I'm on board I always feel sick. 我一到船上，就总是感到恶心。He wasn't on board the ship when it sailed. 启航时，他不在船上。The plane flew off after all the passengers came on board. 飞机等到全部乘客上来后才起飞。

　　on the board除可表示“在（具体的）这只或那只船上”外，还可表示“在会上讨论（be discussed at a meeting）"的被动含义。例如：The plan is on the board. 那项计划正在讨论中。The problem will be laid on the board at the next meeting. 这个问题将在下一次会上讨论。

　　on the boards中的boards是“舞台”的意思，其本义表示“在舞台上”，现常引申为“做演员，演出”，常用在连系动词be后作表语。例如：Lily is on the boards, but Katie can get nothing to do. 莉莉当上了演员，可是凯蒂却找不到事干。The play is now on the boards in Beijing. 该剧目前在北京上演。　

8、on earth, on the earth, in the earth

　　on earth有两个意思：1.“在世界上”，相当于in the wold。2.“究竟，到底；一点也，全然”，相当于at all的意思和用法，这时它常用于疑问句，否定词或最高级后加强语气。例如：Mary couldn't understand what on earth the teacher meant. 玛丽不理解老师说的究竟是什么意思。I feel like nothing on earth. 我感到说不出来的难过。

　　on the earth的意思是“在地球上”，用作地点状语或连系动词be的表语。例如：It is said that there are probably over one million living creatures on the earth. 据说地球上可能有百万多种生物。It is supposed at the present that human beings can only live on the earth. 据目前所知，人类只能生活在地球上。

　　in the earth尽管可译成“在世界上”，实际上它含有“在地下”的意味。因此，指世界上空间的存在物不能用它。例如：The genie said he would show all the treasure in the earth to the man who would set him free.那妖怪说，他将让放他出来的人看到世界上的所有宝藏。There is much petroleum in the earth. 地下有大量的石油。　

9、on foot, on one's feet

　　on foot的本义为“步行”，用作方式状语，它也常常转义为“在活动中；在实行中，在进行中”，含进行时的被动意义，可用作表语或后置定语。例如：If the weather permits, I'll go to town on foot. 如果天气许可，我将步行进城。A game of this kind is never played with the remainder of the financial community entirely unaware of what is on foot. 耍这类花招是决不可能在金融界其余的人士毫无所知的情况下进行的。This is a plan on foot. 这是一项正在实施的计划。

　　on one's feet中的feet任何时侯不可用单数形式foot替代。它常同动词be, stand等连用，表示“站着”的意思；它还可指病人经过治疗后“恢复健康”，指经济状况“恢复正常”或某人，某企业等“经济独立”。例如：A shop assistant is on her feet for most of the day. 售货员几乎是整天站着的。In three days you will be on your feet. 三天后你的病就会好的。He stood on his feet at last. 他终于在经济上独立了。　

10、on purpose, in purpose, of purpose

　　这三个介词短语都可用来指某人做某件事情带有一定的目的，即表示“有意地，故意地；有目的地”的意思。这时它们均在句中作状语,一般可以换用，只是on purpose最为常见，in purpose和of purpose基本废弃。试比较："I'm sorry I stepped on your toe ; it was an accident." "It wasn't! You did it on purpose.""对不起,踩着你的脚了,我是无意的。" "不，你是故意的。"We sometimes turn back in purpose. 我们有时故意走回头路。The insult was made of purpose. 这是故意侮辱人。

　　in purpose还可用作方面状语，表示“在目的方面”的意思；有时还可表示“在意志方面”的意思，这时，可用of purpose替代。例如：They are similar in purpose. 他们目的相似。He is weak in purpose (or: of purpose). 他意志薄弱。Peter is so infirm of purpose that it is useless to ask him for advice. 彼得这人优柔寡断，向他征求意见是徒劳无用的。　

11、out of question, out of the question

　　这两个短语只有一个the之差，但意思却几乎完全相反。

　　out of question中的question是“疑问”的意思，整个短语一起表明对一项事物或建议等的肯定，即“毫无疑问”的意思，通常用作状语或者表语，其意思和用法与without question相当。例如：Out of question, this plan can be fulfilled ahead of time. 毫无疑问，这个计划可以提前完成。It is out of question that he will be appointed Chief Engineer of the railway. 毫无疑问，他将被任命为那条铁路的总工程师。

　　out of the question中的question是“问题”的意思，整个短语表明对某项事物，要求或建议等的否定，即“不可能”的意思，一般用在连系动词be的后面作表语。例如：I have so much work to do that a holiday for me this year is out of the question. 我要做的工作太多，因此，今年我休假是根本不可能的事。Raising more pigs is out of the question unless the fodder question is solved. 饲料问题不解决，多养猪是办不到的。　

12、only to do, only doing

　　only后接动词不定式和现在分词都被用作结果状语。only to do的意思是“不料（却）……，结果（却）……", 表示一个没有料到的结果。例如：I hurried to the supermarket, only to find it was closed. 我匆忙赶到超市，不料它已经关门了。He made a long speech only to show his foolishness. 他讲了一大通，结果只是显露了他的愚蠢。I went to see him, only to learn that he had left the city the night before. 我去看他，不料听人家说他已经在前夜离开这个城市。

　　only doing的意思是“结果就……",表示一个意料之中的结果。例如：He died, only leaving nothing but debts. 他死了，结果只留下了一身债务。He dropped the plate, only breaking it into pieces. 盘子从他手中掉下来，结果摔成了碎片。He aimed, fired, only bringing down a red-necked bird. 他瞄准，射击，结果打下了一只红颈鸟。