receive

receive, accept

这两个词都含有“收到”的意思。在表示“赞同某一意见或看法”时可互换。例如:
Her husband did not accept〔receive〕 her story.她的丈夫不相信她的话。
The theory was not received〔accepted〕 as truth by the broad masses of people.这一理论并未被广大人民群众当成真理。
它们的区别是：
1.从搭配上说:在表示“受到教育〔惩罚,支持〕”和“接待客人”等意时只能用receive,不能用accept; 而在表示“接受某条件”时却只能用accept,而不能用receive。
2.从含义上说: receive只表示“被动地收到”这一事实,而accept则多了一层主观上“某种程度甚至完全赞同”的意味。例如:
I've received an invitation but I don't think I'll accept.我收到一份邀请,但不准备接受。
Though he has received several offers, he can accept only one of them.虽然他收到了几处的聘请,但他只能接受其中之一。
再如,收到(receive)别人的致歉,但不一定予以承认(accept); 头脑可以接收(receive)某一思想,但不一定认同(accept); 一个人可以为社会所容纳(receive),但不一定为他人所理解(accept)。简而言之,“accept=receive+乐意地”。
此外, receive之后还可以拒绝甚至退回,而一经accept,则除极特殊情况外,一般是不能再拒绝或退回的。因此,复信中写I've received your invitation.就显得不够礼貌了。

receive, hear from

这两个词(组)都可表示“接到某人信件”。它们的区别是：
hear from不是指具体接到信件,而是指得到音信、信息; receive往往指收到具体的信件。例如:
I haven't heard from him for a long time.我好久没得到他的音信了。
I haven't received any letters from him for several months.我已经好几个月没有收到他的信了。

receive, admit, take

这三个词都有“接受”的意思。它们的区别是：
receive主要表示接到或收到,而不含采取主动或积极行动的意思; admit强调接纳,暗示接纳者采取允许、宽容的态度或作出让步; take是日常用词,指不带有主观意愿地收下。