解析閱讀理解題的困惑

摘 要 在大學英語學習中，閱讀理解是很重要的內容，在全國大學英語四、六級考試中，在研究生入學考試中均占有較高的比例，本文闡述了學生做閱讀理解題時遇到的困惑與問題，并指出解決的辦法。

關鍵詞 大學英語 閱讀理解 技能

中圖分類號：G424 文獻標識碼：A

在大學英語學習中閱讀理解是很重要的內容，在各種考試中，如大學生英語四、六級考試，研究生入學考試等，閱讀理解都占有較重的比例。提高閱讀理解水平與答題技能對學生來說是至關重要的。然而許多學生雖做了大量的理解題，仍然效果不理想，正確率低，造成這一現象的原因是學生沒有抓住做閱讀理解題的答題技巧。

學生遇到的第一個困惑是生詞量大。在做閱讀理解題時，有的學生感覺生詞多，閱讀不下去，生詞成為了閱讀的一大障礙。有的學生在平時做閱讀題時，看到生詞就要查字典，否則就無法讀下去。這對閱讀理解來說是一個不良習慣，因為查字典勢必會影響閱讀速度，而現在的各種考試題量都很大，如果做題太慢會大大影響考試成績，況且考試時是不允許查字典的。再者遇到生詞就查字典，無法提高學生根據上下文推測生詞含義的能力。而且并非所有生詞對答題都有影響，有些生詞與所問問題不相干，因此不必理會這些與答題無關的生詞，那么遇到這些生詞怎么辦呢？學生做閱讀理解題時應有心理準備，遇到生詞是必然的，不用擔心，更不要成為心理上的閱讀障礙。對于答題有關聯的生詞，可根據上下文和構詞法推測出詞的意義。

例如：

We live in a society in which the medicinal and social use of substances （drugs） is pervasive： an aspirin to quiet a headache， some wine to be sociable， coffee to get going in the morning， a cigarette for the nerves. When do these socially acceptable and apparently constructive uses of a substance become misuses？ First of all ， most substances taken in excess will produce negative effects such as poisoning or intense perceptual distortions. Repeated use of a substance can also lead to physical addiction or substance dependence.Dependence is marked first by an increased tolerance， with more and more of the substance required to produce the desired effect， and then by the appearance of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the substance is discontinued.

The word “ pervasive” might mean_________

A. overwhelming B. widespread

C. piercing D. fashionable

“Pervasive”一詞對許多學生來說是生詞，但根據下文的內容：服用阿司匹林治頭痛，喝酒提神，早晨喝咖啡解困，吸煙使心理得到安慰等，由此看來“medicinal and social use of substances（drugs）”是相當普遍的現象，故答案應選B。

The fitness movement that began in the in the late 1960s and early 1970s centered around aerobic exercise（有氧操）. Millions of individuals became engaged in a variety of aerobic activities， and literally thousands of health spas developed around the country to capitalize （獲利） on this emerging interest in fitness， particularly aerobic dancing for females. A number of fitness spas existed prior to this aerobic fitness movement ， even a national chain with spas in most major cities.

The word “spas” most probably refers to ________

A. sports activities B. recreation centers

C. places for physical exercise D.athletic training programs

“spas”一詞是一陌生詞匯，其上下文的含義為：數百萬人開始參加有氧運動的鍛煉，人們對于健身，特別是女子有氧健美操越來越有興趣?；诖耍瑪登Ъ医∩碇行脑谌珖鴳\而生。因而我們可以從“health spas”推導出“spas”應為健身場所。

以上兩篇文章中我們根據上下文推導出了相關詞的含義，培養了猜測生詞含義的能力，也大大節省了查詞典的時間，提高了閱讀速度。文章中還有一些生詞，但對答題無大關聯，不影響答題，就不用在上面再花費時間了。猜詞的方法有如下技巧：

（1）根據同義詞猜測，同義詞一般由and或or連接，知道其中一個詞的含義，即可猜到另一詞的含義。

例：The students are diligent and hard-working， preparing their entrance examination.

“diligent”和 “hard-working”由and連接，表示意義相近，即可猜測“diligent”為“用功的、刻苦的”含義。

（2）根據反義詞猜測，反義詞一般由but， however while ，not等詞引出。

例：John is very optimistic while his sister is rather pessimistic.

若知道“optimistic”為“樂觀的”，“while”一詞表示轉折，即可推斷“pessimistic”為 “悲觀的”意思。

（3）根據舉例，猜測生詞的含義。

例：In the library ，the students often read some periodicals， for example， Times， Readers ，Gardens etc.

根據所舉的例子，“時代” 、“讀者” 、“園藝”，即可猜出“periodical”一詞指期刊。

（4）根據同位語猜測生詞的含義。

例：Linda managed the boutique ，the speciality store ，and attracted many customers.

“boutique” 一詞為生詞，但其后面的同位語“the speciality store ” “特色店”解釋了其含義。

（5）根據構詞法猜測詞的含義

例：My mother cleans and defrosts the refrigerator once a month. “defrost”一詞可能是生詞，但”frost”是霜，前綴 “de”的含義是 “去除、降低”，故可推測”defrost”意為“除霜”。

學生遇到的第二個困惑是做題時，感覺選項中兩個選項都對，又都似是而非，不知該選哪一個。

例如：

In the early days of sea travel， seamen on long voyages lived exculsively on salted meat and biscuit. Many of them died of scurvy（壞血?。琣 disease of the blood which causes swollen gums， livid white spots on the flesh and general exhaustion. On one occasion， in 1535， an English ship arrived in Newfoundland with its crew desperately ill. The men’s lives were saved by Iroquois Indians who gave them vegetable leaves to eat. Gradually it came to be realized that scurvy was caused by some lack in the sailors’diet， and Captain Cook， on his long voyages of discovery to Ausrtalia and New Zealand， established the fact that scurvy could be warded off by the provision of fresh fruit for the sailors.

Nowadays it is understood that a diet which contains nothing harmful may yet result in serious disease if certain important elements are missing. These elements are called “vitamins”.Quite a number of such substances are known and they are given letters to identify them. A，B，C，D， and so on.Different diseases are associated with deficiencies of particular vitamins. Even a slight lack of Vitamin C， for example， the vitamin most plentiful in fresh fruit and vegetables， is thought to increase significantly our susceptibility（敏感度）to colds and influenza.

The vitamins necessary for a healthy body are normally supplied by a good mixed diet，including a variety of fruit and green vegetables. It is only when people try to live on a very restricted diet， say during extended periods of religious fasting（齋戒），or when trying to lose weight， that it is necessary to make special provision to supply the missing vitamins.

Scurvy is a disease that is provoked by

A. salted meat and biscuit

B. exhaustion

C. want of some essential substances

D. lack of fresh vegetables and fruits

第一題中，考生覺得C、D兩個選項都對，不知選哪一個，考生做題時應抓住本篇文章的主旨，以此為指導，就能辨別出哪一個是正確答案了。本篇第一段介紹了海員因長期在海上航行飲食缺乏新鮮蔬菜和水果，因而許多船員得了壞血病，根據這一現象有的學生選擇了D選項。原文第二段闡述了本文的主旨，即當體內維生素缺乏時身體就會出問題，維生素對人體至關重要，因此選項C更符合原文，故答案應為C。由此看來理解文章主旨對答題有很大的幫助。

為了準確理解文章的主旨，要重點理解每一段的段首句和段尾句。因主題句（topic sentence）經常出現在段首句或段尾句，抓住了每一段的主題句，就能更好地總結出篇章的主旨。

學生遇到的第三個困惑是科技類文章的閱讀。因科技類或科普類文章專業詞匯多，句子結構長，許多學生遇到這類文章就感覺頭疼，甚至有的學生在考試時看到科普類文章閱讀理解時就放棄了，這樣考試成績就大受影響了。其實掌握了科技類文章閱讀理解的答題技巧，這類文章的理解題還是比較容易做對的，在做科技類文章閱讀理解題時，不要試圖將其翻譯成中文，對于陌生的專業詞匯，只要根據上下文分析出其詞性即可。不要讓專業詞匯成為閱讀的障礙。即使有時不能很好地理解全文的含義，但根據句子中的關鍵詞匯也能做出正確的選擇。

例如：

Making a plaster patch a square foot or so in areas is considerably more job than filling cracks， but there is no reason why the amateur should not attempt the repair if he makes his preparations properly.

Cut the edges around the opening clearly， and wet them thoroughly. Make the mix of fresh plaster slightly stiffer （less water） than for the crack repair. Put on a base coat first， which means just enough to cover the lath， and see that it is below the face of the old edges. After this coat has set a little， mix another batch， slightly more fluid， and apply as a finish coat right over it， and smooth it out evenly with the old edges. This method is suggested because the weight of one full coating might be too much， and you would probably have some trouble keeping it in place on the lath.

To smooth off the finished coat nicely， take a straight， smooth piece of wood ， with a more or less sharp edge long enough to span the patch， and work it across， back and forth over the new plaster. This will give you an even， smooth surface and avoid the necessity of troweling （用泥刀修平） out any humps or filling in any depressions. In doing this kind of work， it is essential that the water be clean， and free from rust or dirt. If it is not， the patch will be discolored.

In making a plaster patch， the passage does not say you should_________

A. use a straight piece of wood across the patch

B. make the mix of fresh plaster softer （more water） than in filling a crack

C. use clean water

D. put on a base coat of plaster first

閱讀本篇文章時，由于專業詞匯較多，學生未能理解其含義，但這并不影響答題，選項A、C、D在原文中都提到了，故答案只能是B選項。