英语阅读中如何根据上下文猜测词义

猜测词义也是一种英语阅读能力。英语阅读理解试题中有不少这样的题目。任何一个实词，只有在一定的上下文中才能表示一个确定的词义。所谓上下文(context),正如英语辞典所解释的，其作用就是帮助确定上下文中的词、短语或句子的意义。据此我们可以尽可能地利用上下文来猜测词义，即从已知推求未知，也就是用我们所熟悉的词或短语来猜测我们不熟悉的词的词义。猜测词义时我们可以从三个方面来考虑：1）根据上下文已知部分进行逻辑上的推理。2）运用语法知识进行语法分析。3）依靠常识和经验做出判断。根据上下文猜测词义的方法有下列几种：(1)根据定义或解释猜测词义。例如下面的阅读材料：abagisusefulandtheword“bag”isuseful.itgivesussomeinterestingphrases(短语).oneis“toletthecatoutofthebag.”itisthesameas“totellasecret”….nowwhensomeoneletsout(泄漏)asecret,he“letsthecatoutofthebag.”短文后面有一个理解题目：john“letsthecatoutofthebag”meanshe________.a.makeseveryoneknowasecretb.thewomanboutacatc.buysacatinthebagd.sellsthecatinthebag在这篇文章里，“letthecatoutofthebag”虽然是一个新出现的短语，但紧接着后面就给出解释itisthesameas“totellasecret.根据这一解释，我们就可判断出正确答案应为a。(2)根据情景和逻辑进行判断。例如：2004年北京市海淀区中考试题阅读材料a。其中第三段是这样的：astheygoaroundtown,thepolicehelppeople.sometimestheyfindlostchildren.theytakethechildrenhome.ifthepoliceseeafight,theyputanendtoitrightaway.sometimespeoplewillaskthepolicehowtogettoaplaceintown.thepolicecanalwaystellthepeoplewhichwaytogo.theyknowallthestreetsandroadswell.文章后面有这样一道题：53.inthetext,“putanendto”means“___________”.a.stopb.cutc.killd.fly根据文章所提供的情景，如果警察看到有人在打架，他们肯定会去制止。因为制止打架斗殴是警察的职责。根据这一推理，答案应该是a。(3)根据并列、同位关系猜测词义。例如下面的阅读材料：thereisaplaceonourearthwherehotwaterandsteamcomeupundertheground.itisonalargeislandinthepacificocean.theislandisnorthislandinnewzealand.101.whatdoestheword“steam”meaninchinese?a.自来水b.大气c.冰川d.蒸汽从语法上看，steam和hotwater是并列关系，我们就以断定这两种东西是相关的，是同一类第物质。在所给第四个选项中只有“蒸汽”有这种可能。(4)根据背景和常识判断。请看2004年北京市海淀区中考试题的阅读材料c:watchingsomechildrentryingtocatchbutterfliesoneaugustafternoon,iwasremindedofanincidentinmyownchildhood.wheniwasaboyoftwelveinsouthcarolina,somethinghappenedtomethatmademeneverputanywildcreature(livingthing)inacage(笼子).welivedontheedgeofaforest,andeveryeveningatduskthemockingbirdswouldcomeandrestinthetreesandsing.thereisn’tamusicalinstrumentmadebymanthatcanproduceamorebeautifulsoundthanthesongofthemockingbird.idecidedthatiwouldcatchayoungbirdandkeepitinacageandinthatway,iwouldhavemyownprivatemusician.ifinallysucceededincatchingoneandputitinacage.atfirst,beingscared,thebirdfluttered(扑腾)aboutthecage,butfinallyitsettleddowninitsnewhome.ifeltverypleasedwithmyselfandlookedforwardtosomebeautifulsingingfrommylittlemusician.ontheseconddayofthebird’scaptivity,mynewpet’smotherflewtothecagewithfoodinhermouth.thebabybirdateeverythingshebroughttoit.iwaspleasedtoseethis.certainlythemotherknewbetterthanihowtofeedherbaby.thefollowingmorningwheniwenttoseehowmycaptive(caged)birdwasdoing,idiscovereditonthefloorofthecage,dead.iwasterriblysurprised!whathadhappened!ihadtakenextremelycareofmylittlebird,orsoithought.arthurwayne,thefamousornithologist,whohappenedtobevisitingmyfatheratthetime,hearingmecryingoverthedeathofmybird,explainedwhathadhappened.“amothermockingbird,findingheryounginacage,willsometimesbringitpoisonberries(毒莓).shethinksitbetterforheryoungtodiethantoliveincaptivity.”neversincethenhaveicaughtanylivingcreatureandputitinacage.alllivingcreatureshavearighttolivefree.60.anornithologistisprobablyapersonwho____________.a.studiesbirdsb.lovescreaturesc.majorsinhabitsd.takescareoftreesornithologist这个词从来没有见到过，但是通过他的语言我们可以判断出这是一个对鸟很有研究的人。我很爱鸟把鸟装在笼子里，并细心照料，而且鸟的母亲也飞过来喂这只鸟，但这只鸟却死了，我很不理解。到我家来的这个人给我详细解释了鸟死的原因，说明这个人非常懂鸟。据此我们可以断定答案影视a。