近年来高考英语阅读理解题加强了对难句的考查,阅读材料中出现了不少创新句、省略句、复合句和特长句,给考生正确理解全文造成了很大困难,影响了考生的阅读速度,降低了考生解题信心,显然要成功阅读原文、理解原文并解答试题,考生必须闯过难句理解这一关。
一、利用还原法恢复创新句型的原句,从而准确理解创新句。
难句的一种重要形式是各种创新句型,有疑问创新句、前置创新句、倒装创新句、强调创新句、语态创新句、双重否定创新句和插入语创新句等,我们可以利用还原法来追根求源,从而恢复创新句型的原句,还复杂句本来面貌。
例1:Betty shrugs.Talk? We're friends.(2001年E篇)
认真阅读可知该句为省略句。根据上文,作者因妻子长时间跟女友谈话而感到纳闷的情节,该句可补充还原为:Betty shrugs. Why are we talking so long? We're friends.(贝蒂耸了耸肩,为什么我们谈了这么久?我们是朋友。)
例2: “Most women,” says Rubin,“identified(认定)at least one, usually more, trusted friends to whom they could turn (to) in a troubled moment...”(2001年E篇,原文无括号内to)
认真分析句子结构不难发现该句为介词前置句,可将介词to还原至正常位置(上句括号处)。“多数女子”,Rubin 说,“会认定至少一个,通常多个可信赖的朋友,以便在处境困难时可去求助……”
例3:No longer will the public accept the old attitude of “Buy it ,use it, throw it away, and forget it.” (2001年C篇)
认真分析句子结构可知该句为倒装句,可还原成:The public will no longer accept the old attitude of “Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it.” (公众们不再接受“购产品、用产品、丢产品、忘产品”的旧观点。)
例4:...it wasn't unusual to hear...(2001年E篇)
我们认真分析句意及句型可知,该句为双重否定创新句,可还原成:...it was usual to hear...(……我们通常可以听到……)
例5:What in the world, Harold wonders, do they have to talk about? (2001年E篇)
认真分析句意及句子结构不难发现,划线部分为插入语,可还原为:What in the world do they have to talk about?(她们究竟得谈什么?)
二、利用结构引导词进行结构和功能分析及单句重排,从而准确理解复合句。
例1:Whereas a woman's closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage, it wasn't unusual to hear (that) a man say (that) he didn't know (that) his friend's marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night asking if he could sleep on the sofa.( 2001年E篇,原文没有划线词汇)
该句后半句虽十分复杂,但根据已学句型补充上述附在括号内的连词,我们就可清楚地看出该句结构引导词为that, that, that, until和if。第一个that 为动词hear所带宾语从句的引导词,这个宾语从句的动词say又带了一个由that引导的宾语从句,而这个宾语从句的动词know又带了一个仍由that引导的宾语从句,该宾语从句的内容由一个until引导的时间状语从句来体现,在这个时间状语从句中分词asking 作状语,而在asking后又出现了if引导的宾语从句,五个从句交织在一起,盘根错节,令人眼花缭乱。认真分析从句的结构、意义及逻辑关系,我们可以将长句化整为零进行单句重排。
1. Whereas a woman's closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage.
2. It wasn't unusual to hear a man say this.
3. He didn't know his friend's marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night.
4. His friend asked him if he could sleep on the sofa.
全句意思逐渐明朗:“然而一个女子最亲密的女朋友可能是第一个叫她结束不幸婚姻的人,但我们常听到一个男子说,直到他的朋友突然来到他家并请求睡在他家沙发上,他才知道朋友的婚姻出现了危机。”
三、利用补充法理解省略句。
省略句在高考英语阅读理解材料中频繁出现,尤其在广告式阅读材料中大量出现,可以说广告式阅读理解材料中大多数句子都是省略句,我们应结合全文语境含义及逻辑关系将省略句补全从而加以准确理解。
例1:A beautifully produced, well-acted play for everyone. (2002年C篇)
析:该句为省略句,根据文意可将其补充为:A beautifully produced, well-acted play will be put on for everyone.(一场编剧精彩,演出漂亮的戏剧即将公演。)
例2:Sue Townsend’s musical play, based on her best-selling book. (2002年C篇)
析:该句为省略句,根据文意可将其补充为:Sue Townsend’s musical play is based on her best-selling book. (Sue Townsend的音乐剧以她的最畅销书为蓝本而编写。)
例3:No Monday performances. (2002年C篇)
析:该句为省略句,根据文意可将其补充为:There are no Monday performances.(星期一没有演出。)
四、利用成分分设法理解特长句。
有些阅读材料的句子特长,这些句子中往往出现各种后置定语、插入语或同位语,使得句子较长,分析特长句的主要成分(主语、谓语、宾语),可使特长句结构清晰、层次分明、意义明确。
例1:Kit Williams, a modern writer, had the idea of combining the real excitement of a treasure hunt with clues (线索) found in a book when he wrote a children’s story, Masquerade, in 1979. (2002年D篇)
析:分析句意及结构可知,该句主语为Kit Williams, 谓语为had,宾语为the idea,这样句子的大意为:Kit Williams有这样一种想法(内容由of介词宾语体现)。
如果从句较长也应分析其主要成分,使从句意思明确。
例2:He had realized that the words: “One of Six to Eight”under the first picture in the book connected the hare in some way to Katherine of Aragon, the first of Henry VIII’s six wives. (2002年D篇)
析:该句主句He had realized非常简洁明确,但从句很长,结构复杂,意义难以理解。认真分析可知,从句主语为the words,谓语为connected…to…,宾语为the hare和Katherine of Aragon,这样从句大意为:这些词汇将野兔和Katherine of Aragon联系在一起。