choice: suggests the opportunity or privilege to choose freely from a number of alternatives: total freedom of ~ in the matter.  自释


option: implies a specifically given power to choose among mutually exclusive items: the ~ of paying now or later.


alternative: implies a necessity to choose one and reject another possibility: the ~ is peace with dishonor or war.


preference: suggests personal bias and predilection as a basis of choice: stated a ~ for red-haired women.   (predilection强烈喜好implies a strong liking derived from temperament or experience强烈喜欢，由于性格经历，如 teenagers with a predilection for gory horror movies青少年喜好血腥恐怖电影，如his predilection for fast cars and fast horses他很喜好跑车和骏马)
selection: implies a wide range of choice and often the need of thought or discrimination in choosing: a store offering a wide ~ of furniture.   (discrimination鉴别力stresses the power to distinguish and select what is true or appropriate or excellent指可以区分选择出真实合适优秀的，如acquired discrimination by looking at a lot of art博览艺术品，培养鉴别力，如he showed great discrimination in his choice of friends他在择友方面颇具慧眼)   这里choice和furniture都不可数


election: implies a formal choosing, typically for an explicit role, duty, or function: the careful ~ of college courses.  如the election of government officials政府官员选举，如general election普选大选.  （role职位职能角色refers to a position or function，如the role of the teacher in the classroom教师在课堂上的职能，如role model楷模行为榜样）


choice选择: 表示有机会权利，从选项中自由选择，option选项: 指从互斥的选项中选择其一，alternative选择: 表示二选一，preference偏好: 表示根据个人偏好喜好选择，selection选择: 指选项范围广，需要思考辨别，election选举: 指正式选择承担职位职能


记忆方法: 1）首字母COAPSE<==选择错了，应是R   corpse人的尸体    "选"的繁体字"選", 本意是"两个人并行前进"即"随行"，引申为"挑出随行的人"；"择"的繁体字是"擇"，罒表示渔网，"幸"表示快乐喜欢，和手连用，表示"用手从一罗网的收获物中挑选"，意思和"选"相同

         2）选择的意思是挑出想要的mean the act or opportunity of choosing or the thing chosen.  本组基础词是choose，每个词的解释中都用到了choose或choice