the earth/moon/sun

the best/the first book

1. 一般不用冠词
   I’m just recovering from toothache/influenza/rheumatism（风湿）.
2. 既可用the，也可不用the
   She’s got (the) measles（麻疹）/flu.
3. 要用the
   He has never really got over the malaria（疟疾） he caught in Africa.
4. 下列病名前一般用a/an
   I have an ache in my head.
   类似有：a cold, a headache, a fever, a pain in the back
   特指时，要用the：The pain is terrible.

Breakfast is served at eight.
He gave us a good breakfast.

特指用定冠词：The wedding breakfast was held in her father’s house.

It’s time for children to go to bed (to sleep).

出于其他目的，如果是去参加这些地方或谈到这些地方时，可根据情况用a或the

There’s a bed in the room.
I’m going to the hospital to visit a friend who is ill.

同样的，home单独使用时，无冠词，有修饰语时，便用the

She left home.
We went to the bride’s home.
I don’t have a home to go to in this city.

The five of us support it. （我们只有五个人）我们五人都支持。
Five of us support it.（我们不止五个人）我们中有五个人支持。

father and son父子，host and guest主客，from head to foot从头到脚

1. the一般不用于人名前，但特指时需用the
   He’s the Mr. Smith I saw yesterday.
   也可用a指同名中的某一个或具有某特点的某人，指一家人时，用复数+the
   A Mr. Smith is here to see you. (=A man called Smith has come.)
   The Browns have moved to another place.
2. 头衔+人名时不用the，有头衔无人名时需用the，以表示特指
   I saw Queen Elizabeth when I was in London.
   I saw the Queen when I was in London.
3. 国家、省市等名词前一般不用the，由短语组成的国名或以-s结尾的国名前需用the
   Chicago is in Illinois.
   the United Kingdom
   the Netherlands
4. 街道名词前不用the，但也有例外
   He lives on Oxford Street.
   They changed the name of Sixth Avenue to the Avenue of Americas.
5. 在河流、海洋、群岛、海峡、海湾等名词前，一般需用the
   the Mississippi
   the Atlantic
   the English Channel
6. 船只、飞机等名词前，一般用the
   the Queen Mary

out of the question根本不可能
in the night在夜里
beat about the bush旁敲侧击
for the time being暂时
all the year round一年到头
take the lead带头