昨天的答案：

1. a   2. c   3. c   4. b   5. d   6. c   7. b   8. d

今天将学习PROT/PROTO 和 ANTE两个词根。

PROT/PROTO. 源自希腊语，基本意思为"first in time"或"first formed." Protozoa are one-celled animals, such as amoebas(变形虫) and paramecia(草履虫), that are among the most basic members of the biological kingdom. A proton(质子) is an elementary particle that, along with neutrons(中子), can be found in all atomic nuclei. A protoplanet(原行星) is a whirling mass of gas and dust that astronomers believe may someday become a planet.

protagonist. The main character in a literary work.

例句：Macbeth is the ruthlessly ambitious protagonist of Shakespeare's play, but it is his wife who pulls the strings.

Struggle, or conflict, is central to drama. The protagonist or hero of a play, novel, or film is involved in a struggle of some kind, either against someone or something else or even against his or her own emotions. So the hero is the "first struggler," which is the literal meaning of the Greek word protagonistes, A character who opposes the hero is the antagonist, from a Greek verb than means literally "to struggle against."

protocol. (1) A code of diplomatic or military rules of behavior. (2) A set of rules for the formatting of data in an electronic communications system.

例句：The guests at the governor's dinner were introduced and seated according to the strict protocol governing such occasions.

The basic meaning of proto- is a little harder to follow in this word. Protocol comes from a Greek word for the first sheet of a papyrus roll. In English, protocol originally meant " a first draft or record," and later specifically the first draft of a diplomatic document, such as a treaty. The "diplomatic" connection led eventually to its current meaning of "rules of behavior." Someone wearing Bermuda shorts and scandals to a state dinner at the White House would not be acting "according to protocol," and royal protocol forbids touching the queen of England except to shake her hand. But protocol is also now used for other sets of rules, such as those for doing a scientific experiment or for handling computer data.

protoplasm.(原生质) The substance that makes up the living parts of cells.

例句：A mixture of organic and inorganic substances, such as protein and water, protoplasm is regarded as the physical basis of life.

After the word protoplasm was coined in the mid-19th century for the jellylike material that is the main substance of a cell, it began to be used widely, especially by scientists and others who imagined that the first life-forms must have arisen out of a great seething protoplasmic soup. Since protoplasm includes all the cell's living material, inside and outside the nucleus, it is a less useful scientific word today than more precise terms such as cytoplasm(细胞质), which refers only to the living material outside the nucleus. But many remain fascinated by the image of that soup bubbling away as the lightning flashes and the volcanoes erupt.

prototype. (1) An original model on which something is patterned. (2) A first, full-scale, usually working version of a new type or design.

例句：There was great excitement when, after years of top-secret development, the prototype of the new Stealth bomber first took to the skies.

A prototype is someone or something that serves as a model or inspiration. A successful fund-raising campaign can serve as a prototype for future campaigns, for example, and the legendary Robin Hood is the prototypical honorable outlaw, the inspiration for countless other romantic heroes. But the term is perhaps most widely used in the world of technology; every new "concept car," for example, starts off as a unique prototype.

ANTE. 源自拉丁语，意为"before"或“in front of." Antediluvian, which describes something very old or outdated, literally means "before the flood"--that is, Noah's Flood. And antebellum literally means "before the war," usually the American Civil War.

antechamber.(前厅，接待室) An outer room that leads to another and is often used as a waiting room.

例句：The antechamber to the lawyer's office was both elegant and comfortable, designed to inspire trust and confidence.

One expects to find an antechamber outside the private chambers of a Supreme Court Justice or leading into the great hall of a medieval castle. In the private end of the castle the lord's or lady's bedchamber would have its own antechamber, which served as a dressing room and sitting room, but could also house body guards if the castle came under siege. Anteroom is a less formal synonym, one that's often applied to the waiting rooms of professional offices today.

antedate. (1) To date something (such as a check) with a date earlier than that of actual writing. (2) To precede in time.

例句：Nantucket Island has hundreds of beautifully preserved houses that antedate the Civil War.

Dinosaurs antedated the first human beings by almost 65 million years, though this stubborn fact never used to stop cartoonists and screenwriters from having the two species in habit the same story line. Dictionary editors are constantly noticing how the oral use of a word may antedate its first appearance in print by a number of years. Antedating a check or a contract isn't illegal unless it's done for the purpose of fraud (the same is true of its opposite, postdating).

antecedent. (1) A word or phrase that is referred to by a pronoun that follows it. (2) An event or cause coming before something.

例句：As I remember, she said "My uncle is taking my father, and he's staying overnight," but I'm not sure what the antecedent of "he" was.

A basic principle of clear writing is to keep your antecedents clear. Pronouns are often used in order not to repeat a noun (so instead of saying "Sheila turns 22 tomorrow, and Sheila is having a party," we replace the second "Sheila" with "she". But sloppy writers sometimes leave their antecedents unclear (for instance, "Sheila helps Kathleen out, but she doesn't appreciate it," where it isn't clear who "she" is). Watch out for this possible problem when using not just he and she but also they, them, it, this, and that. And keep in mind that antecedent isn't just a grammar term. You may talk about the antecedents of heart disease (such as bad eating habits), the antecedents of World War II (such as the unwise Treaty of Versailles), and even your own antecedents (Your mother, grandfather, etc.).

anterior. (1) Located before or toward the front or head. (2) Coming before in time or development.

例句：When she moved up to join the first-class passengers in the plane's anterior section, she was delighted to recognize the governor in the next seat.

Anterior generally appears in either medical or scholarly contexts. Anatomy books refer to the anterior lobe of the brain, the anterior cerebral artery, the anterior facial vein, etc. Scholar and lawyers may use anterior to mean "earlier in time or order." For example, supporters of states' rights point out that the individual states enjoyed certain rights anterior to their joining the union. And prenuptial agreements are designed to protect the assets that one or both parties acquired anterior to the marriage.

Quiz:

Match the definition on the left to the correct word on the right:

1. to date before                   a. protocol

2. cell contents                      b. antechamber

3. what comes before            c. protagonist

4. rules of behavior                d. antecedent

5. toward the front                 e. protoplasm

6. model                                 f. antedate

7. waiting room                      g. prototype

8. hero or heroine                  h. anterior