刘娟
在讲评近几年的高考试题时,笔者发现单词while的出现频率非常高,且各种用法都有体现,但大多学生常将while译为“当……的时候”,与while在文中的实际意义相差甚远,当然也就影响了理解,甚至会影响做题。基于此,笔者对近几年高考题中的while的用法做了整理,供考生吸收消化。
一、连词while在高考中的考频
2018~2020近三年高考英语全国卷共九套,每套题中均出现while,共出现25次,其中全国Ⅰ卷出现的次数最多3年12次。详见下表:
二、连词while的3种用法
1. 表示让步,意为“虽然,尽管(=although)”。如:
(2020全国Ⅰ卷A篇) While Queensland Rail makes every effort to ensure trains run as scheduled, there can be no guarantee of connections between trains or between train services and bus services. 虽然昆士兰铁路尽一切努力确保火车按时运行,但不能保证火车之间或火车服务与公共汽车服务之间的连接。
2. 表示对比或相反,意为“而,但”。如:
(2020全国Ⅰ卷C篇)According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step , while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step. 根据她的研究,跑步者每一步着地的重量是自己体重的四倍,而不离开地面的竞走者每一步着地的重量大约是自己体重的1.4倍。
3. 表示时间,意为“当……时”。
(2019全国Ⅱ卷七选五)You muse keep these points in mind while setting your goals. 在设定目标时,你要记住这些要点。(while setting ... = while you set ...)
值得注意的是,在近三年的9套试卷中,while作连词,出现的5次表示时间的用法,全部是“while +现在分词”结构。
此外,while除了作连词外,还可以作名词,表示“(一段)时间”。如:
(2020天津卷)Has it been a while since your last visit to a public library? 距你上次去公共圖书馆已有一段时间了吧?
三、理解while的重要性
九套试卷中有9处作为段落首句,对理解段落大意起着关键作用。更重要的是,有10处作为“题眼”出现,正确理解含while的句子,对做题起着决定性作用。如:
(2020全国Ⅰ卷C篇) While I tend to buy a lot of books, these three were given to me as gifs, which might add to the meaning I attach to them. But I imagine that, while money is indeed wonderful and necessary, rereading an authors work is the highest currency a reader can pay them. The best books are the ones that open further as time passes. But remember, its you that has to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends.
26. What does the underlined word“currency”in paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Debt B. Reward.
C. Allowance. D. Face value.
解析:理解while句句意“但我想,虽然金钱确实是美好和必要的,重读作者的作品是读者能支付给他们的最高__________。”再看四个选项:A. 欠款,债务;B. 报答,报酬;C. 津贴,补贴;D. 面值。显然,选择B项。
(2020全国Ⅲ卷C篇)With the young unable to afford to leave home and the old at risk of isolation(孤独), more families are choosing to live together.
The doorway to peace and quiet, for Nick Bright at least, leads straight to his mother-in-law, she lives on the ground floor, while he lives upstairs with his wife and their two daughters.
Four years ago they all moved into a three-storey Victorian house in Bristol ... They share a front door and a washing machine, but Rita Whitehead has her own kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room on the ground floor.
28. Who mainly uses the ground floor in the Victorian house in Bristol?
A. Nick. B. Rita. C. Kathryn D. The daughters.
解析:理解while句句意“至少對尼克·布莱特来说,通往和平与宁静的大门直接通向他的岳母,她住在一楼,而他和妻子以及两个女儿住在楼上。”显然,使用一楼的是布莱特的岳母。他的岳母叫什么名字呢?由第三段最后一句可知叫Rita,故选B项。
(2018全国Ⅱ卷语法填空) Chinas approach to protecting its environment while 70 (feed) its citizens“offers useful lessons for agriculture and food policymakers worldwide,”says the banks Juergen Voegele.
解析:这是“while +现在分词”结构,填feeding。
(2018全国Ⅰ卷七选五) Over the years, there have been a number of different techniques to help designers approach this important point. 37 , they can get a little complex. But good news is that therere really only three kinds of decisions you need to make about color in your home: the small ones, the medium ones, and the large ones.
A. While all of them are useful
B. Whatever youre looking for
C. If youre experimenting with a color
解析:因本题后是一个完整句子,逗号前应是短语或从句,仅有A, B和C三项可选择。与前句语义衔接的只有选项A:虽然它们(这些技术)都有用,但是他们可能会有点复杂。
综上所述,while不但在高考中是一个高频词,而且含有while的句子很可能就是命题点,其重要性不言而喻。此外,while是一个灵活性很高的高分衔接词。
因此,我们需要牢固掌握while的所有用法,在语篇中根据不同语境体会其不同用法,并学会在写作中恰到好处地使用while。
责任编辑 蒋小青