 六个表示“易于…”的常用形容词
佳中
先做一道阅读理解题： While still catching up to men in some spheres of modern life, women appear to be way ahead in at least one undersirable categeory. “Women are particularly susceptible to developing depression and anxiety disorders in response to stress compared to men”, according to Dr. Yehuda, chief pasychiatrist at New York’s Veteran’s Administration Hospital. Studies of both animals and humans have shown that sex hormones somehow affect the stress response, causing females under stress to produce more of the trigger chemicals than do males under the same conditions. In several of the studies, when stressed-out female rats had their ovaries (the female reproductive organs) removed, their chemical responses became equal to those of the males.
这是2009年硕士研究生入学考试第一篇阅读理解的第一、二段。第一段提出女性在面对压时 比男性更容易产生压抑和焦虑。第二段论证这是因为男女荷尔蒙激素水平不同，女性在面对压力 时，体内会分泌出更多诱发不良情绪的化学物质。 针对这两段，命题老师出了一道细节判断题： Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs? [A] Women are biologically more vulneable to stress. [B] Women are still suffering much stress caused by men. [C] Women are more experienced than men in coping with stress. [D] Men and women show different inclinations when faced with stress. 四个选项的意思分别是： [A] 从生物学角度来看，女性更容易受到压力的影响。 [B] 女性仍然在承受来自男性的巨大压力。 [C] 女性比男性应对压力更用经验。 [D] 男女性面对压力时表现出不同的倾向。
这道题应该说是比较容易的，但遗憾的是，答对率只有44.9%。究其原因，有不少考生不认 识susceptible 和vulneable 这两个词或不认识其中的一个。这两个词是同义词，在题中是相对应 的，意思都是“易于·····的”，“有·····倾向的”。 英语中有六个表示“易于·····的”形容词：liable、susceptible、vulnerable、 subject、apt、prone，其后都接介词 to。 下讲解一下它们的用法区别。  liable 普通用词，指易产生不利的后果，如，危险、风险、伤害等。可接介词to或不定式 to do sth.。
1）Continued exposure to stress has been linked to worseded functioning of the immune system, leaving a person more liable to infection. 持续承受压力与免疫系统功能下降有关，使人更容易被感染。 2）One who works under the hot sun is liable to sunstroke. 在炎热的阳光底下工作很容易引起中暑。
3）Words with a similar form and a similar meaning are liable to be confused by the students.
形式相似和意义相似的词容易被学生混淆。
4）He is liable to make decisions on the basis of his personal likes and dislikes rather than what is best for
the organization.
他有根据个人好恶而不是根据什么最适合他的组织作决定的倾向。 susceptible 较 liable正式，多见用于正式文体英语，意义上侧重于“易……影响的”， “易受感染的”，接介词to。
1）Fish, fruits and vegetables are susceptible to decay in the long-distance transport. 鱼、水果和蔬菜在长途运输很容易腐烂。 2）Children and Young adults are the most susceptible to advertisements. 儿童和年轻人最容易受广告的影响。 3）Vegans consume no animal products and are susceptible to vitamin B12 deficiency. 素食者不吃任何动物性食物，易患维生素B12缺乏症。 4）Studies show that children who play sport are less susceptible to myopia. 研究表明参加体育锻炼的孩子不大容易患近视。 5）Women are particularly susceptibleto developing depression and anxiety disorders in response to stress compared to men. 与男性相比，在承受压力时，女性特别容易患抑郁症和焦虑症。 vulnerable “易受伤害的”，侧重指易受到伤害、危险或影响等，接介词to。 1）Old people are particularly vulnerable members of our society. 老年人是社会中尤为明显的弱势群体。 2）Many countries have felt vulerable to soaring oil prices and to supply disruptions. 许多国家感到经受不了油价飞涨和供应中断的威胁。 3）As children grow older they usually become less vulnerable to the influence of the people with whom they are immediately in contact. 随着孩子的成长,他们通常变得不那么容易受到周围与之接触人的影响。 4）Anger and other strong emotions can trigger potentially deadly heart rhythms in certain vulnerable people. 愤怒和其他强烈的情绪会引发易感人群心律不齐而致命。 5）Firms that depend on external funds, such as bank loans or equity sales, are particularly vulnerable. 依靠外部资金的公司比如银行贷款或者股权出售显得尤其的脆弱。 subject 与介词 to 连用也可表示“易于·····的”意思，但侧重于“容易遭受”某些不幸 的事情，是可以察觉的倾向，或总结出来的规律。 1）Japan is subject to earthquakes. 日本很容易遭受地震。 2）Flights are subject to delay when there is a fog. 有雾时候航班会延误。 3）In areas subject to strong winds, the rich top-soil began to blow away, leaving a stony waste. 在易遭受强风地区，肥沃的表层土壤开始吹跑，留下一片不毛之地。 4）Conservation practices should be adopted on the remaining land that is subject to excessive erosion. 对其余的易受过度侵蚀的土地应采取保护措施。 apt 多用于口语，常指固有的或习惯性的倾向，常接动词不定式，表示“易于……”、“倾向 于……”，一般是人作主语，物作主语多表示自然的倾向性。 1）A careless man is apt to make mistakes. 粗心的人容易犯错误。 2）He is apt to fly in a rage. 他极容易发脾气。 3）He is apt to give vent to his feelings 他易于表露自己的感情。 4）Food is aptto deteriorate in summer. 食物在夏天容易变质。 5）When a woman dresss to make herself up, the victin is apt to be time. 当女人着意打扮自己时，被牺牲的往往是时间。 prone 多用于人，常指有某种弱点、错误或不良行为的倾向，接动介词to或动词不定式。 1）We are prone to think evil of people whom we don’t like. 对于我们不喜欢的人，我们往往不往他们好的方面想。 2）She is proneto giggling at the most inopportune moments. 她常莫名其妙地咯咯发笑。 3）He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him. 人家一不同意他的意见，他就容易发脾气。 4）He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him. 人家一不同意他的意见，他就容易发脾气。 5）Boxers, in particular, are prone to the type of sustained head trauma associated with dementia pugilistica. 拳击运动员容易发生与痴呆相关的持续性头脑损伤。
|
|
|
