but在高考閱讀理解中的功能

通過研究近幾年廣東高考閱讀理解試題，我們會發現but或however重現率極高，且有很強的啟示功能，對我們判斷上下文文意、推斷作者的態度、判明人物心理、理清文章層次都具有舉足輕重的作用。考生在文段中如遇到but或however，其后的信息很可能就是文章或段落的中心思想，應特別關注。筆者以2010及2011年廣東高考題為例，分析but或however在閱讀理解文段中的功能作用。

一、引出作者觀點，反駁but前面的觀點(普遍觀點)

其模式為“普遍觀點 + but + 作者觀點”，利用but的這一功能，我們能快速找出作者觀點。

例1：（2011廣東A）In the animal kingdom， weakness can bring about aggression in other animal. This sometimes happens with humans also. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me， pour cream into my coffee， or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.

30. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. A Wheelchair Experience

B. Weakness and Kindness

C. Weakness and Strength

D. A Driving Experience

分析：答案為B。文章開頭作者提出了普遍觀點，緊跟著用一個but引出了自己的觀點，主題句是But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people，由此可提煉出兩個關鍵詞Weakness和Kindness。

例2：（2010廣東B）When something goes wrong，it can be very satisfying to say，“Well， it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late，but it’s not my fault；the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault，but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation，you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However， you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.

46. According to the passage， winners .

A. deal with problems rather than blame others

B. meet with fewer difficulties in their lives

C. have responsible and able colleagues

D. blame themselves rather that others

分析：答案為A，作者在陳述普遍觀點的前提下用however表轉折，引出自己的觀點，即you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation，據此可知成功者是解決問題而非責備他人。

二、通過對比引出相反或相對的信息。

利用but的這一功能，我們能快速地推斷出作者真正要表達的信息及上下文的意義對比。

例3：（2011廣東A）From my wheelchair experience， I see the best in people， but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others often; we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness， which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them.

27. The author feels sad sometimes because ______.

A. he has a soft heart

B. he relies much on others

C. some people pretend to be kind

D. some people fail to see the kindness in others

分析：答案為D，本段開頭作者陳述了自己的經驗體會，緊接著用一個but引出了大多數人與之相反的經歷體會，即miss the kindness I see daily。

例4：（2011廣東C）The position was offered at the last minute， and I was given two weeks to prepare， a period I spent searching for briefcase (公文包) and standing before my full-length mirror， repeating the words， “Hello， class. I’m Mr. Davis.” Sometimes I would give myself an aggressive voice. Sometimes I would sound experienced. But when the day eventually came， my nerves kicked in and the true Mr. Davis was there. I sounded not like a thoughtful professor， but rather a 12-year-old boy.

37. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 2?

A. He would be aggressive in his first class.

B. He was well-prepared for his first class.

C. He got nervous upon the arrival of his first class.

D. He waited long for the arrival of his first class.

分析：答案為C。本段第三句介紹了作者有時是顯得“有經驗的”（experienced），緊接著用一個but引出了第一節課到來時他的緊張，即my nerves kicked in。

三、顯示作者態度或建議

利用but的這一功能，我們能快速地推斷出作者對某一件事或某人所持的真正態度或給出的建議。

例5：（2011廣東A）Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But those are few and far between. More often， it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.

29. In this passage， the author advises us to ______.

A. handle problems by ourselves

B. accept help from others

C. admit our weakness

D. show our bravery

分析：答案為C，本段開頭介紹了有時環境要求我們要假裝堅強與勇敢，緊接著用一個but引出了作者自己的建議，即it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared。

例6：（2010廣東A）When I was a teenager， my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now， I see it differently. To me， my mother’s English is perfectly clear， perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language， as I hear it， is vivid， direct， and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things， expressed ideas， and made sense of the world.

44. What does the author think of her mother’s English now?

A. It confuses her.

B. It embarrasses her.

C. It helps her understand the world.

D. It helps her tolerate rude people.

分析：答案為C，本段開頭作者陳述了自己以前對母親的蹩腳的英語的態度：embarrassed，緊接著用一個but引出了作者現在的態度：It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things， expressed ideas， and made sense of the world。

總之，but或however 在閱讀中是一個出現頻率極高的詞匯，幾乎篇篇都會遇到，每年高考閱讀理解都有一些題目的答案與這些詞有關，所以研究but或however在高考閱讀理解中的功能對于閱讀各類文章具有普遍的指導意義。此外，but或however在文章中還有強調、比較、反證及顯示文章脈絡等功能，所以考生在完成閱讀理解的過程中應高度重視but或however，特別是其后的內容，這對于我們更好地完成閱讀理解，提高準確率有很大的幫助。

(作者單位：梅州市曾憲梓中學)

責任編校 蔣小青