雅思阅读是四门课中对单词量要求的科目,但是要求的质是的,只要能明白个大概即可。甚至有的时候,我们只需要能靠上下文猜出个意思也是可以的。今天就来给大家传授猜词大法——利用“并列关系”猜词。
很多同学在阅读过程中很少考虑逻辑关系词的作用,导致在阅读过程中对文章的理解效率比较低。实际上,英文学术文章中有很多逻辑关系词,这些关系词对我们的文章理解有着直接或间接的帮助作用。
另外,在做题的时候,逻辑关系词也是我们在文章中定位题目的一大利器,同学们首先要有一种对逻辑关系词的敏感度,进而要有效地在文章阅读和做题时利用上逻辑关系词。阅读中常见的逻辑关系有并列关系、递进关系、转折关系、让步关系、比较关系、因果关系等。
常见的并列关系词有以下:and, or, also, not only … but also…, both … and…, not … but…等,在这些词中and这个单词出现的频率,它作为并列关系词所体现出来的并列关系也被我们利用得最多。下面我们来看看并列关系词在阅读中的作用。
1.如果and前后连接的是单词的话,那么这两个词很有可能是“类别一致”(多为前后是名词的情况)或“方向一致”(多为前后是动词、形容词或副词的情况),如:
AIS scientists work across a number of sports, applying skills learned in one - such as building muscle strength in golfers - to others, such as swimming and squash. (squash和swimming为并列关系,可以推测squash是一项运动,此为“类别一致”)
Researchers, now analysing the results of data gathered in 1994, say arthritis, high blood pressure and circulation problems - the major medical complaints in this age group - are troubling a smaller proportion every year. (arthritis, high blood pressure 和 circulation problems为并列关系,可以推测arthritis是一种疾病,此为“类别一致”)
The prospects for energy from tidal currents are far better than from wind because the flows of water are predictable and constant. (predictable 和 constant意思接近,方向一致)
The continuous and reckless use of synthetic chemicals for the control of pests which pose a threat to agricultural crops and human health is proving to be counter-productive. (continuous和 reckless在此都有否定方向性)
一篇介绍阿姆斯特朗的文章,里面有一个用法:
However, everything changed dramatically and drastically in October of 1996, shortly after his 25th birthday. (dramatically 和drastically在此含义近似,方向一致;叠加使用表示强调,这在英文中是一种修辞手法,叫押头韵——首字母发音相同,词性相同的两个词连用,一般表示强调)
2.or也有这样的用法,但是相对的,or更加接近“含义近似”:
The water in the irrigation canals is still or very slow-moving and thus cannot carry sediment, Stanley explains. (still和 slow-moving含义近似)
Even more impressively, DNA analysis of the fungi suggests that the ants improve or modify the fungi by regularly swapping and sharing strains with neighbouring ant colonies. (improve和modify含义近似)
The sense of smell, or olfaction, is powerful. (The sense of smell和olfaction含义近似)
3.另外一些表达并列关系的词或短语,当前后在说两件并列的事时,也会用不同的词来表达近似的含义:
Apart from engendering widespread ecological disorders, pesticides have contributed to the emergence of a new breed of chemical-resistant, highly lethal superbugs.此处apart from体现前后两件事为并列关系(Apart from A, B …意思是“除了A, B还怎么怎么样”,用法类似于in addition to),engender和emergence虽然词性不同,但是含义接近。
大家应该可以看得出来,当并列关系词出现的时候,我们经常可以用这种用法来进行猜词,如果我们认识其中一个单词,那么可以依靠这个单词猜测另外一个单词的类别或者方向性。雅思阅读很多时候并不要求我们了解每一个单词的含义,我们只要大概知道近似含义或作者想表达的方向性、保证阅读能够顺利进行下去即可。