■Most cats are suspicious of human beings ____ their lives 　　

A. during       B. through        C. throughout     D. while 　　

作為單項填空題，此題的選項設計欠妥。因為，此題選C和D都可以，但從實際使用來看，throughout one’s life 要比 through one’s life 用得更多，若用through one’s life 則多半會說成 all through one’s life。　　

■They had a pleasant chat _____ a cup of coffee.　　

A. for           B. with           C. during        D. over　　

此題的最佳答案應是 D。因為 over 其中有個用法就是表示“在吃（喝）……的時候”，如《邁克米倫高階英語詞典》對 over 這樣用的解釋就是 while having a meal or a drink。該詞典所給的例句是：　　

Over coffee our host told us a little about the history of the house.　　

We chatted over lunch.　　

從語法上看，此題填 during 也不算錯，但意義上不是太好。比較下面兩句：　　

They had a pleasant chat over a cup of coffee. 他們一邊喝著咖啡一邊愉快地聊著天。　　

He finished his letter during a cup of tea. 一杯茶的工夫他就寫完了信。　　

The phone rang during the meal. 這個句子沒錯，意思是“吃飯時電話鈴響了”。