rival: usually sug. an attempt to outdo each other: success that ~ hers.


compete: stresses a struggle for an objective that may be conscious, but typically is quite impersonal striving: athletes ~ in college sports.


vie: suggests a less intense effort, but a more concious awareness of an opponent than compete: ~ with one another for her attention.


emulate: implies a concious effort to equal or surpass someone that serves as a model: strove to ~ his teachers.


rival: 试图超越(outdo)对方，compete: 强调争夺特定目标，通常个人色彩较淡，vie: 激烈程度弱，但(对对手的)意识强，amulate仿效: 努力追赶或超越模范。


记忆方法: 1）首字母联想，RECV是接受receive缩写，有能力的人愿意接受竞争。

         2）竞争的意思是奋力追赶超越mean to strive to equal or surpass.