一句話用法：講「培養 / 促進好東西」用 foster——比 develop 精準、比 encourage 學術。
意思
Foster (v.) = 培養、促進、孕育（好的事物）。
跟 mitigate（只配壞事）相對，foster 只配好事——創造力、合作、發展、信任。它的隱含意義是「創造一個讓 X 能成長的環境」。
自然搭配
- Schools should foster creativity in young learners, not just test them on facts.
- Open communication helps foster trust between managers and employees.
- International exchange programmes foster cross-cultural understanding.
- A stable home environment is essential to foster children's emotional development.
- Public libraries play a key role in fostering a love of reading among the young.
幾個高頻搭配——foster creativity / trust / understanding / growth / cooperation——背起來直接套。
學生常犯的錯
把 foster 當作 develop 的同義詞：
Companies should foster their products. ← 錯（產品要 develop / improve） Companies should foster innovation. ← 對（抽象的好品質）
口訣：foster 後面接的應該是「抽象的好品質或關係」——creativity, trust, growth, understanding。具體東西（產品、技能）用 develop。
另一個錯——foster 也有「寄養（小孩）」的意思：
They fostered three children. ← 寄養 They fostered a sense of community. ← 培養（抽象）
兩種都對，靠後面接的名詞判斷。
Band 7 同義替換
避免重複，輪流用：
- cultivate（語感更主動：cultivate good habits）
- nurture（語感更呵護：nurture talent）
三個輪流——foster / cultivate / nurture——一篇 Task 2 寫教育、家庭、職場主題時超實用。
試試看
升級這句：
Schools should encourage teamwork. → Schools should foster a culture of teamwork from an early age.
換動詞 + 加 a culture of——句子立刻顯得成熟。
延伸閱讀：Band 6 → 7 詞彙升級