这些词或短语都有“发生”的意思，都不可以用于被动语态，但用法各不相同，区别如下：

take place 表示“发生”，一般指事件的发生一定有某种原因或事先的安排。通常指“（某事）按计划进行或按计划发生。”

Great changes have taken place in our hometown during the past ten years.

此外还有“举行”之意。

The concert takes place next Thursday.

happen 作“发生”解，常指具体事件的发生，特别指那些偶然的或未能预见的“发生”，一般用于偶然或突发性事件。

A storm happened across the river in another country.

此外还有“碰巧”之意。

I happened to see him on my way home.

= It happened that I saw him on my way home.

= It happened that I saw him on my way home.

occur 作“发生”解，其意义相当于 happen。

What has occurred? (= What has happened? )

A big earthquake occurred (= happened) in the south of China last month.

此外还有“想到、突然想起”之意。

It occurred to me that she didn't know I had moved into the new house.

温馨提示：Sth. occur to sb./ it occur to sb. that…“某人突然想起…”

come about 表示“发生、产生”，多指事情已经发生了，但还不知道为什么，常用于疑问句和否定句。

When Mother woke up, she didn't know what had come about.

I'll never understand how it came about that you were late three times a week.

Do you know how the air accident came about?

break out 意思为“发生、爆发”，常指战争、灾难、疾病或者争吵等事件的发生。

A fire broke out in the hospital in the mid-night.

After the flood, diseases broke out here and there.

练习：

B  1. ____ is known to us all is that the 2008 Olympic Games will take place in Beijing.

    A. It         B. What       C. As      D. Which    08福建

A  2. Great changes have taken place in that school. It is no longer____ it was 20 years ago, ____ it was so poorly equipped.

    A. what; when    B. that; which    C. what; which       D. which; that  05安徽

D  3. Eliza remembers everything exactly as if it______ yesterday.

    A. was happening       B. happens    C. has happened        D. happened  06全国1

D  4. ---Tom is never late for work. Why is he absent today?

       --- Something ________ to him.

    A．must happen                  B．should have happened

    C．could have happened         D．must have happened  05江西

D  5. I don't know whether you happen___ , but I’m going to study in the U.S.A. this September .

    A．to be heard    B．to be hearing    C．to hear     D．to have heard   04辽宁

C  6. I _____ along the street looking for a place to park when the accident _______ .

    A. went; was occurring        B. went; occurred 

    C. was going; occurred        D. was going; had occurred   06安徽

C  7. It never occurred to me _____ you could succeed in persuading him to change his mind.

    A. which       B. what     C. that    D. if    10陕西

A  8. I was still sleeping when the fire ___, and then it spread quickly.

    A. broke out   B. put out   C. came out   D. got out   06广东

C  9. It's already 10 o'clock I wonder how it ____ that she was two hours late on such a short trip.

    A. came over     B. came out    C. came about   D. came up