attempt: stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort and often suggests the strong possibility of failure: will ~ to photograph the rare bird. (effort努力implies the calling up or directing of energy by the conscious will, and may refer to both a single action or persistent activity有意识地使用力量,既可指一次性也可连续性的活动,如made the supreme effort and crossed the finish line first尽最大努力,率先越过终点,如he made no effort to hide his disappointment他毫不掩饰失望之情)
try: stresses effort or experiment made to test or prove something: ~ied several times to find a solution. (test测试,是为了验证是否良好或可用to discover if something is good or usable,如she said it was a 'test' of his character她说那是为了'测试'他的人品)
endeavor: heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty and connotes a striving to fulfill a duty: ~ed to find survivors of the crash.
essay: implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting: had ~ed dramatic roles on two earlier occasions. (tentative初步暂定试探性谨慎not definite or certain because you may want to change it later,如we made a tentative arrangement to meet on Friday我们初步暂定星期五见面,如tentative conclusions初步结论,a tentative greeting试探性的问候,暗示谨慎cautious,如I'm taking the first tentative steps towards fitness我试探性地开始实施健身计划)
strive: implies exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort: continues to ~ for a lasting peaceful solution. 这个词强烈褒义,解释也不难,建议把解释背下来