聽力測試題有很多對話常通過某種否定形式來表示肯定含義,或是利用肯定形式表示否定意義。其目的是考查學生的快速反應能力和對基礎知識掌握的程度。
常見的以否定形式表示肯定意義的結構有:
cannot wait+不定式或can hardly wait+不定式(急于……,迫切希望……);cannot與much(或too,enough,sufficiently,over構成的合成詞)連用(無論怎么也不為過);cannot help doing(禁不住做……);cannot but do(不得不,必然);cannot help but do(不得不);have no choice/alternative but to do(除非……外別無選擇,非做……不可);nothing but(只有,只不過)。另外,還可以通過各種比較結構來表示肯定含義,最常用的有:nothing less than(和……一模一樣,完全是);more A than B(與其說是B,不如說是A或是A而不是B);less A than B(與其說是A,不如說是B或是B而不是A);not so much A as B(是B而不是A);A not so... as B(A比B……),表達的正好是原結構中形容詞或副詞的反義。
常見的以肯定表示否定的意義的有:
anything but(根本不);used to(過去常常,是對現(xiàn)在的情況的否定,說明現(xiàn)在已不這樣做);too... to...(太……以致不……,這一結構的不定式表示否定意義);prefer... to...(該短語否定的是介詞短語部分,表示“不喜歡或不會做”等);would rather... than(寧愿……而不,這一結構否定的是than后的動詞,would... rather than與其用法相同)。
[例]
A) She is eager to know what the present is.
B) She is not anxious to know what it is.
C) She doesn't know what she is asked to wait for.
D) She really doesn't care about the present.
M: What did your parents buy you for your birthday?
W: I don't know. But I can hardly wait to see it.
Q: What does the woman mean?