|
在英语学习中,我们自然会遇到许多生词。这时,许多人立即翻阅字典,查找词义。其实这种做法是不科学的。它不但费时费力,而且影响阅读速度。事实上,阅读材料中的每个词与它前后的词语或句子甚至段落有着互相制约的关系。我们可以利用语境(各种已知信息)推测、判断某些生词的词义。
综上所述,利用各种已知信息推测、判断词义是一项重要的阅读技巧。在实践中,我们可以灵活运用,综合运用上面提到的几种猜测技巧,排除生词的障碍,顺利理解文章的思想内容,提高阅读速度。
所以考生应重点避免以下两种情况:第一,考生往往会随便猜一个选项,错误率很高。第二种情况下,考生往往落入命题专家的陷阱,不知不觉地失了分,原因是考生并没有掌握阅读词汇题的基本命题原则。在阅读部分的词汇题要考的并不是考生认不认识题中所考的单词,否则便是命题失效。此处要考的是考生阅读中的推断能力,也就是说题中所考单词的词义必定能根据上下文推断出来。所以考生在遇到阅读中的词汇题时,一定要冷静,去上下文中细找,推断出词义后,可将词义代入原文看是否通畅。
例如2003年第54题:
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers onthe grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone’s cost. If railroadscharged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have theoption of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so,leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line. It’s atheory to which many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leavesrailroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish andwhich will fail. “Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who winsand who loses in the marketplace?” asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently representsshippers。
The word “arbiters” most probably refers tothose_________。
[A] who work as coordinators
[B] who function as judges
[C] who supervise transactions
[D] who determine the price
该题的解题关键在于是否知道arbiters后的介宾短语of who wins and who loses in the marketplace就是对该词的最准确定义,依据该介宾短语,不难得出arbiters是决定谁输谁赢的人,四个选项中只有B选项和这个意思最为接近。
词义题解题方法
针对推测生词含义题型,我们可以从两个方面进行分析:
1)利用内在逻辑关系。即根据内在逻辑关系推测词义是指运用语言知识分析和判断相关信息之间存在的逻辑关系,然后根据逻辑关系推断生词词义或大致义域。
a。根据对比关系猜测词义
在一个句子或段落中,有对两个事物或现象进行对比性的描述,我们可以根据生词或难词的反义词猜测其词义。例如:
Andrew is one of the most supercilious men I know. Hisbrother, in contrast, is quite humble and modest. 该例中supercilious对许多人来说可能是个生词,但是句中短语incontrast,(相对照的,相对比的)可以提示我们 supercilious和后面词组humbleand modest(谦卑又谦虚)是对比关系。分析出这种关系后,我们便能猜出supercilious意为“目空一切的,傲慢的”。
表示对比关系的词汇和短语主要是unlike,not,but,however,despite,inspite of,in contrast 和while 引导的并列句等。例如,A good supervisor canrecognize instantly the adept workers from the unskilled ones. 该句中并未出现上面提到的表示对比关系的词或短语,但是通过上下文可以判断出句子前后是对比关系,即把熟练工人与非熟练工人区分开。这时我们也能够推断出生词 adept的词义,“熟练的”。
b。根据比较关系猜测词义
同对比关系相反,比较关系表示意义上的相似关系。
例如:Green loves to talk,and hisbrothers are similarly loquacious。
该句中副词similarly表明短语lovesto talk与生词loquacious之间的比较关系。以此可以推断出loquacious词义为“健谈的”。表示比较关系的词和短语主要是similarly,like,just as,also等。
c。根据因果关系猜测词义
在句子或段落种,若两个事物、现象之间构成因果关系,我们可以根据这种逻辑关系推知生词词义。
例如:Tom is considered anautocratic administrator because he makes decisions without seeking theopinions of others. 根据原因状语从句的内容,我们可以推断出生词autocratic指“独断专行的”。Therewere so many demonstrators in the Red Squarethat he had to elbow his way through the crowd. 此句为结果状语从句,根据从句的描书“许多示威者”,我们便可推知elbow的词意 “挤,挤过”。
d。根据同义词的替代关系猜测词义
在句子或段落种,我们可以利用熟悉的词语,根据语言环境推断生词词义。
例如: Although he often had the opportunity, Mr. Tritt was neverable to steal money from a customer. This would have endangered his position atthe bank, and he did not want to jeopardize his future. 作者为避免重复使用endanger一词,用其同义词jeopardize来替代它,由此推知其词义为“使……陷入危险,危及、危害”。
|
|