江蘇 王珍珍
高考英語對考生閱讀理解能力的考查包括六個方面:1.理解主旨要義;2.理解文中具體信息;3.根據(jù)上下文推斷單詞和短語的含義;4.作出判斷和推理;5.理解文章的基本結(jié)構(gòu);6.理解作者的意圖、觀點和態(tài)度。具體表現(xiàn)為四大題型:細節(jié)理解題、推理判斷題、主旨大意題和詞義猜測題。筆者通過分析2021 年新高考Ⅰ卷,研讀題干、原文和選項,探索出三點要訣,希望能幫助考生走出英語閱讀理解的“密室”。
考生進行閱讀時,需從題干入手,實施解題四步走,即“判斷題型”“確定關(guān)鍵詞”“與原文信息進行匹配”和“選出答案”。判斷題型,意在深刻認識題干設(shè)計的思路和方向,從而在閱讀時更好地抓住重點、難點和疑點,提高解題的正確率。以2021 年新高考Ⅰ卷為例,15 道閱讀理解題分類見表1:
表1 閱讀理解題型分類及占比
說明:對主旨大意的考查分為對全文大意(第31 題)和段落大意(第35 題)的考查;推理判斷既包括對文章具體信息的判斷和推理(第25、27 題),也包括對作者意圖、觀點和態(tài)度的推理(第33、34 題)。
分析表格可知,細節(jié)理解題占比最高,約為53%,這也是學(xué)生最易拿分的題型。推理判斷題占比約為27%,位列其次。主旨大意題和詞義猜測題占比雖低,卻也是高考英語閱讀理解的必考題型。無論是哪一類題型,學(xué)生都要在題干中找到“密鑰”,即確定關(guān)鍵詞,才能回歸原文進行精準(zhǔn)定位,為選出正確答案做好準(zhǔn)備。那么,什么樣的詞常作為題干關(guān)鍵詞呢?下面以三道細節(jié)理解題為例(見表2)作簡要說明:
表2 閱讀理解題干關(guān)鍵詞舉例
說明:專有名詞指特定的或獨一無二的人或物,如人名、地名、國家名和景觀名。
通過表2 可知,閱讀理解題干中的關(guān)鍵詞以專有名詞和實詞短語為主,若題干中有考生不認識的實詞也可將其作為關(guān)鍵詞。另外,考生需留意特殊表達,如形容詞最高級、比較級和否定詞,以此為依據(jù),可快速在原文中找到匹配信息,選出正確答案。此外,考生應(yīng)注意,出題者多按照文章段落依次設(shè)題,即第2 題的出題依據(jù)常出現(xiàn)在第1 題所對應(yīng)的原文之后(主旨大意題需縱觀全文,不在此列)。基于這一原則,考生可更快捷地進行信息匹配。
筆者分析高考英語閱讀理解題發(fā)現(xiàn),考生做題時應(yīng)著重關(guān)注給定語篇中包含轉(zhuǎn)折詞、否定詞、形容詞的最高級/比較級和副詞(如just,only)的語句。這些句子或與題干同詞呼應(yīng),或蘊含題干所提及的關(guān)鍵信息。仔細揣度、準(zhǔn)確理解這些句子有助于考生快速選出正確答案。
轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系指句與句之間存在的語意相反的關(guān)系,通常由表示轉(zhuǎn)折的詞連接。高考英語閱讀理解中常見的表轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系的詞有but,yet,however,while,although,on the contrary 等。
【例1】Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk from the central city station and it’s close to all of the city’s main attractions.The staff is friendly and helpful,providing you with a map of the city when you arrive,and offering advice if you require some.However,you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.
23.What is the disadvantage of Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes?
A.It gets noisy at night.
B.Its staff is too talkative.
C.It charges for Wi-Fi.
D.It’s inconveniently located.
【解析】將題干關(guān)鍵詞“disadvantage(否定意義的詞)”與文中尾句“However(轉(zhuǎn)折詞),you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.”進行比對可知,Wi-Fi 收費是該旅社的缺點,故正確答案為C 項。在解題過程中,帶有顯性特征的轉(zhuǎn)折詞和否定意義的詞在信息上的呼應(yīng)可幫助考生快速選出正確答案。
【例2】By day,Robert Titterton is a lawyer.In his spare time though he goes on stage beside pianist Maria Raspopova— not as a musician but as her page turner.“I’m not a trained musician,but I’ve learnt to read music so I can help Maria in her performance.”
24.What should Titterton be able to do to be a page turner?
A.Read music. B.Play the piano.
C.Sing songs. D.Fix the instruments.
【解析】選項A“Read music.”與文中尾句“I’m not a trained musician,but(轉(zhuǎn)折詞)I’ve learnt to read music so I can help Maria in her performance.”中的“read music”屬于同詞復(fù)現(xiàn),故正確答案為A 項。轉(zhuǎn)折詞后的信息極可能蘊藏著題目的正確答案,應(yīng)認真解讀。
否定分為顯性否定、隱性否定和否定前綴等??疾轭l率較高的顯性否定詞有no,not,never,nor,none,neither 等;隱性否定詞有l(wèi)ittle,few,hardly,rarely,scarcely,far from,independent of 等;否定前綴有ab-,de-,dis-,il-,im-,in-,un-等。了解常見的否定詞可以幫助考生更好地理解原文和更準(zhǔn)確地找到考點。
【例3】When the explorers first set foot upon the continent of North America,the skies and lands were alive with an astonishing variety of wildlife.Native Americans had taken care of these precious natural resources wisely.Unfortunately,it took the explorers and the settlers who followed only a few decades to decimate a large part of these resources.Millions of waterfowl (水禽) were killed at the hands of market hunters and a handful of overly ambitious sportsmen.
29.What does the underlined word“decimate”mean in the first paragraph?
A.Acquire. B.Export.
C.Destroy. D.Distribute.
【解析】此題屬于詞義猜測題,前一句提到了美洲原住民對這些寶貴的自然資源進行了明智的保護。但unfortunately(否定意義的詞)話鋒一轉(zhuǎn),描述了一番與前句截然不同的景象,即海量資源被摧毀,故正確答案為C 項。題干中“decimate”雖不在考綱詞匯之列,但學(xué)生可通過前綴de-大體推測其含義,de-可表示“否定,非,相反”的意思,也屬于筆者所論述的否定詞,與選項C“Destroy”呼應(yīng)。因此,本題是借助否定意義的詞來推測否定意義的詞的含義,否定詞或否定意義的詞的重要性可見一斑。以下[例 5]的34 題同理,B、C、D 項均為否定意義的詞,依次為intolerant,doubtful 和unclear,在原文中能夠找到匹配信息則為正確答案,找不到即為干擾選項。
形容詞多表示人或事物的性質(zhì)、狀態(tài)、特征或?qū)傩?,?dāng)需對兩者及兩者以上的人或事物進行比較或突出某一事物的某種特征時,常會用到形容詞的比較級或最高級。教師應(yīng)引導(dǎo)學(xué)生在閱讀過程中關(guān)注形容詞的比較級和最高級,這有助于其把握文章所描述的主體的性質(zhì)或特征。
【例4】“My husband is the worst page turner,”she laughed.“He’s interested in the music,feeling every note,and I have to say,‘Turn,turn!’ ”“Robert is the best page turner I’ve had in my entire life.”
27.Why is Ms Raspopova’s husband“the worst page turner”?
A.He has very poor eyesight.
B.He ignores the audience.
C.He has no interest in music.
D.He forgets to do his job.
【解析】根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞“the worst page turner(形容詞最高級)”可定位到文章末段,細讀可知本段后兩句是對首句的解釋說明,屬于“先說結(jié)果,后析原因”,Ms Raspopova’s husband 因忘記翻樂譜被稱作“the worst page turner”,故正確答案為D 項。
【例5】Although popular beliefs regarding emotional intelligence run far ahead of what research can reasonably support,the overall effects of the publicity have been more beneficial than harmful.
34.What is the author’s attitude to the popularization of emotional intelligence?
A.Favorable. B.Intolerant.
C.Doubtful. D.Unclear.
【解析】根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞“popularization of emotional intelligence”可定位至第三段首句,由“...the overall effects of the publicity have been more beneficial(形容詞比較級)than harmful”可知,作者認為情商的普及利大于弊,即作者持贊同態(tài)度,故正確答案為A 項。22、25 題同理,這三道題體現(xiàn)了形容詞比較級和最高級在解題時的重要輔助作用。
閱讀理解的四個選項由一個正確選項和三個錯誤選項構(gòu)成,把握錯誤選項的典型特征,方可在閱讀中見招拆招,不為所惑。分析高考英語試題可知,錯誤選項主要有四類特征:無中生有、移花接木、混淆是非和夸大事實。無中生有指選項中包含原文中未提及的信息,給考生解題帶來干擾??忌陂喿x過程中若脫離語篇情景,則可能掉入此類陷阱。移花接木指選項表述雖與原文相關(guān),卻與題干無關(guān),是多數(shù)學(xué)生最易犯的錯誤之一?;煜欠侵赴颜_的說成錯誤的,或把錯誤的說成正確的,多通過否定關(guān)系呈現(xiàn)。圈畫語篇和選項中的否定詞可有效避開這類陷阱??浯笫聦嵵笇⑹虑榈慕Y(jié)果嚴(yán)重化,多通過副詞,如too,only too,extremely 呈現(xiàn)。
【例6】Popularization has in some cases changed the original meaning of emotional (情感的) intelligence.Many people now misunderstand emotional intelligence as almost everything desirable in a person’s makeup that cannot be measured by an IQ test,such as character,motivation,confidence,mental stability,optimism and“people skills”.
32.What is a common misunderstanding of emotional intelligence?
A.It can be measured by an IQ test.
B.It helps to exercise a person’s mind.
C.It includes a set of emotional skills.
D.It refers to a person’s positive qualities.
【解析】A 項中的“It can be measured”與原文中的“that cannot be measured”表述相反,屬于“混淆是非”,B 項文中未提及,屬于“無中生有”,C 項表述出現(xiàn)在原文第二段中,與題干無關(guān),屬于“移花接木”,故正確答案為D 項。另外,根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞misunderstanding(否定意義的詞)定位至原文首段,解讀可知:許多人誤以為情商是人一系列好的品質(zhì),包括性格、積極性、自信、心態(tài)、樂觀等,且原文中的“desirable”與D 項中的“positive”為同義替換,由此可確定正確答案為D 項。
由此可見,閱讀理解干擾項的設(shè)置是有章可循的,若考生掌握了干擾項的常見特點,就能夠識別選項的錯誤信息點,提高解題效率和準(zhǔn)確率。
綜上,文章、題干和選項共同構(gòu)成了完整的英語閱讀理解題??忌诮忸}過程中,唯有把握題干關(guān)鍵詞、剖析原文脈絡(luò)和辨識選項特征,才能成功走出英語閱讀理解的密室,成為考場上的贏家。