怎样猜雅思阅读中的生词_英语考试_外语学习_教育专区.docx

通过上下文猜雅思阅读中的生词朗阁海外考试研究中心 张晓予总所周知，考生即使具备了6000-8000的词汇量，在阅读雅思文章的过程中，仍会遇见不认识的单词。那么，在面对生词的时候应该怎么办？如果这个生词与题目、段落大意无关，那考生或许可以将其忽略。但考生最怕的是生词出现在与题目相关的原文句子中，这就考验考生的猜生词的本事了。一般，猜词的依据主要有两种：通过词根和词缀的意思来猜，或者是通过上下文逻辑关系所提供的提示性信息。本文旨在探讨上下文的提示信息在考生猜生词意思时能够起到的作用。常见生词上下文的提示性信息包括：1. 下定义e.g. June 2004 saw the first passage, known as a “transit”, of the planet Venus across the face of the Sun in 122 years. (剑9 Test 2 Passage 2)transit这个词的意思可能很多考生并不陌生，但是这个词在天文学语境中有特定的含义。通过两个逗号之间的插入语中的标志词known as，可以判断出transit在这里被定义为 ”the passage of the planet Venus across the face of the Sun”，金星的运行轨迹通过太阳表面的意思，也就是专业说法中的“金星凌日”。下定义的标志词有：be, mean, deal with, to be, refer to, be called, be known as, define, be considered, signify, represent, constitute etc.2. 举例子有些词的意思我们虽然不知道，但可以通过它的举例来做个大致的推断。有时候是直接举例，有时候是类比举例。a) 直接举例e.g. Other substances were then introduced: including fillers, such as woodflour, asbestos or cotton, which increase strength and moisture resistance. (剑5 Test 2 Passage 1)such as后面跟随的信息是对前文中的fillers进行直接举例。本句中的asbestos虽然考生不知道其明确的意思，但是很容易推知是和woodflour（木粉）和cotton（棉花）一样的fillers（填料）。b) 类比举例：e.g. Geologists consider the earth as having a molten core, surrounded by a semi-molten mantle and a brittle, outer skin. It helps to think of a soft-boiled egg with a runny yolk, a firm but squishy white and a hard shell. (剑4 Test 3 Passage 2)后一句的soft-boiled egg是对前一句中的地球地质构造进行类比举例，所以，前句中不能理解的一些词，如 ”brittle”，就可以通过后文的类比得知是和鸡蛋壳的属性一致，应该是硬脆的意思。举例子的标志词有：for example, for instance, such as, like, just as, equally, e.g., imagine, supposed that, etc.3. 同位语：e.g. Sometimes it is slow: vast bubbles of magma molten rock from the mantle inch towards the surface, cooling slowly, to show through as granite extrusions. (剑4 Test 3 Passage 2)两个破折号中间的信息是用来解释前文的magma的。由此我们可以得知，magma就是来自地幔的融化的岩石，即熔岩。同位语的标志词有：经常有两个逗号中间的插入语解释，有时也有破折号，冒号，小括号，引号，分号，多个逗号，还有一些夹杂在长句当中的分词短语。4. 定语从句：e.g. One possibility relates to the ATP-making machinerys emission of free radicals, which are thought to contribute to aging and to such age-related diseases as cancer by damaging cells. (剑6 Test 3 Passage 3)当不清楚 ”free radicals” 的确切意思是自由基时，考生们可以通过后面跟着的定语从句中的描述判断出它指的是“被人们认为会通过损伤细胞而导致衰老和癌症等与年龄有关的疾病”的东西。定语从句标志词有：定语从句的关系词（尤其是非限制性定语从句）。5. 同义词：e.g. Fleeing on a French warship crossing the Indian Ocean, Le Gentil saw a wonderful transit but the ships pitching and rolling ruled out any attempt at making accurate observations. (剑9 Test 2 Passage 2)and所连接的两个词在本句中属于同义或近义词。所以即使不了解pitching的意思，知道rolling指的是摇晃的意思即可。同义词标志词有：similarly, also, like, just as, and6. 对比关系：e.g. Despite substantial funding, results have been disappointing. (剑5 Test 3 Passage 1)前半个分句由Despite引领，表示后半句与前半句之前为对比关系。后半句说结果是令人失望的，说明前半句应该是一个优势条件。由此可以得知句中的substantial的意思应该是充足的，可观的。对比关系标志词有：unlike, not, but, however, despite, in spite of, in contrast, while.7. 常识和上下文：e.g. they were built less high, typically five rather than nine storeys, made mainly of wood and the staircase was dispensed with because the Japanese pagoda did not have any practical use but became more of an art object. (剑7 Test 2 Passage 1)从下文所说的原因：“日本宝塔没