在英语越来越重要的21世纪，学好英语成了大学生的首要目标。为帮助大学生更好地掌握英语知识，特提供以下文章：
die, decease, expire, perish, pass away
这些动词或短语动词均有“死”或“死亡”之意。
die : 最普通用词，指某人或某物失去生命而永远不存在。
He died a millionaire.(他死时是个百万富翁。)
decease : 正式用词，多指法律上的用语。
Upon his decease the house will pass to his wife.(他死后房屋归他太太所有。)
expire : 委婉用词。从本义“从肺部吐出气来”引申为吐出最后一口气，断气而死。
He expired at midnight.(他在午夜死去。)
perish : 书面用词，多指夭折或不幸暴亡。
Hundreds of sheep perished that year because of drought.(那年由于干旱, 几百头羊突然死去。)
pass away是die的委婉用语。
He passed away peacefully.(他安详地去世了。
destiny, fate, lot, doom, luck, fortune
这些名词均有“命运”或“运气”之意。
destiny: 普通用词，侧重预先注定的命运，对未来命运的美好憧憬。
It was the great man's destiny to lead his country to freedom.(那位伟人命中注定要领导他的国家获得自由。)
fate : 较庄严用词，多指不幸的命运，暗示不可避免，令人畏惧和人的意志无法改变，宿命论色彩较浓。
Every man has a share of responsibility for the fate of his country.(国家兴亡，匹夫有责。)
lot : 多指偶然的运气或终身遭受的不幸命运。
Her lot has been a hard one.(她命苦。)
doom : 指最终的，常常是灾难性或毁灭性的命运，隐含不可避免的意味。
The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.(这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。)
luck : 普通日常用词，指好的或坏的运气，尤多指好运气，有时也指成功或愉快的结局。
because I have a good luck charm which has already changed my luck. (因为我有‘吉祥符’，它已经把我的运气变好了)
fortune : 普通用词，指由机会或运气来决定的一种命运，如暗示一种比fate好的运气或一种愉快的未来。
By a stroke of fortune, he won the competition. (他靠运气在竞赛中获胜了。)