托福阅读题中,词汇题是常见的考题,这就要求同学们的词汇量基础比较多才行,但如果遇到不能识别的词汇,同学们又该怎么解题呢,下面几种情况为同学们进行真题解析,希望同学们从中学到经验。
如何识别此类问题
词汇类问题很容易辨认,在文章中被考到的单词或短语会被用阴影标识出来,问题的提问形式通常为:
☆ In the case of a word, the question might be:
The word X in the passage is closest in meaning to
☆ In the case of a phrase, the question might be:
In stating X, the author means that
The phrase X in the passage is closest in meaning to
其中,以种形式,也就是考察考生某单词在文章上下文中意思的问题类型最为常见。
如何答题
1.在文章中定位到阴影标识的单词或短语。
2.仔细阅读该词或短语所在句子。
3.在句子中寻找可以帮助理解阴影标识的单词或短语的具体意思的线索。
4.选择答案,并将所选择的单词或短语放入原文进行检验,以确认这个句子在全文中仍是有意义的。
提醒考生注意,选择答案时,不要仅仅因为某个选项符合该单词的某一个正确意思就将其作为正确选项;题目考察的是作者在文章上下文中使用了那一个词义。
如何利用各种线索
☆结构线索(即指明句子中各成分之间关系的特定单词、短语和语法结构)
1.对比
Example: OGPractice Set5, question6
Passage5: In this newly emerging economic order, workers sometimes organized to protect their rights and traditional ways of life. Craftworkers such as carpenters and tailors formed unions and in1834 individual unions came together in the National Trades’ Union. The labor movement gathered some momentum in the decade before the Panic of1837, but in the depression that followed, labor’s strength collapsed…
The phrase gathered some momentum in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ made progress
○ became active
○ caused changes
○ combined forces
解析:单词readily所在的文章句子中出现转折词but,根据文章中but后面的内容我们可以得出短语gathered some momentum在此句中的的意思为made progress。
2.例子
Example: OGPractice Set4, question10
Passage8: One cognitive theory suggests that aggravating and painful events trigger unpleasant feelings. These feelings in turn, can lead to aggressive action, but not automatically. Cognitive factors intervene. People decide whether they will act aggressively or not on other people’s motives. Supporting evidence comes from research showing that aggressive people often distort other people’s motives. For example, they assume that other people mean them harm when they do not。
The word distort in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ mistrust
○ misinterpret
○ criticize
○ resent
解析:distort所在的文章句子后出现“ for example”,根据for example中的内容,我们可以得出distort在此句中的意思为misinterpret。
3.并列信息
Example: OGPractice Set5, question3
Passage3:…Absenteeism and lateness hurt productivity and since work was specialized, disrupted the regular factory routine. Industrialization not only produced a fundamental change in the way work was organized; it transformed the very nature of work。
The word disrupted in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ prolonged
○ established
○ followed
○ upset
解析:disrupt在的文章句子中出现and连接的并列信息hurt,根据这一并列信息,我们可以得出disrupt在此句中的意思为upset。
4.因果关系
Example: OGPractice Set6, question1
Passage1:…Feeding, courtship, preproduction, and even“rest” are carried out while in constant motion. As a result, practically every aspect of the body form and function of these swimming“machines” is adapted to enhance their ability to swim。
The word enhance in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ use
○ improve
○ counteract
○ balance
解析:enhance在的文章句子中出现表示因果关系的短语as a result,根据前一句中的原因,我们可以得出enhance在此句中的意思为improve。
5.连词or
Example: OGThe EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONSquestion1
Passage1: Joy and sadness are experienced by people in all cultures around the world, but how can we tell when other people are happy or despondent? It turns out that the expression of many emotions may e universal…
The word despondent in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ curious
○ unhappy
○ thoughtful
○ uncertain
解析:despondent所在的文章句子中出现疑问句,疑问句中的连词or表示选择,因此我们可以得出despondent在此句中的意思为unhappy?
☆数字/时间
Example: OGPractice Set3, question11
Passage6: With the advent of projection, the viewer’s relationship with the image was no longer private, as it had been with earlier peepshow devices such as the Kinetoscope and the Mutoscope, which was a similar machine that reproduced motion by means of successive images on individual photographic cards instead of strips of celluloid. It suddenly became public?Can experience that the viewer shared with dozens, score, and even hundreds of others. At the same time, the image that the spectator looked at expanded from the minuscule peepshow dimensions of1 or2 inches(in height) to the life-size proportions of6 or9 feet。
The word expanded in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ was enlarged
○ was improved
○ was varied
○ was rejected
解析:expanded所在的文章句子中出现从“1 or2 inches”到“6 or9 feet”,因此我们可以轻而易举得出expanded在文章中上下文意思为 was enlarged。
☆标点线索
Example: OGPractice Set3, question4
Passage3: Exhibitors, however, wanted to maximize their profits, which they could do more readily by projecting a handful of films to hundreds of customers at a time(rather than one at a time) and by charging25 to50 cents admission…
The word readily in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ frequently
○ easily
○ intelligently
○ obviously
解析:readily在的文章句子中出现表示附加或补充信息的圆括号(),根据圆括号中的内容,我们可以得出readily在此句中的意思为easily。
☆构词法
根据构词法,单词的结构有三部分:前缀(prefixes),词干(stems)和后缀(suffixes)。词干是单词的构成基础,前缀和后缀则分别加在词干的前面和后面,从而改变单词的词性和含义。而前缀、后缀和词干都有其固定含义,因此根据构词法,我们就可以利用其固定含义来判断生词的意思。
Example: OG NINETEENTH-CENTURY POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES
Passage1:…During his administration he immeasurably enlarged the power of the presidency…
The word immeasurably in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ frequently
○ greatly
○ rapidly
○ reportedly
解析:immeasurably一词的词根为measure(测量、度量),词缀分别为im-(不),-able(能…的),-ly(由形容词变为副词)。因此我们可以判断immeasurably一词在此句中的意思为greatly?
所以综上所述,遇到这类词汇题型,词汇量的多少是关键,不过同学们遇到自己不能识别的单词也不用慌张,好好利用上述文章所使用的解析方式方法,相信同学们一定会闯过个难关的。
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