陳艷華
語篇是表達(dá)意義的語言單位,是人們運用語言的常用形式,語篇承載著語言知識和文化知識,傳遞文化內(nèi)涵、價值取向和思維方式。完形填空題是一種以語篇為載體,考查考生語篇圖式建構(gòu)能力和綜合語言運用能力的重要題型。在歷年英語高考中占有很高的權(quán)重,分?jǐn)?shù)比值占試卷的五分之一,是考生感覺比較難、很容易丟分的考題,也是高考中拉開考生差距的重要部分。筆者經(jīng)過多年對高考完形填空題的深入研究,發(fā)現(xiàn)完形填空題并非如考生所恐慌的那樣無計可施,仔細(xì)觀察,考題設(shè)計是有規(guī)律可循的,只要掌握了規(guī)律,運用技巧和策略,還是可以迎刃而解的。
一、完形填空題的語篇特征
在當(dāng)前的高考英語全國卷中,完形填空題設(shè)20空,分值為30分。要求考生在10到15分鐘內(nèi)運用已有的語言知識和文化背景知識,從四個選項中選出符合語境的最佳選項,使文章結(jié)構(gòu)完整,邏輯合理,語義通順。
近幾年的完形填空題以記敘文和夾敘夾議的文體居多。詞匯不超出考綱范圍,有時會出現(xiàn)一些派生詞或熟詞生義。文章常以第一或第三人稱敘述,同時夾雜細(xì)膩的心理或情感描寫,有情節(jié)變化,有哲理意義,有育人功能,讀后給人很多啟發(fā)和反思,甚至久久不能忘懷,是綜合考查考生語言能力、文化意識、思維品質(zhì)和學(xué)習(xí)能力的重要語篇,也是培養(yǎng)考生人文素養(yǎng)的經(jīng)典素材。
二、完形填空題的解題技巧
完形填空是一種既考查考生語言知識水平,又檢測考生閱讀理解能力、分析判斷能力、邏輯推理能力和綜合運用語言能力的有效題型,有一定的難度。在此,筆者主要以近三年高考英語全國卷的完形填空題為例,從上下文語境、邏輯推理、詞義辨析、詞匯復(fù)現(xiàn)、文化背景知識等五個方面闡述完形填空題的解題技巧,以期對讀者有所裨益。
1. 根據(jù)上下文語境
語境是指某種特定活動中的語言環(huán)境,在語篇中,語言形式的使用會受到特定交際情境的影響。語境不同,語言的表現(xiàn)形式不同。解答完形填空,絕大多數(shù)都要通過理解上下文語境才能推測正確答案。有的需要根據(jù)上文的語境提示,有的需要根據(jù)下文的語境提示,有的需要結(jié)合上下文語境提示,甚至通篇讀完才能做出正確的選擇。
(1)提示在前
(2018年全國Ⅰ卷)During my second year at the city college, I was told that the education department was offering a “free”course, called Thinking Chess, for three credits. I? ? 41? ?the idea of taking the class because, after all, who doesnt want to
42? ?a few dollars?
41. A. put forward ? ? ? ?B. jumped at
C. tried out ? ? ? ? ? ?D. turned down
42. A. waste ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?B. earn
C. save ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? D. pay
解析:第一句話(下畫線為本文作者所加,以下同)作者提到教育部門將提供免費課程,可知作者心里很高興,迫不及待想上這門課,所以41題選擇B. jump at。上文中提到“free course(免費課程)”,結(jié)合上文語境提示,42題指“誰不想節(jié)省點錢呢?”因此選擇C. save。
(2)提示在后
(2018年全國Ⅲ卷)The post has since gained the? ? 60? ? of social media users all over the world, receiving more than 184, 000 shares and 61,500 likes in just three days.
60. A. sympathy? ?B. attention? ? C. control? ? ? ? D. trust
解析:從下文內(nèi)容可知,這張?zhí)釉诙潭痰娜熘畠?nèi)被分享了184, 000次,點贊61,500次,由此提示可知,這張?zhí)釉谑澜绶秶鷥?nèi)引起了人們的關(guān)注,故選擇B. attention。
(3)前后文聯(lián)系
(2018年全國Ⅱ卷)Two weeks earlier, my son, Ben, had got in touch. Hed moved to England with his mum when he was three and it had been 13 years since Id? ? 41? ? seen him. So imagine my? ? 42? ? when he emailed me saying he wanted to come to visit me.
41. A. also B. often C. even D. last
42. A. delight ? ?B. relief ? ? ? C. anger ? ? ?D. worry
解析:文中提到Ben 3歲就隨母親去了英國,說明此后作者再也沒有見到Ben,41空所在的句子用了it had been 13 years since...的句子結(jié)構(gòu),說明作者自從上次見過Ben已經(jīng)有13年了,根據(jù)上文提示41題應(yīng)該選擇D. last。從第一句兩個星期前,Ben和我聯(lián)系,最后一句提到發(fā)郵件要來看我,根據(jù)上下文提示可以推測作者的心情是快樂的,所以42題可以自信地肯定A. delight為準(zhǔn)確答案。
2. 根據(jù)邏輯推理
邏輯是思維的工具,思維是智力和能力的核心。在完形填空題中借助體現(xiàn)邏輯關(guān)系的詞匯進行推理是準(zhǔn)確答題的有效手段。這類詞常見的有表示轉(zhuǎn)折的but, however, though等,表并列的and等,表因果的because, so, in order to, therefore等,表順序的firstly, secondly, thirdly等,表對比的有如old, new, young等,表排列的有如sometimes...sometimes...sometimes...等,通過這些表邏輯的詞匯,結(jié)合上下文語境可以準(zhǔn)確判斷和選擇答案。
(1)轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系
(2018年全國Ⅲ卷)When most of us get a text message on our cell phone from an unknown person, we usually say“sorry,
41? ?number!”and move on. But when Dennis Williams? ?42? ?a text that clearly wasnt intended for him, he did something? ?43? ?.
41. A. unlucky ? ? ? ? ?B. secret ? ? ? ?C. new ? ? ? ? ? ?D. wrong
42. A. received ? ? ? B. translated? ? ? C. copied ? ? ? ? D. printed
43. A. reasonable B. special ? ?C. necessary D. practical
解析:41題根據(jù)前面的“sorry”可知,大多數(shù)人收到來自陌生人的短信時,都會認(rèn)為是對方弄錯了電話號碼而不理會,因此本題選擇D. wrong。第二句有個But,But表示轉(zhuǎn)折,表明Dennis Williams和別人不一樣,Dennis Williams收到(42. A. received)陌生人短信卻做了一些特別的事情(43選擇B. special)。
(2)遞進關(guān)系
(2018年高考天津卷)...I started doing anything I could to help them build a little? ?25? ?. More important, I began to treat them like? ?26? ?...My boys beat the best team in Georgia...
25. A. pride ? ? ? B. culture ? ? ?C. fortune ? ? D. relationship
26. A. leaders ? B. partners C. winners ? ? D. learners
解析:根據(jù)原文上文語境可知,因為球隊被打敗,隊員們情緒會低落,所以,作者說盡一切努力幫助他們建立一點自豪感,25題選擇A.pride。從More important表遞進的語境和后文的勝利可知,作者把他們當(dāng)做winners(獲勝者)來對待,才有了后面的勝利,所以26選擇C. winners。
(3)對應(yīng)/比關(guān)系
(2018年高考天津卷)It was a tradition for the schools old team to play against the? ?19? ?team at the end of spring practice...Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my disappoint we were defeated.
19. A. successfulB. excellentC. strongD. new
解析:根據(jù)句意可知,這所學(xué)校的老足球隊和新足球隊在每年春末進行一次比賽已經(jīng)成為一個傳統(tǒng)??忌梢詮膐ld team 預(yù)測對手是new team,順著語境往下讀下去,在下面“Being the coach of the new team”的敘述中可得到預(yù)測的準(zhǔn)確答案。
3. 根據(jù)詞義辨析
英語中有很多意義相近但用法上存在區(qū)別的詞或者詞組,詞義辨析是考生語言知識學(xué)習(xí)的難點,也是完形填空題重點考查的內(nèi)容,主要是動詞、名詞、形容詞和副詞等實詞的辨析,有時會涉及熟詞生義。要準(zhǔn)確掌握該類型題的解題策略,在平時學(xué)習(xí)詞匯時要注意詞與詞之間的細(xì)微差別,也要結(jié)合所在語篇的語境去思考問題。
(1)實詞辨析
(2018年全國II卷)Linking arms with one of the instructors, I helped? ?51? ?the young man out of water. He was unconscious and as I looked at his face, something? ?52? ?to me. Those brown eyes were very? ?53? “Whats his name?”I asked the instructor.“Ben”, he replied, and immediately I? ?54? ?. That stranger was my son.
51. A. lead ? ? ? ? ? ?B. persuade ? ? C. carry ? ? ? ? ? D. keep
52. A. happenedB. occurredC. applied ? D. appealed
53. A. sharp ? ? ? ?B. pleasant ? ? C. attractive? ? ? ? D. familiar
54. A. agreed ? ? ? ? ?B. hesitated ? ?C. doubted ? ? D. knew
解析:51題,A. lead為“帶領(lǐng)”;B. persuade為“說服”;C. carry為“提,搬”;D. keep為“保持”,根據(jù)空格后的“out of the water”可知,作者和一個教練一起將這個年輕人從水里抬上來。故選C。
52題,A. happened to sb為“(某事)發(fā)生在某人頭上”;B. occurred to sb為“某人想起(某事)”;C. applied to為“申請,應(yīng)用”;D. appeal to為“吸引”。根據(jù)本段最后一句中的“That stranger was my son!”和文本語境可知,看到年輕人的臉,作者忽然想起一些事情,故選B。
53題,A. sharp為“敏銳的”;B. pleasant為“愉快的”;C. attractive為“有吸引力的”;D. familiar為“熟悉的”。根據(jù)本段最后一句“That stranger was my son!”可知,他那雙棕色的眼睛令作者感覺很熟悉,故選D。
54題,A. agreed為“同意”;B. hesitated為“猶豫”; C. doubted為“懷疑”;D. knew 為“知道”。根據(jù)本句中的“Ben”, he replied和語境可知,聽到那個年輕人叫Ben后,作者立刻就知道那個人是他的兒子,故選D。
(2)熟詞生義
(2018年全國III卷)He turned up at the hospital? ? 53
gifts for the new mother Lindsey and her baby boy.
53. A. bearing ? B. collecting ? C. opening ? D. making
解析:根據(jù)語境可知,He(Dennis)給新生媽媽Lindsey和新生兒買了禮物,該題答案為A. bearing。bearing作為動詞常見的用法有“忍受,容忍;承擔(dān),承受;生育”等意思。根據(jù)本語篇的語境,此處的bearing是不常用的“攜帶”之意。
4. 根據(jù)詞匯復(fù)現(xiàn)
詞匯復(fù)現(xiàn)是語篇銜接的手段之一,是語篇細(xì)節(jié)內(nèi)容再現(xiàn)的重要特征。它通過原詞、同義詞、近義詞、同源詞、同根詞等形式的重復(fù)來表達(dá)同一個概念,使得整篇文章上下內(nèi)容連貫,語言生動,富有表現(xiàn)力。因此考生可借助詞語復(fù)現(xiàn)來選擇正確答案。
(1)原詞復(fù)現(xiàn)
(2017年全國I卷)I told the story to the class. As sad as it was, I couldnt help smiling. Although Freddy was taken from us, we all? ?60? ?something from Freddy.
60. A. choseB. tookC. expectedD. borrowed
解析:根據(jù)“Although...,we all...的對應(yīng)關(guān)系”,盡管Freddy離開了我們,我們從他的身上也帶走了一些東西,可以推測60題是前面was taken中take的再現(xiàn),所以選擇took。
(2)近義詞復(fù)現(xiàn)
(2018年全國Ⅲ卷)When most of us get a text message on our cell phone from an unknown person, we usually say“sorry, wrong number!”and move on. But when Dennis Williams? ?42? ?a text that clearly wasnt intended for him, he did somethingspecial.
42. A. receivedB. translatedC. copiedD. printed
解析:文章第一句用most of us get a text message,當(dāng)表達(dá)Dennis Williams收到短信時,為了避免重復(fù),作者采用了received a text, 在此語境中,get 和 receive 為近義詞,因此,42題選擇A. received。
(3)上/下義詞復(fù)現(xiàn)
(2016年高考江蘇卷)We made a commitment to? ?54? ?together as a couple. From that day on, we learned together, travelled together, and sacrificed together.
A. growB. surviveC. moveD. gather
解析:上義詞具有概括的作用,作者有時為了表達(dá)的需要,會先概述再分述。從后面的learned together, travelled together, and sacrificed together描述,可知作者是分述,那么可以推測54空需要填一個上義詞grow,grow包含下面分述的內(nèi)容。
5. 根據(jù)文化背景推理
語言是文化的載體,文化通過語言傳遞。完形填空的語篇也常常蘊含一定的風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣、生活常識。在解答完形填空題時考生需要具備一定的文化背景知識,或者生活常識。
(2017年高考北京卷)Later, when Hannah attended school, she saw another homeless person. It was a woman,? ? 39? ?an old shopping trolley(購物車)which was piled with? ?40? ?. It seemed that everything the woman owned was in them.
39. A. pushingB. carryingC. buyingD. holding
40. A. goods ? ? ? ? ? B. bottles ? ? ? ? ?C. foods ? ? ?D. bags
解析:該題給的信息詞是老太太、購物車,由生活常識可以推測老太太是推著購物車,所以39題選擇A. pushing;從最后一句“看起來老人的東西都放在里面(in them)”推測,購物車上放著的應(yīng)該是老人的包,所以40題選擇D. bags。
實踐證明,以上方法對于準(zhǔn)確解答完形填空題是很有效的,對發(fā)展考生的語言能力、文化意識、思維品質(zhì)和學(xué)習(xí)能力很有幫助。