第三節(jié)閱讀理解的應(yīng)試技巧與策略
從考試角度考慮，閱讀理解的關(guān)鍵要抓兩點(diǎn)：一是準(zhǔn)確無誤，二是答題迅速。因此工程碩士閱讀需要解決的一個(gè)根本問題就是如何在有限的時(shí)間內(nèi)高效率地完成閱讀題。換言之，怎樣才能做的又好又快——這就少不了快速閱讀的方法技巧。常見的快讀方法有計(jì)時(shí)閱讀（Timed Reading）、略讀（Skimming）、尋讀（Scanning）、意群閱讀(Sense Group Reading) 等。我們?cè)诖讼虼蠹乙灰唤榻B這些方法技巧。
1. 計(jì)時(shí)閱讀
計(jì)時(shí)閱讀是提高閱讀速度有效的方法之一。其具體的方法是：先記下起讀時(shí)間（starting time），閱讀完畢記，讀完時(shí)間（finishing time），即可計(jì)算出本次閱讀速度。以下面一道工程碩士閱讀樣題為例：
Elephants who paint aren´t new. Paintings by Ruby, an Asian elephant who lived at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, sold for up to $5,000 in the late 1980s, said Dick George, a consultant with the zoo.
"Ruby was about seven months old when she first came to the zoo," said George. "She lived with a goat and some chickens, but she didn´t have an elephant companion for a number of years. She spent a lot of time drawing in the dirt with a stick to make her days more stimulating. Her keeper bought her some art supplies. ” George said, “Ruby was excited about painting right from the beginning. ”
The elephants at the art academies in the Southeast Asia are taught to hold a paintbrush with the tip of their trunks. Initially, the keeper guides the elephant´ s trunk over the canvas (畫布) and offers rewards for good performance.
"It only takes a few hours to a day to teach them," said Mia Fineman, an art historian whose book When Elephants Paint is an illustrated history of the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project. 188
11. Ruby was an Asian elephant_____.
A. who was sold for a price as high as $ 5,000
B. ho was famous for being the first painting elephant
C. hose paintings sold for as high as $5,000
D. ho started painting in the late 1980s.
12. Why did Ruby start painting according to Dick George?
A. Because she was seven years old.
B. Because she was the first to come to the zoo.
C. Because she learned a lot from the goat and the chickens.
D. Because she had no elephant partners to play with.
13. How did Ruby paint at the very beginning?
A. She used a stick to draw in the dirt.
B. She spent much time in the dirt.
C. She stimulated herself every day.
D. She painted with her keeper´ s art supplies.
14. To encourage the elephants to paint well, the keeper_____.
A. bought them a lot of art supplies
B. made them excited at the beginning
C. taught them to hold a paintbrush with their trunks
D. reinforced the desired behaviors with rewards
15. When Elephants Paint is a book_____.
A. on the history of arts
B. about the painting elephants in Asia
C. explaining how to teach elephants to paint
D. chiefly theorizing about elephant art
全文正文為188個(gè)詞，5個(gè)問題209個(gè)詞，總共397詞。按每分鐘70個(gè)詞的速度，在5分半鐘內(nèi)完成閱讀，再加上3分鐘選擇答案的時(shí)間，總共8分鐘完成此題
要是不能完成怎么辦？不要延長(zhǎng)時(shí)間。無論如何，需要養(yǎng)成快速閱讀的習(xí)慣�？煽紤]適當(dāng)降低閱讀材料的難度，從四級(jí)閱讀題開始訓(xùn)練，以后逐漸加大閱讀的難度。這樣堅(jiān)持一段時(shí)間，速度也就隨之上去了。來源：www.examda.com
由于快速閱讀時(shí)精力高度集中，因此閱讀時(shí)間不宜太長(zhǎng)，半小時(shí)就行了。因?yàn)闀r(shí)間一長(zhǎng)容易產(chǎn)生疲勞，精力分散，起不到強(qiáng)化訓(xùn)練的作用。每次練習(xí)后應(yīng)及時(shí)總結(jié)，發(fā)現(xiàn)問題隨手記下。這樣長(zhǎng)期堅(jiān)持下去，必能收到明顯的效果。
2. 略讀法
略讀又稱瀏覽或掠讀，就是迅速地閱讀，以求抓住文章的梗概。略讀的目的是為獲得大意或者總體印象而進(jìn)行閱讀。略讀作為一種快速閱讀技巧對(duì)我們來說并不陌生。這就像我們看報(bào)紙時(shí)，幾版、十幾版的頁面不可能一字不漏地往下看，只能用快的速度找出主題，略掉一些無關(guān)緊要的細(xì)節(jié)或與主題不甚相干的部分，知道其中的大概內(nèi)容即可。這種方法要求我們不要把眼睛盯在具體的每個(gè)單詞上，而是要看篇章中的主題句或者是從篇章的結(jié)構(gòu)著手，利用自己的推理能力，對(duì)文章的信息進(jìn)行分析，從而歸納總結(jié)出主題。善于略讀的人會(huì)有選擇地閱讀，跳過一些無關(guān)的句子、段落甚至是整頁的內(nèi)容，只看自己感興趣的東西。訓(xùn)練有素的略讀者的閱讀速度可以達(dá)到每分鐘1000個(gè)詞以上。略讀的關(guān)鍵在于一個(gè)“略”字，注意力應(yīng)該集中在大意，而不是細(xì)節(jié)上。試以下文為例：
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me here and there.
I have sought love, first because it brings ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of life for a few hours of this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what at last I have found.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flux.
Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberated in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.
This has been my life, I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.
使用略讀法，我們的目光只去捕捉以下關(guān)鍵的字眼：
第一段：Three passions,. . . , have governed my life: (l)the longing for love, (2)the search for knowledge, (3) unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind;
第二段：I have sought love because (l) it brings ecstasy… ; (2) it relieves loneliness…; (3) I have seen…. the vision of the heaven;
第三段：With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to (l) understand …; (2) to know why the stars shine…. And I have tried to apprehend ….
第四段：Love and knowledge…led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. …I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.
第五段：This has been my life, …and would gladly live it again.
這樣一來，大大減輕了閱讀的負(fù)擔(dān)，一篇近300詞的文章，閱讀其中的100個(gè)詞就能概括全部的內(nèi)容。略讀歸納起來也就兩句話：去粗取精，不失要點(diǎn)。
3. 尋讀法
所謂“尋讀”，就是通過目光掃視，以快的速度從一篇文章中披沙揀金，迅速尋找出你所期望得到的某一具體情況、數(shù)據(jù)等。以日常生活為例。假如你要買一臺(tái)價(jià)格適中、性能良好的計(jì)算機(jī)，你可瀏覽有關(guān)計(jì)算機(jī)廣告。各種廣告林林總總，品牌不同、功能各異、價(jià)格不等。你便可先從價(jià)格上考慮，通過尋讀，找出幾個(gè)你準(zhǔn)備買的型號(hào)，然后從性能、信譽(yù)上進(jìn)行比較，選中你想買的那一臺(tái)。同理，尋讀法也常見于閱讀考試的細(xì)節(jié)題中。這種方法的特點(diǎn)是有的放矢，為我所用。譬如根據(jù)提問查找某一人名、地名，某一件事發(fā)生的年月或其他類似的情況。工程碩士閱讀理解的細(xì)節(jié)題尋讀技巧利要是用得當(dāng)，往往會(huì)省時(shí)省事，答案迅速而準(zhǔn)確。以2003年的閱讀試卷中的第4篇為例，這是一篇天氣預(yù)報(bào)，總計(jì)328個(gè)詞。
Questions 26-30 are based on the following weather forecast:
Weather Forecast
The following forecast shows for the listed cities the projected weather conditions and the expected range of temperatures from the afternoon high to the evening low.
Atlanta: Mostly fair. 88-70 T
Minneapolis : Mostly cloudy. 68-50 T
Boston: Partly cloudy. 78-61 T
New Orleans: Mostly fair. 92-73 T
Chicago: Thunderstorm likely. 82-67 °F
Philadelphia ; Hazy and warm. 90-68 T
Cleveland: Mostly cloudy. 84-68 T
Phoenix: Sunny and warm. 99-66 T
Dallas; Thunderstorms likely. 91-75 T
Pittsburg: Partly cloudy. 81-64 °F
Denver : Rain likely. 63-43 T
St. Louis: Thunderstorms likely. 86-70 T
Houston: Partly cloudy. 90-78 T
San Francisco; Mostly fair. 73-60 T
Kansas City: Thunderstorms likely. 73-63 °F
Seattle: Mostly fair. 74-50 T
Las Vegas:Sunny and warm. 93-56 T
Toronto ; Rain likely. 83-68 T
Los Angeles: Mostly sunny. 88-60 °F
Washington D. C. Partly cloudy. 88-72 T
Miami; Partly cloudy. 88-79 T
26. According to the forecast, _____.
A. Kansas City will be warmer than Toronto
B. temperatures will be the lowest in Seattle and Minneapolis
C. the weather will be fine in most of the listed cities
D. more than half of the listed cities are cloudy or rain likely
27. Among the following four cities, the difference between the afternoon high and the evening low is smallest in _____.
A. Kansas City
B. Miami
C. Atlanta
D. Seattle
28. Which of the following cities is closest to Miami in weather conditions?
A. BostonB. AtlantaC. Washington D. C. D. Houston
29. The difference between the afternoon high and the evening low is greatest in _____.
A. SeattleB. Los AngelesC. Las VegasD. Phoenix
30. The differences between the afternoon high and the evening low are the same in _____.
A. Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, and St. Louis
B. Atlanta, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Seattle
C. Cleveland, Dallas, St. Louis, and Washington D. C.
D. Pittsburg, Miami, Houston, and Boston
通過尋讀，我們很快就可以把目光定在全文后一段的后一句上：“Straitfold, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice”。題干問的是Straitfold以什么感到自豪，“independent voice” 也即是“獨(dú)立的聲音”。將幾個(gè)選項(xiàng)進(jìn)行對(duì)比，稍加思索我們就不難找到正確答案：nonconformist image (不隨大眾的形象)，所以選項(xiàng)B是正確答案。
4. 意群閱讀法
所謂“意群”也即是有意義的語法結(jié)構(gòu)（英語稱作sense groups），通常為詞組、短語。顧名思義，“意群閱讀法”也就是按詞組、短語在文中的組合意義整體閱讀，而不是單個(gè)的詞匯閱讀。我們知道，詞是語句的基本組成單位，意群是語句的基本構(gòu)成單元。單個(gè)詞并無多大意義，只有組合起來，在上下文關(guān)系中形成特殊的意群，才能獲得特殊的、確定的意義。以前面“尋讀”中的一句為例：Straitfold, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice，我們要是按9個(gè)單詞匯一個(gè)個(gè)地讀作Straitfold, says, Friedman, takes, pride, in, its, independent, voice，不但速度慢，而且形不成一個(gè)完整的意思。與此相反，要是我們將其分為4個(gè)意群來讀：Straitfold, / says Friedman,/ takes pride in /its independent voice/，閱讀效率就高多了。
由此可見，意群閱讀是提高閱讀效率、把握文章整體的關(guān)鍵。因此，我們?cè)陂喿x文章的時(shí)候，目光不應(yīng)當(dāng)停留在每個(gè)單詞上，而應(yīng)當(dāng)放在中心詞上，把目光集中在意群的中心，從一個(gè)意群中心詞到另一個(gè)意群中心詞，這樣的意群整體掃描是提高閱讀速度的行之有效之法。
漢語常常用“一目十行”來形容某人讀書速度快。英語的閱讀訓(xùn)練有素者同樣能達(dá)到這一境界。但對(duì)于一般的普通讀者來說，能做到“一目數(shù)詞”也相當(dāng)不錯(cuò)了——這大大超出了大綱所規(guī)定的每分鐘60個(gè)詞的閱讀速度。我們發(fā)現(xiàn)，閱讀速度慢的人的閱讀模式類似小學(xué)低年級(jí)學(xué)生讀課本，看一個(gè)字讀一個(gè)字，然后再想這個(gè)字的意思。這樣的閱讀方法眼睛再快也跟不上國(guó)家對(duì)工程碩士要求的速度。因此，要提高閱讀速度，就得根除逐字閱讀的壞習(xí)慣。而按意群閱讀，既能提高目光的效率，又有利于整體思維，連詞成句。
下面讀者不妨自己做這樣一個(gè)比較，先按逐字閱讀的習(xí)慣方法閱讀以下段落，看看要用多少時(shí)間。
Many small cultural groups live in places far away from modern cities. Some of these tribes have never had any communication outside of their small geographical areas. When they do contact the outside world, their lives usually change. Learning how to change without losing the best of their own cultures is a problem for them. How can primitive cultures learn to live in a technological world？How can they do this without becoming lost？（75詞）
然后再用意群閱讀法閱讀下面同一段落，看看共花多少時(shí)間。為了便于閱讀，我們用分隔號(hào)“／”把句中的一個(gè)個(gè)意群隔開。
Many small cultural groups／live in places／far away from modern cities. ／Some of these tribes have never had／any communication／outside of their small geographical areas. ／When they do contact／the outside world,／their lives usually change. ／Learning how to change／without losing the best／of their own cultures／is a problem for them. ／How can primitive cultures／learn to live／in a technological world？／How can they do this／without becoming lost？（18個(gè)意群）
顯而易見，采用“意群閱讀法”能一眼同時(shí)看到三個(gè)詞或五個(gè)詞，甚至更多的詞。這樣就大大節(jié)省了閱讀的時(shí)間，起到事半功倍的作用。
5. 識(shí)別信號(hào)詞
所謂“信號(hào)詞”(Signal Words) 是指一些在閱讀中起著信號(hào)提示的詞語。這些詞語預(yù)示著將要讀到的內(nèi)容與上下文存在什么樣的關(guān)系，或具有什么樣的邏輯意思。因?yàn)槲覀冎�，文章的句子不是無序地排列，而是按照一定關(guān)系，有目的、有規(guī)律地組織起來的。注意信號(hào)詞能使我們了解作者的思路，理順該句與上下文之間的邏輯關(guān)系，從而提高閱讀理解的效率和準(zhǔn)確率。請(qǐng)看下面這一段落：
In that mill, I learned the process of making paper. First, the logs are put in the shredder. Then, they are cut into small chips and mixed with water and acid. Next, they are heated and crushed to a heavy pulp to be cleaned. It is also chemically bleached to whiten it. After this, it is passed through rollers to flatten it. Then, sheets of wet paper are produced. Finally, the water is removed from the sheets which are pressed, dried and refined until the finished paper is produced.
作者通過表示先后順序的信號(hào)詞first, then, next, after this, then 和finally, 有條不紊地描述出造紙工藝的整個(gè)過程。
信號(hào)詞的類別
信號(hào)詞可以歸納為下面幾種：
l）表示遞進(jìn)的信號(hào)詞：
after all, also, again, and then, as well as, further more, additionally, in addition, in other words, moreover, to repeat等；
2）預(yù)示有相同或類似內(nèi)容的信號(hào)詞：
and, also, moreover, further, likewise, in addition, besides, similarly, as well as, the same as等；
3）預(yù)示有不同或相反內(nèi)容出現(xiàn)的信號(hào)詞：
but, however, while, whereas, on the other hand, on the contrary, as apposed to, to the opposite, otherwise等；
4）表示因果關(guān)系的信號(hào)詞：
as, for, since, because, as a result, consequently, thus, so, therefore, for this reason, so that, thereby等；
5）表示條件性的信號(hào)詞：
if, in case, assuming that, on condition that, on the supposition that, provided that等；
6) 表示總結(jié)性內(nèi)容的信號(hào)詞：
in short, in a word, in brief, briefly, in conclusion, as a result, in sum, to sum up, by and large, to conclude等；
7) 表示先后關(guān)系順序的信號(hào)詞：
before, after, another, first, next, then, last, finally, afterwards, later on, since then, eventually, in the end, at last等；
8) 表示解釋、舉例說明關(guān)系的信號(hào)詞：
for example, for instance, such as, to illustrate, evidently, obviously, in other words, that is to say, the same as等；
9) 表示目的的信號(hào)詞：
in order to, in order that, so that, so as to, for the purpose that等。
下面一例考試的一段文字錄音稿就有帶有各類不同功能的信號(hào)詞。
If you´re in your 20s, you own your first car, your career is more or less launched, and you´re starting to look forward to owning a home. But you´re worried, too. Perhaps you´ve got some debt. You probably don´t have much in the way of savings. And with all your expenses, it doesn´t look like you´ll be able to improve that situation soon.
If you wonder how to cut corners, there´s an obvious place to look—at your spending habits.
Do you buy a soda each weekend? Waste $1 a day for 40 years and, when you´re set to retire, you´ll find your account is short by $190,000. Grab a calculator and you´ 11 discover that, over 40 years, going out to dinner twice a month at $40 each time amounts to half a million. Even a pack-a-day cigarette habit will lighten your retirement account by $330,000. And the same with cable TV and those cool earrings. They will probably amount toas much as one million.
So, the first clue to accumulating wealth is this: focus on your spending habits.
要是我們能把握住其中的黑體字信號(hào)詞，那么將有助于全文的理解，提高做題的效率。
6. 猜測(cè)不認(rèn)識(shí)的詞語
在閱讀文章的過程中，考生面臨大的問題是遇到不認(rèn)識(shí)的單詞或短語，或者認(rèn)識(shí)的單詞在文章中有了新的含義。如果這些詞或短語不影響對(duì)文章主要內(nèi)容的理解，考生便可以將它們略過，不中斷閱讀。如果這些詞語的意思對(duì)正確理解文章很重要，就必須根據(jù)上下文的聯(lián)系，根據(jù)構(gòu)詞法或其他方法對(duì)它們的意義進(jìn)行猜測(cè)，使之不影響對(duì)整篇文章的理解。猜測(cè)詞義通�？刹捎靡韵聨追N方法。
1) 利用上下文確定詞義
通過上下文來猜測(cè)詞意是閱讀考試中常用的重要手段之一，聯(lián)系上下文可以幫助我們理解句子，確定詞義。下面我們通過一些實(shí)例來簡(jiǎn)要說明如何通過上下文來確定詞義。
例1：He is successful as a businessman because of his dynamic personality. He seems to have unlimited energy.
對(duì)于dynamic一詞大家可能不熟悉，下文的He seems to have unlimited energy…（他似乎有用不完的勁）就是對(duì) dynamic詞義的解釋。這樣，我們便知道該詞意為“有干勁的”。
例2：Sociology is the term used to describe the scientific study of human society。
假定sociology是一個(gè)不認(rèn)識(shí)的詞，系動(dòng)詞be后面就給出了明確的定義。這樣，我們便知道該詞意思為“社會(huì)學(xué)”。
例3：A first-year college or university student is commonly a ´freshman´, and ´sophomore´, ´junior´ and ´senior´ designate the second—third—and fourth—year student.
要是對(duì)sophomore, junior 和senior幾個(gè)術(shù)語不熟悉，通過后面的對(duì)應(yīng)解釋詞語the second—third—and fourth—year student我們便不難知道它們分別是指二、三、四年級(jí)的大學(xué)生。
例4：The tired soldiers trudged through knee-deep mud for hours before they found a dry place to sleep.
通過后面的through knee-deep mud（沒膝深的泥漿），我們知道trudged一詞的意思為與行走這一動(dòng)作有關(guān)，在泥漿中行走，也就是“跋涉”。
例5：When it comes to manufactured goods there is actually more diversity in this country than Europe has ever known. The variety of goods carried by our stores is the first thing that impresses any visitor from abroad。
第二句中的variety與第一句中的diversity 同義，這樣，我們便不難知道diversity的大意是“種類”或“品種”。
下面我們聯(lián)系上下文，試確定以下各句中斜體字的含義。
1. The woman and the children were skilful in boats too, but there were usually several of them in a large boat called umiak.
2. The doctor said that if a person ate even one leaf of the hemlock plant, he would die, because the plant is a deadly poison.
3. Although dogs and cats often have large families, rabbits are famous for the size of their litters, which sometimes number more than twelve bunnies at one time.
4. Mark became hysterical when his basketball team won, and he did not calm down for several days.
5. With mud from head to toe, flowers still clutched in his hand, John looked so ludicrous that we couldn´t help laughing.
6. A bee collects nectar not in its own stomach but in a kind of shopping bag (called the honey sac) similar to the one ants have.
7. Several generations ago, the world seemed to run in an orderly way. Now, however, everything is in a state of turmoil.
8. After the first time someone tried to rob him, the banker became flustered easily, and in his confusion he would make many careless errors.
9. Jane was intrigued by the behavior of animals; she could sit for hours observing a bird making a nest or an ant carrying a leaf.
10. Some chimps are very independent and appear to be the superior members of a group; others seem to be ruled by the leaders and are quite submissive.
通過上串下聯(lián)，我們不難確定上述各句中斜體字的含義如下：
1. umiak n. 一種大船
2. hemlock n. 一種有毒植物（毒芹）
3. litter n. 一窩 bunnies小兔子
4. hysterical a. 歇斯底里，異常興奮
5. ludicrous a. . 滑稽可笑的
6. nectar n. 花蜜honey sac蜜胃
7. turmoil n. 混亂
8. flustered a. 慌亂的
9. intrigued a. 感興趣
10. submissive a. 順從的
2) 利用構(gòu)詞法確定詞義
掌握英語構(gòu)詞法，是提高閱讀速度的技巧之一。在很多情況下，通過構(gòu)詞分析，便能理解不認(rèn)識(shí)生詞的含義，不至于中斷閱讀。因此，考生應(yīng)當(dāng)有效地利用自己所熟悉的詞綴（包括前綴和后綴）和詞根，通過構(gòu)詞法來是確定生詞的含義。
例1：Many cancers have been arrested with the use of chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy 是由chemo（意為chemical）和therapy (意為treatment），整個(gè)單詞意思就是“化學(xué)療法”。
例2：They overestimate the interviewee´s ability and asked turn many difficult questions.
overestimate ＝over (過分、過度)＋estimate (估計(jì))。因此overestimate的詞義可猜測(cè)為“過高估計(jì)”。
例3：The murderer had developed a poison which could not be tasted or smelled when mixed with food. Because it was imperceptible, he was able to murder a number of people without being caught.
句中的imperceptible 一詞由前綴im-（非，不）＋詞根percept（感知、覺察）＋后綴 -ible（能……的）構(gòu)成。幾部分組合在一起，也就是“難以覺察的”之意。
例4：Social science is that branch of intellectual enquiry which seeks to study humans and their endeavors in the same reasoned, orderly, systematic, and dispassioned manner that natural scientists use for the study of natural phenomena. (2003工程碩士英語第62題)
其中的dispassioned為超綱詞，我們可根據(jù)構(gòu)詞法dis + passion + ed知其大概意思：除掉激情的，也即是“冷靜的”。
3) 利用語法知識(shí)確定詞義
在很多情況下，各種語法知識(shí)可以幫助我們來判斷詞性、詞義。
例1：This set of books is for children. The first book of the sequence, which is one of the most popular series of children´s stories, is a group of stories about the inhabitants of a village.
假定我們不認(rèn)識(shí)sequence，利用定語從句which is one of the most popular series of children´s stories, 其中series就與sequence 同義，也就是“叢書”的意思。
例2：For their fishing and hunting the men used a kayak, a small boat for one person.
利用同位語a small boat for one person我們知道kayak是一種單人小船。
例3：A solar eclipse—when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun—in an unusual and interesting phenomenon that occurs rarely.
通過破折號(hào)解釋我們知道solar eclipse為“日食”。
例4：Ventilation, as we know, is a system or means of providing fresh air. It plays a very important part in the field of engineering.
通過后面的解釋我們知道Ventilation為“通風(fēng)，流通空氣”之意。
例5：The modern age of medicine began with the stethoscope, an instrument for listening to a patient´s heartbeat and breathing.
Stethoscope一詞大家都不熟悉，通過后面的同位語解釋an instrument for listening to a patient´s heartbeat and breathing，我們便能理解stethoscope的確切詞義，即“聽診器”或“聽筒”的意思。
4) 根據(jù)同義、反義關(guān)系確定詞義
閱讀中，特別是要注意表示反意的信號(hào)詞：in contrast, on the other hand, rather than, however, yet, although, while, unlike, but, whereas, as opposed to等，利用這些同義、反義關(guān)系，可以幫助我們確定詞義。
例1：My sister Mane is an optimist, while her boyfriend is one who is always gloomy and expects the worst to happen.
從while的轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系可知optimist意思是“one who expects the best”, 即“樂觀的”。
例2：Mother was tall, fat, and middle aged. The principal of the school was an older woman, almost as plump as Mother, and much shorter.
根據(jù)Mother was tall, fat以及后面as plump as的同義關(guān)系，我們知道plump為“豐滿的”之意
例3：Sally liked to concoct all sorts of stories, but her mother always knew when she was lying.
concoct一詞大家不熟悉，根據(jù)but的轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系我們知道在此句中與was lying的含義大體相同，由此可知concoct的大概意思是“編造謊話”。
例4：A gorilla always makes me think of the word aloof—not friendly, of distance from others.
假定我們不認(rèn)識(shí)aloof一詞，破折號(hào)后的反義關(guān)系：“不友好，冷漠” 就解釋了aloof一詞的含義。
5）利用邏輯推理和常識(shí)確定詞義
有時(shí)候，邏輯推理和自身的生活經(jīng)驗(yàn)及普通常識(shí)能幫助我們確定詞義。
例1：Fishes live in water and have fins which help them to swim. Most fishes have slimy skins covered with scales, but in fishes such as eels the scales are very small and can hardly be seen.
憑常識(shí)我們不難猜出fins, slimy和scales的確切意思分別是“鰭”、“滑溜的”和“鱗”，對(duì)于eels一詞，我們只需知道是fish的一種（鱔魚類）就行了。
例2：Not wanting to disturb the sleeping kitten, I gingerly lifted her from the box and put her on a blanket near the heater.
根據(jù)前半句的Not wanting to disturb（不愿打擾），我們便可大致推測(cè)出gingerly一詞的含義：“小心翼翼地”。
例3：A mercury thermometer is made of a glass tube with a bulb at one end.
憑常識(shí)我們知道溫度計(jì)下面的bulb是“水銀球”。
例4：Most troubles can be avoided, but death and taxes are inevitable.
憑常識(shí)我們知道死亡和稅收是不可避免的（inevitable）事情。
