职称英语阅读：第四讲

如何做词汇理解题

在职称考试中经常会出现一些词汇性选择题。词汇性选择题主要是考察考生对一个词汇或短语在特定语言环境下的确切含义。所考的词汇主要有两类： 一类是超出大纲词汇表的词汇，以前没有见过的新词，要求考生根据上下文猜测出它的确切含义。另一类是熟词僻义或者是旧词新义（即原来学过的词在新的语言环境下另有新义）。在这种情况下，考生以前知道的常规词义往往都不是解。有的考生想通过查阅词典来找出答案。实践证明，对于这种考题，查阅词典往往无济于事。考生一定要切记：只有根据上下文才能选出具体的，合乎文章内容的正确词义。因此考生在解题时，首先要对文章上下文有一个正确的理解，利用文章中所给出的线索或暗示来推断词义。根据上下文推断词义主要有以下几种方法：

（1） 利用定义和释义

有时在一篇文章中，作者估计到某个词或词组读者可能不熟悉，就常常在这个词或短语后面直接给出定义或换一种说法进行解释。例如：

They need to make their income meet the cost of living; so many people plan a family budget. A budget is a list of monthly expenses．

Experts in kinetics, in their study of body motions as related to speech, hope to discover new methods of communication.

He was a very astute buyer, estimating values very carefully and never allowing himself to be deceived.

Sociology is the term used to describe the scientific study of human society.

These medical students have decided to become pediatricians, that is, doctors specializing in the care and diseases of children.

A jetty——a wall built out into the water, protects the harbor.

To boycott a store means to refuse to shop in the store.

Jane is indecisive, that is, she can't make up her mind.

I thought they were old-fashioned, thinking too much of old ways and ideas.

Hausa, namely a language of the Sudan, is widely used as a trade language throughout western Africa.

An autobiography is the story of a person's life written by himself.

Holography, or three-dimensional photography, has many industrial applications.

Every once in a while in some part of the world or another, the ground suddenly shakes, and we call the event an earthquake.

Carbon monoxide （co） is a noxious gas which can cause death.

He had a wan look. He was so pale and weak that we thought he was ill.

Should the government regulate the cost of resources such as oil and gas? Some people do not believe that government control is the solution to the problem of the rising cost of fuel.

（2） 利用同义词或反义词

反义词前通常有but ,however, not, yet, while, although, nevertheless, unlike, instead, in contrast等信号词。

His naiveté, or innocence, was obvious.

My sister Kathy is lively and outgoing, however, I am rather introverted.

Mary was jubilant but Jane was sorrowful.

Danny was hesitant whereas Jean leaned forward eagerly.

Her shirt was clean but her shoes were grubby.

American businessmen expect employees to be punctual. They do not expect that the workers will come late.

Their friends laughed at them, and my sisters felt wretched, very unhappy.

It has an enormous, a very powerful influence on our lives.

In an aging person the new cells may not be as viable or as capable of growth as those of a young man.

（3） 利用文中的举例或暗示

The dromedary, like all desert animals, can go for long periods of time without drinking water.

（我们可以猜测dromedary 是一种沙漠里的动物）

Nocturnal creatures, such as bats and owls, have highly developed senses that enable them to function in the dark.

（我们可以猜测nocturnal creatures是蝙蝠和猫头鹰一类的动物，进而推测出"夜间活动的动物）

Today young couples who are just starting their households often spend lots of their money on appliances, for instance, washing machines, refrigerators, and color televisions.

I am a resolute man. Once I set up a goal, l won't give it up easily.

In the corner there is a Christmas tree decorated with shining ornaments, such as colored lights and glass balls, and sometimes hung with gifts.

（4） 利用构词法

英语中许多单词吸收了古希腊语和拉丁语的特点，形成了词根和词缀（前缀和后缀）的特点。因此解和掌握一些常用的词根、前缀和后缀的基本意思，对于我们扩大词汇量，分析一个单词的各个组成部分并根据单词的词根、前缀或后缀的意义猜测词义，是大有帮助的。

例如：

前缀 意思 　例词

ante- 　before anteroom, ante-Christian

poly many polytechnic

词根 意思 　例词

-anthro- man 　anthropography

-homo- 　same　homophone

后缀 意思 　例词

-ate to make 　consolidate, isolate

-ous full of nervous, glorious

解题技巧：

面对词汇题，考生要注意两个问题：其一，如果所遇的是普通词汇，切忌通过自己所掌握的某个含义来对它进行选择，而应紧扣该词汇出现处的上下文内容对该词的含义进行推断。因为往往这类词汇是多义词，你所掌握的含义只是它最常用的一个含义，而不一定是在这篇文章中的含义。因此，你只有切实依据上下文，在特定的语境中方能获取这个词的确切含义。其二，面对生僻词，首先要树立信心，不要因不熟悉该词而放弃，应结合上下文对这个词可能的含义进行合理推测。在进行合理推测时掌握一些规律，即如果这是一个很少用的生僻词，上下文中一般都会对它进行定义或解释。定义或解释所用措词一般都是常用词和常用句式。你只要找到这些句子，这个词汇的含义就很容易获得。如果它只是一个一般的生僻词或超出大纲范围的一般词汇，你完全可以通过该词出现的上下文含义对它进行大胆推测。