怎样猜测词义

词义猜测题的命题分析

1. 词义猜测题的命题依据

高考英语主要考查的是考生对于高中英语基础知识和基本技能的掌握情况，侧重考查考生的综合语言运用能力，特别是运用英语获取信息、处理信息、分析问题和解决问题的能力。词义猜测题正是对于这种能力的具体考查，它是从特定的角度考查考生的阅读理解能力和处理生词的能力，对此英语课程标准和高考英语考试大纲都有具体的要求。

英语课程标准的要求是：能够根据情景及上下文猜测不熟悉的语言现象。

高考英语考试大纲要求考生能读懂书、报、杂志中关于一般性话题的简短文段以及公告、说明、广告等，并能从中获取相关信息。考生应能：

1． 理解主旨和要义；

2． 理解文中具体信息；

3． 根据上下文推断生词的词义；

4． 作出判断和推理；

5． 理解文章的基本结构；

6． 理解作者的意图、观点和态度。

2. 词义猜测题的设问特点

词义猜测题的提问关键词为mean, refer to, be replaced等。

常见的设问方式有：

(1) The underlined word “___” in the second passage probably means “___”.

(2) Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “___” in the first paragraph?

(3) What does the underlined word “___” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

(4) The underlined word “___” in Paragraph 1 is nearest /closest in meaning to “___”.

（5）The word “……” refers to/ probably means/ could best be replaced by _______

(6)The word “……” is most likely to mean____

(7)What do you think the expression “……” stands for? _____

(8)By saying “……” we mean_______

(9)“……” as used in the passage, can be best defined as _______.

(10)The underlined word /phrase/ sentence “……” means_______.

3.词义猜测题的选项特点

（1） 正确选项的特点

● 忠实于原文的语言，即在文字表述上基本和原文相关语句一致。

● 类似于原文的同义词语或同义结构，即和原文相关句子结构一致，语法表现形式不同，但语义一样。

（2） 干扰项的特点

● 给出所熟悉词的字面意思或常规含义。

● 与上下文意思貌似吻合

4.词义猜测题的考查类型

(1)考查熟词新义

所谓熟词新义是讲考生已经熟悉这个词的基本意思，但在考查语境中其又有新的含义，要求考生能推测出这些词在句中的含义。此类题目的最大特点就是熟词有新义。例如：

42. The underlined word “voice” in the second paragraph most probably means “___”.（2010年四川卷A篇）

A. an idea B. a sound quality C. a way of writing D. a world to write about

【分析】voice是考生非常熟悉的单词，但是这个词在文中却有了新的含义，表示一种写作的方法，正确答案为选项C。

(2)考查生词词义的猜测

所谓生词，是指在考纲或教材中没有出现过的词汇，考生完全不了解其含义，主要考查考生通过上下文猜测词义的能力。该类题目的最大特点就是新语境中的新词义。例如：

67. The underlined word “assertiveness” in the last paragraph probably means “___”.（2010年北京卷C篇）

A. being willing to speak one's mind B. being able to increase one's power

C. being ready to make one's own judgment D. being quick to express one's ideas confidently

【分析】assertiveness一词对考生来讲，应该算是一个生词，想要明白其意，必须结合语境来推测。这一类型的题目对于考生来讲，是一种较为公平、客观的能力考查。正确答案为选项D。

(3)考查代词词义的猜测

代词的主要作用就是用来指代上下文所出现的名词以及名词词组。由于代词的这种指代性，使得文章的行文更加流畅、逻辑更加严密。该类题目的最大特点是内在的逻辑和指代。例如：

68. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refers to ___.（2010年北京卷D篇）

A. taxpayers B. pressing calls C. college graduates D. governments resources

【分析】综合第2自然段的段落大意，可判断此处的them指代的是pressing calls。

58. What does “to do that” refer to in the second paragraph? （2010年四川卷E篇）

A. To live with John B. To hire a house for John

C. To allow John to see the children D. To ask John to set up a regular life

【分析】此题属于对文段语境指代能力的考查。需要根据“to do that”所在的前后段落大意及文章的中心进行分析，才能作出合理的判断。正确答案为选项C. To allow John to see the children。

(4)考查对短语含义的猜测

短语是由两个或两个以上的词组合起来构成的，考生必须注意词与词之间的关系以及上下文的语境，进而对短语的含义做出猜测。该类题的最大特点是词语之间的关系。例如：

72. The phrase “communications blackout” in Paragraph 1 most probably refers to ___ during the 2012 Olympics.（2010年上海卷C篇）

A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch B. the collapse of broadcasting systems

C. the transportation breakdown in London D. the destruction of weather satellites

【分析】blackout有“停电”、“舞台熄灯”之意，communication有“传播”、“交流”之意。因此在推测“communications blackout”这一短语的含义时应注意两者之间的语义关系，答案应为选项B.the collapse of broadcasting systems。

(5)考查对句子含义的猜测

该类题目的最大特点是要对句子前后的语境进行分析以及对句中重点词语的把握。例如：

42. The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can ___.(2010年天津卷B篇)

A. describe life in an exciting way B. turn real-life experiences into a play

C. make learning life skills more interesting D. change people's views of sporting events

【分析】通过分析划线句子的前后语境，可以得出答案为选项C。

方法与技巧一:定义/解释法

即根据给出的定义或解释/举例猜测词义

为了解释或说明某个词语的意义，有时作者会用直接定义法或用其它方式对该词进行解释或说明。如：Anthropology is the scientific study of man.由此可知anthropology意为“研究人类的科学，人类学”。

关键信息词有：is，means，refers to，is considered to be，is known as，is called，can be defined as, that is（to say）,or, be considered to be，in other words ,namely（即，就是）,破折号，同位语,定语从句等等。

1.根据定义（definition）猜测词义

定义常用的谓语动词多为：be, mean, deal with, be considered to be, be called, define, represent, refer to, signify(意味，表明)等。

【实例验证】

1.A calendar is a list of the days, weeks, months of a particular year.

2.A biography is the story of a person's life written by someone else.

3.A person who is skilled at making or repairing wooden objects is called a carpenter.

4.His uncle is a zoologist, an expert who does research on animals.

5.The herdsman, who looks after sheep , earns about 650 yuan a year.

6.We are on the night shift --- from midnight to 8 a.m. --- this week.

7.The word “adolescence” means the period between children and adulthood.

A 少儿期 B 幼儿期 C 青春期 D 成人期

8.（2005年湖北卷） Do you know what a “territory” is ? A territory is an area that an animal ,usually the male, claims（声称）as its own.

9.The Youth Summit was aimed at increasing understanding and friendship between young students of the two countries through visits and discussions.Seventy­five American students were selected to visit China.They also visited the Nixon Library on July 21 before leaving for Beijing the next day.The head of the library said he was pleased to see the American and Chinese students talking and laughing together.

◆The words “Youth Summit” refer to ________.

A．visit to the Nixon Library B．the Chinese students’ visit to the U．S.

C．a meeting discussing relations between China and the U．S.

D．activities to strengthen the ties between the Chinese and American students

2.根据复述推测词义

虽然复述不如定义那样严谨、详细，但是它提供的信息可以为阅读者猜测词义提供依据，至少读者可以根据复述猜测生词的大致“义域”(意义范围)。复述部分可以是词、短语、或从句。　　

（1）同位语复述：在复述中构成同位关系的两部分之间常用逗号连接，有时也使用破折号，冒号，分号，引号和括号等。同位语前常有信号词 or, similarly, that is to say, in other words, namely, or other, say, i.e. 等。

（2）定语从句复述：例如

1.(05浙江卷B段)In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today.

2.Some writers are no longer writing about the modern values of the USA--money, Success or expensive things to buy.

3.In slang, the term “jam” constitutes a state of being in which a person finds himself or herself in a difficult situation.

4.Modern medicine began with the stethoscope, a medical tool used for listening to the movements of a person’s lungs and his heartbeats.

5.The harbor is protected by a jetty—a wall built out into the water.

6.Jane is indecisive, that is, she can’t make up her mind easily.

8. Capacitance, or the ability to store electric charge, is one of the most common characteristics of electronic circuits(电器装置).

9. For the purpose of electrostatic theory all matters can be divided into two fairly different classes: conductors，in which electrical charge can flow easily from one place to another；and insulators，in which it cannot.

10.It will be very hard but also very brittle－that is, it will break easily.

A easily broken B soft inside C very hard D expensive

3.根据举例猜测词义

恰当的举例能够提供猜测生词的重要线索。关键词有：such as, e.g , such,like, for example/ instance, especially, include, consist of等

1.Today young couples who are just starting their households often spend lots of their money on appliances ,for example，washing--machines，fridges and color TVs．

2.This includes poultry for main course（e.g. chicken, turkey, duck, goose）salad, bread and vegetables, and features of variety of desserts, for example, pie, puddings and ice cream.

3.Cars must have certain safety devices such as seat belt, headlights, and good brakes（刹车）.

4. (04 辽宁卷C段)The course gives you chances to know great power polities between nation states. It will provide more space to study particular issues such as relationship among countries in the European Union, third world debt, local and international disagreement, and the work of such international bodies as the United Nations, the European Union, NATO, and the World Bank.

【真题验证】

2004福建卷E

While in Banff , make time for a walk around town. A special treat is to go up the mountainside on the Banff Gondola for a surprising view of the valley below. Here is The Pines , whose cook has developed a special way of mixing foreign food such as caribou ,wild boar ,and reindeer with surprising sauces .

Best time to visit is during the off-season ,from early May to mid-June ,or in October .This way you can avoid sharing the high way with mobile（移动的）homes which can be pulled by cars .But whatever the season, take some lunch with you from Banff ,because there are only a few food stops on the road.

Forty minutes north of Banff ,side by side with the Banff National Park ,sits world-famous Lake Louise .This surprisingly small body of water is attractive with towering mountains around it .Glaciers ,huge masses of ice ,moving very slowly against rocks ,produce what is called glacier rock flour ,making its water dark to see .It is worth taking a walk around the grounds of the Chateau Lake Louise ,another beauty ,proud of its early 20th century history.

Back on the road , and it’s time to continue north past the astonishing Columbia Icefield, then turn off the highway and take the short road to the base of the Athabaska Glacier .You can rent ice cleats（夹板）and do some climbing or do a more pleasant snowmobile tour .Either way ,you can enjoy endless beautiful sights.

Finally you’ll reach Jasper ,the usual turning around the place for the Banff-Jasper loop（回路）.It’s worth riding the Jasper Skytram ,and be sure to visit the wonderful Jasper Park Lodge ,also dating back to the 1920s.If you can have lunch there ,do it .The restaurant has an adventurous menu and their wine list would put a smile on any visitor’s face.

72．According the passage ,The Pines is a .

A．place in which you can see many mobile homes

B．mountain where you can get a good view of the valley

C．town which happens to be near the Banff National Park

D．restaurant where you can ask for some special kinds of food

2004上海卷C

We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, other, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.

Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed—no examination is perfect—but to have to tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in examinations or in any controls in school or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency, the values and the purpose of each teacher.

Without examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them—a form of favoritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from an ill—respected school can show certificates to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lake of certificate indicates the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well—respected school. This defend of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and the bright child form a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school’s reputation, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favoured school.

The opponents of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.

82. The word “favoritism” in paragraph 3 is used to describe the phenomenon that________.

A.bright children also need certificates go get satisfying jobs.

B. children from well—respected schools tend to have good jobs

C. poor children with certificates are favoured in job markets

D. children attending ordinary schools achieve great success

2010重庆卷A

One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest(卑微的)to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed am empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.

We cautiously began a conversion and spoke about a wide rang of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,

“My I get you something ?”

“A coffee would be nice.”

Then I bought him a cup of coffee, We talked more ,and he accepted another cup of coffee, Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked,

“How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath?”

“Who?”

“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”

I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!

My few minutes with Mr. Galbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and no matter another human being with kindness and sincerity.

56. What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?

A. Unfriendly. B. Untidy. C. Gentle. D. Kind.

2010江西卷D

Moderm inventions have speeded up people’s lives amazingly. Motor-cars cover a hundred miles in little more than an hour. Aircraft cross the world a day, while computers operate at lightning speed. Indeed, this love of speed seems never-ending. Every year motor-cars are produced which go even faster each new computer boasts（吹嘘）of saving precious seconds in handling tasks.

All this saves timc, but at a price. When we lose or gain half a day in speeding across the world in an airplane, our bodies tell us so. We get the uncomfortable feeling known as jet-lag; our bodies feel that they have been left bebind in another time zones Again spending too long at compulers results in painful wrists and fingers. Mobile phones also have their dangers according to some seientists; too much use may transmit harmful radiation into our brains, a consequence we do not like to think about.

However, what do we do with the time we have saved? Certainly not relax, or so it seems. We are so accustomed to constant activity that we find it difficult to sit and do nothing, or even just one thing at a time. Perhaps the days are long gone when we might listen quietly to a story on the radio, letting imagination take us into another world.

There was a time when some people’s lives were devoted simply to the cultivation of the land or the care of cattle. No multi-tasking there; their lives wenl on at a much gentler pace, and in a familiar pattern. There is much that we might envy about a way of life like this. Yet before we do so, we must think of the hard tasks our ancestors faeed;:they farmed with bare hands, often lived close to hunger, and had to fashion tools from wood and stone. Modern machinery has freed people from that primitive existence.

69.What does“the days”in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A.Imaginary life B.Simple life in the past C.Times of inventions D.Time for constant activity

２０１１年江西卷Ａ篇

“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton (骨骼) in the closet (衣橱)？”Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully, Well, it’s something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad’s family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be ‘a skeleton in his family’s closet’. He really wouldn’t want any neighbor to know about it.”

“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good, you know. Wasn’t you great – great grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.” “Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.

After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank into a faint (晕倒), waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.

“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They’re both crazy,” she thought.

56．According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means .

A．a family honor B．a family secret C．a family story D．a family treasure

阅读理解之猜测词义之定义解释法