阅读理解之“七选五”做题三步法

2022-11-21 08:23云南莫霁华
教学考试(高考英语) 2022年5期

云南 莫霁华

高考英语“七选五”是高考英语阅读理解中综合性比较强的一道题目。它需要学生在理解语篇的基础之上排除干扰项,选出正确的选项,这就需要学生具备扎实的基本功和较强的语篇逻辑分析能力,否则许多学生在“七选五”试题上便会频频丢分。笔者从事英语教学多年,针对该题型也在教学中不断摸索和总结,下面就“七选五”的做题方法分享自己的教学经验。

一、题型解读

试题模式:在一篇约300 词的短文中挖出5 个空白,要求考生从所给的7 个选项中选出5 个最佳选项,使补全后的短文意思通顺,前后连贯,结构完整。

考查重点:阅读文章需要具备一定的语篇知识。文章作者常常会使用各种衔接手段使行文连贯。如果考生想要准确、深刻地理解文章,就必须把握住全篇的基本结构,厘清上下文的衔接关系,即句与句、段与段之间的逻辑关系。概而言之,“七选五”主要考查考生对文章的整体内容和结构以及上下文逻辑关系的理解能力。

考查维度:句(句间逻辑/衔接手段)、段(段落结构/挖空句在段中的位置作用)、篇(文章框架结构)

选项特点:概括性句子(文章整体内容)

过渡性句子(文章结构)

注释性句子(上下文逻辑意义)

二、解题步骤

解题三步法:

一看位置定方向——观察设空处是段首、段尾题,还是段中题;

二找词汇定选项——锁定选项与文中信息相关联的词汇;

三思逻辑核答案——思考选项与文中信息是否符合行文的逻辑关系。

1.看位置定方向

考生做题时要先学会观察题目,要有方向和聚焦点,不同设题位置的试题所考查的点也会不同,因此观察设空处的位置很重要。

(1)段首——主题句/承下

(2019 年全国卷Ⅰ) 40 While the sun’s rays can age and harm our skin,they also give us beneficial Vitamin D.To make sure you get enough Vitamin D—but still protect your skin—put on sunscreen right as you head outside.It takes sunscreen about fifteen minutes to start working,and that’s plenty of time for your skin to absorb a day’s worth of Vitamin D.

C.Being in nature refreshes us.

D.Another side benefit of getting fresh air is sunlight.

【解题思路】40 题的设空在段首,设空在段首的试题主要考查主题句或主旨句,这就提醒考生在做这种类型的题时,要关注设空后面的文字。设空处在句首时一般起引出下文的作用,考生在阅读之后可以发现“sun’s rays”“give us beneficial Vitamin D”与 选 项D 中“side benefit”“sunlight”对应。故选D。

(2)段中——承上启下

(2019 年全国卷Ⅱ)Imagine a child standing on a diving board four feet high and asking himself the question:“Should I jump?”This is what motivation or the lack of it can do.Motivation and goal setting are the two sides of the same coin. 36 Like the child on the diving board,you will stay undecided.

F.Motivation is what you need most to do a good job.

G.Without motivation,you can neither set a goal nor reach it.

【解题思路】36 题的设空在段中,那么考生关注的焦点就应该是设空之前的内容,认真阅读后考生可以发现设空前的句子和G 选项中都出现了“motivation”“goal”,且G 选项承上启下,符合语境。故选G。

(3)段尾——总结/首尾呼应

(2021 年全国乙卷)...If you can’t take their wine away,you should certainly try to take away their soapbox(讲台).If you’re the host,you can ask them to help you in the kitchen with something and just remove them from the situation. 39 .

D.Be prepared to have awkward conversations with strangers

E.Or turn the conversation into a topic where they have little to say

【解题思路】“If you’re the host,you can ask them to help you in the kitchen with something and just remove them from the situation.”是一种情景假设,“如果你是”对应的应该是“或者是”,它们是前后对应的关系,再结合句意可知,E 选项承接上文。故选E。

(2021 年新高考Ⅱ卷)If the only reading you ever do is the novel or magazine,the speed at which you read probably does not matter very much.But if you have to read a great deal for study,you will appreciate the benefits of being able to read more quickly. 36

A.Stop to have a rest now and then.

B.Spend a few minutes looking through the book.

C.This depends on the type of book you are reading.

D.Here are some tips to help improve your reading speed.

【解题思路】“But if you have to read a great deal for study,you will appreciate the benefits of being able to read more quickly.”在探讨快速阅读的好处。D 选项既是对前面的总结,同时也开启下文的叙述。故选D。

段尾句可分为两种:总结句——用于总结本段内容,常常含有总结性的词语;承上启下句(此空处的答案)——能够将上段和下段的内容连贯起来,考生可以通过这些细节来观察判断。

2.找词汇定选项

在这一步中的“找词汇”主要是指考生能在语段中查找词汇线索,从而帮助自己又快又准地从语段中找到答案,而选项中常常会出现原文中的词,或是该词的同义/近义词或是同语义场的词,词汇复现经常出现在考查文章前后衔接的试题中,即作者在文章的不同位置对同一概念进行重复描述。复现关系主要是指原词复现、同义词复现、近义词复现、反义词复现等,这些也应该是考生的关注点。

(2020 年全国卷Ⅲ) 37 Some people register a list of things they want or need for their new home at a local store or stores.Some common things people will put on a gift registry include kitchen tools like knives and things like curtains.Even if there isn’t a registry,a good housewarming gift is something to decorate the new house with,like a piece of art or a plant.

B.It is traditional to bring a gift to a housewarming party.

C.You can also bring food or drinks to share with the other guests.

D.If you’re lucky enough to receive gifts,keep them in a safe place.

【解题思路】阅读后可知本题与“乔迁派对”的事宜有关,语篇中出现了“gift”“a good housewarming gift”,然而在B、D 选项中都出现了“gift”一词,但将选项带入段落中根据句意很容易排除D 选项。故选B。

(2021年全国甲卷)● 38 .They should also prepare plenty of reusable bags to carry their“new”clothes home.

F.Have everyone put their clothes in the right spots

G.Tell everyone to bring clean clothes in good condition

【解题思路】根据设空处后一句可知,他们应该要准备一些可以回收再利用的袋子来装这些新的衣物。从同语义的范畴来考虑可知,new=in good condition。故选G。

在词汇线索中,代词出现的频率极高,考生不可忽略代词的作用。在精读各段和各选项的过程中,考生一定要注意句子中出现的人称代词或指示代词,尤其要注意选项中以及空格处前后句中出现的代词。根据代词的单复数形式及其在句中所作的成分,考生可以找出代词指代的名词或句子,这有助于他们选出最佳选项。

(2019 年全国卷Ⅰ)Recently,people have begun studying the connection between the natural world and healing(治愈).38 In these places patients can go to be near nature during their recovery.It turns out that just looking at green,growing things can reduce stress,lower blood pressure,and put people into a better mood(情绪).Greenery is good for us.Hospital patients who see tree branches out their window are likely to recover at a faster rate than patients who see buildings or sky instead. 39 It gives us a great feeling of peace.

C.Being in nature refreshes us.

F.Just as importantly,we tend to associate fresh air with health care.

G.All across the country,recovery centers have begun building Healing Gardens.

【解题思路】根据38 题下一句提到的代词“these places”可以推知它指代上文的内容,根据语意可知,these places 指Healing Gardens。故38 题选G。

39 题的前文介绍的是“康复花园”中的绿色植物对于病人康复的积极作用:绿色的茁壮成长的植物可以减轻压力、降低血压,使人情绪良好。39 题后一句提到“它给予我们一种平和感”,故39 空起着承上启下的作用。前文主要讲身处“康复花园”这种自然环境中的好处,那么后句中的“It”指代的就是这种情况了。选项C“身处大自然可以使人精神焕发”与前后句衔接自然流畅。故39 题选C。

通过对这两道题的分析,考生可以发现在做题时要关注的点是多方面的,以这两道高考题为例,这类试题的突破口在于考生要利用词汇线索中的代词法,找到指代对应的内容,验证之后就可以得出正确答案了。

3.思逻辑核答案

一篇文章往往是一个有机的整体,各部分之间存在着一定的联系,无论是利用词汇线索,还是借助代词去寻找答案,考生都要判断句与段,段与选项之间的联系,思考它们之间的关系。从逻辑意义上来看,句子与句子之间常常有并列、顺承、递进、转折、总分、解释、例证、因果、过渡等关系,表示并列关系的标志词语有:and,first(ly)...second(ly),first...then/next,to begin with,some...others...,for one thing...for another thing,then/next,finally/last 等。若空格前后两句之间是逻辑上的层进关系,则空格处很有可能是个表示递进的句子。表示递进关系的标志词语有:too,also,besides,further,furthermore,moreover,likewise,similarly,what’s more,what’s worse,in addition,as well,to make matters worse,not...but...,not only...but also 等。若空格前后的某句是为了证明另一句而举的例子,则空格处很有可能是个表示例证的句子。例证的形式具有多样性,思维过程基本是归纳(从例子到观点)和推理(从观点到例子)。常见的表示例证关系的标志词语有:for example,for instance,in fact/as a matter of fact,actually,in other words/that is to say等。表示因果关系的标志词语有:so,therefore,thus,consequently(结果),as a result (of),so/such...that...,so that...等。若空格前后两句之间是逻辑上的逆转关系,则空格处很有可能表示转折。表示转折关系的标志词语有:but,however,yet,while/though/although,or/otherwise,on the contrary,instead,nevertheless(然 而),still,in contrast/comparison,by comparison 等。

因此,考生阅读材料时一定要把握文章脉络,弄清其中的逻辑关系。如果文中或选项中出现了逻辑关系词,考生就可以利用其来进行推理判断;如果文中或选项中未出现逻辑关系词,考生就需要全面理解文章大意,根据上下文语境弄清文章内在的逻辑关系,做出正确的判断。

(2021 年全国甲卷)●Invite 5-10 people so you have a nice selection. 37 ,and there may not be enough things to choose from;more than that,and it becomes uncontrollable.

A.Less people than that

B.Hold a clothing swap

C.If two people are competing

【解题思路】先看37 题的设空位置,考生要注意前句和后句的关系,主题句是“邀请5~10 个人,这样便于你选择”,37 题设空后的句子中出现2 个“and”,考生可以考虑它的两种关系“并列”或“解释”,利用词汇线索法考生可以找出相关的选项A 和C,之后把选项带入原文进行核验,分析“less than that,more than that”的关系可知,语句的逻辑关系是解释例证关系。故选A。

(2021 年全国甲卷)●Set a starting time.Maybe you say“go”,or turn on a certain song,or whatever. 40 .And don’t forget to put out some cookies and fruits.Remember,it’s a party!

D.Just keep music playing throughout

E.Donate whatever clothes are left over

【解题思路】这段话中出现了并列连词“or”和“And”,因此考生可以推测40 题的选项应该和上一句是承接关系,且上一句中的关键词语“song”对应D 选项中的“music”,这两句话的逻辑关系贴切。故选D。

(2021 年新高考Ⅰ卷)My husband and I just spent a week in Paris. 36 So the first thing we did was rent a fantastically expensive sixth-floor apartment the size of a cupboard.It was so tiny that we had to leave our suitcases in the hallway.

F.Our aim was to see if we could live,in some way,like real Parisians.

【解题思路】上文“My husband and I just spent a week in Paris.(我丈夫和我刚在巴黎待了一周)”交代了背景;下文“So the first thing we did was rent a fantastically expensive sixth-floor apartment the size of a cupboard.(所以我们做的第一件事就是租了一个非常昂贵的公寓,在第六层,只有一个橱柜那么大)”是空格处内容的结果,因此空格处需要填原因;根据F 项“Our aim was to see if we could live,in some way,like real Parisians.(我们的目标是看看我们是否在某种程度上可以活得像巴黎人)”可知,作者想体验巴黎人的生活,所以需要租房子,两句构成因果关系。故选F。

(2018 年北京卷) 55 However,anger can easily turn violent,and it is best to know the reasons for anger to appear in order to prevent its presence.With these main reasons in mind,we can evaluate our level of anger throughout the day and prevent cases of outbursts by comprehending the reasons for our feelings.

C.Anger is rarely looked upon as a beneficial character trait,and is usually advised to reduce it.

D.Anger is a particularly strong feeling and maybe people think that they have reasons to feel angry.

【解题思路】观察这道题我们会发现段落的中心词是“anger”,那么可以将答案锁定在C 项和D 项,再根据设空后的“However(然而,但是)”可知,设空句与其后句子为转折关系,D 选项中的“Anger is a particularly strong feeling”与文中的“anger can easily turn violent”构成转折关系。故选D。

(2021 年新高考Ⅰ卷)Parisians are different from you and me.They never look lazy or untidy.As someone noted in this paper a couple of weeks ago,they eat great food and never gain weight. 38 French strawberries do not taste like cardboard.Instead,they explode in your mouth like little flavor bombs.

G.The food is so delicious that you don’t need much of it to make you happy.

【解题思路】上文“...they eat great food and never gain weight.(他们吃得很好,而且从不发胖)”提及了食物。下文“French strawberries do not taste like cardboard.Instead,they explode in your mouth like little flavor bombs.(法国草莓尝起来不像纸板。相反,它们会像小炸弹一样在你嘴里爆炸)”说明法国的草莓很好吃。结合上下文可知,因为法国的食物质量很高,所以不用吃很多就能很满足,同时吃得少也就不会发胖了。G 项“The food is so delicious that you don’t need much of it to make you happy.”与后一句构成因果关系,并符合语境要求。故选G。

(2018 年全国卷Ⅰ)Medium color choices are generally furniture pieces such as sofas,dinner tables or bookshelves.39 .They require a bigger commitment than smaller ones,and they have a more powerful effect on the feeling of a space.

A.While all of them are useful

B.Whatever you’re looking for

C.If you’re experimenting with a color

D.Small color choices are the ones we’re most familiar with

E.It’s not really a good idea to use too many small color pieces

F.So it pays to be sure,because you want to get it right the first time

G.Color choices in this range are a step up from the small ones in two major ways

【解题思路】设空处在段中,所填句子应是过渡句。该空前一句的主要内容是“Medium color choices”,是G 项中“small ones”的语义升级。该空后一句介绍了两种方式的颜色选择,与G 项中的“two major ways”相呼应,G 项与该段内容是顺承递进的关系。故选G。

通过以上对近几年高考英语“七选五”试题的分析,笔者对“七选五”的解题思路梳理如下:

笔者在这里要提醒考生:在做“七选五”试题时,即使在语段中能找到相关提示词汇,也要核验选项与语段之间的逻辑关系,如果找不到词汇线索来辅助做题的话,那就应该更加深入地思考句与段之间的逻辑关系,核查它们之间的关系是否合理才能推断出正确的答案,这一步十分重要且必不可少。笔者希望考生谨记以上解题思路及注意事项并坚持练习、不断总结,最终取得好成绩。