雅思閱讀巧避同義陷阱

在雅思四門考試中，經(jīng)常會(huì)大量利用的同義轉(zhuǎn)換來考察學(xué)生詞匯量和綜合理解能力，尤其在閱讀考試中更是屢見不鮮。如果說考生在口語(yǔ)和寫作中還能有一定程度選擇的話，那么閱讀中考生是全然沒有任何選擇的。對(duì)于同義轉(zhuǎn)換的準(zhǔn)確到位的理解是和考生的綜合理解能力有著千絲萬縷的聯(lián)系的。本文中，將就雅思閱讀中出現(xiàn)的同義轉(zhuǎn)換形式及在解題過程中的作用進(jìn)行探討。

一、詞的轉(zhuǎn)換

詞的轉(zhuǎn)換一般指的是只涉及單個(gè)單詞的轉(zhuǎn)換。單個(gè)單詞的轉(zhuǎn)換包括詞性轉(zhuǎn)換及同義詞轉(zhuǎn)換。其中詞性轉(zhuǎn)換是相對(duì)簡(jiǎn)單的一種，詞匯量可觀的考生自然可以游刃有余，輕松應(yīng)對(duì);即便不認(rèn)識(shí)被轉(zhuǎn)換了的單詞的考生，也可以通過詞根詞綴以及上下文進(jìn)行猜測(cè)。例如：

Example 1. Q24/Test 2/Cambridge V (Matching):

24、One of the brain’s most difficult tasks is to

A.react t their own thoughts

B.helped create language in humans

C.respond instantly to whatever is happening

題干中的核心信息 most difficult 應(yīng)該在讀題的過程中被考生捕捉到，在定位時(shí)應(yīng)充分考慮到被代換的可能性;另外備考時(shí)訓(xùn)練充分有素的考生還會(huì)考慮到句子結(jié)構(gòu)的整體順序的不同。這樣，當(dāng)定位到原文的對(duì)應(yīng)信息句：

Making a rapid emotional assessment of the events of the moment is an extremely demanding job for the brain, animal or human.

考生應(yīng)該能夠敏銳地發(fā)現(xiàn)extremely demanding 是 most difficult 的代換，由此確定該句所表達(dá)的意思是正確答案，在list 中搜尋正確的選項(xiàng)時(shí)，句子中的內(nèi)容被再一次代換，其中原文中rapid emotional assessment of the events 被代換為 respond instantly to whatever is happening, 至此，答案為C.

Example 2. Q24/Test 1/Cambridge V (T/F/NG):

Q24、Some people may believe that the teacher- subjects’ behaviour could be explained as a positive survival mechanism,

該題如果定位準(zhǔn)確，整體的難度還是不高的?？梢钥闯鼍渲衟ositive 和survival是關(guān)鍵詞，由句中出現(xiàn)的survival mechanism可判斷為是從生物角度來談?wù)摰?，又因?yàn)樵牡腇段首句：One’s first inclination might be to argue that there are must be some sort of built-in animal aggression instinct that … 中提到了相關(guān)內(nèi)容，所以定位到該段。迅速掃描，搜尋和兩個(gè)關(guān)鍵詞對(duì)應(yīng)的信息，除了在該段第六行出現(xiàn)了原詞重現(xiàn)的survival, 還在上一行出現(xiàn)了advantageous, 顯然是positive 的代換。由于原文跟題目中的信息吻合，所以答案是TRUE.

二、詞組的轉(zhuǎn)換

詞組的轉(zhuǎn)換一般情況下是同義詞轉(zhuǎn)換的一個(gè)衍生。當(dāng)一個(gè)詞無法用另一個(gè)同義詞到位地解釋時(shí)，可能會(huì)出現(xiàn)用詞組解釋的情況。另外如果本身就是詞組的形式，那么通常來講還是會(huì)用詞組的形式進(jìn)行解釋。如Text 4/Q36/Cambridge V題目中的表述是 birds in temperate climates, 而原文對(duì)應(yīng)的描述是temperate-zone birds. 這種情況在T/F/NG當(dāng)中也有體現(xiàn)。絕大多數(shù)選TRUE的情況，原文和題目一定會(huì)經(jīng)過同義轉(zhuǎn)換，如：

Example 1:

原文：Computers are gaining in popularity, despite their cost.

題目：Computers are more popular than they used to be.

原文當(dāng)中的gaining in popularity題目中用more popular than they used to be作為替換。兩者在意思上屬于完全一致的同義轉(zhuǎn)換，因此答案為TRUE。

答案是FALSE的題目也可以通過同義轉(zhuǎn)換的比對(duì)來進(jìn)行判斷，如：

Example 2:

原文：Biologically, a species becomes extinct when its last individual dies.

題目：In biological terms, a species is said to be extinct when only one individual exists.

原文當(dāng)中的biologically用題目的in biological terms作為替換。Become則由is said to be作為替換。但是原文當(dāng)中的die在題目中變成了exist, 直接相反的意思。介于最后這一處的轉(zhuǎn)換與原文信息不符，可以判斷出此題答案是FALSE.

三、句子的轉(zhuǎn)換

考試中涉及到的句子轉(zhuǎn)換一般是指句子結(jié)構(gòu)或語(yǔ)態(tài)的轉(zhuǎn)換或者是對(duì)原文的概括，即用一兩句話對(duì)于原文的多句話進(jìn)行一個(gè)總結(jié)概括。但還有一種形式是題目中出現(xiàn)的某個(gè)單詞在原文中以句子或句子的一部分進(jìn)行了代換。下文中朗閣海外考試研究中心將就兩種情況分別舉例說明。

Example 1:

原文：The Internet has often been criticized by the international society as a newly-emerging dangerous tool in the hands of terrorists.

題目：The international society has often criticized the Internet because it is not safe.

原文的被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)在題目當(dāng)中變成了主動(dòng)的語(yǔ)態(tài)。但是因?yàn)轭}目缺少了條件狀語(yǔ)in the hands of terrorists, 所以題目的正確答案為NOT GIVEN。

句子轉(zhuǎn)換的另一種形式是對(duì)原文的總結(jié)概括。Summary或者T/F/NG題目當(dāng)中，有時(shí)候會(huì)出現(xiàn)原文和句子之間是總結(jié)概括關(guān)系。

Example 2:

原文：It has been proved that a rapid response leads to a great likelihood of arrest only if it is 1-2 minutes after a call is received by police. When the response time increases to 3-4 minutes, the likelihood of an arrest is substantially reduced.

題目：A delay of 1-2 minutes in response may have substantial influence on whether or not a suspected criminal is caught.

這道題目源自一篇講反應(yīng)速度的文章。原文中的兩句話講述的內(nèi)容為，如果警察在接到電話后的1-2分鐘反應(yīng)，抓住罪犯的可能性就非常大;如果3-4分鐘反應(yīng)，拘捕的可能性就會(huì)降低。這樣的意思在題目當(dāng)中被概括為一句話，即延后反應(yīng)一到兩分鐘會(huì)降低抓住罪犯的可能性。

Example 3:

Q4/Test 1/Cambridge V (T/F/NG):

4、The fact that children’s ideas about science form part of a larger framework of ideas means that it is easier to change them.

該句的定位由于符合順序原則，許多同學(xué)還是能輕松定位到第二段，但是接下來確認(rèn)信息的過程就讓一些綜合閱讀理解能力相對(duì)薄弱的同學(xué)不能從容應(yīng)對(duì)，因?yàn)閷?duì)于larger的同義代換不能識(shí)別從而導(dǎo)致錯(cuò)誤答案。

事實(shí)上，單詞large被原文中不止一個(gè)單詞替換，綜合在一起，成就了larger的意思：

These misconceptions do not remain isolated but become incorporated into a multifaceted, but organised, conceptual framework, making it and … …

雖然沒有確切的某個(gè)單詞表達(dá)了larger 的意思，但multifaceted, but organised, conceptual三個(gè)詞合起來則充分準(zhǔn)確地表達(dá)了該意思，不能不稱之為巧妙。

Example 4:

Q26/Test 1/Cambridge IV (Short Answer):

26、Which of the senses is best developed in cetaceans?

句中best developed 顯然是關(guān)鍵詞，但是無論按照順序原則還是其他方法都很難準(zhǔn)確定位到某個(gè)句子，因?yàn)橥耆淮鷵Q成了句子。在最后一段的首句中：

Although the senses of taste and smell appear to have deteriorated, and vision in water appears to be uncertain, such weaknesses are more than compensated for by cetaceans’ well-developed acoustic sense.

雖然看上去well-developed可以充當(dāng)題目中best developed的同義代換，但筆者認(rèn)為并非如此，二者在表達(dá)的程度上是有差異的，如何做出準(zhǔn)確的判斷還是有賴于對(duì)上述整個(gè)句子的理解，并且在和其他的感官發(fā)育情況做了對(duì)比之后，情況就更加清晰，答案是acoustic sense.

誠(chéng)然，辨識(shí)出統(tǒng)一代換似乎能節(jié)約時(shí)間，提高效率，但考生們還是要和綜合實(shí)力相結(jié)合，才能相輔相成，又快又準(zhǔn)地完成解題過程。