gather: the most general term, is usually neutral in connotation or may suggest plucking and culling or harvesting: a crowd ~s whenever there is excitement.  (cull采集诗文poetic/literary works或花果to pick poems, literary works, flowers or fruits, 如fresh culled daffodils刚刚采下的水仙花，还表示剔除的劣质，多余的家畜an inferior or surplus livestock animal selected for killing，如a cull cow被剔除的母牛)


collect: often implies careful selection or orderly arrangement with a definite end in view: ~ed books on gardening.


assemble: implies an orderly union or organization of persons or things and a conscious or definite end for their coming or being brought together: the country's leading experts on aeronautics ~d under one roof.


congregate: implies a spontaneous flocking together into a crowd or huddle, usually of similar types: persons were forbidden to ~ under martial law.  flock羊群或鸟群，如flocks and herds羊群和牛群


gather聚集采集: 泛指聚集采集，或表示采摘收割，collect收集收藏: 指采集时仔细挑选安排，有明确目的，assemble召集召开汇编: 将人事组织起来，有明确意识目的，congregate聚集集会: 自发地聚合成群，通常是同类


记忆方法: 1) 首字母GCAC想成唱唱歌啊<==聚集     "集"本义是鸟聚集在树上，引申为"汇聚会合"，隹表示鸟，最开始木上边有三个隹，但在古代即已简化成现在的写法

          2) 聚集的意思是使到一起mean to come or bring together into a group, mass, or unit.首字母GCAC想成唱唱歌啊<==聚集