单项填空里的意群理解

卞方梅

英语试题中不少句子结构比较复杂，从而影响了学生对试题的理解和阅读速度，久而久之还会影响学生的学习情绪。这在单项填空、完形填空和阅读理解中都有所反映，刚实施的任务型阅读中也出现了较长的句子。正确地分析句子结构，掌握其内在的意群停顿，有助于考生正确理解命题者的意图，从而作出正确的选择。

所谓意群停顿，即类似于汉语中的句读。一句话中所表达的意思往往是由几个词块组成，我们要能够在扎实的英语基础和语感上将它们断开或者联系起来。我们来看几个例子：

(1) You can do everything from consulting on homework and projects, keeping in touch with classmates, family and friends, and getting daily news services to________ you informed of world events.

A. keeping B. keep

C. leave D. leaving

这是完形填空里的一道题，如果学生能够看出句子其实是个from…to … 搭配，再根据词块keep sb informed of sth 就能轻而易举地选出A答案。

(2)________ is known to us all is that the old scientist, for________ life was hard in the past, still works hard in his eighties.

A. As; whom B. What; whose

C. What; whom D. It; those

这道单选题第一空考查了学生what引导的主语从句，后一空就要求学生对意群“对某人来说”for sb 的理解，故选C 而不是B。这道题如果去掉for，答案就应该是B了。

(3) Can you imagine the great difficulty we had________ the lost child?

A. found B. find

C. finding D. to find

这道题学生要能够断开一个省略关系代词that / which的修饰difficulty的定语从句，在根据词块sb have difficulty (in) doing sth 可以选出C答案。

常见的增加句式复杂性的结构：

1．定语从句的增加

此时定语从句中会出现有些特殊的谓语动词或词块以给考生以错觉，误以为该动词与其之后的成分是搭配关系。此时学生要能克服思维定势、正确理解意群。如：

Which is the way you thought of________ the problem？

A. solving B. to solve

C. solve D. in solving

此题中考生容易误选A项。我们需断开you thought of这个定语从句理解整个句子，the way to do 或the way of doing 是常见的搭配，故正确答案为B。

2．过去/现在分词结构的增加

这种情况下我们要找准完整的分词结构，将其看成次要的修饰成分来理解整个句子。如：

(1) He insisted that the man referred to________ to prison.

A. being sent B. be sent

C. sending D. was sent

我们找出分词短语referred to 是一个完整的结构修饰the man，再根据insist后接从句的虚拟语气现象，省略should则可确定正确答案是B。

(2) The teacher made the student________ there________ to the other student by introducing him before the class.

A. seating; known B. sitting; known

C. sit; know D. seated; be known

分析句子可知，sitting there为次要成分，根据固定结构make sb known可选出答案B。

3．插入语结构的增加

(1) How long do you think it will be________ the contest takes place？

A. since B. when

C. before D. that

插入语do you think 增加了句子的复杂性，将其去掉理解，再利用还原法，我们不难看出整个句子为It will be +time+ before…这一固定句型。所以答案为C。

(2)________ is often said that in the war, the winner writes the history.

A. As B. This

C. That D. It

插入成分in the war 及逗号误导了考生选A，其实这是It is said that …句型，正确答案为D。

（3) The hunter took out an arrow, put it in the bow, raised the bow and after taking a careful aim________ the arrow fly.

A. to let B. letting

C. and let D. let

去掉干扰成分after taking a careful aim，根据句意为几个动作并列时态平行原则，答案为D。

4．as …as… / 比较级 + than 结构的增加

(1) You should pay as much attention as you are ゛ble猒_______ you pronunciation.

A. to improve B. to improving

C. to to improve D. to to improving

考生容易误选A选项。我们根据词块pay attention to (doing ) sth 和as …as sb be able to可以选出答案D。

(2) He spent as much time as he________ English.

A. could learn B. could to learn

C. could learning D. could have learned

该句出现了spend +time +doing sth 以及as …as sb can 词块，故选C。

(3) His health is________. (2007 湖北)

A. as poor as, if not poorer than, his sister餾

B. as poor, if not poorer than, his sister

C. poor as his sister餾, if not poorer

D. as poor, if not poorer than, his sister餾

这道题插入了省略的比较级结构if his health is not poorer than his sister餾 ，考生不妨将其看做一个独立的条件状语从句，剩下主句His health is as poor as his sister餾.故答案为A。

5．短语词组的成分迁移

此类试题要求学生牢固掌握某些动词和介词的复合结构，还有一些使役性动词结构的区分。我们不妨使用还原法和补全法将句子成分重新组合。如：

(1) Who would you rather________ your car?

A. have to repair B. have repaired

C. have repair D. repair

此题用了would rather do sth 和have sb do sth，通过将疑问语序还原成陈述语序，我们就可以得出答案C了。

(2) Everyone present was interested in the new use they________ the raw material.

A. made of B. made from

C. made into D. made up of

此题将从句中词块make use of 的宾语use迁移到主句中，作为先行词，和上一题一样，还原做宾语的关系代词，得出答案A。

当然，造成句子结构复杂的因素多种多样，考生要打好扎实的基础，平时要多读课文，培养