推測詞義的技巧

潘小蓮

在閱讀理解中，同學們經(jīng)常會遇到一些沒有學過或沒有見過的詞，如果在平時，同學們尚可使用字典查閱，如果在考場上，就需要同學們在很短的時間內(nèi)根據(jù)上下文推測出來。這種推斷詞義的能力，是同學們必須具備的能力。推斷詞義需要一定的技巧，如果同學們掌握一定的方法就不難。

[利用定義或解釋推測詞義]

在文章中，對于一些生僻難懂的術(shù)語，作者往往會進行定義或解釋，這樣既能使他的寫作清楚明了，也給讀者提供了極大的方便。從解釋定義中我們即使得不出此術(shù)語的準確定義，也會有一個輪廓上的大致了解，使我們能較準確的把握作者所要傳達的思想。對于文章中出現(xiàn)的生詞，為不給讀者造成理解上的困難，作者一方面可以通過標點符號，如過破折號，逗號等將生詞和對其解釋的語句進行分割，有時可以通過解釋性的插入語或提示語，如that is，in other words，that is to say，which means等對句中的生詞進行解釋。當然對于專業(yè)術(shù)語除給定義解釋外，作者有時還附以讀者熟悉的例子進行說明，這樣既形象生動，又簡單明了。

例1 Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. Peoples food supplies were similarly vulnera-le. Even after they had learned how to plant grains， they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind， which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.

The underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 3 means .

A. impossible to make sure of

B. likely to be protected

C. easy to damage

D. difficult to find

解析 C。文章中的Even after they had learned how to plant grains， they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. 這一具體的事例可知，人類是“脆弱的，易受攻擊的”，此外vulnerable又通過副詞similarly和第一句Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats所陳述的事例又進行了呼應。故答案為C。

[利用同義或反義關(guān)系推測詞義]

英語與中文一樣，是一種忌諱重復的語言，也就是說，在行文時，作者通常要采用不同表達形式，即采用另外的詞或短語來表達相同的一件事情，這樣在段落中就會有一些結(jié)構(gòu)，尤其是生詞所對應的同義或反義的表達，為我們猜測其詞義提供了有效的線索。

例2 Rainforests like the Amazon are important for mopping up CO2 from the atmosphere and helping to slow global warming. Currently the trees in the Amazon take in around 500 million tones of CO2 each year； equal to the total amount of CO2 giving off in the UK each year. But how will the Amazon react to future climate change？ If it gets drier， will it still survive and continue to draw down CO2？ Scientists hope that they will be able to learn in advance how the rainforest will manage in the future by understanding how rainforests reacted to climate change in the past.

The underlined phrase “mopping up” in the second paragraph means _________.

A. cleaning up B. taking in

C. wiping out D. giving out

解析 B。句中mopping up和helping to slow在結(jié)構(gòu)上由and來連接，說明兩者地位同等，其意義相近或相同，故mopping up應為“吸入”的意思，此外，接下來一句中的take in也可以進一步了幫助我們來確定mopping up的詞義。故選B項。

[利用因果或同位等邏輯關(guān)系推測詞義]

在閱讀中碰到生詞時，不要急于立刻弄清其詞義，而應該耐心地繼續(xù)往下讀，然后通過上下文中的邏輯關(guān)系來分析含有生詞句子的句意。因為在一個連貫的語篇當中，作者總會使用一些語句來幫助我們?nèi)ゾo跟他的思路，從而準確地把握他所要傳達的思想。語篇中的這種邏輯關(guān)系可幫助我們來理解和推測該句子中生詞的詞義。

例3 Best of all， each programme is put together by professional broadcasters， journalists， and editors who have a strong interest in European languages and cultures. That enthusiasm comes through in every edition. From New York to London to Singapore， the users tell us no company produces a better product for language learners at all levels. Ring for more information. Or order at www.audiomagazine.com. We guarantee that you have nothing to lose if its not for you； let us know within six weeks and we will completely reimburse you.

What does the underlined part “reimburse” probably mean？

A. Return the money you paid.

B. Change the product you bought.

C. Offer you a free repair.

D. Guarantee you the quality.

解析 A。通過分析文章最后由分號連接的兩個并列句，不難看出，兩者屬于同位關(guān)系，前一句表達的是“如果產(chǎn)品對你不合適，我們保證不會讓你有任何的損失”，而后一句說“在六周之內(nèi)通知我們，我們將完全給你……”，由于這兩個句子表達的是同一個意思，故選A項。

[利用轉(zhuǎn)折或?qū)Ρ汝P(guān)系推測詞義]

在閱讀時，我們還可以根據(jù)上下句中表轉(zhuǎn)折或?qū)Ρ汝P(guān)系的連接詞，如but， however， otherwise等來判斷前后句在意義上的差別，從而依據(jù)某一句的含義，來確定另一句的含義，進而來推測生詞的詞義。有時，分號也可以表示轉(zhuǎn)折、對比的意義。

例4 Members of the working class have blue-collar jobs. They are construction workers， truck drivers， mechanics， steel workers， electricians， and the like. What makes this class differ from the lower class is， first， longer periods of employment — and therefore， more fixed incomes — and， second， employment in skilled or semiskilled （半熟練的） occupations， not unskilled ones. Although unemployment hits all levels of the American economy， including those of skilled and semi-skilled workers， it is most common at the bottom of the class structure and increasingly less common at each level upward. They consider themselves to be respectable and hard working and they look down upon members of the "lower" class， whom they often consider to be lazy， dishonest， and too ready to exploit public assistance.

The underlined word “hit” （paragraph 1） roughly means .

A. strike with a blow B. have bad effects on

C. break up D. beat

解析 B。通過分析although引出表轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系的兩個分句，我們不難看出產(chǎn)生“社會結(jié)構(gòu)最底層最常見，等級高的階層逐步少見”的現(xiàn)象，其發(fā)生條件應是“失業(yè)‘襲擊了美國經(jīng)濟的各個階層”。故選B項。

例5 A childs birthday party doesnt have to be a hassle； it can be a basket of fun， according to Beth Anaclerio， an Evaston mother of two， ages 4 and 18 months.

What does the under lined word “hassle” probably mean？

A. a party designed by specialists

B. a plan requiring careful thought

C. a situation causing difficulty or trouble

D. a demand made by guests

解析 C。由前句的否定doesnt與后句的肯定can be這一對比關(guān)系，可以推斷出孩子的生日并不是一件麻煩事，相反其充滿了樂趣。hassle的意思應該與fun相反，而與difficulty， trouble等相近。故選C項。

[練習]

1. Today for the most part， people travel by trains， ships，airplanes，and ears，but very little by the Use of horses. Modem vehicles are propelled by engines，and an engine does not have any sense. In case of danger，many horses could be depended on to help. Not so with the engine；the driver must do all the things.

In the paragraph，the word “propel” means .

A. repair B. push forward

C. made D. raise

2. When we are excited， angry， scared， or aroused by other emotions， our bodies go through many physical changes. Our hearts beat faster， and our muscles get tense. All of these changes make us more alert and ready to react.

What does the word “emotions” in the paragraph mean？

A. acts B. feelings

C. measurements D. thinking

3. When anyone calls my “seize the moment” friend， she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious You talk with her for five minutes， and youre ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

The underlined word “contagious” in the paragraph means .

A. appropriate B. influential

C. practical D. tiresome

4. Doomed beauties such as Cleopatra and Manilyn Monroe were far from alone in their misery. Very attractive people tend to form partnerships that are less stable and satisfying than those enjoyed by plain Janes.

The underlined phrase “plain Janes” in the passage refer to .

A. ordinary-looking women B. women called Jane

C. common people D. attractive women

5. “Hey， theres another bank，” I said， “Could you wait here a minute while I go inside？”

“No， I cant wait. Pay me now.” His reluctance may have something to do with money — taxi drivers think the rate for waiting time is too low — but I think he wanted me to learn that even a bank robber cant expect unconditional support.

The underlined word “reluctance” in the paragraph most probably means .

A. anger B. unwillingness

C. opportunity D. eagerness

6. And if youve gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere（氣氛）， you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with— or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy.

The underlined word “conflict” means .

A. dependent life B. fierce fight

C. bad manners D. painful feeling

7. More American people take their troubles with them on holiday， according to a new survey. Although 40 percent said that the main reason for going away is to escape pressure from work， almost all said they worry more than they do at home. Only four in every 100 said that they are happy and free of care.

The underlined word “survey” in the paragraph most probably means .

A. research B. review

C. exhibition D. examination

[參考答案]

1～5 BBBAB 6～7 BA