形容词、副词比较级构成

What about ____________(大声读) to practice your spoken English?
The boys are talking____ in the class and it makes the teacher unhappy.
A. aloud B. loudly C. louder D. loud
Don’t speak so ___, my boys, I’ll read ___ a story to you.
A. loudly; aloud B. loudly; loudly
C. aloud; loudly D. loud; loudly

形容词、副词比较级构成：
直接+er, tall →taller, long →longer, short →shorter.
以e结尾，+r, nice →nicer, cute →cuter, white →whiter.
辅音字母+y结尾，改y →i, +er.
Heavy →heavier, funny →funnier, friendly →friendlier. early →earlier.
重读闭音节结尾，双写末尾, 再+er.
hot →hotter, wet →wetter, big →bigger, fat →fatter, thin →thinner. (口诀：热、湿、大、胖、瘦)

The number of foreign players, including Chinese players, in the NBA has increased.
解析：the number of表示“……的数量”，跟复数名词连用作主语，谓语动词要用单数。
例如：The number of students in our class is 50.
我们班学生的数量是50人。
[拓展]a number of 意思是“许多；大量的”，后接复数名词，谓语通常用复数。
例如：A number of students were absent from the meeting.
许多学生没有到会。

discover/invent的区别：
discover：指“发现”原本存在但一直不为人知的东西
invent：“发明”出的新的，原本并不存在的东西
Recently they _____ gold in this area.（discovered）
Edison ______ the electric light bulb. （invented）
Columbus ______America.（discovered）

多音节和部分双音节词，前+more, outgoing →more outgoing, hard-working →more hard-working, beautiful, popular...
不规则的特殊记：
good/well→ better →best； little→ less →least;
many/ much→ more →most; bad/ ill →worse →worst.
Far →farther →farthest far→ further →furthest;
old→ older →oldest old →elder →eldest;

Many young people look up to these basketball heroes ...
解析：look up to本意是“仰着头看”，可引申为“钦佩；仰慕；尊敬；敬仰”
例如：The girl was so short that she had to look up to her sister.
小女孩个子太矮，只好仰着头看她姐姐。
The children all look up to the baseball player.
这些孩子都很敬仰那名棒球运动员。
[与look相关的短语]
look forward to 展望(期待)……
look up 查阅；好转；仰视；看望
look for 寻找；寻求；期待