News media（Reference for Teaching）
(1)affair既指一般事情，也指重大事情(這時(shí)常用復(fù)數(shù))。
e.g.the railway accident was a terrible affair.
那次火車車禍?zhǔn)且患膳碌氖?
a prime minister is kept busy with affairs of state.
一個(gè)國(guó)家總理總是忙于國(guó)家事務(wù).
(2)business是不可數(shù)名詞，常表示“生意，商業(yè)事務(wù)”，作“事情”講時(shí)，常指有責(zé)任、有必要去做的事，往往強(qiáng)調(diào)任務(wù)、職務(wù)等指派性的工作。
e.g.he is away on business。
他因公出差。
we don't do much business with them.
我們和他們沒(méi)有多少生意來(lái)往。
(3)event多指大事件。
e.g.what were the chief events last year?
去年有哪些大事?
(4)matter常指需要考慮和處理的事情.不強(qiáng)調(diào)行動(dòng).單數(shù)指“事情，問(wèn)題”，常與the連用；復(fù)數(shù)指“情況.事態(tài)”。
e.g.the matter is not decided yet.
這事還沒(méi)有決定。
what's the matter with you? 你怎么了7
it will make matters worse.
這會(huì)使事態(tài)惡化。
(5)thing表“事情”時(shí)是最通俗的用詞。可指具體事情，也可指抽象事情，可指大事也可指小事，可指好事也可指壞事。泛指“形式、情況”時(shí)用復(fù)數(shù)形式.
e. g.to say is one thing，but to do is another.
說(shuō)是一回事。可做又是一回事.
i have a lot of things to do.
我有許多事要做。
a strange thing happened.
一件奇怪的事發(fā)生了。
he promised that things would be better in the future.
我保證將來(lái)情況會(huì)好的。
2.though，even though/if
(1)兩者都引導(dǎo)讓步狀語(yǔ)從句，但 though指的是事實(shí)，而even though/if是指假設(shè)或推斷。有退一步設(shè)想的意味。
e.g.though he loves hers, she can't marry her.
盡管他愛(ài)她。但不能和她結(jié)婚。
even though he loves her。she can't marry her.
即使他愛(ài)她.也不能和她結(jié)婚。
i must find the lost child.even if it is getting dark.
即使天黑了。我也必須找到那個(gè)失蹤的小孩。
though it was dark., he started out on time.
盡管天很黑，他還是按時(shí)出發(fā)了。
(2)even though/if后常用虛擬式動(dòng)詞表示與事實(shí)相反的動(dòng)作或行為。當(dāng)讓步狀語(yǔ)從句的動(dòng)詞用虛擬式表示與事實(shí)相反的假設(shè)時(shí)，通常用even though/小而不用though。
e.g.it was a sword-thrust.received from twenty to twenty-four hours before.but nothing could have saved him even if/though he had been tended without delay.