搜索有效線索,巧解詞義猜測題

根據上下文猜測生詞的含義是考生必須掌握的一項重要閱讀技能，也是高考閱讀理解的必考考點。下面筆者談一談如何在上下文中搜索線索，猜測詞義的技巧，以期對考生巧解詞義猜測題有所幫助和啟發。

1. 句子線索。

猜測生詞或短語意思的最常見的方法是從這個句子本身去尋找破解詞義的有價值的線索。如定義線索、標點符號線索、同位語線索或定語從句線索等。如：

【例1】（2010江西卷）Perhaps the days are long gone when we might listen quietly to a story on the radio， letting imagination take us into another world.

What does “the days” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A. Imaginary life. B. Simple life in the past.

C. Times of inventions.D. Time for constant activity.

解析：若要正確理解“the days”的含義，則必須根據when引導的定語從句去分析。根據定語從句的含義可知，“the days”指的是“過去那段簡樸的生活”，因此答案為B。

2. 同義詞或近義詞線索。

【例2】（2010陜西卷）Now it seems that every time I check my e-mail， I have an endless series of advertisements and other correspondence that do not interest me at all.

What does the underlined word “correspondence” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A. Messages.B. Ideas.C. Connections.D. Programs.

解析：從這句話中的關鍵詞advertisements and other可以判斷，correspondence與advertisements的含義比較接近，因此猜測它的含義是“信息”，正確答案為A。

可用來猜測詞義用的同義詞或近義詞線索可以出現在一個句子中，也可能出現在上下文的句子中。

3. 上文線索。

解答詞義猜測題時，有時老盯著生詞或短語所在的那一個句子不放，卻很難猜出它們的準確含義。這時，我們不妨跳出句子本身，在文章的語境中搜索關鍵的信息作為理解這個生詞或短語的線索，會有一種豁然開朗的感覺，這正是“不識廬山真面目，只緣身在此山中”。

【例3】（2010四川卷）... You are never going to win. If John wants to see them， I cannot stop him. He’s their father—I want them to see him!However， his visit in his present condition will disturb the children’s stable（穩定的）life.”

John， who has spent much of his time in California recently， has only hired a house for himself in Pennsylavania， according to his lawyer. “If he’d like to stick to a regular life， I’d be more than happy to do that，” Jane says ...

What does “to do that” refer to in the second paragraph?

A. To live with John.

B. To hire a house for John.

C. To allow John to see the children.

D. To ask John to set up a regular life.

解析：如果眼光僅停留在“to do that”所在的這一句去理解，那么這個題目非出錯不可?？焖贋g覽“to do that”的前文，也就是第一段，搜索到關鍵信息He’s their father—I want them to see him!，這個題目的答案就迎刃而解了。to do that是指“允許她的丈夫John探望孩子”，因此答案為C。

【例4】（2010廣東卷）... Recycling in the home is very important of course. However， being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible， but it would be far better if we did not bring so much material home in the first place.

What does the underlined phrase “that over-consumption” refer to?

A. Using too much packaging.

B. Recycling too many wastes.

C. Making more products than necessary.

D. Having more material than is needed.

解析：根據構詞法知識，當然可以猜出這個詞的含義，但是，若能抓住前文的關鍵線索we already have more material than we need，答案就呼之欲出了，此題答案為D。

4. 下文線索。

【例5】（2010上海卷）The 2012 London Olympics has enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added—a communications blackout caused by solar storms.

…

Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth， causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and internet links sending live Olympic broadcast from London.

The phrase “communications blackout” in paragraph one most probably refers toduring the 2012 Olympics.

A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch

B. the collapse of broadcasting systems

C. the transportation breakdown in London

D. the destruction of weather satellites

解析：若只根據第一段的語境去分析，很難理解“communications blackout”的準確含義?？焖贋g覽第三段，搜索到關鍵線索causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and internet links sending live Olympic broadcast from London就可知“communications blackout”的含義是“太陽風暴引起的通訊系統的癱瘓”，因此此題的答案為B。

5. 構詞法線索。

【例6】（2010福建卷）In 2005， after the fall of the Taliban（塔利班）， which had outlawed TV， 1 in 5 Afghans had one.

【解析】根據構詞法，outlaw是一個復合詞，law表示“法律”，out的含義為“在……之外”，因此，可以猜出outlaw的含義為“使……不合法；禁止”。

突破詞匯關，就要在平時的閱讀實踐中有意識地訓練這些猜詞技能，擺脫閱讀時見了生詞就去翻字典的不良習慣。

[即時練習]請用以上猜測詞義的方法做以下各題。

（1）

A corporation is recognized as an entity -- its own legal being， separate from its owners. A board of directors controls corporate policies. The directors appoint top company officers. The directors might or might not hold shares in the corporation.

The underlined word “entity” probably means.

A. an owner of the partnership

B. a board of directors

C. a top company officer

D. a corporation’s legal being

（2）

PETARUKAN， Indonesia (AP) — A train crashed into another parked at a railway station in central Indonesia early Saturday， killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens， many seriously， officials and witnesses said.

…

At first I was so shocked I couldn't move， but then I grabbed my backpack and shoved my way outside，\" said the 24-year-old， who had been sitting near the front of the idle train.

The underlined word “idle” in the fifth paragraph probably stands for .

A. moving fast B. not working hard

C. not in useD. useless

（３）

Continued near-record sea-ice loss and higher-than-normal temperatures are melting the Arctic， federal researchers reported Wednesday. And the changes in the Arctic may be setting the stage for a future “climate change paradox” of more intense（極端的）U.S. winters， they warn， even as the polar cap shrinks.

The underlined word“shrinks”probably means .

A. expandsB. lengthensC. widensD. narrows

（４）

“Our nation’s outlook（前景）has worsened，” concludes the report panel headed by former Lockheed Martin chief Norman Augustine. The report “paints a daunting outlook for America if it were to continue on the perilous（危險的）path it has been following”:

The underlined word “daunting” in the fourth paragraph stands for .

A. beautifulB. improving

C. discouragingD. ugly

（５）

One morning more than thirty years ago， I entered the Track Kitchen， a restaurant where everyone from the humblest（卑微的）to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly， unshaven man， who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.

What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?

A. Unfriendly.B. Untidy.

C. Gentle.D. Kind.

參考答案及解析

1. D 破折號之后its own legal being是對entity這個詞的解釋。

2. C 從第一段的關鍵詞parked可以猜出idle的含義和它很接近，因此可以判斷idle在此處的含義為“閑置的”。

3. D根據文中第一句話中的關鍵信息“Continued near-record sea-ice loss and higher-than-normal temperatures”以及常識可以猜出shrink的含義為“減少”。

4. C 根據文中關鍵詞worsened和perilous去判斷，daunting的含義肯定和worsened比較類似，因此可以猜出它的含義為“令人沮喪的，沒有信心的”。

5. B 根據文中的近義詞unshaven（未剃須的）以及worn-out（破爛的）可以猜出disheveled的含義是“不整潔的(untidy)”。

（作者單位：江西省新干中學）

責任編校蔣小青