探究3：词义推断题命题解读及备考策略

安徽 陈凤莲

一、命题解读

阅读能力是高考英语科的关键能力之一。根据《基于高考评价体系的英语科考试内容改革实施路径》的表述，阅读理解考查7种能力：理解词汇，理解具体信息，理解主旨要义，理解观点、态度，理解目的，推断，理解文章结构、类型。 词汇是阅读理解的基本要素，考生应能辨别句子及语篇中词语（单词、词组或固定搭配）的意思或指代关系，并能够根据上下文判断词语在特定语境中的含义。

在阅读理解文章中，总会有一些单词或短语超出了《课程标准》词汇表的范围，但又没有附加注释，所以需要考生猜测其含义，这也是对词义推断的一种间接考查。近几年高考试卷中，阅读理解部分生词量有所扩大，试题难度也有所增加。这些单词既不在《课程标准》规定的词汇表内，又未加注释，这就意味着考生不仅仅需要完成试题中直接的词义推断题，还需要凭借自己的知识积累和学习能力猜测出未加注生词的词义， 这样才能透彻地理解文章，完成阅读理解任务。

高考中词义推断题的常见命题方式：

What does the underlined phrase “...” in paragraph 3 mean?

What does the underlined phrase “...” in paragraph 3 refer to?

What does the underlined word “...” in paragraph 4 （probably） mean?

What does the underlined word “...” in paragraph 4 refer to?

Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “...” in Para. 2?

What is the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 1?

Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined phrase“...”in Para.3?

Which of the following has the closest meaning to “...” in paragraph 4?

What is “...” in the last paragraph?

What does the underlined word “it/that” in paragraph 3 refer to?

What does the underlined part in paragraph 3 probably mean?

近年来，高考对词义推断题的考查体现出以下几种命题趋势：

1. 要求根据阅读材料所提供的信息，结合中学生应有的常识和经验，正确判断生词词组的含义或熟词在特定语境中表达的具体含义以及一些句子的意思。

2. 要求所被推断词义的词一般为实词及其词组，可通过构词、定义、对比、因果、联想及上下文等线索确定词义的具体内容。

3. 代词指代关系理解题也是推断词义的常考类型。根据语篇厘清人物及事物之间的逻辑关系是关键所在。

二、解题策略

1. 利用构词法推断词义

构词法指的是前缀、后缀和合成。 前缀词如disadvantage、incorrect、misunderstand 等；后缀词如handful、kindness、drinkable等； 合成词如warm-hearted、greenhouse、passer-by等。 阅读中常常会遇到一些由熟悉的单词派生或合成的新词， 因此掌握构词法对推断词义很有帮助。 比如，unforeseeable这个词可以根据构词法把它拆成un、fore、see与able； 其中see是词根，fore是“先；前；预”的含义，un是否定，able是“能……的； 可……的”， 因此unforeseeable是“未能预见到的”的意思。

●根据前缀推断词义

例如：Do you have any strong opinion on co-educational or single-sex schools?

根据词根educational （教育的），再结合前缀co-（共同），我们便可以猜出co-educational的意思是“男女同校的”。

●根据后缀推断词义

例如：It's a quiet, comfortable hotel overlooking (俯瞰) the bay in an uncommercialized Cornish fishing village on England's most southerly point.

后缀-ise/ize意思是“使成为……；使……化”，结合词根commercial（商业的），不难猜出uncommercialized 的意思是“未被商业化的”。

●根据复合词的各部分推断词义

例 如： ①Good tool design is important in the prevention of overuse injuries. Welldesigned tools and equipment will require less force to operate them and prevent awkward （别扭的）hand positions.

well-designed 或许是个生词，但我们分析该词的结构后， 就能推测出其含义。 它由well（好；优秀）和design （设计）两部分组成，合在一起便是“设计精巧的”的意思。

②We live in a technological society where most goods are mass-produced by unskilled labor. Because of this, most people think that craft(手艺) no longer exists.

根据合成词mass-produce中的mass（大量的）和produce （生产）， 我们可以推测出massproduce的意思是“大批量生产；规模生产”。

【典题链接】（2018·浙江卷阅读B篇）

Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.

25. What does the word “headwinds” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A. Bans on plastic bags.

B. Effects of city development.

C. Headaches caused by garbage.

D. Plastic bags hung in trees.

【点石成金】A 上文介绍在许多美国大城市塑料袋被禁用，看到这种现状，塑料袋生产商雇用Stein等科学家是为了证明他们的产品并不像大多数人想象的那样对地球有害。 headwinds是一个合成词，意为“逆风”，此处用来比喻塑料袋被禁用的现状， 即Bans on plastic bags，故选A。

【典题链接】（2018·全国甲卷阅读B篇）

Frozen bananas will last several weeks, depending on their ripeness and the temperature of the freezer.

If you have a juicer, you can simply feed in frozen bananas and some berries or sliced fruit.Out comes a “soft-serve”creamy dessert, to be eaten right away.

26.What is“a juicer”in the last paragraph?

A. A dessert. B. A drink.

C. A container. D. A machine.

【点石成金】D juice是果汁，根据构词常识，后缀-er要么指人，要么指机器。 再结合语境可知，本段谈到了榨汁机的功能，故可获取正确答案。

2. 利用同义词、近义词推断词义

在生词所出现的上下文中，有时会出现与之同义或近义的词语或结构，这时可从熟悉的词语中推知生词的含义。当这些词或短语之间有并列连词and或or时，这些词语或短语在句中作相同的成分， 并且and或or连接的两项内容在含义上是接近的或递进的，由此确定同等关系中的某个生词所属的义域，甚至推出它的大致词义。

...Fermat's Last Theorem （定理）, was first put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century. The theorem had baffled and beaten the finest mathematical minds,including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem, and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole Polytechnique.

Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “baffle” in the text?

A. To encourage people to raise questions.

B. To cause difficulty in understanding.

C. To provide a person with an explanation.

D. To limit people's imagination.

【点石成金】B 根据语境可知，Fermat的定理使得最具有数学头脑的科学家绞尽脑汁（beat）。句中的beaten和baffled处于同等的并列关系，根据这一信息可以推出baffle表示“使困惑；难倒；难以理解”的意思。

3. 利用反义词推断词义

对比是描述、说明事物的常用方式。 在对比中，对比的事物是互为相反的，因此根据反义或对比关系可从已知推出未知。利用反义词来说明生词的意义，如反义词hot and cold、perfect and imperfect，甚至前、后句为肯定与否定或是与不是等。 这在句内词与词之间，在段内句与句之间的关系上起着互为线索的作用。

...A child's birthday party doesn't have to be a hassle; it can be a basket of fun, according to Beth Anaclerio, an Evaston mother of two,ages 4 and 18 months...

What does the underlined word “hassle”probably mean?

A. A party designed by specialists.

B. A plan requiring careful thought.

C. A situation causing difficulty or trouble.

D. A demand made by guests.

【点石成金】C 根据前面的否定doesn't与后面的肯定can be这一对比关系可以判断出，hassle的意思应该与fun相反。

4. 利用上下文语境推断词义

任何一篇文章中的句子在内容上都不是绝对孤立的，它们都和句子所在的段落及整篇文章有关。利用上下文提供的情景和线索，进行合乎逻辑的综合分析进而推测词义，是阅读过程中的一大关键，这也是近年来高考考查的热点。

【典题链接】（2019·天津卷阅读D篇）

We've all known people who run out of steam before they reach life's halfway mark. I'm not talking about those who fail to get to the top.We can't all get there. I'm talking about people who have stopped learning on growing because they have adopted the fixed attitudes and opinions that all too often come with passing years.

52. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A. End one's struggle for liberty.

B. Waste one's energy taking risks.

C. Miss the opportunity to succeed.

D. Lose the interest to continue learning.

【点石成金】D 根据段中的 “I'm talking about people who have stopped learning on growing because they have adopted the fixed attitudes and opinions that all too often come with passing years.”可知，作者谈论的不是那些没有到达顶峰的人，而是谈论那些不再学习、成长的人， 故可知run out of steam在文中的意思为“失去继续学习的兴趣”。

5. 利用定义和解释推断词义

有些文章，特别是科技文章，通常会对一些关键词给予定义，故我们可以利用定义来猜测这些词的意思。 释义法就是根据文章内容，对生词以定语（从句）、表语甚至用逗号、破折号等标点符号引出并加以解释说明的方式。

“Organic produce is always better,” Gold said. “The food is free of pesticides (农药), and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms. And more often than not it is locally (本地) grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty.” Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business.

What is the meaning of “the organic trend”as the words are used in the text?

A. Growing interest in organic food.

B. Better quality of organic food.

C. Rising market for organic food.

D. Higher prices of organic food.

【点石成金】A 由Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying可以推断出，越来越多的顾客像Gold一样开始购买有机食物，其实也就是对这类食物产生了越来越浓厚的兴趣。

6. 根据语义转折推断词义

有时文章的作者为了增强表达效果，会用一些表示转折意思的连词、副词或短语。 如：though、although、still、but、yet、instead、instead of、however、while、on the contrary、on the other hand、unlike、rather than、for one thing、for another等，这样我们可以根据转折意思推断词义。

...However obvious these facts may appear at first glance, they are actually not so obvious as they seem except when we take special pains to think about the subject.

In Paragraph 3, what does the underlined phrase “take special pains” probably mean?

A. Try very hard.

B. Take our time.

C. Are very unhappy.

D. Feel especially painful.

【点石成金】A 将However从句当中的at first glance （乍一眼看上去）， 与下文中的take special pains进行对比， 既然不是一眼就能看出来那么简单，那么自然要费力去想了。

7. 利用经验和常识推断词义

阅读时，我们通常会储备一些与文本内容相关的背景知识。这些背景知识有助于我们更好地理解文章。同学们在平时的学习中要广泛阅读，积累更多的经验常识，以便为阅读理解扫清背景知识储备不足的障碍。

“I was on the way to a personal-injury accident in West Nashville. As I got onto Highway 40, blue lights and sirens (警笛) going, I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway.The driver somehow panicked at the sight of me.He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder.”

The meaning of “panicked” in Paragraph 2 is related to .

A. shame B. hate

C. anger D. fear

【点石成金】D 根据本段内容描述，可以知道panicked意思是“惊慌”，与fear有关。

8. 利用标点符号推断词义

省略号、破折号、问号等标点符号往往都成了解题的突破口，阅读时应当细心体会。

【典题链接】（2019·全国乙卷阅读B篇）

But he's nervous. “I'm here to tell you today why you should ... should ...” Chris trips on the “-ld,” a pronunciation difficulty for many non-native English speakers. His teacher,Thomas Whaley, is next to him, whispering support. “... Vote for ... me ...” Except for some stumbles, Chris is doing amazingly well. When he brings his speech to a nice conclusion, Whaley invites the rest of the class to praise him.

25. What does the underlined word “stumbles” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A. Improper pauses. B. Bad manners.

C. Spelling mistakes. D. Silly jokes.

【点石成金】A 根据Whaley的点评——学生Chris做得非常棒（amazingly well），除了……可知，some stumbles是演讲中的弱点，然而，A、B、C、D都是弱点。 所以，本题再结合省略号可知，Chris讲话吞吞吐吐、结结巴巴，短语trips on意为“绊倒在……；卡在……上”，综合考虑选A。

9. 利用例证推断词义

表示例证关系的词汇主要有：for example、for instance、such as、like、including、 besides等。

【典题链接】（2018·全国乙卷阅读C篇）

In recent centuries, trade, industrialisation,the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.

29. Which of the following best explains“dominant” underlined in paragraph 2?

A. Complex. B. Advanced.

C. Powerful. D. Modern.

【点石成金】C 本句话提到，所有种种都导致许多语言消失，而英语、西班牙语和汉语这些语言占了上风，结合常识——英语、西班牙语、汉语是国际通用语言，综上说明这三门语言生命力很强。

10. 利用批判性思维推断词义

批判性思维体现在阅读上就是立足文本，即读者的“主观”应该尽量靠近阅读文本的“客观”。读者的理解越靠近文本实际表达，说明读者的批判性思维能力越强。

【典题链接】（2019·全国甲卷阅读B篇）

“You can use me as a last resort (选 择),and if nobody else volunteers, then I will do it.”This was an actual reply from a parent after I put out a request for volunteers for my kids'lacrosse(长曲棍球) club.

I guess that there's probably some demanding work schedule,or social anxiety around stepping up to help for an unknown sport. She may just need a little persuading. So I try again and tug at the heartstrings. I mention the single parent with four kids running the show and I talk about the dad coaching a team that his kids aren't even on... At this point the unwilling parent speaks up, “Alright. Yes, I'll do it.”

25. What does the underlined phrase “tug at the heartstrings” in paragraph 2 mean?

A. Encourage teamwork.

B. Appeal to feelings.

C. Promote good deeds.

D. Provide advice.

【点石成金】B 那位家长一开始并不太愿意去“我”的孩子们的长曲棍球俱乐部当志愿者。 “我”就又一次尝试打感情牌，诉说“我”的可怜处境及那位教练的无私。 不少考生选C项（倡议做好事）， 后面的教练的确是在做好事，但至于“我”，只能说是尽家长的义务，不能算是做好事。 也只有“打动某人的心、打感情牌”才能全面概括后面两件事，在概括范围上与文本吻合，批判思维度较高。

三、总结

词义推断题属于阅读中相对简单的题型，只要能够掌握以上介绍的做题技巧并在平时的练习中多琢磨、多应用，该题就能够拿到分数。