what是一個(gè)高考中的高頻詞匯,幾乎年年會(huì)考,經(jīng)過(guò)對(duì)近幾年各地英語(yǔ)高考試卷的分析,發(fā)現(xiàn)對(duì)what的考查常考其最基本的用法,即作疑問(wèn)代詞用,表示“什么”,如:
{1} Choosing the right dictionary depends on ______ you want to use it for.(2007江蘇)
A. whatB. whyC. howD. whether
{2} —Could you do me a favor?(2006北京)
—It depends on ______ it is.
A. whichB. whicheverC. whatD. whatever
這兩題幾乎是一個(gè)模式,考查的都是what作為疑問(wèn)代詞,表示“什么”的意思,且都位于depend on后面作介詞的賓語(yǔ)。第一句意思是“看你想拿它做什么用”,第二句意思是“這要看它是什么”。
除了考查這一本意外,what常考的用法還有下列幾種:
1. 引導(dǎo)名詞性從句
這也是what在高考中考得最多的一個(gè)用法,這種句子中的what其實(shí)相當(dāng)于漢語(yǔ)中的兼語(yǔ),即兼有雙重身份,what相當(dāng)于something + that,其中something作前面的某一成分,that充當(dāng)引導(dǎo)詞的同時(shí)也作后面的另一成分。在這種句子中,由what引導(dǎo)的名詞性從句常可翻譯成“所……的”,如:
{3} ______ matters most in learning English is enough practice.(2007全國(guó)Ⅱ)
A. WhatB. WhyC. WhichD. When
{4} ______ parents say and do has a life?鄄long effect on their children.(2007陜西)
A. ThatB. WhichC. WhatD. As
以上兩句中都考查了what引導(dǎo)主語(yǔ)從句的用法。例③中的what相當(dāng)于The thing that,意思是“學(xué)英語(yǔ)中最為關(guān)鍵的事是……”,其他選項(xiàng)都不能表達(dá)這一含義。
例④中同樣也是考查what引導(dǎo)的主語(yǔ)從句,what在此同樣也相當(dāng)于The thing that,意即“父母親所說(shuō)的和所做的對(duì)孩子們的一生都有影響”。其他詞在含義或用法上都不能充當(dāng)這一作用。
{5} The seaside here draws a lot of tourists every summer. Warm sunshine and soft sands make ______ it is.(2007天津)
A. whatB. whichC. howD. where
{6} You can only be sure of ______ you have at present; you cannot be sure of something ______ you might get in the future.(2007安徽)
A. that, whichB. what, /C. which, thatD. /, that
以上兩句考查的都是what引導(dǎo)賓語(yǔ)從句的用法。從例⑤的句子結(jié)構(gòu)中可看出,及物動(dòng)詞make后面缺賓語(yǔ),而從句中is后面又缺表語(yǔ),因此只有能充當(dāng)“兼語(yǔ)”的what才能擔(dān)任這一作用,what在此相當(dāng)于the situation / scenery that,意即“使之成為了現(xiàn)在的景色”。因此答案選擇A。
例⑥中,同樣第一空前介詞of后缺賓語(yǔ),而空格后從句中及物動(dòng)詞have也少賓語(yǔ),因此只有選擇what可兼而有之,引導(dǎo)一個(gè)賓語(yǔ)從句,意即“確保目前所擁有的東西”,第二空因?yàn)榭崭袂耙延衧omething了,故引導(dǎo)詞只需要使用that,引導(dǎo)定語(yǔ)從句,因引導(dǎo)詞在從句中作賓語(yǔ),可以省略,因此答案為B。如果第二空前的something也省略,引導(dǎo)詞同樣需要使用what,這充分說(shuō)明what相當(dāng)于something + that。
{7} See the flags on top of the building? That was ______ we did this morning.(2006全國(guó)Ⅰ)
A. whenB. whichC. whereD. what
該句考查的是表語(yǔ)從句,從句型結(jié)構(gòu)可看出,was后少表語(yǔ),而從句中及物動(dòng)詞did后也缺賓語(yǔ),因此只有選擇what才能以“兼語(yǔ)”身份來(lái)充當(dāng),意即“那就是我們?cè)绯克傻氖隆薄9蚀鸢笧镈。
注:因?yàn)閣hat的特殊“兼語(yǔ)”身份,它只能引導(dǎo)主語(yǔ)、賓語(yǔ)和表語(yǔ)從句,不能引導(dǎo)名詞性從句中的同位語(yǔ)從句,因?yàn)樵谕徽Z(yǔ)從句中,從句是一個(gè)完整的整體,不缺充當(dāng)主語(yǔ)、賓語(yǔ)或表語(yǔ)的代詞。
2. 引導(dǎo)感嘆句,修飾名詞
{8} I was surprised by her words, which made me recognize ______ silly questions I had made.(2005湖南)
A. whatB. thatC. howD. which
該句考查了感嘆句,因?yàn)楦袊@句中的中心詞是名詞questions,修飾名詞的詞是what,how修飾形容詞或者副詞,故答案應(yīng)為A。又如:
What a wonderful film it is! I have never seen a better film than this. 這是一部多么精彩的電影啊!我還從來(lái)沒(méi)看過(guò)這么好的電影。
You have been away for a few years. You don’t know what great changes have taken place in our school these years. 你已經(jīng)離開(kāi)幾年了,你不知道我們學(xué)校在這幾年發(fā)生了多么大的變化。
感嘆句中的中心詞若是形容詞或者副詞應(yīng)使用how修飾。如上面例一可改為:
How wonderful the film is!I have never seen a better film than this.
3. what = just as
意為“如同,就好像”,用作連詞,引導(dǎo)比較狀語(yǔ)從句。如:
{9} Engineers are to machines ______ hearts are to animals.(2006山東)
A. asB. thatC. whatD. which
這是what引導(dǎo)的一個(gè)特殊句型(見(jiàn)人教版高二英語(yǔ)教材上冊(cè)p.21),此句中what的含義相當(dāng)于just as,表示“如同,就好像”的意思。其固定句型是A is to B what C is to D,其中介詞to表示兩者的關(guān)系,該句型意為“A對(duì)B而言正如C對(duì)D一樣”。這句意思是“引擎對(duì)機(jī)器就如同心臟對(duì)動(dòng)物一樣重要”,因此答案為C。又如:
Air is to us what water is to fish. 空氣對(duì)于我們猶如水對(duì)于魚(yú)。
注:該句型還有下列幾種變化:
⑴ A is for B what C is for D.(介詞for表示“供……使用”)
The book is for a student what canvas is for a painter. 學(xué)生離不了書(shū)本正如畫(huà)家離不開(kāi)畫(huà)布一樣。
⑵ what引導(dǎo)的從句也可置于句首,其句型是: What C is to D,that A is to B.(= A is to B what C is to D.)
在這一結(jié)構(gòu)中,喻體在前,主體在后,相當(dāng)于“just as...,so...”結(jié)構(gòu),含義一樣。
What blood vessel is to a man’s body,that railway is to transportation.(=Just as blood vessel is to a man’s body,so railway is to transportation.)鐵路對(duì)于運(yùn)輸,好比血管對(duì)于人體一樣。
4. What do/ does sb think of/ about...?
這是英語(yǔ)口語(yǔ)中常見(jiàn)的一種句型,表示“認(rèn)為……怎么樣”,如:
{10} It is none of your business ______ other people think of you. Believe yourself.(2007福建)
A. howB. whatC. whichD. when
上句考查的是一個(gè)句型,句意是“別人怎么看待你不關(guān)你事”,表示評(píng)價(jià)某人時(shí)可用what do / does somebody think of / about...,因此根據(jù)結(jié)構(gòu),此處應(yīng)選擇what。當(dāng)表示“某人怎樣評(píng)價(jià)某人”時(shí),一般有這樣幾種表達(dá):
What do you think of / about...?
How do you like...?
What is...like?
How do you find...? 如:
—What is your new English teacher like?
—He is kind?鄄hearted and he is also a man of great learning. 他心地善良,而且還是一個(gè)博學(xué)多才的人。
5. what 用作復(fù)合關(guān)系代詞,表示“……不再是……”
此時(shí)what既可指代人,又可指代物。如:
{11} Great changes have taken place in the school. It is no longer ______ it was 20 years ago, ______ it was so poorly equipped.(2005安徽)
A. what, whenB. that, which
C. what, whichD. which, that
此句第一空指的是“它不再是20年前的老樣子了”,根據(jù)結(jié)構(gòu)應(yīng)選擇what,相當(dāng)于the school that,而第二空是考查非限制性定語(yǔ)從句,先行詞是20 years ago,因引導(dǎo)詞作時(shí)間狀語(yǔ),故使用when。答案為A。
這種句型中常以...be no longer what...was / were或used to be...的形式出現(xiàn),what既可表示物,也可指人,又如:
She is no loner what we used to call “bluestocking” ten years ago. 她已不再是我們十年前所稱為“女才子”的她了。
Our school is no longer what it was 15 years ago, when it always ranked the last in NMET in the whole district. 我們學(xué)校已不再是15年前那個(gè)在高考中總在地區(qū)中排名倒數(shù)第一的那所學(xué)校了。
6. 帶what的習(xí)語(yǔ)
{12} —Andrew won’t like it, you know.(2006廣東)
— ______ ? I don’t care what Andrew thinks.
A. So whatB. So whereC. So whyD. So how
So what是一個(gè)習(xí)語(yǔ),用來(lái)表示認(rèn)為某事無(wú)關(guān)緊要,尤用于反駁他人的指責(zé),含義為“那又怎樣”。該句中正是表示對(duì)上面的說(shuō)法不以為然,“那又怎么了?我才不管Andrew怎么想呢。”
{13} —Susan, will you please go and empty that drawer?(2005全國(guó)Ⅰ)
— ______ ?
A. What forB. What is itC. How is itD. How come
根據(jù)上下文的意思,可知Susan是對(duì)對(duì)方要求她把抽屜倒空不理解,因此問(wèn)“做什么?”只有選擇What for才符合句意,What for是一種常見(jiàn)說(shuō)法,含義是“為何目的,為何理由”,又如:
—I need to see a doctor. 我要去看醫(yī)生。
—What for? 為什么?
除了以上所考查的習(xí)語(yǔ)外,常見(jiàn)的what構(gòu)成的習(xí)語(yǔ)還有:
⑴ What about...?(提出建議)……怎么樣?如:
—What shall we do in the afternoon?
—What about going shopping?我們下午做什么?去買東西怎么樣?
⑵ What if...?要是……會(huì)怎么樣呢?如:
What if she forgets to bring it? 她要是忘記帶來(lái),會(huì)怎么樣呢?
⑶ What of it?(承認(rèn)某事屬實(shí),想知道為何重要)那又怎么樣呢?那有什么關(guān)系呢?如:
Yes, I wrote the article. What of it?文章是我寫(xiě)的,那又怎么樣呢?
⑷ what’s what什么事物有用(或重要等),如:
She certainly knows what’s what.她當(dāng)然知道孰輕孰重。
編輯/梁宇清