1、英语学习中如何猜测生词贵州省黔西南州义龙新区龙广一中 石晓红在近几年的高考中,阅读理解题中有猜测词义的题型,因此猜词也就成了一项新的技巧。其实,在平时,我们在做训练题时,也会遇到很多生词, 这时,许多人会立即翻字典,查词义。这样做不但费时费力,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之间有着一定的关系。故我们可以利用语境进行推测和判断某些生词的意思。不过在做这种题型时,切忌代入个人经验,必须以阅读材料为背景,才能确保答案的正确性。我们可以利用以下几种方法:1. 根据定义猜测词义如果生词是句子或段落所解释的定义,理解句子或段落本身就是推断词义。如:Anthropo
2、logy is the scientific study of man.由is后面的表语可以猜到,anthropology是研究人类的科学。定义句的谓语动词一般为:be, represent, be considered, refer to ,be known as, to be ,mean 等等。2. 根据同位猜测词义同位,也就是说的同一件事,即复述。虽然它不是那么严谨,详细,但它提供的信息足以猜出生词词义。如:Semantic, the study of the meaning of words , is necessary if you are to speak and read wid
3、ely. the study of the meaning of words是对词义的研究,它和前面的semantics是同位关系,因此我们不难猜出semantics指“语义学”.在同位关系的两部分多用逗号、破折号、冒号、分号引号或括号连接,有时还出现or, similarly, that is to say, in other words, namely, or other, say等等。3. 根据对比关系猜测词义在一个句子或段落中,有对两个事物或情况进行对比的描述,我们可以根据生词的相反意思来猜测该词的词义。表示对比关系的词语有:unlike, not, but, however, whi
4、le, in spite of, despite和 in contrast等。如:Andrew is one of the most supercilious men I know. His brother, in contrast, is quite humble and modest. supercilious是个生词,句中的短语in contrast(对比起来)提示我们supercilious和后面的humble and modest(谦虚的)是对比关系。得出这种关系后,我们不难猜出supercilious是“自负的,傲慢的”。4. 根据同义词的替代猜测词义在句子中,我们可以根据熟悉的词
5、语,和语言环境来推段生词词义。如:Although he often had the opportunity, Mr Wang was never able to steal money from a customer. This would have endangered his position at the bank, and he did not want to jeopardize his future. 为了避免重复endanger一词,句中使用了jeopardize来代替它,由此可以推断出jeopardize的词义为“危及,危害,使陷入困境”。5. 根据因果关系猜测词义在句子或段
6、落中,若两个事物,现象之间构成因果关系,我们可以根据这种关系推断词义。如:There were so many demonstrators in the Red Square that he had to elbow his way through the crowd. 该句中含有sothat引导的结果状语从句,根据句中的描述“有那么多示威者”,我们便可推知elbow的词义为“挤,挤出”。6. 根据比较关系猜测词义在句子或段落中,把两事物或现象进行比较,然后猜出词义。表示比较关系的词语主要有similarly, like, just as, also等。如:Mrs wang loves to talk, and his brothers are similarly loquacious. 该句中similarly(相同的,相似的)表明 loves to talk与生词 loquacious 之间是比较关系。因此可以推断出loquacious的词义为“健谈的”.