主讲:EmilyChen在英语学习中,我们自然会遇到许多生词。这时,许多人立即翻阅字典,查找词义。其实,这种做法是不科学的。它不但费时费力,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有着互相制约的关系。我们可以利用语境(各种已知信息)推测、判断某些生词的词义。一、针对性解释针对性解释是作者为了更好的表达思想,在文章中对一些重要的概念、难懂的术语或词汇等所作的解释。这些解释提供的信息具有明确的针对性,利用它们猜词义比较容易。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。例如:anthropologyisthescientificstudyofman.Inslangthetermjamconstitutesastateofbeinginwhichapersonfindshimselforherselfinadifficultsituation.定义的谓语动词多为:be,mean,dealwith,beconsidered,tobe,referto,becalled,beknownas,define,represent,signify,constitute等。2.根据复述猜测词义:虽然复述不如定义那样严谨、详细,但是提供的信息足以使阅读者猜出生词词义。复述部分可以是词、短语或是从句。Semantics,thestudyofthemeaningofwords,isnecessaryifyouaretospeakandreadintelligently.在复述中构成同位关系的两部分之间多用逗号连接,有时也使用破折号,冒号,分号,引号,和括号等。需要注意的是:同位语前还常有or,similarly,thatistosay,inotherwords,namely,orother,say,i.e.等副词或短语出现。Capacitance,ortheabilitytostoreelectriccharge,isoneofthemostcommoncharacteristicsofelectroniccircuits.KrabacbersuffersfromSAD,whichisshortforseasonalaffectivedisorder,asyndromecharacterizedbysevereseasonalmoodswings.根据生词SAD后面定语从句whichisshortforseasonalaffectivedisorder和同位语asyndromecharacterizedbysevereseasonalmoodswings,我们可以推断出SAD含义,即“季节性情绪紊乱症”。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。例如:Theconsequencesofepochaleventssuchaswarsandgreatscientificdiscoveriesarenotconfinedtoasmallgeographicalareaastheywereinthepast.二、内在逻辑关系根据内在逻辑关系推测词义是指运用语言知识分析和判断相关信息之间存在的逻辑关系,然后根据逻辑关系推断生词词义或大致义域。1.根据对比关系猜测词义:在一个句子或段落中,有对两个事物或现象进行对比性的描述,我们可以根据生词或难词的反义词猜测其词义。例如:AndrewisoneofthemostsuperciliousmenIknow.Hisbrother,incontrast,isquitehumbleandmodest.表示对比关系的词汇和短语主要是unlike,not,but,however,despite,inspiteof,incontrast和while引导的并列句等。Agoodsupervisorcanrecognizeinstantlytheadeptworkersfromtheunskilledones.2.根据比较关系猜测词义:同对比关系相反,比较关系表示意义上的相似关系。例如:Greenlovestotalk,andhisbrothersaresimilarlyloquacious.表示比较关系的词和短语主要是similarly,like,justas,also等。3.根据因果关系猜测词义:在句子或段落中,若两个事物、现象之间构成因果关系,我们可以根据这种逻辑关系推知生词词义。例如:Tomisconsideredanautocraticadministratorbecausehemakesdecisionswithoutseekingtheopinionsofothers.ThereweresomanydemonstratorsintheRedSquarethathehadtoelbowhiswaythroughthecrowd.4.根据同义词的替代关系猜测词义:在句子或段落中,我们可以利用熟悉的词语、根据语言环境推断生词词义。例如:Althoughheoftenhadtheopportunity,Mr.Trittwasneverabletostealmoneyfromacustomer.Thiswouldhaveendangeredhispositionatthebank,andhedidnotwanttojeopardizehisfuture.Doctorsbelievethatsmokingcigarettesisdetrimentaltoyourhealth.Theyalsoregarddrinkingasharmful.三、外部相关因素外部相关因素是指篇章(句子或段落)以外的其他知识。有时仅靠分析篇章内在逻辑关系无法猜出词义。这时就需要运用生活经验和普通常识确定词义。Husband:It'sreallycoldouttonight.Wife:Sureitis.Myhandsarepracticallynumb.Howaboutlightingthefurnace?Thesnakeslitheredthroughthegrass.在猜测词义过程中,除了使用上面提到的一些技巧,我们还可以依靠构词方面的知识,从生词本身猜测词义。1.根据前缀猜测词义Hefellintoaditchandlaythere,semiconscious,forafewminutes.I'milliterateaboutsuchthings.2.根据后缀猜测词义例如:Insecticideisappliedwhereitisneeded.Thenthevapormaychangeintodroplets.(附:常用前缀、后缀)3.根据复合词的各部分猜测词义Growingeconomicproblemswerehighlightedbyaslowdowninoiloutput.Highlight或许是一个生词,但是分析该词结构后,就能推测出其含义。它是由high(高的,强的)和light(光线)两部分组成,合在一起便是“以强光照射,使突出”的意思。BullfightisverypopularinSpain.综上所述,利用各种已知信息推测、判断词义是一项重要的阅读技巧。在实践中,我们可以灵活运用,综合运用上面提到的几种猜测技巧,排除生词的障碍,顺利理解文章的思想内容,提高阅读速度。常用前缀anti-against,opposite反对,针对antiwarantibodyantiterrorismantianxietyauto-oforbyoneself自己做的,自动的autostopautocriticismautobiographybe-causetobeorhave使,有befoolbefriendbi-two,twice,double双bipartybimirrorbio-life生命,生物biomedicinebioanalysisbiodiversitycenti-hundredthpart百分之一centilitercentimetreco-with,together共同,和…一起coworkercooperatecon-,col-,com-,cor-with,together共同,和….一起conjoincollocationcompassioncorrelationcontra-opposite反对,相反,相对contraattitudecontranaturalcounter-opposite反counterattackcounteractcounterpartdis-not,theoppositeof否定,相反disagreedishonesten-,em-causetobecome,putintothestatedcondition使成为,使处于….状态enlargeendangerempocketex-former以前的,前任的expresidentexhusbandextra-outside,beyond超出,在…之外extraodinaryextraartisticfore-inadvance,before,inoratthefront预先,前,在前面的foreheadforejudgeforeseein-,im-,-il,-irnot不,非,无indirectillegalimmoralirregularin-in,into内,向内indoor室内的inter-between,among相互,在…之间interuniversityinterdependentinterrelationintra-inside,within在…之内intragroupintragenickilo-onethousand千kilogramkilowattmacro-large大的,宏观的macroclimate大气候mal-bad,badly坏,不良,不当malformationmalnutritionmaltreatmicro-extremelysmall极小的microcomputermicrowavemid-middle中间midtermmiddaymidwestmini-small,short极小的,极短的miniskirtminitankmis-bad,badly坏,不当的misunderstandmisleadmono-one,single单一的mononuclearmonologuemulti-many,morethanone多multichoicemultistoremultinationalnon-not无,非,不noncooperationnonsmokerout-outside,beyond超越,胜过outlearnoutstandingover-toomuch,above,additional过分,在…上面,额外的overheadoverweightoverdopost-laterthan,after在…之后postgraduatepostwarpre-before,inadvance在…之前,预先previewpredesignre-again再,又recurretellredosemi-half,partly半,部分的semicirclesemifinalsemiprofessionalsub-under,below,lessimportant在…之下,低于,次于…的submarinesubstandardsubconscioussuper-greater,ormorethansuperstarsupernaturaltele-overalongdistance/telephone远程的,电话的telesaleteleconferen