Most cultures contain a number of common sayings and beliefs that are not ralyy based on fact

中学英语教师中流传着一个说法：prove 只能用主动语态。所以他们常常出题要求学生在 prove 的主动结构和被动结构之间作出选择。
其实，从语言实际来看，prove 用于被动语态是客观存在的。张道真教授编写的《英语常用动词用法词典》中，在 prove 解释“证明，证实”的每一条用法中都指出“可用于被动结构”，并举例：
They were proved effective after testing in the fields.
Their calculations have all been proved to be castles in the air.
他编的另一部词典《初级英语词典》prove 中也有一例：
The fears of some scientists were proved wrong.
以我个人之见，最初不知谁提出了这个谬论，随后便以讹传讹，而今已积重难返了。类似情况在英语教学中屡见不鲜，我已经见怪不怪了。