自從2007年新高考以來,廣東高考英語完形填空題就不再考查純語法知識,也很少考查固定搭配,重點考查考生對語篇意義的整體理解,即要求考生根據語篇意義選出一個恰當的詞語。因此,根據上下文提供的信息,結合生活經驗和背景知識進行簡單的邏輯推理,成為解答完形填空的主要方法,絕大多數完形填空題都是用這種方法來解決的。
一、根據上文信息推理
有的完形填空題,其關鍵信息在上文出現,解答時,需要根據這些信息,再結合常識,進行簡單的邏輯推理才可確定正確選項。上文信息可能在空格句的前一部分、前一個句子,或前幾個句子中。
[例1]On April 12, 1888, Alfred’s brother Ludwig died of heart attack. A major French newspaper mistook his brother for him and...“Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterda.” Nobel was________to find out not that he had died, but that, when his time was up, he would be thought of only as one who profited from death and destruction. (2009年廣東卷24題)
A. upsetB. anxiousC. excitedD. pleased
[解析]前面講報道中的兩件事:一是誤以為諾貝爾是他的兄弟死了,二是說他是靠發現更快的殺人方式發財。根據生活常識,作為諾貝爾本人,看到這篇報道,不可能感到“渴望(anxious)”“興奮(excited)”或“高興(pleased)”,而應當是“不高興(upset)”,故選A。本句大意:諾貝爾感到不快,不是因為報社誤解他死了,而是在他死后被認為是一個靠制造死亡和毀滅而賺錢的人。
[例2]It was then feared that the fairies had come and stolen the baby away and replaced the human baby with a fairy Changeling. There were many ways to prevent this from happening: hanging a knife over the baby’s head while he slept or covering him with some of his father’s clothes were just two of the recommended methods. However, hope was not lost even if the baby had been________. (2008年廣東卷28題)
A. missedB. stolenC. foundD. lost
[解析]空格前兩句說人們害怕仙女來偷小孩(stolen the baby away)及其阻止此事發生的方法,所以空格句應是“即使小孩被偷走了,也還是有希望的”,故選B。
二、根據下文信息推理
有的完形填空題,需要根據下文中出現的信息,結合常識,進行簡單的邏輯推理,才可確定正確選項。下文信息可能在空格句的后一部分、后一個句子,或后幾個句子中,甚至在文尾。
[例3] Not all of these fairies are the friendly, people-loving characters that appear in Disney films, and in some folktales they are________and cause much human suffering. (2008年廣東卷22題)
A. powerfulB. cruel
C. frightenedD. extraordinary
[解析]根據空格后面的信息“and cause much human suffering(會造成人類的痛苦)”可以推斷出,“在某些民間故事中,仙女是殘酷的”,故選B (cruel)。其它選項與cause much human suffering沒有必然的邏輯關系。
[例4] To make sure that he was___26___with love and respect, Nobel arranged in his___27___to give the largest part of his money to establish the Nobel prizes, which would be awarded to people who made great contributions to the causes of peace, literature, and the sciences. So basically, Nobel had to die before he realized what his life was really about. (2009年廣東卷)
26. A. repaidB. described
C. supportedD. remembered
27. A. book B. article C. will D. contract
[解析]第26題,由空格后面的信息“諾貝爾在遺囑中安排捐出他的錢來設立諾貝爾獎……”可以推出,其目的是為了讓自己被別人愛戴與尊敬地“紀念,銘記(remembered)”,而不是“報答(repaid)”“描述(described)”“支持(supported)”,從而改變當時人們對他的看法,故選D。
第27題,由最后一句中的die這一關鍵詞可以得到啟示,設立諾貝爾獎應是在他的“遺囑(will)”中作的安排,故選C。
以上談到根據上文或下文信息,結合常識,進行邏輯推斷來解答完形填空題,但在具體解題過程中,并不一定是只根據上文信息或只根據下文信息來推斷,可能要求我們根據上文和下文的信息綜合來考慮,才能作出正確選擇。
總之,做完形填空題時我們一定要重視對文章內容的整體把握,不要把注意力放在一些細枝末節上。
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