要做到形容词活用，必须掌握其意义并能区分一些近义词的用法。下面我们就来看看一些常用的形容词的用法与辨析。

◆“空的,空白”bare，blank，empty，hollow，margin，vacant 都含有一定的"空白"之意

bare a.光秃秃的,无遮蔽的,通常指局部的裸
blank a.空白的，指表面无字迹，没有写字、印刷、或做记号的空白处
empty a. (房间等)空的，没有物的，指描绘之物的内部本应有的东西这时却没有，或者可容人或物的地方或容器这时未容纳(房间里无家里设备或没有人)
hollow a.空的，空心的，空虚的，指所描绘之物的中心是空的，也可指空虚的
margin n.页边空白，多指纸张的页边，边缘的空白
vacant a.空的，(房间等)未被占用的，空着的，指暂时没有人居住或占据而空闲着的

Exercises:选择最恰当答案&翻译每句句子!
1.Although they plant trees in this area every year，the tops of some hills are still ____.
A.blank B.vacant C.hollow D.bare
2.There is a ____ space at the bottom of the form for you to sign your name in.
A.empty B.vacant C.blank D.hollow
3.Space scientists believe that the black hole is ____,and would draw everything,even light,toward its center.
A.empty B.hollow C.vacant D.blank
4.Since everyone would like to find an apartment near the university,there are very few ____ apartments in the area.
A.vacant B.free C.empty D.reserved
5.I believe that the best way to take notes is in the ____ of the book instead of on the notebook.
A.borders B.boundaries C.edges D.margin

参考答案及具体分析:

1.Although they plant trees in this area every year，the tops of some hills are still __D__. 尽管他们每年都在这个地区植树,可是有些山头仍是光秃秃的.
A.blank B.vacant C.hollow D.bare
2.There is a __C__ space at the bottom of the form for you to sign your name in. 在这表格的下方有一个空白处供你签名.
A.empty B.vacant C.blank D.hollow
3.Space scientists believe that the black hole is __B__,and would draw everything,even light,toward its center. 太空科学家认为,这个黑洞是空的,它会把一切东西,甚至光吸入它的中心.
A.empty B.hollow C.vacant D.blank
4.Since everyone would like to find an apartment near the university,there are very few __A__ apartments in the area. 由于每个人都想在大学附近找到一间公寓,所以那个地区几乎没有空房.
A.vacant B.free C.empty D.reserved
5.I believe that the best way to take notes is in the __D__ of the book instead of on the notebook. 我认为记笔记的最好方法是记在页边的空白处,而不是记在笔记本上.
A.borders B.boundaries C.edges D.margin

◆amaze,astonish,surprise都含有一定的"惊讶"之意
amaze 使吃惊,程度比surprise强(=surprise very much),一般指好事.(be amazed at sth./to do sth.)
astonish 使惊愕,指使人大吃一惊(=surprise greatly),含有几乎使人无法相信之意,是个语气较强的词(sb. be astonished at(by) sth./to do sth./that..."被(因)...惊吓")
surprise 使惊异,指由于突然的事情使人产生惊奇,有出乎意料的含义.普通用词,语气最弱. (sb. be surprised at/by sth./that.../to do sth.;feel surprised at..."对...感到惊讶";in surprise"吃惊地,在震惊中")
三个词在用法上基本相同,可互换,只是语气上有所差别.

Exercises:选择最恰当答案&翻译每句句子!
1.I am ____ by what you tell me.
A.tired B.believed C.amused D.amazed
2.What ____ her most was hearing her name mentioned on TV.
A.astonished B.surpassed C.shocked D.shaked
3.Not ____,the process of choosing names varies widely from culture to culture.
A.obviously B.particularly C.surprisingly D.normally
4.To the ____ of everybody,he won the prize.
A.surprise B.astonishment C.amazement D.amazing
5.I was ____ to find him there.
A.ambitious B.amazed C.amused D.analysed
6.He ____ us by announcing that he was going to get married in a few day.
A.feared B.astonished C.alarmed D.terrify

参考答案及具体分析:

1.I am __D__ by what you tell me.我听了你所说的话觉得惊愕.
A.tired B.believed C.amused D.amazed
2.What __A__ her most was hearing her name mentioned on TV.她最大吃一惊的是在电视中听到了自己的名字.
A.astonished B.surpassed C.shocked D.shaked
3.Not __C__,the process of choosing names varies widely from culture to culture.起名字的方法因文化不同而有很大差异是不足为奇的.
A.obviously B.particularly C.surprisingly D.normally
4.To the __A__ of everybody,he won the prize.使大家惊奇的是,他竟得了奖.(to one's surprise/to the surprise of sb.'s"使某人惊奇的是")
A.surprise B.astonishment C.amazement D.amazing
5.I was __B__ to find him there.我发现他在那儿,吃了一惊.
A.ambitious B.amazed C.amused D.analysed
6.He __B__ us by announcing that he was going to get married in a few day.对于他宣布他即将结婚的消息,我们大吃一惊.
A.feared B.astonished C.alarmed D.terrify

参见地址：http://blog.hjenglish.com/carinewoo/articles/7714.html

◆forceful    clumsy   intense    tricky

forceful，“强有力的，坚强的”，它的词义可以从构词法上来猜测，force+full=forceful；clumsy“笨拙的”，多用于对外貌的描述；“激烈的，剧烈的”，多用来指程度；tricky“狡猾的”，trick(N.)+y=Adj.,这也是形容词的一种常见构词法。

Excercise:The machine looked like a large,clumsy, old-fashioned typewriter.

◆slender   light   faint   minor

slender,苗条的”；light,“重量轻的”；faint,“软弱的，无力的”；minor“较小的，未成年的”。

Excercise:Mary is pretty and _____, and many girls envy her.（slender）

◆simplest   slightest   least   utmost

simplest,“最简单的”；slightest,“.轻微的,微小的,少量的”，尤指在程度上的微小和不重要；least,指在数量上的最少，也可以用于表达程度上的小，但这种用法多见于否定句，如，I haven’t the least idea where he is.；utmost,“最大可能的”。

Excercise:Can you give me even the ____ clue as to whom the boy is?（slightest）

◆high的非常规用法

high street

    想一想北京的王府井，上海的淮海路，想必您也猜出了high street对于英国人的意义。不过，在英国，high street不是单指某一条街，而是泛指“城镇中最繁华的商业区”，是英国人的特有词汇。若要追溯high street（商业大街）的渊源，当然得查究high的诸多含义。

    在古英语中，high通常用来形容“高贵的，一流的，高尚的”，如high society（上流社会）；high priest（主教，大祭司）。随着时间的推移，high开始用来形容“连结城市、县镇的公用道路”。据记载，早在9世纪，highway（公路）就进入了英语词汇，由此衍生而来的词如：highwayman（拦路的强盗）；king's highway（水陆交通干线）。

    大约在11世纪，high street开始用来专指“用筑路材料铺成大道”。中世纪，随着小城镇的发展，在这些“铺过的路面”附近开始出现商店、旅店、酒馆，high street逐渐演变为“城镇中繁华的商业区。”

参见地址：http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/2006-08/29/content_676681.htm