VOA名师答疑2024--Surge and Soar

Surge and Soar

　　Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question about the difference between "surge" and "soar."

　　Question:

　　Hi my dear teacher,

　　I'm Hamid from Iran. What is difference between "surge" and "soar?" Can they be used interchangeably?

　　Much obliged,

　　Hamid

　　Answer:

　　While "surge" and "soar" have a similar verbal meaning of rising or increasing quickly, there are some big differences! Let's look at each word with some examples.

　　Surge

　　As a verb, "surge" means to rise or increase very quickly in an abnormal way.

　　Food prices surged due to inflation.

　　"Surge" can also mean to rise rapidly and fall quickly.

　　The boat was surging through the water during the storm.

　　When talking about something coming in waves, we can use "surge."

　　The waves surged to the shore as the hurricane approached.

　　Kaitlyn's emotions surged as she accepted her award.

　　And lastly as a verb, we use "surge" to talk about physical things like electricity or water moving rapidly through something and with force or power.

　　Electricity can surge through electronic devices unexpectedly causing damage.

　　As a noun, the most basic meaning is a powerful rise or increase in something that was once steady or not moving. This could be physical things like water or power, or it could be more abstract like your feelings.

　　There has been a surge of interest in American football from young women due to Taylor Swift.

　　The storm surge left residents along the coast unable to return to their homes for months.

　　Surge protectors can keep computers and other electronics safe during thunderstorms.

　　Carol felt a surge of sadness move over her when her dog died.

　　Let's move onto "soar."

　　Soar

　　Much like "surge," "soar" is a verb that can mean to rise rapidly. However, "soar" is used mostly to talk about a position, value or price.

　　Pat's blood pressure always soars to 140/90 when she goes to the doctor because she is worried.

　　Stock prices soared after the new CEO of the company was announced.

　　Soar can also be used to talk about things that fly, like birds or planes.

　　The geese soared in formation as they flew south for the winter.

　　The skydiver felt as though she was soaring through the air after she jumped out of the plane.

　　And lastly, "soar' means to rise or move to a higher state. This can be physically¹ like a voice or abstractly like your spirits or feelings. It can also be used to talk about how tall or high things are.

　　The singer's voice soared over the other members of the choir².

　　Her spirits soared when she learned of the good news.

　　One World Trade Center soars above all other buildings in New York City, standing³ at a height of 541 meters or 1776 feet.

　　Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Hamid.

　　Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at [email protected].

　　And that's Ask a Teacher. Thank you for joining me over the past two years. I have enjoyed answering your questions. I hope that your English skills "soar" ever higher!

　　Take care,

　　Words in This Story

　　shore – n. the land along the edge of an area of water (such as an ocean, lake, etc.)

　　steady – adj. something that is strong and keeps working over time

　　abstract – adj. relating to or involving general ideas or qualities rather than specific people, objects, or actions

　　geese – n.(pl.) birds that live in and close to water and migrate in the winter to warmer areas.

　　spirit – n. a force within a human being thought to give the body life, energy, and power

　　choir – n. a group of singers especially in a church

1 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

2 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。