1、1. 类属法即通过类属来推测词义。如: Bananas, oranges, pineapples, coconuts and some other kinds of fruit grow in warm areas.说明:从句意我们知道pineapples和coconuts与bananas, oranges是同类事物,同属水果(准确地说是菠萝和椰子)。2. 推理法即根据文章的前后语境推出生词的词义。如: That museum is so immense that it will be impossible to see all the exhibits in one day.说明:既然一天之
2、内看不完所有的展品,那么immense 的意思应该是很大了。 Everyone agreed that the woman in the photo was gorgeous. It was easy to see why she had won the beauty contest.说明:既然她在选美比赛中获胜,说明她很美丽(gorgeous)。3. 列举法即通过对文章所列举的事物来猜测生词的词义。如: Children like such creatures as dogs and monkeys.说明:像 dogs 和 monkeys 之类的creatures,显然creatures的意
3、思应是动物。 In your spare time, you may look through any of these periodicals:Time Magazine,NewsWeek, orThe New Worker.说明:periodical是生词,但根据其后所列举的例子,我们可以推测出它的意思可能是期刊或杂志。4. 构词法即根据前缀、后缀、复合、派生等构词知识判断生词的词义。如: Overwork may cause diseases.说明:前缀over-的意思是过分的,过量的,故 overwork的意思应为工作过度。 There was a dissatisfied look
4、in the managers eyes.说明:satisfied的意思是满意的,前缀 dis-的意思是不,故dissatisfied的意思应该是不满意的。5. 对比法即根据文章前后的对比关系确定生词的词义。如: He had been getting better, but during the night his condition deteriorated.说明:句中的 but 表明deteriorate 应该与get better 的意思相反,即恶化。 In many countries there are two financial extremes, from penury to
5、great wealth.说明:上文说两个经济上的极端,那么下文中penury 应与great wealth 相对,即表示贫困。 Mrs. Smith is loquacious while her husband is the silent type.说明:while 表对比,意为而,所以loquacious 应是silent 的反义,即多嘴的。 If you agree, draw a circle; and a cross if you dissent.说明:既然画圈表示同意,那么画叉便是不同意(dissent)。6. 同位法同位语是对所修饰词语的进一步说明和解释,若对所修饰的词语不熟悉
6、,可通过其后同位语的说明或解释来确定其词义。如: His father is an expert in phonetics, the study of the sounds of language.说明:同位语the study of the sounds of language表示phonetics的意思应该是语音学。 Jean was born with spina bifida, a birth illness that damages the spine(脊骨).说明:同位语 a birth illness that damages the spine表明了spina bifida是一
7、种病,一种对脊骨有损害的病。7. 释义法即根据文章中所提供的释义关系来确定生词的词义。如: They described him as a loon, or a mad man.说明:句中的or是对loon的解释,即loon与a mad man同义,即表示疯子。 lt will be very hard but also very brittle, that is, it will break easily.说明:句中的that is表明it will break easily是对brittle的解释,从而猜测出其意为脆。 The herdsman, who looks after sheep
8、, earns about 500 yuan a year.说明:定语从句 who looks after sheep表明herdsman的词义为牧人。 There are three kinds of snow. One kind is a fluffy snow that is somewhat dry and feathery?说明:定语从句 that issomewhat dry and feathery(有点儿干、像羽毛似的)表明 fluffysnow 的意思可能是鹅毛大雪。8. 常识法即根据普通常识推测生词的词义。如: Its said that Bill Gates is the most affluent person in the world.说明:根据常识,Bill Gates为世界首富,所以affluent可能是富有的。 As a scientist, Edison is very famous for his contrivances.说明:根据常识,Edison为发明大王,他应因发明而闻名于世。