问
（1）She is preparing lunch. （2）She is preparing for lunch.
上面两个句子的意思是否相同？
答
prepare sth. 与 prepare for sth. 的意思是不同的。前者的意思是“准备某事”“做某事”，即 prepare 的动作直接作用到 sth. 身上：
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Have you prepared your speech for Thursday? 你准备好星期四的发言了吗？
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Bob prepared his lessons while his mother prepared supper. 鲍勃在准备功课,妈妈在做晚饭。
后者则表示“为某事作准备”：
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People on the island are preparing for another storm. 岛上的人正在准备对付另一次暴风雨。
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She prepared for the debate. 她在为辩论做准备。
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When I'm preparing for my performance, I don't like to be interrupted. 我在为表演做准备时，不喜欢别人打岔。
由此可以看出，句(1)是指“她正在做午饭。”，而句(2)则是指“她正在为吃午饭做准备，例如摆桌子，摆椅子等”。
练习
The secretary worked late into the night, ____ a long speech for the president.
As the final examination was coming, the teachers were busy ____ the test papers.