提高雅思閱讀水平要突破的四項能力
想讓出國讀書拿到學位或移民進行得更順利,必須要有符合要求的雅思語言成績。一些考生雖然有非常強烈的學習動機和明確的目標,卻往往由于對考試技巧理解不到位或運用不當而造成效果不佳,那么對于考生而言,又該應該如何正確理解和運用應考技巧呢?下面是小編給大家?guī)淼奶岣哐潘奸喿x水平要突破的四項能力,希望能幫到大家!
提高雅思閱讀水平要突破的四項能力
針對雅思閱讀考試的特點,本文中,專家將就以下四項技能做一討論,希望考生在備考階段重視以下四點,以達到更有針對性地逐步提高的目的,這四大技能為:
SKIMMING (瀏覽)
SCANNING (跳讀)
PARAPHRASING (同義詞釋意)
SMALL WORDS (小詞大意思,即一詞多意)
首先,關(guān)于SKIMMING (瀏覽),英文釋義為:To skim is to read quickly in order to get the general idea of the passage.快速閱讀為了獲得文章的大意。瀏覽的技能很重要,雅思閱讀任務量龐大,要在60分鐘之內(nèi)完成3000字左右的閱讀,對大部分考生來講是很具挑戰(zhàn)的任務,更何況雅思閱讀考試還有40個題目,需要做答,所以掌握SKIMMING的方法至關(guān)重要,那么如何在短時間之內(nèi)迅速掌握文章的大體結(jié)構(gòu)和每段的主要內(nèi)容呢? 分析發(fā)現(xiàn),根據(jù)西方人的思路和寫作風格,他們通常會把最為重要的話題先入為主,放在靠前的位置。所以一篇文章最重要的是首段,而每一個段落中最重要的應該是句,或者第二句。除非有的段落開始一讀,就發(fā)現(xiàn)是描述性的信息或者例子,那么主題句應該優(yōu)先考慮段落的一句。前者段落結(jié)構(gòu)大概可歸為總分,后者為分總,這樣一來,就進一步確定了主題句,從而從段落結(jié)構(gòu)和內(nèi)容上都更容易把握了。
比如:在page 18/ Cambridge IV 中有這樣一個段落 Adults and children are frequently confronted with statements about the alarming rate of loss of tropical rainforests. For example… 很明確這段主題句為句:大人和孩子經(jīng)常面對熱帶雨林以驚人速度消失的陳述。第二句話就不用看了,因為舉例子……所以說明后面都是細節(jié)為了支持主題句。那么學生在閱讀的過程中,不妨養(yǎng)成把句當成一個設(shè)問句來讀,學會自己設(shè)問自己解答,這樣閱讀就變得更加主動了,射入大腦的信息也會更加準確。又比如:Page 71/ CambridgeIV: Volcanoes are the ultimate earth-moving machinery. 粗略的理解:火山是一個使土地動起來的大機械。那么馬上把這句話變成設(shè)問句,為自己一個為什么。接下來A violent eruption can blow the top few kilometers off a mountain, scatter fine ash practically all over the globe and hurl rock fragments into… 就非常好理解了,一個猛烈的爆發(fā)足以把山頂之下幾公里的山體都炸飛,足見火山的影響力之大。
關(guān)于SCANNING:定義-To scan is to read quickly in order to locate the specific information.快速閱讀為了定位特殊信息。跳讀的意義深遠,它是個目的性極強的閱讀過程,更強調(diào)的不是閱讀理解,而是閱讀做題,即從題干入手找到一些題目中的關(guān)鍵詞和定位詞,而回原文中跳躍讀信息,在出現(xiàn)定位詞的附近,停下來,仔細閱讀,做出答案。而沒有定位詞的地方,非??焖俚膾呙柽^就可以了。如題目:For how many years did Mount Pinatubo remain inactive?首先我們能確定的就是答案形式一定是數(shù)字,表示具體多少年。然后應該對數(shù)字本身,或者文字表示的數(shù)字最敏感,然后用Mount Pinatubo 成為特殊定位詞,快速掃描數(shù)字附近的單詞,最終很快對應到原文中:In the case of Mount Pinatubo, this took 600 years. 答案為 600 years.這樣的閱讀,準確高效,是拿下細節(jié)題目的關(guān)鍵,一定要重分析,再尋找,否則就是在徒然浪費時間。
PARAPHRASING,即所謂同義詞釋義。從雅思閱讀的題干入手,從左至右依次劃出定位詞。除了那些比較特殊的詞,比如大寫,引號,數(shù)字等,最獨特的名字就是要優(yōu)先考慮的,因為題干中的名詞到原文中不容易被代換掉,其次就要劃出獨特的動詞,不過動詞通常就要變化了,就要被同義詞解釋了。比如我們在題干中找到動詞expect期待、預測的意思,到原文中能遇到原詞的幾率幾乎為零,如果看到它的名詞形式expectation就已經(jīng)相當不錯了。通常都被如下這些詞替換了:predict, anticipate, guess in advance, forecast, foresee…所以考生在平時的英語學習中,一定要注意英文同義詞的積累,名詞,動詞,形容詞都至關(guān)重要。
SMALL WORDS,一詞多意。在雅思閱讀的教學過程中,筆者經(jīng)常會發(fā)現(xiàn)很多學生對每一個單詞都能說出單獨的意思,但如果要求他們對一句話進行綜合理解,整體翻譯,就發(fā)現(xiàn)局部語塞,洋涇浜中文或語義不通,漏洞百出,不能成文,究其原因,就是學生對單詞的學習不夠全方位,不夠充分,沒有注意到一詞多義,而只停留在背單詞書個或者第二個意思的階段。例如:Many studies have shown that children harbour misconceptions about ‘pure’, curriculum science.很多學生會把從句中的harbour 翻譯成港口,然后揣測:孩子港口一個錯誤的觀點……就不知所云。其實這就錯在了對harbour的正確理解上。首先確定在語境中harbour為動詞,所以名詞港口的意思這里就不能適用。然后孩子和錯誤觀點之間能匹配的動詞,應該為“懷著,持有……觀點”。所以harbour可以等于have, hold若干。這就要求學生在學習英語的過程中,一定要注意單詞的詞性,根據(jù)詞性再記住這個詞性下至少兩重意思,多對應參考書翻譯句子,進行綜合理解,這樣才能達到單詞活用的效果。這樣的例子數(shù)不勝數(shù),比如coin,名詞“硬幣”,動詞“鑄造,合并”; plant,,名詞“植物和工廠”;discipline,名詞“紀律和學科”;novel,名詞“小說”,形容詞“新穎的”; edge名詞“邊緣和優(yōu)勢”。閱讀中對單詞的要求也只是認知詞匯,即看到條件反射認識即可,然后在上下文的語境中確定詞性,選取意思,完成理解。要想對單詞反應的更為敏感,還應該增加廣泛的閱讀量。
如果在備考階段能就上述四個方面對雅思閱讀進行系統(tǒng)有素的訓練,就不至于一味焦慮,沒有方向,當然,考生也必須了解自身的特點,進行針對性的練習,才能達到更好的效果。更重要的是,這些方法并不僅只是為了應對雅思考試,而是閱讀的一些基本技能要求,對國外留學應對大量的寫作論文任務,收集并研讀資料,撰寫自己建設(shè)性的報告,都是必須的閱讀方法。
雅思閱讀之是非判斷題解析
1. 關(guān)于“False”和“Not Given”的解釋 (An Explanation of “False” and “Not Given”)
Students generally find this type of exercise rather difficult. One reason is that they are used to doing true and false exercises where the false covers false and not given. Then when they come to do true, false or not given, they cannot make the distinction between the three different types of contradiction and not given. It is therefore important that students are able to understand what false means in true, false and not given. There are three types of contradictions:
學生通常發(fā)現(xiàn)這種題型很難。其中的原因之一是這些學生習慣于做true和false題目,其中的false涵蓋了false和not given兩種情況。所以當學生在做true, false和 not given的題目時他們無法區(qū)分三個不同種類的矛盾對立狀況和”not given”的區(qū)別。因此,學生要理解”false”的含義??偣灿腥N矛盾對立狀況:
statements which are the opposite of the original text.
命題與原文內(nèi)容對立(相反)。
statements which are the opposite of the original text, because they are negative.
命題與原文對立(相反),因為命題否定原文內(nèi)容。
statements where the information is not the opposite or negative, but the information in the statement contradicts that given in the text.
命題信息既不對立(相反)也不否定,但是和原文內(nèi)容矛盾。
Look at the examples below relating to the text and exercises:
Example 1
原文:Hurricanes have winds of at least 74 miles per hour.
題目:Hurricanes are winds with the speed of up to 74 miles per hour.
分析:由于原文中的核心內(nèi)容是“at least 74 miles per hour”,而題目中是“up to 74 miles per hour”。因此,這就是False的種情況:命題與原文內(nèi)容對立(相反)。
Example 2
原文:As forecasting improved communities were no longer surprised by hurricanes and could take measures to evacuate ahead of the storm. While destruction still continues, the number of deaths in hurricanes has dropped significantly.
題目:The destruction caused by hurricanes has ceased due to improvements in forecasting.
分析:原文的核心內(nèi)容是“While destruction still continues”,而題目中的內(nèi)容是“The destruction caused by hurricanes has ceased”。因此,這就是False的第二種情況:命題否定原文內(nèi)容。
Example 3
原文:In 1609, a fleet of ships carrying settlers from England to Virginia USA was struck by a hurricane. Some of the ships were damaged and part of the fleet grounded on Bermuda, an isolated nation in the Atlantic. These passengers became the first people to live on Bermuda.
題目:The first people to live on Bermuda were settlers who chose to live there as alternative to England.
分析:通過原文和題目比較我們發(fā)現(xiàn):沒有明顯的對立和否定的詞匯出現(xiàn)。而是通過句式結(jié)構(gòu)的轉(zhuǎn)換產(chǎn)生了題目和文章信息的矛盾。因此,這就是False的第三種情況。
那么,not given是如何判斷呢?我們再來看一個例子:
Example 4
原文:The Mayans also showed their respect for hurricanes by building their major settlements away from the hurricane-prone coast-line.
題目:The Mayans lost many of their major settlements because of hurricanes.
分析:盡管題目和原文中有對應的詞出現(xiàn):The Mayans和major settlements,但是題目中的因果關(guān)系在文章中并沒有體現(xiàn)。也沒于出現(xiàn)有關(guān)“lost”的相應表述。因此我們可以判斷此題為not given。
2. What is the keyword? 什么是關(guān)鍵詞
Select ONE keyword from each of the following:
從以下的句子中劃出一個關(guān)鍵詞:
Networking is not a modern idea.
People fall into two basic categories.
All teachers are cynics.
The first piece of Hesse’s art has little effect on visitors to the gallery.
The New Forest has already been made into a National Park.
Suggested answers:
參考答案:
not
two
all
little or perhaps first
already
The suggested answers I’ve given may not seem that obvious to the students who would possibly consider keywords such as 'modern' or 'New Forest' as more significant. However, the keywords shown have a greater significance in terms of the meaning of the whole statement and illustrate a number of traps in the test. For instance:
我所給出的參考答案又有可能對學生來說不是那么明顯。學生有可能認為諸如”modern”或”New Forest” 這一類關(guān)鍵詞更重要一些。但是,根據(jù)整個題目的意義來說,參考答案所給出的關(guān)鍵詞更加重要,而且體現(xiàn)了考試出題的陷阱。請看以下例子的分析:
not makes the statement negative as opposed to possibly being positive in the text
two determines a specific number of categories which may differ in the text.
all determines that every teacher is a cynic and not a proportion of.
little has a negative connotation as opposed to 'a little' another one to watch out for is 'few' and 'a few'
already shows that the New Forest was made into a National Park in the past and is not a future proposal i.e. an indication of past, present or future time.
These examples hence illustrate the importance of looking out for: negativity, a specific number, the whole or a proportion of, positive and negative connotation and reference to time. Other ones to watch out for include:
這些例子搜尋以下關(guān)鍵詞的重要性:否定詞,具體的數(shù)字,限定范圍的詞,具有肯定或否定意義的詞和時間指示詞。其他的需要搜尋的關(guān)鍵詞包括:
Modals e.g. words like must, should, have to (varying degrees of obligation or certainty)
情態(tài)動詞(表示不同程度的義務和確定性)
Adverbs of frequency e.g. sometimes, always
頻率副詞,如sometimes, always
Words such as most, some, all
諸如most, some, all等限定詞
3. 同義轉(zhuǎn)換能力 (Paraphrasing Ability)
A paraphrase is a restatement of a paragraph, sentence, or word.
我們通過對一道TRUE/YES考題的分析來掌握同義轉(zhuǎn)換能力。
EXAMPLE
The original sentence (文章原句):
“Until recently, criminologists could not afford to analyze DNA evidence for all homicide cases.”
An effective paraphrase of this sentence(題目中的同義轉(zhuǎn)換):
“Crime labs now can use DNA for all murder cases.”
NOTE: This paraphrase utilizes synonyms to replace key words. Some are very close (DNA vs. DNA evidence and homicide vs. murder), while others take more liberties (criminologists vs. crime labs and could not vs. now can). The essential meaning has been retained, however, despite these significant changes.
通過上述的分析,總結(jié)出以下四種同義詞轉(zhuǎn)換技巧:
replace a Phrase with a Word (or a Word with a Phrase) 單詞詞組轉(zhuǎn)換
Until recently 轉(zhuǎn)換成了now,criminologists轉(zhuǎn)換成了Crime labs
Start the Sentence Differently 句型結(jié)構(gòu)轉(zhuǎn)換
原句采用了Until recently……criminologists could not的結(jié)構(gòu), 而在題目中的運用了Crime labs now can……的結(jié)構(gòu)
Replace a Word with a Synonym 同義詞轉(zhuǎn)換
同義詞轉(zhuǎn)換包含了詞匯轉(zhuǎn)換的內(nèi)容,但更注重的是對于單詞本身的替換。
上面例子中最明顯的同義詞替換就是homicide和murder。另外analyze和use的替換也屬于這種情況。
Change Passive into Active Voice/Negative Slant to Positive 主動被動轉(zhuǎn)換/ 否定肯定轉(zhuǎn)換
這種轉(zhuǎn)換方式和句型結(jié)構(gòu)的轉(zhuǎn)換有相似的地方,但更注重表達方式的理解。如”until recently……could not afford to analyze……” 轉(zhuǎn)換成了”……now can use……”