无论做什么事情,掌握正确的方法和技巧是最关键的,做完形填空题也不例外。本文中,笔者将以2013年高考完形填空题为例,全面探讨完形填空题的11个解题方法。只要大家能灵活运用这些方法,“完形”便不再可怕。
1.利用文章首句信息进行解题
完形填空题中,文章的首句一般不设空,保持一个完整的句子,这有助于考生判断文章体裁,预测全文主旨大意。有时第一句就是文章主题句,这就为理解全文及后面的解题提供了很大帮助。
例:When I was 8 years old, I once decided to run away from home. With my suitcase 36(packed) and some sandwiches in a bag, I started for the front door and said to Mom, “I’m leaving.”
“If you want to 37 , that’s all right,” she said. “But you came into this home without anything and you can leave the same way.”(2013年湖南卷)
37.A.drop out B.go by
C.move around D.run away
解析:D。文中首句提到“我曾经决定离家出走”,可知妈妈说的是“如你想离家出走,没有关系”。drop out意为“退出、辍学”,go by意为“走过”,move around意为“四处移动”,run away意为“跑走”。
2.利用语法知识进行解题
完形填空中纯考查语法现象的题目逐渐减少,但仍有些题目要靠语法知识才能解答。针对这种题目,既要对具体语法结构、句式特点进行分析,又要理解上下文逻辑关系。
例1:Still shaky and unsure 36 to do next, my friends and I went to a table and sat there, trying our best to look 37(calm) . A moment later, the man came out of the washroom and 38(approach) our table.(2013年陕西卷)
36.A.how B.who C.what D.which
解析:C。这四个选项都可接不定式,但由于to do后缺少宾语,因此要用what;如要选how,那么to do后要加宾语。
例2:“What are you doing?” a voice asked. Diane jumped. She did not know that the man was there 44 he spoke. “I’m going diving,” she answered.(2013年江西卷)
44.A.when B.until C.after D.once
解析:B。句意为“Diane不知道那个男人在那里,直到他开口说话”,not...until...意为“直到……才……”,符合语境。
3.利用词语的固定搭配进行解题
高中英语中,动词、形容词、名词、介词等搭配比较丰富,灵活多样,为完形填空设题提供了很好的角度。命题者设题时往往会抽出固定搭配的某个词语,配以若干选项造成意思混淆,或在原固定搭配中插入其他语言结构进行干扰。当然,若考生能熟记英语中的常用固定搭配,并能做到灵活应用的话,这种题目难度就不大了。
例1:37(Or) perhaps you’re interested in the 38 (literature) , films or music of a different country and you know how much it will help to have a 39 of the language.(2013年安徽卷)
39.A.view B.knowledge
C.form D.database
解析:B。本句句意:或许你对另一个国家的文学、电影或音乐感兴趣,而且你知道掌握该国家的语言会有多大的帮助。have a good knowledge of意为“精通,掌握”。
例2: 48 (As) she got off her bike and put it against the gate post, she focused on the path 49 to the house and then on the house itself. She was very disappointed when she 50(found) that all the windows were 51(plain) and rather dirty.(2013年辽宁卷)
49.A.getting B.introducing
C.leading D.moving
解析:C。本句表达的是道路和房子的关系,应该是通向那所房子的路,故选C。lead to意为“通向”。
4.利用词义辨析进行解题
完形填空的命题会适当考虑在具体语境中对词义辨析能力的考查。这种词义辨析通常不设置在单句中,而是设在一定的上下文语境中。如不考虑语境,也许这几个选项皆可,只有通过阅读上下文才能确定最佳选项。
例1:On winter days, Mr. Greenberg 26 gloves. During the rest of the year, he 27 gloves. People who have heard about him 28(send) him gloves, and he has many in his apartment.(2013年全国卷Ⅱ)
26.A.searches for B.stores up
C.gives away D.puts on
27.A.borrows B.sells C.returns D.buys
解析:C;D。不考虑语境的话,各个选项皆可;但根据句意“他冬天发手套,一年其他时候就买手套,以备冬天发放”,应分别选C和D。
例2:I think I am a much 52(better) person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not 53 these experiences. They have 54 me to care about other people more than about myself. I 55(like) who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.(2013年山东卷)
53.A.forget B.face C.improve D.analyze
54.A.forced B.preferred
C.ordered D.taught
解析:A;D。如不考虑语境,各个选项皆可;但根据语境,显然作者希望自己不会忘了这些经历,因为这些经历教会作者关心别人多过关心自己。
5.利用上文情景进行解题
完形填空的设空原则之一是“前置性设空”,也就是命题者会根据空白处所在的本句信息或上句信息进行设空。考生做题时就要从空白处前面的信息入手。
例1:To celebrate the end of our exams, my friends and I went to a fast food restaurant. We 26(order) hamburgers and Coca Cola at the counter. When our 27 came, I started walking towards an empty table.(2013年陕西卷)
27.A.food B.turn C.bill D.menu
解析:A。上文提到点了汉堡和可乐,故此处指我们的“食物”端上来了。
例2:To my surprise, he merely smiled at us, handed us some cash and said, “ 41 yourself new hamburgers.” He then walked 42(away) without even finishing his food.(2013年陕西卷)
41.A.Prepare B.Buy C.Find D.Cook
解析:B。根据上文提到“他给了我们一些现金”可知,他叫我们去买几个新的汉堡。
6.利用下文信息暗示进行解题
完形填空的另一设空原则是“后置性设空”,也就是命题者会根据空白处后面的信息进行设空。考生做题时要注意顾及后文。
例:The man had an 8 .He took another man with him to the tower. One man left and the other stayed, but they did not 9 the bird. The crow stayed away until the second man left, too. The experiment was 10(repeated) with three men and then with four men. But the crow did not return to the nest until all the men were 11(gone) . It was not until five men went into the tower and only four left that they were 12(finally) able to fool the crow. (2013年广东卷)
8.A.appointment B.excuse
C.idea D.explanation
9.A.fool B.hurt C.catch D.kill
解析:C;A。根据下文的描述可知,对如何骗过乌鸦,这个人有了个“主意”,故第8空选idea。根据第12空后的able to fool the crow可知第9空要选fool。
7.利用词汇复现原则进行解题
完形填空试题中,某一词语或同类词会反复出现在语篇之中,命题者常用这种现象设题。词汇复现包含原词复现、同义词复现、反义词复现和同根词复现。
例1:47(However), the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 48(satisfied) smile at the door of his home, he heard the 49(discussion) of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The 50 froze on his face; his mouth fell wide open.(2013年湖北卷)
50.A.blood B.smile C.tear D.sweat
解析:B。根据上文词汇复现解题。上文提到小老鼠带着满意的笑容喝热咖啡,因此此处表示他的“笑容”僵住了。
例2:Now, many poor New Yorkers know him and 30 (understand) his behavior. But people who don’t know him are sometimes 31(surprised by) him. They don’t realize that he just wants to make them 32 .
It runs in the 33(family) . Michael’s father always helped the poor as he believed it made everyone happier.(2013年新课标全国卷Ⅱ)
32.A.smart B.rich C.special D.happy
解析:D。根据下文词汇复现解题。下文提到Michael的父亲帮助穷人是因为他相信这会让他们更快乐,可知此处指他只是想使穷人“快乐”。
8.利用生活常识及文化背景进行解题
完形填空是以语篇的形式出现,其间渗透着相关的生活常识及文化背景知识,当然,这些常识和文化知识都是中学生需要了解的。考生在解答完形填空时,要充分调动自己的这些知识。
例:He stops when he 23(sees) someone with no gloves. He gives them a pair and then he 24(moves on) , looking for more people with cold 25 .(2013年新课标全国卷Ⅱ)
25.A.hands B.ears C.faces D.eyes
解析:A。他要赠送的是手套,根据生活常识,他要找的是手冷的人。
9.利用语篇标志语进行解题
语篇是比句子更长的单位,如句群、段落、篇章等。语篇之间进行内在联系的词语就叫“语篇标志语”。例如,表转折关系的语篇标志语有yet,and yet,but,while,on the contrary,on the other hand,however,at the same time(然而)等;表递进关系的连接词有not only...but (also),what’s more,what’s worse,besides,in addition,worse still,moreover,above all等。
例1:When Joe was about to start school, all signs pointed to success. Yet things turned out to be 36 .(2013年重庆卷)
36.A.unfair B.boring
C.disappointing D.dangerous
解析:C。句意:在Joe开始上学前,所有的迹象都表明他会成功,但结果却令人失望。由表转折关系的yet可知此处选disappointing。
例2:Michael Greenberg is a very popular New Yorker. He is not famous in sports or the arts, but people in the streets 16 him, especially those 1d06d3470619123272d9499cf240096614b8ea3d749bbacc8926e31d82d18cbawho are 17(poor).(2013年新课标全国卷Ⅱ)
16.A.know about B.learn from
C.cheer for D.look after
解析:A。由句中but可知上下文构成转折关系。Michael Greenberg并不出名,但街上的人都知道他。“know about”意为“知道、了解”。
10.理顺上下文的逻辑关系进行解题
文章的逻辑关系包括因果、对照、补充、举例、目的、条件、让步与转折等。完形填空中利用上下文的逻辑关系所设的题目有一定的难度,命题者主要是从语篇的逻辑关系及语境角度来考查考生的判断能力。因此,考生要弄清语篇的脉络,理顺句、段的起承转合,把握事件发生、发展和结果之间的内在联系。
例:He could have made what was already an uncomfortable situation worse, 43 he chose a different way and gave us a reason to believe that there is still 44(kindness) in this world. I’ll never 45(forget) his actions.(2013年陕西卷)
43.A.so B.since C.although D.but
解析:D。根据前半句句意是“他本来可以使这种糟糕的情况变得更糟糕”,而后半句句意是“他选择了一种不同的方式使我们有理由相信世界上还有仁慈”。前后半句含有转折关系,故选D。
11.利用文中隐含信息进行推理
完形填空中有些题目需要考生破解文章的隐含信息才能作答。遇到这种题目时,考生要认真阅读语篇,把握核心,掌握层次,领悟寓意,找到与语境吻合的信息进行大胆推断,然后选出最佳答案。
例1:One summer, I remember, a drought(旱灾)hit Ontario, turning it into a 17 desert. On one of those hot mornings I was picking sweet corn with my dad to fill the last 18(order) from the grocery store.(2013年天津卷)
17.A.stormy B.lively
C.disappearing D.burning
解析:D。后文的desert和前文的“旱灾”告诉我们,此处应填上一个描述干旱沙漠的词,故选burning(在燃烧的,炙热的)。
例2:On that afternoon, 39(as) the math teacher started to introduce difficult concepts, dark clouds covered the sky, and the storm set in. Hard though she tried to make the kids 40 , the thunder won the battle for their attention.(2013年重庆卷)
40.A.concentrate B.change C.hide D.sit
解析:根据前文提到“在一个暴风雨的下午,当数学老师开始介绍很难理解的概念时,乌云密布,暴风雨即将来临”,隐含的信息就是“孩子们在这种天气难于集中注意力”,因此选A。本句意为:虽然老师尽力使孩子们集中注意力,但孩子们的注意力还是不能集中在听课上。