【问】 The government____to approve the use of wide-spread surveillance when the JusticeDepartment took objections.

A. is going B. had been

C. was about D. is coming(TOEFL，76.2)

请解释be about to的意义和用法。

【答】 半助动词be about to(+动词原形)，如同will/shall，be going to，be to一样，也能表达将来时间。但是be about to与它们有一个重要的区别，就是它表达的是最近的将来，意思相当于be on the point of+动名词或be going to加上just(“正要”、“马上就要”)。I’m about toread your essay.≈I’m just going to read your paper.(CGEL)。如同was/were to和was/weregoing to表示过去的将来时间一样，was/were about to也可以表示过去的将来时间。

1. Mrs. Gerhardt was about to begin，but Jennie spoke first. (Dreiser)

杰哈特夫人正要开始讲话，珍妮却首先发言了。

2. He met her in the doorway just as she was about to go away. (Galsworthy)

正当她要离开时，他在门口遇见了她。

3. The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impressionthat it was about to leap out at me. (NCE 3，L. 24)

门突然打开，使骷髅轻轻地晃动，我似乎觉得它就要向我扑来。

4. Frank was about to leave when he noticed a large packing-case lying on the floor.

弗朗克正要离开，突然他发现了放在地上的那只大箱子。