例1.语法类试题的解法。
原题30.
Jane's pale face suggested that she ______ill ,and her parentssuggested that she ______a med ical examination.
A. be...should have B.was...have
C.should be...had D.was...has
分析:suggest 是一个常用动词。中学里学过两种含义,一是"to put forward(as a plan,thought)"(建 议;提出),如果它后面跟宾语从句,那么从句中的谓语一般由should 加动词原形构成,或直接用动词原形; 另一个意思是“to give an impression of”(表明;使人认为),它后面的谓语动词不用虚拟语气的形式。 由于在教学中比较强调suggest 以第一个含义,所以遇到动词suggest时,考生往往会机械地搬用它的第一种用 法。如此题中编题者且有意将两个suggest放在一个句子里,考生只有在理解句中的两个suggest 不同含义的基 础上,才能正确选择从句中动词的用法。原句的意思是:琼苍白的脸色说明她病了,她的父母让她去查查身体 。第一个suggest 的意思是“表明、说明”第二个suggest才有“建议、提出”的含义,所以只有第二个sugge st 后面的从句中的谓语要用虚拟语气的结构。该题的正确答案应为B。如果不理解这句句子的意思,只从形式 去判断,很容易被选项A所迷惑。
这表明,即使做语法类的试题,也应以理解句子的含义为前提。纯考核语言形式的试题今后会越来越少。
例2.单句理解的解法。
原题79
John probably did not realize what effects his theory would have onmankind in the years to c ome.
A.John probably did not know how his theory would affect mankindin the future.
B .John probably did not see what his theory would become in theyears to come.
C.John probably did not understand why his theory would be acceptedby mankind in the fut ure.
D.John probably did not realize what effects his theory on mankindwould in the years to come.
分析:原句中的宾语从句What effects his theory would have on mankindin the years to come由于是 非正常语序,因此 on mankind 究竟修饰哪一部分就不清晰。编题者正是利用了这一点,在选项D中安排了一 句与原句形式极相似的句子。对原句意思不甚理解的考生很容易误选D。要解这道题,首先要搞清 on mankin d 在意思上与句子的哪一部分关系最密切。如果将从句部分变成一个陈述句,那么句子各部分的关系就比较清 晰,即His theory would havesome effects on mankind in the years to come .(他的理论将对人类的未来 产生影响)。把从句恢复到正常语序后,on mankind 和effects的关系就清楚了。原句的中文意思为:约翰也 许并不了解他的理论未来会对人类产生什么样的影响。因此,选项A和原句意思最接近。但选项D从句子的形 式上看和原句最接近,它的用词和原句完全一样,只是将原句would have 移到了mankind后面。这样,on man kind所修饰的是 his theory ,而不是effects ,选项D的意思就成了“约翰也许并不了解他写的有关人类的 理论在未来会产生什么样的影响”。
在做“单句理解”题时,首先要搞清句子各部分的关系,对原句(即题干)有正确的理解;其次,在挑选 与原句意思最接近的选项时,不能单看句子的形式,而要辨别其真正的含义。正确答案往往用一些与原句意思 相同的词或词组来替换原句的某些成分。如上面的句子,选项D中in the future 就和原句中的in the years
to come同义,而 affect mankind 相当于effects on mankind。由于单句理解实际上是找出两句语言形式不 同而意思相同的句子,因此对意思相同的各种句型进行归类,以及掌握大量的同义词或词组,能提高解答这类 试题的正确率。
例3.综合填空的解题方法。
原题
My work keeps me in Hong Kong most of the year ,but I do try toget ____1______for a month in
______2____usually July.Now as youprobably know that's the main _____3_____season in Europe,the
favouriteplaces for holiday and the famous cities are usually very____4_____.But I'm not seeki ng (寻求)the sun -I get plenty of _____5______in HongKong and I'm certainly not seeking the ____ 6____!So when I go on holidayI buy a Train Pass(a sort of train ticket )that_____7____me first c lasstravel on most of the _____8_____of Western Europe.first class compartments(车厢)are _____9_ ____crowded and they are very comfortable.If you'regoing on an overnight _____10_____you can tak e a sleeping train forsome extra money.There are usually dining ears in the train.
I find that ____11____travel is restful and _____12_____There'salways something to see.I par ticularly enjoy ____13____through Switzerlandand Italy.You can get a very good______14______of w hat a country is likefrom a train;you don't go too fast and you stop puite often._____15_____rai l travel is very safe and I am never sick on a train_____16_____I amon a ship!Then there are alw ays people to ____17_____if you feel like achat (闲聊).
the ____18____that I seldom travel by plane is quite simple:as trainstations are usually bui lt in the city centre,I don't have to____19___transport(交通);transport can be a problem when ar riving by ___20___.
1.A.bacd B.off
C.home D.away
2. A.Hong Kong B.Europe
C.summer D.autumn
3. A.holiday B.visiting
C.windy D.rainy
4. A.quiet B.peaceful
C.beautiful D.crowded
5. A.pleasure B.daylight
C.sunshine D.money
6. A.crowds B.people
C.help D.city-life
7. A.shows B.allows
C.gives D.takes
8. A.highways B.paths
C.roads D.railways
9. A.hardly B.always
C.certainly D.much
10. A.way B.journey
C.service D.work
11. A.sea B.plane
C.car D.train
12. A.interesting B.tiresome
C.lonely D.cheap
13. A.to travel B.travelling
C.to drive D.driving
14. A.idea B.looking
C.drawing D.painting
15. A.Also B.Yet
C.But D.However
16 A.when B.while
C.as D.and
17. A.talk to B.talk
C.speak about D.speak
18. A.aim B.comclusion
C.reason D.fact
19. A.worry about B.order
C.take care of D.consider
20. A.ship B.train
C.car D.air
分析:第1个空格就第一句句子而言,很难确定选项C正确还是选项D正确,只有读完了后面几句句子才 能发现选项C在这里并不恰当。又如第3空格选A和D就本句而言都读得通,但如果选D就和下句But I'm no t seeking thesun 发生矛盾,所以这一句的答案的确定就依赖于下一句及上文的意思。
第11空格要在读完了它后面的第三句句子You can get a very good ideaof what a country is like from a train 之后,从Train 这个词中得到提示才能确定正确答案。而第15空格究竟选Also,Yet,But 还是 However ,只有通读了第二段,从上下文的含义中才能得出Also 是最佳选择。在这一段内没有任何一句句子能 作为这一空格的直接提示,只有将这一段的第一句train travelis restful 中的restful 和safe 在意思上是 对应的作为依据,才能有把握地确定正确答案。
确定最后一个空格答案,则要回到第三段第一句"...travel by plane" 才能找到正确选项D。
上述综合填空的内容其实并不十分难,各选项选用的都是常用词,但是由于不少空格都必须根据上下文, 甚至整段内容的联系才能定夺,所以难度仍居各题型之首。
在解这类试题时应先通读一遍全文,对文章有个大致的概念,然后再按顺序填空。当某一空格暂时无法确 定时,可先放一下,看完下文后再回过来填写。例如,第1空格的四个先项中C.home和D. away 初看似乎都可 以,如果选home ,那么说明作者的家不在香港而在欧洲。但等到读完后几句句子后,就会发现作者6月份通常 到欧洲去旅游,这和My work keeps me in Hong kong mostof the year 在逻辑上也是一致的,这时你就会发 现选home 不对,而应填away,把所有空格填完后,最后再读一遍,看看前后意思是否矛盾。通过通读-填空- 复查这样一个过程,就能比较正确地选择各个空格的答案。
从以上三个例子可以看出这样一个趋势:高考英语尽管包含各种题型,有些侧重语法,有些着重理解,但 理解意思是解各类题目的前提。因此,在平时的语言学习中不能光记住语言的形式。学习语言形式与结构是为 了理解语言,只有理解了语言结构的含义才能正确运用语立结构。
例题答案:
30.B
79.A
综合填空:1.D 2.C 3.A 4.D 5.C 6.A 7.B8.D 9.A 10.B 1 1.D 12.A 13.B 14.A 15.A 16.C 17.A 18.C 19.A 20.D