考研英语复习：阅读理解之词义题破解

 　　在英语学习中，我们自然会遇到许多生词。这时，许多人立即翻阅字典，查找词义。其实这种做法是不科学的。它不但费时费力，而且影响阅读速度。事实上，阅读材料中的每个词与它前后的词语或句子甚至段落有着互相制约的关系。我们可以利用语境（各种已知信息）推测、判断某些生词的词义。

　　综上所述，利用各种已知信息推测、判断词义是一项重要的阅读技巧。在实践中，我们可以灵活运用，综合运用上面提到的几种猜测技巧，排除生词的障碍，顺利理解文章的思想内容，提高阅读速度。

　　所以考生应重点避免以下两种情况：第一，考生往往会随便猜一个选项，错误率很高。第二种情况下，考生往往落入命题专家的陷阱，不知不觉地失了分，原因是考生并没有掌握阅读词汇题的基本命题原则。在阅读部分的词汇题要考的并不是考生认不认识题中所考的单词，否则便是命题失效。此处要考的是考生阅读中的推断能力，也就是说题中所考单词的词义必定能根据上下文推断出来。所以考生在遇到阅读中的词汇题时，一定要冷静，去上下文中细找，推断出词义后，可将词义代入原文看是否通畅。

　　例如2003年第54题：

　　Railroads justify¹ rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone's cost. If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line. It's a theory to which many economists² subscribe³, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail. "Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters⁴ of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?" asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shippers.

　　The word "arbiters" most probably refers to those_________.

　　[A] who work as coordinators

　　[B] who function as judges

　　[C] who supervise transactions

　　[D] who determine the price

　　该题的解题关键在于是否知道arbiters后的介宾短语of who wins and who loses in the marketplace就是对该词的最准确定义，依据该介宾短语，不难得出arbiters是决定谁输谁赢的人，四个选项中只有B选项和这个意思最为接近。

　　再例2004年第43题：

　　For any job search, you should start with a narrow concept-what you think you want to do-then broaden it. "None of these programs do that," says another expert. "There's no career counseling implicit⁵ in all of this." Instead, the best strategy is to use the agent as a kind of tip service to keep abreast⁶ of jobs in a particular database; when you get E-mail, consider it a reminder⁷ to check the database again. "I would not rely on agents for finding everything that is added to a database that might interest me," says the author of a job-searching guide.

　　The expression "tip service" most probably means .

　　[A] advisory⁸

　　[B] compensation

　　[C] interaction

　　[D] reminder

　　该题的解题关键在于充分利用分号，分号前面的短语use the agent as a kind of tip service和分号后的consider it a reminder属于并列关系，it和the agent都是指的文章中所说的搜索代理，自然我们就找到了tip service的同义词reminder。所以该题答案D。

　　词义题解题方法

　　针对推测生词含义题型，我们可以从两个方面进行分析：

　　1）利用内在逻辑关系。即根据内在逻辑关系推测词义是指运用语言知识分析和判断相关信息之间存在的逻辑关系，然后根据逻辑关系推断生词词义或大致义域。

　　a．根据对比关系猜测词义

　　在一个句子或段落中，有对两个事物或现象进行对比性的描述，我们可以根据生词或难词的反义词猜测其词义。例如：

　　Andrew is one of the most supercilious⁹ men I know. His brother, in contrast, is quite humble¹⁰ and modest. 该例中supercilious对许多人来说可能是个生词，但是句中短语in contrast，（相对照的，相对比的）可以提示我们supercilious和后面词组humble and modest（谦卑又谦虚）是对比关系。分析出这种关系后，我们便能猜出supercilious意为"目空一切的，傲慢的"。

　　表示对比关系的词汇和短语主要是unlike，not，but，however，despite，n spite of，in contrast 和while 引导的并列句等。例如，A good supervisor¹¹ can recognize instantly the adept¹² workers from the unskilled ones. 该句中并未出现上面提到的表示对比关系的词或短语，但是通过上下文可以判断出句子前后是对比关系，即把熟练工人与非熟练工人区分开。这时我们也能够推断出生词 adept的词义，"熟练的"。

　　b．根据比较关系猜测词义

　　同对比关系相反，比较关系表示意义上的相似关系。

　　例如：Green loves to talk，and his brothers are similarly loquacious¹³.

　　该句中副词similarly表明短语loves to talk与生词loquacious之间的比较关系。以此可以推断出loquacious词义为"健谈的"。表示比较关系的词和短语主要是similarly，like，just as，also等。

　　c．根据因果关系猜测词义

　　在句子或段落种，若两个事物、现象之间构成因果关系，我们可以根据这种逻辑关系推知生词词义。

　　例如：Tom is considered an autocratic administrator¹⁴ because he makes decisions without seeking the opinions of others. 根据原因状语从句的内容，我们可以推断出生词autocratic指"独断专行的"。There were so many demonstrators in the Red Square that he had to elbow his way through the crowd. 此句为结果状语从句，根据从句的描书"许多示威者"，我们便可推知elbow的词意 "挤，挤过"。

　　d．根据同义词的替代关系猜测词义

　　在句子或段落种，我们可以利用熟悉的词语，根据语言环境推断生词词义。

　　例如： Although he often had the opportunity, Mr. Tritt was never able to steal money from a customer. This would have endangered his position at the bank, and he did not want to jeopardize¹⁵ his future. 作者为避免重复使用endanger一词，用其同义词jeopardize来替代它，由此推知其词义为"使……陷入危险，危及、危害"。

　　Doctors believe that smoking cigarettes is detrimental¹⁶ to your health. They also regard drinking as harmful. 句中detrimental是个生词，但判断出harmful替代detrimental后，不难推断出其词义 为"不利的，有害的"。

　　2）外部相关因素。即，外部相关因素是指篇章(句子或段落)以外的其他知识。有时仅靠分析篇章内在逻辑关系无法猜出词义。这时,就需要运用生活经验和普通常识确定词义。

　　例如： Husband：It's really cold out tonight. Wife: Sure it is. My hands are practically numb¹⁷. How about lighting¹⁸ the furnace? 根据生活经验，天气寒冷时，手肯定是"冻僵的，冻得麻木的"。

　　The snake slithered through the grass. 根据有关蛇的生活习性的知识，我们可以推断出slither词义为"爬行"。

　　在猜测词义过程中，除了使用上面提到的一些技巧，我们还可以依靠构词方面的知识， 从生词本身猜测词义。

　　此外利用词缀亦不失为一种有效的手段。

　　a．根据前缀猜测词义

　　例如：He fell into a ditch and lay there, semiconscious, for a few minutes. 根据词根conscious（清醒的，有意识的），结合前缀semi（半，部分的，不完全的）， 我们便可猜出semiconscious词义"半清醒的，半昏迷的"。I'm illiterate¹⁹ about such things. 词根literate意为"有文化修养的，通晓的"，前缀il表示否定，因此illiterate指 "一窍不通，不知道的"。

　　b．根据后缀猜测词义

　　例如：Insecticide is applied²⁰ where it is needed. 后缀cide表示"杀者，杀灭剂"，结合大家熟悉的词根insect（昆虫），不难猜出 insecticide意为"杀虫剂"。 Then the vapor²¹ may change into droplets²². 后缀let表示"小的"，词根drop指"滴，滴状物"。将两个意思结合起来，便可推断出droplet词义"小滴，微滴"。

　　c．根据复合词的各部分猜测词义

　　例如：Growing economic problems were highlighted by a slowdown in oil output. highlight或许是一个生词，但是分析该词结构后，就能推测出其含义。它是由high （高的，强的）和light（光线）两部分组成，合在一起便是"以强光照射，使突出" 的意思。 Bullfight is very popular in Spain. Bull（公牛）和fight（打，搏斗）结合在一起，指一种在西班牙颇为流行的体育运动--斗牛。

1 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

2 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

4 arbiters   

仲裁人，裁决者( arbiter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In the forensicfield, the final arbiters of quality are the courts. 在法医学领域，质量的最后仲裁者是法庭。
• They are, increasingly, arbiters of which types of borrowers get credit. 它们正越来越多地充当决定哪几种借款人可获得信贷的裁决人角色。

5 implicit   

a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的

参考例句：

• A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。
• Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。

6 abreast   

adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地

参考例句：

• She kept abreast with the flood of communications that had poured in.她及时回复如雪片般飞来的大批信件。
• We can't keep abreast of the developing situation unless we study harder.我们如果不加强学习，就会跟不上形势。

7 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

8 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

9 supercilious   

adj.目中无人的，高傲的；adv.高傲地；n.高傲

参考例句：

• The shop assistant was very supercilious towards me when I asked for some help.我要买东西招呼售货员时，那个售货员对我不屑一顾。
• His manner is supercilious and arrogant.他非常傲慢自大。

10 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

11 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

12 adept   

adj.老练的，精通的

参考例句：

• When it comes to photography,I'm not an adept.要说照相，我不是内行。
• He was highly adept at avoiding trouble.他十分善于避开麻烦。

13 loquacious   

adj.多嘴的，饶舌的

参考例句：

• The normally loquacious Mr O'Reilly has said little.平常话多的奥赖利先生几乎没说什么。
• Kennedy had become almost as loquacious as Joe.肯尼迪变得和乔一样唠叨了。

14 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

15 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

16 detrimental   

adj.损害的，造成伤害的

参考例句：

• We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
• He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。

17 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

18 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

19 illiterate   

adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲

参考例句：

• There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
• I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲，今天也认字了。

20 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

21 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

22 droplets   

n.小滴( droplet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Droplets of sweat were welling up on his forehead. 他额头上冒出了滴滴汗珠。 来自辞典例句
• In constrast, exhaled smoke contains relatively large water droplets and appears white. 相反，从人嘴里呼出的烟则包含相当大的水滴，所以呈白色。 来自辞典例句