衔接理论在高考英语“七选五”阅读命题中的应用分析

2023-12-25 23:00葛余健
关键词:七选五高中英语

葛余健

摘    要:“七選五”阅读是让学生感到棘手的题型,其主要原因是学生缺少必要的语篇知识,特别是对英语语篇的衔接手段不太熟悉。韩礼德的衔接理论将衔接概念系统化分类为指称、替代、省略、连接等语法衔接和词汇衔接,以此为指导分析“七选五”阅读在命题中显示的衔接特征,可以为教和学提供一定的借鉴。

关键词:“七选五”阅读命题;衔接理论;高中英语

“七选五”阅读是高考英语阅读中学生觉得比较难、比较容易失分的题型。在《普通高中英语课程标准(2017年版2020年修订)》(以下简称“《高中课标》”)中,它被称为“句子还原题”[1]。这一题型要求考生在一篇留有5个空白、约300词的短文中,根据语篇结构、文本内容,从所给的7个选项中选出最佳选项,并填入相应的空白处,使补全后的短文意思通顺、前后连贯。它主要考查学生的阅读理解能力、上下文衔接推断能力,要求学生特别关注“前言”和“后语”之间的衔接关系。本文以韩礼德的衔接理论为指导分析“七选五”阅读在命题中显示的衔接特征,以期为教和学提供一定的借鉴。

1976年,韩礼德和哈桑出版了《英语的衔接》一书,标志着衔接理论的建立。该书认为,“衔接是语言系统中语篇组织成分的一部分,是通过使语篇中的一个成分的意义解释依赖于另一个成分,把结构上没有关系的成分互相连接起来的一种手段”[2]。衔接是有形的,体现在语篇的表层结构上,我们“可以在语篇中找到它”[3]。该书把衔接概念系统化分类为指称、替代、省略、连接等语法衔接和词汇衔接。下面,笔者结合具体的试题进行分析。

一、语法衔接

(一)指称

指称是一种语义关系,通常有三种类型:人称指称、指示指称和比较指称。人称指称是运用话语情境中的功能通过人称类别表现的指称,如he、they、it、him、our、theirs等。指示指称是运用在远近程度上的不同位置表现的指称,如this、that、these、those、here、there、now、then等。比较指称是运用相同或相似性表现的间接指称,如same、similar、other、different、so、such、otherwise、equally、more、less等。指称在“七选五”阅读命题中应用广泛,特别是人称指称和指示指称。

1.人称指称

例1    (2021年高考全国乙卷)And what about that other dinner-party killer: awkward silence? If youre faced with an awkward silence at a dinner party, the only thing that always gets everyone talking again is to give the host a compliment (赞扬).   40   Just quickly turn around and say, “This cake is extremely delicious and you have to tell me all about it.”

此题使用了人称指称,指人。40空的前文提到the host,选项“G. He or she is the person who is feeling the weight of that awkwardness the most.”中的he or she 和下文中的you都是指代the host,形成了照应,使两句连贯起来。

例2    (2022年高考全国甲卷)The way you handle chopsticks is important to avoid annoying your companions. When you put them down between bites, always put them down together so they are parallel with the edge of the table in front of you.   37  .

此题使用了人称指称,指物。语段讲述的是筷子的使用规则。第一句告诫如何使用筷子很重要,接着指出如何使用筷子。为避免重复,下文一直使用人称代词them或者they指代筷子,形成照应。所以不难发现答案是“F. Never stick them upright in your food or cross them as you use them.”。

例3    (2021年高考全国乙卷)People love to talk about themselves. If you can start the conversation with a question other than “What do you do for a living?”, youll be able to get a lot more interesting conversation out of whomever it is youre talking to.   37  , it can bring in “I have this old, broken-down vehicle” or “I rode the bus with these crazy people who were laughing at silly jokes in the back.” It just opens up conversation.

此题使用了it这个人称指称。37空后的代词it指代前面提出的问题,根据下文可知是对“你过来的方式”进行提问,所以不难发现此题的正确选项是“C. If you ask the question ‘How did you get here?”。

2.指示指称

例4    (2023年1月高考浙江卷)Plan ahead. Most long-distance trains, especially the sleeping car accommodations, sell out very quickly.   36   But no matter when you travel, its a good idea to make your reservations at least 90 days in advance.

此题中使用了that这个指示指称。that回指前文“Most long-distance trains, especially the sleeping car accommodations, sell out very quickly.”, 所以选择“D. Thats particularly true during busy summer months.”。

例5    (2021年新高考全国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.   16  .

Before you open the book, make sure that you are comfortable ...

此题中使用了here这个指示指称来起衔接作用。下文具体给出了改善阅读速度的建议,所以选择“D. Here are some tips to help improve your reading speed.”。

例6  (2020年1月高考浙江卷)   34   On this day every year, countries around the world hold events to educate people about the problems of dirty water and that clean water is something that everyone should have around the world. At one school in the UK, children between the ages of 10 and 15 walk 6 km with six litres of water.   35   People give them money to do this and all the money helps get clean water to as many people as possible around the world.

此题中两个空格都使用了指示指称的衔接方式。34空后的on this day指代的是选项“F. In 1993 the United Nations decided that March 22nd is the World Day for Water.”中的March 22nd,而选项“G. In this way, they know how it feels to walk a long distance carrying heavy bottles.”中的in this way指代的是35空前文中的“10~15岁的学生带着6升水走6公里”這件事。

3.比较指称

例7    (2022年新高考全国I卷)My partner posted her request on the notice board of a local park. Her notice included what kind of training she wanted to do, how many days a week and how many hours she wanted to spend on each session, and her age. It also listed her favorite sports and activities, and provided her phone number.   39

此题使用了比较指称中的一般比较。一般比较指的是相似和不相似方面的比较,即比较双方可以相同、相似和不同。39空前提到了“我”的搭档在当地公园张贴的告示里面所包含的内容,这样很容易得出答案是“G. Any notice for a training partner should include such information.”。

例8    (2021年高考全国甲卷)A successful swap depends on the selection of clothes, the organization of the event, and, obviously, how much fun it had. Its really easy to do! Here are a few pointers.

· Invite 5-10 people so you have a nice selection.   17  , and there may not be enough things to choose from; more than that, and it becomes uncontrollable.

此题使用了比较指称,属于特殊比较。特殊比较指的是量或质方面的比较,此题是量方面的比较。前文提出邀请5~10人参加交换会,以便有较好的选择。下文指出:少于这个数量,可能选择的量会比较少;多于这个数量,则可能变得不可控制。所以正确选项是“A. Less than that”。

例9    (2021年6月高考浙江卷)As cool as it may be to receive a postcard written in Chinese, the concept doesnt work if one doesnt understand it.   34   So a common language is required and in postcrossing thats English since its widely spoken.

此题使用了比较指称,属于相似比较,比较词是similarly。前文说到:收到一张中文明信片虽然很酷,但如果人们不懂中文也就不明白明信片中的信息;同样,如果你只会说中文,收到一张瑞典语的明信片也会感觉意趣不大。所以正确选项是“F. Similarly, if you speak only Chinese, receiving a card in Swedish takes part of the fun away.”。

(二)替代

替代是一种语法关系,是词与词之间的关系而不是意义之间的关系。替代通常有:名词性替代,如用one、ones、the same等替代名词;动词性替代,如do,既可以替代动词,也可以在小句中替代动词加上某些其他的成分;小句替代,被用作替代的词通常是so和not。

1.名词性替代

例10    (2017年高考全国I卷)The friends who introduced me to camping thought that it meant to be a pioneer.   37   We slept in a tent, cooked over an open fire, and walked a long distance to take the shower and use the bathroom. This brief visit with Mother Nature cost me two days off from work, recovering from a bad case of sunburn and the doctors bill for my sons food poisoning.

此题使用了名词性替代,“C. The trip they took me on was a rough one.”为正确答案,其中的代词one替代名词trip。a rough trip跟下文中描述的内容相一致。

2.动词性替代

动词性替代在高考“七选五”阅读中使用较少,但也存在。

例11    (2020年新高考全国I卷)People want to listen to someone who is interesting, relaxed and comfortable. Too often when you stand up to give a speech, you focus on the “public” at the expense of the “speaking.”   17   Focus on the speaking. Talk directly to your audience, be yourself and make a connection.

此题使用了动词性替代。17空的前句指出了演讲中存在的问题:Too often when you stand up to give a speech, you focus on the “public” at the expense of the “speaking.”,而下文建议focus on the speaking,所以正确答案是“A. Do the opposite.”。do the opposite替代focus on the speaking。

3.小句替代

例12    (2017年高考全国Ⅱ卷)If you have a door to your office, make good use of it.   40  . If someone knocks and its not an important matter, excuse yourself and let the person know youre busy so they can get the hint (暗示) that when the door is closed, youre not to be disturbed.

此题使用了小句替代中的否定形式not。前文提到如果你的辦公室有门,要充分利用好它。所以40空应该是具体的利用方法。选项“G. Leave it open when youre available to talk and close it when youre not.”中的not替代的是not available to talk。

例13    (2021年八省适应性演练)Any seasoned language learner will tell you that the beauty of mastering a foreign language is the world which it opens up to you. This is a world of diverse sources (来源) of information, from newspapers and books to TV, radio, music and even real people. Would you limit yourself to one medium in your native language?   37

此题使用了小句替代中的肯定形式so。37空前提出了问题,所以37空应该作出回答,因此正确选项是“E. Probably not, so why do so in your new language?”。短语do so替代的是limit yourself to one medium。

(三)省略

省略是一种“零替代”,指的是在某个结构上是必需的成分,但在语境中被省略、没有明确表达出来。和替代一样,省略通常有名词性省略、动词性省略和小句性省略。

例14    (2016年高考全国Ⅲ卷)There are many common methods used to cook fish.   40   First, clean it and season it with your choice of spices (调料). Put the whole fish on a plate and steam it in a steam pot for 8 to 10 minutes if it weighs about one pound. (A larger one will take more time.) Then, its ready to serve.

此题使用了省略。40空的前文提到有很多常见的烹调鱼的方法,40空后具体介绍了烹调步骤。所以第40空的正确选项是“B. The easiest is to steam it.”。the easiest后省略了名词method。

例15    (2022年新高考全国I卷)Fitness Magazine recently ran an article titled “Five Reasons to Thank Your Workout Partner”. One reason was: “Youll actually show up if you know someone is waiting for you at the gym,” while another read: “   36   ” With a workout partner, you will increase your training effort as there is a subtle (微妙) competition.

此题也使用了省略。在这里,five reasons、one reason、another属于词汇衔接中的原词复现,其中another后省略了名词reason,所以36空是another (reason)的具体内容“Youll work harder if you work with someone else.”。

(四)连接

连接是一种语法衔接,其连接成分本身没有衔接意义,但连接成分具有特定的意义,在话语中表达了某些意义,间接地具有衔接作用。常见的连接类型有四种范畴:增补关系,转折关系,因果关系和时间关系。增补关系的连接词常有and、or、nor、in addition、besides、that is、likewise、similarly、on the other hand、by contrast等;转折关系的连接词常有however、nevertheless、in fact、instead、rather、on the contrary等;因果关系的连接词常有so、then、therefore、on account of、as a result、in consequence、under the circumstances、in that case、that being so等;时间关系的连接词常有then、next、after that、at the same time、at first、in the end、finally等。

1.增补关系

例16    (2021年高考全国乙卷)What about that person who has had too much to drink or wont stop talking? If you cant take their wine away, you should certainly try to take away their soapbox (讲台). If youre the host, you can ask them to help you in the kitchen with something and just remove them from the situation.   39

此題使用了连接中的增补关系,使用了连接词or。39空的前文针对“喝多了酒,不能自控、说个不停的客人”,提出了解决办法,要么请这些人到厨房帮忙,要么改变话题,所以正确答案是“E. Or turn the conversation into a topic where they have little to say.”,即提供了另外一种解决办法。

例17    (2019年6月高考浙江卷)After they were given an invitation to appear live on BBC, the Beatles quickly became famous in Britain with nationwide tours. By mid-1963, the Beatles had been extremely popular in England.   32   They held large concerts and performed at clubs ...

此题属于增补关系中的例证关系。32空前文说到“到1963年中期,甲壳虫乐队在英国已经非常受欢迎了”,很明显32空是他们受欢迎的具体例证,所以选“B. Even their hairstyles became major trends at that time. ”。

2.转折关系

例18    (2020年新高考全国I卷)Some individuals are born with a gift for public speaking.

16   Do you want to be a good public speaker? Here are some principles you must master.

此题使用了连接中的转折关系。段首句指出有人生来就有公开演讲的天赋,而大部分人是怎样的情况呢?文中some individuals与16空中的the majority of people形成对比,所以正确选项是“G. However, the majority of people are effective speakers because they train to be.”。连接词however表示转折关系。

3.因果关系

例19    (2020年7月高考浙江卷)My mother also encouraged me to make what I wanted. I tried making toy cars with cardboard boxes and constructing buildings from leftover cardboard and bits of wood my father gave me. When my mother saw my creations, she told me how creative my designs were.   34   I learned a lot about how to extend the life of objects and transform them into something new and useful. It was a trait (特点) others found helpful, and I soon had friends who wanted to make things with me.

此题使用了连接中的因果关系。34空的前文说“妈妈看到我的作品,总是表扬我的设计很有创意”,所以可推斷出34空是妈妈表扬的结果,因此正确选项是“F. Thus, I began my lifelong interest in making things.”。thus是副词,表结果。

4.时间关系

例20    (2021 年高考全国乙卷)According to Jessica Hagy, author of How to Be Interesting, its not difficult to make yourself interesting at a dinner party.

36  , if youre out of your comfort zone or if youre wandering into somebodys house for the first time. So the main thing is just to show up and be adventurous, trying different foods and talking to strangers.

此题使用了连接中的时间关系,表顺序。这个语篇是总分关系,第一段指出“在晚宴上使自己有趣并不难”,接下来每一段提供了一种方法,所以36空的正确选项是“B. The first step is to go exploring”。

例21    (2017年高考全国I卷)I was, nevertheless, talked into going on another fun-filled holiday in the wilderness. This time there was no tent. Instead, we had a pop-up camper with comfortable beds and an air conditioner. My nature-loving friends had remembered to bring all the necessities of life.

39   We have done a lot of it since. Recently, we bought a twenty-eight-foot travel trailer complete with a bathroom and a built-in TV set. There is a separate bedroom, a modern kitchen with a refrigerator. The trailer even has matching carpet and curtains.

此题使用了时间关系中的顺序关系。39空前文提到“我的这次露营活动非常成功”,39空后指出“我们从那时起就进行了很多次的露营活动”,可知在这次露营后,“我”家人对露营感兴趣了,因此正确选项是“F. After the trip, my family became quite interested in camping.”。after the trip交代了时间顺序。

二、词汇衔接

除了语法衔接外,英语中还通过词汇的选择来取得语篇衔接的效果。词汇衔接包括两个不同但相互关联的方面,即词汇复现和词汇搭配。词汇复现常体现为原词复现、同义词(或近义词)复现、反义词复现、上下义词复现等。词汇搭配指词汇之间的相互预测性,即某一个词汇与另一个词汇相互关联,它们趋向于出现在相同的词汇环境中,如boy vs. girl、stand up vs. sit down、crowded vs. deserted、order vs. obey、hair vs. comb、curl vs. wave等。

(一)詞汇复现

1.原词复现

例22    (2020年高考全国Ⅲ卷)A housewarming party is a special party to be held when someone buys or moves into a new apartment or house. The person who bought the house or moved is the one who throws the party. The party is a chance for friends and family to congratulate the person on the new home.   36   And it is a good time to fill the new space with love and hopefully presents.

此题使用了原词复现。36空前提到“The party is a chance for friends and family to congratulate the person on the new home.”,下文使用also在逻辑上构成增补关系,同时使用a chance构成原词复现,所以正确选项是“E. It also gives people a chance to see what the new home looks like.”。

2.同义词复现

例23    (2022年新高考全国I卷)You and your partner will probably have different skills.

40   Over time, both of you will benefit — your partner will be able to lift more weights and you will become more physically fit. The core (核心) of your relationship is that you will always be there to help each other.

此题中,40空之前提到different skills,与选项“F. Just accept your differences and learn to work with each other.”中的differences构成了同义复现。

例24    (2019年高考全国Ⅱ卷)Another way of setting realistic goals is to analyze your short and long term objectives, keeping in mind your beliefs, values and strengths. Remember that goals are flexible.   39   They also need to be measurable. You must keep these points in mind while setting your goals.

此题39空中的flexible与选项“E. They can change according to circumstances.”中的change构成了同义词复现。

3.反义词复现

例25    (2020年新高考I卷)Even the most successful public speaker will make mistakes. Yet, the only one who cares about any mistake is the one who is speaking. Peoples attention wanders constantly. In fact, most people only absorb about 20 percent of a speakers message. So, dont stop speaking when you make a mistake unless its a truly serious one.   18

此题使用了反义词复现。18空的前文中的serious one使用了名词替代,one替代mistakes,serious和下文中的minor是反义词,所以“C. You don t need to apologize for a minor slip.”是正确答案。另外,文中的slip和mistake是同义词。

4.上下义词复现

例26    (2021年新高考全国I卷)The place wasnt entirely authentic, though. Unlike a normal Parisian apartment, the plumbing (水管) worked.   37   Our building even had a tiny lift with a female voice that said, “Ouverture des portes,”in perfect French. That is the only French phrase I mastered, and its a shame I dont have much use for it.

此题使用了上下义词复现。文中的the place、apartment、building属于同一概念,是上义词,而plumbing、kitchen、bed是建筑物内的物品,属于下义词,所以正确选项是“C. There was a nice kitchen and a comfortable bed.”。

(二)詞汇搭配

例27    (2020年高考全国Ⅱ卷)Written communications can often read as cold and dull. Using emojis can add humor and feeling, keeping intention clear.   37  , encouraging better and more frequent communication.

此题考查的选项是非完整句子,涉及语境中的词汇搭配。根据下文encouraging better and more frequent communication讲的是使用emojis的好处,可知正确选项为“A. Messages with emojis feel more conversational”。

例28    (2021年新高考全国Ⅱ卷)Always keep a pencil and paper beside you.   20   Note also the facts important for your purpose as well as anything which leads you to further research. You dont have to write these things in detail. It is enough to put the page number and one or two words as a reminder.

此题同样考查词汇搭配。文中段首句给出建议“手边要一直放好纸和笔”,跟纸和笔一起构成的语义网是用纸和笔随时记载一些重要的东西,常见的搭配关系是note down、write down、make a note of等,所以选项“E. Make a note of any page which is of special importance.”是正确答案。

综上所述,考生要想做好高考“七选五”阅读题,必须在单位时间内读懂语篇的语义、厘清语篇上下文的衔接关系,即所给语篇中句与句、段与段之间的逻辑关系。当然,辨明选项间的差异,排除掉干扰选项也十分重要。基于此,在教学中,教师如果熟悉衔接理论并能在语篇教学中按照衔接理论的类型进行微专题式讲练,对提升学生语篇衔接的敏感度,提高学生对语篇行文逻辑关系的分析能力、判断能力是非常有益的。学生在教师的指导下有意识地用衔接理论来分析语篇,可以更好地理解文本的核心语义和篇章结构、把握作者的写作意图,提升阅读速度和理解能力。如此,“七选五”阅读题的解答也就游刃有余了。

参考文献:

[1]中华人民共和国教育部.普通高中英语课程标准(2017年版2020年修订)[S].北京:人民教育出版社,2020:105.

[2][3]韩礼德,哈桑.英语的衔接[M].张德禄,王钰纯,韩玉萍,等译.北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2007:23,7.

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高中英语诗歌创作教学探索与实践
高中英语诗歌创作教学探索与实践
高中英语阅读教学高效之路的探索
高考英语“七选五”解题策略
高考英语中“七选五”解题窍门
探讨高考英语阅读理解“七选五”存在的问题及对策
浅谈英语“七选五”阅读理解
基于读写的高中英语阅读教学模式探讨