“Picked” in “I picked the apples” is an 'active' verb because it shows that the subject “I” is the one who picked the apples.
After two years of 'active duty' [=two years of being a full-time member of the military] she entered the reserves.
He saw no 'active service' [=he did not fight in any battles] during his time in the army.
(..) He died in the most macho way possible. with pounds of dynamite strapped to his chest into the mouth of an active volcano! Yeah, sounds like El Macho's pretty dead. They never found the body. Oh, no. All that was ever retrieved was (..)2013 Despicable Me 2