谈高中英语阅读理解猜测词义题的解题方法

胡明华

《普通高等学校招生全国统一考试说明》对高考英语阅读理解做出了明确的规定，其中要求考生能够根据上下文提供的线索推测生词的词义，本文将讨论高考英语阅读理解中猜测词义题的解题方法，希望能帮助考生熟悉该题型，掌握解题策略和技巧。

一、破解词汇本身的意义

如何破解词本身的意义呢？方法之一是掌握构词法的基本知识。不仅平时可以用这个方法记忆大纲中的词汇，考试时也可以用这个方法推测词汇意义。假如对英语词汇中包含的前缀、后缀和词根的含义或功能比较了解，就能较准确地推测出它们相互组合形成的整体词义。对于这类题型，我们要关注划线部分上下文中出现的詞形变化，根据词形变化，顺藤摸瓜，我们也就能够找到正确答案。

The researchers created a test that's designed to determined whether children of depressive parents will also suffer from depression. So the researchers took children of depressed mothers and showed them pictures of people expressing different emotions. Based on previous research， Binghamton University psychology researcher Brandon Gibb and his colleagues believe that children whose pupils（瞳孔） dilate when they see a sad face are more likely to depress. Thats because pupil expansion is an empathy（移情作用） response.

What does the underlined word “dilate” mean？

A. Expand B. Brighten C. Reduce D. Darken

根据划线词后面一句话中的pupil expansion is an empathy response， expansion是expand的名词形式，可知dilate的意思应该是A. Expand.

二、利用上下文线索

除了以构词法破解词汇的意义以外，做词义题用得更多的方法是根据上下文所提供的线索猜测词义。这里的上下文指该词所在的句子本身，也包括这个句子的上下句或更远的上下文。一般而言，上下文线索所提示的意义与所考词汇的关系要么为同义关系，要么为反义关系。假如二者为同义关系，那么所考词汇的意思就是线索提示词的意思；假如二者为反义关系，所考词汇的意思就是线索提示词的反义。

Some 2，500 years ago Greece discovered freedom. Before that there was no freedom. There were great civilizations， splendid empires， but no freedom anywhere. Egypt and Babylon were both tyrannies， one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses.（2015年江苏卷）

What does the underlined word“tyrannies”in Paragraph 2 refer to？

A. Countries where their people need help.

B. Powerful states with higher civilization.

C. Splendid empires where people enjoy freedom.

D. Governments ruled with absolute power.

划线词tyrannies对于我们来说是陌生的，但根据划线词所在句子后半句“one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses”，这是一个独立主格结构，是对划线词的进一步解释，据此我们可以得出结论：tyrannies是指拥有绝对统治权的政府，正确答案为D。

She suggested two avenues for improving the situation： increasing vocational（职业的）-technical training programs and taking a page from Europes focus on early education rather than post-secondary learning.“The European countries put a little more attention to getting people prepared in the primary grades，”she said.“Then they have a higher bar for whoever goes to college—but once you get into college， youre more likely to be highly subsidized（资助）.”（2015扬州中学4月检测）

What does the underlined part “taking a page from” mean？

A. Hearing from. B. Changing from.

C. Differing from. D. Learning from.

根据划线短语的宾语“Europes focus on early education rather than post-secondary learning”，其译义为“欧洲专注于小学教育而不是后中学教育”，再结合四个选项，可以判断，这句话的意思是我们应该学习欧洲的这一作法。短语的意思为“向……学习”，应该选D。

Margenthaler said about 20 to 25 percent of breast cancer patients who have lumps removed require a second surgery because current technology doesn't adequately show the extent of the disease during the first operation."Our hope is that this new technology will reduce or ideally eliminate the need for a second surgery，" she said.（2015鹽城三模）

The underlined word “eliminate”in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. meet B. remove C. feel D. resist

根据划线词前面的叙述“Margenthaler said about 20 to 25 percent of breast cancer patients who have lumps removed require a second surgery”，再结合划线词前的近义词reduce，可知希望新技术将会减少或者完全消除第二次手术的必要，答案是remove就确定无疑了。

三、根据背景知识和常识

Today，more and more Amish are looking for alternative ways of making a living since raising cows and sheep is simply no longer enough to survive. Theyre starting to open up small businesses， like producing furniture.Some have even started Internet-based shops， which is a far cry from the typical Amish traditions.

The underlined words“a far cry from”in Paragraph 4 can best be replaced by “_________”.

A.very helpful to B. in control of C. quite similar to D. very different from

文中介绍了阿曼门诺派教徒生活方式的一些改变，再联系译林牛津英语M7U1 Project板块中有关阿曼门诺派的介绍：说来也许令人难以置信，在美国这样一个社会、经济高度发达的国家里，还有些人远离现代文明，遗世独立。他们颇似桃花源中人，“不知有汉，无论魏晋”。这便是阿曼门诺派，俗称为阿米什人。他们不用电话、电灯，不看电视、录相，不开汽车而驾马车。由此可见，划线部分意思是：一些阿曼门诺派人甚至开了网店，这和典型的阿曼门诺派传统大相径庭。由此判断正确选项为D。

四、 扩大词汇量，掌握一词多义和熟词生意

I suspect that we all experience small miracles in our lives every day. Sometimes we have the wisdom and the courage to recognize them for what they are. In the moments when we don't， that's okay as well. It seems that our miracles have a way of coming back to us again and again. And each time they do， they become a little less subtle， until we can't possibly miss the message that they bring to our lives！

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “subtle” in Paragraph 7？

A. Apparent B. Delicat C. Precise D. Sufficient

这类题涉及的划线部分和选项的词汇都有难度，既要求我们理解文章上下文，还需要对选项有一定的认知。先对文章划线部分进行理解：每一次奇迹反复出现，它们变得不那么细微直到我们不可能错过它们给我们的生活带来的讯息。然后看选项，A. Apparent明显的B. Delicate除了我们熟悉的“精致的；纤细的；微妙的”等含义，还有“细微的，难以觉察的”意思C. Precise精准的；D. Sufficient足够的。只有上下文和选项意义都明确了，问题才能明朗化，最后得出结论：B才是正确选择。

综上所述，要掌握英语阅读理解中猜测词义题解题技巧并非易事，只要我们努力拓宽知识面，学习一些相关构词法，扩大英语词汇量，并从上下文中寻找蛛丝马迹，猜测词义题就能柳暗花明。

（作者单位：昆山震川高级中学）